Frozen Flowers

White crystalline objects fall down from the sky. It was such a wonderful sight to watch. Xarissa a young girl was looking at those crystalline objects from the window while lost in thought. No one know what she was thinking but you could see different emotions when you stare at her eyes. 

She sigh and open the window and look outside to see the ground that was frozen, she smile gently and remember something. It was also snowing that day it didn't bother her from looking outside the window too in amazement. A soft cough startled her awake she smiled at the beautiful woman. It was her grandmother. She's obviously under her 50's but she still look so young and beautiful.

"Grandma." She said and smile at her grandmother. Her grandmother also smile at her and patted her head. She sits beside her granddaughter.

"It's your first time seeing this things are you not curious why it is there are ice flowers?" She asked her so Xarissa just look at her curiously. She never heard there was a story where ice flowers every time it snows.

"Do you want to know?" Xarissa nodded and look at her grandmother mother with sparkling eyes.

"Actually the ice flowers was created because of Charissa a beautiful maiden. She was by many men and every woman was so envious of her beauty and charm." 

She was really mysterious because one day she never show up her face in public. She keeps hiding away her face with a mask so a rumor was spread far and wide. That Charissa’s face was so hideous that she never dared appeared in public every again. Because of those rumors she slowly disappear from the public.

No one know if she still live in her house, months past and years and no one every see her again. Charissa was never been hideous in the first place. She's a beauty and that beauty could topple down cities and kingdoms so she never dared show up her face and decided to live in a forest where no one would go. Far away from everyone's eyes.

No one know that she could control nature except her mother who passed away as early as she was born. She has a twin sister but no one know were she was but they are not identical because she never heard rumors that someone could look like her, that a woman was so identical to her. Years past and she live quietly in the forest she live without a care in the world. She could sense her twin sister that she was alive and living well so she never really cared though.

She didn't know if it’s an instincts or there was a line that connects her with her sister where she could sense her. She never really cared because she was truly unusual herself and she's afraid to be called a monster. No human could have a power like her so she was scared and never dare go out in the forest. But no matter how she hides someone really dared go into the forest and find out her home. 

It was a man with black hair and blue eyes, his good looking and tall like anyone else. Charissa was startled at him and just look at him dumbly .

“Do you live her alone?” He asked she just nodded and look away and hide her face with her palms.

“Why are you living here all alone?” He asked again and walk towards her.

“Cause it’s convenient and no one even lives here.” Charissa was in a daze when the man never really pointed that she was beautiful like a doll. Charissa never really know how to smile she seem to have no expressions so people told her she was like a doll. Because a doll doesn' t have any expression. 

“Isn't it dangerous out here you’re a girl anyway you should leave this…”

The man never finish his words when they heard someone shouts for help nearby. The man immediately run where the sound came from, Charissa was looking like she was thinking to also go there but she’s really nervous because she seem to know who was the person in trouble is. For a long time she just stand there and finally make up her mind to also go where the sound for help came from. 

“Are you not hurt somewhere?” The man asked the girl she was very beautiful while wearing a dress. When Charissa saw her, heart beats so fast that she couldn't even breathe. That girl was her twin sister but she never know her.

“Who is she?” the girl asked and looked at Charissa while smiling brightly at her. She seem to never care about dangers that people may bring on her.

“Oh she lives her all alone so I talk to her but never really know her name.” 

“I’m Eira and this is my friend James.” The girl told Charissa she just stared at her and make up her mind to also told them her name. 

“Charissa that’s my name. You could stop in my house and cure your wounds.” 

“Thanks your really kind.”

James said and look at her while smiling. James told them that they were exploring and he was a knight of Eira. They also told her that it was dangerous in this forest all alone so she should leave here. She insist that she love the smell of nature and love her home. Eira pity her and promise to be her friend and will always visit her when she have time.

James also visits her and give her gifts everytime she sees her. She was really happy that they never really told her that she was beautiful like a doll or asked why she has no expressions. They became visitors of Charissa every other month, while James was always visiting her and telling her she was interesting and so on. One day James told her that he wanted to court her so she immediately responded to him, because she also fall in love with James. So years past by and they became lovers and Eira became her bestfriend but her visits were so rare when she discover that James and her are lovers.

“I could not visit you for the whole year Im sorry there was a problem in the capital.” James told her while holding her hand.

“That’s alright I understand just be careful and tell Eira to see and visit me if she had time.” James just nodded and hug her. She could feel that James hug her tighter and kiss her hair.

“I’ll come back I promise don't go outside the forest it's dangerous outside."

She just nodded and felt really curious at what James said. Everytime they where together James always told her to come together to the capital and visit his parents could. It was the first time James asked her to stay here. She really was curious so when James go back she use her power and go outside the forest so James will not know that she go outside.

She wear her masked that she really didn’t use for a long time, every person look at her curiously when she walked past them. Charissa didn't really care about them but was curious at what was the rumors about James and Eira was. She heard it from Eira but she nerver really told her about it. So she asked the person who was talking to a woman it was a shopkeeper. He told her that Eira and James are going to get married she didn’t know what to feel when she heard that but when the shopkeeper told her that tonight was the wedding she became furious. She didn’t realize that her black hair are turning to white slowly. That night she saw the wedding of her lover and bestfriend she was so furious that she black out. 

She walk up and heard a baby crying she open her eyes and saw a woman kissing her. She was so pale that every minute she could lose her breathe. 

“Charissa that’s your name it means my beloved. Because your are my beloved child grow to be a person who will overcame the curse and everything that come in your way. Always remember this. Your different from everyone your ate unique.” A kissed landed on her cheeks. Charissa cannot move and just stare dumbly at the woman.

“Young mistress the prophecy came out and Charissa your first will wreak havoc in this kingdom and he r twin sister will die with her that is written. Her fate cannot be avoided."

The woman was shocked and hug Charissa and told her something. She stare at her and the woman kissed her cheeks, she breathe her last breathe while saying to the attendant something.

“Don’t let her see her twin sister no matter what.” 

Charissa black out again and saw her lover was getting married she don't know what but she feel her body isn't in her control, and all plants listen to her commmands. She can't control her body it’s like someone was using it and she was trapped inside. She could see those people struggling. Her hair becomes white as snow all of a sudden and she lash an attack on Eira but James protected her. Charissa tried to stop her from hurting them but she can't help it. Then she remember what that woman told her. 

“The only person that could kill someone like us is someone who really and deeply love us that even if he forgotten us he feels that something is missing and will always find what it was. When you find that person you could save everyone and her and no one will control our body anymore because it will break, but all things have a price."

Charissa concentrate all her mind in controlling her body and saw her twin who was wounded she remember that her sister could die and she will never let that happen so she hold James hand that was holding a sword with difficulty and for the first time smile at him. James was shocked when the sword stab at her chest.

“Forge t about me.” She said and cough up blood on the spot. James take off her mask and was shock to see those familiar eyes and face. 

“Charissa... why?” 

“The real prophecy state that only one could be alive because…” James kissed her lips and smiled at her.

“Don't talk anymore I save you." Tears flowed down her cheeks. 

“Please forget about me I should have never existed.”

She said and her body glow, Eira just cried she know that that as her sister but she can't tell her that because James love her. And she was so selfish and envious at her own twin siste r that she forced James to marry her. White lights field the sky, everyone was in daze while looking up the sky. White crystalline objects fall from the sky from who knows.

It s such a beautiful sight but no one remember the woman who was the one who sacrifice herself and was the cause of those objects that fall from the sky. James was in daze he tried to remember something but he can't all he could see is the flower that was lying there peacefully and never cared about the cold and the slowly frosting ground.

“I’m sorry.” Eira told James and handed her the ring.

“Forget about it I could still marry someone that will love me. Im sorry for Charissa?” 

“Charissa? Who?” Eira couldn’t say anything when she was asked she just dumbly looked at him while her tears are flowing from her cheeks, she's the only one who remember her like a curse, a nightmare that will haunt her forever.

“No one every see Eira every again they said she goes faraway from that place and James is still finding that thing that was missing from him. But everytime it snow he will look at the frozen grounds and find the flower who is still blooming in the ice and feel that he finally found what he lost." 

“It was really a sad story grandmother.” She said to her and wipe the tears that flows from her eyes. Her grandmother caressed her face and smiled again while murmuring something she didn’t hear. Her grandmother passed away after that day. She was smiling like she finally free from something.

“You look just like her.” Last word her grandmother told her.

But she never heard it she look again outside it was still snowing she could see the flowers not far from their house that are blooming in the ice. She decided to step outside and look at those flowers that bloom it was like they was never bothered by the cold frozen ground. Once Xarissa put her foot in the frozen ground tears flows from her eyes and then smile again.