Daughter of Rosetta

In the beginning, there was but one ruler of seasons on Earth. She was the goddess, Rosetta. She was told to be cruel and cold,

her heart encased in ice.

Thus the only season to ever rule the Earth was winter. Lakes were frozen solid, the trees were encased in eternal frosty white

blankets of snow. The sun rose and set, but it was not enough to bring warmth and colour into the world.

Rosetta was feared by the inhabitants of the Earth. No animal would dare go near her for fear of an icy death, and her lore and

religion amongst the humans were dark and fearful.

She often roamed the Earth alone, enjoying the cold air on her skin as the Earth creatures shiver and struggle to keep warm

around their fireplaces. Usually, if children saw her, they fled to their parents, who would also make a quick retreat into their

shelters. This was why it was so peculiar that on an icy morning, deep in the snow covered woods she came across a man that

did not flee, but only stared at her in curiosity.

He was young, his blonde hair long and unruly, and his green eyes sparkled with a thirst for knowledge. He was no doubt one of

the scholarly types Rosetta had observed among the human populace in her world.

"Why aren’t you running from me?" Rosetta asked the man perplexed, and a little irritated. Why does he not fear her?

"What is there to run from, oh queen of frost? A bitter, icy death? It awaits us all. It is unchanging. Whether it be now or in fifty

years, the outcome stays the same," he replied, turning back to his book. He was shivering, but it was definitely from the cold, and

not from fear.

This took Rosetta aback. She knew of the humans’ fear of her, but she just presumed it was because she was so powerful, and

they respected that. Obviously, it was not the case. They fled her presence in fear of their lives, because they believed her to be a

heartless monster.

"Is that what they think of me? That I kill in cold blood for amusement? Do they hate me?" she asked the man, her voice small, the

true sadness underneath her icy exterior making itself known for the first time in centuries.

"What choice do you give us?" he asked apathetically. "This is all we have known for generations, the cold taking our loved ones

from us year after year, living sickly in the cold weather, struggling for warmth and food and shelter. This is what you have given us."

An intense pang of pain went through Rosetta’s chest. "Leave!" she screamed. "Run back to your pathetic little hovel before you freeze to death!" Rosetta roared angrily, and the man

got startled, doing as she demands with a bitter hatred in his heart.

That night there was a storm like there hadn’t been in centuries, and every single human feared for their lives among the fires,

keeping their little ones close, none daring to fall asleep for fear of not waking in the morning.

Deep in those woods, the goddess of ice and winter lay crying, sobbing raw, icy tears like she did before she turned her heart to

stone. She cried like in the days before there was life on Earth, when her sadness made the world inhabitable.

The storm continued for days, never relenting. The man realized that this was his fault for insulting the goddess, and set out to

find her, hoping to beg for forgiveness before he perished in the cold.

He found her kneeling in the snow, sobbing into her hands. Her sorrow cut through him like knives. Her snow white hair was

blowing in the wind, her small figure shaking as it was hunched over. A truly broken figure. He did not think, only reacted on

instinct, running over to her and clutching her into his arms, holding her close, trying to warm her despite the fact that she could

not get cold.

They sat like that for hours, the man getting numb from the cold, Rosetta crying until she could cry no more, and eventually the

sun went down.

"Thank you," she whispered to him. "I never thought my bitterness could cause someone so strong so much pain. I am so sorry,

my goddess," he replied, immediately kneeling before her, head bent in shame.

"I’ve always felt pain. This is not new to me" Rosetta replied. "What is your name, human?" she asked, regaining her goddess like

composure and poise.

"My name is James, my goddess."

"Do you hate me, James?"

"Quite the opposite, actually," he answered, daring to look up into her icy blue eyes. She looked shocked for a moment, but then

smiled.

"How fortunate for me then," Rosetta said to him, kneeling to look him in the eye. In that moment the sun shone through the

clouds, and warmth could be felt on their skins. James looked at the goddess in confusion.

"How is this possible?" he asked her, amazed. "I don’t feel as sad anymore," she smiled at him. He reached out to touch her cheek. "We have all misjudged you, my goddess. I have misjudged you. You saved my life by telling me to run from you. You did

not wish for me to die. It is not your nature to."

Ever since then, they spent as much time together as possible. Their love for each other grew. From this love Rosetta gave birth

to a daughter. They decided to name her Bloom.

And so was the start of the first spring. The first flowers. Bloom loved the Earth, the colors, the warmth, the beauty. And in return

the humans loved her. She was the daughter of Rosetta. The bringer of spring.

Story is written by Michelle.

Sketch artist is Jean-Pierre.