OK, this is one of those fics that has been started for a while but I've not got any further on it. In hopes that people will actually like it and prompt me to write more, here it is.

I think I've threatened to upload it earlier, especially on my blog (which I am attempting to get up and running once again).

This fic is based on a set of four children's books called Rose. Really I urge you to buy/read them because they are absolutely amazing! The first chapters are based very much on those books but then this story goes off on a tangent, or so I hope.

The plot of this story is as follows:

Dawn is an orphaned girl living in an orphanage until one day she is hired by the mysterious Mr Stone, who is a magician working for the King. Dawn falls into a routine of chores, every now and again coming across Mr Stone's grumpy apprentice, Paul, and spoilt daughter, Sapphire-May. Also, there's the moody and trouble finding cat, Drew (yes, Drew is a cat). But then someone breaks into the house and steals Sapphire-May's magic, causing Dawn and Paul to go after the offender and starting the domino affect to Dawn's destiny...

Disclaimer: I own nothing at this point.

Chapter One: The Rainy Day

It was a rainy day on the Sunday when Dawn climbed up the bedroom door to look out the small window. Standing on the bedside cabinet with three dictionaries and an encyclopaedia on her tip toes, she could just see out of the small rectangular window. She was fortunate that this room had a view of the front of St Mary's Orphanage. From her peculiar viewing spot, Dawn could see the row of houses opposite and the road that led further into London.

She watched as parents walked with their children, going who knows where but looking joyful as anything. Dawn smiled as she saw group after group darting around in all sorts of directions. She peered out of her drab life into one that was somewhat better. How she dreamed of being able to walk in the street without Miss Ivy ordering her about. How great would it be to be free?

Yet the view and the dream came to an abrupt end as the encyclopaedia seemingly decided it had had enough and slipped off of the dictionaries, taking Dawn with it. Dawn gave an alerted yell as she landed, thankfully, on a nearby bed. She glanced around to find that she was safe.

"What are you doing?" That was when Dawn jumped. She quickly sat up and stared across the room at her best-friend, Leona. The auburn haired girl peered anxiously at Dawn with jade eyes. Dawn let out a nervous giggled as she got to her feet. She brushed down her dress quickly and turned her attention to Leona.

"I was just… cleaning," Dawn explained quickly, "I thought I saw a spider."

"Oh," Leona said, suddenly not very interested in Dawn at all. Leona sat down on her assigned bed and took something from her pocket. Dawn didn't need to look over to see what the object was, she already knew. It was a small tin locket that belonged to Leona's mother or father or relative. It was slightly crushed like it had been run over by a carriage or something. It was broken and cracked, scuffed and scratched, but Leona treasured that locket more than anything. She stared at it with a strange smile on her face.

"What do you think they are like, Dawn?" Leona asked, "My mother and my father?"

"I don't know," Dawn replied, walking towards Leona's bed and perching on the edge of it. Dawn doubted very much that Leona's parents were still alive, after all they were stuck in an orphanage, but Leona was sure that they were living. And rich. Living and rich, that's all any of the girls thought about. Lily's parents had given her up because their business had flopped. Rebecca's mother had died while her father was fighting in the war and she was waiting for his return. Zoey was the most outrageous story with her being kidnapped from her parents in India and sold to gypsies in the East End of London before being abandoned. Apparently her parents were still looking for her.

Dawn didn't care about her family. They were gone. They had left her. She had been found by the vicar beside a gravestone. The vicar had handed Dawn over to Miss Ivy who had named her after the time she was found. Dawn much preferred her name to that of Bertha which it would have been if the Vicar had anything to do with it. Thankfully, Miss Ivy took a dim view on the name Bertha and settled for Dawn.

"I bet they're out there somewhere," Leona went on, "They own a bathhouse in… Bath. That's where all the great baths are but baths are very good places to raise children because the water is so hot and the company is so upper class so they sent me to an evil aunt's house and she left me in a park where I was picked up by a police man and brought here."

Dawn rolled her eyes as her best friend rambled on about her parents. Leona stopped suddenly and gave Dawn an annoyed look.

"Come on, Dawn," Leona said, "You've got to have thought about your parents."

Dawn thought for a few minutes. They had left her in the churchyard by a gravestone that had been there so long the name on it had disappeared. She'd been left in a basket made out of willow and a thin blanket. She had been abandoned. She had no idea why but she had been.

"You could be a little more hopeful," Leona snapped, "Like me. I bet you my mother comes for me within a month."

"You've said that every month for seven years," Dawn told her friend sternly. Dawn thought about it for a few minutes. Maybe her parents had died and some relative of there's had got rid of Dawn because they could bear to look at her. Her mother must have died during child birth and her father before then. That must be the story.

"I mean it this time," Leona said, "I feel it in my heart. She's coming for me!"

"Alright, alright," Dawn said, "I believe you. She'll be coming for you this month."

"Yes!" Leona yelled happily. Dawn rolled her eyes once more.

Something strange happened next. As Dawn looked up to the ceiling she saw something most odd. She saw Leona being hugged by a woman with a man stood behind them. Leona looked so happy as did the two adults.

"Are you OK, Dawn?" Leona asked, pulling Dawn out of her thoughts. Dawn shook her head to shake off whatever the vision was. She smiled at Leona.

"I'm fine," she replied.

"You zoned out for a few minutes there," Leona told her, "Have you been reading that horrible encyclopaedia again?"

Dawn let out a nervous giggle but shook her head.

"I believe you, Leona," Dawn muttered suddenly, "I think your parents will come for you very soon."

"Really?" Leona asked. Dawn nodded. "I knew they would come for me!"

Dawn tossed and turned that night in bed. It was strange but for a few weeks she had had these real life dreams that seemed too real to be just dreams. Sweat poured from her forehead as she twitched violently in the small metal bed. Her thin blanket was only round her feet now since she had thrown it off of her.

She couldn't believe what she saw. A man with a long face and dark hair. He was wearing strange clothes that looked like they were robes but Dawn couldn't be sure. They were blood red in colour. It fastened with one mother of pearl button revealing that the man was wearing a black waistcoat and a white shirt with some trousers underneath the robe. He looked scary.

Dawn tried to back away from him but found she couldn't move. The man walked towards her, raising his hand up to her face. Dawn screamed but no sound was let out. She wanted to run, she wanted to escape but there was no where to go. She couldn't move.

There was a bright flash of light from behind the man. Dawn glimpsed a shadowed figure in the distance as the other man fell to the ground.

"Dawn, get up," the shadow figure told her.

"I can't," Dawn replied.

"Dawn, get up!" Leona yelled making Dawn jump and fall out of bed. She landed on the icy cold floor with a slap. Leona glared down at her friend with a look of annoyance and distaste.

"Sorry," Dawn apologised, "What's going on?"

"There's someone here looking for a new servant girl," Leona told Dawn, "You'd better be up and dressed if you want to have a chance to get out of here."

"OK," Dawn said weakly as she got off the floor.

Ten minutes later, Dawn was stood wearing a tattered grey dress and scuffed brown boots. The dress was thin and itchy against Dawn's skin but she had gotten used to it. She'd been in the orphanage all her life, the full ten years of it. She was used to the icy wash water, the itchy clothes and the horrible food. It was all she had ever known. She didn't miss anything from her life before. There was nothing from before.

She stood at the end of her bed with a straight back as Miss Ivy opened the door of the room. All the other girls quickly took the same position at the ends of their beds. It was a common occurrence so they were well trained to react quickly. Only one girl was delayed but then again she had only come to the orphanage last week so she could be forgiven for now.

Miss Ivy was a strict purple haired woman with brown eyes. She usually wore a red dress and today was no different. She glanced at the girls as she inspected them but she was not alone. Behind her followed a woman with brown hair and brown eyes. This woman's hair was tied up in a bun and she was wearing a long black dress. It looked like a service dress, the kind the maids in the posh houses wore.

The orphans at St Mary's were taught the basic chores and skills to go into the service at the age of fourteen or so but sometimes people looked for younger girls to other jobs. This woman was probably looking for a younger girl for kitchen work or something, Dawn concluded.

"These are all of my girls," Miss Ivy told the other lady. The lady nodded thoughtfully.

"Have they all been trained?" the lady asked.

"Most, Miss," Miss Ivy replied. The lady looked up the long line of girls before she turned to Miss Ivy.

"I would prefer a girl who has had at least five years of lessons here, Miss Ivy," the lady said.

"If you have been here and had lessons for more than five years, step forward," Miss Ivy ordered. Dawn and Leona stepped forwards quickly, as did two other girls: Zoey and another. "The rest of you may go and have breakfast."

Quietly and quickly, the other girls left the room leaving the four girls alone with the two women.

"This is Miss Delia," Miss Ivy introduced the lady, "She is looking for someone to work for her. All my girls are very hard working. They are obedient and quiet. I think which ever you would choose would do you well."

Miss Delia looked at the four girls, looking slightly clueless over the choice. Miss Ivy usually sold them as things rather than people. They were on display for whoever was wanting to take them on. Miss Delia looked slightly off put as she looked the girls up and down. She didn't really understand what she was supposed to be looking for. Was she supposed to base her choice on how the girl looked?

"Are you hardworking?" Miss Delia asked.

"Yes, ma'am," the four girls replied.

"Are you willing to work hard?" Miss Delia asked.

"Yes, ma'am," the girls chorused. Miss Delia looked slightly anxious as she squinted at the girls.

"You," she said, pointing at Zoey, "Is that a smudge mark on your face?"

Zoey glanced at Dawn and Leona who nodded to tell her that she did have a smudge mark on her cheek.

"Yes, ma'am," Zoey said.

"How did you get it?" Miss Delia asked. Zoey hung her head slightly.

"I was cleaning the fireplace yesterday, ma'am," Zoey replied honestly. Miss Delia turned her eyes onto Leona next.

"You look slightly dim witted," Miss Delia said, "Tell me, what is six times four?"

"Er…" Leona said, glowing pink in the cheeks. Miss Delia nodded like this answered her question. She moved onto the other girl, Marina, before she looked at Dawn.

"Why do you want to work for me?" Miss Delia asked Marina.

"Because, ma'am, I have to work," Marina replied, "Otherwise I would starve."

"And you?" Miss Delia asked Dawn.

"I would like to work, ma'am," Dawn replied, "So that I can be productive and find a living for myself, ma'am."

"Can you scrub floors and clear fires?" Miss Delia asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Dawn replied.

"Dust and wash?" Miss Delia asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Dawn said again. Miss Delia nodded.

"What is your name, dear?" she asked.

"Dawn, ma'am," Dawn replied.

"I will hire Dawn, Miss Ivy," Miss Delia told Miss Ivy, "I think she will do very well in the house."

"Of course," Miss Ivy said, "Shall I send her to you in a day or two?"

"Now," Miss Delia said, "I will take her with me now, if you do not mind. We need a new maid instantly, Miss Ivy."

"Of course," Miss Ivy said, "Come Dawn."

"Yes, Miss," Dawn said quickly. She glanced at Leona and offered her best friend as smile. While the two women turned to leave the room Dawn mouthed 'I'll come back and visit you' to Leona. Leona nodded quickly and waved as Dawn hurried after Miss Ivy and Delia.

She had done it. She had finally escaped her dreaded prison. She held back a gleeful squirm and continued to follow her new boss.

Miss Delia led Dawn out of the orphanage an hour later. Dawn walked behind Miss Delia with her eyes cast down, trying to look like she respected the woman. However, Miss Delia seemed to be a little worried that Dawn was walking behind her and slowed her pace slightly then grew annoyed when Dawn fell back even more.

"Walk with me child," Miss Delia snapped at her, although her voice remained soft. Dawn nodded and caught up with Miss Delia, staying by her side. "You do know how to do most household chores, right?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Dawn said, "But I am not very good at cooking."

"That's fine, dear," Miss Delia waved off, "We have a wonderful cook at the house for that sort of stuff."

"What sort of jobs will I get to do, Ma'am?" Dawn asked, glancing at Miss Delia. The woman smiled brightly.

"You will be the second maid, dear," Delia explained, "You shall light fires and dust and clean the silverware, among other things."

"How many servants do you have, Ma'am?" Dawn asked.

"There is a cook, a scullery maid, a stable boy and one normal maid already," Delia replied, "I am the head of the household so if you need anything, dear, please come to me."

"Yes, Ma'am," Dawn replied. Dawn walked through the streets she had never walked before. They looked respectful with shops of all kinds littering them. The houses were small, shabby and slightly crowded by people. Dawn glanced at them carefully. Miss Delia wouldn't work here would she? These houses didn't look big enough for there to be two maids, one cook, a scullery maid and a stable boy to work there.

"Come here, dear," Miss Delia said walking towards a small black carriage waiting by the path. Dawn walked briskly towards Miss Delia. The carriage driver opened the door for Miss Delia and bowed his head as she climbed into the carriage. Dawn paused as she looked into the door of the carriage. Miss Delia raised an eyebrow at Dawn in a confused manner. "Haven't you ever ridden in a carriage, dear?"

"No, Ma'am," Dawn said. Slowly she climbed the two metal steps into the carriage and sat opposite Miss Delia. The driver closed the door as soon as she was sat down. Dawn looked round the carriage with her mouth only slightly open. The inside was lined with rich looking fabric. The seats were cushioned and soft. There were plum coloured curtains drawn back in the windows. Miss Delia was checking something in the small clutch bag she carried with her. Dawn hadn't even noticed it until now but Miss Delia was rummaging through it. Eventually she brought out a small compact mirror and looked over her face. Dawn watched her. Miss Delia had a very ladylike air about her. She couldn't believe that Miss Delia was only the head of the household. If she was a servant then what would the master be like?

"Please, Ma'am," Dawn asked timidly, "But who is my employer?"

"Hmm?" Miss Delia hummed distractedly. The brunette blinked a few times before she let out a nervous laugh, "Oh yes, how foolish of me to forget. Your employer's name is Mr Stone."

"Is he a kind master?" Dawn asked.

"Very much so," Miss Delia replied, "Although he may seem a little odd to you, dear."

Dawn glanced out of the window to see that they were moving. Dawn smiled widely as she saw the street move gently in front of her. Miss Delia was smiling at Dawn.

"Do not worry, dear," Miss Delia told Dawn, "You will be well fed and looked after."

"Thank you, Ma'am," Dawn said.

The carriage stopped ten minutes later outside a large house. Dawn peered out of the window at the house. It was huge with large curved windows and at least three floors, maybe more! The brick work was beautiful with carvings in the window ledges and some ivy running up one wall. Dawn was suddenly aware that her mouth was slightly open.

"It's beautiful," Dawn told Miss Delia. Miss Delia smiled at Dawn.

"It takes a lot of hard work to make the house that pretty, Dawn," Miss Delia warned, "So be ready to do hard work."

"Yes, Miss," Dawn nodded.

"Now let's go," Miss Delia said. The carriage door was opened by the driver. Miss Delia led Dawn out of the carriage and towards the house. Dawn couldn't help but marvel at the place. It was so pretty. She followed Miss Delia as fast as she could without seeming over excited. She wanted to appear well mannered, not some sort of excited dim-wit. Just as the two approached the front door, it opened.

A man with silver hair was stood in the doorway, talking to someone. His hair was messed up, like it wouldn't do as it was told. He wore a grey suit with two red zig-zags down the front of the jacket. Over the top of his suit he wore a darker grey cloak.

"And remember, don't over do it otherwise Drew will be purple all week," the man was telling someone inside.

"Yes, sir," came a reply. The grey haired man glanced at Miss Delia.

"Good afternoon, Miss Delia," he said, "I'll be at the palace all afternoon but please expect me back for dinner."

"Of course, sir," Miss Delia replied with a polite bob. Dawn copied Miss Delia quickly as the man rushed towards the carriage. The door remained open as if someone was waiting for them. Miss Delia hurried into the house. Dawn stepped behind the older woman, glancing around at the lush colour of the walls. A boy was stood holding the door open, nose buried in a book. Dawn glanced at him, pausing slightly to get a better look at him. He was well dressed in a white shirt, purple waistcoat and black trousers. He looked like he had purple hair which seemed rather long. Dawn found herself wondering what he looked like. The boy glanced over his book at her, eying her carefully. He had deep onyx eyes, there was a scowl etched into his features. Dawn froze as he stared at her.

"Move then so I can shut the door," he told her. Dawn jumped out of the way. The boy rolled his eyes before he pushed the door shut. He then turned and went up the nearby staircase. Miss Delia had seemingly disappeared in the time it took Dawn to get into the house. She looked around wildly before Miss Delia suddenly appeared out of one of the rooms, holding a handful of envelopes.

"It never ends," she was muttering to herself. She looked at Dawn. "This way, dear."

"Ma'am," Dawn said, as the two walked down the hallway, "Who was that boy? Is he a steward?"

"No, dear," Miss Delia said, "He's the master's apprentice."

"So the man leaving was the master?" Dawn asked.

"Yes, that was Mr Stone," Miss Delia replied. Miss Delia opened a large oak door and led Dawn into the room beyond. Dawn instantly knew it was the kitchen. It was a long room. It was probably half the size of the dorm at the orphanage. There were two large stoves at either end of the room with a long kitchen sink. A table was in the middle of the room with plenty of chairs to sit a lot of workers. There were sideboards running all around the room with cupboards both above and below them. Dawn gasped at the sheer size of the place. A man was stood at one of the stoves, stirring a great big pot of something that smelt delicious.

"Brock," Miss Delia said, causing the man to turn round, "I've got the new maid. Where are Joy and Ursula?"

"Joy was just putting the breakfast plates away," Brock explained. He walked towards Miss Delia and Dawn but looking more at Dawn than Miss Delia. Brock was a tall man with tanned skin and dark hair. It looked like his eyes were closed but they can't have been if he was walking OK. He was wearing nice clothes too: a white shirt with black trousers underneath a white apron. He seemed to have some sort of protection on his arms that was brown and made out of thick wool. Dawn supposed it was to protect his sleeves from getting sprayed with food.

"This is Dawn," Miss Delia introduced.

"Nice to meet you, Dawn," Brock said. He looked at Delia. "She's a little young."

"She has had five years experience at that place," Miss Delia said, "She was the best one there despite being so young."

"Has the master left yet?" Brock asked, "He had a message from the palace an hour ago."

"I hope we didn't keep him," Miss Delia said, "I know he has the other carriage but he does prefer the small one."

The two servants had begun doing work as they chatted about the master's trip to the palace. Dawn stood awkwardly by the door, not knowing what to do. She waited patiently, scared that if she made some noise the two adults would be mad at her.

A door towards the other end of the room opened a pink haired maid walked into the room. She glanced at Dawn and scoffed.

"Is that it?" the maid asked, pointing at Dawn, "The new maid?"

"Yes, Ursula," Miss Delia replied, "Her name is Dawn."

"Dawn? What a horribly common name," Ursula snapped. She walked over to Dawn and looked her over. "She's an ugly little thing. Look at her. She's an orphan?"

"Yes," Miss Delia said.

"Scrawny little thing," Ursula said, "The master won't like her one bit."

"Ursula?" Miss Delia asked, "Would you mind fetching some clothes for her?"

"She's a little too small for Summer's clothes," Ursula replied but she walked back towards the door she had just come from and disappeared. Dawn let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"I think I should get her washed up," Miss Delia said to Brock, "Make sure she's clean."

"It's the only problem with orphanages," Brock agreed, "They're crawling with stuff. It's because they're so cramped. For what it's worth, I think it was a brilliant idea going there for a new maid."

"Thank you," Miss Delia said with a smile. She drifted over towards Dawn. "Come, dear, let me show you round the house."

"Yes, miss," Dawn said before she followed Miss Delia to the door Ursula had just gone through. Miss Delia opened the door for Dawn. Dawn brushed past Miss Delia and walked up the stairs. Miss Delia followed her and told her which way to go next. At the top of the stairs there was another door. Dawn opened it carefully and looked at her surroundings. The landing was richly coloured just like downstairs with elegant patterns on the walls and fancy ornaments darted around the place. Miss Delia led Dawn through the landing, telling her about the various rooms until they went up another staircase to another floor, then up another.

The last floor was plainer than the rest. It was painted in only one colour without any patterns on the walls. Miss Delia led Dawn to a room and pushed her into it. It was a bathroom. There was a toilet, basin and a bath, all brilliantly white. Miss Delia walked over to the bath and turned a handle, causing water to cascade from a small tube like thing at one end of the bath.

"Turn the tap when it is half full," Miss Delia told Dawn. Miss Delia pulled out a bar of soap from the small wooden cabinet above the bath and handed it to Dawn. "I'll find you a towel and some clothes."

"Thank you, ma'am," Dawn said with a bow. Miss Delia disappeared out of the room. Dawn glanced around oddly for a few seconds before she decided to get on with it and take her bath.

OK, was that totally horrible like I thought it was? Erg, I will have to get writing this again, I think.

Please review me with your thoughts!

RSx