Rosalie.
~I imagine her to have the last name "Duncan."
Her parents weren't wealthy. Although, she tended to claim that they were. All her life she she wanted to be a big star. She used to dream of headlining her own show and traveling all around the world. She dreamed of falling madly in love with a rich somebody of some sort who worshiped the ground she walked on.
~I see her living on the outskirts of Boston (for some weird reason).
Her town was small and almost unheard of. It held little excitement. Because of this, she had high hopes and dreams of an exciting life outside of her small town.
~I imagine her father was in the war.
That he went off ready to fight for his country and only returned a shell of what he was. I imagine Rosalie losing touch with her father as a result of this.
~I imagine her mother was strict.
But I also imagine she loved Rosalie, an only child, very much. I think she tried to teach her all she knew. But most of all, she tried to teach her love. That despite all, you should stay strong for the sake of love. I think Rosalie's mother was young when she wed, and truly didn't love Rosalie's father. When it all came down to it, all she wanted was for Rosalie to have the happiness in her marriage that she never was able to experience in her own.
~That was when the Carnival came to town.
Things at home weren't great. Rosalie's mom gave her a little bit of money to go and see the carnival, and so she went as told. The carnival was all she imagined and more. It was different. It was exciting. It was what she had been looking for. She went off in search for something to see. I imagine her wandering around in awe; giggling at the stilt-walker, flinching at the snake charmer and gaping at the bearded lady.
~I imagine something catching her ear.
Shouting. yelling. Threats to leave the act. Rosalie, a curious 17 year old, crept over to an elaborate trailer labeled, 'Marco the Magnificent and the Lovely Lucinda!' in big bold lettering. She stood close to the door and waited.
"But Lucy..." A deep voice pleaded, "don't you see?"
"All i see are those beady little eyes and that devilish smile of yours. I'm through. WE'RE through. You can find yourself some other lovely assistant."
"Fine. Go on, Lucinda. They pay to see ME. And they'll pay to see me with anyone else."
The door slammed open and a thin blonde woman stormed her way out of the trailer.
"It's MOLLY, Marco. And I'm THROUGH changing who i am to fit YOUR needs."
Rosalie stood frozen for a few minutes while hiding behind the trailer and just out of view of Marco as he stood watching his ex-assistant stalk of.
~I imagine her eye catching the sign.
It was gold and royal blue, coated in glitter. She stared at it for a long moment before she felt the presence of somebody behind her.
"Are you coming to the show, Little Miss?"
She spun around to see none other than Marco himself and her cheeks reddened madly.
"Well...I...I...don't know." she mumbled quietly while wringing her hands together in insecurity.
"Have you ever seen a magic show?" he smiled invitingly and Rosalie scrunched her eyebrows together.
His smile doesn't SEEM devilish she found herself thinking.
"Well...no."
"Ahh... then you must stick around for the show."
"I might." She said trying to sound sure of herself in that brief moment.
Marco winked her way and left her then amongst the crowds of people.
She found that her heart was beating rapidly as she watched him walk away.
~I imagine her staying for the show.
Rosalie decided to stand towards the back of the crowd; her arms crossed and her eyes wide with wonder.
"Volunteers! Could i get a few volunteers?" He walked around the crowd choosing a few older women and a man. Just then he stopped at shy Rosalie. "Little Miss..." He breathed and offered his hand out for her.
Shaking, she took it and proceeded to follow him to the front of the crowd where the other volunteers waited. Magic trick after magic trick, Marco astounded the crowd and provoked applause after roaring applause.
When it came to Rosalie's turn, she smiled her widest smile with the determination to show the crowd, and especially Marco, that she wasn't just some insecure little girl.
"And you mademoiselle, what is your name?"
"Rosalie. Rosalie Duncan."
"Rosalie... What a... beautiful name."
She smiled a big smile and looked out towards the crowd while shifting her stance to have a more aligned posture.
"Such a beautiful name deserves a most beautiful flower, don't you think?"
She felt her heart skip a beat and she nodded her head.
With a flick of his wrist, a bright red rose appeared in his hand and he handed it to Rosalie who looked quite shocked herself at such an impressive, and yet very simple, trick.
"An incomparable rose for the incomparable Rosalie." He said before winking once again and escorting her back into the sea of people.
~I imagine she stayed after the show.
She was holding the rose tightly between her fingers and smelling it every so often.
Incomparable.... He called me incomparable.
"Little Miss?" Marco asked as he saw her standing alone by his trailer.
"Mr. Magnificent-"
"Please," he took her hand and gently kissed it. "call me Marco...."
"M-Marco..."
She stared deep into his glimmering eyes and found in them her reflection.
"Did you enjoy the show?"
"Very much so. It must be fun to travel everywhere with your very own act."
"It is. But you see, it can get... very lonely."
"But... you had your own partner to keep you company. Didn't you?"
"Lucinda. Yes. But Lucinda wasn't what i needed. She wasn't what i wanted. She couldn't command a stage the way a lovely assistant should... The way you did just now."
Rosalie found her cheeks getting hotter.
"You think so?"
"I know so Rosalie." he said while carefully taking both of her hands. "How would you like to be my new assistant? Travel the world... see beautiful things... be a start... all with me."
"Oh... well i don't know."
"You wouldn't regret it."
"I don't think i would.
"I promise."
Just then she realized how dark it was outside.
"I should be getting home."
"But the carnival isn't even over yet."
"My mother might worry."
"But not if you were in the company of a fine gentleman. And i AM a find gentleman... don't you think?"
"Oh, of course Mr. Marco."
"Why don't you join me in my trailer for a while. I can tell you stories from all around the world. We can eat a little food and drink a little wine. I can tell you of the things you would do if you so chose to be my lovely assistant."
"Incomparable."
"Pardon?"
she reached up to her hair and pulled the rose from her dark locks.
"You called me incomparable."
"Incomparable..." he repeated in deep concentration. "The Incomparable Rosalie."
Her name spoken on his lips sent her stomach to tie and twist up into knots.
"I like it. Nay, I love it. Marco the Magnificent and the Incomparable Rosalie! We would make such a great pair." His voice softened as his eyes bore deep into her own. "A truly... great pair."
~I imagine they didn't talk very long once in Marco's trailer.
Rosalie was so in awe of Marco. His every word, his every gesture and wink and smile.
The way he looked at her.
The way he spoke her name.
Rosalie... The Incomparable Rosalie....
She could barely think. She could hardly say no. And once all was said and done... she didn't regret a thing.
At least, she didn't think she did.
His kisses were unlike anything she'd every felt and through it all, Rosalie truly felt that she could love Marco.
She very well could.
As she gathered her things she blushed in insecurity at Marco who lay on his bed with a cigarette in hand and a melody humming from his lips.
"I'll be right back..." she mumbled.
"And I'll be right here, Rosalie." He smiled after blowing a puff of smoke up into the air. "I won't leave without you."
~I bet she ran home.
Her thoughts were spinning and while she didn't want to leave her mother, she knew she'd understand.
After all, hadn't she been the one who always told her to risk everything; to risk it all for love?
~I imagine her walking in the door of her house.
Her mother was asleep and her father as well. She ran up the stairs frantically. Her eyes darted around in a mad hunt for exactly what she'd need with her. Grabbing her matching set of blue suitcases, she threw in all she could think of. Make-up box. Curlers. Dresses. Hats. Jewelry. The suitcases looked jumbled and a mess, but she didn't care. She made her way down the stairs and found herself halted in the kitchen.
Fumbling through the drawers, she found a sheet of paper and a very dull pencil.
Mother and Father,
I went to risk it all for love.
One day you will see my name in bright lights.
Until then,
Rosalie
Carefully placing the paper on the sink counter, she left her childhood home feeling more of a woman than she'd ever felt before.
~It was strange, I think, for Rosalie to walk back into the carnival.
The lights illuminated the trailers and tents, and shadowed figures moved about. It took her only moments to find Mr. Marco's trailer. Once she knocked, a series of mumblings and fumblings occurred throughout the trailer until the door finally sprang open.
"You... You came back." He sounded out of breath and in mid-panic.
"And you stayed." She smiled completely oblivious.
"Didn't I promise?"
~Traveling seems to be like it would be Rosalie's favorite part.
The rumors, however; bothered her significantly.
"...a new one every night..."
"...there was that one exception though..."
"...Casanova..."
"...charming..."
"Cheater."
That was the worst one.
It was also the one that bothered her the most.
Up until her first year with the carnival, Rosalie felt truly loved.
Each night was full of bliss...
and empty promises.
"When Marco?" she would ask.
"Soon, Darling..." he would reply.
Always the same go around.
Always the same routine.
Always, always him.
Always with another girl.
Always.
That was when she decided to leave (for the first time).
She could stop in New York, just on the outskirts of the big city. After a,sh was still young. And when she looked in the mirror... well, she THOUGHT she looked beautiful.
"Marco," she told him, "Marco I've had enough."
"Enough of what, Rosalie Darling?"
"Don't you 'Rosalie Darling' me. I've had ENOUGH. Enough of the act. Enough of the other women. Enough of YOU."
"Come now, Rosalie. You don't mean that."
"Oh, but i do." she stood in the doorway strong and powerful. "I'm getting off in New York. Then, you are on your own."
Marco stood up from the table and turned to face the dark-haired beauty.
"Rosalie," he purred as he took a few steps toward her. "How could you do that? I thought... i thought you loved me."
her face softened slightly.
"I...I...Marco that isn't the point. You keep promising to marry me. That we'll set up the whole thing up at the next stop and then the next stop comes... and nothing. We stay in our trailer and the moment I'm gone, i find you an hour later with some girl. I can't keep it up, Marco. No matter... no matter how much i love you."
His hand found her almost as quickly as his lips had.
And that...
like every other time...
ended that.
