It was finally beginning to dawn on Flora that she was going to be moving to an entirely different country in only a matter of weeks... permanently. Her whole life had been spent within the walls of this castle, and the idea of leaving them for the first time was incredibly frightening. How was she to pack up her entire life here and move it thousands of lengths? Did she even have enough time to prepare for a completely new life?
Rose dropped a large chest at the foot of her bed, groaning from the weight. She snatched a handkerchief out of her pocket and coughed heavily into it. Flora dropped the dress she was handling and ran over to her, only receiving a harsh wave from Rose to back away. Wiping her mouth, Rose chided, "I am fine girl, just get about packing. We don't have much time."
Flora frowned, placing her hands on her hips. "Rose, you look nearer to death lugging that heavy stuff around." Again Rose scoffed and waved her away. "I'm serious Rose! I told you that I would get the heavy chests and the like." Clutching her chest, Rose looked like she had never been more offended. "Well fine then, I will get a guard to lob this luggage about." Flora was trying to bargain with Rose at this point. She had been refusing to listen to Flora all morning, stubborn old woman.
"And let some common man see your knickers?!?" Rose was aghast at the thought of it. "I think not!"
The sudden urge to bang her head on the wall came over Flora as she strained to not roll her eyes. "If they are put away, then how will he see it?" Bending down, Flora slowly drug the chest over to the armoire. She wiped a bead of sweat off of her forehead. "You are getting to old to fling objects about Rose." Mother, how heavy would her luggage be when it was full. Rose tutted, walking up next to Flora, examining the clothes. Flora rubbed her neck, frustrated with the whole packing process. "What do you suppose I should bring with me Rose?" Her hand flicked over the rows of garments, some she didn't even remember having. "What do you think one would need in Leosta?"
"I think it should be the same as here." Rose reached into the armoire and started sorting out the clothes, sliding the older garments to one side. "Do you have any preference on what you would like to keep?" She began to fold a dress, placing it gently at the bottom of the chest. "You might not get the opportunity to get new clothes for a long while," Rose said this with a downcast look. She didn't seem too confident about Flora's new life. It felt as if she were dealing with a broken heart. Rose snapped back to reality, reaching into her pocket to retrieve her handkerchief. Her whole body convulsed as she coughed deeply into it, not even stopping to breathe.
Flora patted Rose's back as she hacked, worry flooding into her. Rose twisted away from Flora, obscuring her face. Gently, Flora asked, "Rose, are you all right?" The old woman again waved her away like she was being absurd. "You have been coughing a lot lately. Have you come down with something?"
Rose continued to face away from Flora, quipping, "I am just fine girl. It's only a minor cold." She continued folding dresses and placing them into the chest. There was probably no way for Flora to get the information out of her that she needed, so they both continued to pack in silence, with Rose occasionally halting to cough.
* * *
A week went by, and Flora's room began to look barren. What had once been her hideaway and refuge from the rest of the castle, was now barely more than a guest suite. If Flora hadn't decided to take something with her, it was taken elsewhere in the castle, maybe to be donated or something of the like. Sitting on her bed, overlooking the piles of luggage felt so surreal. This was really happening. This was no longer going to be her home.
A knock on the door pulled her out of her nostalgic trance. Flora ran over and opened the door to the court physician. Puzzled, Flora asked, "what brings you here doctor?" She beckoned him in and motioned for him to sit on one of the sofas. Uncomfortable, he took a seat, twiddling his thumbs. Flora raised an eyebrow as she sat down across from the physician. "Is something wrong? You look like something is chasing your mind."
The doctor sighed, not starting for a moment. "I have something that I think you need to know your highness." He looked down at his shoes as his foot tapped rapidly. "It's about Rose." Flora's eyes widened, silently asking a question. The physician held up a hand, calming her, "it's alright. She's going to be fine, but there is going to be some complications."
"What do you mean?"
He picked at his thumb nail, almost ignoring the question. "Rose's health is not in a great place right now. I'm afraid she has a blight of the lungs."
Her hand flew up to her mouth in shock. Flora wasn't quite sure what he meant by this, so she asked for clarification, "is it bad doctor? Are there treatment options?"
"Well, sort of." Flora noticed that the doctor was avoiding telling her the whole story. "Her condition is not fatal with where she is right now, but if she does not receive the proper treatment, it could get that way."
Flora interrupted him, "are you able to give her the treatment? You can help her, can't you?"
The doctor again raised his hand and assured her, "yes, I can treat her. However, this will be a chronic condition. Rose will need to continue getting treatment for her lungs for the rest of her life to remain healthy." He shifted in his chair, clearly not enjoying the conversation.
Scrunching her face in confusion, she considered the situation. Why was the doctor here telling her about Rose if she was going to be fine. There must be something else in the picture that she wasn't seeing here. "So way have you come here then? If Rose is getting treatment, what seems to be the problem here?"
"Well, you see your highness... I don't think it would be wise for Rose to accompany you to Leosta." Flora stared at him, stunned. "I just don't believe that Rose's body will be able to handle not only the journey, but the transition." He took a deep breath and spoke, as if to himself, "now Rose didn't want you to know, but I couldn't let her in good conscious put herself in danger. She's insisting on going to Leosta, but I'm afraid if she does she will end up..." The doctor didn't finish the thought.
This all seemed par for the course. Flora got up and said, "I see..." She strode over to the door and opened it for the doctor. "Thank you for telling me this. I'll make sure she sees reason." The physician bowed and left without another word.
Flora sat for a moment dazed. Rose had been with her for as long as she could remember. She couldn't even remember her mother's face, as Rose had filled in for her since her death. How could Flora survive without Rose looking out for her? A small sob escaped her as she mulled the whole thing over. Obviously Rose couldn't go with her; there was no way that Flora would let her. Rose had already given so much to the Premonis, and they should take proper care of her in her illness. It would be a dishonor to not make sure she was getting treatment for her lungs.
Amelia knocked on the door, coming in with a full tray of tea and biscuits. She sat the tray on the sitting table and smoothed her skirts, looking expectantly at Flora. "Is there anythin' else ya need yer highness?" Noticing her puffy eyes, Amelia narrowed her eyes and inquired, "what's wrong yer highness." Flora pointed at her to take a seat and she divulged the conversation she had just had with the court doctor. Amelia let out a soft gasp, a hand covering her mouth. "Rose is sick? I didn' know she had more than a cold!" She quickly poured Flora a cup of tea and added, "you wouldn' think that old bat could ever get sick. I'm still not sure she even sleeps!"
The corner of Flora's lips tugged upward. It was a surprise to her as well. She had never seen Rose show even a glimpse of weakness in the past. Rose had always been a steadfast figure in her life that she could always count on, and now she wouldn't be by Flora's side anymore. "As much as I want her to be with me, I can't let her jeopardize her health." Amelia pushed a biscuit towards Flora, coaxing her to eat. Flora ignored the food, continuing, "we'll just have to move forward without her. I think that the two of us will be able to make off just fine." Amelia's eyes flicked down as she pursed her lips tightly. Flora noticed the motion and furrowed her brows at the girl. "Is there something wrong Amelia? Rose is going to be fine without us." Amelia squeezed her hands together not responding. "Oh, I guess I never asked you properly. You will go with me to Leosta, yes? As my hand maiden, it's to be expected, but I understand that it is quite daunting."
Amelia didn't take her gaze off of the ground as she mumbled, "about that yer highness..." She didn't add anything more, like a frightened doe.
"Speak freely Amelia."
Amelia adjusted her position on the chair, dredging up the courage to speak. "I don' think I'll be able to come with you to Leosta." She refused to look at Flora as her body trembled.
"What?" Flora was stunned yet again. She didn't even consider Amelia not coming with her. What could be holding her back? Flora cleared her throat, trying to be more soft in her delivery. "Why can't you come?"
"It's just," Amelia stammered, "it's just that I can' leave my brothers here alone." Amelia had never mentioned any siblings to Flora before. "They are being taken care of by an innkeeper here in the capitol, but they rely on me givin' them my pay." She continued to shake, a look of humiliation spreading over her face. "I give em just about everythin' I make, and if I were ta leave, who would take care of them?"
Leaning over, Flora grasped Amelia's hand. She felt utterly selfish assuming that Amelia would come with her by default. "I didn't know you had brothers reliant on you."
"It's because it's embarrasin'" Flora squeezed Amelia's hand, trying to comfort her. "Ever since our parents came here from Tribald, we have been teeterin' on starvation." She sniffed as tears flowed down her face. "An' once they died I had ta figure out somethin' to keep my brothers safe."
Flora hadn't realized how much Amelia had been through. Compared to her, Flora's life was all sunshine and roses. How could Amelia stomach being around Flora and her lavish lifestyle when she was struggling to meet ends meat? "You said your parents were from Tribald? Why would they leave?" Flora was confused about this part of Amelia's story. "And Prana hasn't taken any migrants from that country since before the war, almost 25 years ago."
Amelia's dark complexion turned paper white. She sobbed as she begged, "please don' tell no one yer highness."
Oh shit. Flora messed up here. She pulled Amelia into a hug. She rubbed her back and soothed, "it's alright Amelia, I don't care, and I won't speak of it to a single soul." Flora released her, taking in her swollen face. "Were things really that bad in Tribald?" Amelia nodded her head sorrowfully. Flora had never really thought of how the countries on the other side of a war fared. "So you've been taking care of these brothers of yours all by yourself for years... Wow Amelia, you are truly something. I admire your sacrifice for your family." Amelia continued to cry, causing Flora to hug her again. "How old are your brothers?"
Amelia wiped at her face, clearing the tears from her eyes. "They are six an' seven yer highness." She looked out the window as if she could stare right at them. "They are such good kids." A smile crept onto her face as she went on, "they are quick as a whip too. The innkeeper says that they are always lookin' for books ta read." She turned to Flora, grinning, "do ya believe that? Those boys have gone and leaned how to read with no school or nothin'"
"They sound amazing." An idea flashed through Flora's head. Could that work? "You said your brothers don't go to school?"
Amelia shook her head. "No, we don' have the money for things like that."
Excitement bloomed in Flora as a plan formed in her head. "Amelia, have you heard of the royal boys school in the capitol?" Amelia shook her head no. "It's a school that teaches young boys to be scholars. Some of the greatest minds have studied there!" She rushed to grab a piece of paper to write a note out. "Amelia, what if I said I could find a way for your brothers to be taken care of?"
"Well, that would be amazin' yer highness, but..."
"The royal school has given out scholarships in the past. I bet I could find a way for them to be sponsored, especially if they already know how to read without any schooling!" Flora scribbled down words on the paper frantically. "The tuition covers room and board, so they will be safe and protected. Plus, there are apprenticeship programs that they can take advantage of as well." Flora shoved the paper in an envelope, addressing it to Felix. She looked at Amelia with bright eyes. "What do you think?"
"Well yer highness, I think it may be worth a shot."