_Third Person's Point of View_
After they danced with his uncle Cronus, Ares became his next partner.
"I knew you won't leave Seryphil single." He said and chuckled, which made Lavalee shake her head and fight the urge to smack him in the head
"Shut up, Ares," Lavalee said so Ares laughed
"Happy Birthday, Lavalee. It's been what? Five years since you became mature?" Ares teased but Lavalee just smiled and shook her head
"I don't know if I should thank you or what," Lavalee said and they just laughed while dancing
Later it was Kent who became her partner and then she danced with Jasper, they both greeted her for her birthday, and thankfully, they didn't mention anything about her being the first lady officially.
The eighth of his 18th roses was Chelsea's father, Clarence Lim.
"Happy birthday, first lady," he greeted her and Lavalee smiled
"Thank you, Uncle Clarence," Lavalee replied
After Chelsea's father was Jess's father, Andrei Collins, then Warren's father, Zaircon Buenaventura, Charlie's father, Jake Valdemore, and Xander's father, Alexander Kitagawa.
On the thirteenth rose, she danced with Jess's cousin, Jester, and then Franco, Chelsea's second cousin.
"Happy Birthday, Lavalee, it's a surprise, I know," Hendrix remembered that Summer also invited him without Lavalee's knowledge so he included that as he greeted her
"Thanks for attending, Hendrix," Lavalee said
"This is why I allowed Alisha on that hangout with Jaxith, my sister guilt-tripped me," Hendrix said which made Lavalee laugh
"Girls are really good at guilt-tripping their older brothers." Lavalee said and shook her head
"Your boyfriend prepared this with your sister," Hendrix said
"He's not my boyfriend. Jace and I are just friends," Lavalee said so Hendrix mocked her
"I didn't say any name though." Hendrix said and held out Lavalee's hand to Harry, her friend from Doitsu
"Happy birthday," Harry smiled at Lavalee
"Thanks, is Ines with you?" Lavalee said and looked over Harry's shoulder
She's looking for the Ines twins but as Harry is taller, she really didn't see anyone.
"No, they're both in Delcruss," Harry replied, which made her stop looking for the twins
Lavalee became friends with Harry when he helped her greet his best friend back then, she was there to be the representative of the Imperial Hanazono Empire in their alliance with the clan of Ines' family.
"You're not the type of guy who'd participate in something like this, did Ines convince you?" Lavalee asked
"Guilt-tripped is the right term."
This reply of his made Lavalee laugh, Lavalee knows very well that Harry can't stand Ines when she starts guilt tripping him, you won't think of her as part of an underground society because of her innocent-looking face, which is quite amusing as the other person who shares the same face as Ines looks intimidating.
"Let me guess, sad face and innocent eyes?" Lavalee asked with a laugh and Harry nodded
"She never changed," she said while shaking her head
After she danced with Harry, Chris is her seventeenth rose.
"Happy birthday, redhead," Chris said, a reason for Lavalee to laugh
"Thanks. Where's your girlfriend?" Lavalee teased causing Chris to frown
"You know that Ross is not my girlfriend," Chris said with a frown
"Right, you're just best friends," Lavalee said and smiled because Chris is frowning
"Just kidding, Veron," Lavalee said and tapped his shoulders
"Your boyfriend is jealous of you and Harry earlier. How come Harry's here anyway?" Chris said
"First, I don't have a boyfriend and second, Harry's here because Ines guilt tripped him." Lavalee replied
"Ines? Which Ines?" Chris asked and Lavalee raised her brow before Chris nodded
"You mean A," Chris said and Lavalee nodded
A little later, Jace walked forward and Chris smirked at Lavalee before giving the latter's hand to Jace.
"Take care of her," Chris said and tapped Jace's shoulder
Jace and Lavalee danced quietly, contrary to how Lavalee had conversations with her previous roses.
"Thanks," Lavalee said
"You're welcome," Jace replied
After they danced, Jace escorted Lavalee back to the stage and then went to the table where Jester, Franco, Icarus, and Hendrix are seated.
Icarus is also there but he's not part of Lavalee's eighteen roses but he's part of Lavalee's eighteen wishes and memories.
"For our first Lady's eighteen wishes," Butler Jon announced
Ariza Archangel went up the stage and stood on the microphone stand, a butler gave Lavalee a microphone so that she can speak.
"For our beloved Lavalee, your uncle Cronus and I only have one wish for you and that is for you to always be safe. We know that you're a thrill seeker but please, princess, keep yourself safe, okay?"
Lavalee nodded at what her aunt Arriza had said
"I wish for you to be safe wherever you are and whatever you are doing because we love you."
After her aunt Arizza said that, her aunt Abbigail Fuentabella went up to the stage and her aunt Arizza descended from the stage
"Flamelinne," her aunt called her
"We wish for you to know when to be strong and when to let your guard down. It's actually a wish for both you and Frost, it's not bad that you're always keeping your guard up but sometimes we wish that you know when to ask for help and to share your thoughts and worries with us."
Her aunt Abiggail spoke while looking at her and then at Frost, who's standing at the end of the stage.
"You know that it's not just us, your aunts and uncles, who notice, even your younger siblings notice that. I wish that you'll open up to us because even if the reason you decide to keep your worries to yourself is for us to not worry, it actually makes us more worried."
"I understand, imo." She replied after her aunt Abbigail finished speaking
Her aunt went down the stage and her brother climbed up, holding the microphone from her aunt.
"Flamelinne," her brother called her coldly
"Yes, Nii-sama?" she responded and their uncles and aunts chuckled because of her tone.
She used her innocent tone, the one she uses whenever she wants to slide off from being reprimanded.
"Find a love life. I found mine because of you so find yours, okay?" Frost said and Lavalee was stoned
"Are you sure, Nii-sama?" Lavalee asked without thinking and everyone chuckled apart from Frost and Jace
"Yeah," Frost answered and then went down the stage after putting the microphone back on the stand
Jess, Chelsea, and Irene climbed up next even though it was supposedly just Jess's turn because Chelsea's turn was after Jess's and Irene's turn is after Chelsea's.
Jess took the microphone from the stand and held it.
"Lavalee, like what your aunt Abbigail said earlier, we want you to open up to us because it's hard for us to see you struggling but we can't do anything because we don't know why. We hurt whenever we see you suffering because you chose to keep it all to yourself. We wish for you to be free," Jess said and gave the microphone to Chelsea
"Lavalee, we wish you'd be selfish sometimes. It's not a secret to anyone here that you always want the people you care for to be happy but how are you? Do you still remember that three days ago, I asked you the same thing? When you take care of us, you always feel sorry for us. We want you to be selfish so that you put yourself first at least once because you deserve to think of yourself as much as you worry about others' wellbeing. We love you anyway even if you're too selfless," Chelsea said and wiped her eyes
"Don't make me cry, girls!" Lavalee complained, her eyes teary-eyed from her aunt's message, and now her girlfriends
"Lavalee, like Frost, I want you to have a love life. You are unfair, with us you can bend the rules, make a way or even break it but with yourself, you always say 'I can't' or 'I shouldn't. I wish that you won't stop yourself anymore from falling in love, that is if you can still stop, right? Like Chelsea had said, we love you no matter what." Irene said and they smiled
After they went down the stairs, Fuego and Winter ascended the stage.
"Don't let go of him," Winter said the moment she held the microphone
"Him?" Lavalee asked them and Winter gave the microphone to Fuego
"Do we need to name him, Onee-chan? As Icey-chan said, don't let go of him, we saw how happy you are with him, how open and free you are with him." Fuego said and Lavalee realized who they are talking about
"I won't," Lavalee replied and smiled
"We wish that you'll be free from what's holding you back, if it's us, we wish that you'll let go of worrying about us because, onee-chan, we're stable now." Fuego smiled and Lavalee shook her head
"You're the only one who's unstable because you worry about us every time and you always put yourself last," Winter said and Lavalee's eyes continued falling
"We wish for your freedom and happy love life," Fuego said and they descended the stage, with him escorting his older sister
Autumn was next to go up the stage, she was smiling sweetly and immediately headed to hug Lavalee.
"Happy birthday ate Lav," Autumn said after hugging her
"My wish for you would be your happiness. You're easy to please and you can be happy easily because your happiness is seeing us happy but this time I'm wishing you to be happy because you are happy yourself not just because we're happy but also because someone made you happy." Autumn said
"That's sweet, Autumn," Lavalee said and Autumn smiled
"I love you, ate Lav," Autumn said and went down the stage
Icarus went up the stage after assisting Autumn in walking down the stage.