What are Flowers meant to celebrate?
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Madame Mirie's Flower Shop,
The Town of Crimsonton,
Kingdom of Velicia,
The hours after Noon,
The Eighth Day of the Month of November,
Thirty Third Year of the Reign of King Jesse Crestings
Usually, Madame Mirie would be outside, at the porch of her Flower Shop, watering the blooms that were arranged there or talking to some lovely passer-by and offering them homemade mint tea, for she nurtured them and her house was situated right overhead the blossoming establishment. But the lady was not about at that hour.
Amelia Luna-dynn stepped into the Florist's shop, seeking the woman in a large frilly gown and laced aprons. The place was full of windows and was warmly sun-kissed, with arrays of many different flowers hanging and arranged all over the walls, smelling like a mix of fantasy.
"Madame Mirie?" the damsel of long curly dark hair called, as she looked around.
"Yes, my love?" a voice that was laced with a very thick accent called back as footsteps sounded from the spiralling stairway at the corner of the room.
Amelia realised that the woman must have gone upstairs to her house for lunch and said, "I hope I am not bothering you at this inconvenient hour."
Madame Mirie was a lovely lady of short orange coiling hair, dark chocolate coloured skin, golden eyes and a heavy dose of freckles painted over her nose and cheeks.
Her aristocratic origin was one she never boasted, and she married no man, but simply moved out of the Estate that her grandparents had owned and opened her own Flower Shop.
She had been Jasper's mother's closest friend and had known of their adopting Amelia when she had first stepped into the family. Of course, she did not know of her grave secret, but once the children had lost their parents, the florist had transformed into a second mother, hoping to fill the place the young ones lacked.
"No, no, dearest! It is always such a fine pleasure to see you come by", the lady said, most gleefully, before drawing a chair out for the guest to take a seat. "Have you had your lunch?" she enquired.
"Well, I had cakes during my visit to the Duke's Estate; I had quite a sufficient share", the damsel said, pushing a lock of hair behind her shoulder.
"Nonsense! That is hardly enough!" the woman of vermillion coiling hair declared, before hitching her skirts high and making her way up the stairs that had ivies growing over the detailed metal railings.
Despite how much Amelia tried to tell her that she had no need for eating, the lady turned deaf ears to her words. She returned to the flower shop with a whole tray of toasted bread and jams neatly and generously spread over them.
"Ah, Madame Mirie, you did not have to", the young guest pleaded, but the woman was entertaining none of her pleads.
"I absolutely did. Did you dare think that I would allow my dear Mel to be leaving this place on an empty stomach?" she roared, tearing the slices of bread and stuffing them into the young girl's mouth, duly preventing her from responding.
Then, when she was overfed, Madame Mirie was satisfied. "Thank you for the meal", Amelia groaned, leaning back like she was far too full to sit up.
"None of that here, my love!" the woman called. Then, the lady took a bouquet of blood roses and began weaving them together into a beautiful wreath.
"Wedding order?" the damsel of long brown hair asked, watching the woman skilfully knit blooms into a lovely make.
"Yes, it is a girl from a nice family that I know who is getting married to a man from some other kingdom. They wished for the colour to be deep red", Madame Mirie responded.
"I see", Amelia nodded. "And how is business going?"
"It is alright, but not as spectacular as I would like", the woman huffed, seeming irritable.
"And how wondrously would you like it to be?" the young dame chuckled.
"As good as having your wedding lined up on my list of orders!" the lady of deep coloured skin lashed. "You are so gorgeous and need to be married away. I need suitors here in my shop lined up to be buying you bouquets and bouquets of lilies. But these men are all wolves; they do not deserve the likes of you", she went on barking passionately.
Amelia laughed at the feverish will of her friend, but did not say anything. She was glad the lady had not spotted her coming there with the knight, for that would immediately have her either speaking like the Luna-dynn damsel had already had children with him, or like he was an unworthy man whom she should never dare see again.
Somewhere in the corner of her mind, a simmering thought of marrying the Head Knight popped up, but the dame dispelled it as fast as she could. No man knew the secret she had about her race and they would certainly not be ready to take her in if they knew.
"But you know! All the orders I get these days are from goons that do not have the right to buy my beautiful flowers!" Madame Mirie was going on endlessly.
"Aw, come now, madame, should you not be grateful for those that bring money to the establishment", Amelia gave the lady a condescending look.
"Not these hooligans, no! There are no more young men coming in like butterflies to buy flowers for their ladies! There are only old men buzzing in like bees and wanting to take my beautiful blooms for their mistresses! I despise them! And to some men, I do not give them good flowers! It breaks my heart!" the woman was rambling her everyday sorrows.
Something about that thought left a sad feeling gripping Amelia's chest. She did not know what to say. After all, flowers were such a lovely gift, meant to be a sign of affection and care shared between two lovers, not an object gifted to someone sealing the breakage of a marriage.
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