Flora

by Kendal M Lyon

  For all that, there were many other things in the room to steal, Flora knew there was one other thing she certainly wanted and could get. She was quick to snag the first glass of champagne that passed by on a silver platter with her one hand. The locket entwined in her fingers dangling gently against her palm.

  She gave a wink to the servant carrying it as she grasped it between two fingers and took a light refreshing sip, careful to balance her drink as the throws of people pushed around her. She savored the sweet citrus taste of this glass as she wandered onwards. The people around pushed past her as if she were one of the statues along the wall. She was okay with that and wandered around to one of the large open windows set along one wall, letting in the last remaining hints of daylight.

  The sunset was marvellous over the city. Strands of orange, pink, and purple were whirling in dashing strips over the distant horizon as a soft breeze took any heat from around her skirts. Rustling them gently, bringing in the faint smell of a busy city, undercoated with the distant smell of pine trees that wafted in from past the city wall. The window had a platform that jutted out past the opening on which she could stand. She moved over to the corners edge, pressing herself against the wall and the railing, hoping to hide herself from wandering eyes. She leaned over the balcony, took her drink, and let the fresh air take her worries away.

  It was so good to be clean and out in the open again. She closed her eyes as a breeze tickled her cheek, pulling her hair at the pins. She would have found it easy to forget the court of vultures behind her if it wasn't for the musical notes that she rocked her head back and forth to.

  She glanced back into the room, no one seemed to notice her as of yet so she continued to relax over the city. She was directly over the city wall. So much so that all she could see was the city terraces beyond, with no sight of what the castle grounds looked like around her. She could see all the way past the twelve terraces to the bottom terrace. The city was so large it was almost breathtaking, with the towers and steeples of temple ground shooting up from each terrace. She was glad to see them, knowing that it meant she was on the South side of the castle, since all the temple grounds were on the South side of the city. She relaxed, watching a large bird of prey hover in the breezes drifting between the spires.

  The song behind her died down, and she cringed farther into the corner. She hoped Lord Reynald's niece would steal him for another dance. She had more to see if she ever hoped to get out of here, and she had only gotten started.

  She moved off the deck, careful to ease naturally around the corner to stay unnoticed. She dipped into the stream of people, letting them take her where they wished. She felt like she was falling in well with theses Nobles until she stepped on the ladies's dress in front of her.

  "Excuse me," the Lady said after regaining her balance. She turned around with fire in her eyes. She had an olive complexion, and was more stout than most in the room, barely coming up to Flora's shoulder, but Flora thought she might still be a force to be reckoned with in her velvety golden gown. "What do you think you are doing?" the Lady said, her voice nipped with rage and her small fists clenched.

  "Sorry," Flora sputtered, willing the women to remain calm and not draw them more attention. "My sincerest apologies I did not mean to damage anything," Flora tried to sidestep away, but the Lady rested her hand gently on Flora's arm. Flora stifled her cringe as she desperately thought of how to get away.

  The Lady's eyes were narrowed, and her mouth open a smidgen in a contemplative surprise. "Hmm," the Lady said, looking back at the hem of her skirt, where Flora could see small holes around the hem. "Well, nothing of real value is ruined I suppose. Who might you be?"

  "Oh, a distant relation of—" Flora started when she was saved by another woman shouting the name Lolita. The other woman then came and pulled the stout velvet woman, Lolita away into the crowds.

  "Okay," Flora said, her eyes wide, left standing on her own in the river of people. She squared her shoulders and continued on, more carefully as to not step onto anyone's gowns.

  The room was massive, and she was surprised by false walls and curtains that hid other small parties of people. She was careful not to linger too long. Especially around the piles of the guards and soldiers that were spattered throughout the crowd and lined many of the walls. She was sure she even saw a handful of knights in the groups of people, but it was hard to tell for sure if they were who she thought they were.

  "You blend in well," said a familiar voice behind her. She had to bite her cheeks as she looked back at Vander. "Running from Lord Reynald?"

  "Aren't most people here doing just that," Flora said. Trying to pull the locket from her fingers without drawing his attention, she must have had a bit too much champagne, for she stumbled with it and his eyes were drawn right to it.

  "What..how did you get that?" Vander said, a smile still on his lips drew relief through Flora.

  "You dropped it," Flora said with practiced ease as she held it up for him to take.

  "Are you sure about that?" Vander said with a tilt of his head. "Well, I trust friends and I am not very reliable am I," he said with a wink. "Why don't you keep hold of it for me for a little while, if for no other reason than to mean that I will certainly see you again?"

  Flora could feel her cheeks go pink and smacked her lips together. "But of course," she said with a sly grin, twirling the chain back around her fingers, to have the locket rest back against her palm.

  Vander quickly started talking again. He seemed eager to bring up Lord Reynald in conversation, but this did not feel like a safe place, and they were drawing more attention as they stood together in stillness along the falsely lined corridors. "Champagne?" Flora said, hoping to get Vander distracted.

  "You will have a hard time finding a servant anywhere in my vicinity if they can help it. They see me and veer in the other direction. I am fearsome you know," Vander said with a flick of his eyebrow. "They are even more scared of me then their overseers."

  "You seem to be quite a bold talker in enemy territory?" She asked.

  "Well," he said with a severely pointed look at Flora. "We can't all dance around the important subjects. Nothing would get done."

  A hush in the crowd around them drew Flora's attention away from Vander and to a larger girl that was making a path through the crowd. The diadem on her head was a polished bronze that matched the color painted on her lips. Her other makeup was elaborate, while her unimpressive silk dress was as basic white as they came. There was barely a ruffle on it, as there was no room left by the jewels attached. Vander bowed to the girl who could be none other than the Princess of Meridian, and Flora followed suit with a curtsy.

  "Mr Mosel," the Princess said. "I had not expected you to be joining us tonight."

  "It is a pleasure to see you here Princess Kalida, I only just received my invitation a few hours ago. I had planned to spend the night in the solitude of my rooms, but this is much more stunning. I must thank you."

  "Hmm," said Princess Kalida as a light sparkled in the her eyes and they continued to talk. Paying attention to every unimportant word until Vander asked the Princess to dance, which she accepted gracefully. Flora held her curtsy as she watched them walk away, careful to balance the precious drops of champagne in her glass.

  Flora walked after them, still keeping to the edge of the wall until a large opening came along it. She stared down it, seeing steps that led down into the castle.

  Only a few guards where stationed along it, many struggling with yawns and to keep from watching the revel beyond them. She shifted on her feet, her head light with the remnants of champagne. Thinking about her chances. If they were distracted, she could be out the castle in minutes if she left right now. She was sure no one would stop her, dressed as she was. She took her first step when an arm wrapped around her waist.

  "You would not make it five more steps alive," Lord Reynald's whispered roughly into her ear. "I would make sure of it." He quickly drew her off betwee
n some false panelling with a door on one side. Flora kept her eyes shut as she waited for the punishment she was sure would come from being caught. But he only drew her away without any more words.

  Lord Reynald promptly led her from the ballroom, passing her off to one of his guards as soon as possible with orders to deliver her back to her cell. He shut the door behind him, cutting off the music from the rooms beyond, as a small rumble went under her feet.

  Marcus was in the cell and he absently held his arms out for her finery. She stripped and he left her naked to dress in the clothes that they had peeled off of her earlier that day. Still as dirty as they had been before, but lighter due to her last few missing blades. She had snuck the pin and the watch back though. They were small enough to maneuver in her hands she had watched them glint as they appeared to go into his arms, lost in the folds of the dress before she snatched them back.

  Then he left, as quietly as ever. While she was left alone to think about her conversation with Vander, twiddling the watch around her hand in wonder.

  One of The Bad Guys

  Flora was bored of sitting around. She was tired of staring up at her window where the light was slowly fading, waiting for anything to happen to her. She had done the ballroom thing. She was helpless now as the days past by. Even more helpless since Lord Reynald had decided to starve her. Consequence for drinking unearned champagne and attempting to run away he said. He did not mention the Folk.

  She didn't dare scratch at her escape route during the day anymore. The risk of being caught was too great as Oswald, Lady Willa, Walt, or Lord Reynald came in at random times. This created many close calls, and the thought of getting caught made the hairs stand up on her arm.

  So she waited for night to enlarge the hole. She figured it would take a few weeks to get to a size were she could get through without dislocating her shoulders. However, that was if the fairies didn't break into the room first to feast on her empty corpse. They had started to scratch at the other side opposite her every night. They were drawn by the scratching sounds she made, and the smell of her on the other side. She found it laughable that the little devils were actually helping her in those moments.

  "Hey, Oswald, when do I get out of here?" Flora asked, pushing herself up off the floor to move closer to the door in a path that was now clear of any dirt. Only the shining buffed stone showed itself. She stepped around the flat brown cockroaches that had crawled in from below the gap under the door, the crunch of stepping on one of them when she had first woken up had made her spine cringe,"It's been weeks," she said.

  "It has only been three days since the revel," Oswald said through the door.

  "Three days," Flora whispered to herself and stared down at the cockroaches whose antenna were reaching for her boot. She preferred the cockroaches to the snakes. "Can't be."

  There was no response. "What time is it?" Flora asked, picking the watch out of her pocket to look at the fingers pointing directly up.

  "Almost noon," Oswald said.

  Flora smiled, and tucked the pocket watch away. "So, why are you a guard anyway?" Flora asked, twiddling her fingers in front of her, letting off some of her pent up energy.

  Oswald cleared his throat. "Lord Reynald recruited me."

  "Oh, so you are one of the bad guys," Flora said, slapping the door with a loud thud, her voice rising in assurance.

  "I don't think that makes me—" He started.

  "Has he had you personally torturing anyone recently?" Flora cut in, eyeing the door from the corners of her eye, her lip lifting in a small curl.

  She was met with only silence. "Do me a favor and talk? You are still torturing my mind you know? If you think I am crazy now—we'll—" Though the grin that was appearing on her face did not give her much comfort at that thought. She pulled at the muscles on her cheeks to get them to calm down.

  She was met with only silence. She rolled her head back and forth as she tried to think of anything else to do in her cell. She had already exercised slowly gaining back some of the strength she had lost when she was sick. She supposed she could do that again, she could also maybe pick up some dirt and see if she could draw anything on the walls. The thought of squishing the beetles around her to use them as ink turned her insides sour.

  She heard him reply the moment she took her first step back. "I haven't tortured anyone," he said so softly that Flora struggled to hear him.

  "I would disagree with that. But if you aren't enjoying the torture, you are a guard because—?" Flora asked, her eyes now drawn to a curve of words scratched below the window, hidden in the darkness of the lip.

  "At the time it seemed like the right thing to do," He replied, his voice barely a breath of air.

  Flora tilted her head, thinking. "Are you a merchant then?"

  "My family were traders yes," he said. "They travel around the world and—."

  "And are scorned everywhere they set foot. Great wares to steal though," said Flora. "Here of all places, where they hate you and the Crown does not care."

  "Traveling is not in my blood as it is in theirs," Oswald said," and I was made an offer I could not refuse."

  "Is it anything like my own offer?" Flora said with a laugh.

  Oswald was silent for a moment. "When did I say it was fine for you to pry into my life?" Oswald said with a slight laugh.

  Flora grinned. "Since you responded. So what is going on in the outside world?"

  "You haven't been in here long enough to have lost track," he said.

  "Time changes when you sit in a closed room all day and night Oswald. The last few weeks are a forgotten blur."

  For a long time, Flora wondered if Oswald was going to respond again. Her hands felt clammy as she waited and she stared at the riddle along the wall without seeing anything, straining to remember how to form the words.

  It clicked in her mind after some more silence. It read-

  Every Dawn and Every Dusk.

  Whatever that meant, thought Flora rubbing her strained eyes.

  "Oswald—" she started as the quiet persisted.

  "The Peasants Fair was last night on the fifth market terrace," came his voice again, settling closer along the door.

  Flora smiled as she stared at the wall across from her, lifting her hand to press against the wood. Her only link to humanity on the other side. "Market talk already. Your merchant past is betraying you."

  "Ha ha," said Oswald, but she could hear the smile in his voice.

  "Did you go to it?" Flora asked.

  "I've been here this entire time, watching this stone wall," he replied with indignation.

  "Oh..right, your job is great. I forgot. Why would you want to be anywhere else," Flora joked.

  "Exactly, why do you think I have been here the entire time?" He asked.

  "Well, in an odd way, you are sort of my prisoner," Flora laughed flatly. "You can only go where I go, so who is really in charge?"

  There was a long pause as Oswald absorbed that before continuing on a different subject. "A friend brought some smoked tilapia though, from the market I mean," he said with a cough.

  Flora's mouth started drooling. "Why didn't you share?"

  Oswald laughed. "Next time I might."

  "I will share my mush with you if you do," Flora said. "Fair is fair ya know, and then you can share the delicacies of smoked fish with me." She rested her head as she closed her eyes and dreamed about it. Maybe she wouldn't get out of here, but maybe she could get better food if Oswald stayed around.

  "So do you have a bed out there?" She asked.

  Oswald did not respond.

  "When do you use the toilet?" She pressed again.

  Oswald still did not respond, but she could at least hear him moving around.

  "You are not allowed to tell me are you?" She asked.

  "Lord Reynald was right, you are clever," Oswald said with a laugh.

  "It strikes from time to time," Flora said with a shrug of her shoulder and a flip of her hair.


  "Shhh, people are coming down the hall, be quiet for a minute. I can not be seen talking to you," Oswald said. She could hear him standing back on his feet.

  "Oh, who is it? Are they someone important coming to get me out of here?" Flora said eagerly pressing her hands on the wood around her. She tried to see if she could find any cracks around the door's seal to see through, regardless of having looked before.

  "Will you just be quiet? You are going to get both of us into trouble," he whipped back.

  "Lord Huxley," Oswald said as Flora could hear boot stomps approaching and disappearing again as it turned a corner. It seemed Flora was not at the end of the hallway as she had thought before.

  "Who was that?" Flora asked.

  "Who is talking?" Said a deep voice Flora did not recognize and her eyes went wide, her mouth forming a silent 'O'.

  "No one Huxley, be about your business," came Oswald's voice forced unnaturally deep, as he took a sharp breath and held it in.

  "You aren't convincing enough," Flora whispered through the wood, even she could tell he was nervous.

  "Quiet in there or I will come in and torture you," Oswald said, banging something hard against the door that had her backing up.

  "Who do you have in there? Someone important? Is that—is that your bed right there?" came a stammering voice.

  Flora smiled with a nod of her head.

  "Keep walking Huxley, this prisoner is not of your concern," came Oswalds voice, harsher than before.