Chapter Text
“Tessa, Mistress Marina wants to see you.”
The young woman with the bright green eyes looked up from her book and flicked a look of annoyance at the speaker. She had been studying the medicinal properties of different leaves with full concentration, trying to memorize each one.
Kitty looked solemn as she whispered. “She has a visitor now. Looks like a very important one from the kingdom.”
Tessa sighed, put the book back in the shelf and together, they went out of the little hut that served as the library. They were dressed similarly, a simple smock with a round neck, long sleeves and a skirt that reached to their knees, with the only difference being that Tessa’s was brown while Kitty’s was light blue. The colors marked their rank in the order: Kitty was a new apprentice while Tessa had been there for 10 years.
Sunlight glinted in the mid-morning sky as the girls made their way towards an imposing gray brick house. Green was everywhere, sparkling from the grass path to the hills in the distance. Rows of fields dotted the landscape, along with women robed with varying colors working the land and the magical plants that they tended.
Tessa knocked on the heavy wooden door of the house. One rap, a pause, followed by two consecutive raps. The door opened and both apprentices peered inside.
“Come in Tessa,” Mistress Marina’s voice rang out. “You may go, Kitty.”
The young girl pouted. “Tell me everything later,” she whispered to Tessa before she left.
Inside the sparsely furnished receiving room, Tessa noted that there was a visitor wearing stately clothes and a cape. Mistress Marina sat a few feet apart from the guest, wearing her usual black smock and grim expression. “Lord Igor,” she nodded to the man, “This is Tessa Virtue, my apprentice. I believe she is highly qualified for the job you seek.”
Lord Igor looked at Tessa from head to toe, seemingly unsure of the young woman’s ability.
“She’s a good carer, Lord Igor,” Mistress Marina said. “Many special flowers have bloomed under her, one of them being the heartgazer. You know how difficult it is to cultivate the heartgazer, Lord Igor. Tessa has successfully cared for two of them.”
Lord Igor’s eyes looked impressed as he appraised the young woman before him. “Very well, I trust you, Mistress Marina.” Lord Igor replied. “I will have a soldier come and fetch her the day after tomorrow.”
Tessa’s heart leapt. She had not left the sisterhood since she came here. How had the world outside changed, she wondered. She was fearful and yet excited, her numerous thoughts swirling in her head that she missed Lord Igor’s leaving.
“Tessa,” Mistress Marina said with a faint smile on her lips. “I’ve just assigned you on a trip. You can do it, can you?” Her voice was gentle.
Tessa nodded. “Wha..what is the trip about, Mistress Marina?”
“Prince Charles and Princess Meryl are getting married two weeks from now, and they have bought a heartgazer to bless their marriage. You are tasked to bring the flower safely to the palace for their wedding day.”
Tessa looked dazed.
“I trust you for this task, because I’ve seen you care for the flowers. I know you can keep the flower alive during the journey.”
“But Mistress Marina, if I may ask,” Tessa quickly said, fearing the older woman’s anger. “I don’t know if I can. I…”
“You are afraid.” Mistress Marina nodded. “But you still have to go out and try. There is courage in you.”
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The girls clustered around her as Tessa told them her news.
“What? You’ve been chosen to go? What an honor!” Gaby exclaimed.
“How did you grow your flowers anyway? Your peonies have that shiny rainbow glaze on their petals. Your heartgazer is so white it’s almost translucent. Please tell me,” Kaitlyn begged.
Tessa kept quiet. How could she tell them that every time she watered her flowers she thought about a certain boy with a sharp long nose and warm hazel eyes? They were not allowed to think about men; they were supposed to keep themselves pure. But she could not forget him after all these years, even after being forced to join the sisterhood by her family.
“Mistress Marina doesn’t just choose anyone.” Gaby sighed. “It means I have to work harder. I’m so jealous Tessa.”
“You will have your chance too, Gaby.” Tessa felt a mix of fear and excitement. “I must go and prepare.”
“But Tessa, some of them never came back.” Kitty shivered.
“Some of them do. Ask Joanne. She came back.” Gaby countered.
“She’s not the same anymore when she returned,” Kaitlyn said flatly. Their joyful atmosphere turned somber; none of them wanted to talk about the screams and rages Joanne threw in her room when the night settled over the plantation. Nobody knew what exactly happened to the poor girl when she returned injured and bloody last year, though Mistress Marina had been patiently healing her.
“Take a lot of weapons, Tessa,” Gaby said. “and healing potions.”
“And the charms book,” Kaitlyn added.
“We’ll help you prepare.” Kitty nodded.
They most likely overpacked, Tessa gritted inwardly on the day of departure. Her bag was heavy that she grunted with the effort of carrying it. There was also the other package—the precious heartgazer encased in a hardened glass case, and bound tightly with cloth. Mistress Marina had drilled into her the chants and magic in caring for the flower during the journey.
“Be careful, Tessa. So many people desire the heartgazer that they will kill to have it. So it is well that the journey will only take three days for you. Now go, Tessa. The guard is waiting outside the border of our grounds.”
She was not surprised to see her friends waiting for her at the border, standing near the tall pine tree that marked the entrance of the fields. They all crowded around her, hugging her close. She could see the fear and concern in their eyes.
“I’ll be back, I promise you.” Tessa looked at her friends one last time. “Take care. And don’t forget to water my flowers.”