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“What’re you looking at Sophie?” Asbel came up behind the purple-haired girl as she stared into one of Barona’s storefronts, her nose nearly pressed into the window glass. Shipments from Strahta had been delayed due to storms at sea, so the two of them had volunteered to travel to the capital and pick up a few items while they waited for Lhant’s stock to be replenished. Asbel had just returned from negotiations with the Turtlez to have three boxes of salt, five crates of bananas, two cases of wine, some cheese, and a decorative stone fountain (less a request than a demand from one of the townspeople who insisted on having it in time for her garden party) delivered to Lhant via transport.
Sophie pointed into the shop, her eyes flicking up to meet Asbel’s. “There are flowers inside the store.”
“Oh! This must be a flower shop, then.” Asbel followed her finger, and sure enough, he could make out brilliant splashes of color, even from outside. Two women stood behind counters with vases, flowers, and ribbon spread in front of them, while another misted hanging plants with a spray bottle.
“A flower shop?” she asked.
“Yeah, it’s where you go to buy cut flowers. The florists who work here will even arrange them for you in a vase, if you want.”
Sophie’s face brightened into a look of awe, and Asbel already knew what was coming next. “Can we go inside?”
“Yeah,” he smiled. “I don’t see why not? Let’s take a look.”
Sophie’s delight was nearly infectious as they headed into the shop, Sophie immediately darting over to the closest arrangement and kneeling down so that she was eye-level with the showy blossoms. The inside of the shop had a fresh, clean smell, lightly fragrant of the plants it housed. Asbel recognized some of the flowers that grew around Lhant, and many others he’d never even seen before. He had to admit, the shop was impressive - totally fitting of its place in Windor’s largest city.
“Asbel, what’s this one called?” Sophie asked, pointing out a flower from another arrangement. It had pink and yellow tones, with thin black lines decorating some of its petals. Asbel thought it looked exotic.
“Um, I dunno, Sophie,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his head.
“Lovely, isn’t it? That flower’s called alstroemeria, commonly known as the princess lily,” one of the women offered helpfully. She was wearing an apron and a pleasant smile, and Asbel was immediately grateful to her.
“The princess lily…” Sophie tried it out, a hint of reverence in her voice as she looked back at the flower in question. “Can we get one for Cheria, Asbel? She told me once that when she was small, she wanted to be a princess.”
Asbel couldn’t help but cover a smile. Cheria had been incredibly vocal about it as a child, actually. Even now she seemed to hold a soft place in her heart for the princess stories of their youth. Not only that, it made him proud to see Sophie doing nice things for their friends, and just because she wanted to.
“Sure, Sophie. I think she’d like that.”
Sophie nodded, before glancing back over her shoulder at Asbel again. “Asbel, we should get something for Richard, too. I bet it would make him really happy.”
“It would, huh? After all, he did invite us over for tea.” When the monarch had heard of their current strife (and about their trip to Barona) he’d offered them relaxation at the castle, “as an opportunity to catch up, and to prepare for the journey home” he’d said. Asbel and Sophie had jumped at the chance, eager to spend time with their friend who’d become both very busy and very popular recently. It was hard to find time just to enjoy one another’s company these days, especially with their respective schedules packed. Besides, a present would surely help to brighten Richard’s day. His past few letters had been as pleasant as always, but they hinted of a resigned exasperation. Noblemen and their daughters and such. He was probably as sick of long meetings and paperwork as Asbel himself. With that thought in mind, Asbel’s decision was made.
“Yeah, okay. Let’s do that.” he agreed.
It was quickly decided that Asbel would be in charge of Richard’s gift, while Sophie picked out a few others to keep the princess lily company in its container. The shop women seemed more than happy to assist Sophie, and from the pleasant discussion that evolved from Sophie’s questions about their store and the arrangements, Asbel could tell they were hitting it off already. Which left him to his own devices…
Asbel gazed around the room, feeling more than a little overwhelmed. He hadn’t even known what sort of flowers to get for his late father’s graveside. The thought of choosing something for his best friend, therefore, was more than a little daunting. Maybe, maybe something elegant…?
Pacing the shop, Asbel was greeted with blooms of various colors and shapes. Sunny trumpet-like flowers on delicate stems and lacey flowers on stick-straight stalks, small clusters of flowers that looked like snowflakes, and many more besides. Where should he even start? He didn’t want to pick just anything… For someone like Richard, it needed to be something special.
“Can I help you?”
Asbel turned to find the woman who’d been tending the plants earlier. Her face was open and cheerful and he had to admit to himself (because it was true) that he had no idea what he was doing. A second opinion definitely couldn’t hurt.
“Oh. Well, I wanted to get some flowers for a friend, but I don’t really have any idea what to get.” Asbel rubbed the back of his head.
The woman didn’t seem at all offended by the admission, instead she smiled. “I see. Maybe I can help with that. Is there a particular type of flower your friend likes?”
“A type? Um….” Asbel racked his brain. He supposed Richard liked sopherias well enough, and the lilies were pretty nice too, but somehow he didn’t think either of those were the correct answer. Asbel’s eyes trailed the room again, fleeting images of all its offerings ticking through his head as the shop worker patiently waited. And then it hit him all at once. “Oh, hey, do you happen to have any roses here?”
“Yes, well of course we do!” she chirped.
The woman (whose name he found out was Matilda) ushered Asbel over to a frosted case with Sophie tagging along behind them. “These are our roses, the ones in buckets along the bottom row. We just got these in, so our selection’s quite good right now!”
Asbel could only stare in disbelief. There were roses of nearly every shade imaginable - red, yellow, white, orange, pink, lavender, deep burgandy - even some that contained a blend of two or more colors. They came in different sizes, too, and Asbel noticed that some were rosebuds, still sealed tight.
“They’re pretty,” Sophie breathed.
“Roses are our manager’s favorite, so we always try to keep plenty varieties available,” Matilda beamed.
“Wow. I don’t even know where to start,” Asbel admitted.
“Flowers do have a language, you know! Perhaps you should choose a color that’ll carry the message you want to give to your friend.”
“Flowers can talk?” Sophie asked, wide-eyed.
“Well, not like you or me, but yes! Flowers can carry feelings for people. Like this white rose here means purity and innocence, but it can also symbolize a new beginning. You might give one to a person you’ve just become acquainted with, a new bride, or someone you’d like to start over with. Or maybe even someone who’s striking out on their own. It’s a very polite rose.”
Asbel wasn’t sure how a rose could be polite, but he let that one go as he listened to what Matilda had to say. Sophie, too, seemed fascinated, leaning forward as if being pulled by the words. “And the yellow ones?”
“Those represent caring and friendship, as well as congratulations and good health. Yellow flowers are the most happy ones!”
“Friendship?” Sophie clapped her hands together softly.
“Yes, friendship,” Matilda giggled.
“Do you think the princess lily would like to be friends with the yellow roses?” questioned Sophie.
“She might! Or maybe we can find smaller yellow flowers, so she can watch over them.”
“Yes. I want her to have lots of friends. What about the pink ones?”
“Now, pink roses…”
Asbel studied the roses again, only half-listening as Matilda dutifully listed the meanings behind each one. What sort of feelings did he want to convey? What sort of words should he let the roses speak for him? Friendship seemed the obvious choice, but was that really all? He was grateful to Richard and admired the lengths he went through to better the kingdom. He worried about him, maybe even wanted Richard to know he was close in his thoughts, always. Sometimes, too, he wondered if “friendship” really encompassed all that they were. Richard was practically like family to them both, someone trusted and precious that he couldn’t imagine never knowing or living without. Richard was… Richard was Richard.
“Have you made a decision?” Matilda asked kindly. Sophie, too, was watching him with curiosity.
“I…” Asbel flustered, bringing a hand to his chin as he furiously studied the case. Just how long had he been staring at them for anyway? Didn’t matter. He needed to make a decision here. Well, if he was honest…the darker colors seemed more like his friend. But on the other hand, yellows and oranges would definitely bring cheer with them. What did orange roses mean again? Asbel was having a hard time keeping everything straight, Matilda had recited so many.
“I’ll just–I’ll take one of each!” he blurted “I mean, if that’s all right?”
“Of course it is,” Matilda assured him. “Sophie, would you help your dad pick out a matching ribbon?”
“Okay!” The purple-haired girl gave a quick salute of her hand (a very Pascal-like gesture) and wandered over to the rack of ribbon and twine.
Matilda smiled as she opened up the case and carefully selected each flower, then expertly snipped the bottoms of the stems at an angle (so they’d be able to drink water more easily, she explained) and arranged them into a bouquet. Finally, she tucked the roses into a fold of colored paper and secured them with the shimmery green ribbon Sophie had chosen.
Matilda handed the bouquet to Asbel as the pair finally made to leave. “Thank you for your business. I hope your friends like the flowers!”
“Thanks!” Asbel called back to the women as he and Sophie headed out. Sophie carried the vase containing Cheria’s princess lily balanced carefully in her hands, protecting it from harm as she hummed a soft tune. Asbel looked down at Richard’s present as they crossed the street and began climbing the steps that would take them to the castle grounds, wondering if it’d be enough. Matilda had said they’d need to be transferred to a vase later. Maybe he should have gotten one of those, too.
They arrived at Barona Castle before Asbel knew it and were promptly escorted inside by two of the armored guards who were keeping watch. The castle was just as Asbel remembered it, with sunlight sweeping in through the tall windows, making the polished marble and fine carpets practically glow.
Richard seemed to be glowing, too, and stood from the throne at once to greet them. He wasted no time with stiff formalities, instead offering them a fond smile. If the guards were surprised by the casual tone that followed, they didn’t comment. “Asbel, Sophie, it’s good to see you. I trust that you found everything you needed?”
“Hello, Richard!” Sophie called up to him, still cradling the vase in her arms.
“Hey, Richard. And yeah, we did. I asked the Turtlez to take everything back for us. I doubt we’d have gotten too far on our own with that fountain.”
“Indeed,” Richard grinned as he stepped off the dais, looking them both over. Richard himself seemed to be doing well, Asbel noted. He had a bounce in his step, no longer looking as tired and worn as he had mere months ago. Whatever was responsible for the change, Asbel was silently grateful. He knew his friend was determined to rectify his mistakes, but he hated seeing him work himself to the bone. It was unfortunately something he often did, but then, he supposed that a lot of burdens came with being king, more than he could probably imagine.
“Are the two of you hungry?” Richard continued, his gaze flicking casually between them before settling on Asbel. “The castle chef has been improving his cakes, and if today’s offerings continue his recent trend, they’re certain to be delicious.”
“Mmhmm!” Sophie bobbed her head, glancing to Asbel expectantly. With two pairs of eyes trained on him, Asbel finally remembered what he was holding. No wonder Richard was staring at him. It must look weird for him to be standing there like that, and Richard was just too polite to ask.
“Oh! We, um, we brought you something…” Asbel fumbled. He gave a sheepish smile to them both, and held out the rose bouquet. “Thanks for having us, Richard.”
He was pleased to see that all dozen were still intact, and the paper and ribbon were carefully in place. He was even more pleased to see the look on Richard’s face, his mouth slightly parted in surprise as his attention slowly trailed down his arm to the offered gift. Richard’s face seemed a bit flushed, but maybe he’d just imagined it.
“No, thank you…” Richard murmured, a smile blooming on his face as he lifted the roses into his own arms. Without them, Asbel felt oddly light. “Thank you both so very much.”
“Matilda at the flower shop told us flowers can say things for people,” Sophie added, sharing Richard’s smile. “Do you know about the flower language, Richard?”
Richard’s expression was soft as he considered the inquiry. “Floriography? Certainly, Sophie. I believe there’s even a book about that very subject in the royal library.”
Sophie perked up instantly. “Does it say anything about the princess lily? I want to be able to tell Cheria about it, too.”
“It very well might,” Richard nodded. “Why don’t we go and check after tea time?”
“Okay!” Sophie agreed. “Matilda taught me a lot, but I want to learn even more about their language. She said that white roses mean purity, and yellow ones represent friendship.”
“Yes,” Richard acknowledged, his voice touched by faint amusement. “And lavender roses represent splendor and majesty. It’s why the early Windorian royalty often wore purple.”
“Wow, you two are really into this stuff, huh?” Asbel remarked. He was beginning to wonder if maybe he should have paid closer attention to Matilda’s words. He got the feeling he’d be getting a refresher course regardless, though. Richard was always great with Sophie, and it was clear that he knew quite a lot on all sorts of topics.
“A little,” Richard confessed. “You may be surprised to hear this, Asbel, but learning the symbolism that has been given to flora throughout that ages is actually quite beneficial.”
Asbel blinked. “Huh. Really? I didn’t know that.”
“Yes, particularly during formal affairs. If one chooses the wrong flower to present to someone, it can become quite a serious slight.”
Asbel nodded. He sure hoped he hadn’t screwed up in a big way. Now he wasn’t so sure.
“There are lots more. Pink roses are for showing appreciation. And red roses mean…” Sophie tilted her head as she tried to remember.
“Red roses are a symbol of love and devotion, even romance,” Richard supplied, shaking his head as one of the guards offered to relieve him of the bouquet, instead gesturing with a free arm that a vase might indeed be useful. Asbel knew he should have gotten a vase.
“Love, devotion, romance.” Sophie repeated one-by-one. “The captain told me about romance once. He said that when two people love each other, they hold hands and touch each other a lot. He said they also kiss.”
“That’s true in many cases,” the king agreed.
Sophie turned then, her hair flowing out behind her. “Asbel, does that mean you want to kiss Richard?”
“W-wait, what?!” Asbel all but shouted, pretty sure his entire face had instantly set itself on fire.
“Because one of the roses is red,” she explained calmly, indicating the matching blossom which poked deviously out from the center of the arrangement. It was…most definitely red, bright and untarnished.
Richard was watching him, too, his smile pleasant. Asbel could’ve sworn he was enjoying this, maybe even at his expense. Asbel silently begged for help, or at least an opportunity not to cram his foot completely into his mouth. What exactly was he supposed to say here? No? …Yes? Maybe if the moment felt right? Maybe if Richard wanted him to? The question had come so out of left field that he wasn’t even sure what the answer actually was.
“Uh, that’s…” he stalled.
Richard chuckled quietly, coming to Asbel’s rescue as naturally as if he’d planned it out ahead of time. “Not necessarily, Sophie. You see, when you present a bouquet of roses to someone, it can take on another meaning as well.”
“What’s that, Richard?” Sophie asked.
Richard cast another look at Asbel, and he thought he might have been trying to reassure him (or maybe even reading from his mind) because what he said next was: “It means, ‘my feelings for you are complicated, and it’s hard to put them into words, but they are also entirely sincere.’ A bouquet can also tell another person that you’ve been thinking about them, or that they mean a lot to you.”
“Ohhh,” Sophie nodded in understanding. “So a bouquet is full of lots of good feelings!”
“Precisely, Sophie.”
Tilting her head again, Sophie’s brows drew together. “But, if Asbel did want to kiss you, what would you do?”
“Ss-s–”
Richard glanced back at Asbel, whose face had returned to its earlier color. “Hmm… Well, I suppose in that case, it would be best to keep Asbel happy, wouldn’t it?”
“Yes, I think so, too. I like it when Asbel is happy.”
“Y-you guys…” Asbel pleaded.
Richard cast Asbel another fleeting look, then rested a gentle hand on Sophie’s head. “Now come, I suspect the tea has been prepared for us. We wouldn’t want for it to grow cold, would we?”
“Thank you, Richard.” the girl smiled. “Can the princess lily come too?”
“Of course. Why don’t you take a cake back to Cheria as well?”
Sophie leaned in for an awkward one-armed hug while taking care not to jostle the flowers, then trooped towards the dining area ahead of them. Richard waited by the doorway while Asbel walked over.
“Sorry about all that, Richard…” Asbel said, still somewhat embarrassed.
“Don’t worry about it. I’m always happy to help - and to save you from Sophie’s overflowing curiosity.” The king all but smirked.
Asbel managed a laugh, feeling a little better already. “Thanks. But I still have no idea where all that came from. I wonder if the Captain’s been telling her wild tales again?”
“That would be my guess. However, they seem harmless enough, I’m sure he wouldn’t teach her anything too outlandish.”
“Yeah, I guess,” admitted Asbel. The questions that came about as a result might be a bit embarrassing, but he didn’t think Captain Malik would intentionally lead Sophie astray, at least not when it came to something important. “Except you haven’t heard the one about the singing eels.”
“No, I don’t believe I have. Should I ask?”
“That one might be better saved for a rainy day.”
“All right. Until it rains, then.”
Asbel grinned, glad they had the opportunity for this. It’d been many weeks since they last saw Richard, and it was nice to know that despite all that was going on, they could still laugh and joke as usual. With an unspoken word, the two followed Sophie’s passage and turned off onto one of the castle’s maze-like corridors.
“Thank you again for the roses, Asbel.” Richard said, still draping them in one arm with the care and grace Asbel had come to expect of him. “They’re beautiful.”
“Oh, it’s no problem. Sophie wanted to get flowers for Cheria, so we decided to get you something too. I wasn’t really sure what kind of flowers you liked, though…” Asbel rubbed the back of his neck as they walked, matching Richard’s pace step-for-step.
“No?” Richard grinned back at him. “You seem to have chosen quite well. Roses have always been one of my favorites.”
Inwardly, Asbel let out a sigh of relief. “I think it was your fighting style that got me thinking about them.”
Richard quirked an eyebrow at him in question, while Asbel resumed. “And they just…seemed like you.”
“Did they? How so?”
“Well… They’re kind of fancy, but also really familiar, you know?” Asbel tried to explain. “It felt right. But there were so many different varieties, and with the whole floriography thing on top of that, it was impossible to pick. So I had the florist put one of each into the bouquet.”
“So that’s how it came to be. It sounds like the sort of thing you might do.”
“I-I didn’t mean it like that!”
Richard laughed, a bright clear sound. “Of course you didn’t, Asbel. Words can be quite tricky at times, even when they’re being spoken by flowers.”
“Maybe even harder,” Asbel admitted. “But that thing before, about what the bouquet meant? I think I was trying to say something like that. That…you’re important to me - to me and Sophie - and we think about you a lot. None of them really represented all that, just by themselves. I’m glad to have met you.”
“As am I, Asbel. As am I…” Richard’s voice was gentle, barely above a whisper as the two emerged into the dining area. The table was crowded with a tower of silver trays, each laid out with lace and miniature pastries. The additional adornment came from the matching silver tea service, gleaming from their placements, and an antique vase which had been brought specifically for the roses. Sophie was already seated, and she smiled as they entered.
Asbel gave Richard’s shoulder a light squeeze before he moved to sit in one of the two remaining chairs. Richard handled the bouquet with care, standing it up in the vase which had been filled with water. A collection of hopes and feelings, a symbol of what was to come.