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Shadows waltzed along the walls of the cathedral, early afternoon sunlight draping itself upon the students as the choir broke up for the day. The Four Saints statues bid adieu to the stragglers as the heavy, solid doors slowly swung shut.
A wave of relief washed over Amber, a long held breath finally slipping free from its bundle in her chest. The quiet rang in her ears, her lips splitting into a soft smile as she ran over her mental task list for the day.
Her hands lightly clasped the edge of the beloved advice box. She flipped the lid up, the wood-on-wood tapping together delicately. The questions may not be hers to answer, but she had gladly offered her help in sorting and tracking the never-ending stream of questions the staff received during the counselor’s absence. It wasn’t a hard task, and it allowed for a moment of peaceful solitude.
She had only just settled onto a pew with the box when the sound of soft footsteps met her ears. They were light and graceful, clicking softly against the polished floor. They flitted about like a hummingbird, deliberate and purposeful with where they pause.
“Oh, Amber!”
A soft voice rang out sweetly, footsteps halting before resuming at a faster pace. Amber looked up just to see Mercedes move into her vision, arms cradling bundles of various flowers. Her smile was sweet and genuine, twinkling with an unadulterated excitement. She quickly took a seat beside Amber, resting the flowers on her lap. Instead, she quickly scooped up Amber’s hands.
“I’m glad you haven’t left yet. I need to finish preparing the flower displays for the altar, but I thought today might be a good day to start those flower lessons I promised you.”
Amber’s face brightened immediately, an eager spark lighting in her emerald eyes. “That sounds like a wonderful idea! Here, let me help.” Setting aside the messy box of requests, her hands reached out toward the scattered flowers across Mercedes’ lap.
“I couldn’t!” Mercedes gasped, gently shooing Amber’s hands away. “You’ve got your own work to focus on right now! I couldn’t possibly add more to your to-do list!”
“Oh, please, Mercie! You know I’m always excited to help you with anything!” She paused for a quick moment, lips pursed in thought, before adding, “How about we both just help each other with our tasks?”
Thankfully, Mercedes’ stern little frown broke into a gentle smile once more. “That sounds like a good idea,” she affirmed, setting the flowers between the two and reaching her hands out for the request box.
Blooming flowers enshrouded hushed but eager conversation as the two sat together in the courtyard. Few students cared to frequent the peaceful gardens scattered around the premises unless conscripted into weeding duty for the week. The greenhouse was often similarly abandoned, save for the staff maintaining it, and the small gaggle of students actively interested in gardening. Yet, for such a warm, peaceful day as this, the courtyard, with its shade and refreshments, functioned as the most optimal spot for afternoon chatter.
A blue petal danced through the air as it fell from Mercedes’ hair. Forget-me-nots wove steams through silky golden strands, abiding by the careful braids Amber’s skilled hands dictated. She turned to face her friend, batting long blonde lashes playfully. “How do I look?”
The question was innocent enough, though laced with a wavering, vulnerable concern. Amber smiled gently, cider colored eyebrows slanting gently.
“Beautiful, Mercie! You always do.”
Mercedes giggled, covering her mouth lightly with her hand. That same hand reached out to brush against the peonies she herself delicately slipped within Amber’s loose braid. “We match,” she said softly, giggling again. A warm feeling fixed itself deep within Amber’s chest.
Yet of course, peace hardly existed in such a bustling academy. A tall shadow cast himself upon the table, landing just between the two.
“Well, if it isn’t the academy’s two prettiest students.”
Both heads turned quickly to be met with Sylvain’s easy smile. A lazy, mischievous twinkle gleamed deep within his eyes, an easy smile hanging loose from his lips.
“Oh, hello, Sylvain,” Mercedes greeted kindly. Her expression remained bright and airy as Amber’s hardened into a light scowl. Sylvain caught onto this shift, the corners of his mouth twitching up coquettishly.
“Aw, come on. Scowling at me already?” He leaned in a little closer, a smirk creeping upon his plush lips. “At least let me ask you to tea first.”
“Does my expression not serve as my response?”
Sylvain jerked his head to the side slightly, sucking in air over his teeth like a whistle. “Haven’t asked yet. Guess you’ll just have to wait on the edge of your seat for a little bit.” He dared a wink at her. Amber’s scowl slipped into a childish pout, only prodding his grin to stretch a little wider.
With a soft, “Can we help you with something?”, Mercedes redirected the conversation gently. Sylvain leaned back slightly, eyes slipping up toward the sky for a moment before returning to the seated pair.
“Nah. I mean, I had a favor I wanted to ask but… I didn’t mean to interrupt you two or anything. I’ll just… uh, I’ll catch you later, Mercedes.”
He awkwardly turned away, waving nonchalantly as he strode back in the same direction from whence he came. They both followed him with their eyes until he disappeared around the corner before turning to look back at each other.
Amber’s face had softened up again, looking more confused than anything. “What was that all about?”
“I don’t know…” Mercedes trailed. Her expression shifted into something coy and knowing as her eyes once again landed upon Amber’s face.
“What?” she urged again. Mercedes did not answer, merely laughing softly.
The afternoon’s strange encounter had already swept its own way from Amber’s mind by nightfall. Evening training had rejuvenated her since she split from Mercedes that afternoon, though it came with the untoward side effect of stripping the flowers so gently adorning her hair.
A knock barely sounded over the scritch of quill on parchment. Unraveled hair slipped from the perch upon her shoulder as Amber’s head turned toward the door, uttering a quiet welcome. The door creaked open, a fiery head poking its way through the space.
Sylvain stepped into the room quietly, careful to not disturb the students housed on either side. His cheeks were a dusty pink and his hair mussed up more than usual. He carried with him a thin bouquet, wrapped delicately with stiff parchment, though he held it down, hidden slightly behind his thigh as though embarrassed.
“Hey,” he offered.
“Is it windy out tonight?” Her eyes clung to the smattering of pink swept across the apples of his cheeks.
“What?”
“Your cheeks are pink.”
“O-oh. Yeah, it’s, uh, it’s windy,” he lied.
He stepped a little closer to her in the small room, standing beside the desk at which she sat. He ran a hand through his hair, taking in a deep breath as if steadying himself. His arms rushed forwards, placing the bouquet awkwardly upon her desk before withdrawing quickly, pitching ever so slightly to the side as long legs carried him toward the other side of the room. Amber jerked slightly in surprise, hands reaching to pick up the gift while head turned to allow sage green eyes to track his retreating form.
“What’s this?” she asked, voice softening for a moment.
“A gift,” he replied, voice tight and awkward. He didn’t look directly at her.
She looked down at the delicate ensemble, lips parting as she took in the whole thing. Three types of flowers made up the entirety of the bouquet, vastly different in colors, yet pale enough to match in values. White lily of the valley, pale pink peonies, and pale blue forget-me-nots sat in harmony together, confined into a delicate package by crinkly, thin parchment. Her finger traced along the edge of one lily, careful not to disturb the petal.
Amber looked back up at him. He was already looking at her. “They’re so pretty. Thank you, Sylvain.”
For a moment, his smile seemed to loosen a little, a small weight lifted from his shoulders as he responded. “Well, you should thank Mercedes.”
“Mercedes?”
“Yeah,” he pushed himself forward from where he leaned against wooden cabinet, his gaze soft. “I asked her if she would help me pick out a few flowers. And, well, she went above and beyond.” His steps stopped right next to where Amber sat, looking at her warmly. “She told me these were your favorites.”
“So that’s what you were up to earlier?” she asked, a teasing tone in her voice. One eyebrow raised itself, a playful smile dancing about on her lips.
“What,” he pretended to take offense. “I can’t stop to chat without having some ulterior motives?”
“Not in my experience,” she replied, her voice obviously playful. His body language seemed to loosen up at her jest, leaning down and plucking a sole peony from the thin bundle. His hands skillfully slipped it behind her ear, framing her face with a pretty splash of pink.
His knuckle brushed against her cheek delicately. “Well, maybe my ‘ulterior methods’ paid off this time.”