16⁰ Flowers part 1

Winter Kingdom

Cassian 

That's the same girl I saw two weeks ago. What is she up to here on this side of the forest? I thought I would never see her again.

- What are you doing here on this side of the forest? Aren't you afraid of what might happen to you? - I asked, coming closer.

- Nothing, I was just leaving, don't worry. - said the girl, already starting to leave in a hurry.

She's not leaving at all, no one enters my kingdom and tries to take the only thing that represents my mother. You may think it's bad of me to fight over something of no material value, but sentimentality is greater than anything I own, I walked up to her.

- You're not going anywhere. What brought you here to this side of the forest? - I asked facing her... and how beautiful she was, her beauty cause disarmed me to the point of feeling vulnerable. 

- Nothing, I was brought here, don't worry, I'm no enemy. - I said calmly, already leaving again.

She was getting nervous, she seemed afraid. I wasn't known for my kindness, but rather for the evil I did to those who challenged me. 

- If you don't tell me what brought you here, I'll call the guards. - I threatened her, to see if she would tell me. One of my faults was my lack of patience, which was already at its limit. 

- All right, I just wanted a flower from this tree, but please don't call the guards. - she said, looking nervous and going to sit on the grass under the tree.

I confess that I was taken aback by her answer... a rose. It was her reason for facing the danger of being captured by the guards. 

Her motive reminded me of my mother who would do anything for a flower, new memories in which she was lost came back. 

On-line memories:

Like the one on a rainy day when we were returning from the house of a duchess friend of hers, I was about 7 years old and already being trained to defend myself and possess a good me in case of kidnapping. The road is terrible with several mud puddles making it difficult for the carriage to pass, I am already whispering tired of playing with the duchess's son, when my mother shouts for the coachman to stop suddenly, I stood up quickly hitting my head on the roof of the carriage. 

- What is it, Your Majesty? - asked the coachman.

- I saw a white rose," I said, smoothing my head on the spot where I had been hit.

- Mom, I'm sleepy, leave it for another day," I said sleepily.

- It will be fast, my little one, Mom promises, okay," he said, stroking me. 

- Okay, be quick, Mom," I said.

- I will be my love.

- We'll come here tomorrow, ma'am. It's late and raining now. - She warned.

- Stay here and watch Cassian, and I'll come," she said, opening the door.

- No, ma'am," he shouted as she ran out into the rain.

- How stubborn the queen is," she said, looking at me.

- She'll do anything to have a flower that gets her attention," I said, laughing at the situation. 

- If something happens, it'll be my fault for not stopping her from leaving," he said apprehensively.

- Don't worry about that, she would never let anything happen to you. - I said.

- But it always ends up on the poorer side. And in this case I'm the poorer one who's in this situation. - I said, laughing at her situation. 

- Stay calm, man, she'll be back soon, she's very fast, my mother, I couldn't even pedo, she in the rush, I always lost as we have been playing soldiers and criminals. - I told him to see that she is fast. 

But I didn't understand what I said so he started laughing at what I said.

I also started laughing because of the situation that we are in and I knew that my mother always did that.

Half an hour passed before the coachman breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that she was arriving all wet and covered in mud.

- I fell in the middle of the road when I got back," he said, seeing the look on the coachman's face. - You can go now," she said as if nothing had happened. 

- My baby, I found a gigantic tree with the most beautiful flower I have ever seen, totally white and strong of course," she said enthusiastically. 

- How can a flower be strong if they are fragile? - I questioned without understanding. 

- Because they survive in places none of us could, and this one was born in the coldest area of the kingdom.

Offline memories.

- Please, don't do anything to hurt me," she pleaded.

- Did you know that this is a crime? You would take a rose without asking anyone, you would have your hand ripped off. Besides, this rose isn't valuable to sell because it's plain compared to the other ones full of color. - I said, to observe her reaction.

- I thought you would not mind taking a single rose, besides that this rose is not simple, it is a demonstration of strength by remaining beautiful and pure, that is the meaning of the color white purity. Besides, I am not a thief. If you haven't noticed, I'm a queen, I don't need to steal, because I have plenty to spare. - she said, angry at being called a thief.

- I am a queen, married to Antony, the king of the kingdoms of summer and spring. And you are married to Rosa, from the Autumn kingdom.

- I see that you know a lot about me. - I said, to see what she was going to say.

- I don't care about your life, I only found out by chance. - she said, crossing her arms.

- I don't care what you are, this is my territory, I am the king of the Winter and Autumn kingdoms, so I will call the guards anyway. - he said.

- Please, no, I'll do whatever you want, just don't call out the guards, or everyone will know I invaded the kingdom and it won't be welcome. - she said, which was true.