86 Flowers and Questions
Brown eyes blinked.
It roamed around the room as everybody was looking at the little girl standing in front of them with a girl in her mid-20s standing beside her. "Everyone, meet…" When the lady was speaking, her voice suddenly became gibberish and inaudible. Then the girl's brown eyes darted over a boy who was just staring at her, there was no expression plastered on his face and he was just staring blankly. His hair was black as the night sky and his eyes were attractive although it was the first that the girl saw that color—Crimson Red.
It looked fascinating and alluring just like a flower, just like a red rose.
--
Alexandra blinked, Diana's face greeted her sight. "Good morning, young miss! I woke you up later than usual because I thought you might be tired from what happened yesterday and you were able to go back to your room and sleep at 1," Diana said and Alexandra sat up from her position, rubbing her head trying to ease the pain that she was currently feeling. She knew that she had a dream but she can't remember what it was. What was that? Was that even a dream? It was just like the dream I had yesterday but I can't remember it, she thought to herself, her eyebrows creased as she was deep in thought while trying to remember that dream of hers.
However, she feels refreshed and light after her headache went away. "I see, what time is it?" Alexandra asked in a gentle voice as her expression softened and she yawned while stretching her arms. "It's already 10, young miss. I have already prepared the bath for you," Diana answered and Alexandra just nodded her head as she got down her bed, slipped her feet inside her slippers, and glided it across the room to the bathroom while Diana followed her behind.
What did Harrison do before I fell asleep? Did he use a spell or something to make me fall asleep or what?
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Diana was currently styling Alexandra's hair into a braid and Alexandra was just watching her with the use of the mirror. Since it took me almost an hour to take a bath and styling my hair would take 10 minutes or more depending on what hairstyle I am going with, I should be able to arrive at the dining room at 11 o'clock, so I guess that would be my lunch, Alexandra thought to herself. Her tutor was going to return tomorrow and that would be Harrison's last day before she goes back to the academy. Alexandra recalled her conversation with Harrison yesterday, it was short, it feels like Harrison just came there to remind her of their plans for today.
Right, their plans for today!
Alexandra cleared her throat before she opened her mouth to speak, "Diana," She called out to her name as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Diana lifted her gaze away from her hair and looked at the reflection of the miss in the mirror. Her eyes wide as she was wondering why did the miss call out for her. "Yes?" She responded.
"Can you prepare my dinner earlier than usual for today? I would like to sleep early since I didn't get to do so yesterday after I visit Father and my brothers, I would just be inside my room to read because I have nothing to do," Alexandra said nonchalantly. She went with Harrison's reason and hoped that it would work. Diana was thinking for a moment before she was able to decide, "Sure, it's no problem, young miss. I do understand that you want to rest early," Diana said and she continued combing Alexandra's hair. Alexandra let out a sigh of relief when she heard Diana say that. I feel bad for telling her that when the truth is I'm going to somewhere I don't know with Harrison, Alexandra thought to herself.
It took Diana half an hour to finish styling Alexandra's hair into a braid and it looked cute on her. The young miss really does look beautiful, it's probably because of her parents and ancestors, that is what was running inside Diana's mind as she stared at Alexandra as if she was the most beautiful art or painting made by a talented and professional artist. "My, my, young miss. You look cute," Diana blurted out and Alexandra smiled widely at her before she got down her seat and started walking to the door of her room to leave. Diana followed behind her as usual and she opened the door, Alexandra took a step outside and the sight of Carlos who was yawning greeted her. He looked sleepy and tired.
Carlos looked at the miss at the corner of his eyes and was startled, "G-Good morning, Miss Alexandra," He stuttered. He was surprised to see the miss standing beside him, staring at him. She must have seen me yawn earlier, I hope she doesn't notice that I'm tired, he thought to himself but that's what he thought. Although he looked fresh and wearing his uniform as always, it was clear that he was tired because of his eyes. Alexandra smiled widely at him and spoke, "Good morning, Carlos!"
Diana closed the door behind her and when Alexandra heard the sound of the door closing, she began to walk while Carlos followed behind her quietly.
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Alexandra just finished eating and Carlos was now walking with her. "Miss, where would you like to go?" Carlos asked as they were walking. Their footsteps resonated inside the room as they continuously took a step. "To father's palace, like always," Alexandra simply responded and they completely exited the palace and was now walking outside. "Did Miss Diana didn't tell you?" Carlos said, wondering. Alexandra stopped from her tracks, her eyebrows creased when she heard what he said. She turned her head in his direction, confused by what he said. "What did Diana not tell me?" Alexandra asked in a curious tone, a confused expression plastered on her face.
"His Highness, your father along with with the princes, your brothers, left me the palace to watch a play at the theatre. Along with them are the rulers of the Luminaria Kingdom, the king, queen, the princes, and the princess," A chill went down Alexandra's spine when she heard his last sentence. The Luminaria Kingdom is being ruled by the Cowell Bloodline and she once met the prince before although it was an accident. Alexandra gulped and cleared her throat before she responded, "I see," No wonder, Diana didn't give her cookies or such earlier. She probably forgot to tell me.
Alexandra let out a sigh and turned her heel around, and was about to start walking back to the palace when she heard Carlos spoke once again. "Would you like to take a walk around the garden, miss?" Carlos said and Alexandra stopped from her movement, she looked at him and smiled before she nodded as a response. They started walking towards the direction of the garden while multiple thoughts were running inside Alexandra's head.
She has decided to replace the flowers inside her room since they were about to wither, probably tomorrow or the day after that. She noticed it before she left her room, some of the roses already withered or died while the others were about to. It has been a long time since she was able to do so because she was busy with some things and would always go to her father's palace and since Ferdinand is going back tomorrow, she would be busier than usual. Besides, she has something to talk with Carlos about.
Alexandra and Carlos arrived in the garden and she looked for her gloves since she was planning to pluck out some flowers and she doesn't want her hands to get dirty or she doesn't want to be hurt by the thorns of the roses. The gloves were just placed inside the basket she would use when picking out flowers, "What are you going to do, miss?" Carlos asked as she watched Alexandra slip her hands inside the gloves that she was holding. His voice was laced with curiosity as he watched her do it. "I'm going to pick out some flowers," Alexandra simply said before she started walking while Carlos followed behind her.
"Why?" Carlos asked.
"To replace the flowers in the vases inside my room since they are about to wither or die," Alexandra nonchalantly said and picked out a daisy, placing it inside her basket and continued to walk around while Carlos followed behind her. It took Alexandra an hour before she finished doing her first task and filled the baskets with flowers she plucked out from the garden. Thankfully, she didn't get dirty because all she did was to use her hands and pick out a flower. Alexandra walked to the table in the middle of the garden, she rarely uses this spot because she would always get distracted by the sight of the flowers surrounding her and would stare at them from time to time whenever she was trying to do something like reading or arrange flowers, so she would always use the picnic table not far away from the garden. But this time, she would like to do it there.
"Carlos, could I ask you to do something?" Alexandra asked as soon as she sat down the seat and placed the baskets on top of the table. "Of course you can, miss. What is it?" Carlos responded. "The vases inside my room, could you please get them for me, make sure they are empty since I am going to use it," Alexandra said in her gentle voice while smiling at him. Carlos smiled back and nodded before he turned around and left. Alexandra let out a sigh and started to sort out all of the flowers before Carlos returned carrying the vases.
Alexandra smiled at him before she spoke, "You can put them down," Alexandra said and Carlos did what she asked him to do. Alexandra started to do her thing while Carlos just stood still near her and watched her do everything. Since he doesn't know how to arrange flowers and he doesn't want to bother the miss, he just remained silent. While Alexandra was arranging the flowers she suddenly spoke out of nowhere, "Right, I almost forgot, I want to ask you something," Alexandra said.
"You can ask me anything, miss. Well, if it's something appropriate I would answer you," Carlos said as he smiled at her. Alexandra just smiled at him before she said her question, "Carlos, do you sleep? I mean, are you sleeping properly? Wait, that's just like the same but I want you to answer it," Carlos gulped when he heard his question.
"Y—" He was cut off by Alexandra.
"Do not lie," Alexandra said, showing him a faint smile. Carlos let out a sigh before he responded to Alexandra, "Yes, I do but it's only like for 3 hours. Since my room is just below yours and I easily wake up when I hear something even if it's just a squeak of a mouse," Carlos said. Alexandra blinked before she was able to respond, "Just three hours..?" She asked.
"Sometimes it would be 5 hours, depends on the situation since almost all of us knights need to be prepared all the time, so our guards are always raised even if we sleep, so just a simple movement or low noise can easily wake us. We are already used to it, you don't have to worry, miss," Carlos smiled at Alexandra after he spoke. Well, I was like that before but the effects of sleeping for just like a few hours and going to work or my part-time job right after was rather worse than I thought, Alexandra thought to herself and recalled her memory where she suddenly fainted during her part-time job and woke up in the hospital right after.
Alexandra was young around that time, probably 16. Her part-time jobs would be being a waitress, delivering newspapers during the morning, and such things so that she could earn enough money to survive in a month. Thankfully her managers were all kind and accepted her even though she was just a minor but she was an orphan and she didn't have a guardian, she just told them that her parents died and she was left alone since she doesn't have any relatives and she wants to earn money which they believed. The 'her parents died, she was an orphan, and she didn't have a guardian' part was true and the rest of them were lies. She did have a relative who took care of her and enrolled her in a school but died because of a disease less than a year after and she also had other relatives who refused to take care of her, so she ended up in the orphanage where her memories were very limited despite being there for like 5 years.
She was able to attend school thanks to her relative but she stopped right after when her relative died and when she was brought to the orphanage where she was either lucky or unlucky. Alexandra cleared her throat before she spoke, "I see. I thought you never sleep," Alexandra said and smiled widely at him before she continued arranging the flowers.
She spent half of her afternoon doing that and when she returned inside her room, she just continued reading the books she borrowed.
