27 - The Brooch

"She is beautiful," Queen Peony said, pulling Anemone towards her. "Her name is Lucy. I met her a long time ago as a child." Queen Peony let Anemone pet Lucy.

"Will I be able to get my own magical beast?" Anemone asked in wonderment as she petted the unicorn. No sooner had the words left her lips, there was a huge shocked gap coming from the maidens. The queen glared at them, silencing them. She turned to Anemone.

"I can't say for sure, Anemone. It all depends on you. If you are able to attract one, you will be with them forever," the queen replied with a smile.

"Forever..."

Anemone's mother smiled nervously and pulled Anemone away. "Sorry to have bothered you, Queen Peony," her mother curtsied. The queen raised her hand to stop her.

"Anemone, I want you to know this. I see great things that can come from you. Even if it is rare, it does not mean it can't be accomplished. I believe you will find a magical beast and maybe own more than one," the queen continued.

Anemone stared at the queen's glowing blue eyes. What did she mean? Before she had time to ponder, her mother nudged her to curtsey. As she rose from the curtsey, the queen gestured to a maid. The maid came forth and handed her a brooch. The brooch was a peony with pink diamonds.

"Please visit me.I would love to see you again." Anemone nodded with a bright smile as she held the brooch close to her chest. Turning to leave, the queen stopped them again. "I would like to talk to your mother alone, Anemone. You may leave for now. Until we meet again."

Anemone curtsied again and walked out of the spacious hall. She stared at the brooch in awe the whole time. It sparkled under the lighting and she never had seen anything so pretty. She held it close, watching the doors close. Miss Sophie was waiting for her at the door.

"Where's Lady Castiano?" she asked. Anemone shook her head and gestured at the closed doors. "Okay, go wait at the gardens for us. I will wait here for her."

Anemone nodded and walked towards the garden. In the hallway, there was a glass wall showing a beautiful garden outside. The door was open so she was able to go outside. The garden had a lush green with trees. Looking up, she noticed it was inside a greenhouse. The glass domed ceiling was higher than the trees.

Walking down the stone path, she wondered if she can have a greenhouse like this at home. It was really pretty with all the flowers and bushes. There were many varieties of peonies planted. This must be the queen's personal garden. The path curved around a pond. Some weeping willow trees shaded over the pond.

Stepping closer, she saw lily pads with lilies full bloom. There were white and pink ones. She slowly crouched on the side to look at the blossoms. They were bigger than the ones she had at home. When she brushed her fingers on the edge of the water, she heard a plop noise. Looking down, she realized she had dropped her brooch.