FLOWER CROWN FOR A QUEEN

Crow remained quiet seeing that Ceaser was in low spirits. He pitied his master for he had been waiting on the day of his return home to see his mother but the reality took a different course. His mother was ill, he had a sister and now his step father was acting delusional. Julius had been crying and speaking to himself about Terra dying like he was having a conversation with someone else.

"The queen will be fine. You have to be strong for your family and your subjects." Crow said placing a hand on Ceaser's shoulder.

"I know. With her medicine here she'll get better and so will the others." Ceaser said confidently,"How long will it take for it to take effect?"

"A full day, I'm afraid. You should speak with the mad man, your father, I mean."

"What about?"

"Assure him his wife is alright. And the girl as well. She looks so disturbed by all this. Speak to your sister and build your relationship." Genevia said from behind them.

They looked at her expectantly and she nodded to tell them Terra was fine. Ceaser let out a sigh and got up to see his mother.

"Don't disturb her. She needs to sleep for a few hours." Genevia called to Ceaser.

Ceaser hummed softly in response and went to look at Terra. She had become so pale a thin that she almost looked like a corpse. The pink of blood had returned partially to her face but it changed nothing. He sighed again and left the room after planting a kiss on her forehead. The hallways were quiet and dark. The torches were lit but they seemed to refuse to burn as if they were also sad about Terra's condition. A guard was positioned every six metres on either side of the hallway for security purposes. The servants were a bunch of busy bodies preparing for the ball in three days. Ceaser wandered if they should even go through with it given Terra's current predicament.

He went to the King's chambers where Julius was sitting all alone. He didn't knock knowing that the man wouldn't answer him even if he did. He was sitting on a comfortable couch just opposite his bed. Julius didn't even bother to look up at who had entered the room. Ceaser was grateful that he wasn't talking like he was mad anymore.

"Crow has returned with the black rose and it has been given to mother already." Ceaser said.

"I want to see my wife." Julius said readying himself to stand up.

"Genevia said no one should disturb her right now."

Julius stood up and for the first time since his wife fell ill suddenly, he looked like a king. He nodded to Ceaser and left. Ceaser left shortly after to see his sister, Evirelda. Her room was closer to his room so he had to walk a longer distance to find her. When he entered her room, she was not in sight. He could hear her breathing so he closed the door and pretended to be looking for her even though he knew she was under the bed. When he finished fake looking, he slid under the bed to lay on his belly with her. She looked so sad as she stared into his eyes. Her eyes were as blue as his mother's and she had blacked curly hair like him. She was much taller than him at that age and much stronger.

"Will mother die?" she asked him as she lay her chin on her crossed arms.

"Everyone dies. Even I will die."

"But she told me you're very strong."

"Even strong people die, Evirelda. But mother won't die right now so don't be sad or else you'll make her so sad that she will die." he said as lightly as he could to not scare her.

"I made her a flower crown so she would wear it to the ball but it's rotten."

"Then we'll make her another one."

Evirelda smiled for the first time since he had returned. She had lost her upper canine teeth but her smile was very beautiful. Her hair was not tied so she looked like a mad girl. Her eyes had formed creases at the corners making her look like she was squinting. Ceaser could only smile back at her. The siblings rolled out from under the bed and realised that they were now dirty. Evirelda said she wanted to change and told him to do the same but he declined.

"Mother doesn't like dirty people so she won't like you either. Don't you want her to hug you?" she threatened him.

"She was my mother before she was yours so I know how to make her hug me even if I'm dirty." he said," But I'll change for your sake."

"Let me call Fifi." she chirped excitedly.

She run out of the room giggling before he could ask who Fifi was. A few minutes went by and he still stayed in her room. He observed that the room looked quite like his own when he was younger just brighter. Her curtains were a light pink and the walls were grey. The window was placed higher than his, probably for safety reasons. The bed was large enough for five people to sleep in freely and he was sure that if Clause had had that bed then he was certain that the lycans as well as Crow and himself would have fit just fine. He heard Evirelda's voice from outside so he turned to look at the door.

Evirelda walked in first followed by a young maid about his age. She blushed upon seeing him there then bowed to show respect.

"Your grace, this is Fifi. Fifi, this is his grace." Evirelda introduced them.

Ceaser was surprised that his own sister was addressing him as 'your grace' but he said nothing.

"I'm honored to have met you, your grace." Fifi said with a deep curtsy.

"What's Fifi short for?" he asked taking a seat on the couch close to the window.

"Fiona, your grace." she answered.

"I see. Get her changed immediately."

Fiona bowed again and walked away with Evirelda who was now jumping around like a monkey. A few moments later, Fifi came out from the bathroom with Evirelda who was now dressed in a navy blue dress instead of the pink one she had on earlier. Evirelda walked to Ceaser and twirled for him a few times to show off her dress. He smiled at her and lifted her into his arms.

"Shall I help you change your grace?" Fifi asked blushing.

"You can't help his grace change. He is quite capable on his own." Evirelda blurted out then planted a kiss on his cheek,"I'll help him myself."

"But you..." Fifi stopped when Ceaser shot her warning glare,"I'll be leaving then."

She bowed and walked out of the room sullenly.

But for the princess, she would have had the chance to be alone with the prince. No use crying over spilt milk. She would make sure she stayed around the girl because Ceaser seemed fond of her and was bound to visit his sister often. Plus his room was very close to Evirelda's. Maybe one day she would barge into his room and claim she had lost her way; at night maybe. Fifi smiled to herself thinking of all the possibilities laid out before her.

Ceaser went outside, with Evirelda in his arms, to the garden. She picked up a buquet of flowers and brought them to him. He had trouble making the crown and her bad teaching didn't help him grasp the concept.

"Not like that, your grace!" Evirelda reprimanded him,"Do it like this."

She demonstrated to him and he looked like he understood. He did the exact opposite making her slap her forehead in frustration. He could tell she was feeling happy after knowing she was better than him at something.

"You can't blame me. Your fingers look like they are just dancing over the flowers from my point of view." he complained.

"What are you doing here, sire?" Crow asked making the siblings turn to look at him.

"We're making a flower crown for mother." Evirelda answered.

Crow was slightly annoyed that she had answered in Ceaser's stead. He looked at his master who was concentrated on making the crown. What was so hard? He looked at Evirelda's crown and then at Ceaser's. Ceaser was practically destroying the flowers and in the end it would become a flower stalk crown. Crow knelt down next to Evirelda and observed what she was doing. She smiled at him and gave him some flowers so he could try. He took them and surprised them with how well the crown turned out to be. Ceaser gave up and just watched as the two of them continued making flower crowns.

"Who are you making the crown for, milord?" she asked after noticing how carefully he made the crown.

Crow pondered for a while and smiled remembering the woman he had met on Vernon.

"It is a flower crown for a queen." he said.

Ceaser could sense that those words were pregnant with an underlying meaning. He respected Crow's privacy so he didn't check the man's mind for answers.