1 Flower That Could Not Bloom (part 1)

'In the memory of my shattering sanity' -Azura_Flake

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'The flower when crushed, leave it's fragrance behind.'

Heavy rainfall snuffed out all other noises,

Somewhere inside a dark castle, two shadows were facing each other.

Abruptly, one of them leapt through the distance and stabbed the other, covering the mouth; a muffled groan attempted to break loose but as the bleeding went on, it grew silent.

Drip... drip.... splash!

The person took out the bloody knife and held it firmly.

Sound of uneven and heavy breathing echoed through a dim lit room.

A badly injured body fell down with a thump desperately reaching out towards the window, leaving a bloody trail as it dragged itself forward.

"Please... I didn't do it... I swear!" the body trembled and gasped for air as it begged for them to stop.

On the side of window, a shadowy figure pushed the vase of freshly plucked red roses. With a crash they all scattered and got drenched in the blood.

"Even if I believe you now, it's already too late." the figure spoke in a hushed tone while wiping away the blood from the knife in hands.

"I...Didn't do it...didn't.." with trembling lips, the body kept repeating until it drew it's last breath and then the room went silent.

The shadow looked out of the window tilting the curtain slightly as heavy rain fell and thunder clashed, shining light inside the dreadful, blood filled room.

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The Beginning

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A pleasant morning in a small village of Han nearby a successful kingdom of Alay, where the villagers bring their monthly harvest, get paid and also serve the King.

Lucia, a brave and elegant girl from the village was preparing to go to the palace as she heard the harvest was being collected today.

"Lots of corn this time huh. It's gonna be a heavy and long quest!" she jokingly said and first glanced at the basket then the rocky path that was ahead of her.

"Better keep going than complaining." her mother gave her a light push and told her to hurry up.

Along her way to the Kingdom of Alay, she saw many people coming and going to the same place, all looking happy and satisfied. Then she saw some people walking past her talking with frequent hand gestures.

Kids playing without a care in the world, running, laughing and fighting.

"It's almost time for the festival of Saria!" said some old women excitedly while talking to each other in a distance.

"I wonder what the king will be giving us this year." squealed another woman happily.

Lucia began to ponder about the king and princes of the kingdom she served and how she wanted to work in the palace garden.

As a well known herbalist and a passionate florist, all she wanted was to learn more about the new and mysterious flowers that bloomed in the palace garden.

Getting out of a trance, she shook her head and continued towards the carriage. She was riding it for the first time. "I can't wait to meet Dahlia after so long though!"

"Looking all well and lively, Lucia." the coachman shouted from the front.

"Hey mister, have you seen Dahlia while you were there? She asked the driver politely.

"Hmm... I don't think I saw her the last month I went. Don't worry young lady, you are going on your own this time so maybe you will meet her on your way." he smiled and swung the horsewhip. The carriage started moving at a fast pace.

"How long will it take to reach the palace?" she asked.

The other passengers on it motioned her to remain quiet while moving.

"Pshh.. no fun." she pouted, then glanced at all the scenery they were passing by.

After an hour or so they reached the main gate and got off to enter the listed line of villagers.

"Your name?" the soldier demanded sternly.

"Ahh I'm Lucia, Han village, corn and rice fields, here to deliver corns for the monthly payment." she showed the basket filled with corns.

"Right... You may go to the 3rd row to the left... Next!" the soldier pointed towards the receiving line and then continued with the next villager.

While walking further, she looked all around the courtyard and found the garden she always wished to enter. Eyes searching everywhere for her friend to come and meet her.

"There was a suicide last night. We are all in a mess now." she overheard the soldiers passing by.

'Suicide? Who did such a thing?' she thought. While giving the basket she asked the taker what the soldiers were talking about.

The taker looked a little shocked and unhappy but then answered cautiously, "Haven't you heard? There was a suicide attempt last night in the palace, a girl jumped from the balcony of her room."

Not believing the words she heard, Lucia looked worriedly at the taker and then asked a final question before leaving.

"Who was it, do you know?"

"Not much," shaking her head she continued. "But they were saying she's from Han village and will soon return the body there."

Blood drained from her face and she couldn't hear anything, becoming numb all over she let out a terrific sigh.

The only one working from Han village was Dahlia... She was the pride of her village to work under a prestigious family.

"No, it can't be... " in denial, she ran towards the gate and asked the soldiers where the body is. They told her that it was already sent back to the village.

Shaking with fear, she went to the carriage and asked the coachman to go back fast.

'No... Dahlia would never commit suicide' that was all she could think of. It felt like a horrible dream and she begged for it to be unreal.

When she reached the village, the sun was setting and so was the sound which left her frozen.

Crying, crying and crying...

The wailing of people grew louder and louder as she slowly went further.

The body of her once best friend, laying in a casket all covered up in white clothing and only her face was visible.

Approaching the casket slowly, the reality hit her and she finally gave up the denial she was in and fell down with tears streaming down her face.

The painful night went by and the day of festival of Saria came. However, the people of Han were not at all jolly instead they all looked grim.

A village at great loss, more loss than any cost. A precious life.

There was an announcement going on all around;

"For the festival of Saria, every commoner is invited in the courtyard of the palace and can see the royal palace for one whole day. We wish you a happy and successful harvest this year!"

"Not even a word about someone who died in their so called mighty palace." spat out the village head.

"They only care about the harvest and prices!"

"Cowards hiding the truth and fabricating it by giving us compensation money to stay quiet? How absurd!"

There were all kinds of comments including the ones which were not so good.

"What can we do? If we don't do as they say, they will certainly leave us to starve!"

"Yes at least let the living live in peace! And not create a commotion."

"It's not the first time someone committed suicide in that palace either!"

'That just makes it more suspicious' Lucia thought.

"Cowards! All of you!" spat Dahlia's father at them. "Just because you haven't been through a death of a loved one!"

"People die everyday! Shall we argue then too? Moreover, she committed suicide, how is it related to us?"

"How dare you...!" before they started fighting among themselves the village head yelled, "Enough!"

All fell silent, he looked at everyone and said, "Those who want to go to the palace shall go now...and those who oppose...stay calm and silently offer condolences to the bereaved."

"That's all for today." he dismissed the meeting and went back to his house.

Upon hearing all this, there was a great conflict between the people but they all went their own way.

Lucia looked over to Dahlia's parents and said, "I will go and ask what happened from other maids that are working. I'm still not convinced by the guard's explanation."

They were against it but she also wasn't going to back down without a proper answer. She went to her house and told her mom what she wanted to say.

"It's too dangerous! And how do you know if wasn't a suicide? We can never know what a person is thinking." backing away her mother said roughly.

"Mother, you know Dahlia wasn't the kind of person who will easily end her own life, she wasn't a coward." Lucia looked at her mother with pleading eyes.

"That is not convincing enough for me to let you go on your own." her mother insisted.

"I know but something isn't right mother, I can feel it. Why would they cover the whole body in clothes we can't remove? Why didn't they summon the village head when it happened? And why are they keeping it a secret and giving us money?"

She got cut off by her mother saying, "I don't know.... But I don't want you to die either."

"I won't..." Lucia looked deeply in her eyes and said, "You know I don't lie in these situations."

Her mother sighed in defeat and said, "please just go and ask, nothing more. Promise me you won't get involved in it more than you should."

"All right, I promise you." she smiled and held her mother's hand tightly.

And so, Lucia prepared herself to leave the village before the path grew any darker.

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