Lilies in full bloom

Madame Roxana's boutique was known among young aristocrats as one of the most exclusive, often having to wait up to half a year to make a reservation and be served.

The glamor and originality of her designs was the just guarantee that the lady who wore her clothes would not only highlight her external beauty; but in addition, she gave an almost magical touch that according to the words of the young nobles, made the hearts of the knights fall at her feet.

"Come on Esther, hurry up and let's go in" - With the euphoria of having obtained a pass signed by the queen herself, Paula was overjoyed to feel that she would wear one of Madame Roxane's exclusive designs. Despite all the fortune of her father, it had been impossible for him to even get a reservation in the last two years that he tried to get an appointment with the dressmaker, even bursting into tears in her room due to the feeling of frustration.

The sound of the bell when opening the door of the premises, quickly made the employees appear at the threshold to receive the guests. Dressed in elegant but minimalist outfits, the aura that the female employees gave off was even enviable for the ladies of the high nobility.

The aroma of jasmine incense that enveloped the air of the premises, gave a relaxing and peaceful sensation, adorned by the windows with the dresses arranged in view of the customers. Shelves with fine gold laminate around the edges and the subtle touch of precious woods with which the furniture was made. Everything in this place seemed an annex to the royal palace itself.

"This is like a beautiful dollhouse" - Without realizing that she had said that aloud, Esther turned to see the local employees. Those who observed her with a complacent smile and in her eyes reflected a warm feeling of acceptance.

"I see that the daughter of the Duke of Estraus has finally arrived, please come in" - Madame Roxana appeared behind Paula and Esther's back, with an air of dignity that could be seen on her face. A woman already close to fifty hers, with finely collected hair from which the fringes of silver threads could be seen as witnesses of the years.

With a slightly tapered face, the smooth appearance of her skin seemed as if years had been spared in tribute to her noble effigy. Anyone who saw her for the first time, she would think that such a lady was still in her thirties, supported mainly by the spark of vitality that glimpsed in the iris of her eyes.

"It is an honor to be in her presence, Madame Roxana. It's almost like a dream for me to even be setting foot in her boutique. "

"I did not think that the fame of the young lady of the house Estraus was true, but I see that the rumors about her sweetened tongue are not entirely wrong" - The look in Madame Roxana's eyes turned a bit gloomy at the condescending attitude of Paula. Who speaking out of her emotion, forgot the advice that her majesty her queen had given him to deal with the dressmaker.

Roxana was the daughter of the late Marquis de Quiroga, a family that in her time was recognized by the crown as one of the most prominent and loyal in charge of maritime commerce. For generations, the exchange of goods between overseas nations rested on the shoulders of the descendants of the marquisate, even hinting that they were the right hand of the kingdom's finances.

Alfredo de Quiroga, Roxana's father, had inherited the businesses from his late grandfather and, returning from his study abroad period, he was eager to implement all the avant-garde ideas that he had seen in the markets of other nations.

Fueled by his desire for achievement by the greed of his wife, the Marchioness Dinora, Alfredo's actions, which had begun to bear fruit, would soon find a watershed in the form of an epidemic.

Trying to optimize the times of disembarkation of merchandise in the port to lower the logistics costs, he suggested to the crown to grant special permits to the crew to descend from the ships and help the merchants' guild. He offering a discount to shipping companies for handling concession products.

The move quickly saw companies affiliated with the Crown Merchants Guild make substantial profits, and hospitality and entertainment businesses near the port saw their profits grow as well.

Due to the fact that the sanitary review continued to focus only on merchandise, the crew that disembarked at the port passed customs without the slightest control, except for checking their internment permit in the port city.

With such a vast world of things to discover, no one thought that the people who traveled on the ships could be incubating some disease. Usually known diseases in the kingdom triggered symptoms over short periods of time, making it obvious if someone sick was traveling on the ship. Since the voyages lasted months on the high seas.

But like a harbinger of death that maintains silence at the neighbor's doorstep, a new disease from the eastern seas ravaged the port city as days went by. Skin sores and purulent secretions invaded the bodies of the infected when the disease had incubated after a month.

Powered by the port's red-turn businesses, men were infected in brothels, bringing disease home, bringing chaos to the gates of the kingdom.

Much to the regret of the monarch in turn, he sent his soldiers to contain the exits of the settlers who were trying to escape from the town. He carrying with him an order, which was described in the history of the kingdom as the judgment on greed.

One night with a full moon, the soldiers who were stationed on the edge of the town, received the order to set everything on fire without letting a single soul escape. The heat of the scorching flames and the clamor of the population dying at the edge of the sword was remembered by the bardic narrative as the song of blood in the moonlight.

In the days that followed the purge, the kingdom was in a total state of upheaval. The distant relatives of the settlers who had been victims of the measure imposed by the crown, demanded compensation for the deaths of their loved ones.

Having to deliver a culprit, the king had no alternative but to point out the Marquis Alfredo as responsible for the chaos in which the royal territory was found. Taking into consideration the years of loyal service that the Quiroga family had given to the crown, the king decided to spare the life of the marquis's house, only seizing his property and land in order to pay compensation expenses.

Converted into nobles in name only, the gazes of derision did not stop nailing themselves on the members of the family, seeing how those who previously did honor at banquets for them, now closed the doors in their faces.

Deep in disappointment at having ruined his grandfather's legacy, Alfredo tried by all means to get someone to help him finance his business. He getting to the point of having to lose the last of his pride as a noble.

"I could give you the money you need. You just have to sell me your title of nobility and your life will be solved "- One day when he was in the central square where the largest businesses were gathered, Rogelio Descartes, a prominent textile merchant, met Alfredo head-on. The contrast between the fine garments that Rogelio wore against Roxana's mended jacket made the former proud businessman feel as if life was hitting him once more in the face.

Certainly a noble title did not put bread on the table, but it was the last of his family lineage. Asking for time to think about it, Alfredo apologized to the merchant who agreed that he would have a month to meditate on it.

Late at night in an old inn in the slums, Alfredo was arguing heatedly with his wife, Dinora, about the proposal that Rogelio had made him just a few hours ago. Roxana was in a corner of the bedroom under the light of a candle, making dolls with old pieces of cloth. Barely nine years old, having known nothing more than the life of a noble lady, the young woman had to fight her way through her need to help her father with the expenses of her house.

"I have dreams Alfredo, dreams that I can only fulfill as a noble woman" - The sound of the inn's room door slammed shut, leaving a deep silence that was soon replaced by the slight creak of the wooden door of the room where Roxana was.

Her father was with a blank expression on his face, his hands drooping to his sides as if he was going to collapse at any moment. Seeing this, the young woman ran to her father leaving the work half finished. She hugging him tightly trying to make him recover from the daze.

"Everything will be fine Roxana, Dad will get money so that we can live in a better place" - Taking his daughter's hands, Alfredo felt the keys that had formed on her delicate skin due to her stitching. Crying bitterly for feeling like a useless father who had not been able to provide the necessary protection to his daughter.

The agreed time to give a resolution had arrived, Alfredo had decided to hand over the rights to his title of nobility to Rogelio. With the same jacket that Roxana had darned, he wore on one side of his lapel a brooch in the shape of a white lily made by his daughter.

At the table in a cafe near the main street where the carriages passed, Alfredo handed Rogelio the rights session on his title. As they had agreed, the merchant issued a guarantee note in the name of Alfredo, which would be paid into an account opened at the central bank of the kingdom.

Shaking hands, with a smile on his face like good businessmen. The two men were taking off their hats to say goodbye when a familiar voice caused Alfredo to lose his composure.

"Rogelio dear, you must speak very seriously the barista of the restaurant. The taste of the coffee beans is losing its touch in the cellar "- Dressed in an oriental cloth dress and a half-brimmed hat, Dinora widened her eyes in great surprise when she saw Alfredo's expressionless face.

That man felt that a bucket of cold water had fallen on him, as if something inside him had broken like the fragile glass of a glass falling to the ground. Not only had he lost all his fortune due to the excessive ambition of his wife, but now also, he was losing the last thing left to his face.

"Is Alfredo okay?" - Concerned by the expression on his face, Rogelio extended his hand to reach him by the shoulder. Due to the shock of the moment, Alfredo took a few steps back, tripping over the railing of the cafe. He falling to the cobblestones where the carriages circulated, being crushed by the legs of the horses and the edge of the wheels.

Roxana's white lily brooch was stained carmine, with the throb of her father's life dying out, never to return. With the gazes of the public on them, Rogelio took Dinora by the arm and fled the place leaving behind the lifeless body of the former nobleman.

Waiting patiently at the old inn, Roxana continued to weave dolls to sell. Longing for the return of her father, the girl glanced out the window from time to time, looking for a carriage to park at the gate.

On the verge of falling asleep from the long wait, the neighing of a horse made her jump from the saddle to go straight to the door of the hostel.

"Father, father! You have come back "- When the old wooden door was opened, a woman and a man were in place of her beloved father. Her mother, who until a few days ago had abandoned her father, was there before her as if nothing had happened, accompanied by another man.

Before being able to question him about where it came from, the man leaned down to catch up with the girl, opening her fist. A brooch of white lily dyed red rested in the palm of her hand, the same brooch she had given her father to wish him good fortune.

"Your father can't come back for you. It is better that you come with us instead of staying in this dirty place "- Screaming in anguish, begging for them to let her stay and wait for her father. Roxana was taken by force by Dinora who angrily squeezed her delicate wrist, without hiding her displeasure at having to take with her the daughter of the man she had abandoned.

Sadness and disenchantment covered the heart of the little girl, who for whole days and nights cried in the room of a mansion gazing out the windows towards the street, as if she expected everything to be a lie. That her father would return for her as soon as the sun rose.

The years that followed in Roxana's life were years in which she felt the indifference of her mother seep into her being. She receiving displays of affection in public, but privately the mistreatment of her by the woman who had given birth to her did not give truce.

Only until she reached the age of being able to go to the royal academy of Valera, was she Roxana able to experience the freedom that she had been denied during the last years of her childhood. There she met an idealistic young woman full of life, who with her friendship managed to save her from the emotional abyss in which she was imprisoned.

Long, straight black hair that reached to her hips, brown eyes that looked like gems in the reflection of the sunlight, and an air of magnificence that gave the impression of being above all. The crown princess Monica, daughter of the Dukes of Antioca, was a young woman whose marriage had already been decided with the royal family since her birth.

"Hey, what are you drawing in your notebook?" - Roxana who was attentive to her strokes sitting on the lawn of the schoolyards, she looked up from her seeing a plump face full of spark. The informal tone in her words, made him think first that she was a commoner who had been awarded a scholarship to study at the academy.

But after seeing the golden brooch with the emblem of the royal family, she quickly snapped out of her mistake and got up to give the future queen a proper salute.

"Oh come on, we don't need any formalities if we're friends."

"Forgive my daring, but since when are we friends?"

"Just a minute ago" - With a smile that overflowed sincerity, Mónica extended her hand to Roxana to shake it. That chance meeting, gave a total turn to the flat existence of the young woman.

Together whenever they had the chance, Monica and Roxana sat in the academy cafeteria reviewing the designs of the aspiring dressmaker. Who timidly showed her work to the princess. The enthusiasm with which the young princess contemplated Roxana's work made the talented dressmaker unleash her imagination. Taking as muse of her inspiration the first young woman who opened her heart.

"But look what we have here, the bastard daughter and the climbing commoner seem very close" - Beatriz, a young woman who was considered a candidate for crown princess, did not hide her dislike for Monica. Unfounded rumors in social circles suggested that Monica's biological mother was one of the maids from the mansion of the Duchy of Antioca. Even though the rumor had been disproved, ladies who did not like the young woman tried to hold it against her whenever they could.

After a few minutes of harassing the young women, Beatriz and her entourage left the place looking with contempt in Monica's direction. Those acts of intimidation were not new to the princess, but now that they had reached her precious friend, she felt a heaviness deep in her heart.

"Why didn't you defend yourself? What do you have thick skin like an elephant? " - Roxana trembled with rage sitting next to Mónica, helpless in the face of the fact that if she ran to catch up with Beatriz to confront her, her dean would intercede for her in the case of a higher-ranking nobleman.

"Hey it doesn't matter. Who will be the queen will be me, right? Even a coal can become a diamond "- With her eyes full of tears, Monica turned looking for Roxana's gaze. Who felt as if a pang penetrated her chest when she saw the pitiful expression of her dear friend.

Holding her firmly while she cried inconsolably, Monica told him the truth about her origin with complete confidence. In effect, Monica was a daughter product of an extramarital affair of the Duke of Antioca. Said shameful past was buried by the Duke himself, moving his influences in social circles; Trying to protect her honor, the maiden with whom he had procreated Monica was silenced and the baby recorded in her family books as the Duchess's own daughter.

Subjected from an early age to a rigid upbringing to become queen, Mónica escaped whenever she could from the mansion and ran to the neighborhoods where she gathered to play with the street children. Which was why the duchess reprimanded her with a spanking on her back as soon as she returned to the cold mansion.

"As long as you are with me, you can be whatever you want. Without appearances or falsehoods, I am your friend "- Kissing her head, Roxana offered her the sincere promise of being her confidant in that sea of ​​appearances in which the social circle became.

Since then, Madame Roxana had a strict policy to open the doors of her products to the public. Only ladies that she felt were sincere, without malice or falsehood, would be worthy of wearing one of her garments.

When the queen mother asked her to make a dress for Miss Paula, Roxana was reluctant since she had seen her many times at the doors of her business. The first impression she gave him was that of a young woman in appearance pure and simple, but something inside her told him that her perception was wrong.

Hearing how he addressed her at her first meeting, the dressmaker confirmed her suspicions by feeling the need to retract her invitation. But with the note written by the queen, she had to take into consideration the judgment of her dear friend.

"Please follow my assistant to the dressing room to take your measurements, young lady, while they wait for you in the tea room." dressing rooms.

With the awkward silence that she had been left behind, Esther began to feel a bit suffocated and tried to find her applicator to control herself.

"Miss Esther, I think when I referred to you waiting in the tea room, it was clear enough that it was about you. Here I am just a hostess "- The serious face that she had until a few seconds ago had marked in her brow, had turned into a friendly expression with a slight smile on her lips.

For some reason, Esther had reached the sympathy of Madame Roxana; who feeling an air of familiarity, she extended her arm pointing in the direction of the small waiting room that was in the corner of the premises.

Walking along the red velvet carpet that she led to the tea room, Roxana looked askance at Esther's nervous expression, who seemed so shy to the point of reminding her of how she was in her childhood.

Seated at the table, one of the assistants arrived with a tray of snacks and a kettle from which a slight aroma of darjeeling emanated. Serving with delicacy and elegance he for the ladies, retiring on the spot with a slight bow.

Madame Roxana took out of her jacket bag a small vial with eucalyptus leaf powder, dissolving it in the tea that she kindly spread for Esther to reach. Knowing of the family background of the Duchy of Artemis, Roxana had taken a special interest in her young successor. Who had never been seen for a long time between the meetings held by social circles.

Now that she was before her, her curiosity was fueled by the delicate appearance and the way the lady carried herself with her surroundings. Resulting in the eyes of Roxana a genuine young woman devoid of malice or falsehood in her responses and actions.

"Miss Esther, you strike me as a lovely young woman. There are few clients that I let into my store but I see that with you I find no faults "

"Oh no, I think you have me confused. I have only been accompanying my cousin, her dresses are beautiful but I don't think they go with me "-Simply taking a sip of tea, Esther observed that the expression in Roxana's gaze seemed confused.

"Doesn't my style seem worthy of a lady like you?" - Crossing her leg and supporting her arms against her chest, Roxana cast a defiant look at the young woman, waiting for her next response.

Carefully setting the cup of tea on the table, Esther lowered her gaze a little as she played with her fingers completely drowned in nervousness. The attitude of her insecure of her little by little was filling the patience of Roxana, who on the verge of speaking energetically, was silenced by the declaration of the young woman.

"Can a person like me look pretty? Will men leave their hearts at my feet as they do with the ladies who wear their garments? I know my place well, a river stone will never be compared to a diamond "- Away from the other young aristocrats due to her illness, Esther had experienced how profound loneliness is to the point of not knowing how to appreciate her own beauty or attributes.

Despite her coexistence with her cousin, her years of indifference had left a deep mark on her heart. A trauma that she used to escape only through the pages of her books, where she let her soul travel through the paragraphs written in them.

"Can a coal become a diamond?" - Almost identical to the words that Monica said at the time, the same gestures and expression. For Roxana that was receiving a direct blow to her subconscious, making her remember the pain and suffering that her dear friend had gone through in the past.

Whoever swore never to hurt the pure heart of a maiden, had thought that Esther would react like the rest of the noble ladies that he hated for her falsehood, committing a grave mistake in launching his judgment against Esther without getting to know her completely.

"I beg your pardon, the recklessness of my words has brought sorrow to her heart. But I must tell you that you are wrong about something. A river stone can be something as valuable as a diamond "- Opening the clasp of the necklace that was around her neck, Roxana stood right behind Esther and running her hair a little, she placed it with care on her soft skin.

On closer inspection, the teardrop gem that was held in place by a gold clasp had patterns of scarlet concentric lines on a soft pastel pink hue. The polishing work that the craftsman had placed on the jewel was so delicate and perfect that he enhanced the natural beauty of the rock.

"An impossible love gave me this gem, it is known as agate. It is a precious gem that is obtained from the volcanic rocks that fall down the hillside into the rivers of the Panabris region. Whoever gave it to me, told me that as long as I used it, it would give me strength to overcome any adversity that came my way. "- Speaking these words discreetly in Esther's ear, the sound of Roxana's breathing seemed like that of a person who longed for a reunion.

As the gem was placed close to her heart, Esther felt the heaviness that she was experiencing was slowly fading from her chest. Reaching a sense of peace that made her remember the tender days of her childhood before she fell ill.

"But as my sweet lady knows. If a lady has a new accessory, it is only fair that she match her clothes. sewing patterns. In order to take the measurements of the silhouette of the young heir to the Duchy of Artemis.

When they were about to finish taking the measurements, Paula came out of the dressing room observing how Madame Roxana moved around Esther extending the measuring tape. In her heart, a slight hint of jealousy shook her being, wondering why she was treated differently. Reacting instantly, Paula felt guilty even thinking those ideas in her mind, knowing that her cousin was someone whose frailty made her vulnerable to other noble ladies.

"Ready! We have finished taking your measurements, please wait a few days for our employees to take you home "- With a pleasant and cordial attitude, Madame Roxana said goodbye to the young women until she saw how they left mounted in the carriage with the emblems of the Royal family. As she watched that carriage disappear into the horizon of the main street, Roxana sighed, still thinking about the emblem carved on the carriage doors.

Upon entering her store again, the dressmaker untied her hairstyle by letting her hair fall a little below her shoulders. Giving the order to close the store, she went up the stairs to her room, where she proceeded to change the beautiful dress she was wearing for a suit similar to that of the men, with light touches of femininity.

Tying her hair in a clever ponytail, she put on a pair of white gloves and set off for the street where the public carriages were stationed. The glances of the coachmen who observed her from the corner of their eye, were always with a tone of mockery of her considering him a fag.

Roxana was a confident woman, defying the social standards of her time. The fact that men made fun of her was only a sign that her steps were on the right path in the search for her freedom.

"To the royal palace please" - Getting into a carriage, the dressmaker set out on her way seeking to share with her best friend the pleasant experience she had gone through. Being a common-use carriage, the wheels of the vehicle beat the interior violently due to the paving of the road.

As was customary when arriving at the palace gates, the porters stopped the carriage, checking the person inside.

"Baron Sadler, has he come from that far again to report to the queen?" I should send a letter like the other nobles of the province, thus avoiding the hassle of dealing with the iron lady in person "- The mocking tone of the guard, far from causing amusement, provoked in Roxana the desire to smash her fist against her face.

Monica had fully fulfilled her role as Valera's sovereign queen, burying her cheerful personality behind the cold mask of an inflexible woman. Earning this many times that comments like that came out between jokes within the royal guard.

After the routine check-up, Roxana got out of the carriage and walked to the main entrance of the palace. She being escorted by the queen's main maid, the only woman who knew the true secret behind that masquerade.

Given the nature of political marriages in the Valera kingdom, it was common for nobles to have secret extramarital affairs, many times under common agreement between the spouses. Without being the exception the own real family.

Since she gave birth to her only begotten Prince Edward, the king never again touched the queen in privacy. For years servants gossiped about the queen's frigidity and her inability to satisfy the monarch in her duties as a wife. Giving thanks that she at least was able to conceive an heir to the royal lineage.

Walking through the corridors that lead to the queen's chambers, the king surprised Roxana on her way, looking at him with eyes of repudiation.

"Being able to choose from among so many noblemen to lie down, I don't know what he saw in an effeminate like you" - That insult did not affect the feelings of Roxana, who, fully playing her role as Baron Sadler, bowed to the monarch, pretending to be voice with a harsh tone.

Each one continuing on their way, Roxana tried to contain her laughter while the maid pulled her jacket sleeve making a gesture to keep quiet. While it was true that infidelity was allowed, having a relationship with someone of the same sex was punishable by death by the ruling church of the Teseus creed.

Not even with all the power that emanated from the title of him a member of the crown, could he avoid the bitter fate that awaited him if he was caught by such an act that was considered sinful in the eyes of the clergy.

"My lady, Baron Sadler has arrived."

"Make him pass Viviana"

Opening the door to give way to the room, the maid bowed her face in reverence and closed the door again behind Roxana. As the room closed, the imposing woman upon whom the title of queen rested was leaving the solemnity of her office and letting her true personality emerge.

"Tell me, Roxy! What did you think of the lady who sent to your boutique? Isn't she lovely? " - With an almost childish tone as if she had returned to the times of the academy, Monica leaned on the edge of the bed barely covered with a silk robe.

The pure and expectant look that radiated in her eyes made Roxana's heart race every time she saw her. In front of everyone she was a cold woman like an impenetrable wall, but only with Roxana did she reveal her true self in fullness.

"Only I can see the beauty that you enclose in your innocence, my beloved Monica" - Taking a curl of the queen's hair, Roxana sniffed the soft aroma of the rose oil that she had used in bath time.

Monica's face was subtly flushed at the touch of her lover, feeling that at times she was just teasing her for fun.

"You really are bad. How can you flirt with me like that without answering my questions? " - Smiling sweetly in the eyes of her lover, Roxana loosened her tie and sat on the edge of the bed while she discussed the details of the meeting she had with the ladies who arrived at the boutique.

A little incredulous at Roxana's words, Monica asked her who the other lady was that she had come to see him about. She, well, she only remembered having had an interview in the week and only with the daughter of the Duke of Estraus.

"It was about Miss Esther of Artemis. I must say that she was a pleasant young woman to deal with, so much so that she reminded me of a certain young lady that I knew some time ago "- The queen quickly reacted and remembered the Duke's daughter, a girl who was talked about a lot in social circles for being secluded at home due to the fragility of his body.

For Monica, who had experienced the abuse and derision of the noble ladies of her student days, the situation of the young lady came to seem worthy of her sympathy.

"Wait a minute Roxana. Where is the gem that I gave you on our graduation day?" - With a slightly irritated countenance, the queen rebuked the dressmaker who inhaled a little air and then sighed briefly as she brought her hands to Monica's face, holding her tightly as they brought her lips together in a deep kiss.

Fighting to separate from her, Monica gradually gave in to the warmth of Roxana's tongue, until she dropped her hands supporting them on her chest.

"If you had seen her, believe me you would agree with me that she is worthy of wearing the jewel as well" - Hearing the tone with which those words were said, the queen knew that Roxana's decision was not carried out by mere impulse . She fully believed in the judgment of her faithful friend and confidant, to the point of considering her decisions as if they were her own.

"You know, I still have the doll you gave me even though Eduardo wanted to take it when he was a baby" - Sitting on the bed with her hands resting on her legs, the expression on Mónica's face was partially covered by a lock of her hair. hair. But even so, Roxana could see a slight air of sadness in the look of her lover.

"Don't worry, I still have something that I consider more valuable than the gem."

"What is it?"

Taking her by her hands, holding her gaze, Roxana kissed him once more, holding her by the nape of her neck as she gently laid her on the sheets of the bed. The silence that was distilled between the lips of the amates carried in her feelings the answer that was not said with mere words.

With the moonlight streaming through the large windows of the room, the couple turned off the lights and gave free rein to their contained passion for a long time.