The more she observed him, the more she noticed small subtle things around them: like insects with long blue tail, dancing atop of black-dew flowers, the dark-brown soil enclosed with a few withered petals, stirring with low motion. And the laughing of maid—low and clear, followed by a click of iron.
"They're cutting the flowers…" Her steps halted "…Why?"
"I don't know"
"You don't know?"
"I never asked, anyway… do you find it?"
"Find what?"
"The flowers…wait…" He turned to her "I haven't explained it to you, did I?"
"Explain…what?"
"About the flowers…Inkswell was not only my mother's favourite flowers"
There is story behind it?
She thought, asking the silence.
"It's also a symbol, about my mother's love. My father black hair, combine with my mother pink lips. That's why if you notice…"
Altaris crouched, plucking a black flower then presented it right before her eyes
"…Black petals, and pink sepal. Do you see it?"
He was right—she nodded. The flower itself had no smell, only the dyes stand out. A tulip. With a very bleak colour.
The kind of flower meant to hide beneath the others.
Hidden…was it connected why his father always wearing a mask?
"And…I have just the right flower"
He smirked, passing the Inkswell to her. She held the smooth stalk, dropping one petal—the leaf swayed, dancing in the air before sat still above of the ground, joining the withered pile.
"Anyway… can I ask you something?"
"Yes?"
"Your hair… I've never seen a pink hair before, is it…."
He paused, looking intently as to count every second
"…natural?"
"Na… what do you mean natural?"
"Well…do you…like…colour it?"
Colour it?
The question threw her, stretching her temple. How should she answer his question, she never asked, and how did someone even dye her hair?
"Ehm… no?"
"So…it was natural…"
He concurred, turning his body. Their eyes met.
"And…why do you ask?"
"Because… I've never seen one. Oh, and this…"
His hand rose. Another flower sat between his fingers, pink petals shimmered under the giant star, shadowing the darkened stem. Calling the petals a beauty was understatement—it was the most beautiful plant she had ever seen, shading the whole garden.
The colour—it reflected around her eyes, forcing her own breath to stop. And with the glow, A subtle motif appeared—a white tiny vein, coiling around the petals.
Ominous… but unique at the same time
"Is this?"
"Amberveil… do you like it?"
"Amberveil…"
She repeated, feeling the sentence coiling around her tongue
"And why Amberveil… I can only see pink"
Altaris smirked, touching the buds. With his finger, he made a circle; pushing the flower inside. A circle of red rose from the middle, hidden well beneath the pink petals.
The red—it was the same shade as his eyes
"Do you plan this? You know I was coming?"
"Oh… no. Coincidence. I always love this flower"
"And why it was hidden, not like the other?"
"Because it can't"
"Elaborate"
"You won't like the reason"
And that was enough reason for her to find out
"Try me"
"Hmmm…"
The flower spun
"…how do I say it…in order for the flower to bloom, it needs a corps"
"What!"
A corpse? Her breath hitched. What did he mean? Was it poisonous? Did they need to kill just so he could enjoy this flower
"It's not what you think..."
"Then?"
"They could only grow a top of a corpse… any corpse. Mostly from animal. Do you know flower eater?"
"The deer?"
"Yes…Amberveil around grow in them"
Again, she glanced the petals. Pink… just like her hair. Yet, she couldn't help but compare both of them, which one would glow better when bath under the mighty light
"That means, my hair as the petals… and your eyes as the…"
"Yes, the inside"
She smiled at his answer. Why, she didn't know. Was it love? No…she was not that easy. Just flowers wouldn't make her heart flutter.
But it was a start, and maybe…
She didn't have to poison him
"I like it"
She whispered, checking the sky. The day must had reached its peak, by how hot the air suddenly is. She was trained, as a noble woman she used to hide her sweat in roasting days—one of her mother's teaching
A noble woman always hid their bodily needs
However, no dew clung to her skin. Dry, just like when she came
"That's good"
A step, the space between them diminished. She could feel his breath now touching her. Warm and subtle. Before she realized, something tugged between her hair, tracing a straight line—something was placed
He smirked after, like a child proud at his own creation
"Now… it's perfect"
Yet, she couldn't help but touch it. The petals, a silky sheet that now was adorning her head. Mirror…. She needed mirror. Just to see which one he was receiving his compliment
Her hair…or the flowers
"Well, my lady. Or should I call you Violet?"
"Violet's…okay"
"Okay then, Violet. Should we back to the table?"
She nodded, followed by silence. For the entire walk, she could only see the pebble, stacked neatly to each other. Along the way, Altaris also didn't talk much, just like she was. Only after they pop back to their seat, their talk started, tearing the wall between them.
She even laughed, amazed by how well he guided, each topic peering both open.
That until the giant star began to fall, tilting toward the side of the mountain.
"So… when do I visit him next?"
She asked her parents, just after the hoofs of horses thundered against the stone pave. She sat back inside the carriage, glancing the silloute of manor who get smaller along the time.
"In two weeks"
"Why?"
"So, you get closer to him of course… and also, to make sure you don't poison him"
She paled, hearing her mother giggles.
"I'm not going to"
"Yes… we know, dear. Especially looking at the flower in your hair. Amberveil, with pink petals just like your hair. Oh… he was sweet boy wasn't he. Even Your father never gave me one"
"Dear… not in front of Violet"
Once again, her mother giggled.
"He was not bad…"
Her words hung, prompting both her parents to smile. She reminisced the talk with Altaris, and she didn't understand a lot of things…but…
Out of Violet evening, today might be the more remembered