Fantasy Lilies Bloom in Abode

[Aster]

• Linnaeus Cantrell •​

"Royal flush. Pay up boys," laughed a voice, coming from the corner of Satbury's inconspicuous alleyways. Hidden in the dim shadows, four males were huddled near The Holly's Bar back entrance. Lit cigarette butts dimmed in molten oranges before smothering to grey. A collection sound of groaning was made as a cheeky blonde, threw his hand down. A set of perfect cards unfolded onto the table.

The young male looked smug, seated on top of the mountain of empty crates, almost gloating at the round of men who were foolish enough to gamble with him. They ranged from middle-aged to young adult but all of them held one thing in common: they were all bored enough to spend their time with Linnaeus Cantrell.

"Thank you, thank you. Great game, folks. I'll be taking that now," Linden hummed, snatching a wad of twenty from the man's hand. He glanced at his watch, deciding it was high time he went home. It was 6 in the morning, fastly going to 7.

"Sun's rising. I should really get going now. Same time again next week?" he taunted, pocketing the money he earned.

"No, thank you. Anyone would be a fool to continue," one of the older men, Kyle, said with a gruff voice. He lost the most money out of the four.

"Aw, come on. Don't be a spoil sport now, yeah? Maybe Lady Luck will favor you next," Linden laughed, hopping off the crates and ready to leave. He had to sneak back into his room before his parents realize he was gone.

Kyle rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah. Take care of yourself kid. Anymore from you and you might find a noose around your neck." While his words were said lightly, there was a warning in the older man's voice to which Linden responded with a gagging motion, hands around his neck in exaggeration to be strangled.

The others laughed as Linden ran back home, scrambling up the tree which grew near his bedroom window and back into his room. His jacket was tossed into the washer. It smelled of tobacco and Linden could only pray that none of the maids catch whiff of the scent.

Flopping onto his bed, he buried his face into his pillow getting 1-2 hours of sleep before having to rise again. Apparently, he and his sister were to travel south to visit Aunt Lisa and Uncle Frederick while their parents were away on a business trip. Linden didn't see why. They had their servants and he was old enough to manage the house on his own. But orders were orders and maybe it wouldn't be so bad to see his cousins again.

 

[Feyrie]

MARIA CANTRELL

When Maria had learned that they were going to the south to visit her aunt and her uncle, she was beyond ecstatic. For the young girl who rarely went out of their mansion, the world outside was such an interesting place. It was full of strange and amusing things that she has never seen before. But the thing that was most important to the young girl was that she was going with her family. This means she could spend plenty of time with her loving parents and her most adored older brother. Though her parents would be arriving much later.

She had been complaining for days now that no one had any time to spend with her. Just thinking about it was enough for her to puff her cheeks and pout her lips in anger. Her Father was busy in taking care of business and Mother was busy helping Father. Even her big brother seemed busy and each time she would ask, he would avoid her questions. Maria was bound to notice that something seemed strange going on with the numerous times he evaded her questions. Only Sol, her large shepherd dog kept the young girl company.

"Young Miss." One of the maids that took care of her called out. She turned her head and repeatedly blink her eyes in confusion why the servant had interrupted her. "Don't you think you're packing too much?" The maid had asked. Maria wasn't exactly packing. To be more precise, she was rummaging through her things into heaps of piles that she is instructing the servants to pack for the trip. In her opinion, she had to bring several toys with her as she needed things to play with. She also needed to bring her favorite dresses, ribbons and other hair accessories.

"But this is my first real trip!" Maria whines. She had never gone through a trip far from her home for several days. She didn't know if she may need something especially one that reminded her of home. It was much better if they would simply packed all her stuff but the servants kept trying dissuading her from doing that. They insisted that she didn't need so much things and she may even bring new tokens when she comes home. With the idea that she's getting new stuff, she quickly moved on from bringing too many stuff and was even more excited to go.

She was so excited, she thought she wouldn't be able to sleep. But she fell asleep almost immediately once she was tuckered in for bed. Her body clock functioned as she had always slept on her bedtime and the excitement wore her body out. It must be that subconsciously, she was still thinking of the trip that she woke up earlier than her usual time. She bounced up her bed just as the servant entered the room to help her get ready for the day. She had finished her breakfast quickly and took a bath. She couldn't help bouncing as her maid helped groom her.

As soon as she was done, she ran through the hallways with light footsteps. Maria was running to her older brother's room, already shouting. "Big Brother! Big Brother!" Her voice was much more sweet and spoiled. It naturally made others who hear it want to pamper her. With no regard for manners, she rushes into the room. "Are you ready yet?" She impatiently asks.

code by hoseok​

 

[Aster]

• Linnaeus Cantrell •​

One to two hours of sleep was far from enough, albeit no matter how many times Linden regrets his actions in the early morning, he never learns to back from his past grievances. He groans when Sebastian, their head butler, came to wake him and buried his face further into his pillow as he was encouraged to get out of bed in that dreary, monotonous voice.

"Please Master Linnaeus. Lady Maria is already downstairs having breakfast. Do you not wish to join her?"

The mention of his sister made him perk, just enough for him to turn a listening ear to Sebastian. He grunted once and waved his hand, excusing Sebastian as he mumbled, "Fine, fine. I'll get up soon. Prepare the hot water, Sebastian. I'll have brunch on my journey to Rosengard. Tell Maria to eat without me first."

With sleep-heavy limbs, Linden rolled onto his side, over to the edge of the bed. Before he could fall off, he forced his body to sit up and slouched for a few groggy moments before finally waddling towards the bathroom, where he officially began his day. A hot shower woke him right up and after getting dressed, he was greeted by Maria who came running into his room in that angelic sweet voice of hers.

She was a darling thing. Small, blonde and fair. The kind of girl who carried the aura of the household's most beloved. With her heaven blessed features, Linnaeus was sure she would grow up to be a much desired woman, giving him all the more reason to monopolize her now while he could. To think that there will come a day where Maria would soon leave the nest brought woe to the young man; though, he was looking forward to terrorizing whichever poor unfortunate sap she decides to bring home as a partner. There were so many ways to torture someone...

Before he could let his malicious thoughts seep into his visage, Linnaeus swept his thoughts away by answering with a jubilant, "Yep. All ready and packed. Are you?" he asked, ruffling her hair in that same endearing manner. He was aware that most (if not all) girls hated their hair being tousled but that never stopped him. Teasing his little sister was one pleasure only Linnaeus and his parents were privileged with.

The two made their way out of the house. Their luggage was brought outdoors by the servants and a carriage awaited them. Once their luggage was placed in the back boot of the carriage, they boarded with Linnaeus aiding Maria in first.

"Have a safe trip Master Linnaeus, Miss Maria."

Sebastian and the head maid saw them off with a wave, which Linnaeus returned with a brief good-bye of his own. Never would he have thought that this would be the last time he'll see them.

 

[Feyrie]

MARIA CANTRELL

The large table with lavish meals made her small figure in contrast very conspicuous. "My little Darling. I apologize that your father and I can't eat with you, and even more, see the two of you off. You're father and I are just too much in a hurry." her mother explains as soon as she comes in, she leans downward to kiss hdf. "But don't worry, your older brother will take good care of you." She adds. While his wife was explaining, the Lord of the Household was fixing his appearance. As if on cue, as soon as his wife moves away he comes to take her place. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I promise to make this up to you." He bends one of his knee to look at her in eye level. He kisses her cheek before taking out of his pocket watch. "Now we really need to get going. Be good, sweetheart." He reminds then leaving. The couple keeps glancing back at their youngest child as though they couldn't bear to leave her.

Maria understood that her Father's job was important. It seemed his business this time was especially so. She had to be good. She smiled and nodded at them, waving them off in her chair. She was trying to assure them that she'd be fine. When their figure disappeared from her vision, the young girl couldn't help sighing. Sebastian appeared then, "You're older brother, Master Linnaeus instructed me to inform you to eat without him as he'll be eating on the journey." her expression was of surprised but the young girl smiled, "Okay." She answers brightly, but it was easy to tell she was disheartened. It seemed no one would be eating with her today.

For a while, she simply played with the food on her plate. She didn't really feel hungry anymore. She felt neglected. She wasn't used to this treatment from her family. Even if everyone was busy, there would at least be one of them that would eat with her. She sighed again. At her age, she was more than capable to think as mature as teen, if not more so. But Maria preferred to act spoiled around her family. She didn't like to think of tedious matters either unless it was something relevant or of interests to her. Her studies was evidence of this. She regained her spirits in finishing breakfast quickly after the servants cajoled her.

Maria exerted much effort in choosing her outfit today. It was a lovely green dress with polka dot patterns, accentuated with laces and ribbons that was recently bought. She paired together with a ribbon of the same color to tie her hair. Seeing her appearance in the mirror made the young girl full of spirit. This kind of appearance is meant to be shown off. Who better to show off to than her beloved big brother?

She couldn't help pouncing on him as soon as she saw him. "Big Brother!" She whined when he ruffled her hair. She had made so much effort not to ruin it while she was running. "Don't I look pretty?" She asks, expectant. She twirled a bit to show off. Maria held his hand on their way out. "Big Brother, what kind of things do you think we'll see in the south?" She asks. "Do you think we'll find plenty of pretty flowers?" She goes on, "Do you think I'll like the food there?" Full of curiosity, Maria had no shortage of questions to ask.

When they reached outside, Sol was already waiting for them. He boarded himself inside the carriage that they would be riding in. Maria sat on one side and began exploring. They had placed a hat for her in one of the seats. It was to protect her from the sun if she ever wanted to go outside the carriage when made stops. It was much more spacious that she thought. There was even a small basket full of snacks that she checked. On the other side of the carriage, it looked like a low shelf that seemed to function as a table. Since it had what she presumed to be her big brother's breakfast. It seemed like it could be moved though. Maria peeked her head outside when the carriage began moving. "Bye Bye!!" She waved her hand back and forth energetically, leaning a bit too much outside. If not careful, she could fall out.

code by hoseok​

 

[Aster]

• Linnaeus Cantrell •​

The barrage of questions were answered with quick and kind-witty grace, each one flattering both Maria and his own ego. It was probably due to his sister's own upbeat nature that Linnaeus turned out to be quite good with his tongue. Being a chatterbox made it hard for him to tire even from the simplest of topics.

"Of course you're pretty, Maria. You're the prettiest girl in the whole wide world," he laughed, "And you'll grow up to be pretty too. Just like your brother right?" Linden smirked in full confidence. His arms crossed over his chest as he flicked the air in a pointing gesture. "I'm sure if we keep our eyes opened, we'd be able to find some flowers. I'll help you look."

He lived up to those words a few hours in as the siblings sat, chatting happily until Maria began growing restless from boredom. From experience he knew that if he didn't do something soon, she'd end up complaining and just as he thought that to himself, she had started her relentless whining.

"Why don't you take a nap with Sol? He's sleeping soundly, see?" Linnaeus pointed out, silently wondering if he could afford to get some shut eye in too. It usually took four hours of traveling by carriage to reach their destination and barely one hour has passed. "Here, I can lend you my shoulder or my lap if you want," he offered with that same endearing smile.

 

[Feyrie]

MARIA CANTRELL

Maria puffed her chest in pride. She was obviously pleased with Linden's answer. "Of course!" She answers. "There's no one more handsome and more talented than my big brother." She puts her hands on her waists, raising her chin upwards. "Ah." She exclaims. "Except Daddy." She adds playfully to tease him.

His reply made her more excited. Perhaps, she could even see flowers that she only ever saw in books. She tugs his hand, "Big Brother, let's go faster!" She walks a few steps ahead of him. She obviously couldn't wait. "I want to try new food, see pretty sights, play with big brother lots-" She starts counting with free hand, the things she wanted to do in the trip.

For a while in the journey, Maria was very excited. She kept going through all the things she could find inside the carriage. Every now and then, she'd peek her head outside to admire the scenery. But there was only so much of the scenery that the young girl could take. The passing sights could no longer appease her. There wasn't anything in the carriage that could draw her attention either.

She had resorted to playing with her pet's furry ears while staring on blankly. "Big Brother." She drawls out. "When will we reach Aunt Lisa and Uncle Frederick?" She asks, looking up to him with innocent eyes. When he suggested to sleep, she looked back at Sol who was sleeping soundly. Despite with her playing around with his ears. Sleep sounded rather nice. She kept bouncing around in the first hour and now she was rather tired. "Uhn." She mumbled, nodding.

She moved beside him and laid on his lap. She burrowed her head in his lap, while curling her legs to lie down comfortably. "Then.." She mumbles, slowly closing her eyes. "I'll just..." she yawns, her eyes turn a bit teary. "sleep for.." Maria couldn't even finish her sentence before she drifted to dreamland.

code by hoseok​

 

[Aster]

• Linnaeus Cantrell •​

Linnaeus chuckled, amused to see how Maria eventually succumbed to his suggestion. Another victim of words and prediction usually had him feeling smug but this time, he was merely content, both because of the silence granted and because Maria's sleeping face always looked so at peace. He smoothed out her hair from her face and stared out the window, watching the scenery passed. He too, got bored quickly, now having no one to talk to.

Leaning towards the window, he attempted to make small talk with the carriage rider but with their distance, it was much too hard to.

It was then he caught the scent of something sweet. Something unlike delicious treats but rather a light aroma. Flowers, he confirmed, when a field of gold presented itself before him. It seemed to stretch across the whole field, fenced in by the forest which expanded before it. Light cream to golden yellow daffodils waved in the light spring breeze.

"Driver, halt!" he commanded, bringing the carriage to a slow stop. The rider looked confused but Linnaeus simply smiled cheekily. "A break," he said before lightly stirring his sister from her slumber.

"Maria," his voice soft and encouraging, "Look out the window. There's a surprise for you."

 

[Feyrie]

MARIA CANTRELL

She furrowed her eyebrows, obviously not pleased in when the carriage suddenly was stopped. The impact lightly caused her to move more to the side making her in danger of falling. She retorts in turning to the other side, now facing Linden's body, and snuggling closer to avoid being disturbed. She lets out a small whimper. She slowly opens her eyes, yawning. She stretches her body slightly but her expression remains blank. still in dreamland.

"Mm.." She hums, looking up to her older brother from below. Maria slowly pushed herself up and wrapped her arms around his neck. She rubbed her head between his neck and shoulder. "G'morning.." Her voice was slow and groggy. She stayed in that position for a while trying to adjust herself to waking up.

Obediently, she turns her head to look at the window while remaining in the same position. Her expression changes to that of delightful surprise. "Big Brother! Big Brother!" She exclaims excitedly, pointing at the fields. "This is so pretty!" She praised. Sol have woken up as well, propped himself with his two paws to look at the window. "Arf Arf!" He barked excitedly. "Tee Hee." She giggled. "Sol also agrees, Big Brother."

Maria hurriedly moves from his lap and opens the carriage door herself. She obviously couldn't wait. She manages to jump down from the carriage to the ground with grace. This must have been the results of her efforts in studying fencing, which improved her balance and the lightness of her feet. For the staff who were in the middle of preparing for the break of their masters, the sudden actions of the youngest child caused mini heart-attacks. As they all knew if something were to happened to the young lady, there would be hell to pay. Once they knew she was fine, they resumed setting up for the master and the lady to eat and relax within the scenery.

She was running around in the fields of flowers with Sol who chased after her. "Hahaha!" Her cheerful laughs floated like a breeze, as she played with Sol and occasionally looked upon flowers that catches her eye. "Big Brother!!" She waves her hands at him. Her running around made her a few distance away from them. "Hurry up!" She yells. "You need to tell me what flower this is!" She instructs him.

After getting him to agree to follow after her, she goes back to watching flowers. "You're so pretty~" She hums, complimenting the flower. She lightly touches the petals when she spots a butterfly flying by. "Oooh. Let's chase after it, Sol!" She reaches her hands out, trying to see if she could catch it. She was too focused on the butterfly that she didn't where she was going. Just as she caught the butterfly, the land was no longer even that it caused her to lose her footing.

"B-B-Big Brother!!" She shouts, closing her eyes in fear as she was falling down the cliff. Despite her fear, she still kept her hands shut together that was holding the butterfly. She raised her arms to her face to protect it. "Big Brother!" She cries out again, scared at how she was falling down and how she couldn't see anything. "Save me!!" She yells out. Sol was chasing after her making sure she didn't hit anything dangerous.

code by hoseok​

 

[Aster]

• Linnaeus Cantrell •​

There's a crinkle near Linnaeus' eyes when he sees Maria beaming. Like a domino affect, his mood lifts drastically and he laughs, patting the head of the excited golden retriever. "Is that so?" he muses when Sol barks in seeming agreement. Maria's sudden leave, however, startles him a fraction but tension eases out as he sees her capabilities.

"Don't go out too far," he tells her, taking out the basket of food and setting it on the makeshift table the servants had set up. His stomach growls in impatience. A doughnut is picked out and munched on as he approached in lax towards the blonde. "They're called daffodils. Some people mistake them for buttercups because they both look like long cups."

He stops near the edge of the flower field, on a slope descending into the small valley. There, he sits a few meters away from Maria, watching her play. He was glad to see her still carefree as always, despite the rising tensions in the country. Signs of war were growing more apparent and soldiers were being drafted, even from neutral provinces like their homeland.

Linnaeus had heard the rumors, but never in detailed. No matter who he tried to pry information out of, young or old, all were tight-lipped and unwilling to face the music. This left a sour note in his stomach, leaving him to push the thought into the back of his mind. His eyes wandered to the sky. Clouds thinned out forming cotton-like wisps and he wondered, would this peace really last? If so, how much longer?

His thoughts brought a rare look of grave solemnity to his visage. A sigh almost escapes him until he hears a sudden shout.

"B-B-Big Brother!!"

All his senses jump to high gear as he jolts from his seat.

"Maria?!" he yells, finally realizing that his sister was missing. "Maria!" he runs towards the sound of her voice and Sol's barking. The servants nearby are alerted but only a few came running to help, the others choosing to stay to man the carriage. It was too risky to leave it unguarded due to bandits on the road.

"Master Linnaeus, be careful!" one of the servants yelled as Linnaeus edged his way towards his descent. The slope wasn't steep enough for a fall, but it was amply slanted for one to roll down, resulting in a few bruises. If they were particularly unlucky, perhaps a broken bone.

• Em Vlasis •​

Em was minding her own business. A harmless stroll in the forest with her trusty hunting bow and arrows were in hand. Thanks to the war, food was becoming harder to come by. Animals usually retreated in the depths of the unknown where only the brave and foolish dare to venture. She was one of them, a "kid" pushed by circumstance to wander the woods.

It was a stroke of luck that she had encountered an hare. With it only a few meters away, she drew her bow and was ready to fire when something loud had startled her prey away.

"What in the name--" she cursed, turning towards the source only to see something fluffy and yellow rolling towards her. A huge dog was also at her heel and their trajectory was aimed directly in Em's path. Before she could even react, the offending creature(s) made impact with Em breaking their fall.

She groaned as something snapped beneath her. Her precious wooden bow was snapped in two.

 

[Feyrie]

MARIA CANTRELL

Since she blocked her sense of sight, her other senses heightened although it didn't bid well for Maria. It only increased her fear of falling as she didn't know what would happened to her. The young girl could only think of the worst of things but the sensation of pain that she had been expecting never occurred. She only heard something snap and a groan.

Maria sat where she was, while her appearance was relatively messy, she appeared to have no serious injuries. She stayed still for a moment- processing what just occurred before bursting into tears. "B-Big Brother!!!" She wailed out repeatedly calling her beloved brother to come pick her up and coax her as he usually did when she got hurt. "Big Brother! Big Brothe-" She hiccuped as she continues chanting.

She honestly thought she'd fall somewhere and get hurt and be in pain. Though it didn't occur, the idea that something so dangerous almost occurred had shock her and scared her. If something had happened to her- she knew it wouldn't only affect her alone. It would affect her parents in worrying about her. It could also affect the servants that were supposed to be taking care of her. More importantly, it would also affect her big brother who would also be sad if she got hurt. She didn't want to make her big brother sad.

But she couldn't stop crying that she completely have yet to notice what or rather who she bumped into- or the effects of her fall. Maria would keep wailing and wailing until her brother would coax her. She would sniffle now and then. Her cheek being licked by Sol, who also checked if she was alright. He sat nearby making sure that she remained safe until someone could come take care of her.

code by hoseok​

 

[Aster]

• Linnaeus Cantrell •​

"Shit, shit, shit. Please be alright. Please be alright!" Were the thoughts that ran through Linden's mind as he skied down the semi-steep slope. Hearing his sister's cries broke his heart in ways that others would not have believed were possible. "Maria! Are you alright?" He asked, taking the petite blonde into his arms as he wiped her tears and snot with his sleeves. The worried look on his face soften his features, giving him the visage of an ideal older brother. If his friends saw him now, they'd gag at how uncharacteristically sappy he was with Maria.

"Hey asshole! Your sister broke my bow!!" A voice screeched, taking Linden by surprise. How did he not notice someone with flaming red hair? Ah right, his tunnel vision on Maria was to blame and the girl? boy? who was yelling at him was rather short. They barely came up to his chest.

Linden tried not to smirk at the raging kid, but upon seeing the scratches and bruises they seemed to have gotten, it did not take him long to realize that the person had broken Maria's fall. He suppose for that, he should at least give some acknowledgement and gratitude.

"Sorry about the bow. We'll help compensate you," Linden responded casually.

"Ya better! Watch where you're falling next time," the stranger snapped at Maria's direction, stomach growling loudly. Because of this twerp, Em had missed a perfect meal.

 

[Feyrie]

MARIA CANTRELL

Instead of replying, the young girl continued weeping as to get it out of her system. Hence once her older brother arrived, she cried even harder knowing it was finally safe. She sniffled as she shook her head in response to her question. After a few more moments, she managed to calm down. However it hadn't stopped her body from trembling from her cries.

"Hey asshole! Your sister broke my bow!!"

The sound of the shout shocked Maria and she ran behind her brother. She peeks through to look at the stranger whom she didn't notice until now. A boy? A girl? She wrinkled her forehead as she tried to figure out what kind of person was in front of her. It didn't stop her from being afraid after being yelled at. Maria's knees quivered, moving closer to her brother. The pampered girl had never been in the opposite end of such tone. Throughout her life, those around her could never have the heart to punish her harshly that's how she ended up being so spoiled. It didn't take too long for her to understand based on scratches and bruises of the stranger that they saved her, albeit unwillingly. Therefore, the target of the person's shout was her who was directly responsible. The realization caused the young girl to tear up once again.

"Ya better! Watch where you're falling next time," Maria flinched as the person was staring at her direction, leaving no questions asked on who they were referring to. Tears that welled up at her eyes were threatening to fall at any moment. "I-I...I-I," she struggled to speak up but kept fumbling with her words. It was easier for her to coax and beg her family and everyone in the mansion but her limited interaction with stranger that appeared to be angry, coupled with the events that just transpired had the normally bubbly girl become more timid than usual. "I-I, I-" she choked, her body trembling uncontrollably as she moves closer to her brother. Sol, sensing his owner upset, barked up in protest to protect her.

The butterfly that she was holding on so tightly in order to show her brother, which was responsible in putting her in the situation in the first place was forgotten.

code by hoseok