Mother of Lillies

“When we get to the feast, we can eat as much as we want! Right momma?” Fiorella Sallow eagerly enthused to her mother, holding her hand in her tiny one as she tried to keep up with her parents. The girl and her parents slowly made their way to the gathering where her siblings were. A famine had reached their lands, causing the families of the surrounding villages to starve. Her family isn’t spared this, and even now the once good looking members are now impossibly thin and gaunt. Every part of their beings has lost its vibrancy as they struggle to find enough to feed them all. Today though, her parents have announced that the village was holding a feast for all, something that hadn’t happened for months. Something that used to be so commonplace before.

Evangeline winced a bit at her daughter’s question as she shared a look with her husband. They hide their sadness well, but the despear lingers in their eyes. “My dear Fiorella, yes you will get to! But remember, we must pay our respects to nature first.” She gave her sickly child a smile.

“We’ll be there soon love, so make sure to make haste.” Jonadiah added to the conversation, well aware this will likely be the last time they see their precious child. She would be the fourth out of their seven children to fall so ill they had to release them from this world. Even now, Fiorella released a small gasp of excitement and hurried her steps before losing strength to continue. He quickly picked up the child, being close to the deadly but beautiful flowers that many use to peacefully allow loved ones to pass on.

“Thank you, daddy.” She weakly said as she laid her head on his chest.

He painfully kissed her forehead as they kneel by the patch of flowers so black they appear as absolute voids with leaves of rainbow colors bleeding and blending together in muted hues. “Here honey, you need to eat some of these before we can continue.” He struggled to stay smiling as he handed her a few flowers. Evangeline turns her head as a tear rolled down her cheek, a hand covering her mouth to hold back a sob.

“Okay…” Fiorella replied before biting into the soft petals, her body happy to get to have something to nourish itself. She hadn’t noticed their reactions, just the numbness that spread through her as she finished the fourth one. Soon, she fell into slumber before pain raced through every fiber of her being.

“My baby! Please God, no more!” Evangeline screamed to the heavens, then collapsed into her husband’s arms as they both wailed in pain, sorrow and desperation. The memories of their children raced through their minds as they mourned, knowing they would need to return with her slumbering body before it got too late. From there, it would take around a week for the child to pass on.

“I have failed you all once more, I am so sorry my loves.” Jonadiah sobbed as he pleaded for forgiveness from this seemingly endless hell they lived.

*****************************

“It’s been a month…” Evangeline says softly to Jonadiah, wringing her hands as she watches their eldest child, Lucinda, wipe away the sweat from the still sleeping Fiorella.

Jonadiah squeezes her shoulder as he too looks at them. The child didn’t seem to deteriorate at all as she slept. Indeed, instead she appeared to be slightly healthier. “The will of the Gods shine upon us, and we shall shoulder what they see fit for us.” He replies, giving Evangeline’s temple a kiss. They had managed to gather enough to hold on for now, but with war and famine their lives are still uncertain.

“Fiorella! Momma, Papa, come quick! She’s awake! She’s awake!” Lucinda suddenly exclaims in excitement, jumping slightly with relieved joy as the rest of their family runs to their side.

“My sweet child…” Evangeline says in awe as she reaches to her child in bewildered joy.

“Momma…” Fiorella rasps out, then coughs from her parched throat.

“Here, drink slowly.” Leopold helps her drink some water, feeling his worries lesson if but for the moment at seeing his young sister awaken finally.

“She didn’t die…” Laurent whispers in awe, having been fearing that she would die as their other three siblings had.

“No… No she has not.” Jonadiah says as he pats his son on the shoulder before moving closer to stroke Fiorella’s hair. “Tonight, we celebrate and give our thanks to the Gods!” He announces, gaining cheers from everyone. Fiorella is only five, with Laurent seven, Leopold twelve and Lucinda fifteen.

“I spoke with them, and played with them.” Fiorella states firmly as she sits on a swing several days later. The wind blew gently as she recovered from her ordeal.

“Did you really?!” Laurent asks her in wonderment, his eyes large with hope.

“Yes, they ate the flowers too. Mereille was singing the sunshine song while Prescott and Malachi played tag. Mereille was painting pictures of all of us, saying that they watch us a lot. We all stayed in the field of endless night flowers, except for when I felt the pain. The pain pulled me away from them and I drowned in black over and over.” Fiorella told him, his face turning from happiness to concern.

“But they all died… I miss our little siblings.” He says sadly, tears starting to well in his eyes.

“They say they’re happy now though, it’s not scary anymore.” Fiorella tells him, then their brother and father arrive with a deer. Their grins and joyous calls to the house quickly had Laurent wiping his eyes before they ran to join them.

“This buck ran out of the forest and stumbled right before us!” Leopold enthuses as they all eagerly help with skinning, cleaning and butchering the animal.

“It’s been so long since we’ve had a proper catch…” Evangeline whispers to Jonadiah, a grateful tear falling as she gives a thankful prayer to the Gods.

“We can’t waste any of it, but this is just the start of our luck turning.” Jonadiah tells her, then they both rejoin the others to aid in the chores. Roasted meat with bitter greens and acorns was on the menu for the night, but they already start to dry and can most of it for the future.

“We’ve been eating squirrels mostly, sometimes they caught two in a day.” Lucinda tells Fiorella with a grin, happy that they finally had a decent amount of food. Lucinda would have been married already if not for the recent issues of food throughout the villages. None could afford to take her in at the moment, which she was thankful for.

“Watch momma, watch!” Laurent exclaims as he drags Evangeline to Lucinda and Fiorella a few days later. As they reached them in their room, he bounces excitedly as he exclaims “Show her! Show her!”

Fiorella giggles as she takes a stick, then concentrates on it. Before their eyes, it changes to a beautiful, large apple that they hand to the shocked mother. Evangeline bites it slowly after looking at their expectant faces, feeling herself fill with delight at the delicious fruit. However, that’s soon squashed by the fearful confusion of the situation. “How did you do that Fiorella?”

The children wince at her tone and share looks of uncertainty. “I-I just wanted an apple really bad… And it changed into one…” Fiorella stammers out, then looks at her mother with teary eyes. “Did I do something bad, momma?”

Evangeline reigns in her worries as she tries to calm her children. “No, no, it’s just…” She trails off as she notices a basket full of apples that she picks up. “Don’t make anymore until I’ve spoken with your father about this…” She sternly tells her, then leaves with one last statement. “Now, go do your chores all of you.” Without a beat, they reply in unisom. “Yes momma!”

Hours later, Evangeline finds herself staring at the massive catch her husband brought home. “Fifty-two fish?” She questions in bewilderment.

“Yes! Can you believe it?!” He cheers, swooping her into a kiss.

“Jonadia, I think something’s wrong…” She hands him an apple, fully surprising him. “Fiorella made this from a stick.” She tells him in hushed tones as he takes it.

“What do you mean by made this?” He asks just as hushed as they move to their bedroom.

“They showed her turning a stick into an apple, she said it was because she wanted an apple.” Evangeline tells him, feeling a tremble of anxiety run through her. “Is this magic? Is she a witch?! They’ll kill her! Kill us!” She feels her voice start to turn shrill as Jonadiah wraps her in his arms to calm her down.

“If Fiorella was gifted magics, it’s from the Gods, not the Devils.” He soothes, then continues. “We can’t let them find out, they may not understand.”

“What of the hunts? Could she have something to do with it? Fifty-two fish is’t possible…” Evangeline confides as they share a look.

Jonadiah walks to their door, poking his head out of their room to see their children happily cleaning the fish. “Fiorella, come here for a moment.” He demands, causing her to hop up and head towards them. After shutting the door, he faces her. “I’ve heard you can do a trick with apples.” He starts, getting a shy nod from her before he continues. “When we go to find food, do you do any tricks?”

Fiorella’s brow creases at the question as she shakes her head no. “I only wish you the bestest luck, papa!” She tells them.

Jonadiah recalls the fish practically leaping into their boat. “Can you instead wish for luck for our village?” He asks without thinking too much about it. “We have plenty of food now honey, so we don’t need more.”

Fiorella grins as she looks at them. “Does that mean we can hold a village feast?!” Her parents converse for a moment before continuing.

Jonadiah gives her a stern look. “We may be able to, but no one can ever see your tricks. If they find out, all of us will be killed, do you understand?”

“Y-yes papa.” Fiorella stammers as she stares into his firm, demanding eyes. After that, she was excused to help her siblings.

“They’ll think the Gods have graced our village with this fishing haul.” Jonadiah says with a sigh. “I’ll go talk to the leaders.” They share a kiss as he starts to head off.

“I’ll have supper ready for your return.” Evangeline replies, still feeling nervous as she watches him go. She then turns her attention to her children, deciding to give them a crash course on what they could and couldn’t say or do at the feast as she readied their meal.

*******************************************

Fiorella looks out the window, viewing the lovely gardens of their family’s large estate. The village has flourished since that dreadful time so long ago, and in that respect so did the prosperity of it and her family. Hearing a raspy breath, she turns to look upon Lucinda, the last of her family from that time. They had all grown older, in both looks and mind. Fiorella however, still appeared as she had in her early twenties.

“This is goodbye… They call to me sister, they call so sweetly.” Lucinda labors out, tears rolling down both of the women’s cheeks as Fiorella takes a seat beside her on the bed and clasps her hand in her own.

“Mother, please hold on but for a bit longer.” Constantine pleads with Lucinda, causing Fiorella to recall the man’s words when they first arrived. Lucinda had been rather persistent in returning home to spend her last days, and the last of her children were arriving for their farewells.

“I can no longer do so, my loves.” Lucinda looks to her three children present, not a dry eye in the whole room as she does so. “I am so proud and love all of you so much! Please remember to continue growing into the spectacular people you are.”

“We will momma, we will.” Verity wails as she dissolves into tears, her husband catching her.

“We’ll honor you and daddy, we will.” Ophelia tells her, trembling as her brother hugs her.

“Good…good…” Lucinda smiles, then passes on after a couple of more breaths.

Fiorella feels her heart constrict, then splinter. This part never got easier, but she knew full well to not tamper with death. No, not after what happened with Laurent. She stands strong as a pillar with tears rolling down her face while her nieces and nephews wail for the loss of their mother. She would be buried in the family’s crypt, and she would need to work hard to protect their estate, and the children that her siblings had left behind.

Days later, she is greeted with a knock on her door. “Madam, Mistress Seraphina and Master Baldwin have arrived.”

“Thank you Herold, please allow them in.” She replies as she sets her quill to the side, giving them both a masked stare as they enter her study. “You’re late.”

“Our apologies Aunty, we were unfortunately held up at the border.” Baldwin replies with a bow of respect, anxiety coming off of both of them.

“Enough with this, where’s mother?!” Seraphina cuts in, agitation heavily hanging around her.

“Your mother passed away three days ago…” Fiorella watches them as they go through their many emotions. “I am sorry, you’re too late to speak with her.”

“No, no!!!” Seraphina screams, then turns to tear out of the room. Opening the doors, she runs smack into Constantine's arms. She fights against her eldest sibling before dissolving into heavy sobs.

“Is it true? Is it really true?” Baldwin asks his siblings in disperation, falling into a chair as his fears are confirmed.

“I will give you the night to grieve, then we’ll start your training to succeed your parents in accordance to their wills.” Fiorella tells them before standing and leaving. “See to it that they have everything they need. Have two maids for each, one must be with them at all times.” She orders Herold after leaving the room.

“Right away Madam, shall we push supper back an hour?” Herold replies as he motions to some servants, them quickly entering the room with trays of drinks.

“Yes, I believe that would be ideal. I’ll be in the garden until then should any need me.” Fiorella tells them, proceeding to her favorite place of the estate. One particular and hidden garden surrounded by thick, tall walls of forboden fortitude. She was the only one that the gate would open for, and inside was the only patch of the black flowers. Once she became older, she understood that her parents had attempted to follow through with such an impossible decision.

Now, she drinks wine made from the flowers as she eyes the bodies laying at the roots of the plant. How many had she sacrificed to them? How many in the hopes she could find one like her? A partner for such a lonely life, one that could survive the poison and become magical. She recalls each of the men as she looks over them, recalling how she would foolishly fall in love before they tasted the blooms only to be left bereft and broken.

“The next one could survive.” Laurent says from beside her, drawing her attention away. “Or should I say ones? You do have five coming in at once, I’m sure this will garner results.”

She looks over at her brother, also stuck in the youth of nineteen. He remained here, in a secluded part of the garden with his own tower. He had become impossibly handsome after his death, and due to her meddling, has also become an undead. He was a terror to others, a horror of massacreing fashion that was held back only by a veil. “We can hope, I do wish that what you say is true and my search may finally be over. However, I must care for our family first.” She tells him, turning her attention back to the flowers.

“And you shall, after all you have never let us down.” Laurent replies with a grin.

“Liar, I let you down.” She retorts, ignoring his eye roll. “I will ensure they have a good future, one lacking in worries to the best of my ability. It helps that Lucinda had already had marriages planned. I’ll double check on these prospects before allowing them though.”

“Good, that and their training should only take you a few weeks to take care of. After that, bring the men here.” Laurent states, giving her a stern look.

“I shall when I feel the children no longer need my attention.” She quips back, then notices the time. “Apologies brother, I must return to attend supper with them.”

“Fi, you are aware that they have curiosity of the flowers. Please take care with the children.” Laurent tells her in low tones that float upon the wind to her ears as the doors shut behind her. She releases a sigh as she acknowledges this. Of course she noticed their curiosity, and Seraphina in particular wanting to try the flowers. However, she refuses to allow that after knowing the flowers are most likely to give such a painful death.

*******************************************

Fiorella looks over the five young men. Eac was sent by their families after she conversed and chose them. They were aware that they could die, but were willing to attempt the blooms anyways. Their families received money that they couldn’t turn down, but she still couldn’t quite understand the nature of humans and their willingness to sacrifice themselves. She wasn’t sure how human she was now as she stands beside her brother and watch each candidate walk to their own pedestal. “When you are willing, please eat the flowers before you, stems and all.”

“I can feel it, it’s different tonight.” Laurent whispers to her as two immediately start chewing their plants, the other three moving at various pacing, but all ate them.

“Shush brother, we shall see.” She tells him as one by one the collapse. She did indeed feel it, but was fearful to give any actual hope.

However, as the week passed, three bodies were drug to the roots to join the others. The remaining two slept silently, causing her to move them to rooms in her wing after the second week. Her heart raced as she stared at the plant with it’s fresh food.

“Sister, you were looking for one husband but gained two. However shall we remedy this…” Laurent teases as he sits beside her at a table.

A small fact was that she had interacted with the potential suitors often before they came to partake in the blooms. Because of this, she knew she liked the members. However, the thought of choosing between them or letting one go seemed so daunting. “Whichever is more competent shall be my partner.” She coldly states, however this only makes her brother chuckle.

“But of course, dear sister.” Laurent states, annoying her into giving him a little shock of black lightning. “Hey! I’m only trying to help!” He exclaims as he bts at the slightly singed spot.

****************************************

Two years and a half later, Fiorella has opened the doors to the estate to hold an engagement ball. She had helped the two get used to their newfound powers, as well as learn how to govern a territory. Her family have climbed to the ranks of Baron, leaving her running a barony. As such, she had sent each away to govern over similar territories of land to show who could make it prosper more. Bertram came out on top, gaining strong influence and connections through political agreements and trade. Edmund took the approach to turn his territory into a militant hub for their lands, growing their armies without losing profits. From these details, she understood who was best suited where, and immediately made Edmund a knight of her family as well as lead commander of the armies.

She succeeded in marrying most of Lucinda’s children, but Seraphina was a stubborn one that appeared to have eyes for the new knight. This put Fiorella into an odd spot, not certain what was the best route here. She admitted that their personalities were complimentary, and she hadn’t entered relations with either man thus far herself. However, she feared that her niece may not be able to handle the bloomed blood running through Edmund’s veins now.

“Follow the night’s path for you, and allow them to follow theirs.” Laurent stated when she voiced her concerns, and watching them dance she could agree.

“Are you regretful of your choice?” Bertram whispers the question into her ear, the slightest hints of uncertainty in his eyes as she met them.

“No, I am simply uncertain of the future.” Fiorella replies with a smile as they both turn to watch the festivities. “Our wedding shall be held in three months. Are you prepared?”

“I have been living for this moment since we met, my Lady.” he answers before pressing a lingering kiss to the back of her hand.

************************************************

“Rosalind, Violetta, why have you skipped your lessons?” A heavily pregnant Fiorella marches to her daughters playing in the garden under the watchful eye of their uncle.

“The flowers called us momma!” Violetta replies while hanging her head.

“Violetta put a collar on Uncle Laurent!” Rosalind yells, angry tears in her eyes as she glares at them. “She won’t let me do it! Why can’t I do it?!”

Fiorella massages her temples before looking at Laurent, instantly noticing the void black collar around his neck with a tiny violet dangling at the center. “What…?” She asks in bewilderment.

“I promised to always protect them, and Violetta accepted… Then this appeared with me now being astutely aware of her position.” Laurent explains, looking just as confused.

“Madam! Madam!” Fiorella hears Herold yelling for her, quickly turning to go to the man. “Madam, my Lady, Lord Bertram has returned and requires your assistance at once!”

Fiorella feels her very being fill with dread. “Girls, stay with Uncle Laurent!” She orders as she races after Herold. Reaching the room, she finds him lying upon the bed and missing both of his legs. “What happened?!”

“My Lady, the Lord was rushed back from the battlefield. He and Sir Edmund aided our King against the invaders. There were explosives and a surprise attack that caused his legs to be amputated. Sir Edmund hailed many attacks as he rushed our Lord to safety, perishing soon after he arrived to their reinforcements.” Herold explained solemnly. They all had grown rather fond of Lord Bertram in the six years he has been with them. Not to mention losing Sir Edmund as well meant the house has received two major blows.

“Seraphina?” She asks as she takes a seat beside Bertram, caressing his face.

“She was alerted immediately. Her pregnancy will make travel a bit more difficult for her, but she is making haste to arrive, my Lady.” Herold replies with a bow.

“Good, make sure her rooms are ready. Leave us now.” She replies, only acknowledging her anger after she was alone with her husband. She felt this pure rage for the first time inside of her, rolling and flowing as she came to terms that her husband was already dead and what laid before her was simply his empty shell. Came to terms with the fact her nephew, Sir Edmund, sacrificed his life for nothing. She screams, allowing her rage to echo through the halls and shake all on the property to their core as the shadows all pulse. They appear to creep and crawl with minds of their own, causing fear to taint the air and hearts of the servants. She watches those shadows turn into colorful vines as they reach for her husband, quietly dragging his body to the garden with her. They appear before her daughters who are clinging to their Uncle’s legs.

“My dears, your father has passed. Sir Edmund has also passed protecting him.” She states coldly as she takes a seat, drinking from her glass as she feels her unborn child move. “Do not fear though, my loves. I will ensure that their deaths do not go unanswered.” She darkly tells them, causing Laurent to shudder with apprehension.

The following year, the Kingdom of Daitia and the Abeabaral Empire both collapsed after exhausting themselves from continuous war with one another…