𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘, s. pevensie

vii. cair paravel

MIDNIGHT CAME CLOSER WITH EVERY SECOND and James still hadn't found an entrance to the castle.

In the distance she could hear the church bell ring seven in the evening. The firey sun started to go down in the West and filled the sky with orange, yellow, purple and pink tones. It looked magical, unreal almost. James has seen many sunsets but this one was by far the most beautiful.
The last sunbeams are being reflexted by the giant polished, colored windows of the castle and wrapped the city in a golden light.
The last light of the day ran over the roofs of homes and churches and shops.

James would've loved to see the sunset on the fields right outside the city surrounding Cair Paravel, but she could not dare to be held captive by this for too long, even though it might be one of the last sunsets she'd ever be able to see.
The girl teared her gaze away from the magnificent sight of the sunset and walked another round around the castle, like she had already done a million times in the last hours.
Still, there didn't seem to be a way in and James needed to hurry.

So, after talking another walk around the castle walls without finding a way in, she decided to look around for servants who might work in the castle. Without aim, James wandered through the little streets of the city who's name she was still unsure about.

The church bell rang eight, when suddenly, the girl accidentally overheard a hectic conversation as she passed a fairly popular flower shop.

"No! Margret! I am telling you, these flowers are too violet, Her Highness said to get the most purple flower we can find!"
"Shush, Trill! Someone might hear us!", one of the women tried to make her partner talk more silent.
But it was too late already, after heraing "Her Highness", James was too invested to move on and forget about the conversation, so she pretended to look for flowers near the two women.
"These are the most purple ones I can see, Trill. Let's take them!"
"No! They look so ugly! They wouldn't fit with the other decor!"
"I don't care, we'll be late and you know that Her Majesty doesn't appreciate that!"
"No, Margret! Let's just ask for help and say it's for a family member, alright?"
"Fine!"

James had zoned out a bit so she hadn't noticed the tap on her shoulder right away. Only after someone cleared their throat and excused themselves, she turned around to see Margret and Trill standing in front of her. "Oh hello? How can I help you?", James asked, acting like she worked at the flower shop.

"Good evening! We were searching for the most purple flowers in the shop for a friend who loves purple! She wants purple, bright ones that can basically shine in the night. Do you have something like that here?"

"Yes, for sure!", James answered and immediately walked through the store to some flowers that she had already seen earlier and thought that they would fit the desired description almost perfectly.
James pointed at the flowers.
"These are China Asters. They aren't too big, but a lot of them together can make them look gigantic. They also slightly shine in the night because they absorb a lot of light."