Lunaria: Genesis

11- Visit

I walk home slowly, walking high among the canopy of trees and lingering in the midday breeze. A smell drifts in the air, distracting me and enticing me to draw closer. Following the aroma I stop right at the edge of the outskirts of the market, the mid-day crowd filling the streets with people. The place was congested with buyers and sellers, but one stand catches my attention. The smell leads me to a flower stand, bright red roses on display on the front baskets. I don't think I have ever seen one close, only in pictures and pinned on fancy clothes. I can smell them from high up in the top of the trees, surprised that I could identify them at all, but I sit still for a minuet and watch as people come and leave the little flower shop, always passing over the roses. Sitting down on the bridge I rest my chin in my hands. If I were there, I'd stop to smell them. Maybe if I had money I would buy some. If I had a rose, I could put it in my hair or something, then maybe I could look better. I sigh and stand up, shaking the wishful thoughts from my mind. I can't get a rose without money, and even if I did I am too much of a coward to go down there. I turn away from the roses and the market and continue to walk back home. 

When I arrive, I simply walk inside and head towards the attic, only to find Lady Vino in her office with Prae Sul sitting with her. I pause, frozen in the doorway as Lady Vino flashes a bright warm smile. 

"There is my little darling! Come in, come in, you have a visitor." She says happily, inviting me to sit in the armrest beside Prae's. The normal cluttered papers and envelops on Lady Vino's desk was replaced by a silver platter of cookies and cakes and cups of tea. I slowly settle into my seat and glance at Prae, whose eyes are looking me all over. She must be looking to see if I looked better or worse than when I came. Lady Vino payed it no mind, turning to me with her eyes half closed and the warm smile plastered on her face. 

"Relax dear, Leader Prae just was dropping by to check up on you and talk about your upcoming exams. Go ahead and help yourself to something, child." Lady Vino says in her airy way. Her expression is relaxed and pleasant, but I feel from inside me her true intentions, and she is pressing me to eat something so I appear more well cared for. The thought is almost repulsive, I can feel my stomach lurching with the idea of swallowing one of those sugar frosted cookies. Lady Vino turns and actually looks at me, her smile soft but her eyes burn into me, and I slowly reach for the tray. I pick up the first thing my hand touches, a heavy cake smaller than my palm. I bring it to my lips, my face pale and blank. I feel like I may be sick already, but Prae is watching me as well, and seeing that she notices nothing wrong I put the cake in my mouth. The texture is very thick and rich, it has a very sticky sweet taste and is very moist. It feels like lead in my mouth, weighing a ton spoiling into sludge as I chew. I try not to gag as I swallow the mushy sticky paste, feeling sick as it drops to my stomach which convulses instantly. I have eaten the cake, but I know it isn't enough and do as I expect Lady Vino wants me to. I give a small smile happily, licking the sugar off my lips. 

"It taste amazing, Lady Vino, thank you." I say brightly, sitting up in my seat and holding in my cringes from the throes of my stomach doing flips inside me. Lady Vino smiles at me satisfied.

"Why, you are most welcome, darling. Now, as you were saying about me being her caretaker?" Lady Vino said, turning to Prae Sul. She looked between me and her, and then just sighed. 

"Alright, I guess you are going a god job of keeping her. Everything seems to be in order around here. The other reason for my visit is about the Exams. Lunaria is in the class that is chosen to be ambassadors to the other Village's students. If it's alright with Lunaria, she will participate in this as well." Prae says, turning to me. "What do you think, would you like to help the other new students?" She asks. I don't know what to do with this choice, I don't even know what an ambassador means. Out of the corner of my eyes I can see Lady Vino just barely nodding. I look at Prae and I nod as well. She sighs again, this time in a sound of defeat.

"Alright, if that is what you want. You have a very high rank, so you will be taking the exams with the other high ranking students. Tomorrow when you go to school, it will only be with seniors and you will be taking other seniors in your rank to your testing rooms. The first exam is writing, so I wouldn't be too worried about it, Lady Vino says you have been tutored, right?" She asks. I just nod in agreement, knowing that is what Lady Vino wants me to do.

"Good then. I guess I'm done here." Prae says, standing up and tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder. Lady Vino stands also, walking form behind her desk to shake her hand. "Pleasure seeing you again Lady Vino, and I'm glad you are doing well, Lunaria. I will see you again during the exams." She says and turns to let Lady Vino's servants lead her out. My stomach is rolling, sending thunderous pain though my body and making it hard to breathe. I stand up, knowing I will be sick I try to rush away from thE office, but Lady Vino presses her hand on my shoulder. She still wears the smiling and warm air about her, and looks toward the door Prae Sul left from. 

"Darling, did you know? Our Leader Prae Sul has an ability for gathering information. She can hear voices up to a mile away." She says happily informing me. I know that she didn't care for giving me little facts, and that it was really a warning to not move until Prae was out of hearing range. I had to stand still, feeling my blood turn to thick sludge in my veins and my stomach fill with heavy filth. My stomach began clutching and lurching into my throat, trying to regurgitate what I ate. Strong stomach acids burned my throat and bile rose in my mouth as I feel my knees weaken. 

After an eternity Lady Vino finally removes her hand from my shoulder, and I rush out the back door and instantly throw up everything that was inside me. Thick pale liquid spills from my body and burns my mouth, leaving a sticky sour taste in my mouth. Even though there is nothing left in me, my stomach is still rejecting even itself, making me gag over and over again. The only thing I see is the growing puddle of bile and melted sugary cake, and I can only smell the rank acids that tore up my stomach. When I finally stop shaking and gagging, I collapse on the ground, coughing and wheezing. Lady Vino walks by, throwing a sponge by me and a bucket, sloshing water all over me. 

"I expect it to be clean before I return." She says, back to her colder self. She has a cigarette hanging from her fingers, and brings it up to her lips to take a long drag, puffing out a cloud of grey foul smoke. "When that is done you may return to your room for the evening." She says, and turns to leave. I slowly stand and pick up the sponge, dipping it into the soapy water. I begin to think that her allowing me to my room is her way of rewarding me, which is by far an improvement to my previous condition. I clean up the disgusting mess I've made, having to gag a couple more times in the process, and then return to the attic, laying on the bed. All night I look out the window as the moon creeps across the sky, soothing me and calming the pain inside me. I think about the Exam Trials, and wondering what I have gotten into by being an ambassador.