Cingulomania | Kaz Brekker

04

Before

"Cordelia, come sit with me!" Nikolai called from beneath a tree. The young girl turned to her friend. 

"I have to tend to the garden first, I'll be there soon, moi tsarevich," she responded. The young prince sighed and walked over to the young girl instead. Her sixth birthday had just passed and she had been assigned to the King for two years. 

"I'll walk with you. And I told you, milaya, Nikolai. None of that 'moi tsarevich' nonsense. I'd rather you come up with a nickname or something," he said, linking his arm with hers. 

She thought about it for a moment. "Okay then, sobachka." Nikolai groaned. 

"That might be even worse!" he complained.

They walked to the garden together that Spring afternoon, which would later become a habit for the two. The girl rolled up the white sleeves of her kefta, the black embroidering on the cuff being hidden. It was an unusual kefta, one that only Cordelia wore. White, as she was technically considered a royal servant, and black, well, nobody had much of an understanding of what her Small Science entailed. All that they knew was that the young girl was able to restore life to living things, plants, small animals, and the like. 

She had been practicing in private though, with Baghra. While yes, she could restore life to such beings, she could also take it away. But Baghra made Cordelia promise never to use it where someone could see her, and to keep it a secret. And so Cordelia only ever used that ability in front of Baghra, and never anyone else. They started small, with flowers and pieces of fruit, and then moved on to larger things like squirrels and rats.

Cordelia was how the royal garden stayed so pristine year-round. She would walk the gardens every day, sometimes with Nikolai, sometimes alone, and restore the life to each of the plants. She perked up every single flower and restored the colors to the petals and the leaves. 

Nikolai loved to watch Cordelia work. There was nothing else like it. Quite literally, in fact. Cordelia was the only Grisha of her kind, they didn't even have a name. So the King gave her a name of his own. Liliya, for rebirth, innocence, and purity. Fitting, seeing as it was the first plant the King witnessed her restore was a lily.

Ironic, considering what the King happened to take from her from that Spring day forward. 

Cordelia had made her rounds throughout the gardens with Nikolai by her side. Once she was finished, they sat beneath a tree, relaxing. 

"Liliya, you are needed inside." a voice interrupted the children's relaxation. It was what she was called around the Grand Palace. Cordelia wasn't even sure the staff knew her real name The girl nodded just and sighed as she stood, allowing Nikolai to rest outside. She followed the servant inside to a room she had never been to before. The King was inside.

"Hello, Liliya," the King said to her. 

She gave a small bow. "Moi tsar."

"Liliya, I need you to perk up the flowers in this room and in my bed chamber. The Queen has been asking for her flowers to be touched up for days now, and I must have you see to it," the King said.

"Of course, moi tsar," Cordelia said with a nod. She began walking around the room, tending to each of the flowers, of which there were many. Once she had finished with those, the King led her to his bed chamber to work on the Queen's personal flowers. 

Only, when she got to the King's bed chamber, there were no flowers to be found. Before she could turn around to ask where the flowers were, the King was on top of her.