Wildflowers Bloom in Winter

Chapter 3

The next time I met Albert was at his mother's funeral.

Starting from a small cold, the queen consort's health quickly degraded and snowballed into pneumonia, to which she finally ceded her life. Coincidentally, her majesty's health began to show the first signs of rapid deterioration on my very birthday– yet another life snubbed out by my mere existence, I noted– until she took her last breath only three weeks later.

The day was sunny and cloudless, as if the heavens were welcoming their newest arrival with open arms, which seemed to bring some solace to the mourning crowd. Albert stood solemnly next to his father and looked over the open coffin in which his mother lay with her eyes closed, her pale but youthful face relaxed and peaceful in her eternal slumber. I stood not too far from the royal family, and from my seat I was able to spot Princess Adelaide, Albert's younger sister, and beside her the royal mistress Lady Gertrude from the House of Dahlia who was attending the ceremony as Adelaide's governess.

"Royal Mistress" was less of an official position and more of an open secret that had sowed seeds of resentment in Albert's mind against his own father– on the other hand, Adelaide seemed to be on good terms with her governess which only widened the rift between her and her brother. Even the little I knew about Adelaide had been gathered through years of knowing Albert whose face seemed to twist more and more every single time he uttered her name. She sat still in her seat, and I could not make much of her expression or her features since her face was hidden by a black lace veil, but the subtle tremble of her hands that were clasped together in her lap gave away her silent anxiety.

Once all the necessary rituals were complete, I walked over to Albert, who now stood alone as his father made his way towards a small group of nobles and carried on with everyday political discourse. I gently placed my hand on his shoulder, a gesture that almost made him completely melt down; in spite of his brave face, he was still a thirteen year old boy who just lost someone he cherished deeply.

"It was just a measly cold," he whispered, cradling his head in the nook of my shoulder.

"I know."

"She was doing just fine. The doctor said it was alright. But I saw the blood on her handkerchief. She tried to hide it but I-"

"Shh..." I murmured. We were the only two people left at the venue, along with our servants, which allowed him to finally let go of the tears he had been desperately holding back.

The queen consort's death was no simple accident; rather, it was a case of good old-fashioned poisoning, most likely by someone who was a part of the faction supporting the royal mistress, vying for the throne to fulfill their insatiable greed. The House of Dahlia was a family with no noble title but held immense power in high society due their affiliations with the Church of Ușoară, famously known for producing powerful holy leaders in each generation with potent abilities ranging from simple purifications to the miraculous ability to heal wounds and cure disease. In fact, it seems that an entire delegation of priests with healing abilities had conveniently been away healing commoners affected by monster attacks in the north while the queen consort was sick and were "unable to make it back in time" due to the heavy snow that had unexpectedly blocked their way in the middle of spring. Their excuses were so poorly made that it was only obvious who the puppeteer behind the stage was– the House of Dahlia intended to have one of their own take over the throne, even if it meant getting blood on their hands.

Despite their affluence, the House of Dahlia could not directly ask for a title to be handed to them due to the humble life they were expected to live as servants of goddess Ușoară, nor could they buy themselves a title since most of their revenue came in the form of church donations and any excessive expense would only raise suspicion amongst their followers. To the common people that made up the largest portion of the Church's following their queen's death was simply an unfortunate lapse in health, and to the nobles that followed the church the queen's death was a calculated move that was beneficial to their interests based on the faction they had decided to join. Not to mention, the causes for the queen's death were merely speculations since there was no substantial evidence framing any individual house or individual.

Albert mumbled some half-hearted apologies as he straightened himself and wiped his face. I stepped back to allow him some space and called out to my maid who had already gathered my belongings and placed them in my carriage that was ready for departure. "Freesia," Albert said once his servant had tidied him up, "we'll meet again soon." I smiled and nodded, bidding him farewell and making my way to my carriage.

The moment I stepped foot outside the hall, Princess Adelaide appeared in front of me. I let out a small, startled squeak at her sudden appearance; she had taken her veil off, as well has her tight bun, which allowed me to see her bellowing golden hair that shone like fire and sunlight and clear green eyes that could put even the most brilliant gemstones to shame in all their glory.

While I struggled to form words, Adelaide hurriedly excused her rather uncouth behavior and hushed me into a corner where we could not be seen. "I deeply apologize for this disrespect," she held me by the shoulders, "but this is urgent. Albert's life is in danger."

My muscles tensed up and my heart throbbed to the point where I could hear its agitated pulses. "What do you know?"

"I was looking for a quiet place to unwind when I heard some men talking," she confessed, "I didn't hear much but I know they are planning to get rid of Albert when he has his guard down, possibly some time next year when things have quieted down and Lady Gertrude has taken her position as the new queen consort."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"The only time he is not heavily guarded is when he meets with you, Lady Gregori. I cannot confide in anyone else because I cannot be sure of their intentions. But I know that you care about my brother, and that he cares about you. Please, do whatever you must to protect him."

I sighed. Yet another burden that I could not let go of or pass down, yet another life that could be extinguished due to me. "I understand. Thank you for letting me know."

As I entered the carriage, I caught a glimpse of Lady Gertrude escorting Adelaide into her own carriage, her expression cold and unforgiving in a way that made my heart ache for the princess. Alas, I had enough on my plate to worry about on my own so I had to be consoled with the belief that Adelaide had the ability to handle herself.

I had no time to lose, nor did I have the liberty of worrying whether I had the ability to follow through with what I had resolved to do.

One year was enough time.