Flowers For My Beloved

Thank Yous in the Form of Kisses - Shadowheart

Was it possible to grow a night orchid outside of the Shadow-cursed lands?

Sure, it was going to be hard, considering the nigh impossible to replicate conditions, environment, and atmosphere night orchids grew in, but you had to try. There was no harm in trying. Besides, you've already done the impossible before, defying a goddess, defeating the Netherbrain, and all that. Who says you couldn't do it again?

This was a world full of magic, after all. All you had to do was work the right kind of magic.

—

The first attempt was an utter failure. The flower died just after a day it had been potted.

There goes all the gold you spent on it. There goes all the, short, time you've spent with it. It was expected, but still woefully devastating to see its limp, dead body, lost of all its glow.

You shed some tears for it, drinking half a whole bottle of wine with your beloved Shadowheart who was blissfully unaware you were doing this for her. You kept the little project a secret, naturally. Something you wanted to surprise her with. But that was the fantasy, and this was the reality.

She looked at you funny when you told her you were crying because of a flower.

"Come here."

Well, at least you got a cuddle and a kiss for it.

—

The second time, you tied it around a tree. That was how orchids grew, right? All wrapped around the trunks with their vines, multiplying their blooms, and uh, their seeds proliferating when the wind passed. That's how they worked.

Well, that's how regular orchids worked.

So you probably shouldn't have been surprised to see it die again, intricacies of the night orchid not yet understood. But it did stay alive for a couple of days! That was an improvement. Progress was made, and there was room for hope.

...However, its death still saddened you, so you cuddled up to Shadowheart that night, your face buried in her neck, and legs all tangled up with hers.

"Not that I'm complaining," she murmured as she ran her hand down your hair, "but what's gotten into you?"

You could tell her.

"I'm into you. Heh."

But you really rather not. Not yet, anyway.

She snorted, and you were pretty sure she rolled her eyes.

—

The third time, well, when you bought the flower from the trader for the third time, he looked at you rather smugly.

"Had a hard time getting that bloom." He said, and you could see him practically counting the gold in his eyes.

You grimaced.

"It's double the price."

And there you have it, your heavy gold pouch no longer yours, and a tired smile on your lips as you brought the flower home.

The flower died after a couple of days.

—

For the fourth and the fifth try, you changed up your strategy. See, night orchids grew in the shadow-cursed lands, yes? Dark, oppressive atmosphere, filled with evil, bad energy, and the like. You tried to replicate it. Not with the use of black magic, of course. Rather, you tried something... less dangerous.