Now And Always~ part 2

ch13 Anniversary around the corner

She sets to work in the early morning hours. So much to be happening in the upcoming month of September and she grew more excited as the days approached quickly. Funny how time flies by. It seemed like just yesterday they were preparing and saying their vows to each other.
Now, one year later, they celebrate not only that, but nine blessed months with their little bugs. Beautiful baby girls that were growing so fast now.

She headed out quickly to the gardens and gathered up some of the lavender already set aside, placing them into a small wagon to be sent off to the castle. She was going to have some of these prepared there for her as she had some other ideas for while she was around their cottage home.
A couple of her ravens swooped down and transformed into their humanoid form, ready for their orders. It may be a small task, but after the last little, shall we say, run in, she would rather not take any more chances. She nods and gives her orders, "take these up to the head cook, she will know where they must go. She has space in the freezer to store them."
They make a soft caw in reply and head off, wagon in hand.
Then she carried by the armfuls to the cottage as much lavender as she could.
Then she went back to gather other flowers to add to such arrangements she would spend the day creating.

She busies herself all morning, gathering and bringing back inside to her work station, already being piled high with various freshly picked flowers.
She steps into the room and looks around, "maybe I should get started by now on some of the arrangements. Before I run out of space completely!" She laughs at herself as she smiles over all the smells now filling her nose. A delightful bouquet of smells bringing a bright smile over her thoughts.
As she sets to work finally, a caw from the open window and her beloved raven guard hops through, back in his bird form. "Welcome back. Maybe I should have you take some of these other flowers to free me some space to work in here as well?"
He caws some more and hops about, playing with ribbon and makes to fly off with it in his mouth, as payment for his task of earlier.
"Oh no you don't! That, stays here."she scolds him quickly, pointing over to the pile of other ribbons in the far corner. "You know better than that. Those over there belong to you."
He caws in argument back at her and she sets her work down upon the table, now setting her hands on her hips as she makes her way around the table. She walks over to him, smirking and knowing this was more a play than anything else.
"Don't you be tryin' to sass at me, mister." She waves her index finger at him in more scolding. "There is no time for that, those are yours over there." Holding out her hand now to him and motioning for him to give back his stolen ribbon. "Now, give it back."
She stands there patiently waiting for him.
Reluctantly, he abides and hops up to the table, dropping his stolen treasure into the palm of her hand.
"Thank you. Now take from your pile and be off with ya." She sighs. Some days it's like dealing with a two year old with this one particular raven. She laughs and shakes her head at the thought before turning back to continue her work.
She trims the roses and other flowers to fit into small bundles. Her thought was to have these drape along the gardens later.

Next, will be some for tall vases along the ballroom and entry into the gardens, combining long stalks of lavender and white roses with other tall stems of green to coordinate.

She piles them high as she hurries through her workings and then hears another caw at the window. Without glancing up, "come to try and steal more of my ribbon rather than yours again, my dear little dog?" She gives a smirk and looks up when another caw retorts.
The raven stays in the window, cawing at her. She sets her work down and walks over to the window. "What is the matter, now?" She scratches under his chin and coos at him.
He stops cawing so much and then hops to the floor, changing back to humanoid form. He silently begins to gather up the piles of arrangements to be carried down to the wagon and brought up to the castle.
"Many thanks, dear friend." She softly says and pauses before turning back to her work. She peeks out the window and wonders just what had her little raven so stressed about. She shakes her head and turns back to her work. Now pulling out votive holders and wrapping carefully the lavender and ribbons around each one so they can place them on tables. She wasn't certain how large of a celebration this would turn out, but she figured she could not have too little of things made. She hummed along to herself as she carefully did these up and set them into boxes to be brought up later. Her ravens having already set off with the next wagonful by now.

She then adds wreaths to be hung between satin and silk ribbons around the grounds and ballroom. She wraps slowly to ensure that each was tight and secured.

Finally, after the busy day and afternoon has been spent, she pauses in her workings and sets it all aside for the remainder of the day.
She heads off to change and freshen up before she checks for some things in the old grimoires she now has here in their home. She wanted to look into some rituals and wondered if there may be some within these old pages.
She sits curled up in a large chair with one in her lap and reads the rest of the afternoon as she waits for her beloved Elijah to finish his own business from the day.