fℓσωєяѕ fσя уσυ 💐 | Ongoing 🟣

Tulips

Their perennial bulb-like form makes them a symbol of resurrection and determination. Tulips are available in various colors which include red, pink, yellow, orange, and purple. They represent elegance and grace. Yellow tulips symbolize cheerfulness, and white tulips stand for forgiveness. Purple tulips are synonymous with royalty, and red tulips symbolize deep love. It is believed that the black velvety center of the tulip represents a lover's heart.

— — —

Myriam knocked on the wooden door three times before calling out, "Princess?" She knocked again. "Princess, are you awake?" Getting no answer, she turned the elongated, golden handle and entered the room; it had walls that stood tall—decorated by golden wallpapers—and lush, white furniture with a polished, rosewood floor.
     Sitting in the middle of the room as the largest piece of furniture was an enormously round, purple bed with a canopy of the same shape and shade to block out any light or unwanted creatures from the person slumbering within. Lying under it was a large, white faux fur rug.
     Myriam walked to the bed and moved the canopy away to see a variety of white, gold, and purple pillows were strewn about the bed, and a ruffled purple blanket with golden edges hid a body; however, a splash of auburn could be found amidst the catastrophe.
     The stream of color peeked out from all directions under the blanket, and anyone could spot it due to the oddness of it amongst everything else. It looked rather special in the group of colors.
Myriam sighed as she let go of the canopy and brought her hands together to settle in front of her abdomen. "Princess Evelyn! Please wake up!"
The body under the blanket shuffled, and then, elegant fingers wrapped against the edge of the blanket to push it down and reveal a set of gem-like emerald eyes, a tall and pointed nose, a pair of thin and curved rosy lips, and especially fair skin. "Oh, it's you, Myriam..." Evelyn declared sleepily.
     "Yes, it is Myriam, princess. It is time to wake up. You need to get ready and eat breakfast before the prince arrives. He will be visiting very soon for the first time. First impressions are incredibly salient, especially when you two are betrothed to each other."
     "I thought I told you to just call me Evelyn." She sat up as she scratched her head where her long and unruly, auburn hair sprouted out to rest against her back like a fiery flow of lava.
     "I most certainly will not, Princess Evelyn. It is forbidden for me to call you by your name exempting honors with such a measly position I hold as a maid who only serves the family as my sole purpose." She bowed her head.
     "Yet you yell at me to wake up in the mornings." Evelyn stretched her body as she scooted to the end of the bed to get out.
     "Not so, princess. I would never yell at royals, otherwise, I'd be severely punished. I only simply reminded you that it is morning in a voice a bit louder so that you may hear better when I'm on the other side of the door."
     "That's not what you did today."
     "Please forgive me, princess. I saw no other choice but to enter your chamber when you did not answer me as you do on other days. I suspect you have a reason for sleeping in, princess?"
     "You are correct, Myriam. I am not looking forward to becoming bosom friends with the prince today."
     "I can assure you, princess. You are not befriending the prince nor entertaining him. You are merely meeting before the wedding since you two are betrothed. It is for the benefit of the kingdom."
Evelyn joined in for the last sentence with a bored expression. "I know it is, but am I not a person? I harbor feelings within my heart, and I wish to freely express them to my love when the time is right. How can I to the prince when I am not knowledgeable about who he is? One cannot truly find happiness and joy in such a loveless and plain union only for the benefit of our kingdoms."
     "Forgive me once again, princess, but the decision is not up to you. Your father and mother, King Cyril and Queen Soraya, had made a deal with King Albert pertaining to the union of their two kingdoms through the betrothal of you, Princess Evelyn, and King Albert's son, Prince Alistair."
     "That I know too well, Myriam. That I know too well..."
     "If it really concerns you, princess, I hear the prince is quite the gentleman, and he adores well-mannered young ladies such as yourself. I am sure he will see to it that you're satisfied with him as your spouse. I hope you may take a liking to him as well to ease our worried hearts for this union." Evelyn freshened up and let herself be dressed for the day.
     Her mother had chosen a dress she thought fit for her meeting with the prince; however, she did not like it. It was lavender with bows and frills, making her seem childish.
     After a long fifteen minutes of convincing Myriam into helping her change into another outfit, she finally got fitted into an outfit she found perfect for her.
     It consisted of a long-sleeved white top with lace on the front, a long and blue graph check skirt that had ruffles near the bottom with a wide black hem, a black corset with eight golden buttons on the front to hold the two separate pieces together and give her shape, and finally, a pair of black leather ankle boots.
     Her auburn hair was styled into a wide French braid in the middle with small, ring-like braids on both sides that stretched from her temples into the French braid.
     "How do I look, Myriam?"
     "You look lovely, princess. The whole kingdom would have their eyes on you, so I wouldn't see why the prince won't when he lays his eyes upon your magnificent beauty."
     "Thank you, Myriam." Evelyn smiled gingerly at her maid.
     "It was my pleasure, princess." Myriam curtsied. "Let's get you breakfast. Shall we?" She motioned toward the hall and waited for her to leave first then shut the door to the chamber.
     After breakfast, Evelyn went to the garden to wait for the prince. She sat on the edge of the fountain as she watched the flowers and leaves sway along with the gentle breeze that blew over every so often. Wisps of her side hairs tickled her face, and she brushed them back.
     "May I join you?" a deep voice sounded beside her. She turned around to see a rather charming, young man—sitting beside her—clad in a white, long-sleeved shirt with small golden buttons and tiny frills on both sides of them, a navy blue tapestry vest with silvery decals, and white dress pants along with black leather ankle boots.
     His light brown, shoulder-length, wavy hair danced with the wind, and his blue eyes with hazel specks glistened under the sunlight as he smiled at her, creating dimples on his cheeks.
She frowned and glanced around for Myriam as she stood up. "Who are you?"
     "Alistair!" Another man in a black suit strode over with his long legs and a scowl on his face while holding a white blazer.
Myriam rushed beside him toward you. "Princess!" She stood beside you and bowed her head.
     "Ah, Bartholomeus. You found me," the prince-like man spoke up with a sheepish smile then stood up. Only then did Evelyn realize how tall he was; he was about an inch taller than the man named Bartholomeus, and Bartholomeus was a head taller than Myriam who had the same height as Evelyn. Their height was above average for ladies in their kingdom, and there were not many who were as tall as them.
     "Forgive me, princess. I was not able to reach you before the prince did," Myriam apologized.
     "The prince?" Evelyn looked over to the man putting on his blazer before placing a hand to his heart and bowing.
     "It is an honor to finally meet you, Princess Evelyn Daems of Steastivaria. I am Prince Alistair Hendriks of Ethruali, the only son of King Albert Hendriks, and your fiancé." He stepped closer and gently kissed her hand, and she gave a small smile.
     "Do I need to introduce myself even after he stated my position?" she mumbled to Myriam, and she nodded firmly. Alistair chuckled a little with a bent finger to his mouth, and Evelyn frowned before clearing her throat then grabbing her skirt to curtsy. "I am Princess Evelyn Daems of Steastivaria. It is relieving to finally see the face of the man I am betrothed to, Prince Alistair." She also curtsied to Bartholomeus to which he bowed his head with a slight smile.
     "I do understand that there are not many portraits of me due to my father's concern, so I would like to apologize for having you wonder what your fiancé may look like while I have seen quite a few of yours, which are very delightful might I say. I hope I have not disappointed you."
She huffed out a laugh. "No, it is fine. I am rather satisfied by your looks and thank you, Prince Alistair." She smiled with her hands clasped together in front of her.
     "Please, call me Alistair. In return, I would like to call you Evelyn."
     "As you'd like, Alistair." She curtsied once more. "I heard the gentleman beside you also call you by your name without honors. Is he your butler?"
     "Yes, Bartholomeus has been with me since I was a young lad. I'd much rather my friends and the people close to me call me by my name because using honors is quite tiring as I hear them all the time."
     "I guess we have something in common already. I've tried to get my maid, Myriam, over here to call me Evelyn, but she just refuses to because she wants only to acknowledge me as the princess." She sighed, and Myriam's cheeks turned pink.
     "Well, everyone has their preferences, and we should respect their wishes."
     "Very well said, Alistair."
     "Ah, yes, before I forget, I have brought you a gift for our first meet." He motioned for Bartholomeus to bring him a medium-sized box. He opened it to reveal a diamond-encrusted necklace with an ethereal emerald pendant. "I saw it in a shop as I was passing by one day; it reminded me of those magical emerald eyes of yours I've seen in paintings. It is a Busiliun gem. I think it'll match well with them."
     She smiled fairly as she watched the piece of jewelry sitting primly in its velvet, black case. The gem was polished so finely that it shined brilliantly under the sun. The sunlight shining on it made it seem like there was a whole other world locked inside it.
     Like many others, she was mesmerized by its beauty. However, she did not find much value in precious items such as it. She did not feel his sincerity through it. She found the simpler plainer things enjoyable as people could pour their hearts into it more than mere jewels, which others easily craved and fought over.
     "It is quite magnificent..." she commented as not to discourage him.
     "May I put it on you?" he asked.
     "Oh, I don't think I'm wearing the appropriate clothing to truly show off its beauty."
He carefully removed it from its case. "It is to compliment you not the other way around. May I?" She nodded slowly, and he stood behind her to place it around her neck. He returned to his spot in front of her and marveled at their beauty. "You look beautiful.."
     "Yes, your eyes seem brighter than ever, Princess," Myriam commented, and Bartholomeus nodded in agreement.
Evelyn lightly grazed her soft fingers against the smooth gem laying on her chest. "It is all thanks to your gift. My greatest gratitude, Alistair; however, I am afraid I did not prepare anything special for you."
     "You need not worry. I am the one who decided to bring a gift without notice, and there is no need for you to present me with anything special in the future."
     After he left, she returned the necklace into its case and set it in her cabinet never to be brought out again. Alistair visited three to four more times as they waited for their wedding day, which was a few weeks later.
     Each time, he came with a gift like more jewelry such as a jeweled bangle and gem-encrusted earrings or clothing such as a dress made with the finest cloth and shoes with the strongest leather; all she accepted but stored in her cabinets, never to be seen again.
     Just three days before their wedding, he visited once more, but this time, bearing no gift and with only a sad smile.
     "What's wrong, Alistair?" questioned Evelyn.
     "Evelyn, do you not like the gifts I have given you?" Her brows rose in surprise.
     "What makes you say that?" she questioned.
     "You have never worn any of my gifts during my visits..." he answered sadly, and ir made him seem vulnerable, adorable, and even younger. He was usually bright with a smile painted on his face yet manly at times, which certainly brought some butterflies to her stomach.
She took his hand and sat down on the edge of the fountain with him. "Alistair, I appreciate your gifts very much, but the reason why I don't wear them is that...I don't quite feel your love through them if you can understand what I'm trying to say."
     "No, I'm sorry. I don't..."
     "Hm...let me explain. Most men often present us, women, with items such as jewelry and clothing because we desire them as females, but has one ever considered there are some women who'd prefer something much simpler than those? Precious items like those already have a hefty value to them, so they wouldn't compare to something plain and original that has inherited the love and hard work of the people who bought or made them to give to the recipient who'd happily receive it with the love they so deeply and truly desire within from their partners."
     "But everything I've given you I've thought about you whilst purchasing them."
     "Doesn't one normally think of the person when buying an item for them?"
     "Then, what do you desire, Evelyn?" He grasped her small hands gently as he looked at her earnestly.
     "I don't desire much other than your true feelings for me, Alistair..." She cast her eyes down as she slowly removed her hands from his then placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. "I hope our betrothal truly benefits both our kingdoms and that it is not for naught. I must go now. My dearest parents are returning from their tiresome journey to Ciberg after making a deal." She left, and he walked back to his carriage with loads of thoughts clouding his mind.
     The day before their wedding, Alistair sent a letter telling Evelyn to wait for him in the back garden at night. When night fell, she quietly made her way to the back garden where there was a large tree standing in the middle with tall hedges surrounding the garden completely where there was only one entryway through the wooden door. She slowly walked toward a swing attached to a thick branch then held the strong rope and pulled a little before sitting down on it.
     "I wonder where he is..." she mumbled to herself.
     "Evelyn..." She turned her head to see Alistair standing behind her with his hands hidden behind his back. He was wearing a regular beige shirt with elbow-length sleeves and an open collar along with a pair of brown pants paired with black boots; he looked like any ordinary folks-person. He walked to stand in front of her whilst still hiding whatever was behind his back. His eyes widened when he got a clear view of her, and a blush crept up his face.
     Evelyn was wearing the items he bought her. She had on a long beige dress with flared sleeves held together with a long, black tunic lace-up front corset, cream leather pumps, a jewel-encrusted bangle, the diamond-encrusted necklace with an emerald pendant, and emerald-encrusted drop earrings to match, and she let her auburn hair down to settle at her waist.
     "Alistair..." She stood up to go to him, but he stopped her.
     "No, it is fine. Please sit down." He put a hand up to halt her actions, making her sit down on the swing again.
     "Why have you called me here on the night before our wedding? Could you not wait a few more hours?" she joked a little, and he looked flustered at her notion.
     "N-No..." He went closer to her. "I wanted to give you one last thing before we get married..."
     "Alistair..." She frowned, and he shook his head.
     "Don't worry, I think I figured out how I could truly express my love towards you without using something with currency value." He brought his hidden hand out from behind his back to reveal a bouquet of colorful tulips. There were yellow, white, purple, red, pink, and orange tulips held within a thin, red ribbon. The majority of them were red tulips then pink, orange, and yellow tulips were second prominent, and there were only two or three white and purple tulips. "I brought them from our garden back in Ethruali. My mother loved tulips, and she used to tell me all about them and the meanings behind their colors."
Evelyn took the bouquet and sniffed the wonderful scent of the petite flowers. "They're beautiful...What do they mean?"
He squatted down in front of her knees and looked up at her with soft eyes. "Purple symbolizes royalty, like us. Pink and orange symbolize elegance and grace, which you possess greatly." She smiled at his compliment. "Yellow symbolizes jauntiness, which I present whenever I think about you or see you," he said as he held her hand gently, and she blushed. "White symbolizes forgiveness, which I hope you'll grant me for being ignorant." He smiled, and she giggled. "And, lastly, red symbolizes deep love..." Their smiles faltered from the tension felt between them. "It is also said that the center of the tulips represents the lover's heart..."
He slowly stood up and inched toward her face, and she gripped the rope nervously. His soft lips met hers, and he held the rope as well, covering her hand. The gentle kiss did not last for too long though, for they still possessed their dignity.
Evelyn pursed her lips with a flustered face when he backed away to settle his arms and chin on her knees as he looked up at her with loving eyes. "Thank you...for the tulips, Alistair..."
     "I can't wait for our wedding tomorrow..." he declared quietly then turned his head sideways to lay it down as if sleeping.
She smiled softly and looked up at the bright, round moon in the starry, night sky amongst the swaying tree leaves. "Me either..." She slowly stroke his head in the quiet of the night, enjoying the precious moment they had to themselves.