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Dasyra wandered through the Royal Garden, quietly breathing in the heady scent of the flowers around her. Before coming to the Royal Palace, she had only ever seen flowers being sold in stands around the market or in the fields of wild grasses, when her feet took to wandering away from the store.
But only when Asra was around, otherwise her feet seem to know that she should stay close to the shop, when he is gone.
Running her newly clean nails among the various flowers; Lavender, Daffodils, Irises, and Lilacs are the ones that she recognizes the most in this garden of beauties. Beauties that might also rival the beauty of the Countess herself though she doubts that is even possible. Each flower has its own meaning and she has cleverly gotten Portia to tell her that Lavender is Nadia’s favorite.
It would certainly make for a beautiful gift coupled with a Daffodil or two.
Dasyra stops in the path and wonders if she would so much as dare to take from the garden or did she go down to the Market instead? If she took them from the garden then she wouldn’t have to pay anyone for them, whereas she would have to spend coin in the marketplace to get the very same flowers.
Her mind made up, Dasyra reaches for the first Daffodil.
She’s heading to her room, intent on changing into some fresh, clean clothes so that the ones she is currently wearing could be cleaned. A soft musical chuckle reaches her ear and she whirls around to find Nadia watching her from the stairs, amusement clear on her face.
“There you are, Dasyra. Ah.. oh my look at the state of you. It appears that I did hear right that you have been busy in the Royal Gardens. Gathering flowers as I can clearly see.”
Dasyra feels the heat in her pale cheeks and knows that she may well be blushing. Right, there’s no such thing as real privacy in the Palace. There are eyes everywhere, watching every movement and every moment very keenly.
“Y- Yes ah, I picked these from the Royal Garden. I hope that is alright. They are for you, C– Nadia.”
Nadia chuckles softly as she smells the flowers that Dasyra had given her; after a few moments, Nadia looks at her with a smile.
“May I ask why you picked the Lavender and Daffodils?”
Dasyra moves to stand near Nadia with a small smile on her face.
“I chose Lavender because I heard they are your favorite.”
Gently and lightly, she touches one of the Daffodils with the small smile still on her face as she looks at Nadia.
“Daffodil for hope, good fortune, mirth, and joyousness. All things that I hope for you to have now and in the future, Nadia.”
Immeasurable expressions cross over the Countess’s face, then after a few moments, she reaches for the flowers, gently brushes her fingers against Dasyra’s in the process – Dasyra tries to hold back a shiver at the gentle touch – and brings them to her nose as her eyes stay on Dasyra’s.
Nadia then places them in the vase that Portia had quietly placed at her side and takes Dasyra’s hands in hers. She raises their joined hands to her mouth and gently kisses the top of Dasyra’s hand with soft, smile touched dark lips.
“I thank you for this gift of flowers, Dasyra. It means much that you have given me this gift. I continue to have hope for our future with you at my side, my dear.”