3.

Whilst on the way, Leona couldn’t help but stare at the hand that encases hers. It is firm but gentle, cold but warm at the same time – even though their hands are covered with thick layers of gloves.

Leona’s hand moves on its own violation and squeezes Aeron’s. The sliver head glances at her through the corner of his eye, making her cheeks flush in embarrassment. She hurriedly withdraws her hand, clenching it by her side.

“So…” Aeron begins with a monotone voice, face impassive. “What are your hobbies Heiress Leona?”

“Leona, please.” Leona says with a wryly smile. “Either that or Miss Leona. Calling me ‘Heiress Leona’ makes me sound like a pompous brat.”

Aeron releases a snort, staring morosely at her. Although his face is blank, his eyes are alit with amusement.

“Anyways, back to your question. I’m afraid I don’t have much hobbies. Not anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, when my parents were alive, I had one hobby: sword practice. I loved training with my mother and sister. Every day, before dinner and under the setting sun, my mother and I practiced in the garden. She made a specific area for us to fight with her own hands. She was a master in the use of weapons, mostly swords and spears. I never could land a hit on her; no one could, not even my father. She was undefeated. Well, I thought she was.” Leona ends with sad smile.

Aeron hums, saying, “I see.” He takes another turn and they entered another corridor, which leads to a small fountain in the center.

There are other corridors which find their way to it, making a cross roads of some sort. Leona takes in the beauty of it, most especially the angel on it, holding a vase from which the water poured down to the three layered fountain.

Leona takes the chance to survey the area, and once again, she’s blown away. The ceiling is made of glass, giving one the clear view of the sky. The upper walls are painted gold while the lower walls were white. Roses and angels are found on them, giving the area an ethereal glow.

Before they could enter the corridor in front of them, another catches Leona’s eyes. Her brows cease into a frown as her eyes narrow into slits. Leona stares intently at the corridor, momentarily forgetting that Aeron is beside her.

Unlike the others which you can see clearly, this one is unnaturally dark; even with the light coming from above. It makes her to go tense in alarm and a shiver to crawl down her spine. The corridor has the same feel as to that of the Blackwater family portrait.

She hurriedly averts her eyes, gulping soundlessly.

Unknowingly to her, Aeron is staring at her with a blank eyed look, his lips quirked in an amused smirk. He exhales silently through his nostrils, neck turning to face the path, narrowly escaping from meeting gazes with the Vermilion.

“Are there other things you occupy yourself with, Miss Leona?” Aeron asks with casual boredom.

“Oh… umm… I’m used to gardening, albeit on a small scale. Unlike Liliane, I abhor huge gardens, seeing as they contain insects and the rest.”

“'Used to’?” Aeron queries with a cocked sliver brow.

“You can thank my… loving grandmother for that. She said that I need to learn a female task.” Leona give a roll of her eyes. “You see, I used to love gardening at a young age, but when she forced it on me and made me do it morning and evening, I began to hate it. Well, that hate didn’t hold for long. Liliane made me got used to it again. I don’t love it, but I don’t hate it either.” She shrugs.

“Hmm… I take it she was the one who put a stop to your sword training?”

“Correct.” Leona nods. “According to her, it is a training meant for men and it ruins the hands of a lady of my prestige and status.” Leona voice is dipped with sarcasm and disdain and the young Lady gives a heavy roll of her eyes.

“I pray she doesn’t utter those word to my mother or sister. They will rip her apart with their tongues.”

“Wait… the women of the Blackwater house practice with swords?” Leona blinks owlishly at Aeron, eyes inquisitive.

“That and magik. Everyone in the family is required to know how to wield at least two weapons. Everyone.”

Leona blinks in surprise. “Everyone? Even the servants?”

“Yes. Either that or you know how to use defensive and offensive magik. Mother hires those who can take care of themselves in case of an attack.”

“An attack? Who in their right mind will want to attack you?” Leona asks incredulously. “The moment I saw you I was frightened. Hell, I went on defense mode for a second. And don’t get me started on Lady Blackwater.” She lets out a sharp laugh, her hand batting the air. “She gives off an intimidating aura. The sharp smile on her lips makes it all the more terrifying.”

“Oh. You noticed?” The corner of Aeron’s lips tilts.

“Only a fool will think that she’s smiling warmly at them. Your mother only smiles a real smile at either you or the butler and the maid. Since we arrived, she has only aimed a sharp smile at us. And when my idiot of an uncle insulted your sister, her smile took a deadly turn. Her smile could’ve cut diamonds with how sharp it was. I never wish to be on the receiving end of it.” Leona ends with a grimace.

Aeron’s lips stretches into a shark like grin for a brief second, eyes shining with unholy glee. ‘Mother was right. She is a sharp one.’

“We have arrived.”

Before them stood a glass door showing the landscape of a beautiful garden. Leona’s eyes widen a little at the scenery. Even through the door, it is beautiful.

As if having a mind of its own, her gloved hand reaches for the gold handle, but she pulls back, flinching as if burnt.

“Do not fret. The garden is free of bugs. Mother made sure of that, seeing as they irritate her also.”

Leona gives him a stiff nod before grabbing a door handle and Aeron grabs the other. They open the doors together and step in.

“Wow…” Leona breaths out as she gets a clear view of the garden.

It is breathtaking. The colors, the smell… it is all breathtaking.

“This is beautiful. How did Lady Blackwater…” Leona makes a gesture at the garden, not being able to get the words out.

“How did mother manage all this?” Aeron echoes, giving the Lady an amused arch of his brow. Leona nods as she looks at the Blackwater heir quizzically. He gives a deep chuckle, saying, “Mother has always had a green thumb. She became invested in it when her friend introduced her to gardening. She became more obsessed with it after the death of said friend. According to her, it is a way of honoring her memory.”

“That is so thoughtful of her.” Leona says with a soft smile.

Leona silently walks around, surveying everywhere. She tries not to step away from the cobbler stone paths and unto the flower beds, but she couldn’t resist the urge to touch them.

She removes the glove on her right hand, holding the white glove with her left, before taking a hold of her dress with said left hand.

The flowers were simply beautiful and she had to smell them. She makes sure to hold her dress tightly upwards – not minding or caring that her legs were showing (if her grandmother were here, the old hag would have fainted in mortification) – and made sure that it wouldn’t get much mud.

The garden is HUGE! It takes quite a while for them to explore it. Right now, Aeron is leading them over to one of the garden’s bench. They cross over the pond, Leona admiring the colorful designs of the Zoi fishes.

‘I could stay here forever.’ Leona internally sighs blissfully. ‘Not only is it bug free, it has so many species of flowers I haven’t seen.’

On her left, she notices a flower she didn’t know could possibly exist.

‘By Helma! Is that a purple rose I see?!’

Her eyebrows rise up high I'm surprise, passing her bangs. Her eyes blink rapidly, still unable to believe what is before them. ‘I thought they were a myth! First a white rose, then a pink rose and now a freaking purple rose! Where does Lady Arkona get them… from…’

Aeron lets out a soft, inquisitive noise at the back of his throat as Leona’s footsteps come to a sudden halt. He turns back, a puzzled look on his face. What he finds is the Vermillion heiress staring intently behind him, eyes blown wide. He frowns, wondering what caused this and turns back to investigate.

All he finds is a bed of flowers, most specifically his mother’s beloved bed of Moon-Night Musk, which are positioned a few feet away from an elegant garden bench. There isn’t a single day his mother wouldn’t be found tending to those flowers, treating them with extra care than she did with the others.

“There are the last gifts of a beloved friend,” she would say. “I want them to survive, so that I can present it to her daughter.”

Why did seeing the Musk make her go rigid? Unless…

“Miss Leona?” Aeron calls out, a hand raised towards her.

Leona takes a step forward, and another, and another, eyes still trained on the flowers. She walks slowly towards the bed, by passing Aeron, not even paying him a lick of attention.

When she gets to her destination, she crouches down, not minding the mud that stick to the bottom of her dress and made it even dirtier. She reaches out to a flower with her shaky, ungloved hand, making sure not to crush its petals as she caressed it.

Leona bites her lip so as to prevent the chocked sound that wanted to escape from her mouth. She closes her eyes as she takes in a deep sniff of that nostalgic scent. It’s been so long since she breathed in this unique aroma. So long…

*****************

“Here honey. Take of whiff of this.” Adriane presented a soon to be planted Musk to a five year old Leona, lips tilted in a loving smile.

Leona bent down and took a deep breath of the flower’s fragrance. “Wow! It smells so nice!”

“It does, doesn’t it?” Leona nodded rapidly, eyes wide. “You know who this flower reminds me of?” Her daughter shook her head so fast that it managed to dislodge her gardening net from her head. She yelped cutely, making her mother and sister chuckle in amusement. She waited for Leona to put the large net back on her head, the child looking at her eagerly after. “Well, sweetheart, this flower reminds me of you.”

“Really?” Leona whispered out, eyes bright.

“Really really.” Adriane once again blessed her with a loved filled smile. “Just like how you’re your father is my Sunrise flower, your sister my Aqua-Lily and your cousin Raemon my Desert Night-Drop; you my dear are my beautiful Moon-Night Musk.”

The Redfyre clan head softly rubbed her nose against her daughter’s, making the child giggle loudly. The two of them then got on their knees and planted the Musk, which was the last out of twenty.

“From here on out, these flowers will be the symbol of our bond, honey and I will always make sure that they are safe.”

“Don’t worry mama! Even if you cannot look after them, I will! I promise!” Leona loudly said with a toothy grin.

“As will I.” Liliane spoke up quietly.

Adriane blinked at their proclamation, her smile widening. “Now this is why I love you both!” And with that she took both of them in her arms and she prepped kisses all over their faces, making them to shriek in joy.

****************

Leona grits her teeth as that particular memory resurfaces. She only had to do one, one. Single. Thing. But she failed… woefully at that.

The Vermilion heiress feels an onslaught of emotions come crashing at her gates. The most noticeable are rage and resentment.

She’s angry at herself for failing; she resents herself for failing to keep her promise to her mother; and lastly, she resents the existence her family. Honestly, if she could burn them to ashes right this very moment, she would do so, gladly.

All except Liliane and Raemon of course.

“Miss Leona?”

Aeron’s voice breaks her from her train of thoughts, making her to remember that she isn’t alone. Her face goes back to its blank and emotionless mask, eyes turning cold and guarded. She stands up, stepping away from the bed, calmly wearing back her glove.

While smoothing unseen wrinkles on her gown, she says, “I apologize for my rude behavior Heir Blackwater.” She then places both hands in front of her. “It’s been years since I’ve seen a Moon-Night Musk, much less a bed of it. Due to how extinct they are, it took me by surprise to see this much.” She gives him a feint sheepish smile. “Pray tell, how did you come to have so many?”

Aeron gives a shrug, face still impassive. “From what I grasped from mother’s occasional self-talk, they were gifted to her by her best friend. The Redfyre.”

“Really?” Leona blinks in surprise.

‘Is it who I think it is? No. It can’t be… can it?’

Leona’s heart speeds up in anticipation. “Have you perchance met this Redfyre before? That is, when she was alive?”

“I did, but that was a long time ago. Things from before are now so blurry that I can’t recall her face.”

“Ah… I see.”

The atmosphere between the two becomes awkward after that. Aeron is massaging the back of his neck, thinking of what to say, while Leona is mentally reeling at an uncertain possibility, also self-countering the possibility of said possibility existing.

The awkwardness was thankfully destroyed by the arrival of a furry friend on all fours, who was walking majestically over to them.

“By the Goddess Helma! It’s a Black Linex!” Leona exclaims. She crouches down once again, extending a hand to the feline, who sniffs at the appendage. It takes two minutes for the feline to accept her presence. It nuzzles her hand, making the heiress to go all mussy (internally of course).

Leona gently picks the feline up, watching its reaction, just in case they were uncomfortable or didn’t want to be picked up. The angel doesn't flinch, even purring when Leona held it in a cradle.

“Why hello. What’s your name precious?”

“That’s Lildera.” Aeron nods at the Linex in her arms. “She’s basically the queen of the house, after my mother of course. She comes and go as she wishes. Everyone treats her with respect; even my mother indulges to her requests.”

“Of course she should be treated with respect! Linex’s are known to be the messengers of Helma, the Goddess and Supreme Overlord of Hell. There are said to bring good fortunes or bad luck, depending on the soul of the mortal. They are to be treated with nothing but utmost respect, unless one wants to call the wrath of Helma on their heads, and burn for all eternity in a circle of Hell.” Leona says all that in one breath, taking a huge breath in after that.

Aeron raises an amused brow at her, lips quirked in a smirk. The heiress laughs sheepishly, cheeks flushing in mortification.

“Whoops… I did it again…”

“That was incredible. You sure do know about Linexs. Pray tell, how do you know so much about them? If I’m correct, the people in this kingdom are not ones for superstition; making most history and legends about some creature lost or viewed as a bedtime fantasy.”

“Remember when I told you that my grandmother banned me from sword practice? Yeah, I could only read about it and various theories when she wasn’t around. Even as I child, I didn’t love books as much I do now. But after the death of my parents, reading became the only way of me escaping the disappointing reality called life.” She says in a dry tone that if Raemon were to be around, he would have nodded in pride.

Aeron gives a deep chuckle, saying, “I see.” He pauses, giving the Vermillion heiress a long subtle stare as she softly caressed Lildera, who is soaking up all the attention from the raven haired beauty.

“Come Miss Leona, let’s have a seat.” He gestures at the bench a few feet away from them.

Leona inclines her head in thanks before walking over and taking a sit on the grass green bench – making sure to part her hair, dripping it on both sides of her body - , Aeron following after her.

“So, tell me about yourself, and if you could, your family also.”

“I will if you do the same.” She says with a sharp smirk.

“Then it’s a deal then.” Aeron nods with an amused smirk.

“Good. Now where do I start?”

“How about telling me your likes and dislikes, your aspiration and also your hobbies.”

“But I’ve-“

“Your REAL hobbies Miss Leona, not the ones your family imposed on you.”

Leona gives a hesitant nod at him.

“Well…”