The Meadow Of Misfortune
The trio stumbled into a meadow so aggressively magical it felt like it was trying to win a "Most Whimsical Landscape" award. Flowers sang off-key lullabies, butterflies wore tiny top hats, and the grass glittered like it had been rolled in craft-store glitter.
Alden sneezed violently. "This place is awful. It's like a unicorn's birthday party threw up everywhere."
Elara crouched to inspect a flower that winked at her. "It's… charming."
"It's haunted," Kael muttered, swatting a butterfly that kept trying to perch on his head like a living fascinator.
---
The meadow's magic had a catch: every time someone told a lie, the flowers emitted a pollen that made them sneeze uncontrollably.
Alden learned this the hard way.
"I didn't eat your last cookie," he said, crumbs on his chin.
The flowers exploded in a cloud of pink pollen.
"ACHOO—traitorous flora! ACHOO!"
Elara tossed him a handkerchief. "Serves you right."
---
As they wandered, Elara and Kael fell into step beside each other, the meadow's magic amplifying the tension between them. A cluster of flowers nearby began to hum Careless Whisper.
Alden, sneezing and trailing snot, lagged behind. "You two go ahead! I'll just… ACHOO… die here!"
Kael glanced back. "Should we help him?"
Elara grabbed his arm. "Let him suffer. It builds character."
---
They reached a crystal-clear pond where lily pads floated like tiny green dinner plates. The flowers here were quieter, their petals blushing pink whenever Elara and Kael got too close.
"This place is… peaceful," Elara said, sitting on a rock.
"Too peaceful," Kael grumbled, eyeing a lily pad that was definitely judging him.
The flowers began to hum Can't Help Falling in Love.
Elara groaned. "Really?"
Kael sat beside her, stiff as a board. "They're worse than Alden."
---
A moment passed. Then another. The air thickened with unspoken words.
Kael and Elara thinking all the wonderful moments they had shared.
"Elara, I…"
"Kael, I…"
They spoke at the same time, then froze.
The flowers erupted in a chorus of Kiss the Girl.
Elara's face turned scarlet. "This is mortifying."
Kael cleared his throat. "We should… talk."
"We are talking."
"About… us."
Elara's heart raced. The flowers began to shower them with heart-shaped pollen.
---
Meanwhile, Alden was stuck in a tree, wrapped in vines that had "hugged" him after he insulted their ancestry.
"This is fine," he told a squirrel. "They're having a moment. I'm happy for them. ACHOO."
---
Back at the pond, Kael reached into his cloak and pulled out a small, velvety box.
Elara's breath hitched. "Is that…?"
"A protection charm," he said quickly. "For the battles ahead. Not… anything else."
"Oh." She tried to hide her disappointment.
The flowers booed.
Elara reached into her satchel. "I… made you something too." She handed him a dried flower. "It's for courage. Not… symbolic or anything."
"Right."
The flowers slow-clapped.
---
"Elara, what I'm trying to say is…"
"Kael, I think we should…"
They leaned in, the world narrowing to the space between them—
"HELLO, LOVEBIRDS!"
Alden crashed through the bushes, covered in pollen and dragging vines like a deranged bridal train. "The flowers ate my boot! Also, you're welcome for the privacy."
Kael and Elara sprang apart, their faces matching the pink petals around them.
"Alden," Kael growled, "timing."
Alden grinned, pulling out his sketchbook. "Don't mind me! Pretend I'm a rock. A romantic rock."
---
That night, camped under the judgmental stars, Elara and Kael sat by the fire. Alden snored loudly nearby, a flower crown askew on his head.
"Today was… something," Elara said.
Kael nodded. "Something."
She fiddled with the protection charm. "You know, if you were going to… propose… I wouldn't hate it." Her face crimson.
He choked on his tea. "Noted."
A beat.
"If you were going to propose," he muttered, "I'd… consider it."
Elara's smile lit up the
The flowers sighed dreamily.
---