Florian
Florian loved Morganite as much as he hated Malachite. He knew he couldn’t blame her for marrying a dwarf. They’d both known that would happen eventually. He just hadn’t been prepared for how hard it would hit him when she did. Sixteen years had passed since their wedding and his heart still broke any time he saw them together. Morganite had tried to maintain their friendship but he hadn’t been able to remain cordial. He feared he would say something cruel to her if they spent much time together so he’d given up his ambassador position and avoided her as much as he could.
He knew he should move on, of course. He certainly tried. It was in trying that he found himself waking up with a gnome on either side of him after a long night of trying to forget the dwarf. Alcohol had been involved in this particular encounter so he found some of the details a bit fuzzy. He was fairly certain the male was named Birch and the female was Lily. Or was it Lilac? It definitely started with an ‘L’.
He slipped out of bed, careful not to wake them. His mother was sure to lecture him is she heard about this and his head was pounding way too much for that right then. He got dressed and snuck out of the little hut where he’d spent the night. He found that dozens of huts dotted the area, built between trees and often even connected to them. It wasn’t an unusual setup but it was inconvenient for a gnome trying to sneak away. He knew people saw him and did his best not to look too disheveled as he passed.
He made his way to the series of huts owned by his family. They’d run the forest for generations and were afforded as many luxuries as gnomes could ask for because of it. He even had his own hut, although it was built directly on top of his parents’ home. Accessing it without entering their home required climbing up a ladder. As he did so, the forest spun around him and he had to cling to the ladder tightly to keep from falling. It took considerably longer than usual to climb it in his current state but he eventually made it inside and collapsed into his own bed, eager to sleep off the consequences of the night.
Unfortunately, he only got to enjoy the bed for a few minutes before there was a knock at his door, making him groan. He considered ignoring it but not just anyone would be knocking. He knew it was either an emergency or someone sent by his parents. Either way, he had to answer or things would be significantly worse for him.
He dragged himself out of bed and opened the door, rubbing sleep from his eyes as he looked at his cousin, Hyacinthe.
“Long night?” he asked with a raised eyebrow as he looked Florian over.
Hyacinthe wasn’t Florian’s favorite cousin or even his fourth favorite. The gnome was blond with a thick, long beard that he took great pride in. He’d always given Florian a hard time for being unable to grow a proper beard. Hyacinthe also had a chip on his shoulder because he wasn’t as powerful as his mother had hoped. His abilities paled in comparison to his sister, Chrysanthemum, and everyone knew it. He was always trying too hard to be his mother’s favorite but even with his sister having disappeared for eighteen years, he couldn’t convince anyone he was superior to her. Most of the time, he just wound up being an annoyance.
“Do you need something?” Florian asked rather than answer his question.
“Family meeting. Wash up and come down in an hour.” With that, he turned on his heel and left.
Good riddance, Florian thought, closing the door behind him. He was tempted to go back to bed, but knew it would be more trouble if he didn’t attend the family meeting. Instead, he dragged his exhausted body into the bathroom to make himself as presentable as possible.
Once he was passably decent, he made his way downstairs, finding his parents, uncles, aunts and cousins all sitting in the living room. It occurred to him to wonder if this was an intervention but he suspected there would be more extended family if they were doing something like that.
“Nice of you to join us,” his mother, Petunia, said. “Please, have a seat.”
He did as he was told and looked around the room. “What’s this about?”
“It seems Chrysanthemum has been spotted,” she said.
Florian leaned forward at that. He’d been close with his cousin before the attack on her school. Afterwards, she’d become more withdrawn, blaming herself for what happened as her magic had been used. Eventually, she’d left and hadn’t returned. He’d spent months looking for her before accepting that she didn’t want to be found. He always assumed she’d return on her own, though. “Where?”
“The circus,” Hyacinthe volunteered, his tone making it clear how he felt about that.
Florian looked to his mother for an explanation.
“We don’t know for sure what her connection is,” Petunia said. “However, we’ve received news of three sightings over the past year from our allied sources. Each one coincided with this circus visiting the area. At this point, we suspect the two things are connected.”
“Over the past year?” Florian echoed, trying to keep his tone even. “You’ve received news of Chrysanthemum before now?”
“It was unsubstantiated,” his Aunt Thistle said. “We sent someone to look into it but each time they got there too late. The circus had left town and any sign of my daughter went with it.”
She was Chrysanthemum’s mother and sure to be the one most worried about her, so it was difficult to be angry with the gnome. “Alright. Do we know where the circus is now?”
“Not exactly, but following its path, we believe it will be passing near Bhela soon.”
Of course, it was. “I suppose we’re going to ask the royal family of Bhela for assistance, then. I know Chrysanthemum and the princess were good friends before.”
“Perhaps, not as good as you two were,” Hyacinthe commented.
Florian did his best to ignore him.
“We’ve reached out to her,” Thistle said. “She promised she’ll offer any assistance she can but I don’t feel she’s best suited to bring my daughter home. That kind of thing should be done by family.”
He could hardly be surprised by the assertion. Family was everything to most gnomes, after all. “I suppose you have someone in mind for the job.”
“You know the area as well as anyone, don’t you?”
Florian wanted to argue but most of his family didn’t travel much. Given how badly things had gone while Thistle was headmistress, everyone agreed it was best the gnomes stayed in the forest. Apart from ambassadors, few people left the area. “Will I need to work with Morganite if I do this?”
“Ah, he said her name,” his cousin, Marigold, teased.
Florian knew she didn’t mean that harshly. He had avoided talking about the princess for a while so it was a fair comment. If he tried to defend himself, it would have led to more embarrassment for him.
“We would expect you to work with her as it will likely either pass through her mountain or around it,” his mother said. “I assume you can be cordial, at least.”
She spoke as if this was already decided. In her mind, it likely was. Family helped family and that was that. It would never occur to her that he might refuse. Of course, it never really occurred to him, either. If there was any chance to bring Chrysanthemum home, he would take it, even if it meant working with Morganite. “Is there any sort of plan here or am I just going to head there and hope to find a circus?”
“And convince Chrysanthemum to return home,” Thistle said.
“Right.” He scratched his head. “Am I supposed to just drag her back if she refuses?”
“Well, no, but I’m sure you can convince her.”
He wasn’t sure. He hadn’t been able to convince her not to run off, after all. While he hadn’t known she would do that, he had known she was upset. He hadn’t found a way to make her feel comfortable in their home after what happened. If she was still overwhelmed by that guilt, she might want to continue running from it. He certainly understood running from unpleasant feelings. “I’m not sure I’ll be enough for that.”
“You were the last person she talked to here,” Marigold pointed out. “You were at the school when everything happened and you two were always close. Surely, that’s enough, especially with Morganite helping.”
Chrysanthemum did usually listen to Morganite. She felt guilty towards the dwarf, as well. If Morganite were to talk to her, it might help. “Will she be able to send me a teleportation bracelet?”
“She’s sent rings,” Thistle offered, further proving they’d made their plan before telling him anything. “They’re not as durable but they should get you there and back, at least, along with Chrysanthemum.”
He wasn’t sure they realized how difficult this task could be. Assuming he found the circus and was able to talk to Chrysanthemum, he might only have one chance to speak with her before she disappeared again. He was surprised she’d been spotted to begin with. She must have dropped her guard to allow that to happen. If he spoke to her and she decided not to return, her guard would go back up and she might not be seen for another decade or two. However, he realized it might be helpful for him to see his cousin, even if he couldn’t bring her back. It would be a comfort to know she was okay, at least. “Then I guess the only question is: when do I leave?”
The answer to that question turned out to be that evening. They’d even packed a bag for him to speed things up. Florian was given the day to rest before being sent off. He slipped one ring on his finger and stuck the other in his pocket. The second one would only take someone back to his aunt’s home. Ideally, he would be able to get his cousin to use it without much fuss. He told himself it had been so long that Chrysanthemum must miss them and want to return. Surely, she wasn’t still wallowing in guilt, right?
As he was transported to Bhela, the familiar surroundings made his heart ache distractingly. He hadn’t been there in years since he’d been avoiding Morganite. He did his best to avoid any news of her and knew he wasn’t prepared to see her. Unfortunately, he also knew it was unavoidable. He was in her homeland and her parents weren’t likely to help him in what they’d likely consider a family matter. The princess was the only one who would be likely to even meet with him.
“Florian!” an enthusiastic voice called.
He thought it was Morganite, at first, and tried to steel himself, but he turned to find Amethyst walking towards him. As Morganite’s twin, there were many who may have mistaken the two, but he could never mistake anyone for Morganite. He gave a polite bow. “Hello, Princess Amethyst.”
“You don’t need to be so formal with me,” she said. “I’m glad you’ve finally returned.”
“Only briefly.” He looked her over. “You’re looking quite well.”
That was true. The princess had always been sickly but she’d put on some weight and had proper color in her cheeks. It was the healthiest he’d ever seen her.
She grinned at that. “I’ve been doing really well lately. I have had a bad spell in over a year. It seems I’ve finally recovered from my long ailment.”
Her “long ailment” had been physical weakness from birth. He didn’t see how she could suddenly have recovered but it didn’t seem helpful to say so, though. “I’m glad to hear it.”
“I suppose you’re here to see my sister.”
He did his best to keep smiling. “Yes.”
She grabbed his hand. “I’ll bring you to her then.”
Florian put up no resistance as the dwarf pulled him along. He found himself surprised by the strength of her grip as it had always been weak before. Though it went against all logic, she did appear to be healthy. It was a remarkable recovery to be sure.
Amethyst stopped in front of a door he knew to be an office and she knocked. A few seconds later, Malachite opened the door, making Florian’s stomach drop. He was well-dressed and it suited him even better than the pirate clothes he’d worn the first time he and Florian had met. His thick beard was neatly trimmed, as always. He was ruggedly handsome and almost a head taller than Florian. The gnome hated all those things about him.
“He’s here to see Morganite,” Amethyst said.
“I’m aware,” Malachite told her. “Thank you.”
Amethyst offered the gnome a smile before she released his hand and walked away.
“Come in,” Morganite’s voice called from inside the room.
Malachite backed out of the door to allow him entry and Florian took a calming breath before obeying. Malachite closed the door behind him and Florian froze inside.
Morganite was a vision in a deep pink dress with her hair done up, accented by pink gems. She sat behind a desk, her posture and expression giving her the presence of a queen rather than a princess. No matter how much she and Amethyst looked alike, there was no way the latter could truly be mistaken for Morganite.
“It’s good to see you again,” she said.
“You, too,” he managed, though his voice wasn’t as strong as he would have liked. “I was told you’d be able to help with Chrysanthemum.”
“I will offer what help I can,” she said. “To be honest, we have some concerns about the circus beyond my friend. If possible, I hoped you’d be willing to look into it while trying to convince her to return home.”
“What concerns do you have?” He couldn’t help being curious. “It’s just a circus, isn’t it?”
“For all appearances, yes. They set up near a city, do their performance and move on within a few days. I haven’t visited them myself, but I know they’ve passed nearby a few times over the years. However, there have been increasing reports of children going missing around the time the circus comes and goes. If the reports are accurate, there’s no telling how long it’s been happening or how many children have been taken. After all, it would take a while for people to realize the circus was connected. Most likely thought their children ran away.”
He stared at her, having to remind himself to breathe. “Do you think they’ve kidnapped Chrysanthemum?”
“As far as we know, it’s only children who have disappeared,” Morganite said. “Even so, we must remain cautious. If you’re going to visit the circus to seek her out, I hoped you might be willing to look into this a bit. I won’t ask too much of you, though. I certainly wouldn’t ask you to do it alone.”
His heart skipped a beat. He figured she’d come with him to speak to Chrysanthemum but the idea of investigating something like this was strangely thrilling. He knew he shouldn’t think that way but his heart was at war with his head. “I’ll appreciate you coming with me to talk to Chrysanthemum. I’ll help with anything else you need.”
Morganite frowned. “Unfortunately, I won’t be able to investigate this so I don’t think it’s wise I come with you to search for her. To be honest, I can’t be away from the palace much right now.”
“Oh.” He did his best not to let his disappointment show. “Is everything alright?”
“Yes. It’s just...” Slowly, Morganite stood, stepping out from behind the desk and laying a hand on her swollen belly.
Florian stared at her stomach, his mouth going dry. “You’re...”
“Not in a condition to travel. We don’t know how far away the circus will be exactly. Given its usual schedule, it should pass near here but we don’t know if it will be near enough for me to get there quickly. It’s important we get to the circus as soon as possible so you can’t risk me slowing you down.”
“I see.”
“I won’t abandon you, though,” she promised. “I know this must be disappointing but I’ll make sure you have someone trustworthy to help you.”
He nodded slowly. “I’ll appreciate any help your family can spare.”
“You should know my parents aren’t invested in this,” she said. “I couldn’t convince them to spare any guards even. I considered Amethyst, but I know they wouldn’t approve, even if she does seem to be doing well.”
“I wouldn’t ask such a thing,” he assured her.
“In the end, there was only one option.”
He blinked, feeling like he should understand where she was going with that. “Which option is that?”
“Me.”
Slowly, Florian turned to face Malachite, who had spoken. His mind raced to comprehend what had been said. “You?”
“He’s agreed to help you,” Morganite explained. “Well, help us. If Chrysanthemum’s mixed up with dangerous people, we need to get her out of there and put a stop to it. Malachite is trustworthy and has experience investigating traffickers. He’s the best option.”
His mind railed against this but he couldn’t come up with a logical reason to refuse. She was right that he shouldn’t go in alone if there was a possibility of danger. Malachite was probably trustworthy if Morganite believed him to be. Even so, the idea of working with him made Florian want to scream.
“It’s for Chrysanthemum,” Morganite said, as if she could read his mind. “You’ll do it for her sake, won’t you?”
Florian swallowed his arguments. “Of course. For Chrysanthemum.”
