The Flower Virus

PAST:

VIOLET grew up with flowers all around her; it was what Malendria was known for. People traveled from kingdoms away to see the flowers — until they began blooming where they shouldn’t.

“Morning, Morning!” a voice shouted, and in response, a man dressed in dark purple came. “You called, my highness?” The man bows and stands straight up, his tall body making a large shadow over the young princess.

“May you deliver this letter to the letter carrier, please?” The young woman had a letter in her hands.

The letter said “To Anemone” in neat cursive, it was how every noble and royal wrote, it was their signature basically.

The light caused a soft shadow glow over the young princess’s face; even though only fourteen, she was first in line to be queen.

Her milk-chocolate hair shimmer softly in the sunlight. She wore a delicate dress; the dress was light purple with beautiful violet flowers stitched onto it.

She chuckles softly, “I know, you want me to come with you like always, of course.” She stood up, her dress was just past her feet, it was her favorite dress.

The dress was made by her grandmother, just before she died; She was a garment maker before meeting her grandfather, the prince at the time.

The story was beautiful to her, how two soulmates met each other and fell in love, or it was just because she had heard from her mother since she was a little girl.

“So, Morning, what are you doing after this?” The princess asked, looking up at the man. “Seeing glory, like always, what about you, Violet?”

“Hmm, how are they doing? I haven’t heard you talking about them in a while.”

Violet asked as they walked by carts of food, flowers, and useful items for travelers of Malendria.

The carts were colorfully decorated, making them stand out against the gray stone walls behind them.

The seller yelled out the items they were selling to attach containers to them.

Some of the sellers tried to draw the attention of Violet and Morning to no avail.

They knew if they bought something, two things would happen.

Once it would become a new ‘trend’ with the commoners and hundreds of them would buy it to be like the nobles and royal, specifically the princess, their god.

Violet thought it was weird how people wanted to be her; they would do anything for her.

Ask for all their money, no questions, ask them to kill someone, no questions, ask them to do the worst things imaginable, no questions.

People would do anything to talk to her, and she didn’t see it.

Life as a princess soon-to-be queen wasn’t as generous as people may think.

Just imagine, soon having to run a whole kingdom on your own at flourteen.

Violet would have wanted to be a commoner more than a royal if she had the chance, but she didn’t; she couldn’t just abandon her kingdom for a hopeless fantasy.

Two, the nobles and the other royal, they still see Violet as a small child, not a soon-to-be-queen. They watch her every move; if she does one thing wrong, she gets scolded.

They thought she was childish and shouldn’t become queen at such a young age.

Violet’s eyes lingered on the gates, tall, golden, and forever closed to her.

She’d touched those bars once before, six years ago, before the guards dragged her back and her mother locked her away with her picture books, which inspired her escape.

Even now, some royals and nobles still bring it up when they try to prove why she shouldn’t be queen.

“They’re already.” Morning words broke Violet out of thought. Glory was Morning’s sibling; they are slightly older than Violet, just two years older.

Morning visits them all the time, but recently she hasn’t heard Morning talk about them much.

The way he said it, too, “They’re already” seems distant and slightly cold.

Morning had been staying in the castle more lately, and since Glory is sixteen, she was more responsible.

Maybe they were with each other less.

They kept walking, the walk was slightly awkward. There was little conversation, but not much, about a new shop opening, the events happening, and the weather.

Violet fidgets with the hem of her dress, they walk by buildings still getting rebuilt.

Violet’s eyes widened, she knew they were probably never going to get finished, since they had to try to rebuild everything before she was born.

Or if they did finish it, it wouldn’t be the same.

Sure they would sell the same items, but the atmosphere of it wouldn’t be the same, once filled with laughter and joy would feel dark and void of feeling.

Some of the owners had already passed on too, even though their children or grandchildren would run it, it wouldn’t feel the same without them.

Violet bows her head in respect for the ones who had passed on.

Then they reach their first destination, a small flower shop, even though it was small, it was popular in the kingdom.

Many people of all classes went there, you saw commoners, peasants, nobles, and even royals walk in and out of it with beautiful flowers.

The building looked like a mushroom, the walls were round and a warm ivory color, and the roof was also round and a dark maroon color with white spots on it.

It was one of Violet’s favorite places in the kingdom, it wasn’t in the best space, but nothing was.

“What do we need here, my highness?” Morning says, breaking the silence.

They went to the shop almost every week, most of the time they bought flowers for Violet’s personal room or for the rest of the palace.

“To get some flowers for Anemone, of course, she loved the flowers I got her last time.”

Where Anemone lived, she didn’t get to see the beautiful flowers, in the area she lived in all the flowers had died and she couldn’t afford the flowers here.

She dreamed of one day getting to see the flowers here. One day she will.

They walk into the shop, a bell jungles as they do, and the smell of vanilla hits them immediately, it could be slightly overwhelming if it’s the first time walking into the store.

“Ah, sorry, welcome!” Says a woman, coming from behind the counter as she puts her auburn hair into a messy bun.

A name card on her apron reads “Chrysanthemum”, she looked young, around early to mid twenties, she had olive skin with beauty marks on her left eye and above her upper lip.

“Do you need any help finding the beautiful blooms you need?”

She chuckles slightly, most people expected someone to talk more formally to the princess of their kingdom, but here she was, just talking normally, how she would with anyone else.

Violet liked it more that way, it made her actually feel human, like she was just a normal person like everyone else.

“Yes, actually, I was looking for some Alstroemeria’s and Dahila’s for a bouquet, please.”

Violet smiles as Chrysanthemum goes to get the flowers.

Morning and Violet start looking around the small shop at the flower, Rose, Sunflowers, Peonys, Hydrangea’s, Amaryllis’s, and even Azalea’s.

“Hmm.” Morning says, lifting petals of the Azalea flower.

“These are mostly found in warmer climates, how are they surviving here, since we have cooler weather, except when at night it’s below freezing some times?”

“Well, I made a heat lamp that can be left on overnight without overheating at night.” Chrysanthemum says, behind Violet.

Violet jumps slightly, she wasn’t used to someone being close to her.

“Ah, sorry, but I got the bouquet of flowers you wanted.” Chrysanthemum says, handing the beautiful bouquet to her.

“Hope you don’t mind, I put Phlox’s in it. I thought they went well together in the bouquet.”

The bouquet was beautiful with Alstroemeria’s, Dahila’s, and Phlox’s, each one not overpowering the other. It was wrapped in a light pink wrapping.

Violet gasps softly “These are perfect.” She mumbles as she looks at them.

Chrysanthemum just smiles, “Well, my wife can check you out if you’re ready.” She points to a check out area where a woman is checking people out.

Violet goes to get in line, but morning stays behind “Thanks a lot, um, Chrsanmum?” Chrysanthemum chuckled.

Many people said her name wrong, even her wife sometimes did. “Just call me Chrysan.” She smiles slightly.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Chrysan.” Morning cheeks flushed red softly, Chrysan just smiled. “Morning! Are you coming?”

Violet calls out, she is now at the front of the line, Morning quietly walks over.

“Good afternoon, is this all today?” The woman says who is the cashier.

Her name card says “Statice”, she had long dark hair, one part goes from her forehead to her neck, she looked around the same age as Chrysan.

She smiles, her dimples showing.

“Yes, your flowers are probably the best in the kingdom, in my opinion.”

Violet says, chuckling softly. “I’m honored, but you can thank Chrysan for that, she had been around flowers her whole life, her parents were botanists.”

Statice says as she keeps checking them out.

“Your total today is 27.47 silver.” Statice says, taking the money.

“Have a good day!” She calls out to them as they walk out the shop.

“Hmm, I guess the mail carrier isn’t coming today.” Morning says, looking around for them.

Normally, the mailman would be out by now, but he wasn’t, maybe he took the day off, or he was running late.

“Will, I just have to deliver it to her.” Violet says, already walking ahead.

Anemone lived deep in the forest, Violet had made the walk plenty of times, she knew where it was by now, but couldn’t help thinking she was lost.

It was outside where most people of Malendria lived and were, it was just Morning, the animals, and her out here.

The forest was dark with many, many trees around them, it didn’t feel like it was day still. Violet fidgets with the hem of her dress.

Her face is slightly sour, she keeps her dress from dragging on the ground.

There were many small insects on the ground they were begging to be on her dress and mud around them they were trying to avoid, they didn’t want to get their royal attire dirty.

“Are you sure we’re going the right way, you’re highness?”

Morning asks, looking around, they were deep in the forest, every tree started looking the same, it was getting darker like it was about night.

“I’m sure, I know how to get here, I’ve been here many times, I’m sure.”

The princess says, thought voice trembles slightly, they keep walking, it felt like they were here for hours, though it’s only been a few minutes.

After what feels like decades, they see a small house, it was run down, it looked strangely vacant, like it had been neglected for weeks, even the roof was falling in.

They were going to knock on the door, but the wind opened it, they walked into the house, it was worse inside, trash was everywhere.

It smelled like something was rotting, they were trying hard not to gag, it was also dark, the windows weren’t open and no candles were lit.

Out of the corner of Morning eye, he saw a beast watching them, hiding, getting ready to attack, they were vulnerable prey in the eyes of the beast.

It jumps forward towards them, Morning’s first instinct was to shoot it, shoot it, until it wasn’t moving, until it wasn’t breathing, until it was dead.

Violet walked up to it on the floor, she swallowed hard, her hands trembled, her breathing was uneven.

She looked at the beast and let out a gasping crying sound. The beast was her dearest friend, Anemone.

She backs away, she trembles more, she feels sick, Anemone clothes are stretched out to the fullest, she is as tall as a tree out in the forest.

Her skin was starting to rip in places, revealing lots of roots, she was no longer human. Violet backs away, covering her mouth, she looks at Morning.

He looked as shocked as she did, he still had the gun in his hand, his hands trembled slightly, the beast wasn’t moving or breathing.

“Morning…” Violet says, her voice trembling, she had tears in her eyes.

Morning goes and hugs Violet, letting her sob in his arms, “Is she really?” Violet couldn’t even finish the sentence, Morning nods, looking at the beast again, for one last time.

Morning guides Violet out of the cottage, Violet still sobs, holding onto Moring tightly, she was mourning the loss of her friend, but also terrified of the beast she turned into.

When the cottage was out of sight, Violet let go of Morning, she wipes her tears away, she stuffs quietly, looking at the ground.

Something catches Morning’s attention out of the counter of his eyes, he looks at it and a shiver runs down his spine.

It felt uneasy for some reason, they were just like the flowers everywhere else in Malendria, but it made him uneasy.

All in the forest were hundreds of Azaleas flowers, they were everywhere, some even at the forest edge, where most of the children played.