Because you like orchids

A sweet story of someone so desperate to relieve emotional pain from another that they go to ridiculous lengths to try to bring a smile to that persons face.

Lying in my tent. Tears streaming down my face burying it into the pillow in a pitiful attempt to conceal my cries of sorrow. When I hear a small crack outside my tent. Fear takes over. Tears ceasing momentarily as the fear of someone finding me in this state far outweighs the pain in my chest threatening to rip me apart. I hear shuffling outside of my tent and then soon hear it recede in the opposite direction.

I wait a few moments to ensure whatever was outside of my tent is no longer there. Comfortable in the fact that whoever it was has left. My memories proceed to eviscerate my psyche. My parents swim past my view. My mother’s serene face staring at me with understanding and kindness. No need to hide because she always saw the secrets my heart tried to hide. Followed by my father. Hands on his hips cocky grin on his face. I can practically hear his voice scolding me now for my dreary state of mind.

“You can’t give up my dear. You’re a Maltork! We don’t simply break under pressure.”

 I can feel the stinging in my eyes and the burn as the tears well up and proceed to spill down my face.

           

“I failed you both.”

I choke out. Tears cascading down my face once more. The once proud face of my father and mother disintegrate into their deceased forms. My mother’s face once more clouding my mind. But not her beautiful serene face. Instead this time it's covered in blood. Mouth open in what I can only imagine was a scream of horror.  My father’s face next. Just stillness, No emotion. So unlike him. A man who always had a smile or some sort of emotion pouring out of him. Only in death could he have a face this still.

“I’m so sorry!”

I let out a mourned cry of sorrow erupting from my being. Feeling this scream leave my body my hand instinctively covers my mouth as I try to muffle the onslaught that desperately tries to follow this brief lapse of control.

            I hear a snap and once again my form seems to freeze entirely. Terrified that someone will peek in and ask me if I’m okay. I can hear something being placed at the base of my tent. I can hear crouching, a soft grunt and what sounds like the earth being ripped up and then something placed in front of it.  It sounds like something is being placed in the soft earth just outside of my tent. I hold my breath praying whoever it doesn't peer inside and see the ruined mess I am right now.

            What would they think if they saw me? The supposed last true queen of the human domain. A supposed beacon of hope, strength, and inspiration to bring all of the realms together to brave whatever evil we are ever to face. The overwhelming voice to unite the people in these dark times. But what would they see? A pathetic girl faced down in a tent at midnight. Tears streaming down her face and desperately trying to stifle them at the slightest sound, for fear of someone finding her.

I hear the shuffle of dirt cease then what sounds like footfalls lead away from my tent once again. As much as I can. I push the memories of my deceased parents from my mind and sit up. I lift the edge of my shirt wiping the wetness from my face and take a deep breath. Peering outside of my tent. The night is strangely calm. The moon shines brightly in a full circle in the sky and there is an unusual silence that falls across the forest in which we camp. A familiar sweet smell floods my senses.

Looking to the right of my tent I now see what looks like freshly disturbed earth, then laying on top of it Four beautiful orchids. Two red the other two closest to me a breathtaking white. I’m shocked into silence as the flower that my mother taught me to grow and care for now stands in a set before me.

All the memories of poems and silly anecdotes she related to me to try to make this plant seem like so much more than just a normal flower come streaming back to me. My hand flies to my mouth as the tears start to stream down my face again. I crawl further from the tent. A slight breeze blows towards me. Amplifying the smell of the orchids and making me shiver from the temperature difference. I gently touch the side of the closest orchid next to me. Like the wind gently touching the side of a mountain just enough to test its mettle, but not enough to disturb and break the peace that befalls the breathtakingly white landscape and bring it to destruction.

I’m lost in each petal. A pattern of texture and various shades of white spreading from the plant leading to a yellow garden of pollen in which this flower will continue its generation for eons to come. Tears still streaming down my face but no longer sorrow. Yes, there is still pain but the memory of me and my mother planting things so similar to this. I can’t help but feel a warmth spread through my body.

A smile spreads across my face and although I’m assaulted with these horrendous memories of my dead parents. This flower, the memory it brings of my mother and the countless hours I spent with her over tending to water and caring for these exact flowers overtakes me. Sorrow and joy overfill me to the point that I can’t fully tell what I feel more of overtake me at these beautiful flowers outside of my tent. Lost in the memorizing shades of white I gently trace the tiny cracks and gorges created in a petal to guide water to the center and have it cascade down the middle to sink into the earth and nourish the ground beneath it.

A crack in the woods to my right alerts me to whoever has been planting these and I look up. Fear pulsing through my body as I realize there is no way for me to hide the pain streaming down my face. I look up and see James strolling through the woods carrying a mound of dirt and a beautiful crimson orchid sitting on top of it.

            He hasn’t noticed me yet. His attention fully on the plant in his hands. A curious look on his face.

The confusion starts to spread through me. With a breath, I find my resolve and as confident as I can I ask.

“What are you doing James?”

 My voice seeming to boom across the empty night almost making me cringe. James looks up in shock. Clearly not expecting to be confronted so soon of his actions. He moves his hands behind his back as quick as he can and give me a low deep bow.

            “My princess. I’m so sorry if I have disturbed your sleep.” He stays in a low bow attempting to hide the flower beneath his back. I can feel a small smile spread across my face.

            “That was not my question Master Donarc. I believe I asked what you were doing? To clarify even more what are you doing past midnight planting orchids at the entrance of my tent?”

 The memories of my dead parents fleeing from my brain as I deal with the current situation in front of me. I start to feel more confident in myself and what is expected of me. James shifts uneasily before straightening up and looking at me. He brings the orchid from behind his back and simply looks at the floor. Without saying a word

“Well hurry and plant it, if you leave it out for too long it will die.”

James looks up, Surprise in his eyes.

“At once mi ’lady. He rushes over and slightly transforming his hand deep claws and fur springing from his hand. In one deep swoop, he opens the ground leaving a deep gouge in the soft earth. Before placing the mound of dirt and flower in the gap then covering the cracks with the surrounding earth.

            “Very good, now that this orchid will live….” I pause looking up to James who quickly glances his eyes to the floor avoiding my gaze. “Why are you planting them at my tent at this late at night.

            Eyes still glued to the floor he responds. “I apologize for mi ‘lady. I assumed I heard you having quite a bad night.” For a moment his eyes flick to mine and I become increasingly aware of how wrecked my tear stained face must look right now, despite my calm demeanor in confronting him.

 

I try to compose myself even more and make the words I’m about to say sound ever more convincing that I’m fine and simply wish to understand what he was doing.

            “Regardless of me having a bad night I still don’t understand why at this hour you would seek out this plant and put it in front of my tent,” I ask in genuine confusion.

            His feet shuffle in the grass and he gives me a tentative glance before looking back at the earth his feet were now disturbing even more.

“Well mi’ lady last time I checked you were rather fond of orchids, Were you not?”

A grin spreading across my face, I cast my eyes to the floor finding it increasingly hard to meet his gaze.

“You are correct James they are my favorite flower.”

I feel his gaze lock to my figure, more confident than before as I desperately fight to glance up and meet his eyes.

“Well then, I thought with you having a bad night.” He pauses for a moment waiting for me to look in his eyes before he continues.  “I figured you might like to wake up to something you truly enjoy.”

            Silence overtakes me. My façade of royalty and composure quickly fades as tears start to reform in my eyes. James' eyes dart to meet mine and I quickly look away trying to hide the moisture building in my eyes. I see James snap his head downward again. His expression and demeanor becoming deathly serious.

            “I am so sorry Anna. I never meant to bring you hurt over this, I was simply trying to help.” And with that, he sinks to his hands and knees bowing very deeply before me. I can’t help the smile spreading across my face “Idiot.” I say in my head then I simply throw my arms around James. My arms wrapping around his chest clinging awkwardly to his bowed form as the tears start to fall even more than before.

            “….mi’ lady?” James murmurs out.

“Just hug me,” I whisper out. Then I feel James sit up and I’m slowly pulled into the slender arms of the boy who’s looked after me ever since my parents were slaughtered in Moral. Intense emotional pain overtakes me and I simply lose my mind in this boys’ arms. Waves of sorrow flowing through me as I let all the pain and hatred I’ve felt since we left home flow out of me. James remains silent. Never judging or prodding. Simply doing what I asked. His hand slowly moves up and down my back. Occasionally dipping into my hair and pulling it gently back. The pain finally subsiding I press my form even closer into James. My face resting on the inside of his neck. I feel a slight shake as my breath hits his neck and he simply responds by clutching my form even closer to him making me feel as if the world disappeared and I’m merely floating with this being who somehow just understands me in a vast expanse of nothing, and I’ve never felt safer.

            “Thank you, James.” I finally say.

            “Anytime mi’ Lady.”

And with that, I simply drift off in his arms.  

Author's Note

The idea came to me from a moment I had with a friend. They were having a very bad night, so I simply bombarded them with images of their favorite animal. "What are you doing I was asked?"
"Sending you pictures of your favorite animal," I replied.
"Why?" Was the confused question I got.
"Because you like said animal," I respond. Following that was a tearful phone call and a thank you for reaching out. A feeling I hope to replicate in this story. Please enjoy. :D