Destructive Enchantment

Chapter 17: My Lovely Flower

As Emperor Kruos takes his seat once more, another maid wheels in a cart, silver platters lined the top. A delicious smell wafted to my nose.

All desires of protest within me immediately died.

"Are you sure? I am not disrupting your work, am I?" I question, though the sight in front of me was hard to deny.

Emperor Kruos dismisses my concerns. "No, I need to eat, too. Since you are already here, you might as well join me."

His majesty moves a couple papers to the side, before a maid uncovers two silver platters, setting down a dish for each of us.

"Thank you!" I clap my hands together at the maid before digging in. That sandwich had only filled me up for the ride back, I was starving.

The maid bows at both his majesty and I, before leaving us.

Emperor Kruos seems to have no interest in eating his food, rather peering at me. While unnerving, I was too busy scarfing down my dinner to care.

"What are your thoughts on the castle?" His majesty asked.

Surprised, I cannot help but be slightly confused on what he meant. "What do you mean?"

He clarifies. "As in, what is your opinion on the castle? Do you enjoy or detest it?"

Was this a trick question? What happens if I say the wrong answer? Would he be offended? "I think it is nice," I go with a safe answer.

"Can you imagine living here?" I almost choke on my food. What is he going on about?

"I—uhh..." I rack my brain, urging it to come up with a decent answer. "I personally cannot see myself living here, but it is very nice and I am sure a lot of people would die to live here."

Thankfully, his majesty doesn't seem offended by my answer. "Hmm, I see. What would you change about this castle?"

I was no interior designer, which he seemed to believe I was. Regardless, I answer honestly. "I am not sure, your majesty. If it were me, though, I would maybe add more flowers...? It must be hard to get greenery here, since it is always snowing, so adding flowers around the castle may bring back some color and life."

Emperor Kruos nods his head approvingly. "What is your favorite flower?"

I twirl the fork around my plate, thinking about his out-of-the-blue, albeit interesting question. "I like hydrangeas. They're quite colorful and beautiful, and the gardens we had back home were full of them..."

"A hydrangea, huh? Kruos has a hard time growing flowers since they are always in need of moisture and sun, and our harsh weather is too unforgiving for them to bloom," he absentmindedly recalls.

I raise my eyebrows. "Do you fancy flowers, your majesty?"

"Not necessarily, I never cared for them much. I never found a reason to have flowers in the castle, since they don't provide purpose compared to other plants that provide fruits and vegetables. It is a waste of soil and water to upkeep a plant that does not give in return," he bluntly stated.

I purse my lips at his pessimism. "I wouldn't say that it doesn't give in return, your majesty. Flowers provide happiness and joy in your life! They add color and beauty to the world. While it may not give something physically, it gives something symbolically," I attempt to explain to him.

He looks intrigued by my explanation. "And what do they symbolize?"

I smile at his openness for me to elaborate. "Well...I love hydrangeas because they come in a multitude of colors and each represents something different. For example, blue stands for gratitude, white for purity, purple for pride, and pink for romance," I recalled the days when my mother would take me to the gardens and tend for the beautiful flowers, reciting the different meanings.