To be Whole: LV
"They're all so pretty!" Elzerina spun in the open gardens tracking dirt all over the bottom of her white dress. Not that Ammalia minded. "Oh is this one new? I don't recognize it! Mooommm!" The little outburst caused her crack with a grin.
"What is it, Elzerina?" Victoro departed a nearby bench skipping to his daughter. Ammalia glanced over a shoulder scanning the gardens for Terenzio.
"Daddy! Is this one new?" Every word from Elzerina was like speaking to a firing volley, so quick and sharp, it was cute. "Oh wait! Look, a yellow one..." the girl's attention was quickly snapped away by a yellow flower.
"My little Lily.. You've seen that yellow one before." Victoro tried to reason with their daughter. Ammalia felt pity for him, he was a leader but their daughter was unmatched in sheer persistence.
"Noooo! I've seen this one. And this one. And this one!" She protested knocking a rose with her hands. "But what's this one?" The girl's head cocked the to side while she touched a pearly white flower. It had six pedals to its form shaped similar to a six point star curling down with a small array of seed bearing stems in its center.
"Oh Lily, I think you should recognize that one." Her husband chuckled. Ammalia bit her bottom lip feeling her insides stir watching her dearest speak to the children.. The.. same ones that.. "That is a White Lily, the same one you are!" He reached out and poked the girl's ribs.
"Hehah!" Elzerina giggled, jumping back away.
"Your father planted fresh ones." Ammalia chirped up feeling the smile on her face grow even wider.
"Gosh there's so many! How many flowers are there in the world, daddy?"
"My Lady." Ammalia turned her head seeing Seffia enter the gardens. She was dressed in a small black dress which she flexed the skirt of in a curtsy, her velvet red eyes looked unnatural in the green luscious garden. The girl was quite pretty in a far more traditional sense compared to someone like Gysheer, but those eyes truly were unnerving in the setting.
"Seffia." She didn't mean to sound so cold. The garden was so pretty, watching Victoro play with Elzerina for even just a second helped distract her from the terrible reality that was her situation.. A dream to pretend none of it was real. Only now one of those many scars were currently placed in the center of her delusional fantasy.
"I.. er, we have received news from our Sister Faith the stone.. Is in the good hands of their servant and uh.."
"Go on."
"Well, we spoke to their lady." Their lady, it made her want to laugh, that family was nothing more than a lowly house of weapons to even attach a similar title to that farce as herself was absurd. "S-she.. Should I come back another time, my lady?" Seffia paused, seemingly sensing the tension that was in the air as she stood there awkwardly. Ammalia passed her another glance. Full, slim and more adequate with using spells not unlike herself. The girl was awkwardly shifting in her dress like it made her uncomfortable, it was only then Ammalia spotted the long gash on Seffia's arm. She tried to mimic her husband, letting the pieces fall in place for her. They had spoken to the sister faith, gained what feels like little information..
"Sit with me." Ammalia ordered, gaining a look of resolution on her face feeling a pang of sympathy for the girl. Seffia practically crashed on the stone bench.
"Yes ma'am." Seffia whispered.
She reached out and took the girl's arm studying the long cut. She dreaded her lack of healing incantations. Studying wizardry had only ever gone so far for her. It was hastily bandaged and poorly hidden.
"Do you have a favorite flower?" Ammalia wasn't sure what else to ask.
"I.. my lady?"
"A favorite flower. My own are Opuntia, delicate golden flowers.. They're usually called prickly pears."
"I haven't put that much thought into it I guess." Seffia looked down at the ground pursing her lip. Ammalia sighed, taking a deep breath, she was desperate to avoid conversation, who on Toril asks about flowers? But it seemed there were no alternatives.
"The stone is with a servant of theirs, yes? A Nimblewright, if the reports are to be believed, when did they say they could deliver it?" Her mind bounced, they had Crowelle ready to intercept the stone after its delivery to the holy site.
"They weren't my lady." Seffia admitted bitterly. "They claimed with the guard, Zhentarim, and other interested parties. Including some.. Keepers? It would be difficult."
'Of course they did.' Ammalia thought. They were clumsy, stupid and that fireball incinerating the Zhentarim members could mean if the stone were linked back to her own family.. A full blown war in the underworld of Waterdeep.
"Mom!" a little voice shouted while he blurred past her vision running across the grass before her.
"Don't run Terenzio!" She shouted, like the boy would ever heed her words.
"That's a lot.." Elzerina gasped, mesmerized, in the background Ammalia had only been half listening to what her husband had been saying, explaining how many flowers there were, how he knew that information was just down to the random information it seemed he collected. "I want them all!"
"Hm? Lily?" Victoro let out a small nervous chuckle.
"That's what I wanna do! I wanna see all the flowers in the world and sell them to everyone so they can see how pretty they are." Elzerina exclaimed happily.
"How nice of you, so you want to open a big flower shop hm?"
"Yup! And everyone will get to see flowers, there's so many but.. Do you think I can see all the flowers in the world daddy?" The question hit Ammalia like a train. A visible discomfort enveloped Victoro he looked as sick as she felt. It was a nauseating sensation. Whether she could see all the flowers.
"Absolutely Elzerina, you can see all the flowers this world has to offer." Victoro set a hand on his daughter.
"Mmm.." Seffia whimpered next to her, was.. Was she misty eyed? Ammalia wondered, had this girl learned the reasoning behind their sacrifices? Did she know the truth?!
"Right Darling?!" her husband shouted. She studied his handsome face, still the same one she had met all those years ago.. With that kind smile and reassuring grin.
"Of course!" Ammalia choked out trying her best to not face her daughter. "So our daughter will be a florist! And our son.." She spun around catching a brief glimpse of Terenzio shooting sparks from his hands. Professor Erici had taught him well. "Will be a great banker." She smiled thinking about Terenzio inheriting the family business.
"Noo! I want to be a great knight! I'm gonna search the world for adventure! Big brother is going to be the banker.." Terenzio protested.
"Ah of course." Ammalia remarked with a small laugh. She shot a glance to the faith member who had joined them, surprised to see small tears rolling down the girls cheeks. "Seffia, are you alright?" The girl seemed to snap back to reality.
"I- oh yes, My Lady.. sorry, I was just. Uh."
"It's fine." She assured the girl. "You can feel emotion, I am only concerned." That small pearl of sympathy she had for Seffia earlier began to grow larger. "Is something the matter?"
Seffia pursed her lip, what could possibly be worse in this case than what Ammalia felt? Hell on Toril she should be the one crying, she wanted to. But she steeled herself. "I uh.. Your kids are very beautiful, my lady." She knew. It was the only answer, had someone blabbed? She cursed herself. "It's just.. I can't.." Seffia pointed at the children. "I can't.. Have that." the girl placed a hand on her stomach. 'Oh.' those small pieces began to fall into place all of a sudden.
"I'm sorry.." She wasn't sure what else to say to that, Ammalia couldn't imagine being unable to have her own kids. "I don't mean to press but-"
"N-no it's fine." Seffia stuttered quickly. "It was an injury when I was younger, so I've been trying to find ways and.."
"You joined us?" Ammalia offered. This explained the girls extensive arcane knowledge.. She probably seeked answers in magic. Her heart felt heavy.
"Yeah. I read of one girl who did something similar." that explained the choice of the faith.
"An injury?" She probed further and suddenly curiosity hooked her.
"I conquered the dragon!!!" Terenzio yelled. He was in the middle of the yard holding a small wooden sword standing over his father who was laughing hysterically. She swallowed back tears.
"You got me oh so great adventurer!" Victoro chuckled out.
"A priest of.. Tyr. drunken idiot.. He.. casted haphazardly.. The church and town found it was.. An accident, he was a 'holy man' they assured me. So, nothing happened. But I.." Seffia choked up a bit.
"It's fine. Don't go any further." Ammalia whispered, placing a hand around the girl. "We will pray together, understood?" That sympathy spilled out like a flood, her heart twisting to help.
"Thank you Ammalia- my lady. I-I just thought.. Maybe through this faith it was possible. I read so much and-" She started to cry. Small little sobs.
"Everything is."
"I know my goals are selfish My lady.. Especially compared to others, I just.. Where do you go when the world can't even find those responsible for your torment; guilty?"
"When society is not on your side.. I understand." She paused, staring at the bountiful gardens. "That's why we are here. So the true god can shine us a path where we may follow unlike so many other faiths. He wants you to be whole, with his blessing."
"Praise."
"Praise indeed." Her hand shook a little.
"Is it.. Is it possible?" Seffia quizzed like a child would ask for candy. Her tear stricken face tore into Ammalia. What she had tossed away, what this woman wanted. Regret settled in her.
"I assure you.." Her voice nearly broke trying to stomach the tasteless statement. "Lord Asmodeus will aid you, as he always has.. He will restore you Seffia. I promise." Her mouth tasted like Iron while she watched her own children play, guided by their ticking clock. Knowing what she had just said, was a lie.