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These Words Are Bittersweet
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One - Flowers
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Katherine leaned closer into the painting and breathed it in - new paint, freshly carved wood, linseed oil – some of her favourite things.
"Caroline said it was a gift," Liz interrupted the moment, "She snuck in and hung it up while I was at work."
"You certainly don't keep something like this in a dorm room," Katherine slid a look at the woman who; despite certain previous actions, had offered her the guest room, "But if it had been sent to me, I'd want it somewhere I could see it every day"
"It's very beautiful," Liz admitted with a wistful sigh, "But wouldn't it have been easier to send her a bunch of flowers, instead of sending her a painting a them?"
"Much easier, but," Katherine dropped her voice to a whisper, as if she was telling a secret she'd promised never to repeat, "You put more effort into a declaration of love."
"Love?" Liz gave her an incredulous look.
"This took time and thought and effort to produce. It's not a reproduction or a photo." She ran a hand down the edge of the frame, "Hand carved cedar, with iris's at the corners, and violets along the sides. It's a message, telling Caroline of the strength of his faithfulness."
The sheriff glanced from Katherine, to the painting, then back to Katherine. "And the roses? The tulips?"
"Yellow tulips, white roses and ranunculus, in some lovely shades of orange and pink." Katherine sighed wistfully, remembering when she'd received a similar bouquet, though Elijah had added asphodel as a warning, "Hopeless love, but from someone who thinks he's worthy of her dazzling charms."
"What about the… twigs…sticks?" Liz asked unsure of the correct description.
"Branches, with blossoms," Katherine corrected, "Apple, peach, almond, probably some orange, they all looks the same to me. But the pineapple in the wallpaper is a nice touch."
"Because it means?" Liz prompted.
"The… twigs… say that she's his first choice, that she holds him captive and he has hopes for certain future events. He also thinks she's perfect," Katherine sighed dramatically, it had decades since anyone shown her that level of romantic gesture, "Caroline obviously doesn't have floriology among her accomplishments, or she'd be sleeping with this thing."
"I need to go lie down," Liz stared at the painting, a frown creasing her forehead,
"And I'm taking a bottle of wine with me."
"Are you ok?" Katherine asked, genuinely concerned for her host.
"I think," Liz said carefully, "That Klaus proposed to my daughter with a painting, and she doesn't know it."
Katherine paled, her jaw dropping as she looked back at the painting and came to the same conclusion. "We're going to need something stronger than wine."
"First we drink this," Liz snagged a bottle of schnapps from the back of the buffet, "Then we figure out if we're explaining the painting to Caroline, or if we're telling Klaus why she hasn't responded yet."
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"Apparently," Elijah checked his phone again, making sure he'd read the message correctly, "I'm to inform you that while the gift was well received, the message was lost in translation."
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Cedar – Strength
Iris – A message. (Faith, valour and wisdom. Royalty, the fleur-de-lis.)
Violets - Faithfulness
Yellow tulips – Hopeless love
White roses – I am worthy of you
Ranunculus – You are radiant, I am dazzled by your charms
Asphodel – My regrets follow you to the grave
Apple blossom – Preference
Peach blossom – I am your captive
Almond – Hope
Pineapple – You are perfect