Part one: Marigold
This story was requested by retro manis.
Come one, come all.
From big to small.
We're here so let's pretend.
You'll laugh, you'll cry.
And wonder why.
Till the very end.
It was hot but still a beautiful day in the Phrygian city Midaeum. Marigold races across her father's gardens, passing the various yellow flowers from other lands, all the whey to the edge of the world. Past the Chrysanthemums, past the diverse Roses, and the Tulips, the Calla Lilies, Golden Columbines, and Hibiscus. Stepping lightly on the steps of the palace, made out of an elegant mosaic using consistent patterns of gold, rose gold and specks of green gold. Laughing as she dodges the scatter servants throughout the grate hall, making sure the flowers tied behind her back didn't get damaged. The grate hall is decorated by bright golden vines wrapping up the corinthian pillars that imitated the colour of green electrum. Gold, rose gold, and white silk covers the ceiling that glow at every sunrises and every sunset.
The king's Philosopher Messer, also known as the royal alchemist, failed experiments can be heard, and felt, through out the palace. When there would be a new servant or visitors from other kingdoms, they would believe we were being attack by enemy divisions or by the Gods themselves. But Marigold had heard the small explosions sense she was born, a day wouldn't be complete with out at least one failed attempt from the alchemist in the kingdom. When ever she could feel the explosion(s) vibrating the ground, she would stop what she was doing and stand on her toes and she did just that. Marigold loves how the rumbles would tickle her toes, it would be one of the things she'll miss when she leaves her golden childhood home. Marigold sees the alchemist hobbling to her fathers study chambers where he would decide the fate of his small country. Marigold fallows him to the study chambers where Messer is talking to the king.
"I'm… I'm sorry your majesty that was just…" the king chimes in with the frail philosopher, "a slight miss calculation.
"I know Messer, I know." The king let out a sigh. "And it's all right so long you're not hurt."
Marigold stops herself from entering the room and lean on the white marble wall. They're talking Messer's long search for finding a formula to make gold. Messer's family have been doing this for three generations, trying to find out how to make the yellow metal. Marigold hates hearing about the alchemist search for 'gold.' Her father, told her one time he walked in on the previous royal alchemist opening up an animal. The king was just a little boy, not old enough to grow hair on his face. He doesn't remember what the creature was, only that it was small and furry. The alchemist said he is using it's insides to for a position to make mud into gold nuggets. The new ruler decided Messer's father was sick of the mind and declared his son the new royal alchemist, a young and ambitious man at the time. They say the experiments never went that far ever again, but Marigold refuse to listen anymore theories, formulas, or progress on the matter. Not after that story.
She waits until she hears, "I'll go back to my tables at once sire and and see if I can't find this mornings mistake." Thats her cue, that it was safe to walk in now. She opens the door, Messer's back was towards her. "Have faith your ha…o," He fumbles on his words when Marigold accidentally got too close and bump into him. "O sorry your highness."
"O good morning alchemist, I didn't mean to bump into you." The princess looks at the old man. His white robes were cover in soot and a pink powder, it was the same on his face. The dirt settled it the grooves and pores on his skin. It made him look older. But even with a clean face he looks decrepit, but in reality Messer is only six years older then the king, and he is only in his 30s. "My goodness you look worry."
She was going to get him a cup of wine, but he just mumbles, "O yes, yes, yes it's the gold the gold, that's what counts." He shuffles away out the door.
"Marigold, come in little daughter." He welcomes her with open arms. Unlike the philosopher, the king stands tall and strong. He wore a red beard that grey ever so slightly. His robes golden colure with the family royal stamp, yellow and enlarge on his back.
"I'm not so little any more father, I will be married soon." Instead of hugging her father, she places her hand in his and they spin around in a little circle.
"But you will always be my little girl." Her father pulls her in, hugging her tightly.
"You're not too busy right now, father?"
"Never too busy for a good morning kiss from my little Marigold." She takes hold of the King's broad shoulders and lifts herself up, kissing her father's cheek. Marigold moves to the other side to give him another kiss but the King stops her. "What is this? Why aren't you wearing the light gold peplos, or that nice rose himation with the gold lacings. That one is my favourite."
Marigold is indeed not wearing the various gold garments her father had made for her that were heavy and hotter then winter robes. She wheres a light indigo chiton with lime green peronai and a brown soft rope with a hint of yellow that wraps her small waist. Marigold wore the colures of Ophrys Phrygia. "How are you today father?" Marigold changes the subject.
"Very well, our land is prospering, no one is dying from starvation or sickness. Everything is in perfect order." He gave her a hollow smile, he looks lost in his thoughts for a moment then looks at her with a more believable smile. "How are you this morning darling?"
Marigold dismiss her father's expression, "O I'm fine father, and look I brought you a present." She pulls out the bouquet from her back, "Buttercups and Daffodils, they came with the shipment this morning at the edge of the kingdom. They reminded me of you and I just had to run back to show you before the rest of them got here, aren't they pretty?" Marigold hates the flowers, but she knew exactly what the king wants to see.
"Vary pretty little one, colure of gold," He looks at the bouquet of flowers and had a thought, "but just think if they really were gold aaaa them that would really be a bouquet worth picking." he said as a whisper.
'Not this again,' She thought to her self, "O father no don't say that. They wouldn't be nearly so nice if they were gold."
"Not nice?" The king turns his back to her and walks to his table. "Well, they would be worth a small fortune. Just this bouquet would be worth a king ransom." He puts the the flowers down on the table blanket with papers of maps, documents, and charts of finance inquiries. He huffs is disappointment, It's getting harder and harder to please her father these days.
"But father you don't need to be ransom from anybody so what use is more gold?" Marigold twist one of her fingers as she always done when she got nervous. "Father, like you said the land is prospering, no one is starving or dying from any sickness. Midaeum is the richest part of Phrygian, perhaps all of Greece. So what use is there?"
"What use?" He sounds in disbelief. "Child, you talk of things you don't understand. Come kiss me goodbye and run along and play." The king places his hands on her arms, motioning for a kiss on the cheek.
'Run along and play? Do you truly think of me still as a child?' She grabs one of his strong hands, pulling him gently to the door. "Father, couldn't you come out to the garden with me for a while? We don't have that much time together and I don't want to waste a minute of it."
"Out in…" He shakes his head and slips his hand out of her's, "havens no Marigold. It's time now for me to the treasure room with Catalan here."
"O father every day you go down in those dark cold volts. Why do you have to go every day?"
"I have to count my gold little daughter. O don't look so forlorn, it's for you I'm collecting it, so you'll always have every thing you want."
"I have everything I want right here right now. Except to see you more often."
"Well, well, just wait Marigold. When I finally collect enough we'll be together all the time."
Marigold looks at her father. 'He knows that is not true, dose he?' She thought, "Well all right, it just seems you never have enough. Goodbye father." The princess gives the king a kiss on the cheek and turns to leave the room. Her eyes lands on Lord Chamberlain, her father's closes companion, "goodbye Calan."
"Goodbye little princess. O your highness," Catalan stops her and takes her hand, "You forgot these in the scroll room the other day." He hands here a pear of spectacles.
"I've been looking for these, thank you. Calan, is there any new material for me to read?" Marigold put on her glasses, she wore them so often they sat loosely on her face that the bridge of the glasses slides down her small nose.
"I'm sorry your highness, nothing has come by today." He said disappointingly.
"it's alright, thank you." She looks at her father, his back is towards her looking for the key to the treasure room hidden in his robes. Marigold huffs at him then walks out the room.
I hope you guys like it, please tell me what do you think.