Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia.
Okay, so this was written ages ago, and I honestly thought that I'd posted it. Obviously not. I'm struggling through some stuff at the moment, and I'm really trying. So I should hopefully soon have a new chapter of The Forgotten Lady up.
This is literally a random idea that came into my head when I was researching for another story. It's taken several months in writing, because I kept getting distracted, but I finished it in January.
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For the Love of Flowers
Mollie was sat in her usual armchair, her smile was somewhat obscured by the large book she was engrossed in. Dorcas walked past, sighing at the girl's constant reading.
"You've got post" Dorcas said, Mollie looked over the top of her book, smiling.
"Ooh exciting. I wonder if Nath has replied" Mollie said.
"Who's Nath?" Dorcas asked, taking a seat by Mollie's chair, eager for gossip.
"My brother" Mollie replied, dog earing the corner of the page before she stood up.
"Oh" Dorcas said, her downcast look giving her intentions away.
"I'm sorry you don't have any gossip" Mollie said. "Although I'd ask Christie about her relations with a certain Mr Lark"
"What, James?" Dorcas asked.
"Yes" Mollie replied.
"That girl has another thing coming if she thinks James is having anything to do with her" Dorcas replied.
"Can you really tell your older brother what to do?" Mollie asked.
"He's older by half an hour. It doesn't count" Dorcas said. "I'll see you later, I have Christie to deal with." Dorcas stormed off with an air of outrage. Mollie shook her head at her friend, before she tucked the book under the crook of her arm and walked off to the post house. Upon entering Mollie headed first to Lizzie's cubby, picking up the parcel waiting for her, then to her own cubby, a small pile of envelopes were sat neatly inside, but more curiously was a purple hyacinth. Mollie picked up the small flower and the envelopes, before walking back to her room.
Elizabeth was sat at the desk, scribbling out her weekly letter home, when Mollie walked in.
"Did you pick up my letters?" Lizzie asked.
"I always do Lizzie" Mollie replied, throwing the parcel over.
"Careful" Lizzie said, throwing a stern look at her friend.
"Oh hush." Mollie said "Anyway you have another letter in that hand" Mollie said handing over an envelope which had Elizabeth's name written on it in a strong, masculine script, not one Mollie had ever seen before last week.
"Oh" Lizzie said, as pink blush overcoming her cheeks. Mollie watched her friend curiously; she tore the envelope and pulled out the sheet of paper. Her smile grew as she read down the page.
"So is he in our year?" Mollie asked.
"What?" Lizzie asked, eyes widening "Why would you say that"
"Because Elizabeth, I am not a fool, the envelope has your name and address on it, yet where's the stamp?" Mollie asked.
"I shan't tell you anything about him. You must promise me that you won't tell Iris" Lizzie replied.
"Of course I won't, but you know Iris, she can sniff out a potential romance" Mollie replied.
"I know she can, but… Mollie, where did you get that flower?" Lizzie asked.
"It was left in my cubby" Mollie said. "There's no note, the letters are from mother, Nath and Aunt Dot"
"Mollie do you know what that means?" Lizzie asked, sitting up straighter in her chair, looking every bit like the Earl's daughter that she was.
"No, but I am sure you will tell me" Mollie replied.
"In the Language of Flowers, that means 'I'm sorry'" Lizzie replied.
"I'm sure whoever put it there wasn't needing it to have a meaning" Mollie replied.
"Purple hyacinths don't grow in the school gardens" Lizzie replied.
"Oh" Mollie replied.
"We both have an admirer, the only difference is that mine is freer than yours, as he makes himself known." Lizzie said.
"Lizzie, you shall not let anyone know about this" Mollie said "You must promise"
"Of course I promise" Lizzie said.
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The week passed slowly for Mollie, and by the next Saturday she was the one sat at the desk in the bedroom, finishing her English essay. She scribbled the last sentence and closed her book just as the door burst open and Lizzie rushed through, hair a mess.
"By the Lion Lizzie!" Mollie said "What on earth have you been up too?"
"You have another flower!" Lizzie said, holding out a snapdragon, lying on a rose leaf.
"Do tell me, Lady Elizabeth, what this means" Mollie asked.
"Snapdragons mean 'Gracious Lady' and 'Strength'. While a Rose leaf means 'You may Hope'" Lizzie replied. She ignored Mollie's use of her title.
"You may hope gracious Lady, and have strength?" Mollie asked. She looked at her friend with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm just telling you the meaning" Lizzie said.
"Oooh pretty flowers!" Iris said, striding into the room.
"They are. I picked them in the gardens" Lizzie lied.
"It's not exactly a huge bouquet" Iris said.
"Mollie has a small vase. We take turns in picking flowers" Lizzie said. Mollie willed her cheeks not to flush when Iris turned her sceptical gaze upon her.
"Sure. Anyway, have you heard about Dorcas and Christie?" Iris asked, flopping down on Lizzie's bed. Jane followed Iris in, taking a seat at the foot of Mollie's bed.
"No. What about them?" Lizzie asked.
"Dorcas found out that Christie has been flirting with her brother, you know James. The good looking one in the rugby team" Iris clarified "Anyway, she's angry."
"Really?" Jane asked. "Why?"
"Christie isn't good enough for her brother apparently" Iris said. "She wants her to break off whatever the pair have."
"What if they love each other?" Jane asked.
"Oh please Jane" Mollie snorted "Christie hangs around with Millicent and Charlotte, I doubt she has a heart. No, she'll be after the money. I heard the Lark's are really rather rich."
"Not everyone is heartless" Jane said.
"What I want to know is who told Dorcas. Christie swore her little gang to secrecy" Iris said.
"I did" Mollie replied "I saw Dorcas the other day, she was trying and failing to find some gossip on me. So I told her some"
"Mollie! That goes against the unwritten code" Iris said.
"And what does the unwritten code say?" Mollie asked.
"You never tell on a fellow girl" Jane replied.
"Well that's easy. I don't count Christie as a girl" Mollie said "More of a horrid slug"
"Oh Mollie, don't be horrid" Jane said, ever the peacekeeper.
"Fine" Mollie replied.
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As the year passed Mollie found a way to communicate back. On a Friday evening she would sneak out to the post house, leaving a small bouquet of her own flowers. When Saturday morning arrived, she would run down to collect the post and in place of her own bouquet, another would be waiting. Mollie didn't tire of their game. Yet she couldn't help but wish that her admirer would reveal himself. She had become sad by the fact that he knew her, yet she didn't know him at all.
"You know" Lizzie said one Friday afternoon as Mollie was picking some flowers "we could wake up early tomorrow, and stake out the post house"
"What if he doesn't give me a flower?" Mollie asked.
"Mollie every single week for the last year, this mystery person has given you a flower on a Saturday" Lizzie said. "He'll be there tomorrow"
Mollie and Lizzie woke up at seven am. Both glowered at the alarm clock, but got out of bed and dressed. Once they were bundled into their cardigans, they snuck out of the dorm. It only took a few minutes of sneaking to get through the corridors and out into the yard. The pair of girls ran across the yard and over to the post house. Once inside they stood, hidden from the door, but they could see Mollie's post cubby. Suddenly Mollie spotted a splash of colour.
"We're too late" Mollie said, stepping out from her hiding place. She picked up the posy of flowers. A Tulip and a Nasturtium flower, wrapped in oak leaves. Beside the small bouquet was a Viscaria. "What do they mean?"
"Tulip means 'beautiful eyes', the Nasturtium means 'conquest' or 'victory in battle'. They're wrapped in strength." Lizzie said "He says you have beautiful eyes and you're strong and you've conquered something… perhaps his heart?"
"And the Viscaria?" Mollie asked.
"He asks you if you will dance with him" Lizzie said. "What's your reply?"
"Oh I don't know…" Mollie said "Yes. If only to see who he is"
The week passed by slowly, Mollie checking on the carnations growing in the garden. Mollie wanted to be sure they were in full bloom for Friday evening. Yet during the course of Friday, Mollie had earned a detention, by the time she left the classroom, she was already later than usual. She ran into the garden and grabbed a handful of the red flowers. Then she ran to the post house. As she walked through the already unlatched door, she was surprised to see a figure stood in the post house.
"Lizzie?" Mollie asked. "What on earth are you doing here?"
"I'm waiting for you" Lizzie said, Mollie noticed her cheeks flushing pink, but she decided to give her friend the benefit of the doubt. "I know you're giving your reply. I wanted to see it"
"You already know the answer" Mollie said.
"What if he's really ugly?" Lizzie asked.
"Liz, you know looks aren't everything" Mollie said "Anyway, I'm not much to look at"
"Oh hush. Come on. We'd better get back to our rooms. I hate being out during patrol" Elizabeth said.
"Only because you abide by rules" Mollie replied.
"Oh please Mollie" Lizzie replied "I know that you don't flout them as often as we think"
"How do you know? Perhaps I missed English yesterday because I went to meet a boy" Mollie replied.
"You missed English because you were with the Headmistress" Lizzie said.
"Way to ruin the mystery" Mollie said. Lizzie just smiled as they arrived at their room.
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Mollie checked the post house the next morning, but there was no flower. The carnations were not sat in her cubby, and she decided that the recipient must be getting his reply. She continued to check the cubby every evening for the next week, but no flower appeared. By the day of the dance Mollie had grown disheartened. She wondered if she had been played with all along, if one of her fellow students was recounting the tale to all who would listen.
"Mollie stop moping!" Lizzie said as she walked through the door. "Come on, we're getting ready"
"I'm not sure I want to go" Mollie said.
"We're getting our marks for tonight, you can't fail" Lizzie said.
"I don't see why they couldn't just have judged us in the class, instead of organising a dance" Mollie said, as she threw her wardrobe open.
"That wouldn't be as fun, and remember, we're also getting marked on our ability in a social situation" Lizzie said "My family would be most disappointed if I failed this"
"Do you think my dress is okay?" Mollie asked, she turned around holding up the blue dress.
"It's beautiful. Where did you get it?" Lizzie asked.
"Mother found it in the attic" Mollie said, a faint colour in her cheeks.
"I'll do your hair if you'd like" Lizzie said.
"I'm alright Liz, I can throw it up" Mollie said. Lizzie raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, she helped Mollie pin her hair up.
At five o'clock on the dot the group of young men and women were stood in front of the great hall. They were looking at each other with shy smiles. The doors suddenly opened and the teenagers walked into the room. Lizzie was impressed with Mollie's unconventional, yet beautifully simple hairdo, little did she know that Mollie was copying a Narnian style to go with her Narnian dress.
Mollie felt overdressed for the occasion, her gown was trailing slightly on the floor behind her, the navy coloured silk rustled with every movement. Mollie kept bringing her hand up to fidget at the lace decorating the neckline of the dress. She moved to the side of the room, looking at the dancers with a soft smile, she watched them for a moment longer before making her way across the room to her seat. As she made to sit down she noticed a red Camellia and a white Camellia wrapped in a Fern leaf. Mollie waited till Elizabeth had finished dancing with Charles, the young man she had been corresponding with, before catching her arm and dragging her to a safe corner. She presented the flowers.
"Red Camellia means 'you're a flame in my heart'. White Camellia means 'perfection or loveliness' and the Fern means 'magic'" Lizzie said.
"Oh" Mollie said.
"If I may interrupt, Lady Elizabeth, may I have this dance?" a young man asked. Lizzie nodded and took his arm. Mollie held the little bouquet of flowers as she watched the dancers line up. A cough behind her made her turn and she looked at Edmund Pevensie, resplendent in his dark suit.
"Good evening, my Lady" he said.
"Sire" Mollie replied, with a curtsey.
"Your beauty rivals a Queen's tonight my Lady, especially in that outfit" Edmund said.
"Thank you" Mollie replied, they stood in silence for a moment before Edmund pulled a geranium out of his pocket, handing it to her in silence.
"I have no flower appropriate for a reply." Mollie said after a moment of contemplation "But I believe I promised you a dance last week"
"I rather believe that you did" Edmund said, a grin on his face.
I hope you all liked this!
Jedhev