A/N: Please Read
Hello everyone! In my revisions, I have made significant changes to the story - specifically the plot. The core concept remains the same, but there will be many differences that I hope improve the overall quality.
Disclaimer: I know little to nothing about the inner workings of the regency, so please don't hound me for my (obvious) lack of knowledge. However, if you catch a glaring error that can be rectified, absolutely feel free to correct me.
Your feedback is so appreciated. Thank you, as always, for reading and supporting my writing.
The dream began with a crescendo of music- violins soaring, dress skirts sweeping the floor in dizzying flashes of color, dancers poised and flushed behind their masks.
Lillian stood frozen in the center of the ballroom. She knew she was dreaming. She knew how this was going to play out, that it was useless to fight back. Even in dreams, she could never resist.
The crowd of dancers began to part, and a collective murmur steadily rose until the music had been all but replaced by the whispers of the partygoers. A tall figure, dressed in black, stepped towards Lillian while the noble spectators looked on. Lillian swallowed and balled up her fists; her palms were already clammy.
Even through the mask—sleek and serious—the man's leer was visible. "Lady Lillian," he crooned, reaching out his hand. "Would you be so kind as to grant me your hand—"
"—Your hand?"
Rutger was looking back at her expectedly. Lillian blinked. "Pardon?"
"The mountain's a bit steeper here," Rutger explained, gesturing at the slope just below them. "And since you're still recovering from that crash, I figured you could use some help getting down."
"Oh!" Realization shocked Lillian out of her trance. "Right—er, yes, thank you."
She took Rutger's elbow and allowed him to lead her down the mountain, only slightly embarrassed that she needed to lean on the tiny man for support. Rutger didn't appear to mind, though; he patted her hand as he gleefully described his town, the extraordinary Bluebell, a haven for both animals and the people who love them. "We have the most beautiful flowers in town," he boasted, "And you'll never hear the birds sing anywhere else the way they do in Bluebell."
"It sounds lovely," Lillian murmured. She hoped that Rutger couldn't hear her heart pounding.
His bright blue eyes focused on her. "Lillian, if you'd like to rest up a bit before exploring the town—"
"I'm alright. I just want to get Belle looked at as soon as possible." Lillian glanced over her shoulder at the snowy white mare trailing behind her. Belle was breathing harder than usual, and her typically graceful gait now looked clunky.
"My friend Grady will fix Belle right up," Rutger assured her. "Here in Bluebell, we love and appreciate animals with every fiber of our beings. Unlike in Konohana, where plants take precedence! Can you believe it? Sure crops are important, of course, but the true meaning of farming—"
Rutger continued to rant, but his words fell on deaf ears; Lillian had just caught her first glimpse of Bluebell, and she almost stumbled over her own feet in surprise. The romantic cobblestone path they'd stepped onto at the base of the mountain led into a green, grassy land of sunshine and flora, from which the sound of laughter carried on the breeze. Flowers bloomed all over, painting the scenery in vibrant reds, yellows, and purples. Even the air tasted sweeter here. Lillian breathed it in deeply, feeling her heart flutter. She'd made it. The hardest part was over.
"Grady's house is right over here," Rutger pointed. "Let's make sure your horse is taken care of first."
They led Belle to the open space by Grady's, where horses with beautiful coats and brushed manes were already grazing. As Lillian and Belle approached, the horses looked up to spare them a quick glance before burying their lips into the thick, lush grass again. By one of the mares, a stocky man with red hair and a pleasant face leaned against the fence, smiling up at the sky. "'Lo, Mayor!" he called to Rutger, still squinting into the sun. "Beautiful day, isn't it?"
"Indeed it is! And an exciting one, too. Meet our newest town resident, Lillian."
The ginger lowered his gaze and finally noticed Lillian. "Oh, hello there! Very good to meet you. My name is Grady. I guess you could say I'm the animal doctor around here. You just moved in?"
"Sort of," Lillian replied shyly. "I haven't exactly moved in yet, but I'm going to be staying here from this moment forth. It's wonderful to meet you, Grady."
"What a polite young girl," Grady marveled. "Where are you from?"
Lillian was spared a response by Rutger's intervention. "Lillian's cart flipped over on her way here," he said, "and her horse looks to be slightly injured."
Grady's jolly expression instantly transformed; his eyes, clear and sharp, focused on Belle. "Beautiful," he said, slowly stepping towards her. "What is her name, Lillian?"
"Belle. And you don't need to be cautious," Lillian said, a little proudly, "Belle isn't nervous around people."
Grady didn't respond, but instead placed his hands gently on Belle's face and murmured as he examined her, occasionally praising the horse aloud. "These braids in her hair," he mused. "Absolutely exquisite. How intricate. Did you do these yourself, Lillian? Ah, see here—her ankle!" He knelt at Belle's hooves and peered closer at the swollen knob. "This seems to be the source of her discomfort."
"Is she in much pain?" Lillian asked.
Grady shook his head slowly, lost in thought. "No, not at all, though it would be best to refrain from riding her for quite a while. At least until the swelling is entirely gone. The injury isn't too extreme, though. You both were very lucky." He met Lillian's gaze. "I'll take Belle under my care for a few days and return her to you when I see progress in her ankle. In the meantime, if you need to leave town, you're welcome to borrow any of my own horses."
Relief flooded through her. "Thank you…"
"It's my job," Grady beamed, "And my passion."
He turned in the direction of his house and called for someone; a few seconds later, a girl popped out, her long auburn curls jumping with her movements. "Georgia, make sure we have a pack of ice in the fridge," Grady said.
"Sure!" She disappeared, then stuck her head out the door again. "Wait, what is it? Did one of the horses hurt themselves?"
"Georgia, ice—"
"Okay, okay!"
She darted back inside the house and Grady laughed. "That was my daughter," he told Lillian. "I'm sure she'll want to make friends with you. I bet you're around the same age."
Grady examined Belle for a few more minutes before concluding that the swollen ankle was the only injury she'd sustained and assured Lillian that he'd have her back in tip-top shape before she knew it. As Lillian said her temporary "goodbye" to the mare, Grady and Rutger waited nearby and made conversation.
"With such a nice breeze out today, I can't imagine you aren't taking Rose out on a romantic picnic later," Grady said. "I hope you have something nice planned. I spoke to her earlier this morning, and she's so excited."
"Excited?" Rutger blinked.
"For your anniversary?"
"My…" Rutger's face drained of color. "Oh… oh…"
"Mayor?"
"My poor, sweet Rose," Rutger moaned, covering his face with his hands. "Ohh no… my poor dear… "
"Rutger!" Grady looked alarmed. "There's still time to plan something."
"But I forgot!" Rutger cried. "It's the principle of things, and I forgot!"
"E-excuse me," Lillian said, stepping towards them. "Mayor, I'm thankful for all your assistance, but I can manage from here. You should go tend to your wife."
"But…" Rutger visibly battled inner conflict. "My duties as mayor…"
"She'll be alright," Grady chuckled. "I'm sure she'd prefer someone her own age showing her around, anyway."
Looking from Grady to Lillian, Rutger slowly regained his composure and nodded. "You're right. It is my duty as a husband to give Rose the most extraordinary anniversary gift yet!" And with that, he took off in the direction of the large building in the town square, leaving the two staring after him in astonishment.
After thanking Grady profusely and giving Belle one last pat, Lillian set out to explore Bluebell by herself. She spotted a small farm just across the way and eagerly headed in its direction. In the pasture, livestock grazed blissfully under the warm sun, and the smell of fresh grass and clean air wafted over her like a song. Lillian admired the cows and then moved to knock on the front door, which swung open at her touch. After a slight pause, she stepped forward. Upon entering, she could hear what sounded like a mother scolding her child.
"How many times have I told you? Ask permission before you go off on one of your crazy adventures! I mean, geez Ash, at least let me know where you're going before you just up and abandon your chores!"
"Sorry, mom," her son responded, though he didn't sound very sorry at all. Curious, Lillian crept forward until she could see the two in the kitchen- a sturdy looking woman, hands on hips, and before her, a boy about Lillian's age. He was scratching the back of his head almost sheepishly, but the gleam in his eyes promised mischief. Those eyes flitted over the woman's shoulder to focus on Lillian and widened.
"What are-" The woman turned to see what had caught his attention and blushed when she realized she'd been heard fussing. "Oh!"
"I'm sorry for eavesdropping," Lillian said quickly. "I just moved to town and wanted to introduce myself. My name is Lillian."
"No need to apologize, dear! I'm just sorry that was your first impression of us," the woman replied, laughing. "My name is Jessica, and this little troublemaker is my son, Ash. I run the local animal supply store. It's so good to meet you!" Jessica ignored Lillian's outstretched hand and swooped in to give her a warm hug. Lillian flushed at the unfamiliar gesture.
Jessica pulled away and examined her with gentle eyes. "Have you been shown around town yet, Lillian?"
"The mayor was helping me with that, but he, uh—" Lillian thought of the steely resolve in Rutger's eyes as he marched to his love. "He got tied up with... a bigger issue."
"That's a shame," Jessica said. "But I'm sure my Ash wouldn't mind lending a hand to our new neighbor, now would he?" She aimed this not-a-question-but-a-hard-statement at her son, who beamed angelically in response.
"That's quite alright," Lillian said, resisting the urge to sigh. Would she always require a chaperone everywhere she went? "I'm perfectly capable of finding my way around by myself."
"She doesn't want my help," Ash shrugged. He cast his bright blue eyes at her, smiling. "I guess I won't be showing her where to get the best cappuccino and cakes in this corner of the earth…"
Damn. Now her curiosity was piqued. "Cappuccino?"
"You know, like the coffee drink? Milk and sugar and shit—"
"Language."
"Sorry, mom. Anyway—" Ash sidled up to her, too quickly for Lillian to take a step back. "I'm talking grade heaven quality. You think you've tasted quality coffee? And their pastries, oh man. Don't even get me started—"
"Where is—"
"That's it, I'm started!" Ash declared. His mother rolled her eyes. "Every ingredient that goes into Howard's cooking is like pure joy. I don't care if you've dined with kings—"
Lillian winced.
"—Nobody can do what Howard does to food," Ash concluded proudly. He paused, gazing blankly into the distance. "'Course, I might just be biased 'cause I hang out there all the time..."
Lillian took the opportunity of stillness to survey Ash. He was her height, with shaggy strawberry blond hair and eyes like the sky above open fields. His face seemed made for smiling, and he used it for all its worth; she wasn't sure he knew quite how to stop smiling. There was a restless energy about him, too, like he had to be everywhere at once.
"Let's go," she said, surprising herself. "I want to try a—a cappuccino."
"Then it's settled!"
Before Lillian could think twice, Ash had already led her by the elbow to the door. "Be back soon, Mom!" He called, not even glancing behind him in his haste to get out of the house.
Jessica sighed, but smiled. "We'll see about that," she said.
Despite his hyper personality—or perhaps because of it—Ash made a great guide. "Triplets live right there," he told her, pointing at a small house beside his mother's farm. "Two of them, anyway. The other lives in Konohana. I'm sure you've heard that name already from Rutger—he hates Konohana."
"Why?" Lillian asked. She took Ash's hand to help her over a shaky pile of large stones.
"No one's really sure how the feud started," Ash shrugged. "Apparently it started generations ago, with some big argument between the mayors. I don't think Rutger has anything against Konohana itself, or even Ina—that's the mayor over there," he explained. "It's just the way things have always been."
"That's awful," Lillian whispered. She'd imagined that conflict wouldn't be as prevalent in such a small, peaceful area. "They can't get along because of a feud they weren't even a part of."
"It's pretty stupid, if you ask me," said Ash. "Of course, the rest of us still go to Konohana every once in a while. Get this: there's a doctor in Konohana our age!" He made a small hmming sound. "Well, I guess he's more of a doctor's assistant, but he's really passionate about his work. He'll scold you like a real doctor."
Lillian opened her mouth to respond, but Ash had already moved on to another topic.
"Have you met Cam? He's my best friend." Ash pointed towards the restaurant across town. "He runs a flower stand over there. He's really cool. Which is saying something, because he makes perfume by hand."
"That's impressive," Lillian offered.
"Almost as impressive as Howard's cooking," Ash said, leading her to the restaurant. "He's Cam's guardian, and the one who makes that heavenly food. Fair warning, he's a little… eccentric."
"Eccentric?"
Instead of elaborating, Ash turned and waved enthusiastically at someone. "Hey, Cam!" he bellowed. "Come meet our new neighbor!"
The man turned, looked at Ash, looked at Lillian—and then looked away.
"Do… you think he heard us?" Lillian asked. The question was out of courtesy. She knew he had.
"Um…" Ash looked puzzled, too. "I guess not. C'mon, let's go over there."
A bit reluctantly, Lillian followed Ash and approached the flower stand. The blond had his back to them still, seemingly busy with the plants. Ash cleared his throat dramatically. "Your best friend in the world, here to see you!"
"Hi, Kana," the blond replied. He was still bent over the flowers, prodding at stems with clever fingers. "How are the horses?"
Ash blew a raspberry. "Cruel! You are a cruel man! I'm going to tell Howard and Laney all about your rudeness to our new neighbor."
At that, the young man finally turned. "Neighbor?" His green-eyed gaze fell on Lillian, and she saw the shock that flitted over his face, too quickly for him to conceal.
He was very handsome, like a storybook prince, almost. Both boys were blond, but whereas Ash's hair bordered on ginger, Cam's was a pale gold that reflected the sun's light. His face was elegant, angular and sculpted; his upper lip had a cupid's bow. And his eyes, like furious emeralds, held hers in—a glare?
Lillian blinked.
No mistaking it. He was definitely glaring at her.
"My name is Lillian," she said, mostly for the sake of cutting through the sudden, unprovoked tension. "I just moved here today. Ash has been showing me around town."
Cam didn't respond at first; she felt his eyes sweep her, like a laser, trying to pinpoint something on her person. She straightened her spine and stared defiantly back. Finally, as if released by a spell, Cam blinked and looked away. "That's uncommonly nice of you," he said to Ash. "Getting in your good deed for the day?"
"Just being a good neighbor," Ash smiled. He seemed unperturbed, as if he'd noticed nothing unusual. "I'm taking Lillian to the cafe next. She said she's never had a cappuccino in her life!"
Lillian had never had coffee in her life. Or any caffeine, besides the occasional chocolate.
"It's an outrage," Cam responded dryly, and Lillian couldn't help but bristle at his sarcastic tone. She had known Ash for not even half an hour and yet she felt strongly protective of him; she began to speak, but was cut off by Ash.
"A true tragedy," he said, in the same tone Cam had used. Cam's mouth curled up into a small smile, and Lillian realized, looking between the two of them, that they were, in fact, good friends. Ash seemed to soften Cam's sharp edges—at least, a little bit.
Cam turned his gaze back to Lillian and gestured at the rainbow of bouquets around him. "I'm Cam, and I run this flower stand," he said, finally addressing her. "It's good to meet you."
"It's nice to meet-"
Cam wasn't looking at her anymore; he'd gone back to fiddling with the flower stems. "-you, too," Lillian finished, staring in bewilderment at the back of his head. Was he always this rude? If Ash's nonchalance was any indication, then the answer was yes, he most likely was. And yet she couldn't bear to leave just yet, so abruptly—
"Your flowers are beautiful," she said. "I must ask, did you sort them by color, or by their medicinal properties?"
Cam froze, and then he slowly turned back around to stare at her as if she'd suddenly sprouted another head. "Excuse me?"
Lillian pointed behind him. "Most florists arrange their flowers by appearance only, but I noticed that you grouped together flowers with like properties. Echinaceas with Hibiscus and Foxglove, and over there- lavendar-" She paused to think, screwing up her face. "And St. John's Wort. It's like all the plants on this side are used for calming, and over there-" She noticed the look on Cam's face, and her own began to warm. "Sorry, I was just thinking aloud without really knowing what I was-"
"Are you interested in flowers?" He asked. His eyes on her were still intent, but not quite as sharp as they had been.
Lillian actually had no strong feelings towards flowers, or any plants for that matter, but she didn't think Cam needed to know that bit of information. "I just know a little bit about them."
"Oh boy, another green thumb," Ash mumbled. "Why am I surrounded by people who like plants so much?"
"You're just upset because you killed a cactus," Cam said. He tore his eyes away from Lillian. "In three days."
"Don't bring that up!" Ash rolled his hands before turning eagerly to Lillian. "Well, you've met Cam now. Still want that cappuccino?"
"Of course." Lillian tried to glance discreetly at Cam and found that he was already looking at her, his brows furrowed, mouth set. When their eyes locked, he dropped his gaze to the bundle of flowers in his hands. She frowned.
"Onward, then! Ooh- Maybe if we're lucky, Howard will give us a freebie…" Ash steered Lillian towards the cafe, jabbering on and on as Cam, drumming his fingers on the stand in frustration, watched them go.
"There's no way," he muttered. His fingers stilled, and he lost himself in thought.