Winter Lilies
It had been only three years, and Anna's life had changed so much! From being a poor, unknown country girl, a slave to her stepmother and stepsister, she rose to the position of one of the richest ladies in the land and the Queen's trusted companion. Anna was seventeen now and strikingly beautiful with her dark chestnut hair, rosy cheeks and large shiny blue eyes. With her beauty and her wealth, she was already considered as a possible match for the noblest lords.
But nothing had spoiled. She was still the same kind, generous girl, who never made wealth her goal in life. In fact, it was hard for her to live such a life. Although Queen Eloise was now a good friend to her, as well as many of her servants, Anna preferred to live in her house in the countryside.
One day in late March, the Queen invited her to her birthday ball – as usual. Eloise was just several months older than Anna, so that ball was to become her coming-of-age one – she turned eighteen.
"Lord Edmund Torvelle is going to be there," Eloise said excitedly, as the girls sat in her room, thinking of what to wear. "He's quite rich and handsome, as you remember."
"Good," Anna smiled. "You're already nicknamed Eloise the Beauty among the people. It's time for you to choose a suitable husband."
"Me? Annie, what are you saying? I am not dreaming of marrying for another ten years. I want to enjoy my youth and freedom. There's no one to command me, so I will not marry anyone until I'm twenty-eight at least! I was thinking of you."
"Dear, I appreciate it, but Lord Torvelle doesn't interest me!"
"Annie!" Eloise exclaimed. "You're not like me! I can see it easily. I am wild, careless, and selfish. You are wise, caring, and obedient. You were born to become a wife and a mother, to run your own home. Fine, if Lord Torvelle doesn't suit you, Alan, the youngest son of Count Jirevon, surely will. He's younger than Lord Edmund, and almost as rich."
"Eloise, please, I don't want to marry any of these suitors," Anna said and secretly touched the gold ring she had been wearing for three years.
"Then who is your intended? Commander Drosen?" Eloise laughed. Commander Drosen, the Head of the Royal Guards and a friend of Anna's, was seventy-one.
"Oh, Eloise, of course not!" Anna laughed as well. Despite any of the Queen's hints, hidden wonderings, or straight questions, she wouldn't spill out her secret. Ever.
The ball began in several hours. Apparently Eloise hadn't given up on finding a match for her friend. Lord Edmund Torvelle asked Anna to six dances, and then begged her to spare him a minute or two in the garden for a matter of vital importance.
As soon as the two were alone, Lord Torvelle knelt in front of Anna:
"Dearest Lady Cestkof, I have long been enchanted by your beauty and sweetness. You are the loveliest woman I've ever been acquainted to. Will you grant me all the happiness on earth by agreeing to become my bride?" He began to fumble in his pocket for the wedding ring, but Anna stopped him:
"Lord Torvelle, I'm very honored by your proposal, but I fear I can't accept you. I feel nothing more than friendship towards you, and I am engaged to another man."
The man looked indeed very sorrowful. Anna pitied him and smiled reassuringly:
"Eloise – Her Majesty, I mean – is prettier and smarter and, may I add, richer than me. And she's very fond of you, though she doesn't know it herself. I think, since you're quite friendly with her already, you can switch your attention to her."
Lord Edmund didn't seem very keen on it. Anna chuckled to herself. The sort of person he was, he will soon get over it. She had more important things to attend to.
It was near midnight, so the girl soon excused herself and left the ball. No, she wasn't afraid to meet the fate of Cinderella. She just wanted to meet someone in her garden. It was near midnight of the 31st of March, you see.
Maurice, her favorite white stallion, brought her home in ten minutes. Anna barely had the time to brush her hair after the fast ride by the time the clock rang twelve.
There was a light swirling wind, and a figure of a young man appeared in front of her. At the same time, snow started to melt and snowdrops and lilies-of-the-valley grew and blossomed on the ground.
"April," Anna sighed happily.
"Annie," the man, the second youngest of the Twelve Months, smiled at her. "Do your stepmother and stepsister know you're not asleep?"
"The 31st of March is Queen Eloise's birthday, they think I'm at the ball," Anna explained, cautiously looking at the windows of her villa. Suddenly, a mischievous thought appeared in her mind, and she grinned at her guest:
"By the way, speaking of the ball. While I was there, Lord Edmund Torvelle proposed to me and I accepted."
April's sudden paleness was visible even in the moonlight. He was absolutely crestfallen. His lips trembled, and he was about to say something, when Anna cried:
"April Fool! That was a joke. I'm so sorry if it wasn't of a very good taste."
"Oh, dear, be more careful with your jokes," the Month murmured, embarrassed that he had forgotten about the famous human holiday concerning his first day.
"I mean, the last part wasn't true," she corrected herself. "Lord Torvelle did propose to me, but I was adamant in my rejection and recommended him to try to develop feelings for Eloise instead."
"Then I suppose it's proper after all to give you my annual present – my best flowers," he said, and in his hand appeared a bouquet of large roses. "Though these are not actually mine… I asked August and September to lend me the most beautiful and fragrant red roses of theirs, and in exchange gave them two dozen lilies-of-the-valley."
"Oh, how lovely!" Anna exclaimed, taking the bouquet and inhaling the sweet aroma of the wonderful flowers. "Thank you so much, dear April. Your flowers are so precious to me – I preserve them. Even when already faded, they're fabulous."
"How about the ring, do you keep it?" April asked with worry. "I always fear you'd lose it again. If you do, you won't be able to meet us on New Year's Day or call us for help."
"It's right here," Anna outstretched her hand. "Roll, dear little ring, through the porch of the Spring, to the Summer hall and the villa of the Fall, and across the Winter mat to the New Year's bonfire get."
"Correct," April nodded.
"Well, how are you? And your other brothers?"
"As usual. The Land Beyond Sunset is the same as before."
"Why always so sad about it?" Anna wanted to know. "All your brothers tell me it is a fantastic place, in every sense of the word."
April swallowed, fidgeted, and finally spoke loudly and quickly, as if afraid to lose the courage:
"It's because I miss you so much, darling Annie. The miracles and wonders of the fantasy land lost their lustre for me long ago. I've loved you long before you met me, and the pain of seeing you only for one month in a year is too much. Yes – you're almost eighteen now – there's no need to hide it anymore. Annie, with the ring I gave you three years before I hoped to secure our connection… engagement. Of course, if you don't want it – if you don't love me – I'll give you another ring… the one that only establishes a connection between you and the inhabitants of my land. Please, Annie, if you don't love me – don't force yourself – I'd better not have you than have you unwilling…"
Anna smiled gently and silenced him:
"Why, you foolish man, did you think I refused Lord Torvelle?"
…The dawn of the first day of April was bright and clear and warm as in midsummer. Flowers blossomed everywhere. Almost all the snow had melted. Birds sang joyous melodies. None of the people knew the reason of it. They said "The spring is so warm this year!" but nothing more. Only the stepmother and stepdaughter of Anna said something else. Because when they woke up to the rays of sun and looked out of the window, they saw Anna in the tight embrace of Month April, whispering something to him as his lips gently caressed her cheeks.
"Oh!"said the stepmother. "I suspected it three years ago – he was very protective over her."
"Anna's a good girl, she deserves it," her daughter concluded. The two women sighed in remorse, remembering their previous treatment of Anna, for which they had been turned into dogs for three years.
As they prepared for breakfast, Anna heard the noises in the house.
"I must go," she whispered. "Will I see you today, say, in the evening?"
"Of course, dearest. You may not be so secretive about our engagement now, by the way – now that it's completely settled… well, save for one thing. On the 1st of May, when I returned to the Land Beyond The Sunset, I must ask January and December's consent. But it's purely a matter of time," April laughed. "All of my brothers will be happy to hear of our marriage. Even though it's a break with traditions – no mortal has ever married an inhabitant of our Land before."
"Someone has to be the first," Anna giggled. "I already became the first mortal to meet the twelve of you in person." She gave her fiancé a quick kiss on the cheek and hurried for breakfast.
…The 31st of December wasn't just the New Year's Eve in a certain forest. The Twelve Months lit a bonfire, as was their custom, but the bonfire was larger than before, and it looked like there was a seat for one more person around it.
In the garden of the royal residence, Eloise and Anna's family bid a tearful farewell to Anna. As people weren't allowed to come to the New Year's bonfire, Anna's wedding was not to be seen by her mortal friends.
"Visit us, Annie," Eloise pleaded.
"I will – every April, with my husband," the bride promised. She gave each one of her family and friends one last hug, and then threw the ring on the snow. Her silvery voice rang out:
Roll, dear little ring,
Through the porch of the Spring,
To the Summer hall
And the villa of the Fall,
And across the Winter mat
To the New Year's bonfire get.
A sudden blizzard picked her up and blinded everyone's sight for a moment. When people opened their eyes, Anna was gone.
The blizzard brought the girl to the forest, to the exact place where she had first met the Twelve Months. There was the bonfire again, but now the twelve brothers rose to meet her.
"Greetings to you, Anna," January, an elderly bearded man, said benevolently. "Now you will join us as the Lady of Spring Flowers. We have chosen the title to you as for April's wife."
April, smiling happily, stepped ahead and guided his bride to the bonfire. His brothers applauded. The Month of March and the Month of May edged a bit away, giving the couple some more space.
As Anna sat by April's side, she felt the fur on her heavy coat disappear. It was now a lovely leather spring raincoat.
"You look breathtaking, Annie, my love," April whispered. "I can't believe it's finally the day of our wedding. I've wished for it for so long."
"Well, the New Year's night is made for granting wishes," Anna said. "I always thought fairy creatures have the right to get their own wishes put into life."
The traditional New Year's celebration began. The forest around the bonfire showed four different seasons at once, and animals and birds were cheering and playing; throwing snowballs and eating berries at the same time. But this special New Year's Eve was truly something more. Everything was brighter and more beautiful, everyone felt lighter and happier, because the Month of April was finally united with his sweetheart Anna the Lady of Spring Flowers.
When the clock rang twelve, signaling the start of the New Year, Anna's too pompous pearl and diamond jewels (all gifts from Eloise, of course) transformed. The large lifeless gemstones turned into lovely white lilies, and the girl's dress was suddenly covered in flower garlands. Anna eyed it with surprise.
"Was it your gift?" she asked her groom.
"No," April shook his head, a bit stunned himself. "That must be the whole magic of the Twelve Months."
The celebration ended, and the forest was again all snowy and cold. But Anna's white lilies didn't fade.
"Yes, I'm now perfectly sure it's the sign of your title – the Lady of Spring Flowers," April thought aloud. "Well, all the better, I think the lilies look wonderful on your dress. It's already the afternoon of the 1st of January, so, Your Ladyship Anna, how about going to the Land Beyond The Sunset?"
"I will be most happy to accompany you, Your Highness the Month of April," Anna replied with mocking seriousness. Eleven of the months quietly left the forest, vanishing in the air and leaving January to care for the nature now. Only several lily petals reminded this ordinary world of Anna's existence. January picked them up and threw them Beyond The Sunset as well. Fairytale is fairytale. Normal people shouldn't come across fresh flower petals in the daylight of midwinter.