Much longer than the first chapter. The rest of the chapters will be about this length, I think.
2. Merchant
It was another busy day at the Bazaar. Lloyd's booth had been getting a lot of business since it was nearing Valentine's Day, a romantic holiday for those who resided in the city. The homemade quality of countryside items appealed to many of the city folk, so now various stands at the Zephyr Town bazaar were being emptied out by frantic men looking for gifts for their wives or girlfriends, and women hoping the same for their men.
None of the villagers of Zephyr Town were in much of a rush, though, since the town was a bit old-fashioned and didn't celebrate Valentine's. Spring Harmony Day had already passed, and it would be a while before Winter Harmony Day would come around, so the villagers were generally relaxed in comparison, and just content with making profit off of the city folk.
Lloyd smirked as he began to restock his items. This holiday had been doing nicely for his profits, and Felix would no doubt be impressed with the performance at today's bazaar. They would be top in the region in no time with the way things were going.
"Ah, sir…?" His thoughts interrupted by a quiet, hesitant call, Lloyd looked up from his merchandising to see a middle aged man standing at his booth. He looked tired–troubled, even, if the scowl on his face was any indication–and gave a small, nervous smile when he saw that Lloyd's attention was now on him. "Oh… I was just wondering how much this flower cost…? It's very beautiful, and I'm sure my wife would love it." In reaction to Lloyd's unwavering stare, the man laughed uneasily and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I… I've forgotten our anniversary, you see, and I'm hoping an extravagant gift like this will cheer her up a bit. You know, since it's going to be Valentine's and all."
Flower? Lloyd thought confusedly. I don't remember putting up any flowers for sale. There's no need, since Anita usually handles that kind of thing.
The man seemed to notice Lloyd's bewilderment and clarified. "Ah…the flower sitting right here?" He frowned, and pointed to a blue flower lying near the cashier. "This is for sale, right?"
Lloyd stared at the flower for a moment–sky blue; strange color for a flower; wonderful scent–and realized that no, that wasn't for sale, that was another one of those flowers he had found on his travels. He had been meaning to give that to Sherry, since he was sure she would like it, and he had no use for it otherwise.
Why had he laid it there so carelessly? Someone could have walked by and stolen it while he was preoccupied with other business. Lloyd sighed, relieved that this man had at least been polite enough to ask about it.
"Actually, it's not." Lloyd replied apologetically. "My deepest apologies, sir. That is meant for… something else." He picked the flower up and tucked it away neatly into his pack, causing the man to frown in disappointment. Lloyd didn't catch it, and if he did, he brought no attention to it as he turned back to the man. "Though, if you're looking for a present for your wife, I have other wares that I'm sure will suit her tastes…"
"Hm…" The man hummed thoughtfully and looked at an intricate scarf that had been lying on the counter. "Well, I suppose this scarf would be nice. The design seems to be quite foreign…"
"Yes, it was manufactured in a country far to the east." Lloyd answered, not skipping a beat. As a merchant, he had to have background information on all of his items–it proved his credibility and garnered a sense of trust and respect within his clients. "The red swirl patterns are a part of their tradition, and it means…" Lloyd paused, wracking his brain for what Amir had told him. This scarf had been from his country, and had special meaning, apparently. It had something to do with affection and love, if he remembered correctly. "…ah yes, 'safe journey'. Wearing this scarf will ensure that the feelings of the person that gave it will always be with the receiver, no matter how far apart they are."
"Ah, quite the beautiful story." The man responded, a wistful tone to his voice. "I do love my wife with all my heart. I'm just so busy with my job that I never get to display that love properly…" He paused, smiling sadly when he spoke next. "…How much is it, then? I'll pay whatever I need to."
It was worth 2000G in actuality, due to how rare it was and how Amir's country simply refused to make any exports of the item. The only reason Lloyd had this was because a kind old woman had given it to him during his visit to the country (and much like the flower, he hadn't had a place to put it, so he just left it lying around). He didn't want to disrespect her by giving it away, but… he felt like the man in front of him would have much more use for it than he did.
"…500G." Lloyd said simply, picking the scarf up and handing it to the man. He tried to ignore the way his face had lit up into a smile much more cheerful than any he had seen all day. "I hope your wife is satisfied with it."
"Oh yes, I'm sure she will be!" The man laughed as he handed over the pieces of gold. "Thank you very much, sir. I think you've just saved my marriage!"
"Think nothing of it." Lloyd cleared his throat and averted his gaze. "I was just doing my job."
"And what a job it is!" He grinned, holding the scarf close to his chest. As he turned to leave, he stopped and looked back at Lloyd. "Oh, and I hope you do alright in your endeavors as well, young man."
Lloyd blinked. "…Excuse me?"
"The flower that's meant for 'something else'?" The man smirked. "I was in your place once, boy, and I assure you, there's no need to be so vague." He laughed. "You have a loved one as well, don't you? Well, make sure you treat them right, okay?"
"A-ah, no, it's not like that." Lloyd stammered–wait, why was he stammering?–as the man walked away. He sighed as his protests went ultimately unheard and turned back to the items he had been restocking.
Loved one? He wouldn't say he had any loved ones. His family would count, but they were lost to him now, and he had no one else like that left. He was going to give the flower to Sherry, yes, but it's not like he had any intentions behind the gesture. She was just somebody he didn't mind talking to from time-to-time and the mayor's daughter, at that. He had a deep respect for the mayor and what he did for the town—not to mention the fact he let Lloyd live in his spare home—and it wasn't like Lloyd could just ignore his daughter every time he visited. He would definitely lose favor with Felix if he did that, and that wasn't something he wanted.
But to say that his flower was meant for a loved one…? Sherry was an acquaintance, definitely; a friend, maybe, but certainly not a loved one. If that was the message he was putting across by giving her these, then maybe he should stop. He didn't want Sherry to start getting the wrong idea, either. She certainly seemed the type who would jump to conclusions.
"Oh, Lloyd, you're still here?" Called a voice from the behind the counter. Lloyd almost winced at the sheer familiarity of it."The Bazaar is just about over, isn't it?"
He looked around to see everyone closing up shop. Anita was chatting animatedly with Ivan and Freya as she put away her wares, Joan was reprimanding Dirk about something as Marian giggled, and the rest of the villagers began to call it a day as more and more city folk retired home. The sun was setting, and Lloyd was amazed that he hadn't noticed sooner. It wasn't like him to have a lapse in judgment like that.
"Lloyd…?" The voice said again, worried this time. "Are you alright? You look a bit dazed."
He finally looked to the source of the voice and wasn't surprised to see Sherry standing there. She usually stopped by his stand at some point during the bazaar, whether it was just her wanting to buy something or to simply just talk. She never seemed to leave him alone these days, and he wondered why.
"I'm fine, thank you." He smiled politely. "And how are you today, Sherry?"
"Oh… well, I'm alright, I suppose." She laughed shakily. "And sorry… I meant to come see you sooner, when you came back from your trip, but I was preoccupied with other business at the time." She smiled fondly, but it didn't seem to be directed at him. "Antoinette wanted me to go shopping with her today, and I couldn't refuse, you know? She's my best friend and she may not look it, but she can be really childish and stubborn when she doesn't get her way. Honestly, that girl can just be a bit too much too handle sometimes…"
"I understand." Lloyd cut in, moving to organize his stand. "It sounds nice. You don't have to explain yourself to me, really. It's not like you're obligated to see me or anything, Sherry."
"Oh…um, yes. I see." She smiled awkwardly and looked to where Anita, Ivan, and Freya were standing. Watching her from the corner of his eye, he could see her small smile fall into a frown. "You know… I think it's a bit sad."
"What is?"
"Those three." She tilted her head pointedly to the trio of friends. "We're all friends, but I'm not particularly close to any of them, and well…" She sighed. "Dirk tells me that Anita has feelings for Ivan, who seems to have feelings for Freya." She shook her head, a ghost of a smile on her face. "Freya… well, no one knows what Freya is thinking, but it's obvious she holds Ivan in high regard and loves Anita like a little sister. No matter who ends up with who, someone will be hurt. It just makes me sad to think about it."
"Hm." Lloyd regarded the three thoughtfully. He talked to Anita only a scarce few times, and she certainly didn't act like anything was bothering her. The girl kept on a constant smile even now, when she was faced with the apparent object of her affections and the woman who, for all intents and purposes, was her rival in that regard. Anita was laughing about whatever Freya had said, while Freya herself seemed to be teasing Ivan about something. And Ivan, a young man who seemed to have a good head on his shoulders, but appeared to be absolutely awkward in social situations, was sputtering uncomfortably. Looking at them, one wouldn't think they were aware of each others' issues… or that they had issues with each other at all.
But, then again, it was natural for people to hide what was troubling them in an attempt to avoid confrontation, disregard change, and keep things the way they were. People feared what was new and different, so they did all they could to maintain what they had already established as normalcy in their lives.
He watched as Ivan said something to Freya, causing her to burst out in a fit of giggles. Anita was smiling, as well, nudging Freya playfully in the shoulder.
Ignorance was bliss, it seemed. Though... did that really apply to people who were deluding themselves into thinking so?
He looked to Sherry and noticed the unsettling frown on her face. She, on the other hand, was wearing her heart on her sleeve. Her distress could be plainly seen in her expression and movements. "…Should it really matter to you, though? It's their problem to handle. I don't think there is much use in fretting over a situation that's relatively out of your hands."
"I know that." She wrung her hands together worriedly. "I know. But… this is my town as much as it is my father's, and… I just hate to see these people—people whose lives I'll be responsible for in the future—hurt or disappointed or… or any of that." Sherry furrowed her brow and stared at him determinedly, causing Lloyd to raise his own brow at her sudden display of conviction. "I know it sounds naïve, but I want everyone to live together happily, always smiling… as the next in line to lead this town, I have to be able to do my part to make that happen."
He knew the girl was friendly and compassionate towards others, but he didn't know she felt so fiercely on the subject. It made quite a bit of sense that, as the mayor's child, she felt as obligated to the town as her father did. As a traveler, he's visited many towns and came across many kindhearted people not unlike Sherry. Though, what differentiated her from the others was her particular mindset. Unlike those people, who helped others because they either felt like it or derived some sense of joy from it, Sherry seemed like she felt almost… constrained by this desire. That it was a duty she had to fulfill rather than an aspiration she wanted to accomplish. And while it was quite admirable and selfless—almost inhumanly so—Lloyd wasn't exactly sure if that was the right way for her to think. If she worried about every other person, she would start to ignore her own problems, and that wouldn't be good for any of the people who cared about her, either.
He knew this, and this is why he never bothered with other peoples' affairs. It wasn't because he held a dislike for people—it was quite the opposite, actually—he just knew how it felt like to sacrifice your own happiness for the sake of others. He knew how much pain and grief it caused, so he avoided it.
Get caught up in others' problems and, soon enough, you start to develop issues of your own.
"That's very admirable of you." He said finally, glancing down at her thoughtfully. "I could never think the way you do."
Sherry blinked at him confusedly, before giving him a small smile. "…You could, if you tried." She murmured quietly.
"I suppose." He replied. "But I don't think I can… not anymore, at least."
"Oh…" She frowned and looked around at the now empty bazaar. "Um, it seems like everyone left while we were… talking." She uttered the last word with a hint of shame, and looked down at her feet awkwardly, like a child who was caught sneaking the last cookie from the jar. Lloyd held in a scoff, they were doing more gossiping than talking and she seemed to know it, too.
"Well, we should be heading home ourselves, then, shouldn't we?" He said, packing up the rest of his wares. "You're heading back to the mayor's, right?"
"Uh…" She sputtered. "I was… actually going to stop by the café."
To talk to that boy, no doubt. If Lloyd was a more playful person, he would have made a joke about her going to gossip with Dirk, but as he saw no point in it, he decided to keep it to himself. "Ah, I see." He replied. "Well, I'll be heading home myself, so I suppose we can walk the way together."
"Oh… well, okay." She smiled, and Lloyd tried not to think of the man's earlier implications. He and Sherry were just acquaintances. There was nothing else going on between them, and Lloyd doubted there ever would be. The differences between them were too apparent. Sherry seemed to like him just fine, though, in spite of this and he… well, he supposed she wasn't so bad.
She had a genuine love for her town and neighbors—that much he could see. Being the mayor's daughter was important to her, not just some title, and Lloyd could feel himself admiring that, at least.
"Ah… Lloyd?" Sherry said suddenly, cutting into his thoughts. "Shouldn't we be heading out now? The sun's almost down, and it's dangerous to travel at night."
"Hmm. Yes." He cleared his throat. He hadn't been spacing out, had he? How unprofessional. "Yes, we should. Sorry about that."
"Oh, it's fine." She smiled reassuringly. "It's kind of funny, to see you spacing out like that. I mean, it's not something you would usually do, but that's okay!" She laughed and began to walk towards the path that led back to Zephyr Town, leaving Lloyd to walk behind her. She turned to look back at him, the glow of the sunset lighting her hair and giving it a reddish pallor. "I don't think many people realize this, but I know. I know that you're a really kind person, Lloyd."
Watching her expression, and seeing the tender gaze she was directing at him, Lloyd could feel some strange, inexplicable warmth emerge from within him, and surge all throughout his body. "You…" He started.
Seeming to have realized something, she gasped and suddenly turned away from him, breaking their eye contact.
"Well, um, let's head out, shall we?" She was stammering now, and refusing to look back at him for whatever reason. "I-it'll be dark soon and, uh…"
"…Yes. We should go." He wanted to continue what he was saying before, and ask her exactly why she thought that, but decided to save it for another time. "Let's go, Sherry."
At this he began to walk ahead of her rather than behind, and was wondering whether she would follow him or not when he didn't hear any footsteps behind him. No sooner than he thought that, she fell into step right beside him and he found himself strangely pleased at this. As they walked home, chatting about small, unimportant things, Lloyd could feel that strange warmth swell up within him once again. Not really knowing where it was coming from (was he sick?) he decided to ignore it.
Sherry smiled at him and he found himself giving her a small smile in return.
She may have been naïve and helpful to a fault, but she was also very compassionate and well-meaning. Watching her chat happily about something from the corner of his eye, Lloyd decided right then that Sherry was not a bad person. Not bad at all.
A/N: Here's the next chapter of Flower Princess! Sorry it took so long, but I've been busy, and I wasn't really satisfied with this chapter, so I kept rewriting it. But I've outlined the whole story now, so updates should come easier as it's just a matter of writing the chapters based off of the outlines I've made for myself.
I know Lloyd is, like, an ore merchant or something (just found this out, actually, so I didn't know when I first wrote the chapter) but I'm going to keep him as a merchant that sells a variety of items for the sake of the plot, I guess.
I won't guarantee the next chapter will be out soon, what with me starting my second semester of college and all that. I go to a private school, so the workload is a lot more demanding from what I've seen... it's fun, though, so no worries. :D I am working on the third chapter, though, so don't think I've been completely neglecting this story!
Well... until later, you guys.
