CHAPTER 2: BEFORE THE STORM

'That's it. Angelique is definitely not right and if she doesn't speak her mind to me, I will need help'. Rosalia is noble and proud enough to don't spread the Queen's intimacy to no one, but seeing her face in the morning with eyes of who spent all night long crying, she couldn't keep it to herself anymore and headed to the Guardian's office, although not to Julious' room.

She knocked the door and entered as soon as a voice answered 'Come in!'.

- Rosalia-sama! What a pleasure is to see you in such beautiful day!

- Good morning, Randy-sama. Although I don't think it is a good day…

Randy grew concerned and his smiled disappeared from his face.

- Something happened?

- Hm… - Rosalia carefully choose the most appropriate words – Have you recently met with the Queen?

- Absolutely not! Now that Ange… I mean, Angelique-sama is the Queen, we only meet on formal reunions, and you know that the last one happened two weeks ago! – a bit shocked from Rosa's question at first, Randy got truly concerned now – This is about Angelique? Something happened to her? How's she?? Tell me!

- Ah… Yes, it's about her, but nothing happened to her. You can calm down.

'Well, at least she didn't tell me if something happened'. Reading worry in Randy's eyes, Rosalia proceeded.

- She doesn't seem very well, and it is not related to health issues. Since she refuses to talk about it with me, I though that maybe she had called you and talked with you, because you're close friends…

Randy seemed really down now and sat in his chair.

- No… That didn't happen… Besides, she couldn't call me even if she wanted, she is the Queen now.

- If it's so, why don't you come with me and speak with her?

- A-are you serious?! But what Julious-sama would say about that?!

- Well, it's about her majesty's well being, which reflects in the cosmos. Besides, I, the Queen's Aide, am requesting your help. He can't do anything about it.

The Wind Guardian agreed with Rosalia and quickly left to the Holy Palace, completely forgetting about the work papers on his desk that he had to finish that day…

Meanwhile, the Green Guardian of bounty was happily delivering his morning flowers and reached Randy's office some minutes later. He knocked and entered without waiting for answer, because the other Guardian would know it was him due to his habit of giving flowers at that hour.

- Hum, Randy, are you there?

He looked around the room to see if he was coming from some unknown corner to give his special somersault and sit on his chair in style, but found nothing. The bathroom was empty as well.

- That's strange… Randy isn't the type that doesn't show up to work… Oh, well. He is probably discussing matters with Oscar.

He happily continued his way and delivered Lumiale's flower before reaching the Fire Guardian's room.

            *knock knock*

- Good morning, Oscar-sama!

Oscar turned to the younger one and greeted him then returned to look through his window.

- Oh, yes, it's a beautiful sunny day, isn't it? – Marcel walked to his side - Look at how the flowers in the garden outside welcome the sun!

- Actually I was… - Oscar casted a last glance on a gorgeous tanned woman outside and passed his hand on his red hair before turning to a smiling Marcel again. – Oh, nevermind. So, the daily flower, huh? – Oscar put his right hand on his hip, while the other leaned against the window.

- Ah, yes. Here it is.

The boy gave a red rose, explaining how the fiery one liked these and told about how the roses bloomed gracefully this week.

- Oh, by the way… I almost forgot… Had Randy-sama come to talk to you today?

- No, he didn't. Why?

- Ah, he is not in his office, I though that maybe he was with you. I guess I was wrong. Maybe he's talking to Rosalia-sama?

- Perhaps.

Marcel proceeded to the room right across the hall seeking for Rosalia and found… Nothing. Her room was even locked. Then he really began to ponder. These two always arrive on time and hardly skip work. Well, if there was some kind of meeting requiring the aide and the guardian's presence, Julious was sure to give this notice as soon as he gave his flower, and Oscar as well. 'Luva-sama must know something, after all he stays next to Rosalia's room'. With this, he entered the next door and the elder guardian raised his eyes from a book.

- Oh, it's you Marcel-sama! Good morning, now that you're here I know the day really started.

Marcel smiled broadly. Luva can be so nice! In fact, he doesn't understand why Zephel complains about him so much. He cheerfully greeted Luva back and went to the vase that was already filled with water and put his daisies there. Marcel chuckled when he remembered that in the first day he brought the sage flowers, he was so absorted with his books that even forgot to put them on water and the next day Marcel would be pretty sad seeing the dried flower standing in the same place. After this incident, Luva bought a crystal vase from Charlie with lilies design on it and put on a small table by the window just for his daily flower.

- Hum, Luva-sama? – He got closer to him, wanted to be sure that he was being heard.

- Yes, Marcel?

- Did Rosalia-sama come to work today?

- Of course! – Luva was a bit surprised – I don't have the best memory… - he gave a shy smile – but I do recall greeting her in the hallway this morning.

- Oh, is that so? She wasn't in her office when I went there…

- Well, she probably went to discuss something with the Queen or Collet, after all she is the Aide.

Luva was probably right, and he continued his task. The next guardian was… Well, Marcel was afraid of going there, but he should be nice to all and give flowers to everybody, right? He looked down to the colorful Transvaal daisy inside his chip-basket, breathed deeply and knocked.

Olivie arrived at his office not feeling in a good mood. He got up not really interested in working and anything else. He wore a light natural-based make-up that was almost of his skin tone, thus, imperceptive. He dressed his usual working outfit and just bothered to choose the earrings and one bracelet or two, a real contrast of the glittering and full-jewelered Olivie of always.

He had the weirdest and most disturbing dream ever. He dreamt that he was doing some shopping, bought lots of pretty and sparkling clothes and accessories, and then had a little lunch-break by the sea, with fresh pineapples and such. Then everything in the dream began to go to the weird side: he suddenly decided to go to a tropical forest and he turned into a paradise bird and flew searching for one. He found, and there was a bustle of colors, with red, blue and yellow parrots flying everywhere, large-leaved trees and orchids of many colors. He continued to fly, appreciating the view from above and the landscape changed abruptly. That's when it became disturbing. The ground turned to a blood-red sand, with thick black rivers that looked like to contain some kind of toxic ooze rather than water. And the most puzzling of all: He didn't even bother! It felt like some normal prairie, and he was still flying content. After that he almost bumped into this black bird and greeted her happily. Olivie doesn't understand a thing of birds, how to identify their gender and such, but he knew for some reason that it was her. That's when he woke up. He remembered everything and that really drained his energy for the rest of the day.

He saw his dull make-up on his office mirror and sighted. 'Well, a strange dream won't beat me and prevent me from getting pretty for today… Maybe I'll just kill working time by doing something about my look', Olivie though, but wasn't really willing to. Deep inside he just wanted to go home, sleep and get some good and refreshing dream this time. A knock brought him back to reality.

- Come in, Marcel.

The Dream Guardian knew it was Marcel coming to bring some flowers and considered braiding the youngster's blond hair to lift his own spirit.

- Humm… Good morning, Olivie-sama. – the boy eyed him and approached with caution

- Good morning…

- I brought some really colorful and pretty flowers today! – he checked that Olivie wasn't carrying some scary lipstick to use on him and was relieved, but something hit his mind and the relief vanished – Are… you alright? You look pale…

- Nah, I'm just using different make-up, that's all – he wasn't in the mood to play with the cute guardian and just wanted to be left alone – got tired of pink and purple for today.

- Oh, okay… Well, I'm leaving. Good-bye, Olivie-Sama.

- Bye.

He waved good-bye and followed Marcel with his eyes until he closed the office's door. After that he just sulked into his chair and attempted to be angry with himself. 'Come on! You are Olivie, the guardian beauty with the power of the dreams! How come you can't even recover from a dream and get its meaning straight?'. He sighted for the fourteenth time today and just stared back at his face on the mirror.

Randy had lots on his mind the way back to the Guardian's Office. In the end Ange explained him that she just had a bad dream and cried a little at sleep, when she woke up she was ok again. And since it have been an year they didn't talked much with each other due to new duties (she became Queen, Collet and Rachel arrived for another test, Leviath appeared, etc), they spent the rest of the morning chatting about everything, about his dog, the other guardians, how it is to be the ruler of the universe, etc. When they looked at the time, it was noon already! Rosalia made Randy stay for lunch and seemed much happier now that Limoges recovered her usual self after meeting him.

When he entered the hallway, he saw Ernst leaving Julious room and remembered: 'Damn! I forgot about my work! If I don't deliver the papers to Ernst today, Julious will surely burn my ears out of criticizing! He'll probably throw in my face that I've never done such thing before and that I'm beginning to act like Zephel!' He fastened his pace (he wouldn't dare running in front of Julious and Clavis rooms, anyway) and spent the afternoon working as a madman, hoping he would finish it on time.    

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This chapter, as the name implies, just sets the scenario before everything turns upside down. Also gives off the Limoges+Randy relationship and show Marcel's view of some guardians, as well their daily behavior. And what people think of Julious *giggles*. I found out that Luva's flower incident is soooooo cute! With him buying a vase to don't displease Marcel again, awnnnn… About Olivie's dream, I used some dreams I've already had. No, not with the shopping spree, the ones with red deserts and a content feeling while being face-to-face with atrocious things. Next chapter: Expect more from Lumiale, Clavis, Randy and Zephel.