Chapter 4

My eyes were gently closed, but my nostrils were fuming with the perfume of roses. I opened my eyes and looked out the window, greeted by an array of beautiful roses that dance gracefully in the wind. It appears that the rose buds opened overnight, I forgot they would be in bloom. Mother strolled around in her casual clothes which consisted of a collared blouse and long skirt contrasting her warrior armor she wore constantly. She cut flower by flower and placed it in the basket she carried around, unaware eyes were watching. Sometimes I wonder how the whole kingdom would react, seeing her do normal mewman activities and not prancing around with her armor and sword. If a stranger saw her, this would feel so foreign because who would have guessed their barbaric queen could be so serene. I still remember one day taking my walk through the mewni flea market and overhearing people say my mother must be brash and harsh with me. I chuckled at the very thought, Queen Solaria was different than my mother. No one needed to see her gentle side.

At the dining table that could dine thirty mewnans, I sat on the opposite side of other family members who bickered and chattered about. It's not that I didn't care for them, I just wanted to sit with mother alone. In front of me sat some corn omelets, with sides of hashed corn and potatoes. I didn't want to touch them until mother came, but I knew they must have been cold by now. As I continued hearing the bursts of laughter, they were interrupted by the clacking of heels. I looked up and saw mother enter the dining hall with her basket.

"Hey Soli, are you going to sit for breakfast?" Asked an aunt

"No, I've already eaten." She responded as she placed roses in empty vases that sat on the table. One by she placed them gently, sometimes I just wish I could capture the moment when mother did things besides meet with diplomats and speak of war strategies.

"Good morning Darling, how are you?" She asked as she appeared right next to me as I poked my food.

"I'm okay, I guess just stressed?"

"Is something going on that i don't know about?" She questioned curiously as she crossed her arms.

"No mother. It's just puberty stuff. The hair and the mood swings, nothing serious." I joked.

"Well, don't forget I'm here. Sometimes you just need some time with your mother." She assured me as she wrapped her arms around me.

"I know. I guess I just need some me time?" I said as I pat her arms. I liked moments like this, when my mother noticed and was there.

The country side air was warm and crisp. Summer quietly crept closer, I could feel the air becoming dryer. It was a shame I had to wear a shawl over my head to conceal myself. Besides always wearing dark colors, I had to keep my face hidden in public so no one will swarm me. It's not that i hate my people, but I rather not be bothered when I'm trying to relax and have a day for myself. The further and further I walked away from the city the less and less people I saw. What a relief though, because I was dripping in sweat and could feel my teal hair started to frizz from the humidity. I spotted a wooden bench surrounded by trees that would provide the require shade and lunged immediately towards it. My body drooped on to the bench with a loud thud and I let out a sigh as I removed my shawl. I quickly reached into my purse to pull out my fan to fan myself from the heat. Ugh, only I would be dumb enough to dress like this and take a walk in the middle of a hot day. The shade cooled me a bit and I felt so groggy as I let my eyes get heavy and rested.

"Why ma'am, those are some beautiful red spades you got there." said a deep raspy voice that made me jerk up and see an elderly man in a straw hat looking down at me.

"Um, yeah I suppose so." i replied nervously covering my cheek marks.

"Now, don't you cover them. I can tell right away your the Mewni Queen to be Eclipsa. I don't think I've been in the presence of Mewni royalty. Well scratch that, I did go to a event of one of your predecessor, Queen Lyric, may her soul rest in peace. he explained as he took of his hat revealing his head that had a flower crown wrapped carefully around it.

"Oh, you met my Great-Grandmother Lyric?" I gasped remembering how it had been about fifty years since she had ruled over Mewni.

"Sure did. She was the most sweetest." He chuckled as he reach towards a cart stationed behind him and pulled out a bouquet of beautiful red roses. They were no where near the color of the roses at the Castle's garden. These roses glittered in the sun as if they were gemstones rather than plants. He handed it to me as I completely remained memorized.

"Oh sir, you're a florist?" I asked not looking away from the rose.

"Yep, and so was my father and my grandfather and his father and so on." He answered as he giggled.

"How amazing, it really shows with how beautiful they are."

"That's the same thing your great granny told me when I had given her a bouquet." he said as he pulled his cart towards me. "I may be old now, but I go into town every other day to sell my bouquets. It's boring staying at home and doing nothing." he explained as he gently tapped the petals of every flower in each bouquet. The cart was beautiful, it was filled with a few dozen different flowers that all glistened in the sunlight. I felt more like I was at a jewelry store and not some cart out in the country side.

"Wow, how beautiful they all are."

"If you like, you can take a few more. Don't worry about the price, just you gracing me with your presence is more than enough." he coaxed as he offered me another bouquet.

"Now sir, don't be absurd. They are all way too beautiful to accept without a form of compensation." I replied as I pushed away the other bouquet, then it popped into my head. "You know, my mother was going to host a banquet in a few weeks. I'm sure I can put in the good word and the Butterfly family can order plenty for the floral design at the banquet." I chimed as I saw the man's face brighten.

"Really Miss Princess?" he asked overjoyed as he took my palm with both hands. "I'll rush home and I'll let the family know. Thank you, thank you, thank you so much Miss Princess." he said as he shook my hand a few times before turning around and running full blast with the cart.

As the man became so distant, I realized something, I forgot to ask for his name and the name of the farm. I let out a sigh for not realizing it earlier and accidentally dropped the bouquet, as I looked down I saw "Pascal's Pretties" written on the plastic wrap of the bouquet. Well at least I know now.

I spotted a few trees in the distant that glittered red like the roses, as I approached closer I saw there were apples that sparkled as beautiful as the roses. How pretty, it's always red things that seem to be beautiful I thought as I reached for one to place into my bag. The man's words of my cheek marks being beautiful ran through my head again and I blushed. I still remember someone telling me that spades were black, not red. It didn't matter anymore, I had a nice day today and got some nice stuff. A bouquet of roses that I will be placing in a vase I get home, some apples I'll ask the cook to turn into a pie, and compliments that made me happy. I looked up and realized that time had gotten away from me. The sky was no longer blue and clear, but was beginning to turn purple with pink clouds.

"Hey Eclipsa!" shouted a familiar voice as I turned and saw my friend Globgor. Now that was something else that was red that I enjoyed in my life.

"Oh hey! I didn't notice you. Now look at these apples!" I exclaimed as I showed it to him. "Aren't they so pretty and red? I'm going to ask the chef at home to bake me a pie. Oh, we can share it! Since I know you're probably hungry since your eating habits have been off." I explained then felt a pang of guilt as Globgor hugged me. "That's my fault, isn't it?" I asked upset.

"What? No, don't worry about it. I've been managing, I just ate right now." He answered as he smiled, but then burped something up. A yellow material came out that was drench in his spit.

"What is that? Is that hay?" I questioned disgusted.

"Haha, yeah. I've seen farm animals eat it and wanted to know what the big whoop about it was. You know some monster eat that too." He answered nervously as he fidgeted as I approached it. "Hey, I don't think you want to get close to that." he said as I picked up a stick to left it up and gasp with what fell out. A flower crown that was carefully woven together.

"You just ate an old man with a cart of flowers, didn't you?" I screamed as tears ran down my face as I began screaming.

"What?! No...to the flowers. Please, Eclipsa, don't scream. I'm sorry, you know how hungry I've been since you shame me for eating people." he begged as he tried reaching for me, but I pulled back.

"You should be ashamed! He had a family, a farm, and flowers he loved so much! I had just spoken to him earlier today, I was going to ask my mom to contact him so he could give us floral arrangements, but you ruined it." I shouted as I looked down to my bag resting on the floor and saw the bouquet he had given me earlier. "Do you see this? He had given me this earlier for free because he thought my spades were beautiful. But no, my friend had to eat him." I blabbed on in between tears.

"Eclipsa, please listen to me. I am so sorry." he apologized with tears streaming down his face.

"Leave me alone." I screamed as I took my bag and ran as fast as I could. He continued to call out to me as I ran, but I ignored him. How could I let this happen? I was always paranoid he would eat me and always wanted to have someone next to me when he was around to protect me. He always sounded so guilty and even reduced his eating habits so I wouldn't be uncomfortable and would continue being his friend. When I reached the castle gates I screamed to be let in and ran right past every servant that greeted me. My bag snapped and I hear all the apples drop to the floor and roll around.

"What on- Eclipsa? Where did you get all these apples? What's going on?" my mother asked as I ran and she followed after me. "Eclipsa, I need to know what's wrong." she said knocking on my door as I slammed it and run to my pillow to cry. "Eclipsa? Hello? Talk to me please." she asked helplessly behind the door.

"Mother, I'm tired. Please let me sleep." I answered as I wiped away my tears.

"Okay. Um, I'll take the apples to the kitchen. Oh, and I'll leave these roses here, She said as I heard something scratch on my door.

I waited until her footsteps became so distant I couldn't hear them. I walked to the door and opened it to see some of the roses had wilted from being smuggled with the apples as I had ran. I placed the roses on my night stand and images of Globgor eating that poor man flashed through my eyes. Ugh! I couldn't even protect that old man if I tried, I don't have the royal magic wand yet, and Globgor can stretch his size to the size of a castle if he wanted to. I placed the pillow over my head and shut my eyes tightly, I just wanted the day to be over.