Scene 2: "Send you yellow flowers when the sky is gray."
About a week later Lucien shook off the autumn drizzle as he entered a flower shop in Iliosa, the Day Court's capital. His hair was damp and he thought for a moment how grateful he was for choosing to pull it back that morning. He didn't want his hair plastered to his face and shoulders because it was wet. It wasn't a good look for conducting matters of governance or business.
"Lord Lucien," a shorter, red fairy with small, yellow wings said from behind a work bench. "How may I help you this afternoon?" She gave him a welcoming smile and spread her long fingers wide in a gesture of being ready to help.
Lucien smiled and ducked his head in appreciation for the recognition. "I know it's late in the season, but I don't suppose you have any bright yellow flowers. It seems the majority of the palace's flower gardens are sporting oranges and deep purples at the moment."
The fairy smiled. "And your lovely mate prefers yellow?" she guessed.
"Yes, actually," he said. "She looks lovely in anything, of course, and she appreciates flowers of all colors, but I've done a little spy-work and discovered her favorite color is indeed, yellow."
"A nice sunny color," the fairy mused with a knowing grin.
Lucien honestly hadn't put two and two together until that moment and was pretty sure his face conveyed that sudden realization.
The fairy's amused grin widened before she motioned for him to follow her to one of the display tables on the side of the shop. "Perhaps you were genuinely fated to join us here in the Day Court. I hope you're enjoying it here so far."
"I am," Lucien confirmed. "I'm busier than I ever was as a seventh son or emissary, but I am happy here."
"You'll find your stride," the fairy said wisely, and Lucien realized that she was likely much older than he first guessed. Based on the faded coloring around her eyes and fingertips, she might be older than him. "These are the sunniest flowers I have, minus actual sunflowers of course." She gestured to the display on the table where several large, round, yellow blooms made of smallish oval petals were artfully displayed in a variety of vases. "Chrysanthemums."
Lucien smiled before leaning in to smell the flowers. "Mmm. . .they're sweeter than I was expecting. I didn't realize they got so big."
The fairy's eyes sparkled. "Mine do."
He understood her meaning perfectly. She clearly had a gift for growing things, and he understood why his father had recommended this particular shop for this errand. "I'll take three," he decided confidently. "Elain will love them."
She bowed her head in gratitude and immediately selected the three largest blooms on the table. "Would you like me to have them delivered to the palace? Or will you deliver them yourself?"
"I'd prefer to present them myself," he said. "But unfortunately, Helion needs me to attend a meeting this afternoon. Could you have it delivered?"
"Of course. My niece will be back shortly from another errand and then I'll send her straight to the palace. Curious, though . . ."
Lucien gave her a quizzical expression.
"Not many sons call their fathers by their names." She looked at him expectantly.
Lucien gave her a little smirk. Whether she surmised it herself or one of the attendants at the palace spread the news through the city didn't matter. "Until the official announcement is made at the party in two weeks, it seems appropriate to avoid throwing that around."
She bowed her head in acquiescence. "If you think that's best," she agreed. "I can't control the others, of course, but I'll not be wagging my tongue around the city until High Lord Helion makes the announcement himself."
"Thank you," he replied. "And thank you for your assistance with the flowers. It's the first gray day we've had since moving here and I wanted to send her something cheerful. You've been very helpful."
"I am at your service. And please tell Lady Elain that I can get her almost any flower seed or bulb in Prythian. I can even get some varieties from the continent, though it might take awhile since it either needs to come all the way around Prythian or overland."
Lucien had to confess to himself that he hadn't even thought about how to supply Elain with flower seeds or bulbs. "Thank you," he replied earnestly. "I'm sure she'll want to come by and visit once she sees those beautiful blooms."
They concluded the sale and Lucien ducked back out into the drizzle. It had turned into more of a rain while he was in the flower shop. He pulled the hood of his robe up over his head to avoid becoming drenched and headed towards the city's commerce bureau building for his afternoon meeting. He should have been thinking about how he was going to mediate a disagreement between rival businesses, but all he could think about was the look on Elain's face when she received those chrysanthemums.
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Elain was reading next to a small fire in the main living area of the little family's private suite when one of the attendants, Bowin, poked his head in. "My Lady Elain," the tall, lanky fairy said in an impossibly deep voice. "There is a delivery for you." Bowin was one of the most serious fairies she'd met at the Day Court. He wasn't cross, but he didn't seem to have the jovial attitude that most of Helion's attendants had. Even soft-spoken Vea wasn't as serious as Bowin.
"A delivery?" she asked, confused. "From whom?"
He opened the door a bit wider and behind him was a plump, red female fairy with yellow wings and a big grin on her face. "Oh, Lady Elain!" she gasped. "You're so much lovelier than I heard!"
Elain stood up, hoping the motion would hide her discomfiture at the compliment and any blushing she was doing. "Good afternoon," she greeted the young fairy, at least she was fairly certain the female was young. "What's your name?"
"Lizen. These are for you!" and she surged forward on those yellow wings, three yellow flowers held out in front of her. As she got closer, Elain could see just how large the blooms were and they were huge.
"Why thank you!" Elain replied, catching the flowers and practically the young fairy all at once. "To what do I owe this kind gesture?"
Lizen shook her head. "They're from Lord Lucien," she reported, settling down on her feet. "He forgot to fill out a notecard at my aunt's shop. So she insisted that I deliver them myself and tell you that he was quite adamant you receive cheerful, yellow flowers today."
Elain couldn't help but grin and found herself caressing the tops of the mums before taking a subtle sniff of the flowers.
"Do you like them?" Lizen asked excitedly.
"Very much," Elain confirmed with a light chuckle. "You've done your errand expertly."
That clearly made young Lizen's day.
"Bowin, can we get young Lizan something as thank you?" Elain asked the attendant who still stood at the open door, clearly unsure about the boisterousness of their young visitor.
Before he could answer, though, Lizan spoke up. "Oh no, Lady Elain, I don't need anything at all. I'm just excited I got to meet you! My aunt says you love gardens and flowers. I hope you'll come to our shop soon!" She gently rose off her feet and started back-winging towards the door.
Elain nodded to her, offering her an excited smile. "I will come visit you and meet your aunt soon," she promised. If nothing else she'd need to thank the proprietor for helping Lucien select the perfect flower for such a gray day.
Bowin closed the door as Elain made her way to the small butler's pantry off the dining room. She searched through all the cupboards but couldn't locate a vase anywhere.
"Looking for one of these?" Vea's voice said as Elain closed the last of the cupboards. She turned to see the female holding up a glass vase, about a foot tall and slightly twisted from top to bottom. It was lovely.
"How do you always know what I'm looking for?" Elain asked with obviously false irritation. "You're almost as bad as Ceridwen and Nuala at the Night Court."
Vea handed over the vase to let Elain do her own arranging. "I consider that a great compliment. Their expertise in serving Lord Azriel and Lord Rhysand is well known."
"I want to do something special for Lucien as a thank you," Elain declared. "Has Haze begun dessert for tonight?"
Vea shook her head.
"Then I'm going to make an apple pie with streusel on top. Helion can have some too, of course, but it will be for Lucien."
Vea bowed her head, acknowledging that she wasn't going to talk Elain out of this if she tried. "Would you like any help?"
Elain shook her head and then blushed. "Well maybe with procuring the ingredients from Haze."
Vea smiled in understanding and inclined her head for Elain to follow. "Haze won't know what to do with himself - Lady Elain in his kitchen," she said with a chuckle. "This will brighten all of our days!"