EᔕᔕᕼI
~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
They enter the Queen's chambers.
So much light, yet sombre and silent.
Ainhara walks to the bedroom door;
rosewood with carvings of lilies, angels
and wings, and knocks, "My Lady?"
When she did not hear a response,
she knocks again. "My Lady, it's me
and Esshi. May we come in?"
"Yeah, come in..." comes a hoarse
voice on the other side which worries
Esshi and Ainhara both.

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
Opening the door, Ainhara enters first,
Esshi pushing the serving trolley behind.
They found their young queen sitting on
my iris-purple kimono robe
She is not in her grand-bed; also made
of rosewood with a cherry finish. Intricate
carvings of lilies and nymphs are on the
posts, the headboard even the cream marble
top.

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
The canopy curtains shimmer, cream-gold,
diamonds in the winds. Her rose-silk sheets
and pillows of creams, golds and browns are
covered in papers and open notebooks. Turning
their heads in the right corner of her room is
their young queen, sitting on the stool,
leaning on her hand-painted writing desk
with two large drawers, four small drawers
with golden handles; a gift from King Paul.

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
Upon it are some small inkpots, gifts from
Queen Kim. She is even wearing her second
favourite kimono-robe, made from white rose
-silk with peacock embrodiery with matching
slippers; gifts from her mother.
Surrounding her are several letters, opened
and sealed. When she turns to face them,
they can see her smile is weak and touched
by fatigue.

EᔕᔕᕼI ᑕOᑎT.
~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
'Oh Ainhara, you always seem to know what to
do...' Esshi chuckles. "Thank you very much.
Have you done the Queen Mother's flower
arrangements?"
"Yes, all of them have been watered and
now they are being placed around the palace."
Esshi nods. "Good. Thank you very much.
Carry on then."

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
The florist smiles and leaves as Esshi places
the vase down on a clean counter as well as
the inkpot and quill while staring at the
paper.
'What should I say...?' she wonders as
she hears the meat sizzle. Bale is washing
the carrots and potatoes and chopping
them into medium-sized chunks.
Esshi blinks and smiles. 'Got it!'
Folding a paper in half she writes on
the paper, using her best calligraphy.

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
When she's done, she places the quill
in the inkpot and gently blows the paper.
'Perfect!' Esshi beams. "Bael? Where do
you keep the serving trolleys?"
"In the back!" he says as he pours in
the ingredients into the paella pan
and mixes gently.

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
Esshi goes to the back room and sees
a rose-silver serving tray with wheels
which she rolls out, placing the
bouquet and note on it while waiting
for Bael and his team to finish cooking.
Bael smiles that proud smile before pouring
some soup into a bowl and placing it on the
serving tray.
"Thank you, Bael."
"Not a problem. Do give our Queen my
regards." he faces his working staff.
"If they're done, bring them over!"

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
Almost instantly, the chefs bring small plates
of their Queen's favourite treats and top it
off, a fresh brew of Jasmine Pearls.
"Thank you all so much." Esshi says gratefully.
"It's our pleasure." A chefs says as Bael
claps.
"Well done, everyone. Now we best get on the
Queen Mother's meals. Go started! I will see
Lady Esshi out."
Esshi covers the food as Bael opens the door
for her to leave. She is stunned to see Ainhara
there.

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
"Oh my, Bael!" Ainhara smiles at him. "You
certainly worked hard."
"The life of a Chef." he beams. "When you're
done, do come by again. I'll have some meals
waiting for you!" he winks at them and
returns to the kitchen.
"The shipments?" Esshi asks.
"All are being presented, documented and
stored away by the Queen Mother." Ainhara
says. When she sees the flowers, she smiles
and the words on Esshi's note makes her
smile even more.
"Let's make way." Ainhara says as Esshi pushes
the tray behind her, making their way
for the young Queen's chamber.

EᔕᔕᕼI
~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
The kitchen's air is redolent with spices,
peppers and cinnamon, all-spice and star
anise, thyme and curry. The cooks are
shouting orders; taking rose-silver pots
and copper pans; each having the print
of the Lily of Aurelinaea; from the wooden
shelves, plates and bowls from the cup-
boards; some are stirring soups over
coal-fire stoves; others are dicing carrots,
potatoes, fresh poultry and more.

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
Esshi, in a light-green off-the-shoulder
dress of rose-silk with a triple ruffle trim,
lined with yellow ribbon, a thigh high slit and
white lilies beadery, is speaking to the head-chef
who nods. "Certainly, Lady Esshi." he says
and turns to his busy staff. "Bring out
the paella pans! We have orders for the
Queen Mother!"
"Yes, chef!" a woman says as she pulls
out a rose-silver paella pan and places
it on the stove. The head-chef turns to
Esshi. "You need not worry, Lady Esshi,"
he smiles. "I will make the dishes with
care."

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
"You always do, Bael," Esshi chuckles as
he washes his hands and she walks to
the corner, sighing. 'My Lady...'
she thinks worried.
"Lady Esshi?" her thoughts are broken
by a woman's voice. She turns to see a  
florist behind her. 'So lost in thought,
that I did not hear the door open.'
She thinks as her eyes fall on the flower
vase.

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
The vase is art noveau style; a deep emerald
green with a maiden in flowing silks, her
hair bejewelled with lilies. Esshi's eyes then
rise to look at the flower arrangement - white
lilies with lilac kisses, purple roses and
several stems of lavender.
"Lady Ainhara said I should bring this to you."
"It's lovely," Esshi sniffs the fresh flowers.
"Very beautiful! You certainly outdid yourself.
It's for our young Queen, I take it?"
"Yes. And Lady Ainhara said I should bring
you this also."
She sees her place some paper, quill and ink down
and Esshi smiles.

ᗩIᑎᕼᗩᖇᗩ ᑕOᑎT.
~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
Then her eyes falls onto the various tiger lilies,
leopard lilies and the Queen Mother's
favourite of them all, calla lilies.
How each of them fill the air with
perfume-sweet songs! Each flower are near
the manmade pools, and bird baths and
the large stone fountains.
Florists are talking and laughing
as they made several flower arrangements,
each featuring the calla in it's classy glory.

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
"Lady Ainhara?" she hears the guard snap
her from her thoughts.
"Ah, sorry." Ainhara follows him towards
the Moon-Lily Gate, the circular opening
that Queen Lyn has ordered be created
during her visits to East. The door is
made of iron-bars that are sculpted,
taking the shape of the proud peacock;
another favourite of the Queen Mother,
which the guards open.

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
"Hold on." Ainhara quickly skips over the stone
paths to one of the florists. "Make a flower
arrangement for the Queen herself. Use all
of her favourites. And...if you can, use lavender.
When you're done, hand it to Esshi... give her
a quill, inkpot and paper. She'll know what to do.
She's currently in the Kitchens."
"Right away, Lady Ainhara," the florist nods.

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
'Hopefully this will make our Mistress smile...'
With a smile, Ainhara runs back to the Guard
and exits through the Moon-Lily Gate and
out of the gardens until she comes to the
side entrance of Aurelinaea's grand palace.
'And just in time too!'
Riding into the Royal Courtyard are
many merchants with wagons and
wagons of crates and trunks;
silver Aurelinaean guards riding white
mares beside them.

ᗩIᑎᕼᗩᖇᗩ
~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
Out of the Palace, into the Queen's
Garden. 'One that could rival King
Paul's Luciuscemian Gardens,' she
thinks as she walks under the high
cream arches and Grecian columns
with ivy vines coiling around them.
She stands on the white marble
steps. 'Truly, this is the Queen
Mother's finest work yet...'

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
The young Queen Lyn spares no
expense in expanding her library,
filling it with leather-bound books
and scrolls, new and old. She spares
no expense when it comes to her
love for herbal teas, near and far...
But her mother?

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
The Queen Mother is known for
her keen eye, fast wits, bladed
tongue and for her love for fashion,
gardening and a frugal nature.
'Like frugal mother, like bookish
daughter!' Ainhara can not help
but to chuckle.

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
She watches as the gardeners trim
the mint-green grass, beech hedges
and shrubby. But what Ainhara
marvels most are the flowers.
Pots of lavender and roses,
rosemary and mint are placed
around carefully, by the white
lilies, orange lilies, yellow lilies,
flushing lilies.

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
She notices that green lilies and
blue lilies; the gifts from Queen Yidna;
plants native to her Puhan Kingdom,
are in full bloom. They remind her of the
colours of the Seas that she, Esshi and Lyn
had sailed when they visited Queen Yidna.
'Puhan has the calmest seas of the brightest
colours,' She recalls how her Queen was
happy and relaxed then...