#livedtoserve

She freezes up. Not the first time she has done so this night, far from it. But if that dark-robed maiden that Flora has previously served conjured visions of her liege, this woman is practically the spitting image of him. "Lo...Lord Corrin?" The maid is too slow to stop herself from pouring the false name from her lips. No, this is obviously not the man she's served for her whole life. Flora already knows Kamui is here in the academy. This well-dressed lady with silver waves for hair in front of her... ...she must be another vision from above, meant to increase her sorrow. "Ahem," Flora coughs a bit louder than intended, meant to drown out her first line. "I apologize for inappropriately gazing for long, my lady. I am..." No. She doesn't need to know the maid's name. "...I am hoping you can accept these as memorabilia for tonight's party," Flora saves herself by quickly unfastening a pearl to hold out to the other woman.  "And if there is anything else you need, please let me know."

"Hm? Oh-!"

Princess turns to the sound of her name, surprised to find a familiar face from which it had come. Flora stands as noble as ever, the image of discipline that Corrin had always known her for, alarmingly out of place without her sister to balance out such cold.

There is something different, however, that she does not wish to acknowledge so plainly. It's the way that the familiarity in her friend's eyes is only distant, hazy, as though meant for someone else. The way her greeting is stilted, being made to a stranger.

Flora had always been a touch strange, had always held herself at a distance that Corrin had learned to reach across, but this...

She swallows, trying her best to disregard it. This was her friend, after all! Surely their time apart was to blame, and the other will look at her normally in no time at all.

Laughter rises in her throat, unbidden and nervous despite the way she fumbles to make it sound less so. "It's no trouble, really! Here..."

When she accepts the pearl, offering one of her own bells in return, Corrin's fingers linger just a moment.

"There is one thing," she begins to say, but her teeth catch on her bottom lip and she stops. Have you forgotten me? It sounds so silly, it couldn't be. She had remembered her name, after all! Silver head shakes, dismissing her own words.

♡ ˚· @livedtoserve asked:

[ Garden + Wish ] "...The moonlight is beautiful." Flora has only naturally followed through in Ishtar's request...or invitation to explore the ball's exterior gardens from earlier this night. But the state of the maid is nothing like it was earlier this night. She remains close to the lighting lady, though retaining some distance behind her to not block Ishtar's view. Flora's hands, for once tonight, are empty. No serving trays, no dessert plates, not even a parasol for her lady. One part of her heart aches, scolding the servant for failing to provide for her mistress. But the other part...just wants to rest. A privilege she never had the desire for until tonight. Meeting those faces once more, in this ballroom no less...it has changed her. But is it a change that she deserves to commit to? Flora pauses her walk and looks toward the sky. A cluster of stars sparkle down on the women...and is she mistaken, or does one of them whiz across the night sky? "Lady Ishtar? I want to...ask something." Flora speaks out of line. She should be asking the other if she is allowed to ask, allowed to talk, even. But the maid finds herself tired now...tired of hiding. The maid steps closer to Ishtar, her upcoming voice nearing a whisper so only the purple woman can hear. "Tonight I ended up encountering many people who...who have made me question my position in life. They have...scared me. I do not know if I can face them again. What can I...what do I do?" Flora tries to speak slowly and calmly. But she can tell her body is shivering, and it does not come from the moon's cold.

Ishtar wonders if Flora might have asked her such a question had she known the crueler truth of her own life. She studies the other in silence for a moment, lets the question curl into the frigid air and then disappear.

She looks away, upward. To where the moon glitters above them both.

"I do not know."

The answer is nothing, but it would be unfair for her to lie. It feels unfair to compare herself and her noble name to someone who cannot shed the skin of a servant, but Ishtar recognizes something so morbidly familiar in the way Flora speaks. When she looks to the other again, there is a quiet sorrow there.

"I cannot pretend to advise you when I know not how to face such people myself." It is such a delicate thing: one's place in a world. Hers had been chosen for her so long ago, her whole life confined it.

Until now, where she has so delicately unwoven herself from that narrative. Now, where she has begun to fear the ghosts she had grown so used to sharing the company of.

Ishtar shakes her head once.

"But I can tell you that your position in life is only yours to understand. It is good to question, I think, but you should only do so for yourself. What another believes, or might make you believe, that it should be..."

Something within her thaws with the words. They are spoken to Flora-- for her-- but a part of Ishtar knows that they are for herself just as well. Perhaps more.

"It is not for them to choose. Perhaps, when that is realized, it would not be so hard to face them."

"Lady Elise...?"

So Princess Camilla was not lying to her...not that she'd have a reason to. Flora catches herself wanting to turn around and hide in the garden's bushes once more. But this is Elise, the kindest soul of the four nobles. It has always been somewhat fun to serve her...even if the fun was never truly genuine.

"Please help yourself to this fresh water. There's sides of fruit syrups to try as well," Flora holds forward a small platter of the sparkling water glass alongisde small cups of rainbow-colored syrups.

"Also...take one of my pearls for brooch exchange. Your own exchange...is not necessary if not desired," Flora places a pearl from her string in front of the beverage.

Elise gasps, very clearly surprised by the appearance of her sibling’s old retainer. “Flora! You’re here too?!” Though she’s less surprised to see her offering out a tray to her, and more surprised by the fact she’s here at all. The tray things pretty expected honestly. “It’s SO good to see you! It’s been forever!” She can’t even remember the last time she saw her. Was it that time with the Ice Tribe thing…? 

…Did she ever apologize to her directly for that? It was kinda her fault they started fighting since she brought it up, even if it was an accident… 

…Eh, she probably did if Flora’s not bringing it up. That seems like a thing that would be mentioned if she didn’t. She especially doesn’t think she would be offering her stuff if she never apologized, anyway.

“Of course I desire! Here, take mine too.” She quickly reaches for her own brooch, the little bell jingling in her hand as she removes it to swap places with the one on the tray. “You did so much for Corrin, this is the least I can give you as thanks, right?”

She smiles up at the familiar face for a moment before reaching towards the glass, but something stops her before she grabs it. Has Flora had one? No, probably not. That doesn’t seem fair. This is a ball! A party! She should be having fun too! It’s not fair if she’s not.

But she’s met Flora. She’s met all of the people who were assigned to her sibling at one point or another. If she offered something to them normally they’d probably just refuse it. Something about ‘professionalism’ or whatever. 

…Best way to go about it is probably to make it seem like agreeing would be for her benefit, not Flora’s. Like a favor. Yeah. Then she’d be having fun, but still technically be doing her job! The perfect crime.

"...oh, sorry for staring just now. Your hair just reminded me of another....anyway,"

Flora gives a self-targeted shake of her head before presenting forward the tea tray. "May I interest you in some tea? Our flavors may be few...on request, I can check if they have any extra ones in the kitchen."

A beat passes. Has she forgotten anything? Oh, right.

"And...I have been told our guests have been assigned to exchange brooch decorations?" Flora slides a string of pearls on the tray, next to the tea cup. "They have mistakenly handed me one as well. Feel free to collect my pearls. Only share yours if you so desire."

Another trip back to the beverage table, and another group of drinks prepared to be served. Flora rushes to the opposite side of the hall, ideally providing for those without immediate access to glass. In her dash, her eyes end up locking with...a familiar sight. Is that retainer Selena?

"Lady Selena, a drink for the evening?" Flora feels slight comfort in a familiar face to serve...if not some slight dread. "There's water, some teas...perhaps this coffee? You can take some of these as well," Flora secures her tray with one hand temporarily while the other ties a string of pearls around the coffee cup.

Flora proceeds to serve a younger student, passing through the refreshments asile to make a quick decision. These are...mints, correct? Resembling candy to an untrained eye, though their mint flavor does leave a favorable taste. Perhaps what a young soul would enjoy for attracting company on a night like this.

"Might I interest you in some candies, young sir?" Flora opens her palms to reveal a handful of mint candies. "You can take one - or as many as you'd like. There should still be plenty left afterwards."

HC prompt ☾ | accepting!

Minerva doesn't bother too much about the weather: she likes when the sun is out in the ky, as well as when the clouds covered all the atmosphere around her.

She's probably more accustomed to rigid and cold weather, since the winters in her homeland are very strong and abundant, due to the numerous forest and the fact that a large part of the territory it is mountainous.