Lotus Blossom

Mae leaned in to the cook, after having a spoonful. "You may serve this. Cedric won't touch half of the platters anyway," she whispered. Then she turned away and walked up to her room, changing her dress and calling her handmaiden to arrange her hair.

"I've been in the gardens, enjoying the winter flowers," she saw the cook's weak expression, "...Cedric, would you mind if I tried the dish?"

She hesitated. "I do not know you." She paused once more. "I'm afraid I do not know you." She squinted at his eyes. "Was that a proposal, sir?" She looked back to the manor. "I must go inside, Envoy. I'm expected at dinner. My future father-in-law is arriving." She clasped her hands. "I will speak to you again. I know it." She smiled and quickly walked away, back inside through the garden gates.

"No. You cannot. I must get married to this man. I must save myself. I must secure my future. I must create a name for myself. I must erase the decades of shame washed upon me. I must build up my life. I must rise. I must preserve myself from societies venom. I must enjoy whatever's left of this life in safety and comfort. I must create a legacy by destroying his. I must live." She looked down. "No. You cannot."

"Then you should leave," she said even quieter, "It hurts me to talk to you and your freedom, knowing you can do nothing to free me."

She only nodded in response, holding a wilting narcissus between her fingers.

Another round of bullets hit the back of Junior's ship, setting off a minimal alarm. He would have to deal with is later. This was the climax of the battle. This was where he had to make decisions. Important decisions. Lifesaving decisions. He couldn't heal the wounded, count the dead. No. Not yet. He couldn't rest. A grin spread across his face, despite the damage on his ship. He circled in tighter, lowering his ship gradually to where Bob's ship lay. He could tell that it had been hit. As long as his own ship wasn't on fire, Junior would survive. His ship was tilting now, and unstable in the air after the damage it had taken, but it could still shoot. So that's what he did. He aimed the target on the radar. He closed his eyes. And he released the next wave of destructors. So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee. - William Shakespeare So long. So long. Too long. Life is far too long. So long.

"You evade my question with skill, sir. Do you fear death?"

"The life of a flower is no more of a lie than that of human. They simply don't fear the notion of wilting. Do you fear death, Envoy?"

Junior swerved through the bullets best he could, but two lodged into the poco below the wing. It threw the ship off balance. How much damage can I take? He wouldn't have time to find out. He had to act quickly. So he rushed in above Bob, flying at high speeds and with acceleration pointing his ship directly down at him, about to pindrop, before releasing more destructors and circling higher. Is that enough? How will his shields hold? How will mine? Will it ever be enough? Will I ever be enough? How would I know? Without having the time to doubt himself, he released an even stronger second wave of destructors. His wing still tipped the ships aim.

"They're far stronger than I could be. And when they cry, they cry silently."

"What they say to you, I wonder."

"Do you ever listen to them, sir? The plants."

"Which is prettiest, in your eyes, Envoy?"

Mae was silent for a moment. A weak smile crossed her face. She turned to the garden's flowers. "Aren't they lovely?"

"Do we have enough time?"

"I believe ignorance may also tend towards causing blissful unknowing. Understanding could be scarring."

"For fear understanding would hurt more than oblivion."

"What if we don't want to?"

"I believe it is. And it will simply never be complete."

"Or painful. I suppose it just depends on perspective." She smiled. "I apologize. I can be unbearable, I know."

"Any of us."

"Will we ever truly be understood?"

"I'm sure it did more harm than good."