Chapter 25: Precious Buttercups

When the hall was deserted, only Lloyd was left behind. Oliver had taken the two women to the quarter where they would reside.

As he made his way up the other staircase to the right, he hoped that the flowers had better be in the position she had placed them.

Rayna was serious about flowers, and since buttercups were her favorite, she had meticulously trimmed and placed three vases near the window so that the flowers could track the sun.

The flowers were the only thing she paid too much attention to, and he began to wonder if they had any special powers, but they were just flowers. She was too interested in them.

The glasses cracked under his feet as he walked along the corridors, heading towards the particular window.

When he reached the place, he breathed in relief to find the flowers still intact.

His hazel eyes softened. Lloyd crouched to the ground and outstretched his hand to grasp the vase.

As he brought it closer to his nose to smell it, he noticed it smelled just like it normally does, emitting a fresh floral scent.

Despite everything else in the manor, they were the brightest thing that gave light to this area of the manor.

The other parts were painted in darker colors and covered with darker curtains. Although the vampire was protected from sunlight and other natural occurrences, they chose to remain in complete darkness, which was comparable to being in a coffin.

The butter cups were reminiscent of his mother, and when he lifted the vase, his mind drifted back to the past.

Rayna was positioned next to the window with flowers in her hand and a pair of scissors in her other hand, it seemed like she was trimming them.

Young Lloyd arrived on time after breakfast and found her sitting peacefully with a smile on her face as she became absorbed in her activity.

With a sense of another presence, she glanced sideways to see her son leaning against the stairwell with his arms folded.

Rayna directed her gaze back to the flowers,

"Is there any problem, Lloyd?" She asked in her soft voice.

He silently shook his head in response, "I'm left alone for now, there couldn't be any problem" He asserted.

Upon standing straight, he inserted his hands in his pants and approached her.

He stood right next to her, "Mother, why do you care about flowers so much?" His head tilted to the side, as he scrutinized the two vases placed gently beside each other.

He continued, "I know they smell nice and all, but is there a hidden meaning to it?" He inquired.

He left the flowers alone and gazed at his mother with his widening hazel eyes.

Rayna smiled at her cute-looking son. "Nothing at all" she responded.

"I just love them and when I was younger, I dreamt of becoming a horticulturist"

Rayna paused, wondering if she should continue with her story.

Lloyd was too young to understand and she shouldn't have brought up this conversation. Otherwise, she wanted him to dislike his father even more.

Lloyd narrowed his eyes. That couldn't be the full explanation, she was hiding something.

"And? Why didn't you chase your dreams?" He continued to pry.

"Fate" She clipped a dead part of the flower.

Huh?

He blinked his eyes at her but she didn't say anything further.

After she was done trimming the flowers, she arranged them into the vase in order and placed them next to the other two to make a complete collection of three vases.

"Mother" Lloyd called her.

She answered, "Yes darling"

"You love flowers a lot" He stated the obvious and saw her bob her head.

"When I grow up, I'll buy you a mansion full of flowers" He grinned ear to ear.

Rayna giggled, "What a lovely son I have" Her smile widened.

She leaned closer to him and enveloped him in a gentle hug, after, she pressed her forehead to his.

"I know you would. I trust you, Asher"

She softly spoke, her breath coming out gently as she pulled away from the hug and held his cheeks in her hands.

She continued smiling while looking at him. Asher, to her, was the best gift she could ever receive, the young boy was like the sun, radiating happiness into her life.

If she had to repeat her sad past once more, she would be willing to do it to meet her son.

"And when that time comes, I'd receive it with satisfaction" She muttered inwardly.

Lloyd bobbed his head happily.

"Do you know, flowers are used to entice women? So if you grow up and find someone you like-"

Lloyd's expression turned sour, "I won't be enticing any woman" He whined, his eyebrows knitting.

Rayna eyed him sternly, "What do you mean? Wouldn't you get married someday? I'm teaching you these for the future"

"Yeah. Let's wait till the future" He spoke sarcastically but not loudly enough for her to comprehend.

Lloyd observed what a relationship entailed, which resulted in the two individuals who claimed to be in love suffering. For instance, he had seen his dear mother cry innumerable times in the corner, and he knew that his father was to blame for her tears.

Still, she claimed that she loved him. Wasn't she just a sadist?

If it were up to him, Lloyd would have chosen for them to flee from this place and never come back, but he eventually discovered that it wasn't feasible. His title was not able to make him do what he wanted. He had his responsibility to the kingdom as a prince.

"The majority of women, if not all, like flowers. If you encounter a dilemma, remember that flowers can save the day."

Lloyd scratched the back of his head, feeling uncomfortable by the mention of women.

"I think I have something to do. Goodbye mother"

Before she could utter a word, he sprinted away from the corridor as soon as possible.

As soon as Lloyd was awoken from his reverie, the memories disappeared from his sight, dissipating like mist.

He smiled faintly and placed the vase back to where it belonged.

It ought to be properly taken care of, as it was the last thing that remained of her.

Upon rising from the ground and plowing on his heels to return to the hall, Lloyd noticed Oliver standing before him, causing him to stop and examine him carefully.

Oliver cleared his throat. "Your Highness, I've shown the women to their chambers" He informed in a low voice.

Lloyd affirmed with a nod.

He then looked over his shoulders, while Oliver followed his train of sight.

"You see those flowers, protect them with your life Oliver"

Oliver abruptly bowed his head, "Definitely, your highness"

Lloyd strode away from his presence and into the hall, while, Oliver followed closely behind him.

Lloyd sighed as he scanned his surroundings once again.

It became evident that he couldn't spend the night in a disorganized place like this.

With his hands on the button on his cloth, he undid the three buttons and removed his suit. He rolled his sleeves afterward.

Lloyd hurled the suit behind him, where Oliver was quick to grasp it and prevent it from falling to the ground.

Oliver watched in amazement as Lloyd sprinted across the hall at great speed. Lloyd was nothing less than a shadow of black and white whooshing past him.

As a human, Oliver would always be mesmerized by the outstanding powers these creatures possessed. He enjoyed watching Lloyd pulling off tricks like this.

After a short while, Oliver noticed that the prince had stopped moving about. He took a while to glance around him and his lips parted in utter surprise.

The manor that once looked haggard had been revamped in a matter of seconds. The curtains were replaced, and the ground was squeaky clean.