[rabbit...]

Username + ID: rabbit... 45716 || Name: Empress Irene Galeria || Gender: Female

─── ( i want to be ruined by love ) ──────────

───────── ( drowning in rivers of peace ) ───

"What grows in this garden?"
"Are you here to make a deal?"

» » - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ☼ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - « «

Irene's family has always been able to bargain well. Their influence started from being able to buy eggs for a few coppers less at the marketplace and growing into convincing others that nobility runs through their veins. Irene was fortunate to have inherited such persuasion, or perhaps they convinced the power to be passed on down through generations to the babies that listened. Now sitting in the lap of luxury with nothing to want for, she barters for the joy of it.

» » - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ☼ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - « «

Irene saw their first meeting. She was entertaining the visiting dignitaries around the garden pavilion and there was Heloise who was burdened by a wicker basket full of linens. While a vising noble, Clema, was ladened in shining jewelry, trailed behind the other guests admiring the blooms. It was only a brief moment but their eyes found one another and they seemed frozen in time. Yet, it was only a moment. Clema resumed mingling with guests and Heloise continued to stare.

Heloise seemed to haunt the gardens from that point on to catch another glimpse of Clema but to no avail. Irene took the golden opportunity to approach the maid who lowered her eyes in deference as she approached.

Irene extended the deal, she can help Heloise court Clema and if Clema stays here, then Heloise will not have to repay Irene. If Heloise fails then she will permanently be positioned in the gardens.

Heloise did not ponder on the deal for very long, "Yes, I accept your Majesty. Even if I fail, working in the gardens permanently sounds fine."

The persuasion and pursuit happened quickly after. Irene would extend invites to Clema and other visiting ladies, yet only Clema would wind up in the wrong place but exactly where Heloise was assigned that day. On one occasion Clema would wander through the garden hedges towards a gathering but the hedges seemed to grow higher and even more twisting until Heloise was able to lead her out. This went on until Clema purposefully sought out Heloise.


─── ( hold you in my hands like hot tea) ──────




─────── ( sitting in a garden at your feet ) ───

They went out to a grassy courtyard with pastel flowers and a sea of long grasses. The sun moved quickly through the sky where Heloise was inspired by the Empress' rose flower crown from that morning and taught Clema how to weave daisy chains and grass rings.

When Heloise picked flowers for the next crown and turned back to look at Clema she saw that Clema was finally staring back at her. They would continue to look back for many meetings after.

Yet these instances never last forever, do they? After a full season of pageantry, the dignitaries set off home. With a full retinue, Clema was whisked aboard a ship and stood on the deck for as long as she was allowed. Heloise followed as closely as she could but was ultimately stuck on shore.


Heloise sat by the cliff side staring off into the setting sun, hoping to see Clema again. For seven days she sat staring, never eating, never sleeping until her body wilted from exhaustion.

Irene collected her winnings the next day and in Heloise's place were stalks of sunflowers. The empress left one flower behind so it may continue to stare at the sun at the water's edge and planted the rest of the flowers in her garden. They all stare balefully at the skies and Irene sighed wistfully as she watched them follow the sun's arc across the sky.


» » - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ☼ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - « «

"I'm sure you have figured it out by now."

595 words

song | gif
coding

[quiche cat!]

username + ID: quiche cat! + 430690
name: (her majesty, the queen) hela
gender: female
prompt: 589 words

everyone's garden starts out bare. after all, what good can you do before you're even born?

slowly, but surely, the flowers sprout one by one as you grow; and by the time you hit the end of the road, you have a plentiful garden stretched out before you.

...well, you're supposed to.

they say that flowers can only be made out of good deeds. for example, if you stand up for your friend that is being slandered, a gladiolus might spring up in your garden. or, if you fight valiantly in a battle and win, a peony might take root.

but hela had a problem. no matter how kind she was to her servants; no matter how merciful she was to the lawbreakers; no matter how generous she was to her people; no flowers grew from her goodness, not even a dandelion. her garden was as naked as that of a newborn's.

being the queen of a small territory, hela knew her reputation preceded her. many a commoner, far and wide, whispered about her majesty's empty garden. she was incredibly embarrassed. there was a time that she would hardly show her face outside the palace, for she couldn't stand to see her people cast uncertain glances at her as they hurried a feeble greeting and scurried away.

after all, who could trust a ruler that had obviously done no good? for if she had, there was no proof, in her lonesome little garden.

her disappointing, dark, gloomy, barren plot of land.

...maybe that was why hela changed.

she was feeling disappointed. she was feeling dark, and gloomy, and barren. and most importantly, she was feeling so, so angry.

one of the servants served her orange slices with breakfast. hela was deathly allergic to citrus. it almost killed her. she was bedridden for almost two weeks. and as soon as she could muster the strength to speak, she sentenced the servant to death by hanging.

a tall, gorgeous, flourishing yellow chrysanthemum sprouted in her garden. it represented death.

the day after, the queen grieved in her bedroom. she cried for hours, wringing her hands as she looked at her dreadful self in the mirror. she regretted what she'd done. she was sorry. she was sorry.

a healthy, sturdy, purple hyacinth came forth, through the soil. it represented sorrow.

for years to come, this cycle would continue. she would have someone executed, or murdered, or whatever she wished in a moment of spiraling rage, and then she would be sorry. but of course there came a time when hyacinths would no longer grow. she became numb to grief. she believed that whatever fate befell people, is what they surely deserved. there was no need to be sorry.

her people saw her as a tyrant, and that was what she had truly become. hela didn't know if this was what she wanted. she didn't know if this was who she was meant to be; how she was meant to rule. everyone crept on eggshells around her.

surely, the universe was punishing her.

one particularly gloomy day, when rain was beating down on the rooftops, a drenched, cloaked figure marched through the castle doors and right up to the throne where hela sat, limp chrysanthemums dangling from their fists. hela was irritated and stunned, all at once. those were hers. ripped straight from her garden.

something she never had the strength to do.

he dropped them at her feet.

at that moment, a white daffodil broke through the soil. it meant new beginnings.

[Ucanthandleme]

Username + ID: Ucanthandleme + 809102
Name: Dawa
Gender: Female
Prompt:
What do you plant in your garden queen mother? I can hear your unsung cries.
What do you plant in your garden queen mother? The words they whisper are lies.
What do you plant in your garden queen mother? I am growing with every night.
What do you plant in your garden queen mother? The secret place you are locked up tight.
What do you plant in your garden queen mother? I can only watch from my moonlit bed.
What do you plant in your garden queen mother? The moon's rays are always here.
What do you plant in your garden queen mother? I can feel your gentle touch.
What do you plant in your garden queen mother? The time is almost up.

As a queen she had one duty, to have an heir and teach them well, a son who would take the crown as their own. She had failed in her duty, already five years of marriage yet not a child in sight. She wept to the moon and stars, the lonely queen only had them to keep her company, the king had not visited in some time. Her family battered and bruised her with their words, she was not worth anything to them if she could not have a child to take the throne. Useless, unwanted, unneeded, these words were spouted in her ears. So she simply left, left to the back palace where she could not hear a thing. A quiet world where she no longer wept, instead she cared dearly for the garden which was overgrown and dying. She spent her days quietly in the back palace, out of sight out of mind, tending to her garden in the day and talking to the moon and stars during the night. One day in her garden she discovered a bulb so bright it seemed to be a miniature moon.

It was a rather large bulb and due to its resemblance to the moon she took extra care while tending to it. The bulb grew and grew and in the moonlight one night she heard it. A delicate and subtle heartbeat. Life was growing inside the bulb. It was a wondrous feeling, she was growing a life. No matter what it was she’d care for it with no fright. She awaited the birth of the creature in the bulb, singing stories to it gently, giving it the best dirt and water in the garden, but never neglecting the rest of the plants. With her care the bulb grew larger and heartbeat became stronger until one night as she tended to the other plants in her garden she heard a great big cry. A small child lay in the moonlight bulb, a small child with hair and eyes of moonlit white. They cried out and without a thought she took the child in her arms gently cradling it close to her heart. This was her child, who she grew and cared for for many months. It did not matter if it was a devious creature who could change forms, or simply a moment's dream, because for now it was her child.

What do you plant in your garden queen mother? You won’t be lonely when I’m here.
What do you plant in your garden queen mother? Thank you for your care.

//

They say the queen wept to the moonlight, abandoned and alone, it blessed her with a child, one to call her own, if she had not cared and watched how far it had grown, the queen once again, would have been all alone.

596/600

[cyrevan]

This competition is now closed! Will have results up soon hopefully <33

[cyrevan]

The winner is quiche cat!
I absolutely love this concept, the idea of the gardens sprouting things representing different deeds was very interesting and I found myself hooked from the beginning :00 The story has a really clever progression and the ending of it intrigued me and leaves room for a lot of character growth!! I love how you described her emotions and frustration festering until she grew used to abusing her power and how someone then shows up to hold her accountable.

Honorable Mentions go out to:

elf_of_the_hollow - I let out a little gasp when I first saw this art piece, it's so elegant and the colors are so nice, I love the flowers you chose as well and their meanings <33

Olive; - This was a very sweet story and made me a bit emotional ngl, the relationship between the two characters is so good ;w; I love how she found a way to express herself and the idea of a garden in her head :00

Thank you everyone for participating, it was a joy to read these entries!

[elf_of_the_hollow]

thank you for the hm! and congrats quiche cat! - obvs you can keep my art <33

[Ucanthandleme]

Congrats to the winner and hm winners, there were some great stories and art pieces.

[quiche cat!]

OH MY GOSH. thank you so much for this beautiful kalon, cyraydust! I'm super excited to keep developing her-- I already have so many plans in my head, and I can't wait to get everything sorted out!
this is the start of my army of designs made by you dkfkenfw first khan, and now hela

congrats to the hms as well! ya'll had wonderful entries <3 (and thank you elf! it's such a gorgeous piece!!)

[rabbit...]

Congrats to Qiche cat and the HM winners! I think there were a lot of cool interpretations of the prompt.