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Description
Flower symbolism:
Black Hellebores (Manifestation of the disease): Ithandul's blessing-Personal significance
Gladiolus (held by Ithandul): symbolizes strength of character, faithfulness and honor. The Gladiolus flower signifies remembrance.
Lavender Heather (By Estel's upraised hand): symbolizes admiration, solitude and beauty
Wormwood (Wrapped around her arm by her side): absence. Bitter sorrow

I HIDE myself within my flower,

That wearing on your breast,

You, unsuspecting, wear me too—

And angels know the rest.

I hide myself within my flower,

That, fading from your vase,

You, unsuspecting, feel for me

Almost a loneliness.

-Emily Dickinson

“Ithandul, why is it that you never visit me, or when you do it’s not that often?” Estel’s red eyes searched for the answer in the mirror as she spoke, hoping that he would hear her.

Her brother was not here of course, he was far, far away, doing his duties as guardian. He was a soldier first and a brother second, though he would not say so. It was almost like he was still gone, him being so far away. He would come visit if he was in the area but he preferred to spend all his time in the frigid cold of Elurra, and she was only able to make that trip once every great while. She had been so happy to have finally been reunited with him, and it seemed that she would not be quite so alone in this world. Without him now her heart ached slightly. They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder but continued absence only brought sadness. She missed him so much, and she wished that he would express that he missed her too, instead he would always have that cold gaze, much like the weather in his home.

*****
Estel woke in the middle of the night, something tickling at her throat. Her heart felt heavy as well but there was something about the middle of the night that just made her loneliness seem more poignant. She coughed softly, hoping to dislodge or ease the discomfort in her throat. Removing her hand from her mouth Estel could see in the moonlight a single petal, black and glistening, and familiar. It was a petal from a flower, but she had not seen this particular flower around town, not anywhere except...Except adorning Ithandul...Estel shook her head, dispelling the thought. Perhaps it had floated in on the wind and had gotten caught in her throat while she slept, just because the petals were black it could just be the moonlight making things seem as they were not. But another cough came, more petals, all the same glistening black. As she heaved, fighting to stand as the coughing became more and more intense the petals fell to the floor in her room, littering the tiles by her window with petals and droplets of blood. Eventually an entire flower had heaved itself from her lungs, hitting the floor with a soft, wet sound and Estel picked it up, cradling it gently in her hands, holding it up to the moonlight to see it as her coughing fit had subsided for the time being. There was no denying it, the flower was indeed a helleborus flower, the rich blue black color inky in the pale moonlight.

“Ithandul.” The words left her lips as the tears that had begun pooling in the corners of her eyes began to drip down her cheeks. Perhaps the stone she had felt in her chest had not been her loneliness like she had first thought, there was a reason for her aching heart but he would not come to her even if she asked, he was too sworn to his duty. “I miss you.”

Welling up from her chest, another coughing fit overtook her, black spots dancing in front of her eyes as she struggled to breathe around the flowers attempting to force their way out of her chest even while she tried to stay quiet to not wake Silvia, who seemed to be sleeping peacefully in the other room. As her vision went dark a sliver of light flashed across her view as she could only assume Silvia rushed to her side as the void of unconsciousness took her.

*****
Estel’s eyes fluttered open to a sight she didn’t expect, mismatched eyes looked down at her with what seemed to be concern. Ithandul frowned at her. “I came to check on you because I had heard that there was a strange disease spreading but I never dreamed that you would be affected, perhaps I should have come sooner, maybe if I had you would not have ended up here.”

Estel smiled, her fingers reaching up to gently brush against the black helleborus adorning his cravat. “You’re here now, and that’s the only thing I could ask for.”

Estel and Ithandul belong to me
Estel's design by Sueweetie and Kanekiru
Annies are a closed species by Yamio

Description
Flower symbolism:
Black Hellebores (Manifestation of the disease): Ithandul's blessing-Personal significance
Gladiolus (held by Ithandul): symbolizes strength of character, faithfulness and honor. The Gladiolus flower signifies remembrance.
Lavender Heather (By Estel's upraised hand): symbolizes admiration, solitude and beauty
Wormwood (Wrapped around her arm by her side): absence. Bitter sorrow

I HIDE myself within my flower,

That wearing on your breast,

You, unsuspecting, wear me too—

And angels know the rest.

I hide myself within my flower,

That, fading from your vase,

You, unsuspecting, feel for me

Almost a loneliness.

-Emily Dickinson

“Ithandul, why is it that you never visit me, or when you do it’s not that often?” Estel’s red eyes searched for the answer in the mirror as she spoke, hoping that he would hear her.

Her brother was not here of course, he was far, far away, doing his duties as guardian. He was a soldier first and a brother second, though he would not say so. It was almost like he was still gone, him being so far away. He would come visit if he was in the area but he preferred to spend all his time in the frigid cold of Elurra, and she was only able to make that trip once every great while. She had been so happy to have finally been reunited with him, and it seemed that she would not be quite so alone in this world. Without him now her heart ached slightly. They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder but continued absence only brought sadness. She missed him so much, and she wished that he would express that he missed her too, instead he would always have that cold gaze, much like the weather in his home.

*****
Estel woke in the middle of the night, something tickling at her throat. Her heart felt heavy as well but there was something about the middle of the night that just made her loneliness seem more poignant. She coughed softly, hoping to dislodge or ease the discomfort in her throat. Removing her hand from her mouth Estel could see in the moonlight a single petal, black and glistening, and familiar. It was a petal from a flower, but she had not seen this particular flower around town, not anywhere except...Except adorning Ithandul...Estel shook her head, dispelling the thought. Perhaps it had floated in on the wind and had gotten caught in her throat while she slept, just because the petals were black it could just be the moonlight making things seem as they were not. But another cough came, more petals, all the same glistening black. As she heaved, fighting to stand as the coughing became more and more intense the petals fell to the floor in her room, littering the tiles by her window with petals and droplets of blood. Eventually an entire flower had heaved itself from her lungs, hitting the floor with a soft, wet sound and Estel picked it up, cradling it gently in her hands, holding it up to the moonlight to see it as her coughing fit had subsided for the time being. There was no denying it, the flower was indeed a helleborus flower, the rich blue black color inky in the pale moonlight.

“Ithandul.” The words left her lips as the tears that had begun pooling in the corners of her eyes began to drip down her cheeks. Perhaps the stone she had felt in her chest had not been her loneliness like she had first thought, there was a reason for her aching heart but he would not come to her even if she asked, he was too sworn to his duty. “I miss you.”

Welling up from her chest, another coughing fit overtook her, black spots dancing in front of her eyes as she struggled to breathe around the flowers attempting to force their way out of her chest even while she tried to stay quiet to not wake Silvia, who seemed to be sleeping peacefully in the other room. As her vision went dark a sliver of light flashed across her view as she could only assume Silvia rushed to her side as the void of unconsciousness took her.

*****
Estel’s eyes fluttered open to a sight she didn’t expect, mismatched eyes looked down at her with what seemed to be concern. Ithandul frowned at her. “I came to check on you because I had heard that there was a strange disease spreading but I never dreamed that you would be affected, perhaps I should have come sooner, maybe if I had you would not have ended up here.”

Estel smiled, her fingers reaching up to gently brush against the black helleborus adorning his cravat. “You’re here now, and that’s the only thing I could ask for.”

Estel and Ithandul belong to me
Estel's design by Sueweetie and Kanekiru
Annies are a closed species by Yamio