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Avyanna, March 17, 1863, part 1.

His hands patted my wet cheek, a thin smirk lifted mysteriously, his eyes shone in secrecy, I wondered why the blow was taking time unlike usual. Every day my lord did something to remind me of my worth before the maids address me as their lady, be it a humiliating slap or a forceful grab of the neck in a grip, or a brutal shameless claiming of my body or his spiteful words of shame, my lord never missed a day.

However, today his touch was soft caresses, his smile wasn't wicked as it used to be, instead, there was secrecy in it, my tormentor wiped my stranded tears, running his fingers around the bruise on my forehead which my lord graciously gifted last night with a bang of his teacup. 

"Does this hurt you much, my lady?" My tormentor asked using his sickly sweet tone, the kind he uses to allure his prey into his bed-chamber. 

"Yes, my lord."

"Ask the maids for an ointment, we have a party tonight. The townsfolk will gather for your birthday celebration, Happy Birthday Avyanna!" He wished pleasantly, this will be my first birthday after the marriage, the conjecture on why my lord wanted to celebrate my birthday had my mind whirling.

Maybe my lord really did want to celebrate my birthday, it is our first time after all.

"A celebration? My lord, I wasn't aware of it, the prepario-"

"Shh... my lady," he placed his fingers delicately at my lips, silencing my rant. He continued, "the preparations are all taken care of, just apply some powder to the bruise. Now I have something to take care of," and left the chamber.

I felt a sense of calmness wash through my body, all this time I pondered over my husband's infidelity, though he doesn't feel anything to me but he wanted to celebrate my eighteenth birthday, have arranged a huge party, for me. I regret hating my husband to such a great extinct. 

I left to the washroom in corset, freshened for the day, the maids have splattered petals of roses in the tub, a dress hung on the stand. I went towards it, there was a note with the inscription, 'happy birthday wife' on it, I felt excitement buzz through my aching body, replenishing my yearning heart. 

I scanned the dress, it was a long gold ball-gown, with a beaded waistline, a golden tulle train with trailing tiny shining golden beads, more shiny beads were attached on the silk sweetheart neckline, and a gold pin with diamonds shone amidst the neckline, it would fall just in the middle of my breasts. It was such a magnificent gown and the certitude, that it was my husband's gift, warmed my heart. 

There was more time for the party, I got dressed in one of my everyday attire, a green gown with off-green ruffles on the neck, sleeves, and at the end of the skirt. I roamed the mansion, the workers have been assigned with their works, they decorated the mansion with red roses, lilacs, and lilies, the floral smell wafted in the air. They have hung white and golden curtains, a wholly amount of candles were placed among our living area, where the celebration was usually held.

The chandeliers were dusted, and a few shiny expensive golden materials were hunged on it to enhance the look of the ceiling with a dozen roses embedded around the lights for richness, the parties held previously in our mansion were prestigious gatherings, where the rich, wealthy families and traders partake, their dresses grand and their moves spoke volumes about the wealth they acquired, my husband admired them. 

The maids were setting the tables in the other room where the guests would dine for dinner, they placed our finest plates and cutleries, silk table cloths were arranged neatly across each seat, a marigold with roses, lilac, and lilies decorated each table. Our parlor was shifted stunningly from a living room to a ballroom. The pompous ardor for my lord amplified while I glanced at the arrangements. 

"Is there something you want me to do?" I asked a maid, who brings me coffee every morning and she also brings my husband wine every night when he was upstairs at his study, she sneaks out when the sun rises, generally, I hate her but today, I couldn't kindle up the anger that was stored in my heart.

"Look beautiful my lady, that was all that's required of you from your lord," she politely demeaned, her words mocked at the end, I was not able to slap her, that would only cause for the mistress to complain it to my husband, resulting in more torments every night as a reminder to not shamble with his pleasures. 

"Take rest, my lady, look fresh for the evening," the whore advised and excused herself, immersing in work. 

I felt fruitless among the buzzing workers, I retrieved back to my bedroom, my gown was resting on the bed, I sat next to it and stared at the wall clock, wishing for time to move faster, eventually the darkness engulfed me and I fell into a strange sleep.

My foot graced crimpled leaves, bright orangey sunflowers smiling brightly at the sun. I sighed in peace, the sunflower region was my favorite place among the acres of the estate but I wondered how was I here? I was in my chamber, the sun was slowly setting, I was supposed to get dressed for the party. 

Gathering my green ruffles on my hands, I ran amidst the setting sunflowers towards the mansion, the wind knocked my body, my dress changing colors from green to purple in the process, the ruffles disappeared, there were fleets of wine, the waist a raisin purple with lace, and ruffles on the neck with mulberry purpled feathers. 

I pondered over what was happening, I could feel a change inside my body and the magical change of attires scared me, the sunflower field was never-ending, I was running for a long time, I stopped, I was where I was, with no notion of what's happening, I panicked. 

The sunflowers moved from their original places, their stems bound my legs together, I struggled to free myself, slipping to the ground in the process, my dress was spoiled from the mud. I attended to remove the roots from my body, it traveled from my legs to hip, hip to my neck with force, the roots tightened when I moved, strangling my neck in the meantime.

"Free yourself Avyanna!" I heard an unknown voice whisper challengingly, the words a bare echo. I wasn't able to search for the intruder, my neck was stuck to the ground, I could only stare at the sky, I sent a hasty prayer to be saved, it was my birthday, my lord did arrange a beautiful party, I wanted to take part in. 

My strifes were futile, finally, I gave in. I have reminded the venomous words my lord whispered in my ears every night, the gossips of the maids behind my back, finally, I decided that death was much more better than the humiliating life I lived for eighteen years of my life. I felt sad for dying on my birthday, but delighted to be free, free from all the abuse, pain, and hurt.

I waited for my death to arrive, the roots slowly tightened the pressure, tears streamed down from my face due to the force but I was contended at heart. I closed my eyes, "it is not your time to die Avyanna," whispered the same voice.

I was irritated at the voice, I wanted to die, set myself free from all the chaos that's happening in my life, finally, I wanted to rest but the traveling whisper didn't let me rest in solitude, I felt angry, the anger splurged through my countless amount of pain, traveled to my vocals and I screamed, I let out a guttural scream, my senses alerted the redeeming roots when I opened my eyes, I saw the sunflowers on fire, spreading from a flower to another flower, I stopped screaming, I have always loved this region, that was when I noticed, when I stopped, the fire stopped, my anger emerged the wildfire.

I touched the flower in concern, it blazed, I noticed the fire in my fingertips, feared of what has become of me. I heard the strange voice laugh merrily at my power. "wake up sister, your one of us, your powers will make you, break you, hurt you and heal you, use it wise sister."

And the voice vanished, I could feel the demolishment of it, the flower passed the fire amongst them, destroying themselves in the process, I shrieked, "stop please," for my astonishment it stopped but they were burnt, I could hear the cries of thousand voices, the hurt behind them, the trauma ached my heart, I searched for the voices, when I turned there was no one around, the realization shocked me.

It was the voices of the flowers, no they didn't speak but their pain of burning was heard in my mind, I wished for a healed garden, I imagined them restoring into their previous state when I moved my hands, the leaves collected themselves attaching themselves to the flowers, the fallen petals replevining to their orangey self's, they gathered to make a flower. I was stunned at the fact that the movements of my hands did this.

Hope splurged through my body, I moved my hands according to the direction of the winds, dancing to the unsung music, I closed my eyes in ecstasy. When I opened them, the region was back to its old state, the sunflowers smiled pleasantly at me, the sun was setting but the flowers were blessed the never-dying smiles on their faces, that warmed my heart.

When I opened my eyes, I was in my bedroom, lying on the bed next to the gown, on my green ruffles gown. I wondered if it was all a dream, if my powers were only a dream, a small ache occupied my already aching heart, a tear slipped at the memory of the dream. 

I heard the doors of my chamber open and a maid came in with my evening tea and snacks on a tray, "my lady, it's time to get ready, do my lady need any help?"

"No, leave me be."

"Okay my lady, I'm outside if you need me," she informed politely and left.

I looked at the clock, it was six in the evenings, I have been sleeping for a while, so I hastened my tea with some biscuits, I was unusually hungry these last few days. When I was done, I decided to get ready without further ado, mostly I didn't want to wake the demon in my husband on my birthday.

1800 words

total word count - 39326