(Contains major spoilers)

The flower disease, ah yes... Nadia told me about this tale when she first taught me about reading. She read me about how a person can contract this diseases when they have an unrequited love to another person and will develope flowers inside their bodies, causing them to slowly die from either internal bleeding from the forms and woody stems poking major organs, suffocating from flower petals blocking their airways... But one can only be saved when the person they love reciprocated their love. Well, there was another way to he saved. And that was to remove the disease from the body, but can never feel love again. Or maybe... One should accept the fact that the person they love will never love them back, just sit back and watch as the person they love found love in other people... And die. It must be unfortunate for people to die in such circumstances.

Julian Devorak, the fugitive doctor who was the alleged murderer of the Count of Vesuvia, was standing in the middle of the court, the whole people of Vesuvia watching from above, from their seats. As the handmaiden of the Countess, you were obliged to join her on her own box, separate from the  courtiers. You were anxious about the trial, knowing that the Praetor was biased like that and the fact that Doctor Devorak was pleading guilty while the apprentice of the magician Asra was defending him.

Nontheless, the trial was a riot. They have to an agreement to have twenty minute recess to ease the rowdy crowd. As people left, one by one, you can see Nadia was distressed. You took this time to reminisce about the past. Julian... He was a good man. Charming, magnetic, humourous, loyal... He can never do such a thing. The way he described the way he murdered the Count Lucio that night would automatically shift one's mind about him. But seeing no evidence of a torch in the County's room after you accompanied the Countess Nadia to clean it, you knew that he was lying... But why?

Julian is a kind man... He can never do such things...

He told me about his travels, the way things are different in other places, how beautiful the way things are... It was dreamy.

This man was attractive, I thought to myself back then because he truly is, but Countess Nadia always invites attractive people every time and I had a crush on every single one of them. I never knew it would spiral down to something that is neither good or bad. It started when M'lady invited people to find the cure for the plague and that is when I met him. I was assigned to bring him books, snacks and to assist him in anyway and spent my time there in the library in him. It was obvious that he had people skills and managed to get on my good side. When he is  not looking for a cure, he and I would chat and would walk around the palace.

And that time, I knew I was falling deeply in love with him. At certain times, he would give me flowers, flirt with me, compare my features to simple and everyday things but manages to make it sound deep and attractive, would kiss my hand... When it was noticed by your fellow servants, they knew that you two were a perfect pair. Then, day by day, Julian became frequently unavailable and was moved in a new location, somewhere in the palace and I was promoted as handmaiden to Countess Nadia.

Then there came the birthday of the count that twisted into an unexpected turn... He was burned in his bed and died, where Doctor Devorak was near the scene. He admitted to the murder and left with a single sentence... Death by hanging. I am guilty to say it loud, but I am glad he escaped.

I thought he would disappear after that night, but he broke into my home in the middle of the night to bid me farewell... For now. I couldn't muster the courage to confess, but I mustered the courage to kiss him that night. He once told me that kissing a person who is about to leave was good luck. Then returned the favour by kissing me again when I pulled away to wish the person he was leaving behind to stay unharmed while the person was gone. Then after that night, he disappeared, never to return.

And when the next day came, the Countess assigned all of the servants to post his face in every single wall of Vesuvia with a huge bounty on his head. This went on for a year. I missed him. Very much. I see his face everywhere I look, longing and wondering when he would come back...

And then here he is. Pleading guilty and to be hung if proven guilty.

It was heated, between Julian, the apprentice, Nadia, Vlastomil, and the audience their selves. Watching Julian and the apprentice interact made your guts turn in a certain angle of a small, fiery wrath. Yes, you were glad they were defending Julian, but the way Julian looked at them... It was not really subtle when he said he met someone he truly cared for and would do anything, everything for them. And you were certain that it was not you.

It was decided that this judgement was passed to the audience. Cheer if Julian was guilty, and cheer if Julian is innocent... You were too ashamed to cheer for Julian to be innocent, having the Countess there with you.

You refused to believe that it has only been ten minutes when you reminisced about the past. To you, it felt like years. But here you were, present at Nadia's box, alone in the coliseum while a riot was just starting from the surface of the dungeon where Julian was. You looked down at your shoe, tears brimming your eyes as you choked on a rose petal, while a thorny stem was blocking your throat, causing you to spit out blood. You held your stomach, your other hand held your neck as you choked on the stem and spat it out. You wiped your mouth with the back of your hand, kicking the stem away, clearing your throat and spitting out excess blood.

You throat felt sore everyday ever since he left, flower petal puking was an everyday happening, and difficulty breathing has been regular to you. At this point, you were getting used to it.
When the recess was over, Julian proceeded to stand on the accused stand, the apprentice on their stand, Praetor Vlastomil on the Praetor seat, and Nadia on her box.

"I pronounce the accused, Julian Devorak, guilty!" At this point, you couldn't stand it. Tears began to fall out of your eyes, as you stood behind Nadia. You covered your mouth to muffle sobs, biting your tongue to suppress any noise you may produce. You were thankful of the loud crowd doing the job for you to stay quite, as another riot starts once again. "And I sentence him to death by hanging at the start of the masquerade!" You held your shirt on your back enough for you to scratch and wound it as you were still unnoticed by the Countess.

"Pyra... Is there something wrong?" You looked up at the Countess. You were named Pyra after the Count witnessed you put out the fire in his room with your bare palms. It hurts for a few weeks and from there, you were promoted and renamed to be Lucio's handmaiden... And when he died, you were now Nadia's. You missed being called by your real name... Only Julian called you Y/N.

You released your shirt and clasped your hands together. "I am simply devastated of my mother's passing, my lady... Please pardon me..." You lied. Your mother died a long time ago when you were younger.

"Very well, then... We can proceed to the palace. Come along now, Pyra." She walked, while you trailed behind her.

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You were covered your head with a shawl, with a mouth piece placed on your face to hide your features. When asked about it, you insisted that you were sick. When Nadia excuses you, you insisted, saying that you needed to be present to prepare for the masquerade. There, sat Julian. He didn't change one bit. He was still the charming, yet nervous wreck he is. As much as you were tempted to greet him, kiss him, embrace him... You knew you couldn't.

With time passing by, the flower disease made your voice different. More deeper and husky. Nadia paid no mind to it, as well as the other staff you were working with. Which gave you an advantage not be recognised. Although... You felt the slightest disappointment when he does not remember you. You, the person whom he talked with during his time at the palace.

You stood behind Nadia, holding a pot of tea in an antique tea pot, feeling the heat on your palms burning... But not as worse as the fire burning in your throat as it threaten to cough another fit. Nadia was questioning Julian, as he was chained by the foot of the table, when the apprentice and the magician came. Julian attempted to leave, when he stopped in a halt, as the chain still clung onto his wrist. With no other choice, he sat back down. They were questioning him, but he keeps finding away to dodge the subject, but they insisted.

When he finally cracks, Nadia waves off the servants. You were about to leave, thankful, but Nadia calls you in. "Except for you, Pyra." You nodded, and stood back to your place. You weren't really paying attention, but you heard Nadia clearly saying:

"—Especially to keep your someone special safe." You glanced up, to see Nadia eyeing the apprentice. You weren't really aware of how violently you were trembling and how goes your were holding the pot broke in your grasp, causing the four of them to whip at your direction and saw you, intensely in your thoughts, violently shaking, palms bleeding, clothes stained.

"Pyra!" At the sound of Nadia, it was then you noticed your bloodied hands, blood stained clothes, and the shattered ceramic lying in the floor. All of them were stunned as you were. "What is happening to you?" She attempts to help you, but you fell on your knees and began to bow.

"F-forgive me for breaking one of your favourite ceramic, my lady!" You stood up, head bowed down, this caused your shawl to fall on the floor, but your mouth guard was still intact. You began to cough, blood staining through the thin, white material of the mouth guard.

Julian mouths a statement at the Countess, which she nods and let's him tend to you. When you felt his palm pressed against yours, you shoved him causing him to fall on his bottom. "Stay aWAY! GET AWAY FROM ME!" You voice cracks, as you crawled backwards to avoid the love of your life. He was stunned, blood staining his white clothes. Once you found balance, you pushed through the doors and stormed out.

Julian was stunned, Asra was shocked, Nadia was confused, and the apprentice was silent. They didn't knew how to react. Nadia sighed, sinking into her seat as she rubbed her temples. "Y/N has been acting strange ever since..." She sighed.

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You stopped in your tracks and by the lake, you began to throw up. Blood, stomach bile, and petals. You coughed when one of the thorny stem on the rose blocked your throat, and managed to get it out, but continued you vomit. When it stopped, but had the threatening urge to do so, you poked your tonsils and forced the contents of your system to get out. Once done, you sat by the tree, leaning in the branch as you sobbed.

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To be continued :)