The castle gardens were beautiful at that time of year, more than ever as the day of a very important event was looming in the horizon. In every tree, shrub, and flower bush, Faisuri could see the toil of the royal gardeners. Each hedge was pruned with a meticulous care akin to a mother's for her a children. The vast, sprawling lawns of grass were trimmed to a perfection, not a green blade rising higher than the rest. Yet for all the effort that the gardeners had put into every single plant in the gardens, none of them mattered save for the flowers. The flowers stole the show, enrapturing the eyes of all those that laid sight to them. They were dazzling in their chroma- the bright blues of the forget-me-nots, the pure whites of the lilies, and the roses red as Primeval Flames themselves. Compared to them, the trees, shrubs, and the bushes paled.

What was it that Faisuri had told Ida? Beauty does not equate to everything.

At that moment, she felt like it did. Standing next to this woman, from her luscious waves of dark chocolate to her perfect crescent of a waist, made Faisuri feel like the grass: insignificant. She knew for a fact that she was a beautiful woman. Many people, both men and women, had told her that countless of times and she had certainly taken the liberty of studying her features closely when the chance arose. Faisuri knew her strengths and her faults in both posture and facial complexion.

Yet for all the strengths she had, her flaws seemed much more prominent when she walked next to Meara. As they walked, Faisuri had stolen surreptitious glances at the brunette, trying to spot any faults that she might have. Anything to convince her that this woman was no immaculate sculpture of the gods- anythinggood she didn't have that Faisuri had.

There was none, of course, and it bothered her.

In one of her attempts to analyze the woman, Meara suddenly turned her own head towards her, almost taking Faisuri aback. Her eyes locked head-on with the taller lady's mesmerizing eyes. Dimples formed as her lips were drawn upwards.

"Lovely day outside, is it not?" she started. Those were the first words spoken since they stepped outside the shadow of the ceilings.

"Don't tell me you dragged me all the way out here just to tell me that, Lady- Meara," Faisuri laughed, catching herself at the very last moment. Out here in the gardens, between the two of them, they were no longer Lady Friell and Lady Raine. They were Meara and Faisuri.

"Perhaps," Meara murmured with a playful smirk. "Don't worry, there will be plenty of time to talk."

"Well, since we are talking right now, maybe you could spare a few words to tell me what all of this is about?"

Meara paused and looked away, her eyes falling onto the beautiful flowers. Gorgeous like herself, thought Faisuri. The bitter hate in her mind's voice almost surprised her. Almost.

"No reason in particular," she said, but the long sigh that followed indicated otherwise. Faisuri hung onto every word, never taking her own gaze off her. Meara finally returned her gaze, a slight smile gracing her features. "I'd just like to get to know you better, Faisuri, as Meara Friell. Not as Lady Friell and not when I am queen. Just me as I am right now."

No, that wasn't the truth. For all of her perfection, Meara's face was as easy to read as an open book. It hid no secrets, laying bare her true intentions and feelings. Finally something that Faisuri excelled in above the other, though she could find no joy in it. Was the ability to create masks for herself a good thing?

Faisuri decided not to press on her lie, letting it fly swiftly past with a casual chuckle. If this was the way they were going to do it, then so be it. As Meara herself had said, they had plenty of time to talk. She could afford to go slow, to subtly lure out the real reason she had arranged this private moment. Her arm was still linked into Meara's, swinging gently in tandem with their pace.

She gasped in a dramatic manner, pulling the other woman closer to her as if eager to share in a delicious little secret. "Ooh! What is it that you'd so like to know about humble old me?"

"Humble?" Meara giggled at the irony. She waved a free hand. "Alright then, perhaps you could start by telling me the name of the man who'd caught your eye. You're a sly little snake- starting that conversation to avoid having to continue your embroidery and then bailing out of revealing your own secret at the very last moment. Come now, it's unfair."

Faisuri cocked her head to the side. Mischief shimmered within the black of her eyes as her lips curled up into a smirk that bordered on flirtatious. "Did I ever say I had eyes for men?"

Her response seemed to take Meara by surprise, as she slightly jerked away from the younger woman. The link between their arms grew lax. Faisuri's coquettish face remained unwavering, but laughter had bubbled inside her bowels, almost suffocating her lungs at the effort of keeping it down. Just a few more seconds, she needed to see what Meara would say next!

Meara frowned with an unsure expression, seeming to scrutinize Faisuri's own to decide whether or not she was being serious. "Need I remind you that I am engaged to the king?"

A second longer and Faisuri might have died of respiratory failure. Her laughter was unleashed with the force of a hurricane. She was almost knocked over by the undying peals of her own mirth, the muscles around her stomach contracting painfully. Liquid glee leaked out of her tear ducts.

"Oh gods, the look on your face! Never have I thought I would see such a look mar your pretty face!" she howled.

It took a few more seconds for Faisuri to regain some semblance of her composure, but it was quickly shattered by another fitful bout of howling. When she had finally managed to pull herself together, she straightened up and passed the back of her hand over her eyes.

"I was jesting, of course."

Faisuri herself had personally committed her heart to males, having found that no female could ever light a spark within her bosom the way very few men had. Still, it was always hilarious to pull this card upon other women if only to see how they would react. It also served a double function of testing the waters- one never knew when a simple joke might cause another to spill a secret.

Realizing that Meara was not going to let the matter of men drop until she gave a satisfactory answer, the girl quickly plucked the first name that came to her mind. "It's Sir Brendan Ahlonn," she stated, in a way far too nonchalant compared to Ida and Aine.

Although, perhaps a small part of her might have meant that. Sir Ahlonn was certainly handsome with his crown of hair gold as the sun's rays. He was also gallant and generous with his brilliant smiles. All that was not even taking into account his knighthood. In hindsight, viewing the world through the lens of a realist, Sir Ahlonn also had the right family name with considerable status- if only stained with the fact that they found it hard to produce heirs.

"Sir Ahlonn? Interesting choice," Meara commented. She gave a low shrug. "Although not one I'd have expected from... someone like you." There was a little hint of disappointment in her voice, as if she had been expecting something far more extraordinary.

"What do you mean by 'someone like me'?"

A wry smile flickered onto Meara's face. "For starters, I have often found myself asking if my betrothed had given me a mischievous kelpie in my circle of unicorns."

"Ha! I'll have you know that as a child, I'd always dreamt of riding a unicorn." Dejection passed over Faisuri. "But, as you know, unicorns only come to maidens with pure hearts. The day I found that out was the day my dreams were shattered."

"Good Thieros, you say both the funniest and saddest things."

"We go to theaters because we like to indulge in the plight of the characters," mused Faisuri. "When all the while we could simply reflect on ourselves and find a whole life of tragic comedy lying there."

"Even mine," Meara sighed.

"Even yours? Surely you do not mean that."

Meara knitted her brows. "Just because I'm marrying a king, that does not necessarily mean I would be happy."

Faisuri knew that they were beginning to tread upon the heart of the matter. Like walking on thin ice, this conversation was to be maneuvered with delicacy. The girl laced her arm through the brunette's, giving it a comforting squeeze.

"Whatever it is that troubles your heart, Meara, you know you can tell me."

A pregnant pause settled between them. Meara shifted in her grasp, chest heaving with a nervous quiver. Her eyelids sealed her glistening spheres away from the world.

At last, without opening her eyes, she asked, "What do you think of the king?"

Regal, handsome, strong. The words flitted around like a swarm of hummingbirds in the air. Feline eyes narrowed at the troubled girl, scrutinizing her face for clues. What would be the appropriate answer, one that might prompt her to go further instead of dissuading her?

"Frightening," she suddenly blurted, honestly.

Neither girls had expected that answer. A crack parted Meara's lips, allowing the pearls to shine through. "Oh, trust me, he is not that frightening once you get to know him," said Meara, finally opening her eyes. "But, that is not the problem. The truth is... I do not love him!"

She spat those words out with half a yell, like uncorking a bottle of wine that had long been sealed. The answer took Faisuri by surprise, but at the same time, it didn't. Some part of Faisuri had almost expected this answer. Minuscule pieces of jigsaw that she'd gathered subconsciously from watching Meara's actions began to click into place.

"And neither does he," she continued, half-sobbing. "You should have seen us, Faisuri, when we are on our own. We could never even look into each other's eyes. We'd feel guilty over lying to the entire kingdom about our love. I cannot do this for the rest of my life and neither can he!"

Faisuri unlinked her arm from Meara's and moved it around her shoulder, gently pulling the distraught lady towards a wooden bench to the side of the path. Meara caved in to the weight of her troubles, collapsing onto the chair alongside Faisuri. Sympathy was written all over her frown.

"I... never knew," she whispered, feigning shock. She did know. "I'm so sorry, Meara. Have you not told your father of this?"

"My father?" Meara let out a small, derisive laugh between her sobs, causing it to come out as more of a cough. "He doesn't care. All he cares about is to bind me to the king- bring honor to the name of House Friell. I'm just his pretty little doll: to dance for him when he wants me to, repeat his words when I sit on the throne, smile, and look pretty."

"Such is the unfairness of life!" murmured Faisuri, shaking her head. "My heart goes out to you, Meara. I shall include you in my prayers."

Meara swept the back of her palm across her reddened eyes and flashed a watery smile to Faisuri. "Thank you, Faisuri. I knew you'd understand. Don't get me wrong, Ida and Aine are wonderful people, but they don't see the world like you do. They'd think we're the perfect match, and it's oh so impossible that we should not feel any affection towards each other."

"We all like our stories, don't we? The eternal love of beautiful Lady Ciaran and dashing King Artheon, the undying romance of Sir Niall and the peasant girl Keeva... Alas, real life often does not turn out like the tales."

Meara let out a sigh and nodded. "Your words are all too true, Faisuri," she said. "However, the day of my wedding is ever creeping up on us. Before I know it, I will stand upon the dais, pledged to a loveless life with him. If I may have your counsel, Faisuri, what would you have me do?"

Faisuri paused to think. "I cannot advise you to go against the wishes of your father and the former king Reghan, of course," she said, articulating her words slowly. "All I can say is to make the best of your circumstances... and to have faith. Thieros is ever watching us. If he so wishes, he may leave you a way out of this predicament."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

The distant tolling of a bell signaled the changing of the hours. A grin danced onto Faisuri's face as she pulled Meara up to her feet with a sudden excitement.

"Come! Some fruit cakes would cheer you up!" she exclaimed. Meara nodded with a newfound joy. The Raine lady quickly dragged the other through the paved paths of the garden, prancing her way towards the castle building. A jovial smile still graced her face, but the moment Meara diverted her attention to the flowers they passed by, it broke away.

If life was a tragic comedy, then Faisuri was the lead actress. She knew when to smile and laugh and play the fool, when to cry to rend the heart, and when to sympathize. When there was no audience, however, the truth shone through the cracks.

The truth came with a scowl.

Stupid ungrateful brat, she thought, bitterly. Don't you realize what so many others would give to be in your position?

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Chapter Writer: VeryBigMess

AN: So, what did you think of Faisuri? If you like her, that's great! If you hate her.......... I have accomplished what I set out to do >:) . I can't help but think the dialogues in this chapter are rather superfluous (and poetic in a way lol), though! But please, as usual, leave your comments and votes <3 They will be very much appreciated!!