Chapter 183: The Tyranny Of Grief
Aideen carefully opened the door and walked into the empty room. The maids’ quarters were silent, as it was already two in the morning and everyone was long asleep.
The emptiness of the room, which Bella and Safie used to share, held a heavy presence, and the princess couldn’t help but feel somewhat unwelcome as she continued to take cautious steps toward the center of the room.
After Bella’s death, Safie requested to be moved somewhere else because she couldn’t bear staying in that room alone. Tillian didn’t hesitate with his permission, and now Safie was sharing a room with Angela, the kitchen maid. Neither Duke Valentine nor his wife had the heart to start looking for someone else to replace the beloved head maid of the castle.
As Aideen stood in the middle of the bedroom, between two single beds, she couldn’t believe that Bella was gone. The lingering comforting scent of winter flowers still hung in the air and followed her every movement, as if it was now a part of her being. It felt like every tiny part of that room was soaked in that scent, freezing the maid’s presence in time.
Lady Valentine closed her eyes and took a deep breath, filling her lungs with that soothing aroma, and a relentless stream of memories flooded her mind almost instantly.
’When I first opened my eyes in this castle, the smell of winter flowers was there too. Bella thought that a flowery scent would make me feel more comfortable and relaxed, and since these are the only flowers that grow in the North, her options were limited. Yet, she never failed to make a bouquet for me and leave it in my room. Every time I inhaled their smell, I thought of her, and in that way, she was with me all the time.’
Winter flowers were the only flowers that bloomed all year round and were not afraid of any kind of weather. They were called unbreakable because even if one were to break their stem, another one would grow instead of it, inviting yet another fresh flower to bloom again.
’I used to think of myself as a winter flower too. I have been broken many times before, but I kept growing and was finally able to bloom again. Now that I think about it, however, I can’t help but wonder––wasn’t it the case simply because there were others who took care of me, hoping that I would bloom again?’
She thought of Bella and her nurturing nature, her kind, forgiving personality, and her never-ending love for those around her. To Aideen, Bella was the gardener who poured all her affection and care into each and every flower in the castle because all she ever wanted was for them to bloom. All year round.
At last, the princess took a few more careful steps towards the bed on the left side of the room, the one that stood closer to the window. She rarely visited the maids’ room; therefore, she never had a chance to fully memorize what was inside it. And now that she couldn’t see again, Lady Valentine only knew that Bella’s bed was on the left.