“My Dearest sister,

May Gods bless the fact that I am traveling alone and you did not have to join me in this ridiculous, shameful mission. I still cannot believe our parents have fallen as low as to sell out one of their daughters to the Blooming Court. 

Yes, I know, it’s prestigious and glamorous, but you do not think I will be chosen to be the next queen, do you? I’ve heard stories of prince Killian and they were not of the nice kind.

We passed three villages at this point and I did ask the servants around - at least if he is kind to the people that take care of him, he should be kind to his “garden”, or so I thought. One of the girls I met on my journey used to work at the palace, she took care of one of the Queen’s personal maids. She told me Killian was always different, a wicked boy she called him, with too much lust in his eyes and too little care for his kingdom. 

Oh dear sister, what am I to do if the “garden” will be nothing but a game and we will all be plagued by him?

Hope everything’s good back home and our parents received all the coins promised for me. As disgusted as I am at how easily they sold one of their children, the house and the village need funds. 

I do wish I will be able to see you sooner than later.

Deepest love,

your sister Lamya.”

The carriage hit a stone and jumped, providing that a big drop of ink landed right as Lamya was signing the letter. Thick slightly pinkish paper sucked all the ink in immediately, being charmed not to let any spill. Special “ladies” paper, used by upper class girls, who took way more care of how yet another jewel sat on their body, rather than how skillful they were with their writing. However, Lamya preferred a good book to a new diamond, but this road portrayed her otherwise.

Born on the outskirts of Shou Tree, Lamya never imagined it would take so long to travel to another corner of the lands. Her parents, Hazel and Hector, never took Lamya or her sister anywhere far away. Owning a small estate and needing to constantly please the gods, they were not exactly the traveling type. However they did have a huge library, so both Lamya and Ayrin grew up reading a lot of books, “traveling” places through the pages. For a small estate to only have daughters, Lamya’s father couldn’t rely on their help with the order of things, so as soon as the oldest daughter turned her sixteenth season he spoke of marriage.

It should be said, however, that gods around the Tree did not like how mortals would just “sell” each other and their kids. It was the only peculiar thing they interfered with, so Lamya’s father had to make sure the arranged marriage would be out of the region. Gods are glorious, powerful, but their interests rarely spread further away than the next wine jug. 

And then, one day, he came with a much older man. Their guest was definitely not from around the city - dressed in a peculiar color, which reminded Lamya of the descriptions of the ocean she read in her books. “Turquoise”. Although he also wore a coat with a flower-shaped pin right on the chest. The man looked official, like someone Lamya would imagine who has a lot of responsibility. But there was fear in her heart, as this could be a man her father would wish her to marry.

Ah, if only it was that easy for her.

The man accompanying their father that day was Dregor Marru, the right hand of King Leportier of the Blooming Court. Stories of the Court spread across so far that even around Shou Tree people heard of the scandalous court, governed by the Leportier family for a good three generations now, preparing a Prince to take on the fourth circle of reign. Thing is, around the Tree people were ruled by elders appointed by gods themselves, while Blooming Court was partial to takeovers and all sorts of self-management. The disregard of gods as the only force capable of appointing power shocked Lamya, as she was reading into the history of the two regions.

The particularly interesting thing was that “Blooming Court” was the name people gave it. Officially the region was called Saramye, with its capital being Pakhart, the city of waves. As the capital was built on the edge of the lands, facing the ocean. 

Back to the interesting part - Blooming Court. And also, why Lamya was traveling alone across two huge regions, looking at forests, lakes and all kinds of beautiful things, while contemplating her life ending behind the walls of said Court.

Thing is, Pakhart was built as a trader’s city - hosting travelers, defying one’s gods, partying and getting drunk. Sometimes all at once. And the royal family, formed from the first drunks to take over the city, happily participated in all the lovely traditions the land carried since it was only a couple huts of a village. All this grew into Pakhart becoming a city of no boundaries and barely any laws - and that’s never good, especially when you have a king who believes himself all-deserving. Yes yes, not all-powerful or all-wise, no. All-deserving. 

Long before the first Leportier got to sit on the Blooming Throne, a king named Flabio Tanta ruled all Saramye. He was actually one of the first kings to claim the whole region and not just sit and get drunk with the free spirits in Pakhart. And as he claimed the region, he selected the prettiest girls across it, one from each village or town, or city. He cared mostly for them to be pretty, as he cared very little about having conversations with them. However, he did end up with almost three dozen wives and gods only know how many kids. 

Flabio did not rule long. One of his wives sliced his throat open. He took her away despite her being wed to another man, deciding, since he’s the king, he can just annul what marriage they had and take her away. If he paid attention a bit more he’d know she had a son at home, little Thoma, whom she cared for deeply. So, one by one Flabio took his wives, taking time to break their spirit and make them his. It took a good couple cycles for him to get to Thoma’s mother, by that day she already had a plan and she went through it.

After King Tanta was dead, having not one, but several wives, the region went into chaos - some women were with children and their families tried claiming the throne, while others insisted Flabio’s younger brother takes the reign. 

Regardless, another trash of a drunk arrived at the throne - Roland. Flabio’s cousin, or second cousin. They were somewhat related.

Roland was a bit different - he saw what happened to Flabio. of course, he also wanted to take on as many pretty girls as he could handle, but death was not in his plans. So Roland gathered the richest families of Saramye and told them that they can gift him their eldest daughters and whichever one of them will be the prettiest will become his queen. Interestingly, not all families got thrilled, as Roland was much older and was known as more of a fighter and not a lover. A former pirate no less.

Ah, but the power that would land on the family whose daughter becomes queen. That was too tempting. King Ronald gathered a good two dozen daughters of the wealthiest estates. They were all assigned into quarters to be visited by their king daily, all rooms marked with different flowers so the king would know who he visited even in a drunken state. Well, that didn’t quite work out, as Roland got half of them pregnant before marrying anyone, but he did take a wife. And ever since every king-to-be had to play the selection game Roland designed, where “the garden” was invited from all over the region. It was also exciting for common folk, who instantly called it The Blooming Court, as all the girls were in bloom.

And now Lamya would be part of the garden, as her father so eagerly invited Dregor Marru into their home and simply gave her away for an agreed amount of coins. As “importing” wife material from outside of the region was illegal. Even the lawless land had standards.

- Lady Lamya, we’re arriving, - Dregor opened a small window at the front of the carriage and tried to look friendly, not very successfully.

- Mister Marru, what should I prepare myself for?

She did not expect an answer and did not get one - Marru just closed the window and they continued their way. Of course he will not tell her anything, but so far Lamya already gathered some gossip and stories surrounding the future king. In the last village they stopped by an old lady in the kitchens told Lamya that Killian’s probably the first king in so long who’s not only not excited for the Blooming Court, as he has less wish to marry than even to rule, but also with such a small garden. Apparently only half-dozen girls were selected for the Court this cycle.

The carriage stopped so suddenly that Lamya lost her trail of thought completely.

One might say that a place referred to as Blooming court should look like a true fairy tale, another might argue that it wasn’t the architecture. However, the truth was that Lamya was looking at a fortress no less - small windows, slick walls, there was as little about the castle of Pakhart that screamed party and drinks for everyone as there could be. 

They stopped right outside of a thick old metal gate, decorated with what should look like roses, but resembled only thorns connected with lines. Two tall guards dressed in black were already waiting to open the gate for Lamya and Dregor. Thin fog was surrounding the castle walls as evening approached, giving the young possible-bride-to-be chills at the thought of entering this prison-looking piece of architectural chaos.

The shock caught up to her and took Lamya’s breath away when behind the rusted metal gate she stepped into the most beautiful exquisite garden she has ever seen or imagined. There were extraordinary plants and myriads of flowers of all kinds covering what’s supposed to be the inner garden. Given the outer look of the castle Lamya expected anything from just empty halls and drunk guards to bodies rotting in corners, but not a blooming garden. Indeed, the Blooming court.

- The Leportier family redid the castle as soon as the first king got hold of the castle walls, - Dragor seemed amused with Lamya’s shock. - The first Queen Mother Cristelle really liked the name Blooming court and she had all the passing merchants bring plants and flowers from all over L’arc. She also insisted the castle at all times had a kelium-wielder for the garden to never wilt. 

- It’s truly a beautiful view, - Lamya did not make any eye-contact with Marru, as she tried to stay as calm as she could. 

- Let me arrange for a maid to escort you to your quarters, Lady Lamya, - Dragor stepped to one of the walls and pressed on a hidden call-stone.

Within moments a maid appeared rushing from one of the corridors adjoined to the inner garden. She bowed in respect to both Dregor and Lamya, even though from her looks the newly arrived garden-piece could tell that the maid was not common-blood, neither did she look like it. Did the Blooming Court send the girls who fail to be wife-material - to be maids? That’s certainly a thought to revisit.

While Lamya got lost in her thoughts, the little maid, whose name was Oddi, grabbed her out of Dregors care and rushed through the garden.

- It’s a pleasure, Lady Lamya, - she said as they were walking fast past yet another flower bed. - However, we need to get you to the room and prepare for dinner urgently, there are guests at the castle and Prince Killian’s garden must arrive before His Majesty.

- Oh lovely, we’re on a schedule, - Lamya was so tired from the long journey she did not expect to be part of a public display. - Who is visiting? Maybe I’m familiar with them.

- No, my lady, it’s a political visit.

- Political?

- Yes, a group from the Intricate Arts Academy arrived a little before you, they brought some personal news for the royal family. However, it is rude not to host a dinner.

- Indeed…

Lamya heard of the academy - several kids from the Shou Tree region would go there almost yearly, as gods loved blessing newborns with all sorts of powers. And everyone knew that any connection to kelium needed to be harvested with special care and only Intricate Arts Academy had the facilities to do so without causing any harm.

But what is a party from the academy doing here, across a sea, at a dinner with the king? That would be a precedent, as scholars are not supposed to openly support anyone of power, except gods themselves.

- Oddi, while I take a bath, could you maybe check for some more gossip around the castle? - Lamya decided to take her chances, as they stepped into her chambers. - You see, I’m from a very different place and no one gave me any information of what I’m walking into. I’d just like to not come across as completely clueless to His Majesty or the guests.

- I am told not to leave you alone until dinner, my lady.

- Well, if they don’t want me to faint on the steps, I’d really appreciate some warm milk at least. Could you get that? - Lamya saw how tempted Oddi was to go and gossip, so she gave her the perfect opening.

- As you wish, my lady, but please hurry and jump into the bath, - Oddi smiled and rushed out.