Lavender Cottage Blog - Once Upon A Rose Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Over the next few weeks, Celsiana’s friends came to visit several times. They spent most of their time in the gardens, but they also enjoyed their afternoon snacks with lemonade or tea. As she spent more time with them, Celsiana could see that they had worries she had never considered.
“My mother wanted me to thank you again for the plants,” Avaleen said as they sat down to tea. “She hopes they’ll make a difference this harvest, and she appreciates you taking such an interest.”
“Do you think you’ll make enough money to repair the roof?” Janine asked.
“I hope so,” Avaleen replied. “And my father hopes to get more work in the next village in a few weeks.”
“What does your father do?” asked Celsiana.
“He’s a fletcher, but there hasn’t been much call for bows or arrows lately. He also makes lovely furniture, which he hopes to sell in the next village.”
“Why not here?” asked Celsiana.
“The Chancellor is very strict about craftsmen, and my father cannot afford to join the guild right now.” Avaleen shook her head. “It’s been difficult, but Mother says such challenges make us stronger.”
“Your father makes such wonderful things,” Laurena said, glancing over at Janine. “Didn’t he build a bench for your mother?”
“He made one as a wedding present for them years ago,” Janine replied. “She has it in the garden, and it’s lovely.”
Celsiana just nodded. She decided to speak to her father about this after dinner.
“But I don’t understand,” said Celsiana, pacing back and forth. “Why do we care if a man sells furniture from his own home?”
“It’s not the way things are done,” her father replied. “Not the way things have always been done.”
“But you are the king,” Celsiana said. “You can change things.”
“Why should I?” her father asked.
Celsiana took a breath to calm herself. “If a person creates beautiful things, it seems a shame not to let others enjoy them.” She smiled and added, “I would like to buy one of his benches for the garden.”
“I cannot allow…” her father began, then stopped and smiled back. “Very well. I can see you have your heart set on this, but I warn you…I will expect a bench worthy of being in our gardens.”
Celsiana simply nodded and hoped her friends had been right about Avaleen’s father.
The next afternoon, the girls came to the castle after school. When Celsiana said the king had agreed to commission a bench for the garden, Avaleen was overjoyed.
“Celsiana, this is wonderful!” she exclaimed. “You are a true friend” she added, hugging her and twirling them both around. Avaleen paused and let go of her, taking a step back. “I am sorry.”
“I’m not,” Celsiana replied, hugging her back. Then the others joined in and they all laughed until they were almost crying.
As the other girls started walking down the hall, Janine took Celsiana’s hand. “You did a very good and noble thing today, Your Majesty.” She smiled, then added, “And I am very happy to call you my friend.”
Celsiana smiled back as they followed the other girls out to the garden.
School ended, and the girls spent more time at the castle. They had fun working in the gardens, going riding, walking in the meadow, and they even spent a few nights in the castle. Everywhere they went outside of the castle walls, they were followed by at least two guards. The girls soon got used to it, but Celsiana wished it wasn’t necessary.
One day, Avaleen’s father brought the finished bench to the castle. It was indeed beautiful, carved with ivy leaves winding around the edges and even had a few small birds hiding in the leaves along the back. Celsiana was very happy when her father paid him a bonus and stated that perhaps it was time to re-examine the rules for independent craftspeople.
She asked that the bench be put in the garden, near the Celsiana rose bush. The queen had said there was a legend that the flowers changed color because they gained wisdom as they aged. Celsiana always liked that legend and hoped she would live up to her namesake. Looking at the bench, she decided there was more she could do to help her friends.
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Welcome to our Lavender Cottage Library!
We are so happy to announce that our library is now open. Lavender Cottage Books now has all our stories available, and they can be read on BookFunnel.
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Almost forgot - this is a poem Lorri wrote with artwork by D.L. Gardner. This is from our BackerKit campaign last fall, but we thought it would be fun to share this image for our FREE library. A painting D.L. Gardner did for us some time ago is for our PAID tiers. They're so pretty, we thought we'd make mugs and notebooks to match.
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Lavender Cottage Blog - Once Upon A Rose Chapter 2
Chapter 2
The next morning, Celsiana woke up early and decided to wear one of her gardening dresses rather than the gowns she usually wore when visitors came to the castle. She put on her oldest hat and gardening boots, then went to meet the girls. They were all in their best dresses with their hair done up and looked as nervous as ever.
“Thank you for coming to visit me,” Celsiana said as she walked into the hall. The girls seemed surprised by her outfit and one even smiled slightly. “I thought since it was such a beautiful day, we could spend some time in the gardens. I was just finishing a project in one of the rose beds. If you’d like to help me, I have some clothes you could wear. I’d hate to see you ruin your beautiful dresses.”
The three girls glanced at each other, then nodded. “I like gardens,” one of them said. She took a step forward and curtsied. “My name is Janine and I would be happy to help you.” She smiled.
“As would I,” said another. “My name is Laurena.” She blushed, then added, “Your Majesty.”
Celsiana smiled. “There’s no need to curtsy here. And please, call me Celsiana. We are not in official surroundings, and I would like you to be my friends.”
The third girl giggled, then nodded. “Sorry, I’ve been so nervous. My name is Avaleen and I’m very happy to be here, Your…Celsiana.”
They all went to Celsiana’s room and found gardening dresses to wear. In no time, they were having a wonderful time digging in the dirt and planting herbs around the roses.
“This is fun,” said Laurena. “I never imagined I’d have such a good time today.”
“This is a beautiful garden,” Janine said, stopping for a moment and looking around. “You have such lovely flowers and herbs. Do you also have a vegetable garden?”
“There’s one on the other side of the castle, but I spend most of my time here.” Celsiana looked at the other girls, realizing they probably had vegetable gardens at home. “Why don’t we go over there and look around?”
“I’d like that,” Avaleen said. “My mother sells our extra produce at the market. I’d like to see if you have anything we haven’t grown in our own garden.”
“Of course,” Celsiana replied. “Let’s go look.”
The girls hurried along the path and around the castle. As they reached the gate to the vegetable gardens, they heard someone clearing his throat. “Pardon me, Your Highness, is there anything I can do for you?”
“My friends and I…” Celsiana began and smiled. “We have come to see the vegetables.”
“But Your Highness,” the man said, bowing, “you spend your time in the flower gardens. These gardens are not as pretty.”
“We would like to see the gardens,” Celsiana replied. “We will try not to be in your way as you work. In fact, why don’t you take a break and have a cup of tea?” She smiled and led the girls through the gate.
“Um…thank you, Your Highness,” the man replied. He waved at the other gardeners and they went around the castle.
“It must be nice to tell people what to do,” Laurena said smiling.
“Actually, it gets rather tiresome,” Celsiana replied, “but today, it came in handy.”
The girls giggled and walked around the garden beds. It was a very large garden, divided into areas. There were fruits and berries, cooking herbs, a few edible flowers and a wondrous variety of vegetables.
Avaleen walked from one area to another, mentally keeping track of all the varieties. She finally turned and asked, “Do you think I could write some of these down, Your…I mean, Celsiana?”
“Of course,” Celsiana replied. “Why don’t we go have some lemonade and scones? Later, I’ll have one of the gardeners give you a complete list if you like.”
“That would be wonderful,” Avaleen replied smiling. “Except, I doubt we’d be able to find very many of these plants.”
“Then, you must take some starts home with you.” Celsiana looked at the other two girls and then back at Avaleen. “If you’d like to go home, I can have them sent over tomorrow…but if you’d like to stay, I have guest quarters here in the castle.”
“I would love that,” Janine replied. “I’m sure we all would, but we have chores at home we have to do. Our parents depend on us.”
“That’s understandable,” Celsiana replied, trying not to show her disappointment. “Why don’t you all come back tomorrow, and I’ll have the plants ready for Avaleen to take home with her. Would you like to come back?”
“Oh, yes,” Laurena said, clapping her hands together. “This was a wonderful afternoon.”
The others nodded in agreement, then they all went back and changed into their nice dresses again. Celsiana walked with them to the castle gates, and they each hugged her as they left. “You are the nicest princess I’ve ever met,” Janine said, then laughed. “Of course, you’re the only princess I’ve ever met.”
“I still appreciate the compliment,” Celsiana replied smiling. She waved to the girls as they left, then went back to her room. She had to get ready for dinner, and her parents would expect her to be dressed appropriately.
Thank you for joining us today. Read the entire story (a chapter at a time) in our Lavender Cottage Blog!
Lavender Cottage Blog - Once Upon A Rose Chapter 1
“A rose by any other name…” ~ William Shakespeare
Chapter 1
Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess named Celsiana, who lived in a castle surrounded by gardens. The queen, who loved flowers, had named her daughter for a favorite rose bush that she and the king received as a wedding gift. Celsiana roses are pink and slowly turn white as they age, so it should have come as no surprise that their little princess would one day transform into a very capable young woman.
The gardens around the castle were quite large and completely surrounded by a high stone wall. Beyond the wall, there was the village on one side and a meadow on the other. A river wound along the edge of the village, then cut through the meadow before it disappeared into the woods beyond.
Celsiana loved the gardens almost as much as her mother did, but she often wished she could visit the young people in the village. Her parents allowed a few girls to come to the castle, but they were always so in awe of the surroundings that they seemed more nervous than happy to be there.
Her two older brothers used to spend time with her, but now all they wanted to do was go hunting or travel to distant kingdoms. Celsiana decided it was time to talk to her parents about visiting the village.
“But my dear, you do have companions,” her mother said, smiling at the king. “Your father and I had some young ladies visit the castle only last week.”
“Yes, but I would like to visit them in the village,” Celsiana replied, tucking a strand of dark blonde hair into place. “They seem so uncomfortable here in the castle, and I wish to visit this school they talk about.”
“The school?” her father repeated. “Why would you want to go to a school when we have the best tutors available right here?”
“Perhaps those tutors could work at the school,” Celsiana thought…then realized she’d said it out loud.
Her parents were looking at each other in shock. “Send the tutors to the school…” her father said. “Why would I do that?”
“Because then I would fit in with the other girls.” Celsiana stood tall and continued. “I could go to school with them, and we would all learn about philosophy and science.” She knew her father was very fond of both subjects.
Her mother smiled for a moment and took her husband’s hand. “I remember feeling the same way before I met you.” She glanced over at her daughter. “Maybe we should invite some other royal families to the castle. Soon, Celsiana will be old enough to marry…and meeting some eligible prospects now might be a good idea.”
Celsiana realized this conversation was not going as she’d hoped. “Mother, I do not want to meet eligible young men. I wish to be with people my own age. Have girlfriends. Be normal.”
Her parents both gasped. “Normal?” her father asked. “Why on earth would you want to be normal? You are a princess. Normal people want to be royalty, not the other way around.”
The queen put a hand on her husband’s arm. “Calm down, Roderick. We both know it’s been difficult for her having the boys gone. She misses them.”
The king took a breath and nodded. “Very well. I will send for more young ladies to be brought up here for Celsiana to meet.” He looked at his daughter. “Find two or three you enjoy spending time with, and we will have them stay here for a few weeks.”
Celsiana nodded, then managed a smile. It was not what she had hoped, but maybe spending a longer time in the castle would make the girls more comfortable. And then, she might finally have some real friends.
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