Under the Roses

48 - Over the Home of Happy Flowers

AUSTIN

Austin felt like he was going to die. The skies were whirling about him. The trees were choking in their deadly grasp, a cage of thorns he couldn't escape. His head felt like it was going to implode, everything crushing in his skull with the weight of a ten-ton metal block.

"I think I need to vomit," he muttered weakly, nails digging into his palms, knuckles white.

"Well, don't do it here," said Rome. "I don't think Amelie would appreciate it."

They'd just passed the Fourth Wall, and thank the Fates there were no more walls; otherwise, Austin might have really died right then and there. His tongue felt thick, and he swallowed a few times before saying, "So...where are we now?"

Beyond the Fourth Wall, there was just more forest. It didn't look much different from the other side of the Queen's Labyrinth.

"Well," Rome said, "we're in Central Auvyn. This is Amelie's land." He turned to Shatter and mumbled something to her in a language Austin didn't recognize. Rome petted her, and then she turned and disappeared back into the Labyrinth. "She's going back to North Auvyn," Rome said to Austin's questioning expression.

"And where are we going?" Austin asked, following Rome deeper into the forest.

"To my house, of course," Rome said. "I said I was taking you home."

They continued on. Slowly, the deeper they went, the forest appeared to regain life. The trees had more and more leaves, the ground beneath them was greener, flowers and bushes appearing to fill in the empty spaces.

"This is the Garden," Rome said. "Amelie's Garden. There's my house." He pointed, and Austin looked. There, a little ways off, in the middle of the greenery, was a small wooden house. There was smoke coming from the chimney.

"Do you live with someone?" Austin said.

"No," Rome said, glancing at him. "Why?"

"There's smoke coming from the chimney," Austin said. "You should put out fires when you're not home, or else it'll burn down—"

"I don't put out the fire," Rome said. "It would be very upset if I did that." He snapped his fingers in front of Austin's confused face. "I said I'd introduce you to my fire. I guess I don't live alone, then. The fire is a terrible roommate. But come say hello to Amelie first."

He walked further into the Garden, and Austin followed. Flowers bloomed beneath their feet, and Austin took care not to step on them, trying to follow Rome's steps. Rome's feet seemed to know the way not to step on the colorful patches of blossoms. Austin could hardly identify half the flowers.

In the middle of the Garden, there was a small, circular patch. It was barren, nothing but brown dirt, and it was only about the size of a head.

Rome knelt down by the patch and pressed his palm flat into the dirt. "Hello," he said, softly. The wind stirred the blossoms around him, carrying petals into the air. Some of them caught in Austin's hair. Rome lifted his hand and turned to Austin, picking petals from his own dark hair. "Your turn."

"This is...?" Austin knelt beside him.

"Amelie's grave," Rome said, standing. "Don't be rude, say hello."

Austin pressed his hand into the dirt as Rome had done. It was just dirt, cold dirt, yet it felt...alive. Austin could feel a thrumming beneath the earth, feel it pulse against his skin.

"Hello," he breathed.

The earth hummed in response.

"This is her life," said Rome softly. "She lives here now."

Austin stayed there for a long time. It felt as if he had his hand upon a beating heart: steady, warm. Coursing life through pulsing veins, beating careful rhythms in time to his own breaths.

"Come on," Rome said, finally, "let's get inside. You're turning blue, you know."

"Oh," said Austin, looking down at his hands, which were indeed turning blue.

"This was Amelie's house, too," said Rome as they approached the small building. It didn't look like it could have more than two or three rooms.

"Did you know her?" Austin said, looking at it wondrously.

"I'm not that old," Rome said indignantly as if he knew what Austin was thinking. "No, the house was given to Amabel when Amelie passed. Amabel gave it to me."

The Queen of South Auvyn had given Rome the house of the Queen of Central Auvyn? That brought up even more questions than it answered.

Rome opened the door. "I'm home," he called into the emptiness. He looked at Austin. "After you."

Austin stepped into the house. It was indeed very small, and the living room was the size of the bedrooms at the Pleasance manor. The living room was to the left, and to the right, there was a pathway leading to another room.

"That's the kitchen," Rome said, pointing at the other room. "There's no running water, but I have some from the well. And there's a bedroom behind there." He pointed to the right. "But I don't sleep in it."

"Where do you sleep, then?" Austin looked over at the living room. There was a single couch near the fireplace, in which sat a small blazing fire.

Rome went up in front of the fireplace, and Austin was startled to see the color of the flames turn a bright violet. "I sleep on the floor here," Rome said, plopping down in front of the fire. "Don't be like that," he said to the fire. "We've got a guest, and you're making me look bad."

The fire tentatively turned white as Austin approached, kneeling down beside Rome.

"It's a magical fire?" Austin said.

Rome shrugged. "It's a fire. It came with the house. It doesn't like me, as you can see."

Austin held out his hands to warm them. The fire turned the color of a normal orange flame.

"Of course it likes you," Rome said.

"Why do you sleep on the floor?" Austin said, staring into the crackling flames. "There's not even a carpet or a rug."

"Well, usually it's on accident," Rome said. Austin didn't know what that meant, but Rome didn't elaborate. Rome ran his fingers through his hair, petals fluttering to the floor. He picked them up and tossed them into the fire.

"This is a nice place," said Austin, looking around. There were a couple cabinets pushed up against the walls, but nothing that stood out. No decoration on the walls, either.

"You can stay the night," said Rome, taking off his cloak. "I doubt any killers will be getting in. Unless they can find their way through the Queen's Labyrinth, which is doubtful." He wadded up the cloak and threw it onto the couch, then stretched out his legs and began to unlace his boots.

"Where would I sleep?" Austin asked. He didn't feel like going through the Queen's Labyrinth twice in one evening either.

"The bed?" said Rome. "I said I don't sleep in it."

"Well, you should," Austin said. "I'll take the couch. You shouldn't sleep on the floor."

Rome rolled his eyes, setting his boots upright beside the fireplace. "Are you my mother? As I said, it's usually by accident. I don't usually sleep at all, so when I do, it's in front of the fire and on the floor."

"That can't be good," Austin said, frowning.

"Well, I'm busy."

"All you do is watch me all day and you complain about being bored," Austin said. "You have time to sleep."

"Yes, mother," said Rome. He took off his coat and threw it at Austin's face, getting to his feet. "Make yourself at home, then."