𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐇 𝐈 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄

─ 𝐬𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝

𝐆𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐒 𝐄𝐍𝐃

━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━

ALL AROUND HER WERE soft colors and a feeling of serenity. Many of the plants were overgrown and most had been placed in such a position that had begun crawling up the walls. Yet there was something so calming about being surrounded by nature. Whether it be the lovely smells of the flowers or the silence that comes from all around the plants. There was a sense of peace that could never be compared. Something about the environment had sparked a sense of joy and nostalgia for many, which may be why the young girl found this to be her favorite place in all of the manor grounds.

Out of all the rooms, nooks, and spaces in the manor grounds, the garden was always something she found attachment to.  Possibly, her mother had formed that attachment for her when she was younger, but she would never know. Perhaps it was the household staff that showed her the wonders of the garden. Nevertheless, it always remained the same, whenever things got hard or overwhelming the garden was always a safe spot.

It was safe from the outer world, it was safe from the tragedy and suffering that the world outside of the ivy-covered walls induced. The amount of conflict and violence that the world advocated for and portrayed to have been necessary. All the betrayal the world brought upon each other.  To the girl, it was appalling and she was grateful to have never been dragged or forced into any of it.  She lived in a place away from it all, a place where she could feel safe and secure away from it all. That place was her home and the grounds surrounding it.

Yes, it is true, the young girl known as Azalea Mourvi, lived a rather solitary life. For a girl of noble blood, it was rather unusual for her to live that way but she was beholden for it. All her life she had watched the world around her grow heavy with conflict. This grew evident when there were rumors and threats of the current head of the court to be overthrown by the opposing party.. Azalea knew better than to ever get involved in such things, for it would only lead to despair and ruin. So she watched from the outskirts, very rarely did she ever verbally express her opinion on any of the matters. Her mother was always a quiet woman who spoke few words, but when she did they were wise and intelligent words. That perhaps would be the reason Azalea's mother was never in politics, she would say too little and many would argue against her.

Then again, politics could very possibly be the reason that her mother brought her to the manor. It far enough away from the nation's capital but it was still close enough to be counted as a part of it. Yet over time, Azalea figured out that most everyone forgot about the manor, for to most it was too far remote. Being cut off from the capital meant that her mother and herself would not be involved in any of the political and harmful events going on. And from what Azalea read in the paper of the current state of the nation, she was more appreciative of her mother's choice to live a life of solitude away from everyone.

Even after her mother had passed she had chosen to continue her life of isolation for she was content with it. Of course, she was not fully alone. The manor grounds were large and needed to be kept up to date in many ways. This alone seems impossible for a single girl to do, yet to her luck, her mother had hired household staff when she was younger. At this point in the girl's life, the household staff was like family to her. They had watched her grow up and mold into the poise young woman she was today.