The Glimmerfrost
The Third Princess, Scarlett, rose to offer her thanks, her face beaming. For a moment, she was the dazzling center of attention at the banquet, a rare flower in her own right. She looked up at the Empress Dowager, her voice playful. "It's my greatest honor that you like it, Grandmother."
After she spoke, she let her gaze drift over to Cassidy, who was watching from the sidelines.
Her tone was laced with a carefully crafted dose of faux concern.
"Grandmother, I've heard my dear sister Solana is the most devoted of all of us. Surely she must have prepared a spectacular flower for you today, too?"
She leaned in, putting on a spoiled act. "Grandmother, please, have Solana bring it out so we can all see it! We're all so excited."
The moment the words left her lips, every eye in the garden snapped to Cassidy.
Several guests covered their mouths to hide their smirks.
Everyone knew Princess Solana had been spending her time at that brothel lately.
No one had seen any expensive or exotic plants being delivered to Ashworth Manor.
Scarlett was clearly setting her up for a fall, expecting her to either come up empty-handed or present some common weed unfit for the occasion.
Feeling the daggers of their stares, the two women who had been gossiping about Scarlett earlier suddenly sat up straight.
The Fourth Princess shot Cassidy an "I-told-you-so" look. "See? I told you that Scarlett was up to no good. Did you actually get something for Grandmother? What is it? You can borrow mine if you need to save face."
"No need," Cassidy said coolly. "Her tacky flower couldn't hold a candle to mine."
The Emperor and the Empress Dowager also looked over, their curiosity piqued by the girl sitting off to the side.
The Empress Dowager's gaze was warm, but tinged with a hint of disapproval; she'd heard this grandchild of hers had recently given her uncle several thousand taels, and she wasn't entirely pleased about it.
"Solana," she said, her voice kind, "since your sister is so eager, why don't you bring out the flower you brought for me? Let everyone enjoy it."
Facing a sea of mocking and expectant faces, Cassidy rose slowly from her seat. She offered a deep, formal bow to the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and the Empress before turning to face Scarlett, her expression one of pure disdain.
"Of course I'm devoted," Cassidy said, her voice carrying across the quiet garden. "Perhaps my sister should focus more on showing our grandmother genuine care every day, instead of just trying to impress her with flashy, useless gifts."
The Fourth Princess winced. *Damn, Cassidy's words are pure acid.*
Cassidy clapped her hands once, signaling for her maid. A moment later, Auspicious and As-Desired carried forward a flowerpot shrouded in silk.
When the silk was lifted, the entire Imperial Garden seemed to fall silent.
The flower in the pot resembled an orchid, but it was unlike any they had ever seen.
Its petals displayed a dreamy, shifting gradient of color, fading from a shimmering white at the center to a soft lavender, with tips that looked as if they'd been dusted in powdered gold that twinkled like starlight.
Stranger still, the flower swayed gently on its stem as if touched by a breeze, though the air was perfectly still.
As it moved, a crisp, clean scent began to fill the air.
The fragrance was cool at first, like the scent after a fresh snowfall, before it warmed into something rich and soothing that seemed to nourish them from the inside out.
The Empress Dowager, who was closest, took a deep breath. Her tired eyes seemed to clear, and she slowly lowered the hand that had been pressing against her temple. Her voice was filled with astonishment. "This... this scent. My headache is gone."
The Emperor, standing nearby, felt the fragrance reach him, and the knot of tension in his shoulders and back simply melted away.
His mind, worn down from years of reviewing state affairs, felt suddenly refreshed.
He couldn't stop himself from standing and walking closer for a better look.
The nearer he got, the more invigorating the scent became.
The fatigue of the last several days receded like the tide, and his whole body felt lighter.
He breathed out in wonder. "The fragrance of this flower... it's miraculous."
The Empress placed a hand on her chest, her face a mask of surprise. "The tightness in my chest... it's almost completely gone."
Hearing the royal family's reactions, the guests couldn't just get up and rush the flowerpot, but they craned their necks, leaning forward to take deeper breaths of the faint, drifting scent. A wave of renewed energy washed over the crowd, and a buzz of conversation immediately erupted.
"This flower is a true marvel. The coral peony was flashy, but this... this is elegant. It has a spiritual energy to it, like a fairy fallen to earth."
"It's more than beautiful! Smell it! The backache I get from sitting all day has eased up. This is a divine flower!"
"I always thought 'a lotus blooming from the mud' was just a saying about a person's character. But today, I see a plant can have that same pure grace. It's a hundred times more refined than that gaudy pile of coral!"
Hearing the praise, Scarlett's face twisted into a furious scowl.
Cassidy had not only avoided humiliation but had stolen the entire spotlight.
Jealousy burned through her, and she lost all composure.
"Cassidy!" she screamed. "What kind of flower is that? How can a simple scent have such an effect? Did you use some kind of drugged incense, or did you just poison it?"
Her accusation was like throwing gasoline on a fire. Those who held a grudge against Cassidy immediately chimed in.
Consort De was the first to speak, her face a picture of concern. "Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, we don't know where this flower came from, and its effect is so bizarre. This is all too strange. We must be careful!"
The Emperor frowned. While he didn't believe Solana would harm his mother, he couldn't be sure the notoriously unsubtle pair from Ashworth Manor hadn't been tricked.
"Summon the Imperial Physician," he commanded, his voice heavy.
A dangerous glint appeared in his eyes. If someone had dared to use Ashworth Manor to make a move...
Before long, Physician Miller arrived in a hurry, his medicine box in hand. He cautiously approached the flower, observing it from a distance before leaning in to smell it.
With just one sniff, a tremor ran through Physician Miller's entire body. His eyes flew wide, and he began to tremble with excitement, looking as if he were about to lunge forward and hug the flowerpot.
"This... this is a treasure of the age!" he declared. "The fragrance calms the mind, clears the body's meridians, regulates blood flow... it can even extend one's life!" He paused, his mind racing. "Years ago, I saw a similar description in a fragment of a lost ancient medical text."
At the words "extend one's life," the Empress Dowager could no longer sit still. "Physician Miller, do you recognize this flower?" she asked urgently.
Physician Miller shook his head, his expression ecstatic.
"To answer the Empress Dowager, I do not! But according to vague mentions in ancient texts, it is connected to an extremely secretive sect in the martial world. Rumor has it that for generations,
the sect has guarded rare arcane flowers and regenerative herbs capable of bringing the dead back to life and regrowing flesh and bone. But they are masters of secrecy, nearly impossible for outsiders to find."
A hidden martial sect? A rare and extraordinary flower? Bringing the dead back to life?
The Emperor and the Empress Dowager exchanged a look. Both of them were thinking of Cassidy's mother. The Ninefold Soul-Return Elixir had been left behind by her. Could she have been from that hidden sect?
The Emperor turned his gaze back to Cassidy. "Solana, what is the name of this flower?"
Cassidy scratched her head. How was she supposed to admit she had no idea what it was called, either?
In the apocalyptic world she came from, all the plants were mutated species; their original forms had been lost long ago.
She'd been in such a hurry she forgot to even give this thing a name.
Put on the spot, she couldn't think of anything elegant.
Seeing her hesitate, the Fourth Princess nudged her. "Father is talking to you."
With all eyes on her, Cassidy blurted out, "Frosty."