She'd indulged perhaps a little too much last night. Her parents had been kind enough - after, well, a little bit of pleading - to open some of their family's precious stores of that fermented elderflower infusion Cattleya was so fond of. It had been a celebration, and her best friends had all come, and they'd all watched first Calelha and then Cattleya demonstrate their new gifts.It felt good, to be celebrated.
Sure, she had a little regret, right now. But that would go away soon enough, and now more than ever, the Homewood felt like it was her birthright. She really belonged in those upper echelons of society now - never mind that she was just an apprentice, right now. Soon enough she'd come into her own. It was only natural. Sure, her parents didn't quite have expertise in this area...but she'd make it through. She wasn't alone, after all.
She'd awoken a little too late to appreciate the morning dew on her orchid garden today. That was fine. They were still lovely in this lighting, though Cattleya would need to draw water from the little pool her family guarded today. She'd been away for just long enough on her trip - they'd need nourishment again.
She made her way over with dainty steps, practiced and sure.
Her family didn't really consider this pool property, though her parents had carefully maintained the rosebushes that surrounded it for as long as Cattleya could remember. Still - as proud healers of Vykeli, they'd opened the little pool to anyone as a place to stop and rest by, and to drink, if they wanted. There was nothing special about it other than clear water, and the view, of course. A clean path lined with stone, to make it easy to know where to step, and the neatly-arrayed roses in full bloom, with no browned bits in sight. Her parents' roses were quite distinctive - they grew other plants, of course, as responsible Botanic users did, but as they'd always told Cattleya, beautiful things mattered, too. There was no use in being healthy without the joy of some eye candy.
Cattleya could drink to that. Maybe, er, not quite right now, but...
EchosSweet
