Blossoms of Romance

By: Andrew Walker

The sun timidly rose over the top of the city of Paris. The dew that covered the blades of grass glistened like the ocean on a cloudless day. The bulbs of the flowers opened welcoming the warmth of the sun and the aroma of the crisp morning air. The sweet song of the birds graced the air with its soothing elegance. Than the tranquility of the morn was shattered by Monsieur Alan Reyer pounding senselessly upon the chamber doors of Monsieur Andre Firmin.

"Andre you must awaken at once if we are to leave for Daae Manor in time!" shouted Alan.

Sluggishly Andre arose from the comfort of his bed and stretched welcoming the morning into his soul. He glided across his chambers and paused at the golden trimmed mirror, which sat, upon a polished oak dresser. A gentlemen twenty-seven years of age stared back at him. He was around six feet tall and one hundred and ninety pounds. His deep hazel eyes seemed to reveal his inner soul to anyone who looked hard enough. His hair was as black as the deepest bowel hell had to offer and hung down to his shoulders. The pounding of Alan broke his trance once again.

He walked over to the door of his chambers and let out a deep sigh. He placed his hands on the brass door handle. He received a chill from the cool metal. As he opened the door Monsieur Alan bombarded him. His neck length dirty blond hair seemed to glisten due to the rays of the sun. Alan was a slender gentleman twenty-eight years of age. He was always full of energy and very charismatic. He was most certainly reliable and trustworthy. Which Andre gladly appreciated. These two young lads were as close as friends as anyone in the entire country of France. Alan hopped around in his usual formal attire. His black jacket and black pants made from the finest silk in all of Asia. His shined leather black shoes were flawless. Yet the most unusual thing about his attire was his shirt. it was blood red as if he had just been stabbed in the chest. It was of course the finest quality of cotton Great Britain had to offer.

Alan stood amazed seeing that Andre had not even begun to prepare for their departure for Daae Manor.

"Come on now, you must make haste. We are to leave for Daae manor in an hour or so! We both know how much you have been looking forward to this day," said Alan while nudging Andre in the ribs softly.

Andre's face turned a slight shade of red an he said,

"You speak nothing but nonsense Monsieur Alan Reyer. I have no idea of such nonsense," said Andre.

Andre casually walked into his dressing room and closed the door behind him.

"Oh come now, I know you don't believe that you can actually fool me with that ridiculous fib. You face just turned as red as a raging inferno for a second. I know you are quite eager to reach our destination today", said Alan as he leaned against the wall counting down to himself from three with his fingers.

As soon as his index finger fell Andre rushed out of the dressing room with his formal attire-- A suit very similar to Alans. It would take the finest tailor in all of Europe to tell them apart. The only difference was that Andre's shirt was not of blood red; rather it was as white as a cloud on a sunny summer day.

"Finally youre ready. I thought you had gotten cold feet or something," said Alan teasingly.

"First of all, I would never get cold feet for anything or anyone! Second of all, I have nothing to get cold feet over! It's not like I have a date tonight or anything," exclaimed Andre in defense.

"Well you may not have a date indeed, but there is a certain someone you have been keeping your eye on isn't there Monsieur Andre Firmin," Alan said in a teasingly tone

"I thought you said we must make haste or we shall be late," Andre said, avoiding the conversation in progress.

As they walked down the hall, Andre was simply gazing upon the family portraits of the Firmin family legacy. A silence existed all the way down the hall. Then the two gentlemen hurried down the bronze helix staircase that glowed in the sun like a hawk on fire flying through the sky. When they reached the bottom they were confronted by their two close British accomplices, Lady Kayla Wellington and Lady Madison Wells.

"Ah ladies, I did not expect your arrival so soon. Well I hope your travels went well," said Andre as he leaned down and kissed the two ladies hands.

Kayla Wellington was five feet seven inches tall. Her strawberry blonde hair radiated an alluring glow. She had a petite figure like that of an athlete. She had quite a few freckles. She wore a light pink gown, which was a bit long for her. There was a trail of fabric behind her around six inches long. On the other hand, Lady Madison Wells was wearing a black gown with red roses made of silk along the side. Her hair was a pleasant mixture of blonde and chestnut. A black ribbon was wrapped around her ponytail. She was also twenty-three years old.

"Well ladies, I'm afraid Monsieur Reyer and I must take our leave. We must depart for Daae Manor," said Andre.

The two young gentlemen bowed and walked across the floor tiles made of ivory and around the two young ladies towards the door. As they reached door entrance the two ladies halted them.

"Would it be too much trouble if we were to accompany you?" asked Madison quizitivly.

Andre and Alan looked at each other and then the ladies and smiled.

"Of course not, you are most welcome to join us. Yet we must make haste and leave at this very moment," said Andre.

The four walked through the elegant garden filled with blossoming flowers. The tulips and daisies were coming into full bloom, a sea of red, white, and yellow that seemed to stretch for miles. The gravel walkway led them through the garden into the stables. There the stable boy Joel Shipp had just finished attaching the reins of the two black stallions onto the carriage. Joel was a lad around sixteen years of age. He wore torn brown pants and a dirt-stained white shirt. He had been working in the stables with his father Dean Shipp since he was five. Sadly though Dean passed away when Joel was around nine years old. Ever since this tragedy Joel mostly kept to himself. The stallions bucked wildly until Joel started to calmly brush their noses.

"Monsieur Firmin, these stallions are ready for your journey. It seems like they could take you to Brest and back without stopping," said Joel.

"Monsieur Alan what do you think of giving the stable boy here an opportunity to accompany us to Daae Manor," asked Andre.

"I think it would be a great chance for the young lad to have a fun time"

"I agree, but we will need to stop by the tailors to get him some appropriate attire. So, Joel, would you like to accompany us?" asked Andre.

Joel eagerly accepted the invitation and leaped into the carriage. Then the ladies Kayla and Madison stepped into the carriage, quickly followed by Alan and Andre. The elderly driver was already waiting. As soon as the carriage door shut the two bucking stallions began a quick sprint until the driver yanked on the reins to calm them down to a steady pace. Inside the cabin Joel was staring out the window looking at the surrounding mountains. He had never actually been to the city of Paris before. He had always lived out in the country with the Firmin family. Within several minutes they had reached the tailor's shop. Joel ran out of the carriage into the shop before Lady Madison even had a chance to exit the carriage door. While Madison and Joel were in the tailor's, Alan, Andre, and Kayla were speaking of the previous time they had all gone to Daae Manor together.

"Do you remember the last time we went to Daae manor and Alan split his trousers trying to show off to Lady Sidney," said Kayla with a chuckle.

"At least I had the nerve to talk to her," shouted Alan in his defense," Andre over there couldn't come within several feet of her without sweating or trembling."

"Nonsense Alan, you made a fool of yourself so calm yourself. I'm sure no one will even remember that incident," said Kayla.

Andre remained uncommonly quiet and stared out the window as if he were hypnotized. Eventually Joel and Madison emerged from the tailors. Joel was now in a dark brown suit with a white button-up shirt underneath his jacket. They climbed into the carriage and they were off again.

Hours had now passed and everyone had decided to take a nap before their big arrival, all except little Joel who was far too excited by the city of lights to even blink. The carriage passed through the beautiful sights and sounds of the city like a dream. Andre was staring out of the window not noticing a thing that passed until the breath-taking sunset appeared in front of his face. Andre who watched the sun slowly disappear. He had not said anything this entire trip. He had contemplated this day for several days. Thoughts plagued his mind such as: Will she even remember me; will she remember what I told her all those years ago, and what if she now has a significant other? The shouting of the young lad Joel finally broke his trance. "Monsieur, monsieur it is Daae manor I can see it!!!!" excitedly hollered Joel. Madison, Kayla, and Alan awoke due to Joels shouting. As they stretched they looked out the window to see if the manor had changed since their last visit.

The outside was not very visible. The sun had already stagnated beyond the rim of the horizon. All that could be seen were the two eight-foot windows along the sides of the main door. Inside were party guests and bright lights. A dark veil had been drawn over Daae Manor. They all exited the carriage speechless. They anxiously waited for the two solid oak doors to swing open. As those doors opened, every one of them awe struck.

It was a palace filled with gold, crimson, and crystal. Golden statues and sculptures filled the curves and crevasses of the walls. Crimson drapes coated the walls like blood. The crystal glasses glistened off the light in the room. The recently waxed oak floors mirrored the ceiling. Which had been painted to create the illusion of Heaven, while In the middle of the heavenly mural hung a chandelier. It was coated with the most exquisite diamonds in all of Europe. The flames from the candles seemed to be dancing high above the room. Many men and women glide across the floor with ease. In the very middle of the room in front of the golden staircase, there she stood.

The angel of beauty in Andre's mind, Sidney Daae. Sidney was twenty-eight years old. She was five foot four, and had a perfect slender athletic body. She wore a flowing black dress with decorative designs made of orange silk along the sides. The trail of her dress ten inches long. There was an orange ribbon in her hair, and she wore matching orange earrings. Her gorgeous hazel eyes seemed to ensnare any man caught in her gaze. She had on black high heels four inches in height. Andre stood completely paralyzed. He had been thrown into utter shock by her beauty, for when they last met she had never wished to look so ladylike. He could not believe what his eyes were seeing. He was then shaken out of his paralyzed state by Alan.

"Ah, look how absolutely stunning she looks," said Alan.

"Indeed," replied Andre

"Why don't you go over there and talk to her Andre?"

"I see no point to it. She won't even remember me."

"If you don't go over there now, some other man will walk right up and charm her," said Alan.

At the precise moment Alan finished that sentence; several men flocked around Sidney like a pack of rabid wolves. A look of frustration and depression covered his eyes. He slowly turned away, walked across the room and grabbed a small glass of wine. The wine was a bit sour, but it did not matter to him at that moment. Life seemed bitterer than anything else in the world right now. Andre than walked over to Monsieur Alan and asked him, "What am I doing here Alan? Why did I allow you to bring me to such a ridiculous gathering?"

Andre set the crystal glass down on the table near him and walked out one of the side doors. He slowly walked into the dark abyss, a broken man, seemingly accepting the void like a corpse accepting a coffin as his eternal resting place. After several minutes of walking, Andre came upon a cliff. As he looked down, it seemed to drop right into hell. Yet when he looked up at the stars it seemed heaven was trying to reveal itself to him. Andre suddenly grew enraged with confusion.

He yelled at the top of his lung so Heaven and Hell could hear him, "What am I supposed to do!? Will one of you tell me?! Why must these feelings consume my body and soul for this one person!? Why must these ridiculous and unattainable emotions overcome my senses!? A person who does not even notice I exist anymore!!! Why must I endure the image of other men to enjoy her love and touch!?! Why do I not have the courage to face my greatest desire!?! If she can make the past of us forgotten why can't I?!? Why must everyday the sun arises bring forth the thought of her? Why am I the one cursed to long for her touch?!? Will one of you ANSWER ME!!!!!!!!!!!!?

Of coarse no one answered him. Andre fell to his knees and slammed his fist into the ground in pure hatred from his curse. Echoes of his desperate plea for answers rang through the countryside. A tear formed in the very corner of his eye. He hastily wiped it away and climbed to his feet. He wiped the soil from his knees and hands. He took a deep breath and slowly made his way to his carriage on the northern side of the estate. He told the elderly driver to make haste and not to worry about the others. So within minutes Andre had once again run from his desire.