Dear reader, I can hardly breathe… it’s all too much, and try as I might, I cannot stop myself from crying! I’ve only just returned from the forest, and my face stings with all the frozen tears. Goodness, I feel so foolish, but still I must try to compose myself. I wish to tell you of all that has passed this amazing, wonderful day!
It all began as usual. Flame lay on the rug before the hearth, his favorite place during these cold months, and I went about my chores. I swept the floor, baked bread, and bottled up remedies for the Humes to put in their shop in the village. I had just finished the last of a Peace batch, when I decided it was time to check the rosebud for the day. So I donned my cloak, put the unfinished remedy for Lorenz into my basket, and made my way into the frozen forest.
This winter, I’ve been making sure to wrap up tight and to walk briskly when I’m out under the trees. It helps me to keep warm, and even though my toes always eventually grow cold, I do enjoy the sensation of the snow crunching beneath my boots. I saw a cardinal on a branch as I made my way to the hollow tree, and I enjoyed the glistening icicles that hung in the stone arches at the Well of the Green Sister. As I suspected, the bud had not yet opened, but I took the moment to admire it all the same. It sparkled with white frost along the edges of its petals, and it seemed to have that strange half glow again, which pushed its hue near to that of fuchsia.
A curious thought had crossed my mind, and as I leaned over to inspect if the bud had any fragrance yet, I heard something that made my heart leap. “I thought I might find you here, Miss Sonya.” Lorenz! I spun about and saw him standing just a few feet away. Oh goodness, he was here! I stammered in astonishment. “I-I thought you wouldn’t be back until the spring!” “I returned early,” he answered, his crocked smile all delight at my surprise.
“Lorenz, I…” Suddenly I found myself shaking, and though the air around was chill, my heart pounded so hard I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks and neck. Lorenz began to draw nearer, asking if I was unwell. Trembling, I stooped to pick up the bottle. The Impressions within were a deep crimson, and as I lifted it, the liquid seemed to jump of its own accord. I tried to calm myself. “Lorenz,” I began again, “Lorenz, I have to tell you something.” His face looked so concerned and he tried to reassure me, saying that I could tell him anything. “It’s not finished yet. I wanted it to be finish, but the rosebud still hasn’t bloomed, and I wanted it to be perfect before I told you.” He looked confused. I took a deep breath. “All winter long, I’ve been trying to craft the remedy you asked for, something with all the beauty of Greenwood, but I couldn’t finish. The rosebud never bloomed, but… I think it’s more than that. Wherever I went, wherever I found beauty, you weren’t there. And Lorenz, I wanted you to see it, to be there with me. I want to share all the beauty of Greenwood with you, because… because I think you’re beautiful.” I turned away and covered my face, and it was then that the tears began to flow freely. I tried to continue, “I understand if you don’t—”, but Lorenz took my hand, drawing it away, and pulling me to face him again.
“Sonya, who do you think gave you the roses last spring?” What? I was confused for a moment, but his eyes were so misty and sweet. I tried to think. Spring? Roses? The basket of pink roses… “Oh!” I exclaimed, and he laughed, a light giggle that sounded half embarrassed half pleased. “I wanted to tell you so many times how I felt for you, but you’re so shy. I didn’t know if you felt the same way, and I didn’t want to frighten you away.” He held my hand just a bit tighter, and we laughed nervously together. “Oh goodness!” was all I could say.
Just then, the ground beneath our feet gave a rumble and we jumped back. The earth stilled, and then with a gentle shake, the rosebud on the bush unfurled all at once, blooming in a glorious burst of blush colored light and floral fragrance! The aroma was so powerful and rich it made my head spin. We stepped closer, entranced by its beauty, and slowly, very slowly it began to shift. It was vanishing! Not vanishing, transforming. The petals fluttered slightly, as if there were a breeze and turned into a sparkling vapor that gathered in a cloud, and then became liquid. My goodness, it had become an Impression again! Quick as I could, I opened the bottle and grasped onto every feeling of the moment: the beauty and magic of the rose, my racing heart and tear stained face, Lorenz beside me, Lorenz holding my hand. I drew it down into the remedy and it gained that same deep blush hue.
Lorenz walked me back to the cottage, all the while holding my hand, and goodness, he only released it after bestowing it with a kiss. I stood in the doorway and watched him go until he vanished behind the snow-covered hills, all the while I could hear him singing that beautiful song I’ve come to know so well.
Oh my goodness, dear reader, it all feels like a dream! A beautiful, wonderful dream! I’ve finally managed to dry my eyes now, but my heart is so light and free. How will I ever be able to sleep this evening? I feel as though I could fly, as though I could turn into a sparking cloud and float on the air, like the winter rose that finally bloomed.