Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder-Chapter 1345 - 100 : Journey Back from Fragility
*Zara*
With the Luna Lillies set to arrive any day now, I was doing everything I could to prepare. Unfortunately, I couldn’t just pretend that these were ordinary plants and get ready to throw them in pots with a little soil at the bottom.
This was going to take a lot of care and preparation. I buried myself in research, spending my free time at the library, looking for any references on potions and magical herbs, hoping to find anything that could even hint at how the flowers would fair once I got them.
I was able to work with some of Drogomor’s healers to create a solution that might revive some of the dry petals, but there were no guarantees that it would work. Sadly, that was how all my preparations for the lilies were going as of late. We could only hope that the solutions and the special containers we had engineered would be able to sustain the fragile bundles.
“I think I’m as ready as I can be,” I told Noah as we got Briella dressed and ready for the day. I swept our daughter’s wispy hair to the side before securing it with a little hair clip with a lilac-colored bow.
Noah dropped a kiss on her head and then on my cheek. “You just need to find some building to use as a greenhouse, right?”
My shoulders sagged momentarily but I bounced Briella in my arms. “Yeah, I’ve searched for potential buildings the other day, but there’s really nothing. I suppose we could have one built, but that could take a while.”
There would be no time to waste once the petals arrived. The delicate plants would perish rapidly without specialized care and storage. I needed to be quick and steadfast to ensure that no part of the rare, mystically powered flowers went to waste.
Noah pursed his lips thoughtfully. “You might have to go toward the border of the pack territory where our farmland and stuff is,” he said after a moment, but then he narrowed his eyes at me. “I don’t know how I feel about you going alone though, especially with Daven still at large.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “I’ll be careful,” I said, excited by the prospect of actually finding a suitable place for the flowers. “I would send someone else, but I need to be able to ensure for myself that the place is suitable.”
Noah wasn’t happy about that, but I could tell he knew I was right. He let out a long breath. “Alright, just please be careful.”
I smiled, touched by his concern toward me before tiptoeing and kissing his cheek. “Of course. Aren’t I always?”
***
In order to get to the sprawling rural areas of Drogomor, I needed to cross through the main part of the city, and I decided to grab some lunch on the way. I wasn’t sure how long I would be gone, and I didn’t want to be starving.
“Zara!”
I turned to see Lorelei hurrying toward me. My eyes widened and I rushed forward to meet her, wrapping my arms around her shoulders. “I’m so happy to see you but what are you doing here?” I asked. “I thought you were returning to Midnight Sun!”
Lorelei’s cheeks tinted pink, and she looked to the ground shyly. She pushed some of her light brown hair off her shoulder before meeting my gaze again with a sheepish smile. “I decided to extend my stay a little longer. It didn’t feel right to just leave the way I did.”
“That’s completely understandable,” I said, my gaze softening. “I really am sorry about the way things happened. It’s so good to see you!”
Lorelei grinned wider. “You too,” she said. “So, what are you doing in town? On some important future Luna business?”
I giggled lightly. “You could say that,” I said. I looked around to find that we were mostly alone, despite being on one of the busier streets in the city. “I actually have some rare flowers coming soon and need to find a greenhouse in order to preserve them.”
“Oh,” Lorelei said, her eyes widening. “I actually have some experience tending to greenhouse plants. Would you like some help?”
I smiled at her warmth and kindness. “Thanks, but I haven’t gotten the flowers yet,” I said. “But you could come with me to search for a greenhouse if you’d like.” 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶
Lorelei nodded eagerly, a childlike excitement lighting up her features. “Sure!”
I was grateful for both the help and the company as Lorelei and I made our way out of the main part of Drogomor and into the outer rural areas filled with farmlands and forests.
“Caring for these flowers is going to be pretty difficult,” I told Lorelei as we walked through the trees just bordering one of our wheatfields. “It can’t just be any old building, unfortunately. There will need to be good ventilation and special structures to hang the plants upside down. There will need to be a ton of natural lighting too.”
Lorelei and I came across a few old buildings, but nothing was suitable for a greenhouse. There were some old storage units and some barns. Finally, an old farmer directed us in the direction we were currently going, claiming that he recalled some old, unused buildings just a little way into the forest.
“What are you planning to do with these powerful flowers after they’ve been dried?” Lorelei wanted to know, absolutely fascinated as I explained the whole situation to her.
“We’re hoping we can use them for medicinal purposes mainly,” I explained. “But there could be so many other uses that we don’t know about. We’ll have to get our best scientists to work on experimenting with them to figure out what they’re capable of.”
Lorelei and I couldn’t even believe it when we burst through the trees to find a little clearing filled with wildflowers. Nestled toward the far end of the clearing was a greenhouse. We sprinted toward it, feeling like children who had just found a house made of candy.
“It’s beautiful,” Lorelei breathed as we approached.
And it was. It had clearly been unused for many years, with thick vines covering much of the thick glass. The flower-covered vines made the small but intact house look like something out of a fairytale.
It took some effort to clear the front entrance of vines and other shrubbery, but Lorelei and I were eventually able to get inside to discover the dirty but very usable interior of the greenhouse.
I threw my arms around Lorelei as we stood in the middle of the dusty building. Light streamed in through the glass roof above us as if it was casting down its blessing to use the space for the magical lilies.
Although the greenhouse was mostly intact save for a couple of broken windows that could be easily replaced, there was clearly going to have to be some major cleanup before the space was suitable for the lilies.
“Please let me help you restore this place,” Lorelei nearly begged.
“Of course!” I said immediately with no hesitation. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
And I meant it too. Not only was Lorelei actually skilled in caring for plants, but she also had a warmth around her that gave me no doubt that she was almost as passionate about my cause as I was.
Lorelei and I worked side by side extensively over the next several days to ready the greenhouse. Thankfully, I had quite a few members of the Drogomor mansion servant staff recruited for the arduous task of helping us refurbish the long–neglected plant house.
I couldn’t help but watch Lorelei as we cleaned the windows of the greenhouse. Most of the foliage and old boxes of unusable supplies had been cleared out. Some of the servants nearby were working on building metal structures that would hang the drying lilies in upside-down bundles.
Lorelei absolutely glowed despite doing the labor-intensive work. She caught my eye and grinned happily at me before continuing her work. “I just know that these lilies will survive and bring great fortune to Drogomor, Zara,” she said, clearly wanting to encourage me.
“I definitely hope so,” I told her as I dunked my washcloth into the special cleaning solution that one of the healers whipped up.
As we worked together, I couldn’t help but marvel at how thoughtful and generous Lorelei was. Beneath her shy exterior was a bright and resilient spirit.
“I had been hoping to tour more of the Light Realm before returning back home to Midnight Sun pack,” Lorelei said as we sat on the steps of the greenhouse for a quick lunch break. “The change of scenery here in Drogomor really helped restore my outlook and confidence.”
“I’m so happy to hear that,” I told her genuinely. She truly deserved nothing less. That was when an idea struck me. “Maybe you could extend your stay and invite Noah’s aunts to see if they’d like to go with you as well.”
Lorelei’s entire face lit up at the suggestion and even before she agreed, I could tell that that had been the best idea she’d heard in a long time.
Noah’s aunts had been staying in an inn close to the mansion, so I invited them over for dinner one night in order to relay the offer of accompaniment to them.
Noah gave me an amused look as his aunts all started exclaiming their excitement at the prospect of joining Lorelei at once.
“Oh, that is a sensational idea!” Genevieve gushed, grasping my hand with shining eyes.
“Yes, I would love nothing more than to go on a trip with Lorelei,” Marguerite chimed in, practically shaking with excitement.
“Ladies, we should take young Lorelei to Winter Forest,” Harriet decreed, grinning at the other two.
“Yes!” Genevieve agreed. “And the Celestial City to see all of the gorgeous museums and churches!”
I couldn’t help but smile softly as the three women continued to make plans and discuss places to take Lorelei. It was evident that the ladies had grown incredibly fond and protective of Lorelei.
It brought me so much joy to see Lorelei blossoming more and more each day. She deserved tranquility, joy, and nurturing kindness after her recent traumatic heartbreak.
“I’m so grateful that the three of you want to do this,” I told them, momentarily interrupting their animated planning session. “I’m hoping that her time traveling with you will bring her healing and lead to new and fresh beginnings for her.”
Marguerite grasped my hands and smiled kindly at me. “We will do our best to take care of her and give her that chance at healing.”
I nodded, smiling warmly, knowing that the three of them would do everything they could to help Lorelei. But only time would tell where Lorelei’s gradual journey back from fragility to wholeness will ultimately lead her.
I sensed that her path was just beginning to unfold.
