Midnight Blue

Arietta spent most of the morning out in the garden practicing her ballet and helping Paul, the gardener, plant flowers and do the weeding. It was dirty work but her mother tended not to mind because gardening was a ladylike passtime.

Paul was, as with most of the servants, very fond of Arietta. Unlike Ella though, the other servants were all very proper.

“You look quite pale Miss Arietta. I hope you aren’t ill.”

“I don’t feel ill.” She told him as she finished planting some Tulips.

Paul seemed to nod slightly as if he knew exactly why she looked so pale but wouldn’t dare speak out about it, it was more than his job was worth.

If you asked any of the servants, even Ella, why no one challenged Mr and Mrs. Wesley about the way they are bringing up their children they would all tell you the same variety of answers; ‘Mr. Wesley is a dangerous man to make an enemy of’, ‘It would only lose us our job’, ‘Isn’t it better that we let them get on with it and then give what affection we can to the children in the absence of affection from those that they need it from most’.

“Do you remember what I taught you last time you were out here with me?” Paul asked, changing topic.

“Yes! You said that flowers have their own language. But I’ve never heard them speak.”

Paul chuckled softly at that, “No, Miss Arietta, they don’t speak to us but we can use them to speak to others.”

“So, like, each flower has a meaning?”

“Exactly.”

Arietta looked down at the Tulips she had just planted, “What do they mean?”

“Those in particular are saying ‘There is sunshine in your smile.’” Paul smiled and softly stroked one of the petals.

“That’s very pretty.”

“Indeed it is. Now, I believe it is quarter to eleven already. Your grandfather should be awake by now.” Paul said, well aware that Arietta, though interested in what he was telling her and enjoyed gardening very much, was passing time this morning waiting for her Grandfather to be awake.

“Thank you Paul.” Arietta grinned and hugged him around his neck and ran towards the house to wash her hands and find her Grandfather.

---

“Good Morning Grandfather!” Arietta chirped happily as she found him in the armchair in the corner of the conservatory looking out onto the back garden.

“Mornin’ kiddo. How’re ya doing?”

“‘M fine.”

Her grandfather, Harry, smiled and patted his lap, a sign for her to sit there. “Thought you had lessons today?”

“Ms. Giry is ill and can’t make it but I’ve been practicing what she taught me last time for most of the morning and then I helped Paul in the garden.”

“You did? What were you planting?” Harry asked her.

“Tulips. Paul says they mean there’s sunshine in my smile!”

“There certainly is kid.” Harry grinned, “So Paul’s teaching you what different flowers mean, is he?”

“Well he only told me what the tulips mean but I think I would like to learn more.”

Harry Wesley, born Harold Jonathon Wesley, looked at his little granddaughter with a fond smile. She was such a clever little thing already. It hardly seemed fair that two young children, so intelligent, were destined for a mugs game of a life. It was definitely not fair that neither mother nor father seemed to care enough to see the child beneath the ‘heir’. Of course, Harry felt it worst for Wesley who would grow to be the single most important possession, yes you heard him right. Possession. That James Sr and Mae had in their ever growing inventory of things to use to expand the ‘business’.

Harry was pulled from his musings by Arietta who was tugging on his shirt sleeve, “Grandfather, will you tell me one of your stories?”   

“Surely you’ve heard them all by now?” He said with a chuckle.

“But please?”

Harry, much like Wesley, never seemed to be able to deny Arietta anything. “Alright then. Which one?” He asked, already knowing the answer.

“The one about your match with ‘Horus’.”

That had not been the one he had been expecting. Arietta knew just about every story from his boxing days and only ever referred to his opponents by their boxing nickname. But the only time she ever asked to hear this story was when the absence of a mark on her wrist was unsettling her. The significance of the story being that during this boxing match Harry met his soul mate. Not Horus, his sister, Arietta. Harry, much like his father and grandfather and son and grandchildren, was a bare-wrist.

The story comforted Arietta. Knowing that soul mates can be found with or without their name being on your wrist.

“Okay sweetheart. Okay, I’ll tell you that one.” He said softly and Arietta curled into her grandfather as he hugged her close to him.

“My manager, Helena, had told me that she had scored a match with the one and only Alan Henway. The only boxer in the tri-state area to ever beat each champion from each country in the Olympics. Hell to say I was grateful was an understatement, yeah sure people knew who I was but I was still small time compared to lots of other boxers. Anyway. It’s the night of the match and he cancels on us, no warning or nothin’. Then an amatuer steps into the ring declaring himself to be Horus. Well, the crowd had been fired up for a boxing match so I figured I’d give them one. Horus was fast, I was barely landing punches. Then he got cocky, made him slow. I started landing blows then. Kid was dazed, and I had him on the ropes. By the time I won, he looked exhausted but he’d put up a good fight for a new kid. Naturally, I went to find him and tell him to keep at it, cause the kid was gifted. I found him and shook his hand, then outta nowhere came this girl, most beautiful thing I ever saw. My heart was hammerin’ and my chest felt like it might explode. Then she smiled at me. I didn’t need no name on my wrist to see what was in front of me. So Horus introduces us and grins. Says he was glad Henway canceled so he could step in. Knew I was old school and would find him to shake his hand on a good match. I gotta admit, the kid was a damn sneaky bastard but clever about it. That’s why you’re called Arietta, after your grandma.”

Arietta knew what had happened, or she could at least guess. Soul mates stay together for life, which meant her grandma had died. She never asked her grandfather about it. It was probably a very difficult thing for him to talk about. Not to mention private.

“So what time did you get to bed last night then?” Harry asked with only a hint of anger audible in his tone.

“Maybe about half one in the morning. I’m not really sure.”

Harry made a sound of disapproval, “It’s ridiculous that they expect you two to stay up all night.”

 He’d had this discussion with his son and daughter in law more often than he cared to remember. Each and every time he was told it was an exercise in self control and that they would have to get used to it because it’s one of many duties that will fall on them when their turn comes. Harry was not afraid to make his distaste for this rule known, he would often cuss out his son for that very reason in front of staff, the children and sometimes his son and daughter in law.

“Mother let me go to sleep earlier than usual last night but that’s only because Wesley made her.”