Chapter 5: Chapter 5: The Ailing Flower

I could barely sleep that night. Nothing was wrong with the bed or room. In fact it was one of the most comfortable beds I’d ever laid upon. But my anxiety was at an all time high, and I was determined to fix my mistakes from the past few days to finally progress things with Victor.

I was back in Annalise’s original clothes which Bearon had been nice enough to clean and I had matted down my massive curls into some nice rolled things in the bath. I still didn’t have a mirror to make sure I didn’t look completely crazy but right now I at least looked the part. Annalise was supposed to have another breakfast with Victor where she almost starts to fall for him herself after he saves her from the raiders. Except we still hadn’t had the garden scene. So I had a feeling I was a day behind and on a new plot line today.

So far the biggest surprise to me had been that Victor was a dark and brooding sort on the verge of being completely morose. The book Victor had felt somewhat dangerous, like you were never sure what he was going to do next. It had become so widely popular because of the odd mix of romance, seduction, and one never being quite too sure if he was going to sink his fangs into Annalise’s neck. This Victor was still sitting in a chair in his study as I once again meandered down to find breakfast.

He had raised an eyebrow as he spotted me. I halted to offer a little wave. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then stopped and sighed. Bearon appeared behind me and surprised me with a, “you seem have no problem waiting to be invited to breakfast my lady. I thought you preferred your meals in your room.”

“I’ll eat my meals anywhere,” I replied excitedly, “do you plan to bring me breakfast in bed?”

Victor waved him away as he made a gargantuan effort of getting out of the chair and directing me to the meal hall. “Are you going to join me, my lord?” I asked politely. He shook his head as he politely shoved me through the door and returned to what I could only assume was his chair of depression.

I didn’t even mind the bird wing. Nor did I mind the bear waiting for me when I finished some fruit. I was surprised however to see them both glare at me as they directed me back towards Victor’s study. A less wise person may have thought they just wanted me to cheer him up. I guessed immediately they were going to continue to become more and more animalistic until I forced the plot along. I sighed as I followed my cues and went to take a seat across from him. I tried to pull myself into character, “sorry my lord, but a walk outside may help clear your mind.” I was now going to force the garden scene if my life depended on it. Especially since the large bird and bear outside the study were still staring at me.

Victor turned his chin away from where it rested on his hand to look at his staff. “What’s the point?” he replied.

“Well it’s your own personal garden, surely there’s something about it you must enjoy,” I replied. I was pleased to see our animal friends had departed.

He seemed to muse on this for a moment. After a long pause he finally quietly mumbled, “there’s a flower I have been trying to save. It’s destined to die, like many things. And no matter what I do I can’t seem to keep it alive. If I don’t go outside, there’s a chance it may still flourish. But if I do look, I fear it will already be dead.”

The speech took me aback. For a minute it crossed his mind he might be talking about me. Or even himself. But my brain unfortunately took over. “Oh, like Schrodinger’s dilemma regarding superposition,” I replied.

I was surprised to see his eyes flutter open wide to stare at me. I realized my mistake immediately, we were theoretically hundreds of years before Schrödinger was even born in this world. And lord help me if anyone here knew anything about quantum mechanics. Science didn’t even consider the nature of light until the 17th or 18th centuries. We predated my favorite mathematician, Euler. Victor however was staring at me with full attention. “If you don’t check the plant is both alive and dead,” I replied, “wouldn’t it be better to let reality devolve into the possibility of one or another? Or are you afraid by checking you’ll accidentally hurt it and lead to the other outcome?”

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He blinked again as he actually stood up this time. I could see he’d been slumped in the chair so long he’d practically started to merge with it. The Victor indent in the cushion was hard to miss. “The plant is more likely to still be alive if we go,” I mumbled, “I mean to care for it my lord. Apologies I realize you may not know who Schrödinger is…”

It might have been my imagination, but I thought he even subtlety even chuckled as he replied, “maybe we’ll go see if the cat is alive then, shall we?”

It was my turn to act surprised. Schrödinger s cat was the dilemma as it appeared in popular culture. Was he just saying this, or did he recognize the reference after all? What year were we in anyways? I grabbed his arm as he started to direct us towards the garden. It was somewhat refreshing to follow him in this manner. I had been supposed to find him in the garden but the book hadn’t specified how we got there. No large animal staff were hovering over us and Victor for just a moment seemed almost normal.

“Has something been troubling you my lord?” I asked as we started through the plants. It was hard not to get distracted and apparently I was one to be distracted.

“Wow that’s beautiful,” I mumbled as I accidentally dropped his arm to go look at a peculiar bush filled with rainbow flowers, “How did you manage to grow these like this?” I was no botanist, but half the stuff in this garden seemed fantastical on the border of being completely imaginary.

Victor offered a half laugh as he silently walked behind me, “not sure, this place always seems to be changing.”

He stopped and sighed as he seemingly stared off into the distance. At last he walked over to a tiny flower hanging on to a tall green stem that looked ever so slightly wilted. I didn’t recognize the plant, but at least it was alive. He didn’t look up as I did my best to catch up to him without disturbing him. “The flower itself may not seem integral to the plant, but once it falls the thing dies… every time…” he muttered. He turned to look up at me, “I’ve tried 100 ways to save it, maybe 1,000. But nothing seems to work. Maybe it’s destined to its fate and there is nothing it can do.”

“You’ve had more than one of these?” I asked, “because this one is still going.”

“It is indeed. It’s new. Annalise do you remember what you said to me when you first came to stay here? Or why you are even staying here?” he asked.

I must have looked like a deer caught in headlights as I smiled and shrugged. I have read so many things in great detail, this book was not one of them. I assumed however that he had a plan and intended that question rhetorically.

He chuckled with a, “thought so.”

“Thought so what?” I replied.

“You’re too smart Annalise,” he replied, “sometimes they’re too beautiful, sometimes too righteous, sometimes too scared… but I can always tell.”

“Who are?” I replied, “and can tell what?”

He sighed, “do you think you or I are more like this flower?”

“If it’s dying, neither I hope,” I replied.

“It can’t leave nor can it really ever tell you what its thinking. Even if it wants to more than anything else in the world. And trust me it wants to tell you where it’s from and what is in store for it. It just can’t, it’’s destiny,” he replied, “and strangely as much as I care about it, I can never seem to get it to reciprocate my feelings and just… stay alive.”

My mind was racing, was he telling me he was like me? Transported into the story? Was he telling me he was an NPC that can’t escape? Or was he issuing me a warning about myself? I don’t know why I felt the need to test it, “I’m from…” I started as I tried to find the words to say the exact location of my home. I was surprised to see they were stopped. So regardless of what Victor was trying to tell me, he was warning me we were both stuck by the confines of the plot.

“I’m from somewhere green,” I replied, “but surrounded by a metal city. Everyone does everything according to past habit and societal rules… they’re rules those who hunt me here don’t seem to want to follow.”

“Exactly Annalise,” he replied, “But maybe just maybe, we can keep this flower alive for one more day. Maybe those who hunt you will be back tonight.” He looked up to indicate Bearon looming from the window.

This didn’t feel like book Victor, that was for sure. And I couldn’t figure out what he was trying to tell me with his cryptic messages. But I did know one thing, right now I just wanted to see him look a little bit less morose. “If it would please you my lord, I’d like to keep the flower alive. If only to see you smile… and not become one with that chair again,” I replied.

He snapped his head towards me suddenly as I saw a strange glimmer in his eyes. He bent forward to take my chin into his hand as he pressed his face within inches of mine. For a moment his lips almost seemed to graze mine. This was definitely not in the book. Annalise had been supposed to make a joke about water and he’d lightly kissed her hand before he became convinced to save her from the hunting party. This Victor seemed a lot hungrier and more desperate. I looked up to meet his eyes as he moved even closer. He diverted his head to move his lips just near my ear as he whispered, “help me Annalise.” He released my hand before stepping back to lightly grab my hand. He kissed it and nodded towards Bearon as he headed back inside.

I stumbled over my words as I tried to whisper back, “and please help me get out of here alive, Victor.” He turned and for a second I wondered if he’d heard me. I was saddened to see him instead nod to Robin as he headed back to his study. My mind was racing, was it possible this Victor was also trapped here? Or was he just following his pathway outlined in the book? Something told me I needed to be careful either way, after all… if everything went according to plan tonight was going to be the bed scene and house raid…