The Land of Flora

by Marie Springberry

  “Yes, your Majesty. Sorry for interruption, and please continue,” said the captain.

  “I don’t like this man’s air of command,” Ken was thinking, looking at the tall figure of Prligion.

  “Ken and Meg,” said the prince, turning toward the two. “I noticed you were wondering why we only eat food grown out of ground.”

  “Yes, we were,” answered Meg.

  “It is because we are from the ground and go back to the ground,” said the prince, “We are Roses.”

  “What?” said Ken, couldn’t help himself.

  “We are Roses,” said Prligion again, “We, the Rosettalians, roam the land in the human-form while we have consciousness. We return to rose flowers when we die. Those who die in peace will become white roses, and those who have unfortunate deaths will become red roses. Rosettalians plant their ancestors together….”

  “In the rose garden we found ourselves in,” said Meg abruptly.

  “Yes, Meg. You are right. The place we found you two is called the Garden of Peace. It is the place where our ancestors roam. I’m sure you noticed there were white roses and red roses. The Garden is not only the place for our ancestors, but also for our descendants.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Ken.

  “The Garden of Peace is also a place of birth. When a male Rosettalian and a female Rosttalian fall in love and marry, they go to the Garden of Peace. Did you notice that there were roses that changed color into pink or yellow?”

  “Yes, we did.”

  “They are babies. The newly-wed couple, when they are ready to welcome a new member to their family, takes a baby rose with them from the Garden. When they exit the Garden, that rose takes the form of a human baby. Yellow roses are boys, and pink roses are girls. As we are from the same Garden, we usually do not differ in size greatly, except for me, I believe.”

  Meg thought King Raligion was looking at the prince rather worriedly at the mention of the size, but she was not sure.

  “Anyway, the problem we are facing concerns the Garden. There is a fountain in the middle of the Garden called the Fountain of Bara. It is the provider of pure water for the Garden and the entire Kingdom. It is the source of our energy, our life. Without the water from the Fountain, no Rosettalians can stay alive. However, the fountain seems to be drying up, and we have been experiencing water shortage since two months ago. The reservoir of the City is still full, but I heard some reservoirs in the countryside are drying up rapidly. We have used every means to find out the cause of the drought, but we have failed so far. We have searched for alternative means for providing water, but we have failed. There’s no other source of water in the Kingdom that provides water of the same quality as the Fountain. Only one explanation remains. Ladies and gentlemen, Professors concluded this morning,” the prince looked around the table, “that the Heart of the Fountain does exist and that it will soon stop its beat.”

  The room was filled with gasping sounds.

  “The heart?” Meg said, puzzled.

  “Yes, there has been a legend that there is a powerful stone buried beneath the Fountain of Bara and that it is the source of water. Nobody has confirmed its existence but that’s what the legend says. The legend also says that there will come a time when the stone needs to be replaced by a new magical stone from the Land of Sakuratta.”

  “Why didn’t you notice that earlier? Why didn’t you prepare another stone beforehand?” asked Ken a reasonable question.

  “The fountain never dried up in the history, and we have become oblivious to the possibility. In addition, our ancestors searched for the stone in the past. They concluded that the stone did not exist because they could not find it anywhere. They determined that the legend should be interpreted figuratively. As such, when the fountain first started to show the sign of weakening, we were utterly dismayed. We have put all our efforts in determining the cause so that we would be able to revive the water supply. However, no matter how hard we try, we have so far failed to identify the cause. It is uncustomary in our Kingdom to overturn the conclusion our ancestors had made about legends. However, now that we have looked at every other possibility, the only remaining possibility is the Heart of the Fountain. The speed of nature is slow. The Fountain won’t wither in a day or two, but if Tulittairians know of this, they might decide to attack us now.”

  “OK. What are Sakuratta and Tulitta?” asked Ken.

  “Sakuratta and Tulitta are names of other Kingdoms. Sakuratta is a land said to lie far beyond the north borders. Tulitta is our neighboring Kingdom to the west, and they are trying to merge us into their Kingdom. We believe they are looking for the opportunity to attack us. Now, let us share with you the Story of Fair Lady. Professor Sherikson, please, and now that Ken and Meg are here, I allow you to reveal the parts that were kept secret as well.”

  Then the professor stood up and started to speak, “The Story of Fair Lady is said to have been bestowed on the ancestors of Rosettalians many years ago. The story is also called the Torn Story as pages are missing toward the end. According to the legend, the Land of Flora was created by the voice of Fair Lady. Fair Lady, therefore, is the Creator and the ultimate protector of Flora. The Land of Flora is the name of our world. Fair Lady, as the legend says, created five Kingdoms on the Land. Rosetta, Tulitta, Daffolitta, Sakuratta, and Violetta. Each Kingdom, the Story tells, has a Stone as its heart. The Heart of the Fountain, as the prince has told you, is believed to be the Stone of Rosetta. The Kingdoms, according to the Story, were located in positions like flower petals of a beautiful spring flower, surrounded by the deep ocean. We believe people who roam in each Kingdom are born from different flowers.” The professor looked around and continued.

  “Rosettalians, as you know, are from roses. Tulittalians must be from tulips. Daffolitalians from daffodils, Sakurattalians from sakura, and Violettalians from violets. The Fair Lady, the Story tells, disappeared into the Air once She created Flora. In Rosetta, we have the Temple of Fair Lady, and She talks to us through her servants.” The Professor nodded toward the woman who had introduced herself as the servant of Fair Lady.

  “It is certain there were five Kingdoms in the past. The records as well as the legend tell us. After the Creation, the Land of Flora had peaceful times. The Kingdoms formed a Union and Flora prospered. People went across the borders, having friends in different Kingdoms. That peaceful time lasted for nearly 700 years.” The professor paused and then continued.

  “However, peaceful times were over as Daffolitta gained power and started to invade other Kingdoms. Sakuratta was their first target as it had become a peaceful Kingdom without any arms. When Daffolitta almost overwhelmed Sakuratta, a great earthquake occurred, and Sakuratta was cut off from the other Kingdoms. It drifted away north and nobody knows the current location of the Kingdom exactly. At the same time, Daffolitta was also cut off and it drifted away toward west. Tulitta, Violetta, and Rosetta remained connected as one land. However, after the incident, the Kingdoms cut off communication across the borders, and each Kingdom developed separately since then.” The professor sipped some water from his cup and then continued.

  “Sakuratta is said to have become a mythical land of forest, with fairies roaming the area. Sakuratta must be located north to Rosetta, but only several people have visited the land and come back. Those who did see the land almost never talk about the magical Kingdom. Some say that Sakuratta is ruled directly by Fair Lady, but nobody knows for sure. Daffolitta lost power after the break-up. Daffolitta is located beyond Tulitta. We know there was a war between Daffolitta and Tulitta a few years ago, but we don’t know which side won for sure. However, we assume that Tulittalians won and conquered the Daffolitalians. Tulitta is our immediate concern. Tulitta has become too strong. King Sadaharion of Tulitta wants to have all Kingdoms of Flora under his rule, we believe. They have been looking for a chance to send their soldiers into Rosetta. As for Violetta, it was a small Kingdom located between Rosetta and Tulitta. It was acting as a b
uffer zone for us, but Rosetta decided to protect Violetta. Rosetta and Violetta merged as one Kingdom last year.” He nodded approvingly to the captains sitting around the table. However, Ken wondered why the Kingdom was called Rosetta if it had indeed merged with Violetta.

  “And this is where you two come in,” said the Professor, “I’ll read the important section of the Story for you. This is what it says. Rosetta will be in peril. Danger will approach from the west, beware. The drought will come, beware. Wait and pray for saviors if Rosetta were to remain. They will come, the two people from Yamato. A brother and sister, from nowhere in the sky. One brings Health and the other brings Fortune. Oh, the spicy fragrance of peppermint! Oh, the soothing fragrance of cherry blossom! They are your only hopes, Rosettalians. The Fortune will find the true heart in the mythical land. The Fortune will gain power and so will the Fountain. The Health will…” he stopped, and said, “This is where the Story is torn off. By the way, the part with peppermint and cherry blossom were not known to anybody but for selected few until today.”

  “That’s why we could confirm you two, Ken and Meg, to be the ones told in the Story” Mitchy whispered.

  “Nobody knows how the story got torn off, but the final two sentences of the Story are still here,” the Professor continued.

  “The Land of Flora, forever. The Will did not overpower the Story, the Will became the Story. Well, this is the end of the Story, and the National Anthem of Flora is attached at the end. Shall we?” And the professor started to sing and the other Rosettalians at the table soon joined him in chorus.

  “The Land of Flora, the Land of Flora,

  May the blessings of the Fair Lady last upon us forever!

  Unity of the Five Kingoms,

  Created by the Fair Hands

  We are so proud to call this Union

  The home of our heart!

  The Kingdoms, the Kingdoms

  May the blessings of the Fair Lady upon each Kingdom forever!

  Rosetta!

  Violetta!

  Daffolitta!

  Sakuratta!

  Tulitta!

  May the Peace upon the Union forever!

  The Land of beauty and purity, Rosetta!

  The Land of power and solemnity, Tulitta!

  The Land of joy and cheerfulness, Violetta!

  The Land of bravery and energy, Daffolitta!

  The Land of magic and myth, Sakuratta!

  Together we form one Union,

  the Land of Flora under the name of the Fair Lady!

  Peaceful and beautiful land.

  We are so proud to call this Union

  The home of our heart!

  O, Fair Lady O, Fair Lady

  Protect us forever!

  O, Fair Lady, O, Fair Lady

  Please be with us, forever

  Forever, ever, ever….”

  The anthem abruptly ended and the Professor said, “well, my explanation is over. It is time for a linguist to speak.”

  “I’ve been waiting for this moment,” said Mithy, standing up.

  “There’s another reason why we confirmed you two to be the siblings mentioned in the Story. Well, that has to do with your names. Ken, your name is related to the concept of health in True Language, and Meg, your name is related to the concept of fortune in True Language.”

  “What is True Language?”

  “Well, every language has power, and True Language is the most powerful language on Flora. Only the servants of Fair Lady are truly proficient in that language. Well, professors like Professor Sherikson and me also understand the language fairly well, but people in general only have a limited ability to understand the language. Anyway, what we are speaking now is the common tongue among us. It is also the language bestowed on us by Fair Lady for daily use. However, each of us is given a True Song at the shrine of Fair Lady when we become adults at 15 years of age. The Song is in True Language, and represents and predicts the life of that individual. We can give rough explanation of the Song in the common language. However, if a person utters it in True Language, trouble will come upon the person.”

  “For example?” asked Ken, “you cannot be killed by a language.”

  “Or, your mind will be controlled by others?” suggested Meg, remembering many fantasy stories she had read.

  “That’s a good suggestion, but no. Actually, we have accidents of True Language a few times a year. Those who dare to utter the Song in True Language explode on the spot and disappear.”

  “Then why do you ask for the Song?”

  “It is our tradition, an order from the absolute Lady,” answered Mitchy shortly.

  “And you two will come to the shrine tomorrow for receiving your True Songs.” The mysterious lady added.

  “Well,” said Prince Prligion, standing up. “The feast is now over. We have received necessary information. Captains, we are going to hold a counsel the first thing tomorrow morning. Meanwhile, each of us will need time to contemplate over the issues.”

  Ken felt that Prligion was actually addressing him and Meg and felt slightly uncomfortable.

  “Ken! Meg! Please follow us,” Mothy and Tithy shouted over the noises of chairs. “Your bed is ready!”

  “Bed!” Ken thought, “that’s what I need most now.”

  Chapter 7: Dream and True Song

  When Ken and Meg went back to their room, the bed had already been prepared. Meg went into Ken’s room, and decided to discuss what they had heard at the feast.

  “Well,” said Meg, “there’s no doubt we are in the world of fantasy I dreamed of!”

  “I believe we are blown away into an unknown world, that’s for sure. But roses! Can you believe they actually are roses?”

  “Their story explained everything, didn’t it?”

  “You have to be cautious, Sis. There might be lies in the story.”

  “How can you say such a thing? We are needed in this world.”

  “Well, for example, remember the part which talked about Rosetta and Violtta?”

  “Yes. The Kingdoms decided to become one, right?”

  “Well, then why is this Kingdom called Rosetta? The prince from the beginning said Tulitta is the neighbor of Rosetta. Violetta was a Kingdom, right? Then, where is the king? Where are the people? I have a feeling that Rosetta actually invaded Violetta.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Nothing here is certain. There’s another issue. There was a King and a Prince. They don’t look like each other. Where is the Queen?”

  “Oh, don’t say such a thing, Ken. Prince Prligion is a handsome guy, isn’t he?”

  “Don’t tell me you have fallen in love at first sight, Sis!”

  “It’s not like that!” Meg said, but she was slightly blushing.

  “I hope not,” commented Ken.

  “What do you think of the story about us, Ken?” asked Meg, changing the topic.

  “Well, it seems the story itself exists. Had it not been for the story, we would be dead at the King’s Court.”

  “How should we interpret the story then?”

  “Well, I still don’t believe that we are the ones who appear in the story. It is simply impossible. We have never been to this land called Flora in the first place. However, I think there’s no choice but to pretend to be the siblings in the story in order to survive at this place.”

  “I believe we are the ones told in the story. That’s what usually happens in fantasy stories,” retorted Meg. “There is a legend, and the main characters appear in the legend even if they did not know about the legend before.”

  “Whatever. In any case, we definitely have to find out what happened to us.”

  “Why?”

  “To go back to our own world, of course!”

  “Do you want to go back?”

  “Of course! You don’t?”

  “Well, I don’t know yet. I somehow feel comfortable here.”

  “We’ll see. OK, back to the story. I believe what Mitchy told us it true
. I know that my name Ken represents health in Japanese, and your name Meg represents fortune in Japanese. That’s what Mom told me when I was little.”

  “Then, the language she called True Language actually is Japanese?”

  “We can’t be certain yet, but it is a possibility.”

  “Weren’t they talking something about songs?”

  “Yeah, they were. They said they’d take us to the shrine and give us a True Song or something tomorrow.”

  “That’d lovely of them.”

  “Lovely? No way. I personally don’t believe the existence of such a thing. But I’ll go and see if any secret to our escape is hidden in the shrine.”

  “Are you sure you want to escape?” asked Meg again, “I thought you like adventures, and I believe adventures are waiting for you here on the Land of Flora. You already tried to protect me at the Court this afternoon.”

  “Oh, Sis. I like adventures as long as they happen in our world. But,” Ken looked into Meg’s eyes, “I’ll do anything to protect you.”

  “Thank you, Ken.” Meg smiled, and said, “well, I’m going to bed. Good night!”

  “OK. Good night, have a sweet dream!” Ken said.

  ***

  Ken was lying on bed Mothy had prepared for him. Mothy had asked Ken if he could go take a stroll in the garden under the moon, so Ken was alone in his room. He was thinking, “Meg believes this place to be the fantasy world she had been dreaming about. I don’t want to agree with her, but I know we are in a different world. If this indeed were a fantasy world, I hope I don’t have to fight or go on a journey as the characters of fantasy stories Meg told me do.” He then smiled for a moment. “It is good to see her smile again though. I guess I should let her enjoy this world until we find a way to go back to our world. If she believes this place to be her dream world, then let her believe so. That might help her stable her nerves again. I will protect her, and I want her to be happy.” But Ken had no intention of remaining in Rosetta for more than necessary. “This is not where we belong. We have to find a way out soon or I’m afraid we’ll be stuck in this world. That King and Prince seem wicked. We should be cautious about them. They said we are saviors. But we can’t trust them yet. Meg told me that saviors appear in times of peril in fantasy stories. But we have nothing to do with this Flora place. We need to escape.”