Wedding Preparations

The mansion was filled with sweet floral scents, as servants came inside in a line, holding ornate flower arrangements. Pinks and purples, blues and whites filled the entrance, to the point of suffocation. The sight was quite distracting.
 
“...And this, my lady, are plum blossoms from Yun. Exceedingly rare and exotic, but they are truly beautiful.” The tall lanky man in the top hat said, holding a branch with budding pale pink flowers. He cleared his throat. “They symbolize prosperity. Truly a fitting arrangement for a wedding like this.”
 
Priscilla fought the urge to sneeze. This was maybe the tenth different species of flora she had seen this morning and she was starting to get sick of it. Plus, the smell was beginning to give her a migraine.
 
“Yes, they are…charming Sir Theodore, but you need to understand that just charming won’t do. We need spectacular. We need awe-inducing.” She gestures dramatically. “Now, about those purple peonies, you mentioned….Οh-” She turned around and just about caught sight of someone moving through the columns of flowers.
 
Her brother was walking ever so quietly, attempting to sneak towards the stairs. He was actively trying to avoid her, and much to her ire, had left all the wedding responsibilities to her. Typical Theo, she thought. While he’s off frolicking to god knows where, I have yet again to slave away for his stupid wedding.
 
“Theo….I see you by the stairs.” She exclaims, annoyed, as Theo stops in his tracks. “Excuse me, Sir Theodore, I’ll need to have a moment with my brother”. In her impetus, she pushes poor Sir Theodore to the side, as he attempts to hold the plum blossom branch out of her way. Before her brother has any chance to run, she grabs him by the arm and practically drags him to one of the empty guest rooms in the mansion.
 
“What did I do now?!”, Theophilus exclaims bewildered.
 
“Where were you?”
 
“I was taking a walk…”, he crosses his arms to his chest. “or is that also not allowed?”
 
“Don’t you use that tone with me. You know damn well this isn’t the time to be taking walks.”, she whispered-shouted at him.
 
He pulled his signature pout, the one he always got when mother was angry at him. Priscilla rubbed her temples in an attempt to calm herself.
 
“Do you want to know what happened yesterday? I ,as always, visited the Lantern Society to fulfill my volunteering duties. Imagine my surprise, when apparently all of my wonderful coworkers heard from you that you actually don’t want to get married”. Her face is starting to turn red from fury.
 
Uh oh he’s in big trouble now. Shock crosses through his face, then embarrassment. Before he has a chance to utter another word, she continues.
“...And that apparently, you invited all of them to the wedding! And to the bachelor party.” She was close to erupting now. “Without of course consulting me, because when have you ever?”
 
He was staring at his shoes now, pretending to be fascinated by them.
 
“Haven’t we already decided on this wedding being strictly limited to family? Nevermind the fact that you managed to blab about our whole situation to Effie. For god’s sake, Theo.” She says exasperated. “It’s like you are trying to ruin us.”
 
“...I’m sorry. Look, I-”
 
“-And worse of all, to have to endure that rat Phineas, spreading those humiliating rumours about our family. Oh, I can hardly bear it.” She tears up, and she pulls a silk handkerchief from her purse.
 
“Philomena, I didn’t know…”.
 
“Don’t call me that.” A vein in her forehead almost erupts. She takes a deep breath and quickly regains her composure.
 
“...Well, anyway. They are all uninvited now.”
 
“...They…what?” His eyes widened in shock.
 
“I said they are all uninvited.”
 
“But…sister.” He whines. “I don’t have any other friends.” He whispers so softly, it takes some time for her to register what he actually said.
 
A pang of guilt hits her, square in the chest. She didn’t want to admit it, but it hurt seeing her brother like this. Small and pathetic. It reminded her of herself.
 
She sighed. “Fine. You can have them at your wedding or bachelor party. All of them except Phineas. You are not to associate with him again. And I’ll have guards posted in case the fool tries to sneak in.”
 
He slightly cringed. It was better than nothing, he thought. I should avoid upsetting her more. “Thank you, sister.”, he said with a weak smile on his face.
 
That seemed to relax her a bit. Her anger subsided.
 
“Look…Theo. You know this is just until the wedding, right?” She puts her hand on his arm and gently squeezes it. “You can do what you like afterwards. Just…don’t make the same mistakes I did. We’ll make it this time.”
 
Please Theo, don’t fuck this up. If you do, then everything I’ve done really has been for nothing.
 
He places his hand on hers, reassuringly. “You worry too much. I made a promise to you and I’ll keep it.” She couldn’t help but notice the slight shakiness in his voice as he said that.
 
He is struggling. But so have I. Sometimes struggling is necessary.
 
“...Good.” She pulls back. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a wedding to organize.” He nods, as she leaves the room, closing the heavy wooden door behind her.
 
Bitter bitter bile rose up to her throat. She didn’t want to feel this way towards her brother, she didn’t want to force him to do that. But she was never given a choice. Why should he have one? He got to live carefree for so many years. Doing what he loved while she was wasting away her best years, selling her body to old coots. It was unfair, sometimes she just wished everything would just-
 
“Ehm, my lady?” Sir Theodore cleared his throat. He was holding a bouquet of purple peonies in his hands.
 
“....Ah yes, my bad. I got a bit absorbed in my thoughts. The purple peonies will do nicely.” She smiled and leaned in to smell the bouquet. The older gentleman’s ears were tinted pink.
 
This was going to be a long week.