Page 61 of The Princess's Pet

There were common medicinal plants: for fever, for pain, for sickness. Many of the plants we kept back at home, already prepared in a cupboard in the kitchen. They weren’t dangerous, not really, so long as you didn’t eat too much, and most tasted so revolting that wouldn’t happen accidentally. But as I looked around, I was shocked to see Death’s Door with its large orange bell-shaped flowers hanging low.

“What’s this doing here?” I asked Thomas.

“I don’t know what it’s used to treat but it sure is beautiful. We even have these back at the manor as decoration,” Thomas answered walking beside me.

“Death’s Door doesn’t treat anything,” I told him seriously.

“Death’s door? You mean Tritons Trumpet?” he questioned confused.

“Two names for the same plant. I prefer Death’s Door as it’s an accurate warning for this beautiful but potentially deadly plant,” I told him. He looked at me with curiosity, so I continued. “All parts of Death’s Door are poisonous. The plant is most widely known in witching communities for its psychedelic properties. The leaves can be brewed into a tea, which whendrank produces extremely potent hallucinations. Drink too much and you will die. But that’s not what makes Death’s Door dangerous,” I told him, enjoying how concentrated he was on my explanation.

“What makes it dangerous if not the potential to kill?” he asked.

“The seeds are the real danger. Roasted and ground to a fine powder, the seeds of Death’s Door can be used to manipulate anyone to your will. If I had properly prepared Death’s Door seeds right now, all I would need to do was blow some powder into your face for you to breathe and make my request. I could ask you for your boots and you would untie the laces and hand them over to me without a question. And terrifyingly once the effects wore off, you would have no memory of what you had done at my behest. Death’s Door is truly one of the most dangerous and beautiful flowers,” I finished my explanation.

“No! Really?” I nodded. “And if you could make me do anything, you’d take my boots?” He continued laughing.

“It’s all I could think of on the spot,” I answered defensively.

“Should I be offended that you wouldn’t have anything else from me? I have been told, I’m quite the looker.” And he winked suggestively in a dramatic manner.

“Who told you that?” I asked sarcastically.

“My mum,” he answered and cracked up laughing at his silly joke. I couldn’t help but laugh with him.

“Seriously, that’s some scary stuff,” he began after he stopped laughing. “I had no idea. I always thought it was just pretty. Maybe I should make myself some psychedelic tea?” he mused.

“If you do, be very careful, it’s easy to overdose,” I warned. He nodded seriously.

It made no sense to keep Death’s Door purposefully other than decoration or for its psychedelic properties.

What was more concerning than Death’s Door was Hades’ Delight and its dark sweet berries.

Hades’ Delight did have medicinal properties, traditionally used for childbirth pains. What made it so jarring to see in the greenhouse was the fact that Hades’ Delight was deathly poisonous to pureblood vampires. Any amount consumed was guaranteed death for a pureblood vampire.

The sweet berries sometimes attracted animals and children who would easily eat a lethal dose. They caused many an accidental death and grew wild back at home. We would rip them from the ground, roots and all, to avoid any accidents. There were other better plants for childbirth pains and Hades’ Delight had fallen out of favourable use. I couldn’t imagine a use for them in the home of the Borealis Royal family.

I explained some of the other plant uses and how to prepare them to Thomas. Adding my extra knowledge after he told me what he already knew.

“How is it that you know so much about medical plants?” he asked and he seemed a little awestruck. It was flattering.

“Flores were the first chemists,” I told him. “We don’t have any explicit offensive or defensive magic, so we’re often overlooked. We know plants and their properties in detail. But mostly we concentrate on nurturing plant life in whatever way our magic presents. Modern medicines have meant far less need for our knowledge,” I explained to him and remembered my mother’s old books about plants and magic left behind at home. Handwritten and passed down through generations of Flores witches. She even wrote one herself on aquatic plant life. I must have read those old books cover to cover ten times over each. My chest tightened at the memory of home, but I pushed the pain aside, I had to make a new home.

“Flores witches do have a reputation for being benign and not much to worry about,” Thomas started. “Maybe I should be a little scared of you,” he joked.

“Maybe,” I agreed.

I spent the rest of the afternoon with Thomas, he showed me around the main greenhouse and back in the castle how to get to the servant corridors. It was a fun afternoon. The servant corridors felt like secret passageways that led everywhere around the castle. He showed me back to the Princess’s wing at the end of the afternoon and let me know he would be working in the greenhouse for the next two days if I wanted to stop by.

I waited in the drawing room for the Princess to find me. The plush sofa was comfortable and I stretched out on it as I waited.

When a hand landed on my shoulder, I jumped, my eyes flashing open wide and my hand rising to my chest.

“It’s only me, pet,” the Princess said above me, her hand moving from my shoulder to stroke my face. “What did you get up to today?” she asked as I sat up.

“Thomas, Lady Amelia’s gardener, is here working in the greenhouses. I met him and he showed me the greenhouses and around the servant corridors. It was fun,” I told her.

She held her hand out to me and pulled me to my feet. “Is there yet another shifter after my pet?” she questioned.

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