Part of: A Gift from a Lonely Heart
List of the main characters
Vlad - King of the Limboese Kingdom - He/Him - Human
Marian - Botanist, member of the Limboese Academy of Sciences - They/Them - Human
Andreea Voicovici - Director of the Limboese Academy of Sciences - She/Her - Cava
Herera, Limboese Kingdom
23 May 1842
Vlad was looking at a book from the Limboese Academy of Sciences containing a schematical drawings of multiple plants made by one of the institution’s botanists, all while in deep thought. He already met this talented botanist a few times, whose name was Marian Sticlari, though their colleagues usually called them Sticlă (which literally means “glass”). Never in his life has the king ever laid his eyes on someone like them and dreamed of being together with Marian.
His anonymous letters, though, kept getting rejected by Marian. Each and every single one of them never received a response, something which slightly broke Vlad’s heart. He was unsure how to approach them, what to do or what to say. He did not wish to confess his feelings to Marian in person or to sign those love letters, as he was afraid they’d only accept the confession out of fear for potential repercussions.
The legacy of the crown was never on his side, as his precursor, Maria XII, was known for not accepting any rejections, even though she was also known as one of Limbo’s most prominent reformist monarchs at the time. Vlad always felt as if he was considered the same as his mother by those around him, often having to assure those in his court that they could speak their mind, only as long as they kept it civil.
Vlad kept looking through the book and remembered something: he had received a herbarium collection from Morstaybishlia, deciding that he should most probably donate it to the Academy. The mere thought that he might see Marian, even for a moment, made his heart beat faster than ever. He asked his aides to make the preparations for the visit, something which was quickly taken care of by those in his court. This also included informing those within the Limboese Academy of Sciences of the king’s imminent arrival.
In the building of the Academy, some people were running frantically through the halls, asking for helps for the preparations for the arrival of King Vlad. A woman wearing a suit was looking desperately throughout the building, until she arrived in a library, where Marian was reading through a few old studies. She was Andreea Voicovici the director of the Limboese Academy of Sciences.
[Andreea:] Mx. Sticlari, do you think you could help your comrades with the preparations?
[Marian:] What preparations? The others told me in the morning that there’ll be no meetings or visits anytime soon, since the main building is being renovated. And I am quite busy.
[Andreea:] I can see that, but we just received a letter from the Royal Palace that the King wishes to visit this building.
[Marian:] Why would he want to visit the Botany Section?
[Andreea:] If I knew, I’d be telling you, but right now your comrades need your help moving some things.
Realizing he has no way of getting out of this, Marian sets aside the papers he was reading and, with a heavy sigh, leaves the library and starts helping the others to move things. The herbariums were taken out and placed in the main chambers of the building, while the boxes containing administrative documents were moved in the cellar. After all the effort, everyone awaited the coming of the king.
Many minutes of waiting and Vlad finally arrives to the Academy’s Botany Section. He scans the room, looking for a certain individual which he spots immediately: Marian. Andreea, the director, steps in front of the monarch and greets him.
[Andreea:] Your Majesty, it is such an honor to have you here, at the Botany Section of the Limboese Academy of Sciences.
[Vlad:] I am really glad you accepted my request, though I hope you did not have to interrupt your work simply because of my desire to see this place with my own eyes.
Marian rolls their eyes discreetly after hearing Vlad’s words.
[Andreea:] Of course not. We are always delighted and, above all, honored to have a member of the Royal Family in any of our buildings. If you wish, we could showcase our vast collection of plants from within our herbarium collection.
[Vlad:] That is exactly why I wished to come here, Ms. Voicovici.
[Andreea:] To see our herbarium collection?
[Vlad:] Not exactly that, but rather I wish to make a donation to the Botany Section. You see, I have received a lovely gift from Morstaybishlia, a herbarium to be more exact. Though, if you wish for me to see the collection currently within the possession of the Academy, then I am glad to comply.
Andreea looks at Marian, before addressing to them.
[Andreea:] If you wish to take the herbarium that our Majesty has kindly donated to us to look over it, then this is your chance to do it. After all, you did request additional materials from continental Aurora for quite some time.
Without thinking twice, Marian excuses themselves before leaving the group. They search through the building, until the find a few boxes that were moved in the library. Were they there before? Marian enters the library and opens the lid of each box, finding many papers with dried plants. They starts looking over each one of them, admiring the plants as they additionally look through a dichotomous key.
An hour later, someone else enters the library. It was Vlad, who was looking at Marian from a distance. Without lifting their head, Marian begins to speak.
[Marian:] This is indeed a treasure for our section.
[Vlad:] I am glad I was able to help.
[Marian:] May I know why would you give up on such a rich collection? I am quite sure that it would worth thousands, if not millions of buri in the future.
[Vlad:] I just wished to donate it, as there was no purpose leaving it back in the palace.
As Marian was still looking through the papers, Vlad looks around, noticing an opened letter on one of the tables. Upon a closer look, he realized that it was one of his anonymous love letters to Marian.
[Marian:] It is just a letter from a mysterious admirer. I have been receiving them for quite a while, though I am finding them quite annoying and concerning.
[Vlad:] And why is that?
[Marian:] Receiving unsigned love letters from a stranger is not something I wished to happen to me, yet it still is happening. I merely wish to be able to study in peace.
Vlad sighs after hearing Marian’s words and realizes that his approach for confessing his true feelings for them was not a good one.
[Vlad:] In that case, I will be leaving you alone.
Vlad leaves the library and later on, returns to the Royal Palace, where he starts thinking. What could he offer to Marian? Would one of the many royal domains suffice? He finally decides to talk to his aides.
[Aide #1:] Excuse me, your Majesty, but what are you exactly suggesting? Your words left me quite… confused, to be perfectly honest.
[Aide #2:] Me, as well. We didn’t exactly understood what you meant.
[Vlad:] How are our current diplomatic relations with Salovia?
[Aide #3:] They are neither hostile, nor quite friendly. I am pretty sure the Salovians are still seeing us in a bad light ever since the Posolic War, yet the situation is better than now 10 years.
[Aide #1:] Exactly, and taking into account that we kept our end of the promise regarding the Salovian minority here…
[Vlad:] And the Salovians are also selling what I think they are?
[Aide #2:] There are rumors, yes, but I am unsure whether they are true or not.
[Vlad:] Still, those rumors exist, correct?
[Aide #2:] Yes, your Majesty, they do. But what exactly do you wish to do?
Vlad thinks for a moment, looking at a map of Aurora, before looking back at his aides.
[Vlad:] I’d like to purchase an island from them.
In the following weeks and months, the Royal Court worked on granting the King’s wish, as he was still trying to confess his feelings to Marian, until, one day, he decided to write a final letter to them:
"Dear Marian,
I am writing to you not as your king, but as a simple man whose feelings can no longer be denied. Every day, I think of you more and more, wishing I wrote you this sooner.
I was the stranger that sent you those love letters. I know I shouldn’t have done so, but I was afraid that your decision would’ve been affected by my political and social status, as I have seen throughout my life around me.
I did not wish to scare you and I sincerely apologize for the letters I have sent. What I wrote in those letters remains true, as that is what I feel in my heart whenever I think of you.
Please respond to this letter only if you wish to do so.
— Vlad."
A few days later, Vlad receives two letter. He opens the first one:
"Your Majesty,
I appreciate the sincerity that you have shown in the last letter I have received. While your actions were not wise, I understand why you’d choose to take such an action. I would be a fool to say that I would not act in a similar way if I was in your situation
As for the other thing, I am flattered of the words you expressed towards me in those letters, though I am unsure how I truly feel about everything. I need more time to process my own feelings and think clearly before I take any decision, though I would be available to meet with you in person, at least to know who you really are.
— Marian Sticlari."
He sighs heavily, accepting that he needs to give space for Marian to process everything, after which he opens the second letter:
"Your Majesty,
The Treasury of the Royal Family is pleased to inform you of the successful acquisition of an island East of Aurora."