It was a beautiful town. The sun shines on them softly while the trees and houses decorated the town with perfection. The people were so different and spoke other languages she couldn't understand. As Marie and John smiled looking past the old town roads Marie would occasionally point towards a shop and tell her how she bought sweets and flowers at a young age.

And when they reached a peculiar bridge over a beautiful river, on the other side stood a beautiful path with houses continuing towards the other side of town. Their family stayed at the very end of the town, towards the forests and lakes and beautiful vast lands filled with grass and flowers.

Fleur smiled setting her foot on land after hours of travel and felt a painful cramp rush in her leg. She sighs rubbing her hands at the cold breeze but the sunlight have her enough warmth.

"Ah! Here we are, come Fleur. I will introduce you to all my sisters and brothers"

"Oh yes, your brothers. Those daredevils" John muttered.

 Marie chuckled at the sarcastic comment of her husband,  grabbing Fleur's hand and pulling her towards a house surrounded by trees and bushes. The house was a beautiful two-floor cottage like many others around the area. The trees were beautiful and the garden beside the house looked as every near winter garden would look like. Light frost over the bushes, moist soil, branches carrying the last leaves, and the elderberries caught the attention of all who walked past the bushes. 

Fleur smiled as a woman waved at them, her hair was red like cinnamon, her eyes round and brown, and she was holding a basket full of fruits as a little girl hugged her legs hiding behind them. 

"Ah! Clair! it's been so long." Marie said hugging her sister Clair. 

Clair laughed pulling away and looking at her sister before introducing her daughter.

"Honey, meet your aunt, Marie." 

When the short conversation stopped at Fleur, Clair smiled at her before inviting them inside. To Fleur's surprise, the house was full. All of Marie's family filled the halls and rooms with chatters and food. 

"Oh my! Marie? Look, granny, It's your favorite grandchild!" 

The room filled with greetings and questions and John shook hands with the men while Marie hugged her siblings and grandma before going to her parents. 

"Is this Fleur? Oh, how little you were when I saw you. You look beautiful dear" said one of Marie's cousins. 

"You should have brought her here sooner," Clair stated while brushing her hand over Fleur's head. There was a minute of silence before their grandma broke it and complained about how the house was a mess taking the awkward thick air away from Fleur and distracting her. 

The evening went by swift. Fleur was tired, her body ached after the travel. She did not stay down with all the family members that evening and asked Marie if she could sleep. Marie's sister was kind enough to give Fleur a small beautiful room prepared just for her and bid a good night early.

Fleur fell on the bed and no soon after her eyes closed. She momentarily woke up in the middle of the night  pulling the sheets close due to cold and fell back asleep again

***

"Fleur?"

 She opened her eyes to see Marie standing at the end of her bed. Fleur smiled sitting up and Marie chuckled running her hand through Fleur's long hair.

"Why don't you wash up and get dress. I will do your hair. We have a lot of things to prepare for the festival tonight."

Fleur nodded standing up looking out the window towards the pretty trees outside.

"Would you like to go pick up flowers with Ryan or bake biscuits and cookies? My sister is keeping a flower shop with snacks at the festival. She would certainly need help"

Fleur nodded smiling. Excited and happy to know she would be enjoying the day very much.

"I would help in anything you and you sister wants aunt."

Marie nodded walking towards the door.

"I will bring your breakfast and ask her what she would like us to help in. Oh yes, you better wear the dress I prepared for you. The house is full of our acquaintances. I want them to see how beautiful you grew up to be"

Fleur blushed rolling her eyes at her aunt and turned away from Marie to hid her face. She laced up her dress. Soon Marie walked in and brushed her hair while she enjoyed her tea and bread.

" Your town is breathtaking. I haven't even go out yet and I already love it"

 "There is so much more you will see after tomorrow. My brother in law will take us for a picnic, you will see things you can never forgot. Lakes, rivers, land full of poppies, Oh I miss those-" Fleur glanced up at her aunt as she talked about the surroundings recalling her childhood. 

Her childhood was surely filled with people around her, her siblings, and her family. Fleur wondered about her parents, whether it would be wise to ask about them. She decided not to. 

Maire tied few strands of her hair back with her red ribbon and patted her shoulders twice to let her know she was done.

"Good morning Fleur. You never met your cousin brother Ryan. He is just a year older than you"

Ryan smiled at Fleur as he ate his bread, while many others greeted Fleur and continued with their morning Marie grabbed her hand and took her towards the kitchen.

"Hello there. Should I ask Fleur to make the biscuits? She is really good at them"

Marie's sister hesitated.

"But you only just came here. I do not wanna make you work. You two should be out roaming the town"

"Oh please. You will need help" Marie said and Fleur nodded.

"Oh that won't do. It's her first time visiting." Clair said frowning.

"Well, I heard you would be keeping a flower shop at the festival. Shall I go pick the flowers?" Fleur suggests. 

"Oh yes she makes beautiful arrangments of flowers. She can go do that. She will love the field."

"Well if you say so. Ryan will help you with that." Claire obliged kissing Marie before grabbing a pear from a fruit basket.

"Me and the boys are going fishing. You two can join us after that. We will bring them back by noon" John's voice fell over their conversation from the hall and a plan for that day was made. 

 Ryan took Fleur towards the pantry and got baskets and buckets for flowers.

"The field is near a small river. It's best we fill the buckets with water so they stay fresh, sometimes they wilt faster"

Fleur agreed as Ryan helped her with the baskets. It didn't take long for them to reach the field. Fleur set the basket down and stared at the never-ending line of flowers as Ryan smiled at her expression.

"My father planted some of them."

"They are just, beautiful. I have never seen such a large land filled with flowers before."

Ryan chuckled patting her head. He was just an year older than her but he was far too tall. His brown eyes we just like his mother's. It was Fleur's first time being with a family member apart from her aunt and uncle. She was happy that she has a brother. He was the kindest man just like John.

They picked plenty flowers for the festival and Fleur picked some different ones for displaying them in the house. The sun was bright it made the day warm but not too hot. After an hour of collecting the flower, they brought them towards the river where John and others sat fishing. She was delighted to sit on the river rocks and enjoy the cold water on her feet.

Watching the trees create a shadow over the river and the green grass reminded her of their house back in the village. It was different but she could enjoy the sun more here in the town than back at the village.

Walking back and forth in the river Fleur would occasionally look over at the other side of the river. The forest was full of birds chirping and animals. When she spotted the fourth dear walking past the trees she found herself mesmerized by its beauty and forgot everything in the midst of observing the deer. 

"Why did you keep her hidden like that for so many years. Nothing has happened, nothing will move back here with Marie, like before. You live too far it's hard for us to have our sister so far out." 

The low voices of her Uncle and the others fell over her ears, but she didn't look back. Her eyes were still over the deer. 

"We cannot be too sure. I was hesitant about bringing her here in the first place. It's too dangerous" 

"You two have nothing to do with her life, John. What happened was in the past, I doubt any of them  will even bother with it" 

"Don't forget what happen to-"

Fleur couldn't hear John's next words. He was too cautious with his words. 

"My dear brother-in-law, Then what you have done now is even more dangerous. She isn't a child anymore, she is a woman. If she even carries the scent around you know what's to come" 

"That's bullshit" John hissed. 

"You have been away from traditions for a long time, I wouldn't blame you. But if she belongs to one of them then there is nothing you can do about it-" 

"We are leaving" John announced cutting one of the brothers, Ethan mid words. 

Fleur turned to them as Ethan stared at John and shook his head. John had ended their conversation abruptly and walked away. Fleur understood nothing of their conversation but she knew it was about her. Who else was hidden away but her?