Stand By Me Darling
Chapter 242: Cleared Misunderstanding

Chapter 242: Cleared Misunderstanding

Talia knew she won’t be able to ’interrogate’ her great grandmother like she would do with Mr.Ed and held back all her questions. She decided to casually get closer to her great grandmother and gather informations slowly.

As they walked through the garden, her great grandmother brought her to a particular place that was fenced and kept in very prim and proper state in the garden. There was a big fountain at the centre of that little garden and some gazebos too.

Talia was pleasantly surprised by the garden of Arum Lily in that area. As spring was approaching, the plants all looked fresh and lush and they looked like they’d bloom soon. Talia could only imagine how pretty this place would look when they all bloom.

And there were many potted Lily of the Valley plants that are yet to flower and also many varieties of Lilies that were maintained for years.

Lilies? Are those flowers in remembrance of Princess Lillian?

Talia walked through the garden and there were some bleeding heart trees and since it was not the season for their bloom, they were just filled with leaves by now.

And there was a part of the garden that seemed newly formed that had rows and rows of Juliet Rose and other garden rose plants.

After walking with the Dowager for a while, she went to visit her grandfather. As she was walking to the cottage her grandfather’s staying, she checked the meaning of the flowers in her phone.

Most were lilies that meant innocence, grace and purity which were the qualities associated with Princess Lillian. And she was surprised to learn the meaning of Lily of the Valley - ’return with happiness’.

Did great grandmother wished happy returns of her daughter?

And the bleeding heart tree represented deep love, compassion and sorrow. Talia was amazed how the same flowers can represent eternal love and also the rejection of love too. This flowers represented the rejection of love by a very dear person which sent the other person to deep sorrow.

Is that the feeling the Dowager has towards her daughter? While Princess Lillian found her true love, the Dowager lost her only daughter since Princess Lillian rejected her mother’s love and everyone else who loved her and left the country for her love for a man?

Did great grandmother bring me there to show me her true thoughts regarding my grandmother? Did she already know my interest towards my grandmother?

Talia couldn’t understand for sure if the Dowager bringing her to that garden had such deep meanings. Surely Talia asking around about her grandmother won’t be hidden from her great grandmother.

Talia immersed in learning about the meaning of the flowers, tripped at an uneven stone in the pavement she was waking and Mr. Ed rightly caught her promptly, before she fell.

"Lilies are Princess Lillian’s favourite flowers. The late Princess wasn’t a fan of scented flowers, and so Arum lilies were her favourite; especially the white ones." Mr. Ed spoke in a low voice, almost as a whisper. "The Dowager doesn’t like it even if one of those lily plants get damaged. That garden you visited was first planted by Princess Lillian when she was very little and the Dowager maintained all the lilies as best as she can. All the plants now are from the bulbs of the lilies planted by Princess Lillian. She rarely gifts these flowers... And the Juliet roses... She started planting them after we learnt of your existence."

So those lilies are in remembrance of Princess Lillian!

Talia who was patting her chest to calm herself down after she almost fell, was more stunned hearing the last part.

Are those rose plants for me?

" I’m not a rose! " Talia shrugged and walked away. She felt odd getting referred as a flower. And that too a Rose? No way! She would never think that highly of herself.

"Are you an iris then, Your Royal Highness?" Mr. Ed asked in a teasing tone. He could see how the Princess could be compared to a rose. Her unusual beauty, the fragrance of her loving heart, and the thorns she developed around her to stop others from getting close to her... She is a rose!

" I’m a..." Talia tried to find a flower more suitable for herself. What kind of flower is she? "Never mind!" she shrugged and walked into her grandpa’s cottage.

Maybe I got too used to Fred calling me Iris, I can’t think of any other flower.

Talia was welcomed in, and was informed that her Grandpa is having his dialysis and that he asked her to wait for half an hour till his dialysis session is finished.

Hearing the butler politely telling her everything, Talia felt like she was standing on uneven ground.

Grandpa is truly sick!

She walked to the room where her Grandpa was and upon entering, she was perplexed seeing the wires connecting to her grandpa’s arm. Lying on the bed, her Grandpa was closing his eyes and the dark circle around his eyes were accentuated by the shadows cast by the mild lighting in the room.

Her entire body shivered as she could only imagine the pain her grandfather might be in to go through this kind of treatment to sustain his life.

The nurse in that room was stunned to see Talia there and Talia shushed the nurse and pulled a chair for herself to sit beside her grandfather.

As someone who had fear of needles, she couldn’t even look at her grandpa’s arm where two big needles were inserted and through the thick tubes, her grandpa’s blood was being purified by the machine.

She held her grandpa’s other hand on the bed, inside her hand and placed her forehead over his hand.

"You could have waited in the waiting room, Mary Ann..." her grandpa’s gentle voice came from above her. Jerome knew his granddaughter doesn’t like to see needles and hates the smell of disinfectant and hospitals.

Talia on the other hand buried her face deeply in his hands as she didn’t have the guts to look at his face.

How long is he going through this? Wouldn’t he have wanted someone by his side all this time?

"I’m sorry I was not with you and let you face it all alone, grandpa" her throat felt heavy as she said it and she held back her tears. She didn’t want to dry and make her Grandpa sad too.

"You child.." her Grandpa tried to pull out his hand from her grip to pat her head, but Talia was holding his hand tightly and he let her hold his hand. "You’re here now. That’s all that matters." He really didn’t mind. His granddaughter is happy and healthy and he got to see her once more. What more would he want?

"No, grandpa! You should not coddle me too much. I’m in the wrong here and I should be held responsible..." Talia gulped and holding his hand, sneaked a peak at her Grandpa. "You raised me. It is not fair of me to abandon you like this. After what... After what I did with... I shouldn’t have left like that, leaving you to face everything alone... You faced the brunt of what I did... "

Seeing her Grandpa looking at her with his usual gentle gaze, Talia felt more guilty and buried her face in his hand once more.

" You didn’t leave me. I sent you away. I’m the elder and it should be me protecting you. You did nothing wrong and I should have found another way than to send you to Rosandale. But that paid well too. Look at you... Look how you’ve grown up to be an exceptional woman! I’m so proud of you, my sweet child! " her Grandpa spoke with his usual tenderness and Talia could feel him getting overwhelmed with emotions. He is speaking the truth.

But what does he mean he sent me away? Didn’t my grandpa want to save his prestige and didn’t mind me getting married to Ray? Isn’t that why I had to escape? Isn’t that what I thought? But what does he mean now?

But then... I thought wrong back then... I misunderstood everything back then... I was getting married to Arthur and not Ray... Grandpa didn’t approve of it then?

And the timely arrival of the Royals of Rosandale to get her... She always found that a very odd coincidence. Like how could there be such coincidence that they were there just when she needed a place to stay?

" You sent me to Rosandale? " Talia asked as she felt her heart slipping from her chest. She sat straight and her hold on her grandpa’s hand loosened.

Jerome looked at his precious granddaughter with bewildered look. He could understand that there is some misunderstanding somewhere.

"The Council arranged your wedding with Raymond Sinclair and I asked for the help of Rosandale Royals to get you out of Esteria. But then the groom changed and I almost sent the Royals back thinking that you wouldn’t mind getting married with Artie, causing a big trouble between our two nations. And then you..." Jerome took in a deep breath.

Talia’s mouth went wide open and she forgot to breathe for some time.

So I misunderstood my grandpa too?