The Queen's Garden Mage

“I hope we never have an event of this magnitude for the rest of my life,” Emery grumbled sweat beading on his brow as he grunted with effort shoveling yet another hole for yet another sapling. I stuck my shovel in the dirt glad that my hair had decided to stay back for once.

“Just think after this we’ll be done, no more digging, no more running around the palace with baby whatever you care to name, helping them flourish hoping they stay without dying by the Morrow least you have to go back and do it all over again.” I breathed heaving another shovel full of dirt over my shoulder.

“I hate to kill your dreams,” Libeth huffed leaning on her shovel briefly watching the recruits train, though it seemed that they were watching us work more than actually training. “But eventually the Princess will become Queen, surely the dragons will visit one of these days, as well Her Highness likely her Majesty at that point will get married. All these things are just as grand, if not more grand than the Queen’s Tournament and you will live through every one.” Emery groaned wiping sweat from his face.

Eden laughed softly placing yet another sapling in a hole, we had roughly ten more to place and little more than a seventh day to finish planting and then growing the stadium. Though my fellow Gardeners would be done after the planting and I could tell they would be glad, even Libeth always vibrant and happy was worn thin. “We’ll be finished planting before the sun touches the horizon and then we can rest, even go celebrate if we want for a job well done. Have a drink at the Green Sprout if we’re feeling up to it.”

“Yes!” Libeth exclaimed digging a little faster. Emery grunted again brow furrowed in concentration. I placed another sapling before moving onto digging the next hole, muscles straining.

“I think I’m just going to enjoy a long soak in the bathing room allotted to us.” I heaved out, knowing that if I did otherwise everything would be aching in the morning.

“I’m in full agreement,” Emery said a little breathless. Libeth for once didn’t fight us on going out with them. I’m sure Emery felt just as grateful as I did in that moment.

As Eden predicted we finished just a little before the sun touched the horizon and I could not have been more relieved though my magic was still going strong unlike my fellow Gardeners, my body was tired. The recruits took pity on us and cleaned up in our steatd allowing us to go our separate ways. I trudged my way back to my shared rooms letting myself in before taking a seat on the couch sighing softly in relief.

Nearly done, I closed my eyes listening for all the new plants spread throughout the palace, from the great oak to the green shooting vines on every light fixture I could hear them all. I relaxed drifting between sleep and wakefulness on a sea of voices, whispering, murmuring, singing all together in growing excitement. Sharing with me the gossip of the palace, noting everyone’s location and what they were doing. Her Majesty and her daughter Princess Mariel sharing a meal in her study laughing good naturedly at a story shared between them.

Reason waking in a bed not his own confused but sated, Kiyen and Resli bickering in the corridor leading to the kitchens smiling through the banter. Prince Eris and Prince Sorel speaking in a dark corner voices too low to understand but perking a flower’s interest none the less. The Heir of Angileri in her rooms lightly tracing her fingers along the Twilight peonies in a pot beside her bed smiling softly in delight. Despite the distance, despite the fact that flowers did not have eyes as we did I smiled feeling a little breathless because her expression was radiant. I opened my eyes still smiling allowing the voices to fade away from me, lower now but never truly gone, gentle waves lapping in the background of my mind.

I stood, groaning softly at all the new aches that had found me in my moment of rest. I went to my room grabbing a pair of dark trousers, soft tunic and under things before leaving my rooms. Though I loved the fact that my brother and I had our own private bathing room sometimes it just wasn’t big enough.

I entered the servant’s bathing room and took in the large pool of steaming hot water, I’d come early enough to have the entire room to myself. I stripped quickly placing my belongings in a small nook with my name on it before grabbing a bathing cloth and towel, I entered the pool with a sigh setting both on the edge as I allowed the heat to seep into my aching muscles soothing away the pain. I swam a little, eyes closed against the heat before floating on my back gazing up at a scene I’d seen numerous times in history books, as well on a mural or two in the palace, and recreated in paintings you could buy at the market. Princess Alia being crowned Queen a small dragon, her constant companion, resting along her shoulders. An image captured and recaptured over time in every form of art.

“Gone for three sun cycles and I hardly recognize you,” I blinked shifting to stand water cascading down my chest as I gazed on a face I thought I’d never see again. Tears formed unbidden in my eyes.

“Arely?” The Sol-Lea, leader to the entirety of the Queen’s army, the Head of heads to all her men leapt into the water despite the fact that she still wore half her armor, all her knives and her sword. I swam to her and we met somewhere in the middle hugging and laughing while gazing at each other as if for the first time, this woman who had trained me as much as Rosen had, who had loved me with a passion I hadn’t known in anyone since and who had hurt me like no one ever had. There would always be a small place in my heart that burned just for her, I had asked her to break my innocence, and knowing she might not return she had refused leaving me without so much as a goodbye kiss. “You never said goodbye,” I murmured holding her afloat, despite that all her gear drug her down.

“I did not want you to wait for me, you were young and I did not know if I’d come back.” Her voice husky with emotion, her eyes once a vibrant hazel were now dark with all the losses she’d endured. She’d changed, as had I.

“I loved you.” More tears came as she held me, they mixed well with the water streaming down our faces.

Arely nodded voiced filled with no small regret, “I know.”

“First I walk in on you with the Princess and now this.” We both looked up to see Libeth standing on the edge of the pool fully clothed shaking her head. “I would love to hear your explanation for this…”

Arely and I parted both swimming for the edge and climbing out, Libeth started once she caught sight of the armor as well the renowned violet hair with one brilliant stroke of raven black. “Sol-Lea,” she bowed. “You live…” the shock was plain to see, not a one had thought she survived, gone for three sun cycles without a whispered word or message of her whereabouts, her position had remained unfilled all this time. And now it would be filled again, by the woman meant to fill it.

“Yes and it is good to be home,” She looked at me when she said that drawing Libeth’s eyes to the fact that I was still very naked, her eyes instantly latched onto the vibrantly green stem lined with thorns spiraling over my shoulder forming a small circle around my heart, sharp and dangerous, something that could have resembled a flower if you looked close enough before trailing down across my ribs, through the center of my stomach and ending between my legs, on the bare patch of skin where no hair grew, lay a startlingly white dragon’s breath, a flower resembling the licking flames that dragons were known to spew from their mouth when enraged. Each petal dipped in inky darkness. Libeth blushed unable to look away while I stood unashamed allowing her to look.

At last Arely cleared her throat helping her divert her gaze, Libeth snapped her eyes up to my face, “You have a lovely…” Her face burned while she stuttered not knowing how exactly to compliment me.

“I have a lovely flower.” I supplied lips curling in amusement, Arely had her head bowed, shoulders shaking slightly as she fought to hide her laughter.

“Yea…Yes.” Libeth stroked her fingers through the short locks of her sandy hair taking a step towards the door. “I think I…forgot something.” I watched as she practically ran from the bathing room slipping slightly on titles damp from condensation.

“There’s a reason that no one has seen my tattoo,” Arely offered me my drying cloth without once looking down. Respectful as she was in all things. I took it gratefully drying myself off before going to retrieve my clothes from the little nook I’d placed them in, dressing quickly I disposed of my drying coth as I left.

“I wished I was rude enough to stare as she had, it must be a sight for her to blush as she did.” I stood braiding my hair down my back before it had a chance to tangle the both of us lingering just outside the servant’s bathing room.

“Something only Libeth and my future lovers will ever have the experience of knowing.” I allowed my braid to fall over my shoulder dripping water as we walked in step through the palace, Arely trailing water the entire way still soaked as she was from the pool.

“I would ask for but one more chance, but I do not think I deserve one.” She offered wryly as we came to a stop before my rooms, the walk had been a short one. Too short to say all the things left unsaid between us, all the things we might not ever say.

I stroked my fingers lightly along her cheek, Arely, the only woman on palace grounds just as tall as I, with her elfin ancestry she was striking, strangely beautiful in her own way. She was five sun cycles my senior but she had always loved me like an equal despite that I’d been only nineteen summers when our relationship had started. It ended a sun cycle later when she left me in our bed without a letter or a kiss goodbye. I had hurt for a long time after that and though I had never talked much before I’d fallen more in love with my plants after she’d gone. Three sun cycles was a long time… Without so much as a goodbye. I let my fingers fall away smiling softly at my friend. That’s all she’d ever be now, “You would be right.”

“I know we can never have what we once had…but perhaps we can still spar every now and again. I am no longer sure, who is the better between us.” She offered hesitantly a peace offering to sooth all the pain she knew she’d caused with her absence.

I smiled more fully jabbing her lightly in the arm ignoring the sting of my knuckles when they met the hard material of her armor. “I would like that.” Arely nodded slightly before straightening her back and giving me a warrior salute eyes sparkling with mirth. I returned the gesture fist over my heart bowing slightly in respect. She left without saying anything more and for that I was grateful, my chest ached as it was, seeing the woman who could have stolen my heart if she’d but tried hard enough.

I left my rooms without opening the door and went to the one place I knew I’d find peace. The Queen’s Garden…

I lay among the Were Lilies watching the spirits of the flowers dancing with each other, small and lively little beings they giggled gaily watching me watch them. It was rare that I actually had the time to see them as they were, more than green shoots sprouting from the ground, more than tiny buds struggling to bloom, more than gorgeous flowers slowly fading day by day. Hearts of the earth, they sang more beautifully than any person I’d ever known and lived more fully than any race I could name, their lives were short, but their cycles were endless. I lay among the Were Lilies with spirits dancing before my eyes and I could not be more content listening to their lovely voices sing of the sun and the moon, the sun which they’d never seen and the moon their mistress until the end of time. It was a beautiful song despite the fact that it held no words that I could truly understand, the feeling it invoked was enough. My eyes fluttered as peace washed over me, my little flowers singing me to sleep. I fought it for but a moment before darkness claimed me, their song drifting through my dreams.

When I opened my eyes the sun shone high overhead, the Were Lilies once more tucked within their cocoons though their spirits still danced their eyes were closed and it was a dance bordering on sleep. Soon they too would rest and their song would die to sleepy murmurs until the next full moon shone its face. I pushed myself into a sitting position blinking at the wreathes of still living blooms twinned around my arms and torso. I smiled softly, I suppose the spirits head done more than just dance while I slumbered. “I have no idea what I just witnessed but it was beautiful.” I glanced up to find Rosen sitting on the path eyes filled with awe.

“What did you see?” I asked curiously having slept through the spectacle.

“I came into the Queen’s Garden nearing dawn; the sun was just peeking over the horizon at first all I saw was the glowing white Were Lilies. It’s so rare a sight that I drew closer, suddenly a form appeared and while I watched the flowers seemed to…dance twining themselves across your form while you lay sleeping. Your hair was braided at the start and now you look a Goddess whose woken from a light doze in the forest glowing with magic, flowers blooming in your hair, wrapping around every limb calling softly to any who can hear them.” Rosen shook her head while I stood moving towards the fountain slowly shedding flowers along the way.

“I helped them bloom last night, and they sang for me,” I stroked my fingers through my hair finding a crown of blooming flowers, a mixture of the blossoms I’d laid sleeping beside. “I fell asleep listening to their song.” I murmured pulling my hair back only to realize I had nothing to tie it up with, Rosen offered me a leather thong. “Thank you,” she bowed her head in turn while I tied my hair back.

“I wish I could have heard it as you do, I hear the call but not much else beyond that.” Rosen took the crown I’d worn in her hands still vibrantly alive, I blinked the spirits from my eyes as they raced up her arms finding a new playground. Rosen shivered as they settled along her body I smiled as they vanished just flowers before me now. Though I could still hear their voices, they enjoyed Rosen’s magic nearly as much as they enjoyed mine. I chuckled softly at the comparison.

“I wish you could hear their voices as I do…the things they say, such innocent heartwarming things, spoken in lovely voices.” I murmured softly feeling refreshed despite the fact that I’d spent the night sleeping on the ground. The flowers had kept me warm, their song bringing me peace.

Rosen smiled at the look on my face, “My gift will never be yours Rhyme, I accept that and enjoy what I have here at the palace. As well I enjoy the small bit of your gift that you share with me, it makes me feel young again.” I watched her place the crown of flowers upon her head. “Now let us finish the stands so that the Queen’s Tournament may begin in earnest.”

I groaned at the reminder but allowed her to pull me to my feet and lead me to the Training Fields where we stood day after day talking of nothing in particular while I fed my magic to the saplings until they grew into large trees each of a height with each other and then slowly shaped them so that their limbs twinned together spanning the entire circumference of the Training Fields. Halfway through the last seventh day the stands were near about fully formed and I was beginning to feel the drain on my magic. Rosen stood rubbing my back in soothing circles while I leaned heavily against the fence feeling a little nauseous. “Do you need my help?” She questioned worried with good reason, one could die if they exhausted their magic in too quick a span of time.

“I’m good…” I breathed taking comfort in the spirits of the trees now standing with me lending me their strength once small they now stood as tall as I, though their voices were still that of young saplings. I stood straighter pointing out the Sol-Lea among the training guards and soldiers talking about her fighting style compared to theirs as I continued to feed the trees.

Rosen stopped me with a firm hand on my shoulder, “You have half of a seventh day to finish Rhyme, go find yourself a hot meal, a warm bed and rest up we’ll continue tomorrow.”

I opened my mouth to argue only to be given a pointed look, “It wasn’t a request.”

I chuckled softly shoulders slumping in relief, I bowed my head in acknowledgement lumbering away, I thought about going to the Queen’s Garden knowing I would find peace in the flowers blooming brilliantly, in the sun shining just right down upon my face, in the feel of the soil crumbling soft and moist through my fingertips. I hesitated when I heard the whispering of the flowers informing me that another already resided there, my legs proceed without the command from my brain and suddenly I found myself rounding the path into the Queen’s Garden to find the Heir leaning back against the fountain gazing into the sky appearing lost. Not in thought but in general as if the title she held was too big, the crown too heavy and she’d come to a place where no one could see her fall apart and yet here I was breaking my own rule.

“Strange that you find as much comfort in this place as I do,” Adri said allowing her gaze to fall upon me eyes red rimmed from crying who knows how many tears.

“I feel as if I should be saying those words Highness, after all I am the plant mage.” I offered moving forward on tired legs before slowly taking a seat beside her sighing softly once I could rest my weary body.

“My mother would bring me here as a baby…when I cried she said. The colors of the flowers, the burbling of the fountain, the sun on my face would calm my tears and suddenly I would be happy again. As a small child I would explore here as if it were some mystical place with untold discoveries. I would pick the blooms and weave myself crowns of flowers so much better than the weight of my circlet, so much lighter…” More tears flowed while I listened to her story. Her Highness pulled her knees to her chest tucking her face there as her shoulders shook with her sobs.

“I would dream of marrying a Prince who would take me away from this place, he would love me and we would have beautiful children, two girls because he married a girl you see and he loved her so much that he could not help but want two perfect beings in her image…and we would build another garden nearly as grand as this one.”

“For the longest time I dreamed that, on my darkest days it was all that got me through and now suddenly that dream is gone. I have the gardens but I also have the crown that I never wanted and not a one of the suitors I’ve met, dinned with, rode with, sat with wants me for me. The little girl who would rather explore a garden of mysteries than actually sit in on a Council that playacts at accepting her for her mother’s sake.”

The Princess looked at me imploringly, “I never thought for a moment I would be here and now that I am it is all I can do not to crumble beneath the weight of all the disapproving stares. No one, not even I, wants me to sit the throne.”

“Your mother does, Rosen, Emery, Eden and Libeth. The Queen and her Gardeners would have you, the servants every one of them would have you. The guards, and the soldiers would gladly have you as Queen Highness. You say no one wants the child exploring in the garden, perhaps they want the woman who one day thought to make her own.” Adri wiped her tears away.

“Is it so wrong of me to fall in love with someone who wants them both?” She asked curiously.

I smiled softly stroking a tear from her face, “I do not think there is. I think if and when you find that person you should marry them Highness because they’ll help you build that garden, in spite of the fact that you already have them they’ll help you build another, not for the Queendom, not for the people of Angileri but just for you. They’ll support you in all things and be strong where you are weak and they will love your children,” I chuckled. “Two beautiful little girls because their mother is a girl, as much as they love you and it will seem as if the world is brighter for having them because truly they are your world.” I found myself momentarily lost in Adri’s eyes smile lingering on my face fatigue long gone.

“Marry someone who makes you a crown of flowers Highness because they know that sometimes flowers are lighter than the weight you bear upon your brow. Marry someone who will bear each weight with you willingly without regret…”

We sat in silence for a long time while the Princess digested my words. When she spoke her words were sincere. “I hope one day you become the Head Gardener Denarii, because I want what my mother has with Rosen, someone willing to be my friend regardless of my stature, someone willing to give their opinion without fear of reproach. I want someone like you on the Council because I know you will always be honest in your speech as well I know you will always love the palace gardens the same if not more than I.”

Her Highness had somehow come to rest with her head on my shoulder, my arm around her waist resting lightly on her hip, I stroked her side soothingly while we sat leaning against the fountain gazing across the garden. “The Sol-Lea is entering the Tournament,” I blinked coming back from the peaceful ambience that had settled around us. “We shared our midmorning meal together. She told me I needed someone strong by my side and that perhaps love would grow between us. I did not finish my meal…I grew tired of hearing the same words I’d heard countless times before spoken by a woman I’d once admired.”

“You’ll find your Prince Highness, don’t lose hope just yet.” Her Highness shifted pulling away from me, I allowed my arm to rest atop the fountain.

“What if my Prince is a Princess?” I gazed into the twilight wonder of her eyes watching the lavender flacks sparkle like stars in the night.

“Prince or Princess I do not think it matters Highness so long as you are happy.” Adri shifted closer cheeks glowing softly as she blushed.

“And if it’s neither?” I took a deep breath brow furrowed as I tried to see where exactly this conversation was going.

“Again I fail to see how their status matters so long as they love you, after all your father was a merchant before marrying your mother.” I offered shaking my head.

“What if…what if I wanted to marry one of my…” I cocked my head startled by the sudden clamor of the flowers, another plant mage was near, one not belonging to the Queen.

I placed my fingers upon her lips, “Someone’s listening,” I murmured softly Her Highness grew still and we both sat waiting for whomever was near to pass. I relaxed dropping my hand. “It seems,” I said wryly. “That someone thought to combat power with power, I felt another plant mage on the other side of the wall…they did not belong to your mother.”

“Should we be worried?” Adri asked with good cause.

“I felt curiosity more than anything…but I could not measure their character, flowers usually do not know how to distinguish such things.” I said absentmindedly as the garden calmed to its usual happy whispering murmurs.

“Usually?” I gazed at the Princess eyes now full of interest instead of tears.

“I do not know if other mages can do what I do, but I speak not only to the plants but to their spirits, the heart of what and, to me, who they are. They are simple, but like any being they can learn to be complicated and know the measure of a person. They know trust and deciet, kindness and love. They know more than the sun and the earth because I taught them so.” The Princess listened with rapt attention. I gazed at the position of the sun, “It’s getting late, I’m sure others are looking for you…I can hear them.” I finished before she could protest.

Her Highness sighed once more allowing her head to fall to my shoulder. “The problem with being royalty Gardener Denarii is that you can never truly escape.”

I lay my head atop hers sighing softly, “You shouldn’t need to Highness.”

“And yet here I am…” She pulled away and stood dusting off her robes. “Good fortune Denarii I hope you do well in the Tournament.”

I watched her leave, more regal than she’d first appeared and I knew she’d be alright, for now at least. I laid my head back against the fountain and wondered at the words her Highness had left unsaid. Once the light began to wan I stood, going in search of my bed I still had a few days yet to finish the work I started. I felt tired just thinking about it…

The next day found Rosen and I back where we’d started, I leaned against the fence taking a deep breath before once more feeding the trees my magic. “The King of Dangilere had brought a plant mage with him, his daughter I believe. He hopes to win her Highness over with a suitor more in line with the Queen’s Gardeners.”

“Not a bad approach actually, considering how much the Heir enjoys her flowers.” I murmured softly in admiration of his plan… “Weren’t we at war with them but a decade ago?” I asked after a moment of thought.

“Yes, which is why I’m a bit hesitant to believe his motives are completely innocent. The Queen has ensured that a Shade or two dogs his heels for the entirety of his stay here.” I furrowed my brow trying to recall where I’d heard the term.

“Shade…as in the spies that are more legend than anything?” I asked for clarification.

“As quiet as a tiger before it leaps,” Was Rosen’s response.

“And ten times more deadly,” I finished recalling a song I’d heard not too long ago at the Green Sprout:

As quiet as a tiger before it leaps

And ten times more deadly

Coming in the night while the children sleep

You surely won’t be ready

Grimmer than the grim reaper

Kiddies go run and hide

Known as the devil’s soul keeper

Are you prepared to die…?

I singsonged softly tapping the beat out on the wooden fence post singing only the first two verses that I recalled from that night. Rosen chuckled softly before singing along with me. That afternoon was spent singing songs we’d heard at one time or another trying to distract me from the strain on my magic.

For the next few days Rosen would try to come up with some way to distract me, first it was songs, the following day it was naming all the flowers I’d ever grown, the day after that it was all the insults I’d thrown at Reason. Quite a bit of them were on the creative side and on the final day, I named every poison Rosen had ever fed me willingly or otherwise. I was not willing for more than half that I could think of through the fog clouding my mind. It took until the eve of that final day for the moss to grow along the benches the trees resounding a song that even Rosen could hear in my honor. I could not have named another poison if I’d tried. I lay on the grass sweaty and breathless near about having reached my limit. All the guards and recruits were long gone by then. Rosen pulled me to my feet and slung me over her shoulder with little effort.

“Tall as you are Rhyme you should weigh more than you do,” was all she said on the matter as she carried me towards the palace.

“I never want to do that again in so short a span of time,” I murmured into the small of her back having no energy to move, let alone walk. I grunted as Rosen climbed the servant’s stairs as smoothly as she could with my entire weight on her back.

“Have you reached the limit of your reserves?” Her voice was slightly breathless but otherwise unchanged, showing that it really was no trouble to carry my entire weight through the palace.

“Just about,” I groaned as she opened the door to my shared rooms, rounding the couch before entering my private room setting me gently on the bed.

“But not quite?” Rosen unlaced my boots before dragging them off my feet, then relieved me of my blade hidden by the fall of my tunic and then the pouch that held more supplies than one would think setting them both on the bedside table. The last thing she removed was my broach worn at nearly all times save on days of rest, she set that in the small case meant for it before stroking my hair from my face.

“No not quite,” I murmured still able to hear the whispering of the plants, still able to see the spirit of the raptor vines growing from my window. Those vines had been growing since I’d arrived in the palace, a constant in my life, the spirit sat upon the window sill sometimes gazing out, sometimes gazing in. Her voice as clear as a perfectly struck note, for my magic more often than not sang through her veins and I pitied the fool that ever thought to climb in through my window for they would happen upon an unpleasant surprise. I sighed still able to feel the small ball of magic that lay somewhere within the center of my body, marked by the larger dragon’s breath tattoo blooming on my back.

Rosen laughed softly, “Nearly but not quite, I think that’s enough to know that your magic is great yes?” She wasn’t expecting an answer and so I did not feel the need to give one. “Get some rest Rhyme, you deserve it.” I closed my eyes as she pressed a tender kiss to my still damp brow. When I opened them again the glowing spirit of the raptor vines sat watching over me. I closed my eyes sleeping peacefully as I always did in my own bed.