𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 | the darkling & nikolai lantsov

₃ | PLANTING THE SEEDS

[𝐘𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐀]

***

THEN

The sun beat down on Yelena as she stood in the clearing that housed her crops. She shed her long sleeves for the day, the heat being too much despite it being autumn. Instead, she allowed the light to warm and darken her already tan skin. The verdant green of her garden surrounded her, making her feel more at home than the four walls of the shack she built herself.

It had been three days since she met the handsome stranger named Adrian. Though she attempted to occupy her mind with other thoughts, they always seemed to drift back to the deep abysses that were his eyes. Never had she felt a hum in her veins like she did that day. It set her alight, not just physically but down to her very soul.

She held the apples that she bought that same day. Examining the healthy sheen of the red skin as she reminisced. With little thought, she bit into one. The sweet juice filled her mouth. The dark-haired girl continued to eat her apple until she reached the core, unveiling the seeds that lay hidden inside.

With careful fingers, Yelena picked the seeds from the core and walked to the edge of her garden where the sun shined brilliantly. She took a spade from her bag that hung from her shoulder and dug a small hole. Kneeling next to it, she dropped the seeds into the soil before covering them back up. She pulled some wildflowers from her bag and rested them beside the mound of dirt. They were collected earlier specifically for this reason. Rising from her spot, she took a couple of steps back and focused on the spot she planted the seeds.

Yelena curled her hands around each other in careful hand movements. She focused on the mound as well as the pretty flowers beside it. As the seeds settled in the ground and a sapling grew, the once colorful, lively flowers lost their luster and began to decay. Life giving way to new life.

Once the sapling was stable enough, she no longer needed the assistance of the now lifeless blooms. She held her hands in front of her, envisioning the growth of a sturdy apple tree.

It was almost fully grown when the exhaustion set in. Trees were more difficult for her. They were stubborn, the floral equivalent to bulls in her mind. Her grapevines were simple, easily bending to her will and bearing fruit. It was the same with the other crops and flowers she grew. But, despite their difficulty, she found the trees in her garden that much more beautiful in her eyes. It was the extra effort that was put in that made them perfect.

She sat back down in the middle of her garden, pulling her new book from her bag and opening it to a blank page. The Lebedev girl couldn't wait to sketch her newest edition and document its journey. It might not be much more than a sapling now, but one day it would blossom and another it would be filled with juicy, red apples ready to harvest.