The Queen Must Remember

Part 1: Welcome To The Garden Of Eos...

Blood... All around me... The throne is empty, I'm on the ground, forced to my knees. It was never my kingdom, I am told, and I shall never remember it... My own guards, my loyal servants are all cowering in fear, lowering thier heads to the traitor who now wears my crown. A winged Fae dressed in black is at his knees behind me, terrified. I look for any means of escape, but I can't-

I woke up with a foggy head, my mind felt misty and I struggled to remember everything again.
This happened every now and then, I just had to remind myself of who I was; my name... Rhae- That took me a while to recollect.
I glanced at my arm, my only orders inked into my ecru-brown skin:

Tend to the Garden, don't release the darkness

By tending to the Garden, they meant I was to keep it flourished, happy, for there was nothing else but the Garden, it was everything, the only thing.
By the darkness, it meant the second inhabitant of this garden, Fae like me, yet corrupted, tyrannical and manipulative. He was imprisoned in the Garden- like me.

Just as I thought that, my mind smeared it away, as if it was never an option to think about. I dismissed it, deciding to start my day.
I sat up, gazing over my large bed draped in silks and ivy, admiring the wooden carvings like I always did, especially when I forgot things like the detailed stories carved into my marbled walls. Sliding out of bed, I pulled on a gauzy white dress decorated with daisies and left my bedroom, taking a few red berries as breakfast.
Happily, I picked out some of the lavender from a vase at the doorway and twirled it into my curly dark hair before traipsing down the stone pathway, passing many rivers of vibrant, colourful flowers I had swiftly grown to adore as I cared for them so dearly each day and night.

In the centre of the Garden was a large silver bird cage entwined in vines and small pale flowers. Inside the cage was the darkness, the Fae opposing my tranquil environment.
He looked up at me, his silver-tinted eyes solemn.

I swished my skirts, "Good morning, Orpheus." I said cheerily, seating myself on the grass beside him, my skirts spread out like a lily pad. He only frowned, eyeing the Garden once more, he'd probably done that over and over.

"Put hemlock in your tea, then it shall be a 'good morning'." He snarled, ashes of his black magic floating around his brow like a crown, angered.

"Hmm... Did you not sleep well, Orpheus?" I pouted mockingly, a small smile tugging my lips upwards.

He frowned, grabbing onto the bars casually, "Surprised you can stomach sleeping in this hellhole."

I snorted. Hellhole? What was there not to like about this place? Granted he was imprisoned and may not have such freedom as I, yet he was treated well, his cage was big enough to house an entire oak, he had the resources to eat, drink, bathe, and is even given well-made clothing such as I.
Despite all of his contained luxury, he still had the aura of hatred and resonating evil surrounding him.

Orpheus kicked at an intruding vine, slumping down to the floor opposite me whilst running a slender hand through his charcoal black hair, stressed.

I sighed, "Orpheus, don't hurt the plants, they didn't do anything to you."

His eyes narrowed, "Yes they fucking did-" his mouth suddenly clamped shut, causing him to scream in a muffled outrage before he could finally open it again. This happened a lot... He just sometimes- shuts up. It always seemed to be when he was angry. I didn't know why it happened, I didn't ponder on it.

"Rhae..." He rasped irritatedly, "You must let me out..."

I scoffed, playing with my hair, "Not a chance, have you given up trying to trick me and resorted to outright begging? I could not have predicted that a foul creature such as you would stoop down to that pathetic move!" I chuckled, brushing a hand over my arm which held the tattoo warning me to never unleash the darkness before me.

His elven ears- similar to my own- twitched angrily, "Rhae, You need to get me out- I'm curs-" his mouth shut again, he pulled at it frustratedly, turning his back to me.
I sighed pitifully, "I do wonder what you did in your past life to be reborn as a monster..."

Orpheus finally opened his mouth again as he whipped his head to me, "Dark Fae aren't monsters, we are Fae like you... That's all I can say or I'll be shut up again!" He yelled that last part to the sky, as if he expected an answer.
I rolled my eyes at his confusing nature, rising from the emerald grass and brushing down my pure skirts, "I'll leave you with that thought, see you at supper if I wish it!" I called out before holding up my skirts and began trotting away, noticing the extremely rude gesture he made at me as I made my leave.
I didn't care, I had gotten used to his cranky ways, his torments, I've had to refuse his manipulations and temptations so often it has become my second nature. I took pride in my resilience, yet it was still amusing to talk with him- considering we were the only Fae in the Garden.

I stopped at a blushing red and pink rose bush, delicately picking off the deadheads and clutching them tightly in my palm. I heard a rustle, so I crouched down to see a small deer push it's head through the dark, shiny leaves, pushing it's wet nose against my leg, it's flaring nostrils tickled my skin, making me giggle.
I reached a hand to pet it, but it was startled and fled into the bushes again, I let out a disappointed breath as I watched the last of the creature disappear. There were many creatures in the Garden; Willo' the Wisps, foxes, deer, rabbits and the small pixies who leave out mine and Orpheus's meals each day.
Dutifully, I returned to my role of removing the rose-bush's deadheads. When I finished, I started on the other plants in the area. I repeated until I finally tired of it and brought the small petaled carcasses to a wooden crate, where I let the Gozlugs eat the compost- Gozlugs were furred slugs with no slime, the more fragrant the flowers they ate the more florescent thier fur becomes, using this compost heap kept them away from the flowers.
Which relieved me to think my flowers were untouched by the sweet little pests...

A few hours later, after I'd watered most of the plants incapable of reaching any, a pixie fizzed around my feet, signalling to me that supper was ready. I smiled at the creature, following it to the table in the white gasibo. There was a plate of berries, a small blueberry pie and herbal tea. I thanked them as usual, though when they left I picked up my tray and started to make my way to the birdcage.
It had only just come into view as I halted, watching Orpheus violently reaching through the bars trying to snatch the pixies out of the air, dark, gushing magic suddenly swarming the cage hatefully, filling up every nook and cranny until I could not see him anymore save for his arm. I knew he could not break those silver bars, yet I felt fearful of him so suddenly, deciding to eat alone at the gasibo instead, as the pixies had wanted.

**

It was night, I hoped that Orpheus had calmed his temper, it had felt so threatening, the pixies had certainly been angered with his pointless riot.
I was dressed in my pastel blue nightgown, my hair loose and bouncing over my shoulders.
The pixies floated around the candles reassuringly, they had made my bed and set new rings of flowers around the silk bed curtains. I beamed at their beauty, wondering what combinations I could make in bouquets tomorrow inspired by the pixie's talents and nurture.
I laid down, relaxing in the fresh silk sheets before the flowers' scent filled my lungs, lulling me into a dreamless sleep.

Now as I have been told, I never heard Orpheus scream at all that night, he did not go to sleep as willingly as I did.