Heir to Light | Fablehaven AU

IX - forget me not

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Sunlight broke through the grey clouds. Kendra watched the tug of war as rays of sun muscled their way through the gloomy puffs only to be overcome yet again by the dark veil. If Kendra had to place a bet, she would back the clouds. It was only a matter of time before they broke open.

The chill of an oncoming winter rain was unmistakable, and Kendra could feel the gardens around her anticipating the downpour.

Bunchberries, bluebells, and blue-eyed mary flowers dotted the royal garden and reflected the late queen of Terrabelle's cerulean legacy. Blue had been her favorite color prior to her passing, and Kendra had even been told that the queen had been buried with Forget-Me-Nots. Kendra could see why, as the few flowering bushes she had seen were stunning.

However, despite the meticulous gardening, a few weedy flowers still survived in the shadows of the glorious blue blooms. The white spots of color were a mistake, but Kendra's gaze lingered on the dandelions nonetheless.

If the royal gardeners spotted them, they'd surely be plucked. All they could do was await their imminent doom. Kendra related. In this castle, she felt the same way.

Garreth had held one up to her lips earlier, and she had blown the little parachutes away. It interested Kendra how the dandelion's engineering ensured that its offspring flew as far away as possible from their parent.

Of course, plants didn't have the same concept of family that humans did, but there was still a melancholy entwined in the fact that the seedlings were better off far from home.

Kendra sympathized with the baby dandelions—forever floating on the wind, forever away from their family.

Her lungs expanded and constricted with difficulty as she reminded herself to enjoy the present.

Kendra was on a date again. Of course, she had still protested that label—up until Garreth had tucked a flower behind her ear. His fingers had lingered on the side of her face, and she had decided to stop lying to herself. She had let go of the voice of reason—the voice of her grandparents.

Well, at least for the time being.

In this garden, Kendra allowed herself to just enjoy the sunlight on her face as Garreth searched for more flowers to make into a bouquet.

She spread out her violet skirt over the grass, and savored the surrounding nature—allowing it to tranquilize her magic. Lately, her magic had been responding to her emotions more and more. It was like the more she suppressed it, the more volatile it became.

Mentally, she noted to do some simple plant growth spells later to quell her magic. She remembered how to do simple spells like that without the use of her grimoire, which was good, since it was currently locked and glamoured at the bottom of her pack after a servant had gotten a little too curious while tidying up.

It was imperative to remember that the castle was not a safe hiding place—for the grimoire or for herself.

The castle walls stretched in the background, but they were far enough away that only the blissful sounds of nature surrounded Kendra. After Garreth's father had dismissed him from the meeting with Lord Rose, they had come out to enjoy the fresh morning air.

Garreth sat next to her and offered the finished bouquet. Bursts of baby's breath, cornflowers, and bluebells poked through the hastily tied string. "We'll need to enjoy our time out here. The clouds are darkening."

Warm gratitude tugged Kendra's lips into a smile as she took the bundle of flowers. "Thank you."

He raised a hand to her face and wiped away a tear. Huh. She hadn't even noticed she had been crying. The weight of worry had become commonplace on her face.