First Comes Marriage

Chapter 4: Le Jardin des Quatre Saisons

A/N Unknown male model but this is how I see Dean. If anyone knows who this is feel free to message me their name!

"I know exactly where you'll be the happiest." Lucia said, taking Sebastian's hand and leading him past Dean through the huge front doors. He followed her without hesitation, glancing back over his shoulder to see Dean watching them.

"Why is he so rude to your sister?" He asked, stopping to stare at the room they had come into. "Isn't he married to her?" The ceilings soared and three giant crystal and iron chandeliers hung down, lighting the amazing murals that covered the walls from floor to roof. "Is this supposed to be your family?" He asked, looking at the different people painted into different scenes.

"Yes." Lucia answered vaguely, coming to stand just behind him, leaning forward to rest her chin up on his shoulder. "I don't really know why Dean is so...unpleasant. He has always been this way as far as I know. My sister did not take her time and make a good choice."

Sebastian frowned at her, looking a little uncomfortable. "You didn't take your time either." He pointed out. "How do you know if you made a good choice?"

Lucia bit her lip and carefully thought out her answer instead of blurting out whatever was in her head like usual. "I knew from the moment I saw you that you were special. I told my brother that even though I didn't know anything about you yet, not even your name, I had already made my decision. Before I even came over to talk to you I knew I was going to choose you."

Her words made Sebastian want to smile for some reason. He believed her even though a small part of him wanted to run and not look back. This was crazy, even if he didn't want to go back to his uncle, he had been kidnapped! They didn't really act like kidnappers, only Dean seemed unhappy. He looked down at the ground with a frown on his face but it was just because he was really confused as to how he was supposed to feel and act right now. "I don't know what to say." He told her honestly and she seemed to accept that he needed time to better understand the situation.

"Come with me." She told him, holding out her hand for him to take. "I want to show you Sabin's Garden. She has worked for many years to make it the way it is and it is full of magic and beautiful things. You will love it!" She lead him out of the front room and down a long and curving hall. Smaller versions of the chandeliers in the front room hung from the ceiling every few feet, illuminating the cool rock walls and smooth stone floor that was covered in many colorful rugs. "Benito travels all over the world and finds these rugs." Lucia mentioned, feeling Sebastian trying to pause to look at them. "If you ever want to know where they came from, who made them, stuff like that, you can just ask him! He remembers everything!"

They stopped in front of a thick wooden door with silver and white snowflakes cut into it and black elegant letters that looked like they were burnt into the wood. "Le Jardin d' Hiver?" Sebastian asked, hoping that he didn't butcher the French as badly as he thought he did.

Lucia hid her smile, knowing that he had no idea what he'd said. "It means 'The Garden of Winter.'" She told him, turning the knob but not opening the door yet. "This is one of four doors that lead to Sabin's Garden. She calls it Le Jardin des Quatre Saisons. It means 'The Garden of Four Seasons.'" She pushed open the door and Sebastian's jaw dropped open at what he saw inside.

They stood at the beginning of a gravel path made of lilac stones that wound through the garden as far as he could see. The walls were absolutely covered in winter jasmine,  the little yellow flowers showering down from some invisible surface beneath a silver gray sky. Puffs of snow lightly fell, covering the ground in a thin layer of white. Sebastian left the path to get closer to the vines of flowers, stopping to enjoy the little purple flowers that grew in a circle pattern around a gray stone bench. "Do you know what these are?" He called back to Lucia and she shook her head, happy to see him so happy. "These are Daphne Bholuas! They are better known as Jacqueline Postills. They are my favorite winter flower, they're so pretty but they are so tough." He looked back at her and hesitated before asking, "Which ones are your favorites?"