Gardener

Chapter 1

The Garden Mage

"Did you hear?!" My brother burst into the Queen's Garden as if a battalion of Royal Guards were chasing him. Not putting it past him, I glanced behind him to make sure no one followed. I relaxed, glad that I didn't have to aid him out of yet another situation.

"Hear what?" I stroked my finger lightly along an Alia rose, named after the first queen to rule this land, the most stunning woman alive during her time, Alia took the world by storm stepping into her father's shoes and ruling the land with an iron fist and gentle heart, loved and renowned by all, Alia was the first in a long succession of Queens. She opened doors for women, doors that once took centuries to even find, flew open as the land flourished under her reign and so it was that the dragons made peace with the land of Angileri and a law was passed that every ruler there after must have a strong bond not just with their ruler but the entire race, our strength shared through generations to come.

Our ruler was not based on gender, but by some luck of the draw we'd been ruled by Queens for as far back as man could remember, the history books could remember further. No one understood the anomaly of it, and no one questioned it for every Queen was a good one. The Trials ensured it. The princess having just reached her twenty first year of life had gone through the Trials the night before, Trials that would decide if she succeeded her mother or if she'd remain a princess until married to some foreign dignitary. Everyone had an opinion on the matter, everyone but me it seemed, my brother found it immensely frustrating. I am his sister and should be willing to gossip with him or at least help him gain a bit of dirt on his many...many enemies.

"Lyssa!" He growled as I smiled down at the tittering roses completely ignoring his excitement.

"What?" I snapped back impatient to get on with my grooming. These roses would bring forth fairies. I could tell by the glow in the center of their buds, my mother often told me all the flowers I spoke to bloomed Fae. I told her not to mention that where others could hear, to most I was a gardener, to a select few a healer. Not many knew that I could see the spirits within the plants, from the small blades of grass to the most ancient of trees. I saw them, and sometimes they spoke to me. The fairies were the only ones that could be made visible to others. With a little coaxing that is...

"Are you even listening to me?" Baem grumbled in exasperation. I listened to the whispering of flowers eager to bloom and I smiled broader still sure that the news they shared is what my brother wished to tell me, I decided I would not ruin it for him. I sat back on my heels and gave him my full attention, letting the murmur of the plants surrounding us fade into background noise.

"What news has you so excited that you've left your duties for the other stable hands to finish?" Baem snorted at the insult to his character. I chuckled as he puffed up with pride.

"You know damn well I would never be slack in my work; the horses love me as I love them. I'd never leave my duties to be finished by those I'm not sure could get the job done, no, the Guard Captain cut us loose a bit early today due to the news. Great for some and not so great for others."

"The news brother before I die of old age," he gave me a withering stare at my impatience, which I ignored easily. We'd known each other all our lives, that look hadn't worked when we were but children, it certainly didn't work now.

Baem heaved a heartfelt sigh, "I'll never understand how you can be a gardener, dithering your days away in the dirt, but as soon as people come into your presence all that serenity goes out the window."

"Plants know the sun, they know peace, they're free of stress, lacking in the need to gain power. Plants are simple, their spirits are simple. People on the other hand, are complicated." I countered without hesitation. "Also I do not have to deal with stupidity when gardening."