Gardener

Chapter 7

Spirits of the Green

"I hope we never have an event of this magnitude for the rest of my life," Amida grumbled sweat beading on his brow as he grunted with effort shoveling yet another hole for yet another sapling. I stuck my shovel in the dirt glad that my hair had decided to stay back for once.

"Just think after this we'll be done, no more digging, no more running round the palace with baby whatever you care to name, helping them flourish hoping they stay without dying by the morrow least you have to go back and do it all over again." I breathed heaving another shovel full of dirt over my shoulder.

"I hate to kill your dreams," Kalini huffed leaning on her shovel briefly watching the recruits train, though it seemed that they were actually watching us work more than actually training. "But eventually the Princess will become Queen, surely the dragons will visit one of these days, as well Her Highness likely her Majesty at that point will get married. All these things are just as grand, if not more grand than the Queen's Tournament and you will live through every one." Amida groaned wiping sweat from his face.

Ryu laughed softly placing yet another sapling in a hole, we had roughly ten more to place and little more than a seventh day to finish planting and then growing the stadium. Though my fellow Gardeners would be done after the planting and I could tell they would be glad, even Kalini always vibrant and happy was worn thin. "We'll be finished planting before the sun touches the horizon and then we can rest, even go celebrate if we want for a job well done. Have a drink at the Green Sprout if we're feeling up to it."

"Yes!" Kalini exclaimed digging a little faster. Amida grunted again brow furrowed in concentration. I placed another sapling before moving onto digging the next hole muscles straining.

"I think I'm just going to enjoy a long soak in the bathing room allotted to us." I heaved out knowing that if I did otherwise everything would be aching in the morning.

"I'm in full agreement," Amida said a little breathless. Kalini for once didn't fight us on going out with them. I'm sure Amida felt just as grateful as I did in that moment.

As Ryu predicted we finished just a little before the sun touched the horizon and I could not have been more relieved though my magic was still going strong unlike my fellow Gardeners my body was tired. The recruits taking pity on us cleaned up in our steed allowing us to go our separate ways. I trudged my way back to my shared rooms letting myself in before taking a seat on the couch sighing softly in relief.

Nearly done, I closed my eyes listening for all the new plants spread throughout the palace, from the great oak to the green shooting vines on every light fixture I could hear them all. I relaxed drifting between sleep and wakefulness on a sea of voices, whispering, murmuring, singing all together in growing excitement. Sharing with me the gossip of the palace, noting everyone's location and what they were doing. Her Majesty and her daughter Princess Kiran sharing a meal in her study laughing good naturedly at a story shared between them.

Baem waking in a bed not his own confused but sated, Mei and Junghwa bickering in the corridor leading to the kitchens smiling through the banter. Prince Jin and Prince Ang speaking in a dark corner voices too low to understand but perking a flower's interest none the less. The Heir of Angileri in her rooms lightly tracing her fingers along the Twilight peonies in a pot beside her bed smiling softly in delight. Despite the distance, despite the fact that flowers did not have eyes as we did I smiled feeling a little breathless because her expression was radiant. I opened my eyes still smiling allowing the voices to fade away from me lower now but never truly gone, gentle waves lapping in the background of my mind.