Gardener

Epilogue

Rosen, Jenae and I sat around a table in the center of Jisu's Inn, Ryu was entertaining a group of small children with Lhea's help. I smiled as she weaved magic in the air for the children to see. She was a natural at it, Saryun and Lalis sat off to the side entertaining themselves with a few seeds I'd given them when we'd arrived. Leaf watched as always fascinated by even the hint of magic. The girls looked exactly like their mothers'. Saryun with her earth and sand hair and her striking twilight eyes. Lalis with my dark hair and features but Rosen's ringed irises, I watched her ears flicker curiously as the seeds grew into different flowers one even sprouting a faerie while they watched. I could hear their oohing and ahhing from here. "They're beautiful, just like their mothers'." Jisu murmured pressing a kiss to my cheek, before winking playfully at Jenae and Rosen to show she meant no harm. She was gone as quick as she came, always busy.

"Who do you think will succeed whom?" Rosen asked watching our children play, Lhea included in that question.

           
Jenae stroked her cheek, "It seems a bit too obvious for me to really tell. I want to say that surely Lhea will follow in Lyssa's footsteps, but she has a passion for performing and I would not put it past her to become a bard. Saryun has my features and so one would think perhaps she'd be the next Queen... but she has a gentle nature and enjoys the green nearly as much as if not more than Lyssa does." I chuckled thinking of all the messes we'd gotten into together. "And Lalis is of the Horse People obviously, she could go either way, she might wish to travel and then perhaps come back pass her trials and one day be Queen... and so perhaps it's not as obvious as one might think." Jenae finished with a sigh. "Though we have years yet to figure it out, they've just reached their fourth summer and Lhea her tenth. No need to rush them into anything."

        
"I was simply curious is all Majesty, you're the one plotting it all out." Jenae stuck her tongue out at Rosen's teasing while I watched our children play.

           
"You're speaking as if it isn't possible for us to have more children," I countered as Lalis got tired of seeds and came racing towards us. She reached for the Queen, murmuring up in her mind unaware that unlike when she was in the womb, Jenae could no longer hear her. "Use your words Sweetling," I offered gently stilling Jenae's hands before she could pick her up. "She has to learn to speak..." I said in answer to Jenae's questioning look. "Instead of using her thoughts."

        
Lalis went to flare her nostrils in frustration when Rosen snapped her teeth like thunder in warning, not about to tolerate any sass. "Up Mama?" Lalis asked meekly.

           
"You're a bit old for this love," Jenae said with a grunt of effort as she pulled our child onto her lap.

        
Saryun came next offering me the flowers she'd gotten to bloom smiling softly. I stroked my fingers through her hair gently. "They look lovely Saryun, would you like me to braid them into a crown on your head?" She nodded vigorously too delighted to speak. I turned her around and gently weaved the flowers into her hair, a skill I'd learned from watching Rosen do it every day before we went to work.

           
"You're here!" Ang rushed forward hugging his sister tightly. I stood accepting a hug of my own. The Prince that wasn't, had become more of a man than I'd ever thought he'd been so many years ago now.

         
"How was Dangilere?" Rosen asked accepting a hug of her own as Ryu finished his story telling and came to greet his husband with a kiss.

        
Lhea nudge me with her shoulder opening her palm to reveal an Alia rose, "Not bad Sprout not bad at all." I said in admiration. "Of course I could do better."