A Tale of Crowns and Stars

Gardens & Dinners

"Engaged!" Mirabel sang, dancing around the room in her yellow and blue gown, her red hair swinging about wildly. "Cyra, how does it feel to be engaged again?" Cyra shook her head and chuckled, looking through fabric swatches as Mirabel continued her song and dance.

"Engagement isn't always for love, little one."

"You loved Gunnar." Mirabel stated, bent over backward with her arms in an "O" above her head. Cyra didn't look up from the fabrics, but she did pause.

"I did love him. I loved him very much."

"When will you tell Halewijn?" The question had gone through her mind many times.

"When I'm ready." 'Ready' was an undetermined amount of time, but no one needed to know specifics. For now, all she had to do was focus on the engagement party occurring in a month. The fabrics in her hand were for her outfit, whereas the rest was to be handled by her mother. When she heard the news of Cyra's acceptance of Halewijn's proposal, she ran to her chambers and hugged her tightly, reminding her of the good fortune they had come upon.

"Halewijn will be such a good husband to you. You will not regret this choice." Cyra hadn't replied, only smiled and shown her mother out. But now Gunnar's memory weighed upon her, and the thought of exposing her past seemed more foolish than denying his proposal. She looked to the rose bushes below, the red blooms still full and beautiful in the sunlight. Mirabel looked, too, if only to make sure nothing was happening down below.

"They're lasting for a long time this year..." Mirabel noted, aware that Yul was only two months hence.

"They are..." Some part of her knew why they continued to bloom despite it being later in the year. The other part of her wondered why they even bloomed at all. Cyra stood, tossing the ring of fabric onto her desk. "I'm going for a stroll." Mirabel nodded, pulling out a black cloak from Cyra's closet. She draped it over her shoulders, then dusted it off with her hands. The way the shroud fit snugly over her shin-length blue dress and covered the backs of her boots pleased Cyra, and she strode out of her chambers to venture down the stairs.

When she made it into the garden, the chill of fall settled in comfortably. Crossing over from the eastern wall to the southern border - the one under her bedroom-  she stopped in front of the rose bushes, tenderly fingering the petals. In four days, she would remember Gunnar. The day would be sad, filled with regret and guilt, but for today, she would find solace in the vision of the garden. His garden.

"Cyra?" The voice behind her made her cringe. Halewijn peeked out from behind a large hydrangea bush, surprised.

"What are you doing in the garden?"

"Tending to the plants. The hydrangea needed some care. And I tended to the rose bush yesterday." He eyed her carefully, the edges of his mustache downturned, and his hair disheveled. The buds obscured the rest of him from view, but she was sure he had dressed down.

"The rose bush?" The idea that Halewijn had touched the bush made her uneasy.

"Your roses grow well into the dying months. They show no sign of losing any life." He noticed, pointing his dirt-caked fingers at the bush beside her. Cyra looked to the bush and cupped the roses, frantically looking for any sign of damage. When there was none, she exhaled deeply, turning back to Halewijn.

"Please be careful with my roses. They are very dear to me."

"I know." Halewijn stood, attempting to dust the dirt off the knees of his pants to no avail. "Your mother told me." Fear shot through her bones as she examined Halewijn's face. Did he know everything? "I'll take care of the garden while you work on the engagement party with your mother."