Story Title: Offerings of Hope
Author: velara
Rating: G
Characters/Ship: Ahamo/The Queen
Disclaimer: Not mine, I'm playing in Sci Fi's sandbox. This was written for the Fall Picture Challenge 01 at community./tmchallenge
Summary: The flower would always link them
Warnings: Fluffiness.
He plucked the flower off the bush and turned towards the woman sitting on the bench down the path from him
He plucked the flower off the bush and studied it closely. It wasn't a flower he recognized, it had purple petals with orange stamen and the petals were shaped a bit differently but so many things here were different from what he was used to. At the same time… so many things were also the same, he mused to himself. He turned towards the woman sitting on the bench down the path from him. Even here, women still like flowers.
He strolled down the path through the garden, eventually stopping in front of her. He held out the flower to her as he kneeled in front of her onto the rough gravel of the path, keeping his eyes on the ground at her feet, as was proper. After an interminable wait, during which he imagined he could feel the weight of her gaze on him, she accepted his offering.
"Rise, and join me, slipper." she offered in return. So he did. Every day, he would walk in the garden with her, and pluck a single purple flower off the bush and offer it to her. Every day, she would accept it with a gentle smile.
On their wedding day, she chose a bouquet that featured those very flowers, and he wore a boutonniere with the same flower. Her eyes matched perfectly. The petals were spread on their wedding bed that evening.
Over their years together, she used the petals from her flowers in a potpourri that scented her garments.
Years later, as he hid in different places around the Realm, he'd see the flower and remember her. Every time, he did, he plucked the flower, and placed it in his chest pocket next to his heart. For fifteen annuals, his heart broke whenever he saw their flower. So he kept a flower every time, each time, hoping that he'd see her again soon, so he could offer her the blossom. Each time, the flower wilted before he could give it to her. He counted their time apart not by the annuals, but by the flowers he gathered in hopes of being with her again.
During her imprisonment, she mourned the loss of their flower exchange.
The first time he saw her again when the Sorceress had him brought into the room, he almost forgot about their flower. They were together again, and that was all that mattered. His mind, heart and soul were unified as they joyously shouted, Lavender, my Lavender. As he held her, he could feel the flower within his pocket waiting.
When all was said and done, after the suns came out from behind the moon, he reached in his pocket, and took out the flower. The petals were worn and beaten, but he held it out to her in offering, but this time, his gaze was upon her as she did. With a smile, she accepted the flower from him. She cradled it in her hands as he put his arms around her. They were together again, all would be well.