I knew.
From the moment my husband turned a guilty face to me. I was no longer in his hearts focus. When our friend had come home after aiding our son, things had changed. The two were almost inseparable as they had been when we were much younger. Playful sparring was once again in the courtyard with even Ceodore going to join. Elbowing each other at the table as if they were not king paladin and holy dragoon. The castle seemed brighter and full of more joy than years before. Lovely beyond any description. There was a warmth here that had been gone for quite some time.
Shy glances cast back and forth between these two men. Hands touched for only small moments at a time. Smiles as adorable as flower petals graced their faces when talking to one another. These petals came from the flowers with the wilted stems of a slowly dying romance. But yet, a sprout had managed to grow through dry soil and produced the sweetest of buds. One with hair the colour of moonsilver, and eyes as cool as a fresh spring. We named him Ceodore. A name that Cecil had chosen with such love.
Oh, was love a trait we all shared. Nothing was done without it. Love was there when I had separated Kain and Cecil to prevent their fighting. Ever on our shoulders during the first battle for the moon. It was there the night Ceodore was conceived, and again the noon he was born. This emotion had shown brightest in Cecil's eyes the moment he held our son in his arms. Once again it had made an appearance the night Ceodore was brought home to us and our king restored to who he was. At the dinner table, the first night we were all sat together, love was embracing all of us.
Ceodore, Cecil, Kain and I.
Together as a family. Throughout these moments I had slowly begun to realize that I was no longer in love with the man I had married. As he with I. Yet it did not hurt in the slightest. It had been a relief, almost a blessing. Pain had been in the half-lunarian's eyes when he had spoke his true feelings. He did not have to say how awful he was feeling. I knew.
This man had cried to me many times. Over battles, lives lost, and even the smallest things such as dropping a grape at lunch. But this was much different. You would have thought he was a dying man asking for repentance. All was easily forgiven. There was no reason for him to feel as if he had committed a crime. There was no crime. It was I in the end who gently pushed him to go forth with his affections for Kain. They had my blessings. All I could ever want was for the father of the true love of my life, to be happy.
This flower bed has grown in ways it never had before. In time, I will explain to Ceodore what seasons the flowers had to go through just to get to this point. Until then, I am going to continue watering the soil with my hopes and love for our small family.