Roland, thanks for trusting me."
Evan listened to Roland all the time, holding his breath and not taking his eyes off his face.
"It's getting dark, t's been a long day, and preparations before tomorrow are still waiting for us," Roland said, returning from his memories and thoughts to reality.
"Yes, yes, Roland, right. I'm going now," Evan suddenly went to the window and fell into a long silence. The formerly inspired expression suddenly gave way to a slight depression that did not hide from Roland.
"Evan, something happened? Are you worried about something?"
"Roland, I just wanted to share with you... my feelings... This is a huge success - we managed to build Evermore, overcome so many hardships and difficulties, being on the verge of death. But..." Evan sighed heavily. "But doubts and misgivings often torment me. I feel that hard times are brewing and the trials are much more serious than those that are already behind. I am afraid to destroy in one awkward movement what cost us so much labor and sacrifice. I am afraid not to live up to the expectations of those who believe in me, in my idea of a country: our people, friends, and especially... Nella, who sacrificed for Evermore and me. I fear that Nella's given her life for nothing.
Evan held his hand in heavy thought over the carved wooden patterns in the form of flowers, leaves and the sun, carved on the windowsill.
"Evan, her sacrifice is not for nothing," Roland put his hand on Evan's shoulder as a sign of encouragement, Evan raised his eyes to his friend's face.
"You think so?"
"I'm sure. She was wise woman and knew why and for whom she lived and gave her life for sure. No need to get lost in doubts and fears - this is an unreliable way. Our path should be directed towards the future - towards the goal, without looking back. And the goal is the happiness of many and many people. This is a goal that should be ready and supplant any fears and doubts, lead us through the valleys of dangers and death, encourage sacrificing live, if necessary, without delay and hesitation. Evan, listen: your strength is in your kindness. Remember, Nella said, "You have such a good heart?" Here is the force that will help you overcome dangers and difficulties and fulfill your calling, it distinguishes you from the rulers of other kingdoms whose hearts are obsessed with darkness. Only goodness will help make your heart immune to darkness. Save and increase it," Roland paused, not breaking eye contact with Evan, trying to convey to him the corresponding emotions and decisive mood in a non-verbal way.
Evan's face brightened, he nodded and headed for the exit from the throne room.
"Evan," Roland finally turned to Evan, "Aranella would be proud of you now."
Evan's heart jumped with joy, his expression was filled with words inexpressible feelings of gratitude.
"Roland, thank you very much. Your words mean a lot to me," Evan said.
Roland smiled back.
Finally the long-awaited new day came. Evan woke up early and was looking forward to Mayr, who was supposed to lead everyone to Aranella Square. Soon Roland, Tani, Leander and Batu joined Evan in the throne room.
"Your Majesty, everything is ready. Please follow me!" Mayr announced excitedly and joyfully. He appeared at the appointed time.
Mayr led his friends through the small, well-tended gardens along which there was a paved road until he stopped in front of a large sparkling patterned gate entwined with interwoven ivies of large, recently blossomed pale pink and yellow roses. The gate adjoined high, evenly trimmed bushes that were formed into walls.
Mayor turned the key in the keyhole - and the gates swing open. Evan, Roland and Tani, who walked ahead, and then Batu and Leander came in and stood still, struck by rapture and surprise.
Aranella Square did not occupy a very large area, but it was a luxurious and incredibly cozy garden. The beauty of this garden was that, unlike other gardens established in Evermore, it was not neatly planted and trimmed "under the ruler". The concept of Aranella Square is in naturalness and freedom. Most of the space is planted with blossoming apple trees, pears, cherries, all kinds of trees, flowering outlandish flowers (purple, pink, blue, red, green), which Roland've never met in his world. The scattered petals from the trees adorned a winding path that untied in three directions: to the arbor, the monument and directly to the thick of the garden, where you could retire in greenery and color and swing on a swing braided by leaves and roses and attached to a huge sturdy oak. The trees were so lush, tall and dense that, mixing branches with each other and creating a rainbow blooming color scheme, served as a natural shelter from the outer space and heat. At the same time, sun rays seeped through the branches, the lighting of which gave a sense of mystery and the presence of eternity.
The masterpiece of the garden and park ensemble was a garden house. It was not a garden house, but the garden house of selected crystal and mirrors. The glass of the ceiling and the walls were decorated with stained glass multi-colored drawings imitating plants, flowers and the Evermore emblem; flowering trees peered into the space between the four pillars and the gable roof. The floor and ceiling were also paved with mirrors, which reflected stained glass color drawings and flowering trees; reflected in each other, the ceiling and floor created a fabulous rainbow space of unprecedented beauty and grace. Being in the garden house, it began to seem like you were being transported into a fairy tale or an eternal ideal dimension, from which it was breathtaking.*
The third "miracle" of Aranella Square was the monument itself, located on a miniature island in the middle of an artificially created small lake, large green water lilies and lush lotus flowers soared on the surface of crystal clear water. The water in the reservoir was updated from sources in the monument itself, which rested on the side wall of the palace. The reservoir with the monument was surrounded by shrubs of scarlet roses and trees, as well as marble white arches braided by flower ivy, carved at the foot of it in the form of creatures with wings similar to angels.
The "miracle" of Aranella Square was completed with strange colorful birds and animals that now lived here, filling the space with twitter, gnashing, rustling, fluttering, merging into a symphony of memory, life and hope.
"It is so wonderful!" Tani exhaled, clutching her hands to her chest, looking around, gently and carefully stepping on grass decorated with grains of fresh dew. "It's so beautiful that it's hard for me to even breathe."
Eyes Evan tears that he tried to secretly wipe his sleeve.
"Everything conveys the spirit of Nella here. She seemed to be in everything: in roses, in the singing of birds, in the murmur of a stream. Everything is so consistent with her image. There was a similar garden in Ding Dong Dell, and Nella very often liked to be alone there..." Evan said in a whisper, but so that everyone could hear.
"This is indeed the most beautiful square I have ever seen," Roland admitted, giving his gaze a bewildering look at flowering trees, roses, and little higgledies were spraying trees and flowers with water from tiny buckets.
"Mr. Mayr, I am grateful to you and to all the designer of Aranella Square. "I don't even know how to express my gratitude to you," said Evan, addressing Mayr.
"Your Majesty, we are grateful for Evermore - for that place where we can realize our creative bold ideas. Evermore is a space for free creativity. We are happy that you appreciated our efforts. Your joy is the highest appreciation of our work," Mayr replied, bowing.
"It is only a pity that the trees will fade with the end of the season, and flowering is the highlight of the architectural ensemble, creates the whole image of the garden," Tani said, walking in the rain from tender colored petals that showered on the grass and path.
"Unfortunately, yes. For this reason, we did not dare to implement this project, doubted and argued about it, because flowering is the basis of the garden decoration. Even the garden house, which reflects the color scheme of flowers in the mirrors and stained-glass windows, will lose its charm. But I was not able to abandon this bold idea. I dreamed about it since childhood. Aranella Square Project – it us the embodiment of my dreams and aspirations of all art" Mayr lowered his head sadly.
- But the garden is beautiful even without flowering. In the end, Square will be especially pleasing to the eye in a certain season in the spring, once a year," Evan said.
"Your Majesty, Evan, I know how to fix this situation," Evan heard Leander's voice behind him. He squatted all this time and studied roses through a magnifier carefully.
"What do you mean, Leander?"
"It's simple."
Leander stood up, folded his arms, and closed his eyes. A sparkling aura arose around him, which separated, expanded to the size of a square, and, descending into the entire flowering space, dissolved.
"Leander, what did you just do?" Tani asked in amazement.
"I just cast a spell that will allow flowers, trees in the garden to never wither. The one that supported our city Hydropolis. Such a spell will not harm flowers and trees. On the contrary, they will seem to exist outside the laws of time."
Mayr's face reflected the joy of a blessed baby.
"My unattainable dream came true. Thank you, Mister Mage!" Mayr exclaimed.
"That's not all," Leander went to the pond and ran his hand over the surface. Light fell from his hand again into the water. "In Hydropolis, the water in the sea around the city is perfectly clean, as we try to maintain the level of hygiene in the country at an altitude. I cast a spell that allows the water in the pond at the monument to remain crystal clear."
"Oh, that's amazing!" Evan and Tani clapped their hands simultaneously.
Towards dinner, the residents of Evermore, smartly dressed, enthusiastic, and excited, pulled themselves up to the appointed grand opening of Aranella Square. Muriel skipped across the gate and stopped in awe with a lamb in her hands and a wreath on her head, grandmother Martha and her granddaughter, surrounded by higgledies, carried a graceful pot of violets, higgledies also held violets in their hands. There were not so many residents of Evermore so far, but everyone felt like a single family, connected with each other. The opening of the square in honor of the unfamiliar national heroine still seemed to them no less important event than for Evan and his friends. They did not know Aranella personally, but they felt the importance of crowning her memory for all of Evermore.
"Evan, everyone is gathered. It's time to start," Roland reported toEvan, who was secluded on an island, bending over the monument to Aranella.
Evan, a little excited, stood in front of the people.
"Dear friends," he turned to the people, who looked with inspiration at their little ruler, "I would like to thank you for coming to honor the memory of Aranella."I understand that few of you know who Aranella is, but she played an important role not only in my life. Aranella raised me from infancy, replacing my mother, she was my mentor, protector and friend, close and dear person. But you also need to remember her key role in founding the new kingdom of Evermore. Even then, in Ding Dong Dell, she sacrificed herself, not only for me, but for the country she desired, for the sake of Evermore, which she was not destined to see. Nella bequeathed to me to build a kingdom in which everyone will live happily ever after, where everyone will smile. Aranella is the emblem of our Evermore. An image of courage and selflessness, a person who goes forward without stumbling in fears, without looking back in doubt or on the sides for the benefit of many others. This is an image aimed at the goal and the future," Evan shot a fleeting glance at Roland, remembering their conversation yesterday. Roland nodded amiably. "And also - inexhaustible kindness... From the beginning I was going to build Evermore to fulfill Nella's last will, but now I understand that it has become my will too. The foundation of Evermore just for the fulfillment of a posthumous desire is not the best way to honor Nella's memory. Nella devoted her whole life so that I would find and establish myself in my vocation, so that I would fulfill it of my own free will - created a country based on mutual assistance, love and kindness, where people will live in peace, happily ever after. This is not an utopia, not a fairy tale, but the fact that we can create everything together, by common efforts, moving step by step, overcoming dangers and difficulties, defeating evil. External dark forces will try to break the gap of the castle walls, but there is a force that overcomes everything - it is we and our good hearts. Aranella left us an example. In memory of her, I declare Aranella Square open. Let's honor the memory of Aranella," the citizens of the city, following the example of Evan, bowed their heads in momentary silence. Evan laid a bunch of fresh lilies of the valley near the monument and turned around, unconsciously looking at Roland's gaze to traditionally meet his approving glance, but found that he was not there, although at the beginning of the ceremony he was constantly with him.
But then Tani was nearby. She knelt down and laid a beautiful wreath of cream roses on the monument, and then, seeing Evan next to her, she went up to him and leaned her head against his shoulder. Evan did not find what to say, full of feelings caused by the memories of Nella, and only in gratitude shook Tani's hand .
Leander conjured a bouquet of red tulips. Martha, granddaughter and higgledies laid violets out at the everyone was honoring the memory of Aranella, Evan turned to the people again.
"Friends, in honor of Aranella Memorial Day, a day off is declared, so I invite you to spend the rest of the day talking with each other and relaxing.
The people broke into groups and walked around the garden, talking and joking. Martha set the table and poured tea and biscuits for everyone, which she baked for everyone herself. Higgledies helped her by bringing cups under the stream from the kettle and delivering filled cups to the Evermore.
The friendly company of Evan, Tani, Leander and the Lossy Muriel joined them, gathered under the mirror arch of a crystal garden house.
"Another wonderful evening in the family circle. It's great that we own this happiness now - each other, that we can just chat and relax under the peaceful sky among blossoming cherries, apple trees, pears, roses, " Muriel said, looking at the patterned reflections of flowering trees on the mirror ceiling.
"Yes, thanks to Nella. It's a pity that she's not with us now," Evan remarked sadly, watching the swaying ray of light that was refracted in the stained-glass window drawings and turned into iridescent overflows.
"No, Evan, she is with us," Tani said, looking at Evan seriously, "She is in your heart in our memory, in this nature and in the rainbow rays. She is in Evermore."
Evan felt joy, peace, and satisfaction in his heart. In pleasant communication, friends did not notice how the day began to approach sunset. But something was missing from him.
"Tani, did you happen to see Roland?" Evan asked Tani.
Tani shook her head.
"I saw him at the beginning of the grand opening, and then, it seems, no, I didn't."
Evan thought for a moment.
"Huh, it's strange. I remember that he was with us at the beginning; he nodded approvingly to me when I made a speech. And then ... he disappeared somewhere."
"Yes, and I did not see him approach the monument among the others who were laing the flowers," Tani said.
"And still he absent. This doesn't sound like Roland," Evan frowned.
"Evan, don't worry. Maybe he was tired and went to rest. Do not forget that Roland works a lot. Recently, I have often saw him exhausted, " Tani assured Evan.
"Yes, you're right Tani. He just needs to rest more. After all, he sits all night long over books and government affairs. I'll talk to him tomorrow so that he takes care of himself more." Evan sighed in relief and smiled.
At this time, Roland locked himself in his room, holding his heart, sank into a chair near the writing desk. Again, he felt an icy flame burning in the area of the heart, spreading aching pain and cold throughout his body. The pain had not abated for several hours, he could not control it, so in the middle of the of Square Aranella opening ceremony, he had to leave the garden for everyone. He felt not only physical pain, but also complete physical devastation and obsessive anxiety.
"What is going on? Does darkness really want to take hold of me, like Master Pugnacius, Queen Nerea, or obsessed monsters? No, I can't give in, I can't," Roland thought, gritting his teeth.
By evening, the fire in his chest began to subside, but the physical and internal struggles devastated and his strength was taken away. Roland fell on the bed, ceiling, walls, paintings on the walls, curtains, bookcases, a desk - everything was mixed in a crazy kaleidoscope.
The crazy kaleidoscope scattered and turned into a dark space, familiar painfully to Roland. The damp green walls covered with mold, channels, darkness, into which not a single ray of sunlight penetrated. Yes, these are the underground channels of the Ding Dong Dell, which Roland happened to visit that first fateful day of losing his world and moving to a parallel world. He was alone in a wide corridor in the middle of which water flowed; corridor swarmed skeleplazms, goos and other abomination, attacked from the corner. Roland ran along the corridor, dipping knee-deep in the muddy flowering water, forward, reflecting the monster's attacks with his sword.
Roland stopped in front of the abyss into which they then jumped with Evan, leaving Aranella to fight the Dark Knight alone. Without thinking, Roland plunged into the abyss again, again felt a dizzying flight, as his heart contracts and trembles during a fall into the unknown, burning icy sobering water. Then, a long a corridor seemingly endless; bloodthirsty and insatiable skeleplazms again. The corridor began to fill with fog that came from nowhere. Roland had no choice but to run through him blindly. The strange sounds of a roar, crossed swords came from the other end of the corridor - then everything was silent. Roland realized that he needed to hurry, someone needed his help there. As he approached the door dividing one corridor from another, he heard a sob that was barely audible. Roland opened the door, climbed up steep small steps and ended up in a wide corridor, where his first serious battle with the Dark Knight took place, and there was a pit into which Roland threw a monster with one gun bullet, though it was too late... Roland made out someone's dim silhouette near the pit. He came closer: she was sitting on the floor in the same full cream dress and with a purple tunic over it, wrapping arms around her knees and lowering her head, she cried, trembling with her whole body. Aranella!
"Aranella!" Roland exclaimed. Unaware of his actions, he headed towards the familiar silhouette swiftly and knelt down next to her, trying to look into her face.
"Aranella, is that you?"
Roland removed gently Aranella's hands from her face. Yes, it was Aranella, her eyes were full of tears.
"Roland," she said in a weak voice.
Roland noticed scratches on her hands and face. Traces of burns were visible on the elbows, palms. Her body was exhausted, almost like that fateful day, but it kept life.
"Aranella, you are alive!"
"I struggled with the Dark Knight with all my strength, I wanted to save Evan, but I didn't have time... The Dark Knight knocked me down with a stream of fire, and he fell into the abyss without noticing it, and carried Evan along with it..." she cried.
Roland took Aranella by the shoulders and looked into her eyes.
"Aranella, this is an obsession, a dream. Evan is alive. He built the kingdom that you so dreamed of - where everyone can live happily ever after."
Aranella shook her head.
"Evan, my boy," she whispered. Her shoulders and her whole body were trembling again.
Roland carefully drew the weakened and trembling Aranella to himself. The dungeon suddenly blew a strange glow, as if a fiery whirlwind burst into it. Aranella instinctively hid her face on Roland's chest. Roland pressed Nella closer to himself, to shield her in case of an imminent threat. A fiery whirlwind flew out of the pit into which the Dark Knight fell, flew around the corridor and, hitting the iron bars, disappeared into the air - apparently, this black monster spirit was free.
"Nella, Evan is alive, everything is fine with him, he remembers you. He built a beautiful square in Evermore in your honor," Roland said.
Aranella raised her head, not moving away, and looked into his eyes. These eyes... These eyes full of life and softness! Roland's heart trembled. He could not rationally explain the excitement that arose in his soul.
"Is it true?" she asked.
"Yes, it is" Roland took Aranella in his hands, trying to give conviction to his words with this gesture.
Suddenly, Aranella's body became transparent and imperceptible. She was dissolved.
"No! Aranella, no!" Roland tried to hold her back, but he only grabbed the damp air."
"Roland, what happened to our son? Where is our boy?" he heard the last words that echoed down the corridor in the end until the girl completely disappeared in his hands.
Suddenly the walls and the floor cracked around, before the abyss captured him. Everything was whirling in oblivion, mixed up, danced again in a wild dance, until he woke up, breathing heavily in a cold sweat in his room.
It was a deep night, Evermore long fell into a peaceful sleep under the measured chatter of crickets and the laughter of a lonely owl. Roland got out of bed, wiped sweat from his forehead and went to the window. He opened it and took a long sip of fresh sweet, filled with aromas of herbs, air. The burning sensation in the chest passed, but the heaviness on the heart remained under the influence of sleep.
There was no sleep in any eye. Roland left the castle and, cutting two large red roses off in the garden, headed for Aranella Square. Aranella Night Square was a special miracle. The flowers in the flower beds glowed magically ("Apparently, these are the remnants of Leander's witchcraft," Roland thought), in the house garden, above the monuments on an island in the middle of a pond, colorful fireflies soared like the glowing Christmas lights which people decorated houses with in Roland's world.
Roland crossed the small bridge crossing the pond and stopped. An epitaph was engraved in golden luminous letters on the monument:
Scorched by the Fire in the prime of spring
You are in flowers and in flickering sun glare,
In the green of herbs, and in the singing of birds
And forever in our hearts.
"Aranella, forgive me for not being able to protect you then," Roland said aloud, running his hand along the gold lines. He laid two roses still moist with dew and left the garden. A month peered out from under the clouds, and moonlight fell directly on the roses. In the moonlight, dew drops flashed with flickering tears. *