Chapter 290

The garden was lovelier than Elain had imagined it might be. Ashk had told her that the city had some beautiful public gardens and she had spent the afternoon wandering around the city on her own, looking for them. The Day Court had some similarities to the Night Court in that faeries had their own businesses and the city seemed to be undergoing some changes. When she had stopped at a small bakery for a little snack, as wandering around was hungry work, Elain had spoken to the female behind the counter. It seemed that since Amarantha had been defeated and the High Lords released from under the mountain, the Court had begun to flourish once more. They had more freedoms now, and felt safer about building their lives. Elain supposed that they'd been somewhat in hiding waiting for it all to be over once Amarantha had come and plundered the Court's libraries searching for secrets to improve upon her power. The faerie had directed Elain toward the closest public garden, and Elain had found it soon enough.

As she entered the garden, her eyes swept the area. There was a lush grassy lawn surrounded by blooming garden beds. Again, there was an array of yellows and golds, sunflowers and marigolds everywhere, and accenting those were flowers of blues and reds which reminded Elain of the jewellery that much of the Court wore. This garden relished in the sunlight, and Elain was pleasantly surprised. She hadn't expected a garden like this. She had, she realised, no real idea of what she had expected. Perhaps a rock garden with a few hardy plants here and there for a spot of greenery, but this exceeded all of her expectations. It was, Elain figured, much like all the faerie Courts of Prythian. Each one had surpassed her expectations and was more beautiful than she had imagined.

Smiling as she strolled across the lawns, Elain let her eyes move along the garden beds. There was a large tree nearby, and she headed for it, hoping to sit beneath its branches in a little bit of shade. It would take her some time, she supposed, to get used to the sun and its intensity in the Day Court. It had appeared earlier that Lucien was able to recharge and draw power from it, but Elain was not the child of the High Lord of the Day Court, and the sun did not have the same effect on her body. For a moment she wondered if that might change. She was Lucien's mate, after all. The Cauldron had decided that she would be the mate of the heir to the Day Court, and one day Lucien would be the High Lord. Would the sun have a different effect on her then? She didn't know, but she figured that one day she would find out. For now, she wanted to sit in the shade for a while and hope that she would cool down.

Sinking down against the trunk of the tree, Elain found herself pulling the little book that Lucien had given her from her pocket and turning to a new page. She pulled a small pencil out and focused on the nearby garden beds. She couldn't help herself, she realised, smiling as she found herself beginning to sketch a red flower she was unfamiliar with. She was no longer compiling a collection of flowers for a book, but this had sort of become a habit for her, and she found it relaxing. Maybe it was a habit that she would keep. It was enjoyable and she was rather impressed with the way that her artistic skills had grown since she had begun.

By the time she was adding the final shading touches to her flower, Elain had cooled down enough to feel comfortable once more and then she looked up when a bright voice sounded nearby.

"Hello…"

Elain smiled, her eyes finding a female faerie standing close to the garden. A smile met hers in response and the faerie took a small step closer. Elain quickly looked her over, trying to judge if there was any threat. The faerie had smooth olive skin which suggested she spent quite some time in the sun, and shiny black hair. Her eyes were golden, and Elain thought that she looked rather friendly. "Hello…" she said in response. The faerie smiled more widely.

"Are you drawing the gardens?"

"I am…" Elain set her book in her lap, still leaning back against the tree. She could see the curiosity in those golden eyes and she tilted her head. "Are you… also… interested in the gardens?"

"Oh, I would think so." The faerie replied, coming even closer, "I tend to them from time to time…"

"Do you?" Elain asked, "Is that your job?"

"Sometimes." The reply was hesitant, "I also sell flowers… I have a little shop not far from here."

"Oh?" Elain smiled, "That sounds lovely." It was something she had often dreamed of doing when she had been mortal. If she and her sisters had been forced to get work, she had always claimed that she would sell flowers.

"It can be…" the faerie took another step closer, "I've not seen you here before… and I do come here every day…"

"I've never been here before."

"Oh, well I'm glad that you found the place. It's one of the nicest gardens in the city." The faerie smiled at her again, bushing her black hair back over one slim shoulder. "I'm Sheera."

"Elain…" Elain said, watching as Sheera's golden eyes widened in recognition of her name.

"Oh!"

"You know my name, then." Elain said, feeling relief at the fact that it had been a surprise for the other female. She was less wary of the fact that Sheera had been interested in her before she'd worked out that she was Lucien's mate.

"I have heard… the High Lord now has an heir… and… he has a mate."

"Indeed." Elain folded her hands together, smiling as Sheera came closer and sank down onto the grass nearby.

"You're to live here then?"

"It would seem so."

"You would be interested in the other gardens around the city?"

"I would." Elain watched Sheera's face light up at that.

"I could show you. I know where they all are, and I go to them frequently to help keep them maintained. As a reward for that, I am permitted to take some of the flowers for my shop…" There was genuine warmth in the other female's face and voice, and Elain found herself smiling in response.

"I would be thankful to have the company." She said, truly liking the idea of being shown where all of these gardens were.

"Would you want to draw some of the other flowers?" Sheera asked, "I… I have a copy of the book you released of the flowers from the different Courts."

"You do?" Elain suddenly grew nervous. It wasn't a wary nervousness, but more connected to the fact that she didn't think she had met anyone yet who had read her book before meeting her. Everyone so far that she had known had read her book, Elain had known beforehand. "Did you like it?"

Sheera beemed at her, a flash of white teeth in the shade. "Very much. I would like to see the Winter Court." She said, "That Eisblume flower looks magnificent."

"It was lovely." Elain agreed, happiness spreading throughout her. "I am so pleased that you liked it."

"Are you drawing these for another book?"

"Ah," Elain shook her head, "I have no plans at the moment for another book of the same nature, but I did grow to enjoy drawing the flowers. It helps me relax."

"That makes sense." Sheera nodded, golden eyes sweeping the gardens. "Just being here helps me relax." Elain understood that. Being in gardens had always had that effect on her.

The pair sat in silence for a few minutes and Elain found herself eyeing Sheera surreptitiously. She liked the way that Sheera sat, eyes closed and face turned upwards, enjoying the light breeze that was making its way across the lawns. It had been a while since she had spent time with someone when she didn't have to be a Seer or a proper Lady, or representing the Night Court, her sister, Rhys, or the Day Court. She didn't have to be anyone here except herself; someone who liked gardens and flowers. She could feel that Sheera was the same in that regard.

"You come here every day?" She asked the other female, and Sheera nodded, golden eyes opening and turning her way.

"I do." Sheera paused then, those eyes looking Elain over for a moment, "Will I see you here again?"

"Yes," Elain nodded, smiling gently, "I think you will."