Chapter 444

Elain would make a wonderful Lady of the Day Court. Lucien had always known that were the case but, as he watched her surrounded by the Court, he hoped that others would see it too. After the afternoon had been spent showing Tamlin around the garden, they had taken the High Lord of the Spring Court to the dining room for the evening meal. Lucien had been careful not to let his mate out of his sight, still struggling to control that primal jealousy and possessiveness within him. He sat with his father now, listening to the talk between the three High Lord's present, but his eyes were on Elain. She sat across the room on one of the couches by the fire, surrounded by some of the other members of the Court, and he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

Elain always looked lovely. Lucien had thought so since that moment he had first laid eyes on her. She radiated beauty and kindness, and everything about her had always made him wish to touch her. It was something he had struggled with even more since having returned to Velaris and waiting for her to accept the bond between them. She looked even more radiant now, smiling and laughing softly with the courtiers around her. And they were around her. It did not escape Lucien's notice that Elain seemed to be the center of the gathering by the fire. His mother sat to Elain's left, but the rest of them seemed gathered around the couch that the two of them sat upon, and all of their eyes seemed to be on Elain.

Straining his hearing, Lucien was able to make out several words here and there. "Garden" and "Light" were two words he'd heard, and he figured that they were talking about the plans for the Memory Garden. He wished that he was closer, close enough to touch her, but he could be content to watch. This was her moment, and he knew that her work on this garden for the Court would be one of the foundations for her role within this place. She was not just to be the "Heir's Mate", but a valuable and functioning member of the Court in her own right, as she should be. This garden had been Elain's idea, and Lucien was so very pleased that the idea had been received with as much positivity as it had been. He knew that more than a dozen of Helion's personal guard had come forward to help clear the garden beds, and dig where Elain needed them to. It was clear now, too, that those around Elain were seeking her out in order to secure their own jobs for the work that would begin in the morning.

Watching her as she looked down at the small notebook in her hand and wrote something quickly, Lucien made a note to ask her about it later. No doubt she had a list of what she needed done in the garden, and was assigning roles to be completed. He grinned as he wondered what she had assigned to him, and he wondered if removing his shirt to do the work would be distracting for her at all.

"Lucien…?"

"Hm?" turning his head, Lucien met his father's amber eyes. He had stopped listening to them several minutes ago and he had no idea what he had been asked. "Sorry… I was distracted."

Helion's eyes flicked across the room before returning to him. "I'm certain that you were." Lucien could absolutely not help the smirk he felt tugging at his lips. From the corner of his eye he saw Tamlin shaking his head and direct his gaze to his own lap.

"Yes." Lucien felt no shame, certain that if any of them had had a mate as lovely as Elain, they would be distracted also. "What was it that you asked of me."

"Would you draft a public notice," Helion began, "That something in the nature of the Memory Garden for the palace is to be constructed in one of the City's public Gardens."

"Oh," Lucien nodded, "It would be a good idea to have it accessible to those who do not live in the Palace, yes." It was a good thought, he knew, as they could hardly open the palace gates to anybody to wander up here. The public were welcome to the palace to see the High Lord and bring them his business, but allowing just anybody free reign around the place was a huge security risk. "Absolutely. It will be done." He figured he could put something together by morning.

"I would also like you to write up the contract for the businesses currently supplying us with food…"

The staff from the kitchen had not yet been found and Helion had secured more steady supplies from within the city. "Will you need to find new staff?" he asked his father who nodded.

"If we don't find the others within a few days they will need to be replaced."

"Done." Lucien wished he had his own notebook to be writing these things down.

Looking her list over, Elain wrote another name down beside the jobs she had identified. Helion had been right; she had no shortage of willing hands to work on the Memory Garden, and now she was wondering if she would need someone to keep track of every faerie who had asked for something to do. Managing the members of the Court who wanted to be involved was swiftly becoming a job in its own right, and she wasn't sure that she would have the time for it to be her job. Elain did not want to sit back and watch others. She wanted to be a part of it, getting her own hands into the earth and ensuring that things were done to her satisfaction.

As the faeries who had been given a role began to move away, Elain became aware of her mate's eyes on her and she gave him a smile. They had not had the time this afternoon for their picnic in their own garden, and now she was really looking forward to when they could retire for the night and return to their rooms for a hot bath.

The three High Lords had been sitting with Lucien for most of the evening after dinner, and Elain was curious as to what they were organising. No doubt, when she got Lucien into that hot bath, he would let her know. She had been so preoccupied with organising herself for the Memory Garden that she had not really spared a thought for everything else that still needed to be done. The Pyres, for instance, would have had to have been cleared up once the hot coals had cooled. She had no idea if that had been done or not. The ashes, she thought, would probably be useful for the Garden she was building, and rather symbolic. Before the night was out, she would have to ask Helion if that was a possibility.