The petal rain had receded as the clouds' faded red gigantic pores closed shut causing the scarlet rose petals to cease their fall. The two lovebirds were now inside the secret garden, the moth forgotten, the breathing flowers stuck in mind especially in that of Silver. He still wondered what it all meant.

Having taken a detour of the garden—Shinja had specifically enjoyed this part of their picnic—they arrived at a small cottage that marked the end of the premises. A little mishap that not even Shinja could speculate almost came in the way of their refurbishment.

The cottage in the secret garden was too short for Silver's height. Poor thing! Shinja thought. He bent in order to walk through its door. Shinja stifled awkward laughter when she saw his tall frame struggle through the tiny short door. He had enjoyed the beauty of everything that the garden had to offer. It blew his mind. Now for the resting space... what are we going to do?

"How am I going to fit into a space that I almost failed walking into?" He wondered to himself. However, he managed to bend and walk into the cottage. Somehow the roof was a bit raised on the inside. He managed to stand up straight rather than being the folded two-piece he had become earlier. "You seem to enjoy this princess." He said to Shinja.

Hilarious. She thought strangling the laughter that tried to escape her lips.

Inside the cottage was the color complexity of a montage. The small round windows let in just enough air for two. The bed and its lampstand were in the right corner next to one of the round windows. It seemed used. Cozy. Silver wondered who could have been living in such a place then he remembered Shinja's grandmother. Terese.

For a fireplace to keep them warm, they had seen a makeshift one right outside the cottage. They would rekindle whatever fire that was there earlier in case they needed warmth. It neared a lake whose breeze had started blowing in. Both of them, rubbed their shoulders up and down at the gust of air that blew in announcing dusk. The space was enough to host two people.

By the second window, were two chairs and a round table.

Shinja was rummaging the dressing table on the right side of the bed. Already feeling at home. That and another eerie feeling she could not put a finger to. There was within the dressing table; combs, glowing hair and a few little creatures that had taken refuge in the confined space. She smiled at them as they skidded into further corners of the dresser. Cute.

Silver was checking out the boots that lay discarded in the left corner opposite the bed. Shinja watched him with a smile across her face.

"Umm... Shinja, you promised to tell me what the rose touching meant." He asked not taking a minute to quit his task. He was folded at the middle, trying on one of the boots on his right foot, his shoes discarded, feet bare. Oh my! She marveled.

~*~

The last petal fell and Pink-White watched the cloudy pore suck in air as it closed shut. He sighed and proceeded to watch the gravel that was now crowded with numerous petals. He sighed once more. Heavily.

From where he stood in the castle gazing down through the clear rectangular opening that served as a window, the green leaflets grew back on the huge wall as the petals disappeared.

He looked back up to the sky, now clear as day and smiled wishing that his mother was here with him for what he was about to do. His eldest daughter Shinka would soon have to make an important decision. He prayed that she could agree to it.

"Guard!" He called out. Immediately, his chamber door opened ajar and a guard presented himself before the king in a bow. "Have Bolton come to me immediately."

"Yes milord!" The guard bowed once again and left to call the chief of the guard, Bolton. It did not take long before he came through the door that had been left wide open.

"You called for me your highness." Bolton said taking a bow.

"Yes, get up. I have something to ask of you." Bolton lifted his upper body and looked at the king whose eyes had not for once left the window from which he stared through.

"I am all ears my lord." Bolton spoke with forthrightness.

"Have the eldest princess come to me this instant. There is a matter of great importance that I would like to discuss with her."

"But my lord, why bother if I can deliver the message to her majesty? Doesn't my lord trust me anymore?"

"Don't question my actions Bolton. It is you I called and instructed to bring her to me. If I didn't trust you, I would have used any other guard."

"I am sorry your highness."

"You are excused. Do this secretly. Have her come to me. The reason why this is so, is for me to know and for you to stay blank about. It is no business of yours."

"Yes, my lord."

"Now leave my presence and do as I say."

Bolton waited for a minute longer. He thought the king would turn and look at him but he did not. This made the guard shoot daggers at his leader before stepping out to bring Shinka.

A few moments passed before Shinka came in. The king stood still watching the interactions of each servant out in the yard. At times he smiled, others he drew his head closer as if he wanted to draw closer and listen to what was being discussed. Regardless, he did more observing than other things.

"Princess Shinka my lord." The guard announced, took a bow and left.

"Father, you called for me." Shinka stated.

"That I did my dear." He mentioned while stepping away from the window. He sat on a chair by the dull fireplace, dimly lit causing a warmth to raise steadily in the room. Since the petal rain had receded, the fire too had died. He occupied the seat and indicated for his daughter to come and join him.

First, she hesitated, the chair her father was telling her to take had been most frequently used by their mother, Evalene. It was sacred. She contemplated using it but her father urged her on, pointing to it in indication for her to sit. Hesitantly, she sat.

"Why did you call me here father? Is anything the matter?" She asked after making herself warily comfortable. On her question, she heaved a sigh.

"Nothing is the matter my dear but there is a matter."

"Please father, by all means say it. No need for riddles. What is it?"

He knew there was no beating around the bush with his eldest daughter but he was no man to deliver tough bites without a bit of soothing.

"It is a matter whose effects are to be seen in the future."

"How so father?" Shinka was pensive, trying to process what her father was driving at. "Is it about my sister Shinja?"

"No, my darling. Your sister must be in the arms of the one she loves with little or no thought of all else." He smiled at the mention of Shinja. Shinka joined him before asking.

"Then, what is it about father?" Her father's smile fell.

"It is about you and your future child. Your first child most certainly."

"What?! That does not make any sense father. I am not even married yet."

"Yes, but you will be soon."

"So, what is this you are telling me? You say not the matter yet you speak of its consequences thus."

"Your first child will rule the kingdom of Green when I am gone. He shall be my heir."

"You speak of heirs father when I know not the date of my wedding. Or worse yet, whether it will be asked of me; marriage. And father, it shall not be so soon that you di..." Her father cut her off.

"We know not what time is telling us my dear."

"What is it you are not telling me father?"

"Nothing else my child. That is all there is."

"I don..." she started but was off again by Pink-White. She wanted to say she did not understand what he meant.

"You can leave now princess. Do not mention this to anyone. We would not want to jeopardize the future of this kingdom." His eyes warned then she felt what he meant.

"Will you..." She started.

"Go child." Her father spoke dismissively. She stood up to leave. She turned and looked at her father one more time, his eyes were directed at the cracking embers. Lost. He might have tried to soften the blow but he had no other way of putting it. Shinka was his eldest. Her child—hoping it would be a son, he wouldn't mind a strong queen—was meant to be the heir to the kingdom.

It was the way things were to be done. The only way. Somehow, he felt time draw faster, the time of his...his demise. A storm.

Shinka darted out of the room and slammed the door on her way out. Her back hit the wall as she thought.

The time was coming. It was here sooner than she thought. She felt how fast it approached and fretted. She hoped that she would be mentally ready for it when it did come. Or else, letting go of her child...

What would this mean to her fiancé? Is he going to understand it? He has to. The things we do for family. By that time, heavens help me, that my child is grown. She thought.

~*~

Shinja took a few minutes admiring his strong back and how the muscles bunched up and twisted as he moved. Suddenly, the air in the room was not enough. A tightness clogged in her throat. I have to look away. Not. Yet. Still. Enjoying. The. View. Her inner voice punctuated each word as though it were not clear enough. Nonetheless, Shinja looked away and responded to Silver before he noticed how flustered she was.

"Oh, I almost forgot. The flowers."

"Yes, the flowers."

"The flowers are something grandma taught father who passed it down to me before we came out here." She looked everywhere else but him. She had to find something to distract her. She settled for a comb from the dresser. She began plucking out the glowing hair stuck to its teeth then she continued. "It's... it's uh... it's like a little quiz used to prove the type of love one has for you."

She noted the perplexity of what she had just revealed to him so she hurried to explain before he voiced his queries.

"For instance, the flowers turned white when you touched them. White means the love is real. It turns from its original color to white forever if there is love from both of us for each other. That my love is what happened."

"You mean to tell me that now you are confident about our love for each other?" Surprise filled his voice. It would have been anger but love covers all errs.

"No, no, no... I am not only confident that you love me but also sure that I am safe with you."

He caught her hand and walked to the two seats by the window. He sat down and put her on his lap. "Good. Now that I have proved that I love you only and no other, do I get a reward?" he smugly asked.

"Yes, you deserve a gift. Lots of big fat kisses." She giggled. She bent her head to kiss him full on the lips. He kissed her back without hesitation. He took his coat off and placed it over her shoulders.

The cottage had one bed, the big elephant in the room was how they were going to share the space. How were they going to sleep? Shinja decided to excuse herself. Dealing with this, was too awkward. She needed time to herself to think of something and then come share it.

Behind the cottage was a bathroom, Shinja stepped out briefly and used it. The water was ice cold.

What are we going to do? I do not know. You tell me. But you are the one supposed to have brilliant ideas. Yes, not today though. Today I choose not to have brilliant ideas. Why today of all days? You know why. Ugh...I hate you. You love me. Go away. You know that is not possible. Grrr...

After her fruitless endeavor of trying to get her brain to think, she stepped out of the bathroom without a solution. Freezing. Clueless.

When she walked back into the room, Silver had made himself comfortable on the floor on the left side of the bed. She brought both hands to her mouth in a gasp. The darling he was! Shinja was floored by his gentlemanly act. She walked over and pecked him on the forehead.

He had picked a blanket from his leather bag and covered himself with it then went to sleep fast. After making sure that he was alright, Shinja slept too.

Deep in the night when the cold had shifted from biting to stinging, Silver woke up and pecked Shinja once again then went back to sleep.

She was not in a deep slumber as he thought. She waited for him to get back to his bed and listened for his light snore. When it started, she tiptoed off the bed, grabbed his coat and off she went into the night.

Outside, the moon shone brightly as though the night was young. She walked to the lakeshore.

With her finger she scribbled words in the sand. She did this farthest from the lake shore but not too far.

"Dear Silver, I am sorry that I could not sleep in the same bed with you. It was hard for me to sleep well while you laid on the floor. I am in the flower garden at the edge of the fence. Look for me. Find me."

~*~

On waking up, Silver discovered Shinja was not in her bed. What?

"Shinja! Shinja!" He began it slow and steady, hoping that she was in the bathroom and she would hear him and answer. Nothing came. That was when he lost it then he shouted out her name like a madman.

"SHINJAAAAA... SHINJA! WHERE ARE YOU MY LOVE? There is no point in this. She is not here. I need to start looking. She has not gone far; she couldn't have been able to do so." The horses were still securely tied to the tree. Where then was Shinja?

He traced her tiny footprints in the sand as he walked to the lakeshore. He quietened his mind from the terrible thoughts that were flooding in.

He knew she was not selfish. She lacked a selfish bone in her so she would not have walked into the lake all by herself. Poor bird did not know how to swim. God help him but he was about to have a heart attack when he saw the words scribbled in the sand. Oh, thank the sweet loving birds in the sky!

Had she known that the lake would not wash her writings away? His little bird had lots of tricks and secrets up her sleeve. He would unveil each one of them. One. By. One. He had the rest of his life to do so.

He followed her instructions to the edge of the flower garden. As he continued his search, he could not help but wonder how much more Shinja would keep doubting his love for her. Hadn't he proved himself enough? Even when these thoughts were running through his mind, he did not stop for a minute.

~*~

Shinja grew wary as she waited. Maybe this time she had gone too far. She had pushed him to the edge.

"What have I done?" she cried. Fatigue from less sleep the previous night was wearing her down. Her face grew pale from exhaustion.

When Silver found her at midday, he could not believe the sight before him. She fell into his arms. Blacked out. Her eyes were dilated. Her frail fingers were like ice on his neck.

"Oh bird, why did you do this to yourself?" He wondered at the sleeping form in his arms. The night's cold must have used her for a bed. What time had she left that cottage? "Why Shinja? Why do you keep doing this?"

He trudged to the cottage with her in his arms. Once there, he put her on the bed covering her with all the clothes he could find. He treated her in a bedside manner after which he went out to the lake, caught some fish for their breakfast. He doubted it very much that she had had breakfast. Her body did not say so. He used the few cutleries he found in the cottage.

A small black kettle, he made tea with it. When she came to, she felt quite revitalized—dizzy but better. Shinja ran out of the cottage and jumped onto his back while he poked at the fire. She pecked him right beneath his left ear.

"Careful there." He warned her with a smile in his voice.

"Sorry! What is this you are making?" She looked at the smoked fish on the fire.

It had given him a hard time to prepare but he brushed it off as though it had been the easiest thing he had ever done. "Breakfast."

He turned to her whistling a familiar tune more of a distraction from the burnt fish. She slid off his back and into his arms she fell. They danced to a tune only they heard.

"I am happy that soon after all this we get to be together forever. Husband and wife for the rest of our lives. For all the moments I will be with you, I shall cherish for the rest of my life."

She touched the tip of his nose. There and then Silver got on bended knee, pulled out from his left pocket a blood red diamond ring with the biggest diamond Shinja had ever seen.

Overwhelmed with joy, Silver placed the ring on her index finger. She picked him off the ground and hugged him. They walked in silence back to the cottage and prepared to get back to the Green Kingdom with a wedding in mind.

As they left the Secret Garden, Silver said to Shinja, "You are the sweetest of the flowers and soon to be mine always."

"Really?"

"I mean it, I wish we could wed right here, right now."

"That serious huh?! Do not worry your handsome head about that. Once we are at the Green kingdom, I will tell father so we can begin the preparations for the wedding. I can't wait either."

~*~

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