"Papa...?" our son let out in confusion as he sat on my lap and looked up at his father.
"Yes, Little One, Papa." I told him with a congratulatory tone. I understood that he had only just met him. But I wanted to get this all out of the way as quick as possible even if we had all the time in the world now.
"It is nice hearing this." my Dear commented as he held out his hand for our son to take tentatively.
"I'm sorry you could not be there for the first time he sp-" I started to say before his lips found mine briefly.
"Do not worry, Dandel'lhia, the fact you are here is all that matters to me." he explained as his forehead went against mine. But, with his eyes so close, he couldn't help but finally acknowledge my injuries.
"Dear..." I let out with concern. I did not want to be pushed on the subject for a number of reasons. But the main one was the scared woman I tried to comfort not that long ago. Being here didn't just mean a lot to me, it mattered a lot to her too.
And if it got out what she did, she would never come here again...
"I'm sorry, I'll leave him with you, I'm going to go and check up on her again." I suddenly say as I left my son in my lover's arms.
"Is everything alright? You have been visiting nearly every moment since she lost consciousness." I was asked.
"Should I not? She did bring us back to you, after all." I joke in an effort to hide my actual intent for going.
My lover then smiled, "Make sure to tell me when she does, I want her to be well-rewarded."
"Of course..." I nearly mutter as I start to think about how quickly this had all escalated. The flower had already been brought back into the garden-mount and the excitement had spread. It was like a joyful Patricide in how it worked out. One small thing had escalated into a mountain-wide celebration.
And while I understood the importance of baby boys, it felt so strange watching its effect. But, I suppose it also ended up like this because of what Rose'lhia was. A full-named ivy-mother of considerable reputation and presence. Even when she was loathed and envied, she was still respected by all.
In fact, I could still easily recall how she stood out even amongst the other ivy-mothers. Our flower was truly blessed to have someone like her for however long she was in that venerated position. But it also put into perspective as to why she was so fearful. Cruelty to roots was abundant but to another petal?
It could never be forgiven regardless, especially for someone like me.
If the truth about my injuries got out, or why my son and I had left, it would be over for her. Everything she had ever loved and known would suddenly detach itself from her. She would be branded and exiled forever and would never step foot here again. Her own home.
"How is she doing?" I asked those tasked with helping her recover as my mind lingered elsewhere. Like in that foul place she worked to get me out of, the reason she had these injuries. I still found myself capable of cruel thoughts. What if I did get back at her?
Yet, I also could not find myself going through with such thoughts in the slightest. It would take some time, but I could go on to forgive her now that she has done something like this for me. She had changed, that was clear, but had I as well? How much had we both changed, in fact?
"She is doing fine, Dandel'lhia-evwifoad." she respectfully nodded whilst I found myself caught off guard by the honorific. It had been so long that I had forgotten that I was destined to be called it once our son sprouted from his seed. The Wife of the Greatest Man...
Both the title and its meaning filled me with pride and I couldn't help but smile. Yet, I did not let it cloud my mind for long. So I stepped inside and found Rose'lhia to be awake. I tried to greet her warmly, but it was clear that she would be staying on edge...
"Can you give us some privacy, please?" I asked the petals in here as I stepped aside to let them go out into the garden-mount. And I turned back to the former ivy-mother once they had all gone.
"Get it over with... Cut my hear and sear my flesh..." she spat as she slowly started to rise.
"Rose'lhia, no one knows. It is just between me and you right now. And it is all behind us." I tell her as I sat down at the end of the bed.
"No, it's not... I know it isn't... I have served my purpose and now I am in no capacity to leave, perfect for you!"
"If anyone had found out, Rose'lhia, you wouldn't be here being attended to." I point out to her with a straight face. And, as hostile as my tone might have been, I was only trying to make sure she understood. I felt a more severe tone was best for that...
"Then let me go..."
And this made me sight, "As I said before, you won't make it back to even that town like this."
"Do not tell me what I can and cannot accomplish." she snorts as the idea became firmly rooted in her mind. And, somehow, it made me smile seeing that kind of attitude. Even with her full name, she still had to work hard for the position of Ivy-Mother. Though, she certainly had an easy time doing it.
"But, yes, Rose'lhia. There is no reason for you to be scared or concerned. You are safe. And I have no intention of revoking your right to be safe in your own home."
"We are there, then?"
"Of course, I know you heard the Gilded-Bark when he said to bring the flower back inside." I say with a smile as I watched her warm up emotionally. It was nice to see her happy like this.
"I want to see it..." she then let out as she slowly tried to get out of the bed.
"Should you be doing this?" I ask her as I get a better view of all the bruises her body had accrued. And I had a very easy time doing so as she was completely naked.
"I can do what I want." she snorts pridefully before she steps out into the open without so much as a strap of silk.
"Lucky." I remark enviously as I bring some attention to her state as I pass by. Teasing her with just a gentle tap before I moved slightly ahead of her. Though, I suppose being able to move away from a supporting structure was far more teasing than that small action.
"You know... When my Love finally has eyes for me... I want to bury my first seed here. I want to tend to it with him. I want to raise my son in this mountain like I was..." she let out with what was both a dreamy and tired sigh.
Hearing that even made me blush a little, "You certainly have a mind for the romantic, don't you?"
"Of course." she says matter-of-factly.
"So, who is your lover, anyway? Did you see a brilliant emerald light up at Suhurlodst?"
She smiled and shook her head, "No, I saw a divine man come to our flower and prove himself."
"Man to our flower..." I repeat before I felt like I got who it referenced, "That human champion? Nin Urtuan?"
She nodded smiling at first, but it quickly disappeared, "Formerly human, now."
"Hm?"
"He became an osibindah somehow after coming back from the dead." she told me as she moved forward before she plummeted to the rich soil beneath us.
"Wait... The osibindah we shared a dormitory with back at that academy!?" I asked her in shock as I stepped backwards at the thought. Nay, the understanding was what made me nearly collapse. To hear from her mouth that she had fallen in love with such a predator was... Something.
But, I suppose it was the human she fell for, not the bug...
"Yes, but, he does not love me because of the mistakes I made... He went on to love someone else while I was busy playing the fool..." she cried as her hands dug into the soil.
"Rose'lhia, as you have shown, mistakes can be righted. If his eyes can set on someone, then they can set on you!" I try to comfort her with as her cries started to turn into howls.
"No, he won't! You don't know a thing! I turned on him when he needed me the most! The man who risked his life for me was one I turned away from just because I saw someone else whose magic was greater!" she explained in one big go.
"Rose'lhia... I..." I tried to say before I went quiet, unsure of how to handle this. But, looking around uncomfortably made me acutely aware of the gazes directed at us.
"There is nothing I can do to bring him back to me... If he was ever with me at all... That woman with blue hair... Comatose in a bed in that city, she holds his heart now..." she went on to explain further. And somehow, each word came with enough tears to soak the soil again and again. Her heart ached and it was clear...
"There are many things you can do, Rose'lhia. You just need to give it time..." I say as I think on my own worries from when I was staying up on that mountain. I thought I would never see my home again or my lover, but now look! One was all around me and the other was just one call away!
"No... I understand how it is... I cannot win his heart... He never loved me... And it is clear that he never will..." she sobbed before she suddenly rose to her shaky points.
"Rose'lhia!?" I let out as she suddenly began to move ahead at what must've been painful speeds.
"If I cannot be loved by him... Then I'll just forget about it. If everyone wants me to become Ivy-Mother once more, then I shall!" she declares as a false facade begins to overtake her.
"Please, let's not be so hasty with this, Rose'lhia. You are overwhelmed right now, it's fine, just..." I tried to say before she disappeared into her remade and repaired bulb. And when she came out again, she was fully dressed in that attire...
The attire of an ivy-mother.
"If you need any help regarding your son, you know where to find me." she tells me before she slowly stepped out into a more public space.
"You stupid woman..." I let out in disbelief as I watched it unfurl. I could not say for sure that she was giving up. But she was lying to herself about this. She was trying her hardest to convince herself that this was the way to go about things.
"It is truly a wonderful time to be alive." my lover commented as he suddenly appeared from behind and held me.
"I'm worried for her..." I said to him as his hand held my stomach. With our son patting at my shoulder from his other hand.
"Her strange mania has left her, there is nothing to be worried about." he said before I looked up at him.
"She is struggling with the fact her love does not love her back..."
"Bah, she still has that delusion then? That the osibindah was the champion who bested me in tourney before a Valkinvar?" my lover snorted disrespectfully. And while I had to admit, I was fearful around him because of what he was. Hearing about Rose'lhia's plight certainly made me look back on it differently. Weird as it might sound for anyone who knew the truth, but I did trust her!
"Oak'endoor, please, that man is not just some wild creature that once captured me and our unborn son."
"It is still an osibindah." he tells me with a frown as he lets go of me. But, his stern gaze instilled nothing into me. The man I loved could not scare me when I knew he would never hurt me.
"If the Ivy-Mot- If Rose'lhia was willing to set her life behind just so she could be with him, then he was more than an osibindah."
"You never knew him."
"I did, Oak'endoor, because before Rose'lhia brought me back here, it was that man who saved me! It was him who took our son out of that hive and saved him!"
"The Valkinvar presented our little one's seed before me..." he tried to correct me with.
"And I gave it to him which he then passed on!" I nearly shouted before our son's whines brought us to a stop.
"I am sorry, Dandel'lhia. I did not mean to argue with you so soon after finally being able to hold you again..." he lets out as he pulls me in close.
"It's fine, Oak'endoor. But, please, do not pass comment on this unnecessarily. Rose'lhia's heart is broken in a way only Motrtha could possibly know." I utter against his chest as his hand went against my head.
"I'll leave it to you, then."
"I will try, I can't in good conscience leave her like this." I say while watching the bizarre sight play out before me. Despite being dressed like one and having the experience of one. She was just full of doubt as she did it. And I knew full well that it wasn't the injuries that were making her self-conscious of her looks that was doing it.
"Please try to think of the flower, whatever you choose to do then, please. Replacing Rose'lhia was a hard thing to do given how much she had ingrained herself into the flower."
"I am aware, I don't even think anyone could truly replace her..." I let out with uncertainty.