"What is that device?" Celeste asked, amazed to see the projection of images in the air. They looked very similar to the light distortions that her people used to communicate, display national messages, and exhibit necessary addresses across the kingdom.
Aestir looked briefly in Celeste's direction before tucking away his Axilan. "It holds all known Strexxan knowledge and is added to whenever necessary. We also use it for communication."
The princess hummed, gesturing for the prince to follow her deeper into the garden. The garden was like an elaborate maze, the plants having grown over time, and the paths no longer clear."You said you suffered from insomnia and malaise?"
"I do; what of it?"
Celeste led them down a path with roses, each one an eclectic color and scent. Their petals were soft to the touch as if they were silk or satin, and each flower seemed more fragrant than the last. She scanned the bushes purposefully until her eyes finally glimpsed a particular bush.
The prince watched as she knelt before it, her fingers tracing over the delicate petals of a particularly bewitching rose. "This is a Violet Lorress Rose. Its nectar is meant to be consumed at night before bed if one has trouble sleeping."
She took careful hold of a bud that held ample nectar, delicately plucking it from its stem before addressing one of the guards. "May someone take this to the prince's suite and prepare it in tea before he sleeps tonight?"
The guard closest to her nodded, dutifully taking the flower from her. "Certainly, Princess!"
Celeste thanked him before gesturing for the prince to follow her again, leading him down a path covered with overhanging vines. "The next fruit cannot grow in any sunlight, so I'm afraid the path ahead will be dark."
Aestir perked up at this mention, surprised to hear that there was such fruit in Aephis and keen to see it. "I don't mind a little darkness, Princess." The leaves of the plants surrounding them brushed across the side of his face and nose as they walked down the path, creating a gentle wind that provided some relief from the afternoon heat.
The princess nodded politely and continued down the path, which was becoming increasingly overgrown with vines and plants. Her guards rushed to remain between her and the prince in the darkness and summoned orbs of their own light, which she was relieved by. She didn't think her betrothed would try anything when they weren't looking but understood on some level that one could never be too safe; especially when dealing with a Dark Liege.
Once they reached the colossal Weeping Sapphire Tree, Aestir breathed in awe, utterly astonished at what he saw. All Strexxans had the uncanny ability to see clearly in the dark, and the sight before him took his breath away, rendering him speechless.
The Weeping Sapphire Tree was enchanting. Its leaves were a deep, Sapphire and thick-like carpet, inundated by the afternoon's dew. The branches were elongated, sagging with the weight of the dangling leaves and clusters of magnificent sapphire crystals. He realized that these were not crystals then; they were fruit.
The tree was hundreds of feet tall, and the prince couldn't stop himself from reaching out a hand to its trunk, finding that its bark was as smooth as marble. A pleasing scent of lilac and honey emanated from the captivating tree, and Aestir breathed out again in wonder, awestruck by the splendorous sight.
Celeste observed Aestir's reaction to seeing the tree, treasuring the look of unrestrained, reverent awe now on his face. She found that the prince was actually quite handsome when he wasn't scowling. Using sihir to reach a juicy fruit, she plucked it from the tree, offering it to the prince. "Please, consume this. It staves off any form of illness as long as it is consumed once a month."
Aestir was more inclined to believe this after experiencing the effects of the dewberry earlier and nodded, accepting the fruit with gratitude and marveling at its texture and flavor. Its taste was unparalleled, and he savored each tangy bite with pleasure, beginning to notice a strange sensation building within him. It first started as a slight tingling in his fingers, quickly growing into a warm, gratifying sensation that spread throughout his body.
Celeste watched as the prince's eyes widened in alarm, knowing that the sapphire fruit's magic was beginning to take effect. She'd heard that those who consumed this fruit for the first time experienced a holistic regeneration and wondered how Aestir would react.
As the warm sensation continued to flow through his veins, Aestir felt invigorated, his entire body thrumming with unrestrained vitality. He felt stronger, faster, and more alert than he'd ever been before. And when the warm sensation left him, Aestir finally looked at Celeste with newfound respect. "Thank you," he murmured, his usual dour voice now filled with uncharacteristic softness. "I feel different."
Celeste smiled, pleased with the effect the sapphire fruit had on Aestir. "The tree's fruit has a way of healing and renewing those who come into contact with it. As long as its fruit is consumed once a month, your malaise and fatigue should not return."
Aestir nodded to himself, the possibility of a life without malaise seeming all the more real. "I'm grateful," he confessed, turning to look at the tree once more. "There is no location like this in Strexxa; this place is truly remarkable."
Celeste walked closer to Aestir, her eyes glistening with a newfound fondness for the prince. Now that he wasn't so morose, she thought he wasn't as intimidating as the world made him out to be. "There's more to this world than what initially meets the eye, Prince Aestir," she murmured, observing the prince carefully.
The prince finally turned away from the tree and looked at Celeste, his eyes taking in her radiant splendor once more. He appreciated how her eyes sparkled with an inner light he was unused to seeing. "I think I'm beginning to realize that," he admitted, looking back at the tree one last time before turning around. "Thank you for showing me this place. It's truly enchanting."
Celeste nodded, a small smile chancing across her lips. She began walking ahead of Aestir and gestured for him to follow her, leading him out of the clearing and back toward their previous path. She glanced back one last time at the tree before they exited the grove, silently thanking her for the benevolence she'd shown the prince. She hadn't told Aestir that it was up to the tree on who was healed by her fruit, and she was relieved to see that the Weeping Sapphire Tree had seen promise in Aestir.
Maybe she should, too.
The sun had started to dip beneath the horizon when Aestir and Celeste finally emerged from the garden, the sentiment of newfound respect for each other now within them. They stayed silent as they walked back towards the palace, both lost in thought as they found peace in realizing this alliance -and each other- weren't who they initially believed them to be.