Chapter Text
The walls on the inside of the palace garden were white, the flowers were bright and sacred, left untouched in case they were to bloom to life again. Which they did. Very few entered this garden, but the broad, wide flat stone in the center made for excellent practice for training, so naturally, Garen had shown her this place. She likes it for a different reason.
She could be alone. It was a miracle, how, but she found the space to be herself. In this place full of flowers and the shadows of leaves on trees, she could be the light she had found in herself long ago. She could experiment with her magic with no fear of destroying her family’s good name.
It was night, and she had wandered there again, in a desperate need to breathe. She leaned against a great oak tree and opened her hands towards the sky, she needed calming energy. Now. So she let them glow and form small balls of light in her hand. It pulsed with her slowing heartbeat.
You watched, from the castle wall, as you always did, too afraid to say anything.
“Now that’s better.” She whispered to herself.
“I thought you were the only one here, Lady Luxanna.” You said. You did not mean to say that out loud.
Her head snaps towards your voice, and she goes to shoot you with a beam of light. You hold your hands to show no harm.
“My lady, I mean you no harm. I didn’t mean to startle you.” You jump off the wall and bowed deeply.
She scowled. “Why are you snooping around here?”
Crap! You needed a good reason to be here and fast. “I like flowers!” You end up blurting.
“There are other gardens…” She raises her eyebrows in skeptical manners.
“Well, I like the ones in this garden.” You point to a bush of chrysanthemum. “Specifically that one.”
“You like that one specific bush?” She totally didn’t believe you.
“Yes. That one very specific bush.”
She laughs. Hard. “That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard!” She chokes out.
You stand their, stiff from fear and confusion, wondering exactly what is going to happen to you.
She sits down and pats the ground beside her. “Sit down.”
You do as she says, a little farther than she patted.
“What’s your name?” She asks, hiccuping a bit.
Your face turns red. She wants to know my name? “I’m Lady (f/n).” You say softly. You turn your head to the bush you say you so admire. The one bush you like, out of all the castle gardens.
“Call me lux.” She holds out her hand for a shake. “Are you going to tell anyone my secret?” Lux asks.
“Why would I snitch on somebody like me?” You whisper softly.
Her smile from laughing at you turns more genuine. It’s sad but genuine.
“I thought I was alone. That I was going to turn to evil or something.” You elaborate, “like all the wizards and magicians in the stories. But you’re so happy and optimistic, it makes me think they might just be stories.”
She puts a hand on your shoulder. “Thank you.”
You began to meet regularly in the garden. You went from sitting next to each other to holding hands, and from there to share each others space and feelings in a manner that was more then friends.
She laid her head in your lap one day, and just stayed there. “Your thighs are comfy, you are officially my new pillow.”
You ran your fingers through her hair. “Only if you give me a kiss my lady,” you joked.
She sat up. “I can give you a kiss.” She seemed excited at the idea. “Do you want a kiss?”
You nodded. You couldn’t help the attraction to her. She was so damn bright, in all senses of the word. She was amazing.
You both leaned in, slowly, like you were playing chicken. Neither of you backed away, and it was a soft, slow kiss. With eyes closed, you had clumsily placed your hands on both of her cheeks.
“Another secret between the two of us?” You asked.
“I love you far too much to be quiet about this.” Lux whispers.
You laugh and hold her. “I figured as much, my lady.”
She pets your hair and puts her chin on top of yours. “The doors to the garden are beginning to open.”
You go to back away but she holds you, and you relax in her vice grip. “Who is coming?”
“My brother, Garen and some newbies from the crown guard. They’re here to train, they won’t wander back here.”
You sigh in relief. Something about this felt was secret and delicate, like the love you two shared would break if the wrong person set eyes on it.
“Lux!” Garen called. “I know yours here! I heard you! He starts walking closer.
Oh shit! Lux kept holding you but began crawling the both of you towards the chrysanthemum bush.
She held you in front of her, behind the bush, and she peeked through the leaves.
“Oh, I guess I was wrong.” He looked directly at the bush we were in and shrugged. “I guess I can’t give you the apple turnovers I nabbed from the kitchen.
Lux’s stomach rumbles.
“Found you.”
She pops out of the bushes she was in.
“And who were you hiding with?”
You stand up, and try to get the leaves and twigs out of your dress and curtsey. “Hello.”
He looks between the two of you. “Did. I. Interrupt. Something.” He knows he did.
“No! Of course not!” You shout in unison with Lux.
Garen rolls his eyes. “Yeah right. I’m telling Mom, by the way.”
Lux laughs. “And I’ll tell her about the tango that happened between you and Sylas.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
Lux stands there and shouts loudly, “MOOOOOOOOM.”