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“Your garden has always looked so beautiful, Aymeric,” Katsum held back her hair as she leaned into smell a blue Viola, smiling brightly at the scent.
“I do my best to keep it in order and as vibrant as I can. It was my mother’s garden before she passed, so keeping it as lovely as she did is my way of remembering her.”
Katsum looked back to where he was standing next to the water fountain that stood in the middle of the green house, seeing him looking off in the distance. She swore she could almost see the memories dancing in his smiling eyes. The dark-haired Elezen turned and met her gaze, smiling as warmly as she was as he reached over and plucked a ice blue Oldrose from its stem and stepped up to her, “May I?”
She nodded and he fashioned it in her hair, “Do you have a favorite flower, my love? I can grow here for you if you’d like.”
Her ears twitched happily as she reached up to lightly touch the rose in her hair, “There is one flower that I have always loved. Its color, its fragrance, everything…but I am afraid that it will not grow here in the mountains.”
Aymeric’s expression fell, “What do you mean?” And then he remembered and sighed, “Azyema’s Rose…the fragrance you’ve always worn.”
She nodded and looked down sadly, “Azyema’s Rose only grows in very hot climates such as Thanalan, thriving in the blistering sun and heat where other plants wither and die. It is a resilient flower, and it is yet another reason why I love it so much…it was the flower my father gave my mother when they first met. Well, it’s seeds which she planted. It’s been my favorite flower since I was very young.” She glanced up at Aymeric’s face, seeing a very calculating, narrow expression and laughed as she moved in close and nuzzled into his side, “I know that look. What are you scheming?”
His narrowed expression melted as she met her gaze again,wrapping her in his arms as he kissed the top of her head and the tips of her ears, “Never you mind. ‘Tis for me to scheme and you to learn about later, yes?”
“Very well, Lord Commander. I shall eagerly await the answer.”
- - - - - - - - - - -
Katsum sighed as she closed the door of the manor behind her, shrugging off her cape and knocking the snow off of her greaves. A boisterous mew made her turn to see the stark white, Lady Borel herself walking up to her to bid her welcome home. Katsum grinned and knelt down to pet her head, “Hello, Duchess.” The old cat purred and then went on her way as Katsum pulled at her greaves until they come loose.
“Welcome home, Katsum,” She looked up again and sapphire met sapphire as Aymeric met her gaze with a smile. He stepped in close and leaned down to peck her lips sweetly which she returned eagerly, “I trust your journey went well?”
“It is good to be home. The journey was bearable, but long,” She sighed as she stood to her feet, smiling sheepishly as she admitted, “And I missed you and our bed terribly…”
Aymeric grinned, “I missed you as well, and having you cuddle into my side as we slept is something I will always miss when you are gone…or did you mean something else?” She blushed and by the look on his face, she knew that was the plan,making her shake her head in a bit of a pout, “I have something to show you when you are all settled in. Would you meet me in the gardens once you’ve gotten changed?”
It was Katsum’s turn to narrow her eyes, “Has your scheme come to life then?”
“Indeed it has,” He again leaned down, ghosting his lips on her forehead as he whispered, “So please don’t keep me waiting long, or I shall have to come and collect you myself.”
The delightful chuckle that occurred as her ears and tail lifted in surprised made Katsum pout and playfully hit his arm.
“You become rather flirty when I go out on my journeys,” She stepped around him to head up the stairs to their room to change, “Perhaps I should go out more often if this is the welcome I get when I come home.”
“I would advise against it, my love. If you are gone for too long, I have no guarantee that I would be gentle.”
“That only makes me want to do it more, my dear husband.” She giggled, glancing back to see that now he had a light dusting of red on his face, “See? I can tease too.” She called back as she reached the door to the bedroom and started in.
She heard him call back, “Indeed you can..”
- - - - - - - - - -
Lifting the skirt of her dress, Katsum descended the few steps down into the garden, following the path up to the green house where she knew he was waiting for her. Aymeric met her at the door with a smile and stopped her before she could go in.
“Please close your eyes, Lady Katsum. It is a surprise after all.”
“How am I supposed to know that you won’t be leading me into a trap, my lord?” He gave her a look and she laughed, “Alright, I’m just kidding with you.” She took his hand and closed her eyes, “I am at your command, Ser Borel.”
She felt his hand shake, “I should have never started this game, I always lose to you, dear.”
She laughed warmly and he pulled her forward into the green house and lead her through the flowers. Her ears perked at the sound of the fountain bubbling and the few birds that lived nearby fluttering in the rafters, happy to be out of the cold. The Warrior of Light sighed happily at the peacefully sounds and the sweet smell of the flowers grown by her own husband surrounding her. Suddenly, she caught the scent of the most wonderful fragrance that she knew by heart. Her heart leaped at the very thought and wanted to open her eyes so badly.
“Aymeric, is that-”
“Don’t open your eyes just yet, love. Almost there.” She nodded and followed him still. The scent grew stronger and more vibrant and she was sure she had never smelled an Azyema’s Rose like this before. She felt him stop and encircle her from behind, holding her around the waist as he turned her and whispered in her ear, “Alright, now open your eyes.”
Katsum opened her eyes and gasped at the most beautiful Azyema’s Roses she had ever seen. Their blossoms were the size of her hand and the richest red color, all surrounding a shining red rose-shaped crystal that stood in the middle of them.
She stuttered for a moment, looking up at him, “Aymeric, how in heaven’s name did…”
He pointed at the crystal shaped Azyema’s Rose in the middle, “That is a fire crystal as I am sure you know. It is providing the same heat and sunlight of Thanalan, giving the roses the warmth and light they need to grow here. I luckily had connections with an artisan in Ul’dah who crafted it for me. And as an added bonus, he was kind enough to carve out the Rose in the crystal too to make it even more beautiful.” He hugged her close, looking over the flowers with a satisfied smile, “I had worried that they would not be blooming when you returned. I had just come out here to check on them when I heard you come home, and bless Halone, they bloomed just in time.” He met her gaze, “Do you like your surprise?”
“Aymeric, I love it. Thank you so much…” She laid her head against his chest, doing her best to keep herself from tearing up.
She felt him sigh, “I am glad to hear it. You’ve no idea the amount of work it took to prep the soil, and the amount of sand I tracked through the house.”
“You did all of that for me?”
“Of course I did. I wasn’t sure if I could make it work, but if I could have my wife favorite flowers amidst the garden of my mother’s…by the Fury, I was going to try it.”
One tear rolled down her cheek as she smiled, “Thank you, my love. It is one of the kindest things you’ve done for me…thank you so much.”
His smile broadened, “And I have one last thing,” He reached past her and gently tap the crystal rose and it sparkled and small lights of warmth and flame twinkling off of it and onto the flowers around it to make them sparkle too. Katsum watched in awe and Aymeric whispered to her, “I will always love you until that rose there wilts.”
She blinked and looked at him, “But…it is a crystal, isn’t it? And crystals don’t wilt…”
“Precisely.” He pressed his forehead to hers, cupping her face with his hands, “I love you, my sweet Katsum.”
She smiled as teary-eyed smile as he pulled her into a kiss, “And I love you, my dear Aymeric.”