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Even after the war starts, Koshiro never stops making flower crowns. Even after the relationship between his and Deniss’ kingdoms becomes what seems to be torn beyond repair, he never stops weaving together flower crowns with Deniss in mind. The only difference is that he no longer has Deniss beside him to wear his crowns now.
Koshiro has a chest filled with flower crowns. Well, perhaps that is not entirely accurate. True, proper flower crowns are ephemeral. Their flowers wilt and die given time, as all flowers do. The impermanence is a reminder and a promise that for as long as flowers continue to bloom each spring, there will always be another flower crown made to follow the one that dies.
And yet, Koshiro cannot bring himself to let go of any of the crowns that he makes for Deniss like that. He cannot bear the thought of watching his crowns of wildflowers die, like the broken relationship between their kingdoms. And so he casts relic spells on all of his creations and watches as the colors of the blooms become muted and the petals become hard and unforgiving. The charm of the flowers is lost, but at least this way, he will never lose them. At least this way, he can continue dreaming of the day when he might be able to show Deniss all that he’s created for him in his absence, as improbable as that is.
Sometimes, Koshiro wonders why he still continues to make flower crowns for Deniss, knowing fully well there is a possibility that Deniss may never want to speak to him again. It is illogical and inexplicable. But then again, so is love. There is a reason why gifts created out of love without expectation of reciprocation hold the most power in their world.
When a new year starts and the first rain of spring falls, a bloom of dandelions follows in its wake. Koshiro cannot resist the urge to make yet another flower crown for Deniss once again. He sets out in the grasslands along the perimeter of the kingdom and returns to the place where he and Deniss would play as children. There, he finds a fresh patch of dandelions, sprouting from the ground like streaks of yellow paint against a canvas of greens.
It is ironic how as children, he and Deniss always marveled that their play area would always have more wildflower blooms than the rest of the valley. It was only after Deniss left Koshiro and their part of the grasslands never stopped having abundant blooms that Koshiro realized it was always a sign of Deniss’ innate nature magic all along. That even before Deniss presented as a nature mage, nature was always drawing from him.
Now, Koshiro sets about gathering handfuls of dandelions and pictures himself as if gathering small fragments of what remains from Deniss’ energy. He pictures that the flowers themselves are a gift from his old friend, his love. And then for old times sake, he sits on the mossy tree stump that they used to chase each other around and begins to assemble the flower crown.
As always, as he ties the stems of the flowers together, he reminds himself to shape the crown larger than his hands are used to, for surely Deniss has grown since the last time he saw him years ago. He wonders what Deniss thinks of him now. In his fondest memories of Deniss, Deniss is soft and framed in sunlight. His face is radiant with laughter. Is it wishful thinking to want Deniss think of him in the same way?
Deniss’ kingdom is having a celebration of spring in a few days. It is a joyous occasion. The entire kingdom will be much more loosely guarded than ever before. Just this once, Koshiro toys with the idea of sneaking into Deniss’ kingdom and finding his way to Deniss’ room to leave a flower crown. He’s spent as much time in Deniss’ castle as in his own kingdom, and he knows all the ins and outs of the castle by heart. He could sneak in while Deniss is away doing his princely duties and finally leave Deniss one of his cherished crowns after years of wanting to. The only thing stopping him is the terrible, gutting fear that Deniss may not want anything to do with him again.
Take a leap of faith, Koshiro tells himself. It’s what Deniss would have told him to do. Deniss would have told him that love is a worthwhile cause to risk your heart for, that love should always overpower fear.
Koshiro finishes weaving together the flower crown within an hour. He intertwines dandelions with butterscotch yellow wild daffodils and for finishing touches, he searches for four leaf clovers on the ground and picks out the prettiest ones he can find. He ties them along the base of the crown until the crown is a mosaic of spring green and yellow. Held up against the sun, the flowers are like miniature suns themselves, as bright as Deniss’ soul.
A flower crown of dandelions, daffodils, and clovers. Anyone else would laugh at the untraditional choice of flowers, but Koshiro knows that Deniss would love it. Deniss has always had a soft spot for more common flowers. He was always enamored with how pretty the dandelions were just as much as the rarest roses in his family’s garden. Already, Koshiro can imagine the shy, pleased smile that Deniss might make when he sees the crown.
Koshiro places a stasis charm on the crown: a little something to keep the brightness of the flowers for a few days longer and have them not lose their scent so swiftly. The signature from the stasis charm will be a dead giveaway when Deniss receives the crown. He and Deniss developed the spell together years ago, trying to keep Koshiro’s flower crowns vibrant for a few more days. It is a spell that he hasn’t shared with anyone.
There is no need to write a message. When Deniss sees the crown left in his room, he will know exactly who it is from. And Koshiro will be placing the choice to accept the flower crown entirely in Deniss’ hands.
On the day of the celebration, Koshiro sets down the flower crown gently on the desk in Deniss’ room. A gift for his dear friend, a gift for his dearest friend. Oh how Koshiro hopes that Deniss will accept the flower crown, perhaps more than he has ever hoped for anything before. He leaves Deniss’ room with the thought of a chest of flower crown relics stored away, waiting to feel sunlight again.
Hours later, Koshiro is wandering around the center of Deniss’ kingdom with his hood drawn up to avoid attention. Out of the corner of his eyes, he catches a flash of yellow.
He turns. His breath leaves him in an instant.
Deniss is there, several paces away, kneeling in front of a child in the crowd. The crown of dandelions, daffodils, and clovers rests on his head, beautiful against his blond hair. The sun frames Deniss perfectly, casting long shadows from the cape he wears onto the ground, and for a second, Koshiro overlays the image of Deniss now with the image of the boy he grew up with.
Though Deniss is kneeling, he has no doubt grown taller. And yet, his smile has remained the same even after all the years, just as radiant as Koshiro remembers.
Where he is watching from the shadows, Koshiro feels the same sunlight, iridescent and warm, illuminate his heart.