Chapter 74: Regaining Senses.
Several weeks slipped quietly through the Elven Kingdom.
The seasons never changed dramatically within the hidden realm. Instead, they flowed with an almost magical grace, each sunrise bringing subtle differences that only those who had lived there long enough learned to appreciate. New blossoms appeared among the palace gardens overnight. Crystal streams shimmered a little brighter beneath the morning sun. Gentle breezes carried the sweet fragrance of flowers through every corridor of the royal palace, making the entire kingdom seem as though it breathed alongside its people.
Peace had returned.
At least on the surface.
The incident involving Saline and Lilian leaving the kingdom had gradually become nothing more than a closely guarded secret shared by only a handful of people. Queen Calista never mentioned the silver flower again, though her observant eyes missed very little. Kaelion kept his promise to remain silent, while Florence watched over the two girls even more carefully than before.
Life simply...continued.
And somewhere amidst that peaceful routine, something unexpected blossomed.
Commander Kaelion and Florence.
For seven long years, the palace had grown accustomed to watching the two carefully avoid one another.
Servants had learned which hallways Florence preferred and which routes Kaelion usually took during his patrols. Without anyone consciously realizing it, they had accepted the strange dance between them as something permanent.
Then, almost overnight...
Everything changed.
The first to notice were the palace maids.
One morning, Florence entered the kitchens with the faintest smile resting upon her lips while humming quietly to herself.
The older cook nearly dropped an entire basket of herbs.
Florence...
Humming?
It was unheard of.
By the afternoon, two gardeners claimed they had seen Commander Kaelion walking beside her through the eastern gardens.
Not speaking.
Simply walking.
The following day, the royal librarians insisted the commander had remained inside the palace library for nearly two hours despite having absolutely no reason to be there.
The reason, of course, had been Florence.
She spent every second afternoon organizing ancient scrolls within the archives.
Nobody needed to explain anything.
The entire palace understood.
Whispers spread faster than wildfire.
"They finally made up."
"I heard Commander Kaelion confessed again."
"No, Lady Florence confessed this time."
"I heard they were holding hands yesterday."
"No..."
"They were looking at each other."
Somehow, that sounded even more scandalous.
Florence herself noticed the whispers long before anyone mentioned them directly.
She simply chose not to care.
After denying herself happiness for seven years, worrying about palace gossip suddenly seemed rather insignificant.
For the first time in what felt like forever, she allowed herself to breathe.
The weight she had carried alone for so many years no longer rested entirely upon her shoulders.
Kaelion had refused to let it.
He never once asked her to abandon her duty toward Saline, instead, he quietly made that responsibility his own.
If Florence remained beside Saline until late into the evening, Kaelion waited for her outside the palace.
If she skipped meals because work occupied her attention, he somehow always appeared carrying food prepared by the royal kitchens.
When she apologized for making him wait...
He simply smiled.
"I’ve already spent seven years waiting."
"Another hour isn’t going to kill me."
Those words never failed to make her heart ache.
Not from sadness.
But from realizing just how much love she had nearly thrown away.
Kaelion himself changed in ways he never noticed.
Others certainly did.
The commander had always carried himself with quiet dignity.
His expressions rarely changed, his posture remained perfectly straight.
His attention never wandered from his duties.
Now...
He smiled.
Not often.
But enough.
Enough for his soldiers to begin exchanging suspicious glances during training.
One particularly brave captain eventually approached him after morning drills.
"Commander..."
"Yes?"
"...are you ill?"
Kaelion blinked.
"No."
"You’ve been smiling."
"...Have I?"
"It concerns everyone."
Kaelion stared at him for several seconds.
Then, to the captain’s complete horror...
He smiled again.
"You may return to training."
The poor captain hurried away convinced something supernatural had possessed his commander.
Naturally...
No one enjoyed the situation more than Saline and Lilian.
"Oh."
Lilian sighed dramatically while watching Kaelion cross the courtyard toward Florence.
"There he goes again."
Saline looked up from the flower she had been weaving into a small wreath.
"Who?"
"Our commander."
She nodded toward him.
"He walks like someone composing poetry."
Saline laughed.
"He does not."
"He absolutely does."
Kaelion reached Florence.
Neither spoke immediately.
Instead, he gently brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
Florence smiled.
A genuine smile.
The kind she had almost forgotten existed.
Lilian clutched her chest dramatically.
"I cannot watch this."
Saline giggled.
"I thought you were happy for them."
"I am."
"Then why are you looking away?"
"Because they’re too adorable and that’s exactly why I’m looking away."
Saline burst into laughter.
Nearby, Florence heard them.
She covered her face with one hand.
"I think they’re teasing us again."
Kaelion followed her gaze before shaking his head with quiet amusement.
"They’ve earned the right."
Florence sighed.
"I’m never going to hear the end of it."
"No."
"I know."
"...Especially from Lilian."
Almost as though summoned by name, Lilian waved enthusiastically.
"Commander!"
Kaelion immediately became suspicious.
"...Yes?"
"When are you getting married?"
Silence.
Complete silence.
Florence nearly choked.
Kaelion looked toward the sky as though silently asking the ancient spirits for patience.
Saline tried very hard not to laugh.
She failed.
Completely.
Laughter echoed across the courtyard while even several passing guards struggled to maintain straight faces because her laugh seems to be related to that of a wild animal.
Kaelion eventually sighed.
"I see discipline has become optional around the palace."
"It has," Lilian answered cheerfully.
"Wonderful."
"It really is."
Florence buried her burning face against his shoulder.
"I cannot believe this is my life."
Kaelion smiled.
"I rather like it."
Florence looked up at him.
"So do I."
The whispers eventually reached the only person within the kingdom who had not participated in them.
Queen Calista.
Not because she spent her days listening to palace gossip.
Quite the opposite.
Most conversations never reached her ears.
The Queen simply possessed the unfortunate habit of noticing things long before anyone else did.
She noticed the way Florence no longer walked through the palace with the quiet loneliness that had accompanied her for years.
She noticed Kaelion’s eyes unconsciously searching every room until they found the woman.
She noticed that whenever one entered a room, the other was rarely far behind.
Even the silence between them had changed.
Once, it had been heavy.
Now...
It was comfortable.
The sort of silence shared only by people who no longer feared or avoid one another.
One quiet afternoon, while sunlight filtered through the palace windows and painted golden patterns across polished marble floors, Queen Calista finally requested their presence.
Neither Florence nor Kaelion knew why.
They walked toward the Queen’s chamber together, exchanging brief glances along the way.
Florence quietly adjusted the sleeve of her robe.
"I have a bad feeling."
Kaelion looked sideways.
"You always have a bad feeling before meeting Her Majesty."
"That’s because she’s terrifying."
A smile tugged gently at the corner of his mouth.
"I suppose that’s true."
Florence sighed.
"You aren’t helping."
"No.I’m not."
When they reached the chamber doors, the royal guards stepped aside without a word.
The massive silver doors opened.
Queen Calista stood beside the wide balcony overlooking the kingdom below.
The breeze stirred her long hair while countless rooftops shimmered beneath the afternoon sunlight.
Without turning around, she spoke.
"You’ve both arrived."
"My Queen."
They bowed together.
Only after several quiet moments did Calista finally face them.
Her violet eyes rested upon the two standing before her.
One after the other.
Then...
Something remarkably unusual happened.
She smiled.
It was small.
Almost imperceptible.
Yet it softened her entire expression.
"I’ve been wondering."
Florence blinked.
"Wondering...?"
The Queen folded her hands before her.
"How much longer the two of you intended to waste."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Florence and Kaelion stared.
For perhaps the first time in many years, the commander found himself genuinely speechless.
Calista regarded them with obvious amusement.
"I confess..."
Her smile deepened ever so slightly.
"I expected the matter to resolve itself seven years ago."
Florence felt every ounce of color drain from her face.
"...Your Majesty..."
"You knew?"
"I suspected."
Calista corrected gently.
"It became certainty after watching the two of you avoid one another with remarkable dedication."
Kaelion rubbed the back of his neck.
"So..."
"You watched."
"I did."
"And you said nothing."
"There seemed little point."
The Queen’s tone remained calm.
"I assumed one of you would eventually regain your senses."
Her gaze shifted meaningfully between them.
"It simply took longer than anticipated."
Florence wanted the marble floor to swallow her whole.
Kaelion, meanwhile, had begun questioning every conversation he’d ever held within the palace.
Had everyone known?
Apparently...
Yes.
Calista’s expression softened again.
"I have ruled this kingdom for centuries."
She stepped closer.
"You cannot expect me to miss something written so plainly across two faces."
Neither argued.
Because neither could.
The Queen stopped before them.
Then, in a voice far gentler than either expected, she continued.
"Love should never become another burden."
Florence slowly lifted her head.
Calista looked directly into her eyes.
"You have spent enough years choosing duty before yourself."
Then she turned toward Kaelion.
"And you..."
A faint warmth entered her voice.
"...have proven your patience many times over."
For several moments, the Queen remained silent.
Then she spoke the words neither had expected.
"You have my blessing."
Florence’s breath caught.
Kaelion looked genuinely stunned.
"If marriage is what you both desire..."
Calista smiled once more.
"...then the palace shall begin making preparations immediately."
For a heartbeat, neither moved.
Neither spoke.
Then Florence suddenly stepped forward before stopping herself.
"My Queen..."
Emotion caught in her throat.
"Thank you."
Calista inclined her head.
"There is no need."
Her gaze drifted toward the window overlooking the kingdom.
"It is long overdue."
The announcement spread throughout the kingdom before sunset.
By morning...
Everyone knew.
The palace exploded into activity.
Seamstresses hurried through corridors carrying shimmering fabrics.
Gardeners argued over which flowers should decorate the ceremony.
Musicians rehearsed beneath the western pavilion.
Even the royal chefs began competing over whose desserts deserved a place at the celebration.
The kingdom had not celebrated a wedding in decades.
Excitement spread everywhere.
Florence soon discovered that becoming a bride meant losing nearly every free moment she possessed.
Every hour brought another fitting.
Another discussion or ceremony to prepare.
She endured each one with remarkable patience.
Though she privately admitted to Kaelion one evening...
"I understand why brides become exhausted."
He laughed quietly.
"I was warned."
"You were?"
"The palace staff told me not to bother asking your opinion for the next few weeks."
Florence narrowed her eyes.
"...They’re probably right."
No one celebrated louder than Saline and Lilian.They insisted upon helping with absolutely everything.
Which usually resulted in twice as much work for everyone else.
After accidentally tangling nearly twenty meters of ceremonial ribbon around three palace servants and one confused gardener, both girls were politely banned from decorations.
Lilian sighed dramatically.
"I think they underestimate our talents."
"They definitely do."
Saline nodded seriously.
"We only made one mistake."
Lilian counted silently.
"...Maybe five."
"Seven."
"Probably seven."
Both burst into laughter..... decorating was too much work.
Eventually, after wandering through the palace gardens searching for something useful to do, Lilian suddenly stopped walking.
"I’ve got it."
Saline looked over curiously.
"What?"
"We should give Florence something special."
"A wedding gift?"
Lilian nodded enthusiastically.
"Not something ordinary."
"Something she’ll remember forever."
Saline smiled.
"I like that idea."
The two sat beneath a flowering tree, immediately throwing ideas back and forth.
"A painting?"
"No."
"A necklace?"
"Too ordinary."
"A magical crystal?"
"Commander Kaelion would probably buy one already."
Silence settled between them.
Then...
Lilian snapped her fingers.
"The wooden carvings."
Saline blinked.
"The one we saw?"
"Exactly."
Florence would totally love it.
Imagine giving her the rarest one in existence."
Saline lowered her eyes.
The words awakened another memory entirely.
Not of the village.
Of someone else.
The grey eyes guy.
A maddeningly arrogant smile.
She still remembered him standing beneath the forest trees.
She still remembered arguing with him.
And...
Much to her own annoyance...
She still wondered who he really was.
Her fingers absentmindedly brushed the grass beneath her.
"I wouldn’t mind seeing him again..."
The words escaped before she realized she’d spoken aloud.
Lilian immediately turned.
"...Who?"
Saline blinked rapidly.
"...No one."
"Saline."
"What?"
"You made that face."
"What face?"
"The thinking face."
"I don’t have a thinking face."
"You absolutely do."
Saline laughed nervously.
Perhaps she had become curious.
Only curious.
Nothing more.
At least...
That’s what she continued telling hersef.
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