“Lucian, can we have a garden?”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“I mean when you rescue me and we get married and have our own place. I’d like to have a garden. You have such a way with plants. Everything you touch becomes so beautiful. Please plant me a garden,” she added, batting her eyelashes and smiling.
He laughed, “Very well, Moira, we’ll have a garden. You tell me what you want, and I’ll make it your very own paradise.”
“I’ll take anything you give me.”
For a while, Lucian just looked back at her. Her smile was so inviting and her eyes so mesmerizing. Sebastian noticed them. “Well, now, you two have certainly been busy.”
The moment broken, Moira blushed and said, “Yeah, um, I need to go get dressed.”
“You do that,” Sebastian replied. “I’m going to stay here and help Lucian finish.” As soon as she was out of earshot, he turned to Lucian. “Be careful with the mooneyes,” he warned gently. “Kissing isn’t allowed for you yet.”
“Why not? Maybe she won’t have a spell that depends on love’s first kiss.”
“Are you willing to take that chance?”
Lucian sighed, “No, I guess not. She’s just so…”
“I know,” Sebastian said with a chuckle. “Believe me, my boy; I’ve been in your shoes. My first wife, Isabelle, was a gloriously beautiful creature. But, had I kissed her before my quest, she would have been stuck as a green-skinned, seaweed-headed mermaid for life. Somehow I don’t think that’s what you want for Moira. Keep that in mind when your heart runs away with your head.” He winked and walked away to another area.
As the sun reached its pinnacle, the group busily readied for the ceremony. Moira, Leticia and Allegra had already changed and were helping Rowena get into her gown. Lucian and Lysander were standing with Sebastian, waiting for the ladies to arrive. A local minister was there to perform the ceremony. Soon music filled the air from a small band borrowed from the fair. Alexandra and Lavinia welcomed guests as they arrived and helped them to their seats. Soon everyone was seated and Lucian took his place off to the side holding the rings. The doors of the tent Rowena had changed in slowly opened and the three girls stepped out, taking their walk down the aisle before standing to the opposite of where Lucian was. Rowena then appeared. She looked stunning in a pastel blue gown. Her brown eyes sparkled and her silver-white hair had been woven with flowers and ribbons. She was carrying a large bouquet of summer flowers and her face was radiant with joy. When she reached her place, Sebastian took her hand. “You are breathtaking, my love.”
She smiled and the ceremony began. Lucian’s thoughts kept straying from the wedding he was currently in, to the one he would be the groom in. His eyes flitted to Moira at moments he thought she wasn’t looking. She was everything to him, his world. As soon as he finished his quest, they could be married like this. He hoped that it would be summertime or maybe spring. They could be married on the seashore surrounded by the calls of gulls and the sound of crashing waves. Yes, a summer wedding at the beach would be perfect.
His thoughts were interrupted by a cheer as Sebastian gently kissed his new bride. They both seemed younger almost, as though any cares they’d had were suddenly wiped away. The music began again and Sebastian led Rowena to the nearby field which had been cleared for dancing. They began their first dance together and were soon joined by many other couples. “Shall we?” Lucian asked Moira.
She smiled, “There’s music. Why not?”
Moira leaned against him for a moment as they danced. She looked up and said, “Am I the only one terrified that this is our last year at school?”
“No. It’s scary to think about.”
“Yeah.” She looked concerned for a moment. “Lucian, promise me you won’t give up, no matter how hard the quest is. Don’t make me wait fifty years.”
“I won’t make you wait that long,” he assured her. “I promise.”
“Good, because if you do; I won’t be as forgiving as Rowena.”
He laughed, “No, Moira, I don’t expect you would be.”
The celebration continued late into the evening and even after nightfall. Lucian enjoyed the time with his princess and with Allegra. He made sure to spend time with each of them because in the morning, he would be returning to school once again.
Year 6 Chapter 2
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As the school year began, the boys shared one class together; heraldry. On the first day, Stefanos began, “I know for those of you who have had me multiple times, it must seem very strange for me to do a lecture all day, but there are many things about heraldry that are very important for you to understand. First of all, you need to know that your coat of arms will be designed by you. We will use the school coat of arms as an example and then we will discuss the symbolism and terms used in heraldry. Before I begin, please take out paper and pen to take notes.”
He pulled out a chalkboard and pointed his wand at it as the students obeyed his request. Chalk jumped to life and the image of a coat of arms appeared. “This is the Charming Academy coat of arms. I shall describe it using the heraldic terms that you will need to be familiar with in this class. You would do well to write the description down as there will be a quiz later.” There was some groaning. “As you can see, we have two supporters, the azure unicorn rampart and the purpure dragon rampart. The shield is vert with the following charges: argent crossed swords and below that or palm leaves.”
“Those are palm leaves?” Jacobi whispered. “They look like feathers.”
Lucian nodded as Stefanos continued, “Each color and charge has meaning and symbolism. Azure or blue, as found in the unicorn, stands for loyalty while the unicorn itself is virtue and courage. Purpure, purple, stands for royalty; the dragon is a symbol of valor. The swords stand for justice; argent, the word for silver, sincerity. The palm is victory, and royal honor while the color or, gold, stands for generosity. The vert, green, of the shield stands for hope and loyalty to your love. The decision to use these particular symbols and colors is simple; these are the traits we expect our students to have. In using this as our coat of arms, we are reminded of the tasks ahead of us and the traits that we desire.”
After class was over, the boys left the room more confused than they had been before. “You know, if this class is reserved for your final year,” Lucian said slowly, “how will Adrian and Kaelen take it?”
“They already have,” Stefanos said behind them, startling them. “The witches suggested that they take heraldry last year. Turns out they were right as usual.”
As the day progressed, Lucian didn’t think much more about the heraldry class. He was too busy trying to figure out the knots Achilles was teaching him. “A fine sailor you’d make,” Achilles grumbled. “When you tie a knot, it is important to make it tight. Just making a mess out of the rope will get someone killed.”
“Sorry, Achilles,” Lucian said. “I am trying.”
“Well quit trying and start doing.”
Lucian scowled. When Achilles thrust the rope back at him, he started the knot again. Like I’m ever really going to use this, Lucian thought. The more frustrated he felt, the worse the knot looked until he was stuck with the same tangled mess he’d had before. “This isn’t working at all. Can’t I work on something else? Signal flags? Rescue swimming?”
“You’re not leaving this room until you get that knot done right,” Achilles replied.
“Achilles,” a feminine voice chided from the doorway, “just because you’re having a bad day doesn’t mean you can take it out on everyone else.”
“Hi Tallia,” Lucian said as she entered the room.
“Hello, Lucian. Let me help you with that.” She waved her wand and the rope straightened out. “As for you,” she continued, turning on Achilles, “I don’t want one more boy coming to my office telling me that you’ve bitten their head off.” Despite being short for a fairy, Tallia seemed to grow as Achilles glared at the floor. “Yo
ur mother chose to leave for a purpose we can’t fully comprehend. It was her choice. No one forced her, no one coerced her. She chose to go with Kaelen because she felt that he needed her. Quit pouting and start doing your job.”
“How would you feel?”
Her eyes narrowed and sparks flew from her wand. “You forget, Achilles, my parents are already gone. I’ve been on my own for quite some time.”
Feeling incredibly awkward Lucian squeaked, “Is class over?”
“No.”
“Yes.”
There was a glaring contest between Achilles and Tallia until sighing, he said, “Yes, Lucian, class is over. You’d best do better next time.”
Not waiting for even a second longer, Lucian walked as quickly as he could from the room. Because he wasn’t watching where he was going, he ran headlong into George.
“Ouch! Hey, Lucian, so nice to bump into you again,” he teased.
“Sorry, I wanted to get away from the fireworks,” Lucian replied.
“Tallia and Achilles again?”
“Yeah.” He briefly described what had gone on.
George whistled. “I guess I can understand where Achilles is coming from. I mean, if my mother just up and left I’d be pretty ticked off too. But I didn’t know that Tallia’s parents were both gone.”
“I guess even fairies die eventually.”
“It’s not precisely dying, as I understand it. They turn to magic fairy dust which acts almost like a