Chapter 41: Seeing the fruits

 Baliel had a free day from his official job, and he was now at Orion's place and ready to help with the gardening. Much to his surprise, Orion and Darius were waiting for him. The boy's tail was wagging, and he was practically bouncing up and down. 

"What did I tell you about the tail, boy?" Baliel asked, but the boy just rushed to him and hugged him. 

"I will be going to Orestria Academy with Nastia and Prisi," Darius all but shouted, so excited he was. 

 "Who and who?" The elf asked, confused. 

"Anastasios and Prisila," Darius clarified, and the elf nodded. 

"So, next spring, you will be a grown-up?" Baliel asked, and Darius nodded. 

"I will be taller than you," Darius teased, and the elf tugged his ear. 

"Way to lord your genes over the rest of us," the elf muttered, but he was not even annoyed. Orestria Academy was the best battle academy in all the realms. Its graduates went to being the elite of the Magical Cosmos. 

"He wanted to learn how to take care of plants, if that is ok with you?" Orion asked, and then came to them. Baliel had him in a tight embrace in a moment, sandwiching the demon boy between them. 

"A day with my favorite people? How can I say no to that?" Baliel asked, and then kissed Orion on the forehead. The Fey huffed, and brought the elf's mouth closer to his, and captured his lips in a kiss. 

Baliel chuckled, and then stepped away from the Fey. 

"I don't understand why you insist on staying at the tavern," Orion asked, as if he had asked that many times before. 

"When I know for certain that your heart is mine, then I will move in with you," Baliel used the same argument he had used for the past two weeks. 

"But, I..." Orion tried to protest, but a finger was placed on his lips. 

"Soulmates or no, we barely know each other. How do the new laws go?" Baliel asked, changing the subject. 

"The taxpayers don't like them," Orion said with a sigh. "But they are already in force. If the ship captains want to get their crates unloaded, then they have to pay 11 copper coins per day. The same goes for chores and the like." 

Darius looked up at the lord's face with wonder. 

 "That is a room and a meal," the boy said, doing the math in his head. "You are taking the homeless off the streets?"

At the hopeful note of the boy, the lord felt shame that he hadn't done this all before. 

"That is my intention. When you come back from Orestria, I doubt that you will see any beggars on the streets," Orion said, and he was hugged again. 

"Thank you, uncle Orion," the boy's tail began to wag, and his eyes teared up. "If Beth was alive now..." 

"I am sorry for being blind, my boy," Orion said, knowing that no apology will ever make things right. He held the child, as Darius's shoulders began to shake.

 Kneeling down, so he can be at an eye level with the boy, he took his chin in between his fingers and rose the boy's head to stare into his eyes. They were the brightest blue eyes that Orion had ever seen. 

Eyes that have seen sorrow. Ones that should have known only happiness.

"I am to blame for many of the misfortunes in the town, it is true. But if you can find it in yourself to forgive me, and help guide me, then you will always have my ear," Orion promised, and the boy let out a sob. "Now, can I get a smile?"

There was the ghost of a smile on the boy's lips then, and Orion ran a hand through the child's shoulder-length red hair. In the two-hundred years that the boy will be gone, perhaps he would understand that the Fey was not perfect, even when he tried to be the best person and lord he could be. 

"Well, how about we tend to the flowers now?" Baliel asked, trying to cheer both of his companions up. That got their attention, and Orion stood up. 

"You can water the plants if you'd like, Darius," Orion suggested, and Darius nodded. 

"I will water them, and see what Baliel does for them," the demon boy said. He wanted to have a big garden of his own, when he grew up and he and Anastasios went to live together. 

A big garden, a house big enough for a family, but small enough to be cozy. A dog as well. Gods, I will miss Pavel. 

Darius shook his head, to clear it, and then went about his work. As Baliel removed the dried leaves and pruned the roses, Darius followed him around and watered the plants. The demon boy felt sorry about the petunias, but with a bit of mana, Baliel got them to straighten up. The boy watched closely as the elf used mana on the plants. 

The process was similar to the rune making process. Every plant had its own mana resonance, and Baliel first had to get a feel for it, before he treated the plants.

When they were done, they placed straw on the ground amidst the flowers, to keep the moisture in the soil and to fertilize them, and Darius looked to the adults for further instructions. 

"I think it is time for a drink," Orion suggested, as he headed towards the front door. He had helped them with the straw, and had done his fair share of dead leaves removal. 

"Warm chocolate?" Darius asked, hopeful. 

"So close to dinner? I am sorry, my boy. How about tea with just a spoonful of honey?" Orion suggested, and Darius's tail wagged. As long as he was getting something sweet, he didn't mind that it was not chocolate. 

"Tea sounds lovely," Darius said, and then was led inside the house. They washed their hands in the washing basin that was by the door, and then went to the drawing room to wait for the tea.