?After a few moments, Queen Selene's body melted into Orion's embrace. "I always feel as though my worries are taken away whenever I am in your arms," she said, sighing deeply as she shifted her eyes upwards to look at Orion again.
Her breathing began to grow heavy, and she leaned in once more. Instead of kissing Orion on his cheeks this time around, she pressed her soft lips against Orion's own. As their lips intertwined, ensuring they shared a deep, wet kiss, Queen Selene suddenly pulled her head backwards, breaking off the kiss.
Queen Selene looked at Orion with her hazy eyes. "Please, can you keep this a secret from Crystalia, at least for now?" Queen Selene asked.
Orion nodded in understanding. "Don't worry. I keep this a secret until we are ready to reveal it to Crystalia," he responded.
He understood Queen Selene's mindset and agreed that this was the best decision they could make at the moment. Slowly revealing their relationship to Crystalia seemed wiser than doing so abruptly when they were still uncertain of the repercussions.
Queen Selene smiled brightly, leaning in to kiss Orion again before pulling back. "Thank you," she responded.
Orion shook his head. "You do not need to thank me," he replied.
Just as Queen Selene was about to speak again, a knock abruptly resounded from the door.
"Are you two done discussing in there?" Crystalia's voice sounded from outside the door.
They both immediately broke free from the hug, and Queen Selene walked forward to open the door.
"You can come back in," Queen Selene said, holding the door for Crystalia to re-enter the room.
Crystalia entered the room with a tray filled with various fresh sliced fruits from the farm, setting it down on the table beside the king-sized bed. She then redirected her attention to Orion and her mother. "Alright, so are you two going to tell me what you are talking about or not?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at them.
However, as they both remained quiet, Crystalia exhaled deeply, realizing she couldn't get a response from them.
"Fine! Whether you choose to tell me or not, I'll sooner or later find out what you are hiding," she added firmly, deciding to drop the conversation. "Mother, you need to eat more and rest until Healer Valeria comes to confirm your health," she directed her attention to Queen Selene before turning to Orion. "And Orion, I won't be following you home today. I'll spend the night here at the Palace Manor to ensure Mother has truly recovered."
Queen Selene nodded in agreement. She understood that Crystalia had already decided, and changing it would be difficult. Since they rarely had time to spend together, especially nowadays, she saw this as an opportunity for them to bond and catch up, especially to learn more about the uniqueness and chaos of Orion's household.
Orion also agreed with Crystalia's words and saw no reason to disagree. "I won't be coming to escort you back home tomorrow because I have something to do in the Garden," he responded.
"Okay, take care of yourself," Crystalia responded with a nod, sensing that it might be related to a private matter between Orion and the Princess of the Garden.
Since she had been unconscious in the Garden, Queen Selene was curious about what Orion was talking about. However, understanding that this might be a private issue, especially considering Orion's unique connection to the Garden, she kept her question to herself. She walked to the bed to sit down.
Orion bid them goodbye, and they responded, watching as he walked out the door.
Orion stood before the second large reinforced crystal and wooden door that sealed off Garden from the outside and stepped into its serene confines. When he entered, he made his way towards the Princess of the Garden's regular area.
"I knew you would come on time," the Princess of the Garden greeted with a warm smile; she understood just how much this meeting meant to Orion, so she had already expected him to be here on time.
"Come, they are awaiting your arrival," she added, turning around and leading the way forward.
Orion nodded and followed behind her, walking deep into the Garden. After about twenty minutes of walking, they finally reached their destination.
Once they arrived, Orion couldn't help but inhale deeply, taking in the scene before him. Stretching out in front of him were hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Pixies occupying the grassy plain and perched on the branches of tall trees. Some even floated in the air, filling every inch of their surroundings. Orion could discern the sea of Pixies with his sharp eyesight, allowing him to see both the young and old, leading him to believe that he was looking at all of the Guardians of the Garden.
"It's just as you thought. Since this is the first time they've welcomed an outsider besides me in several thousand years, each of them has chosen to gather here to witness the process firsthand," the Princess of the Garden explained, noticing Orion's contemplative expression.
"Process?" Orion said with a raised brow, unable to fully understand what the Princess of the Garden was talking about.
The Princess of the Garden nodded in response, "Yes. Since you are going to be meeting with the Guardians of the Garden, you'll need to be on the level where you can communicate with them," she responded, her eyes fixed on Orion's figure as she scrutinized him from head to toe.
Nonetheless, she noticed Orion's pondering expression before it suddenly turned into astonishment, as if he had just grasped her meaning. "Don't tell me that you were expecting to meet them ?" she asked, raising her brows.
Orion nodded with a tired sigh escaping him, prompting a light chuckle to escape the Princess of the Garden's lips.
However, just as she was about to respond, the Guardians of the Garden, who had been still in their positions, suddenly began to move.
They both fixed their gaze forward and watched the unfolding scene.