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đost would call it magic, for indeed it must have been, when the princess resided there. Stories told to children
in their beds spoke of aâ secret gardenâ that bloomed andâ bloomed, each day revealing a new miracleâ and of
the wonders thatâ happened in thatâ eternal sanctuary. Buds of everyâ flower unfurled its petals toâ show their
vibrant colors. Every shade of turquoise and scarlet. Every hue of violet,â coral, and gold. Every flower known to
the mortal realm pushed through the earth, in the beds, even in the cracks and crevices of the palace. Marbled
pathways passedâ through silkenâ poppies,â irises and white liliesâ that spilled out ofâ the grass inâ clusters and
under hangingâ wisteria that droppedâ from the beams.â Bouquets of purple and pink foxglove,â lavenderâ and
delphiniums danced in the fragrant breeze nextâ to alabaster fountains,â pavilions sat under sleepy willow trees
and the thorny roses of the labyrinths tangled around statuettes with worn, forgotten faces.
đŁhen there wereâ the floraâ of the faewilds.â Silvermoss that carpeted the greatâ forestâ said to cureâ any illness,
dragon sage whoseâ blades were sharpâ enough to cut, cinderbloomâ that felt warm to the touch,â and trails of
twilight mushrooms that glowed under the light of the moon. The most fabled was the apple trees that grew at
the center of this paradise, legendary trees of silver branches with golden bells thatâ hung from its limbs and, it
is said, the goldenâ apples that could grant immortality.â But no flower was lovelier and coveted than the divine
princess who tended to thisâ ornate garden, with lips redderâ than the rose and whoâ danced withâ the pixies in
fairy rings. Does and their fawns,â having known no predators,â just as sheâ herself had known no illness or fear,
ate freely from her palm and robins led her to nests were spotted eggs lay under the feathery breast and careful
wings of its mate, Herâ days consisted of planted new blooms and saplings, caring forâ the great forest's wildlife
and fae folk, nursing wounds, welcoming new life, and performing the rites of the fae.
đut in this fairy tale, there was a warning to all. Beware. Nature itselfâ jealously guarded the garden and its
daughter against any foolish mortal who sought to claim itâs riches. There was only one door, and one key.