Of course, Sam came. He was too nice to refuse. He arrived at seven-forty-three, just as the sun began its descent. Golden light spilled across the park, turning everything amber and rose.
Urien stood beside the garden’s edge, hands shoved in his pockets to keep from fidgeting, his heart stone throbbing beneath his shirt.
Sam spotted him and waved, crossing the grass with that easy stride Urien had watched from their surveillance perch outside his cottage. Sam had worn jeans and a navy jumper that made his eyes look darker.
“Hey.” Sam stopped a few feet away, slightly breathless. “I got your note. Basil nearly shredded the door trying to attack it, but I got it.”
“I heard him.” Urien’s mouth twitched. “He’s very dedicated.”
“He’s a menace.” Sam adjusted his glasses, glancing past Urien towardthe flower beds. “What did you want to…” He stopped mid-sentence.
The garden stretched before them, nearly a hundred feet across. Salvias bloomed scarlet and bright, marigolds glowed golden in the sunset, and petunias spread purple and lush. White begonias bordered each section, and crimson dahlias punctuated the design. From ground level, it looked like an elaborate geometric pattern.
Sam stepped closer.
“Did you plant all these?” His voice sounded breathless. “Urien, they’re gorgeous.”
“Thank you.” Urien’s chest tightened. Sam couldn’t see it yet - the letters, the heart, the declaration spelled out for anyone looking from above. But he saw the beauty and understood the effort. That had to count for something.
Sam walked into the garden, following the white begonia borders between the sections. His fingersbrushed a salvia bloom, gentle as if afraid to damage it.
“These are my favorite red flowers.” Sam crouched beside the salvias, examining them with clear delight. “I’ve tried growing them before, but mine always get leggy.”
“Pinch them back early,” Urien said automatically. “Before they set buds. It forces lateral growth instead of vertical.”
Sam glanced up, smiling. “You really do know everything about plants.”
“I’ve had practice.”
More than Sam could imagine. Dragons hoarded and Urien hoarded knowledge about making things grow.
Sam stood, moving deeper into the garden. He touched a marigold, releasing its pungent scent, and then ran his hand over the petunias’ velvet petals. He stopped beside the dahlias, turning to take in the whole display.
“How long did this take?”
“Three days.”
“Three…” Sam shook his head, wonder plain on his face. “This is incredible. I mean, really incredible. The town council must be thrilled.”
“They were amenable to the project.” Urien didn’t feel the need to explain the donation Mabon had made to resurface the parking lot and repair the playground equipment.
Sam now walked the perimeter, examining each section with genuine interest. He recognized the plant varieties, appreciated the color combinations, and noticed how Urien had arranged different heights and textures for maximum visual impact.
But he still hadn’t seen the pattern, and Urien wondered if perhaps he couldn’t see it from the angle he was standing.
The sun sank lower, painting everything gold and shadow. Sam stopped beside Urien again, close enough that Urien’s dragon surged forward, desperate to touch, claim, andkeep.
“Why did you invite me here?” Sam’s voice was quiet. “To see this?”
“Yes.” Urien’s throat felt tight. “I wanted you to see what I do.”Please see it,and then he just had to ask because he couldn’t wait anymore. “What do you see?”
Sam tilted his head, studying the garden with those warm brown eyes. The sunset caught his glasses.
“I see…” He gestured toward the salvias. “Passion, maybe? All that red. And the gold – warmth and brightness. The purple adds depth.” He walked forward, hands clasped behind his back like he was afraid to touch too much. “The white borders keep it from being chaotic. Everything has its place.”
Urien’s heart stone flared. Sam saw meaning in the colors and structure of the design. But not the letters, not his name spelled out in flowers large enough to be visible from the sky.
“What else?” The question sounded desperate even to his own ears.
