Thank you so much for all your love and comments. It is always your feedback that pushes me to write. I got two days leave from my work and guess what I did. It is my work load that keeps me from writing . Hope you enjoy this chapter. It is late here. 2. 20 in the morning. So, if you guys are awake, please enjoy. Love you!

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Mew looks wonderingly at his son's tiny fist clasped on his thumb.

"Mmm... Mmm... baby and the mama going to new place... mmm... mmm... going to new place with dada in a wagon... mmm... mmm..." Gulf softly sings as he rocks Thorn on his chest.

Gulf jerks a bit with a wince and Mew knows his son has bitten the nipple in his sleep. Yet, the mama only smiles when Thorn mumbles a small 'mama' and that baby mouth stops suckling before spitting a drop of milk with a sigh.

Mew kisses the fist that is keeping his thumb still trapped as if Thorn's life depended on it.

"You hurt?" Mew asks Gulf and he receives a happy smile.

"Nothing to worry about."

Gulf shakes his head when Mew takes the pot from his sachet and applies the soothing gel on his nipples with his only free hand. "Thorn has teeth now. You shouldn't ignore his bites, especially on your immi." Mew gently shakes his hand without waking up his son and Thorn uncurls his fist and let Mew go with a frown in his sleep.

"Come on, buddy. Let mama rest." The former Emperor takes his son off his wife, whispering. "I thought he will never forgive me for shouting at him."

Mew rubs his hand on his son's head and Gulf cannot believe Mew still feels guilty about it.

Dad and son are thick friends and can be called as partners in crime according to Gulf. Their play time is dedicated to drive Gulf crazy up the walls but... it reminds him so much about his own happy childhood with his dad.

So, Gulf let them be.

But Gulf had warned Mew of teaching Thorn to punch this early in infancy. He is a baby and he does not know when to or who all he can punch and will end up punching everyone.

Did the 'know-it-all' listen?

'He is my son and he should know how to punch people.' P'Mew had said and Gulf failed to rest his case successfully.

Gulf could only say told-you-so when Thorn would squarely punch on Mew's eyes and nose, when the man expected to get baby punched on cheeks. Yes, it would hurt really bad.

P'Mew always learns Gulf's lessons slow.

A few days into 'training' Gulf and Thorn fought over something. If his memory serves him right, it was for yucky drops from the Royal Healer for good teething.

Fight and fight they did; but Mama Kana is no sucker for Thorn's fake cries unlike Daddy Mew and Papa Siwat.

As expected Thorn reverted to punching when kicks did not work. Gulf got two nice baby punches on his chest - he scolded Thorn promptly for it - but when Mama did not listen, Thorn threw his tiny fist right on Gulf's lips which was indeed still scolding him.

"THORN!"

When Mew shouted whole world including hell froze over. The winds stopped their plays on Gulf's Yellow Cruzhayles flowers.

Thorn jerked in Gulf's hand with wide eyes and did not recognize the person who was glaring at him.

His Ugly only smiled and laughed. 'Ugly?'

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" Mew advanced with heavy stomped to his son forgetting how young his son was. "IS THIS WHAT YOU ARE BECOMING? HURTING YOUR MAE?! THORN YOU ARE..."

Mew's voice steadily climbed up until he saw how his son was looking at him. Mew's words crawled back to his chest not being able to see Thorn's innocent eyes and opened 'o' mouth.

Mew blinked and his son blinked back.

"Mama..." Thorn's soft voice broke Mew's heart and it stopped beating when Gulf quickly twisted his body to the other side, patting his son's small back.

Bitter guilt tasted like vomit for Mew.

"Shhh... Baby..." Gulf rocked Thorn and Mew saw his son trying to literally get inside Gulf's chest in vain. He pressed his head deeper and deeper wiggling with his whole tiny body.

'Hiding from you.'

"Son..." Mew called Thorn. His son twisted his face away to the other side on Gulf's chest and Mew went to the other side with a sigh. "Look, I did not meant to..."

Thorn faced the other side with his squeezed shut eyes and Mew gulps his pain.

"Listen to me. I..." Mew went to the other side and it goes on until his son tucks his tiny head between his small palms, his nose smushed to Gulf's ribcage and Mew was worried if his son could breath.

Gulf pecked his son's head with love and comfort but he knew his son needed sometime alone.

"P'Mew..." Gulf sighed when the man looked at him like someone had scolded him too. "It is okay. He is... s.a.d. Give him some time."

"What? No. I can handle him. Just give him..." Mew touched his son's shoulder to pick him up but the baby screamed bloody murder.

'NOOOOOOOOO'.

"P'Mew!" Gulf's eyes chastised Mew for disobedience. "We need some time. Thorn will be with me. Please, carry on with your duties, My Emperor."

Mew had not figured it out why Gulf could make him feel like a scolded child.

Gulf bowed with his hand secure on his son's head.

Thorn refused to look out from the home of his palms and Gulf could feel his son taking deep but slow breath.

"Mama Kana's son... my sweetheart... aren't you my Small Sun... Show me your smile and make my day baby..."

There.

A whimper.

A small glitch in his son's deep breaths... and Gulf pecked his son's head again and rubbed his back.

"Mm... mmaa..."

"I am here, Thorn. Mama will always be here, for you."

Thorn wiggled and Gulf finally had to sit to keep his hold around his son secure and tight.

"It is okay baby, mama is not hurt. Awww... I know my son will never hurt me. Look at me baby... Ooooh... what are these tears for? Mama is smiling. I am not hurt, little one."

Thorn finally wailed and Gulf wiped away those tears.

"Oooh... I got you son... is okay. Did your friend scold you? Ahah? That is what friends do. They fight all the time." Gulf kissed his son's chubby hand that was patting his lips. "But... we will always listen to what they have to say before being angry, remember?"

'Noooo... I am bad.' Thorn could not understand the world around him and he trusted his mom to pull him through this storm.

"I love you Thorn. Mama loves you."

Thorn screamed louder.

"You are the best thing ever happened to me, Thorn. With you I received every blessing in my life. You are my sunlight, sweetheart."

Gulf squeezed his son tighter and Thorn's wails tapered off slowly.

"Son, you cannot hurt others to get your way. Okay? Your big friend taught you to punch so no one else will do that to you. But it is okay... you are too young and one day you will understand what mama is telling you, okay?"

Thorn blinked at him with an adorable pout. His son's big eyes slipped to Gulf's lips and the boy leaned up and kissed his bottom lip.

'Sorry, mae..."

There his son started crying again.

Sigh.

"Son... your friend, is not just your friend. He is someone very special to you." Gulf made sure that his son was listening to him. "His words are like my words. You can trust him and his words like you trust me. Okay, son? Now, I know why you are sad and angry at him but you have to listen to him... always."

'No. Meanie. No friend.'

"Yes, you will. So, now we go and talk to your friend. You better listen to him, okay? He is sad too. It is just he is too big that you cannot see him crying."

Thorn yawned before cuddling up to his chest.

"Where is my handsome boy?" Gulf asked and Thorn quickly opened his eyes. "There he is!!! As bright and handsome as the Sun God..." and your dad.

Mew was sitting on the garden swing with his tight eyebrows and thin lips when Gulf found him.

Thorn wiggled but his mae's eyes put him back in place.

"Mae... meanie. I no talk." Mew looked up when he heard his son's babble.

"Hello... friend.." Gulf took his son's hand and waved at Mew.

"Mae... nooo... I no talk! Put my hand down!"

Mew sighed and walked to them with dropped shoulders.

"I am mad at you for shouting at me. Don't you know I am small? I don't know things. Teach me with love, friend." Gulf said in small voice, in his son's stead.

"Mae... I do not talk like that. Don't embarrass me like that!"

"Well, make up you two. I have work in the kitchen. Do not fight again and do not scream at each other. I am sure you two can hear each other just fine. So talk... with love." Gulf's glare was pointed at Mew and the man nodded.

"I no go." Gulf placed his squirming mumbling son on Mew's chest anyways.

"I have to go." Gulf left in a hurry and his boys looked at each other with wonder.

"You heard your mae, we have to talk."

"Only for my mae."

Mew tried to pull his son's head to his chest but the stubborn infant turns his tiny body to wood.

"You know, I do not mean to scare you. I was angry and I..." Thorn glared and Mew stopped. "You are a baby and I should have told you the facts first."

"More like it. Carry on, Ugly meanie."

Thorn frowned when Mew did not try to talk. They sat – Thorn on Mew's thighs – on the garden swing with Mew closing his eyes shortly after.

Poke poke; Thorn finally had enough of the silence and poked on Mew's cheek. Mew grabbed his chubby hand and made a motion of eating it but gave it love – filled kisses.

"Did I scare you?" Mew kissed his son's cheek and Thorn glared again. "Yeah, stupid question, of course I did."

Mew had to think of why he forgot he was talking to his baby and the answer was simple; he could not think of Gulf getting hurt ever again. He only saw Gulf receiving punches and he lost his composure.

"Thorn. Your mae is no ordinary person." Mew started. "I know you never meant to but... if there is a person you cannot hurt, under any circumstances... Thorn, listen well, you cannot... ever hurt your mae. Not for fun, not for any excuses. Just that one person. Anyone else, I will leave it up to you. But your mae... he, you cannot hurt."

'I no hurt mae.' Thorns lips wobbled.

"I know son, I know but even unknowingly you cannot. You should not. You are a baby and I know this makes no sense to you but you cannot hurt your mae. You can kill me if you want to. You will be surprised at our legacy how sons kill for power and if you know who I truly am, you will kill me... which I will not object but Gulfie, your mae... the pain he has gone through, the struggles to have you, it is his love, baby boy and if there is a person, you have to surrender your ego, then it is him; your mother."

Mew gulps down his emotions.

"You will never find another mother like Gulf. Never. Just like I will never find a... forget it. You should not know it just yet. Just know your mama is my special person. And the pain I have given, unkowingly, is enough to last him for lives to come. So, you do not... okay son? If you want, I will be here to take your anger out but never..."

"Nobody is taking anger out on anyone." Gulf stood there with food pulp with black crystals ignoring his blushing cheeks at Mew's words. He gave the pulp to Mew to feed Thorn and took his baby back to his own lap.

Mew honestly thought Thorn would never open his baby mouth trusting Mew to feed him but his son did; the little bastard was pouting and scowling but, oh well.

Days have passed and yet the man still gets guilty. Gulf chuckles softly at Mew who is staring at Thorn.

"Do you think he is still mad?" Mew pouts and looks at Gulf.

"He has forgotten the whole incident, P'Mew. Let that go. Your shout scared him, that is all."

"You are right but for what it is worth, I promise I will keep my rage under control. I love him a lot, tua-eng."

"I know tee-rak." Gulf says and Mew jumps to him with a happy shout.

"Shhh... P'Mew! He is sleeping!"

The parents wait without breathing and when their son does not make a peep, takes a calming breath.

"You called me tee-rak!" Mew whispers.

"Am I not allowed to?"

Mew pinches Gulf's waist before giving a hard peck to those lotus coloured cheeks. "Allowed!"

Gulf giggles and then they hear another giggle from the other side. Mew groans and drops his head on his faen's wet chest.

"Looks our other son is up." Gulf playfully flicks Mew's chin and the man groans again and pulls of the curtain.

Mild is snoring softly and San has finished his feeding and is happily waiting for someone to pick him up.

"Come here you!" Mew plucks him from Mild's chest with a kiss on the boy's cheek. "Miss me?"

"WAH!" San hugs Mew's with both hands.

Mew fixes Mild's half open shirt and covers him in a thin blanket.

"I thought Nong wanted to see whole the world! He is out like candle on a windy night!" Mew complains to Gulfie and passes over the happy baby.

"He is something." Siwat is standing by the door with a sad smile. "He was worried you will be devastated to leave the positions of power and wanted to cheer you up. He hates travelling."

Mew pats his friend's shoulder affectionately. "You take rest now. I will sit with the driver. We will cross Foorpan river by twilight." He leans down and kisses his wife Gulfie's forehead before leaving.

"I am sorry Phi." Gulf mumbles when Siwat sits next to him. San, of course, leaps from his hands to Papa with a loud cackle.

"What for?"

"I... my decision was solely mine. I should have... discussed with you all... " Gulf ducks his head guiltily. "Mimi wanted to live in a palace and I took that away from him."

"Nonsense! He wanted to live in a palace because it looked luxurious. You know he was done with that place in a week. He thinks glitters will bring him happiness but he will throw away them in a blink. Sigh! God, I love him."

"I did not think P'Mew will... I thought your future in the palace was secure. I do not know what happened." Gulf whines and tears fill his eyes.

"He picked his love over glitters. That is what happened. Mew is not stupid, Gulf. Well, at least not always. He told me everything."

Gulf looks at Siwat in surprise.

"Re... really?"

"I am not that surprised. He is a family man. It is just he did not know who his family was till now."

Gulf plays with his fingernails.

"About discussing with us... yes, it would have made us more involved in your life but trust me Nong Gulf, the end result will be same because we know why and that is enough."

"Are you just saying it?"

Siwat rubs Gulf's shoulders. "You will know when you will know. Our words will not make a difference because you still believe you have done something wrong."

"What will happen to people now?" Gulf is worried. He had not even thought of Mew leaving the palace. Mew is a fair and wise ruler. What will happen to the Galoddhikeera?

"Ah ho! You can take the Empress out of the empire but cannot take the empire out of the Empress! Your subjects are safe and sound. The Elders have taken the power. They will follow The Great Buwsqo Rule protocol. Now, I am not so sure about the bureaucrats though. Tough."

Gulf does not understand what the man is saying. So, he keeps quiet. He will ask Khun Phi when he comes to rest.

Siwat joins his wife to nap while San and Gulf cuddles.

Gulf is indeed waiting when the man finally arrives the resting cabby. The dinner is served and he assures that everyone has had the dinner including the babies. Mew makes sure their sons are safely tucked inside and sleeping in the cradle.

Gulf hands over some sweets to Siwat to give to the driver and keeps the stash away from Mew until the man finishes his dinner.

"Guppiee..."

"You can have them after. They have no legs; they will not run away." Such a sweet tooth.

The dinner is simple but delicious. Mew kisses the hands that makes him healthy meals every day. "You are cold."

Mew can feel the coldness of Gulf's hands on his lips.

He throws the blanket around Gulf and preens when his wifey willingly leans to his shoulder. "Love... do not think even for a moment that you are a bad omen or any of that non sense."

Gulf frowns. "Noo..."

"Good, Nong Mild can break my heart with such words. You have no idea how his presence makes us all so happy. Right, tua-eng?"

Gulf nods. "It is his past talking."

"Yeah... that is why I asked you not to think the same."

"I am happy now, P'Mew that is what matters."

"I can make you happier." Mew wiggles his eyebrows and Gulf blushes right away.

"Oye! Smooth talker!"

"Mmm... not smooth as your lotus cheeks, my lotus."

"Lotus?" Gulf giggles and Mew smiles seeing the playfulness in his wife's eyes.

Innocent.

"I thought I was the Yellow Cruzhayles."

Mew's smile drops but his heart aches when Gulf looks really looks like he believes he is Yellow Cruzhayles to Mew.

The husband pulls his wife closer to chest and falls to the berth. Gulf Kanawut is the prettiest man ever. His big doe eyes can melt the frozen hearts with one blink.

"One day you will know what your blinks do to me. Then you will keep on doing it anyway. And that is the days I am waiting for." Mew leans down and kisses those lids with so much love that Gulf can feel them marking his soul.

Mew is... Gulf starts to think but he loses it when the man stares down at him. So beautiful; his faen's eyes.

The kiss is gentle on lips but not on heart and Gulf is pulled deeper to the pool of love.

Mew waits for his wife to slowly open his eyes and he can feel their bond simmering in the time waves of infinity.

"One day, you will be..." Mew rasps.

Gulf has no idea what his husband is saying but whatever it is, it is making his heart beat like thunder.

"Gulfie..."

"Hm?"

"You are not Yellow Cruzhayles to me..."

Gulf frowns. "But..."

Mew rubs his thumb on the plump bottom lip before stealing another deep kiss. "No... you are not Yellow Cruzhayles. I said that to hurt you. I thought you were a hired lover and I..."

Gulf hugs Mew and rubs his cheek on the man's chest.

"You never reminded me of Yellow Cruzhayles."

"Oh." Gulf pouts. They are beautiful. May be he does not remind Khun Phi of any flowers.

"There is no flower that will match your elegance, ethereal beauty and resilience. But... every time when I think of you, I think of a flower..."

Gulf jumps in happiness from the man's chest. "You do?!"

"Why are you so surprised? You know what you are to me."

Gulf nods shyly. "So... what is..." He should not keep his hopes high. He prays it is not some poisonous shrubs or... toxic...

"Desert flower." Mew seals his truthful answer with a kiss.

"Huh?" Gulf never heard of them. There are no flowers in the desert.

"A Sun Flower. That is what you remind me of. You are my Sun Flower."

"P'Mew..." Gulf wants to know so much. How is the flower like? Is it beautiful? Does it bring Mew happiness when he thinks about him or does he th...

"So like you... if only it is a bit more beautiful... if only its petal ruffle like your shiny hair..." Mew sighs and Gulf's hand curl around the man's neck. "The flower has nothing on you. Irony is, the flower so beautiful and rare, people used to think they were mythical. Their existence itself sounds mysterious and mythical to commoners; indeed, like you."

"A Sun Flower?"

"Yeah. Some call them the Desert Flower because they are found in deserts. Unlike the plants we know, this plant, the tree grows downwards into soil."

Gulf shakes his head.

"Believe me. They do. All their systems are under the hot burning soil and they live up to centuries. They bloom at night and trust me, only the Sun Flower will be seen on the top."

Mew knows he sounds like a crack but it is true.

"Inside the root web deep under the desert – remember the plant's shoots itself is deep in soil, so you can imagine how deep we are talking about with roots... they hold a gem known as..."

"The Desert Symphony." Gulf whispers. The Empress Crown holds this gem in the centre.

"Yes. You know why the name?"

Gulf adorably shakes his head and Mew cannot keep himself from pecking his lover again. "When the flower blooms, a symphony will be heard through the desert. I have heard it. Not all Desert Flowers hold the crystal through. Once in 400 years or so, if a hunter finds the roots right, a gem can be found."

"Sounds so..."

"Farfetched?"

"Yes."

But there is indeed a stone called Desert Symphony.

"Now to the mythological part." Mew bites Gulf's ear just for the fun of it and Gulf's mewls wants him to do... later. He clears his throat. "You know our Sun God and Moon Goddess fought for an Era?"

"They did?! How? Why?"

"Yeah, they did. Sun God once hurt Moon Goddess by kissing the Stone Goddess."

"No!" Gulf cannot believe it. They are his ideal couple.

"Yes. Sun God was infatuated by the Stone Goddess's attention and her gift, a shiny rock called Potedium – once believed the strongest substance ever known. He wanted her and the kiss was short lived but true of lust. In the moment of passion, The God announced his desire to bed and accept the Stone Goddess's love for eternity. He proclaimed that his pledge to Moon be dissolved soon after the mating ritual."

Gulf's eyes water. Poor Moon Goddess. The pain she might have felt.

"Of course, Moon Goddess came to know of it and her heart broke to two. The infatuated faen did not see the devastated Goddess until too late. The Goddess heard his declaration and her love for the Sun God fell down... to our world." Gulf sniffles and Mew chuckles. "This is just a story."

"I know. Tell me the rest."

"The Moon Goddess lost her shine and brightness. It was the lost 'love' that made her glow. The Moon Goddess slowly disappeared right in front of the God. Unlike the Moon's Love, Potedium cannot glow. When the light of Moon disappeared, so does the Sun's infatuation for he could not see Stone Goddess anymore."

"Then?" Gulf asks eagerly.

"Good night."

"Wha?!!! P'MEW!!!"

"Shhh... kids are sleeping. Joking faen... Anyways the fool looked for the lost love –the shine – everywhere. The other part in Sun's heart started glowing a thousand fold searching for its counterpart and the heat destroyed everywhere and everything... including Potedium... except, of course..."

"Moon Goddess' shine – the Desert Symphony." Gulf gasps out.

"Yes, the tears from the Goddess's eyes formed a small ocean in the parched soil of our land and from which a tree started growing. The tree kept the Shine as gratitude and it shifted its growth downwards away from the Sun's eyes with its only flower showing above soil. Every other flowers turned into ash because of Sun's wrath... but the Sunflower shines brightly. After all her love for him can be concealed never blown out. You my beautiful desert flower, you are my Sunflower because..."

"You are making it up. A lie." There is no way... and to tell a story like this to Gulf. A story that reminds them of their own. A coincidence? No. P'Mew is...

"Why would I lie to you?" Mew smirks and Gulf cannot handle it.

"Aaahhyyii..." Gulf makes some sound and Mew has to admit that it is adorable. "Faen knows how to play with hearts."

If Gulf says it is not real, that also means Mew took this much effort to make Gulf happy and that itself is romantic but...

Mew is not one to lie just to prove a point.

Yet, the story so beautiful Gulf is afraid to believe it. What if...

"You can check the libraries on Taxonomy of Gunjgara to know the real flower. If we were still in palace, Royal Flora Scrolls would be enough to read mythology. I will take you to Nahseelan Library one day. They have colourful descriptions. Then you will know..."

Gulf plays with the metal button on Mew's collar. "I... love the story. That is enough, P'Mew..."

"Mmm... but not what you deserve. You deserve my every truth, Sun Flower. You are my Moon, aren't you?"

"P'Meeeewww... ayinnwaa..."

"You make up adorable words and sounds when you are flustered and shy. Like the Symphony... May be if I hunt closer to your flower..." Mew's finger brushes down to Gulf's intimate opening. "Will you sing our Symphony?" The soft whispered raspy voice is followed by a gentle bite that is enough to get his wife willing for his demands.

"Our babies are..."

"Sleeping... I want to hear your..."

"P'Mew..." Mew gulps when Gulf leaves his chest with his seductive half closed eyes and glowing skin.

"My True Moon." Mew calls. "The Moon is beautiful today..."

Gulf bites his lower lip and checks their kids. Mew wants to pin his wife down under him but he patiently waits for the fawn to fix the shade on the cradle... so even if their kids wake up...

Mew growls and the fawn has the audacity to shush him. He barely waits for Gulf to be done and his hands and lips are all over the love of his life; Gulfie.

"Sing for me, faen..."

Gulf does.

The notes misplaced, the pitches concealed, "Nhh ah!"... yet at the depth of Gulf's roots Mew indeed finds the gem he is looking for.

"You know how their story end?" Mew pants and Gulf cutely mewls; tired and sated.

"No, darling."

"Their story will never end... like ours..." Mew smiles when Gulf sighs with a soft satisfied smile and falls asleep on his chest. "You will be my Tenyar- Tee- Rak, tua-eng... We will be bound to lives of eternity. Your Symphony is mine; mine alone."