~*~

"I can't stop thinking about our wedding day with Silver." Shinja sighed in thought before realizing she had actually said it out loud. "I guess that is what happiness does to someone." She rarely spoke her thoughts out loud not even when she was alone. The previous night had been filled with dreams. Dreams that made her breath catch in her throat each moment that they made a round in her mind that morning.

The mingle and tingle. Shut up brain! What? Okay maybe, there was no need to admonish her brain that much. The feeling was mutual. She could not stop thinking about what had been and what could have been if she had stayed longer with the prince. Funny. Crazy. Unbelievable. It was all going to change soon.

If Silver could have her, she was willing to become his wife and only then would they go further than they had the previous night. She had promised herself a dignified offering only to the man who would make her a wife.

She stood in front of the mirror thinking and smiling. The white-toothed grin she had pasted on her face, grew wider with each movement. Preening up for her date with a few touches to her hair doubled with a bright red gown, lips painted a deep scarlet well contrasted with her complexion.

A second before she could proceed to leave her room a knock rapped on her door. Who could that be?

"Shinja, can I come in?" It was her father's voice. Father? What could he possibly want? Well, you will not find out by gawking at the door like a suffocating gecko. Go on, ask him in! Right.

"Come in father." She made a gesture to straighten her non-creased gown, more out of nervousness than the presence of actual creases.

My God, Shinja! Is that sweat? She passed her hand over her perspiring brow. Indeed, she was breaking into a sweat. For the love of God, calm your horses. I am trying. It's your father not an army. I know. She really was trying even though her nerves had a way of sneaking up on her lately. Not nice from where she stood. She pulled the door open on a jolt.

Her father walked into the room his gaze travelling across the room before it landed on her. The main reason why he was in that room in the first place. Her. She looked so beautiful. Always amazing! Was she about to go somewhere?

"I hope you are alright my little girl." He started the conversation. Shinja only nodded quite gaily, her nervousness soon forgotten. She sensed that her father was here on no other intention but to check on her well-being. He always did this—checked up on her abruptly.

The gaiety in her nod told her father of the happiness she felt. It answered the questions he might have had concerning the wariness reflected on her face earlier. So, he asked another question.

"Where to this fine morning my dear?" His eyes made another detour of her gorgeous scarlet gown in fatherly adoration. Her cheeks shaded a bright red at their tops as she answered.

"Silver asked me out on a date papa." Oh, was all that her father mouthed in understanding—shaking his head in affirmative comprehension—before saying more.

"You have grown so much my dear." He said adoringly before adding on a whim, "Be careful Shinja." He said as a reflection than a warning as he walked to her side and held both her hands in his.

Shinja understood the underlying meaning in those words, the unspoken depths. She had taken his speech about keeping yourself for the one you love, being pure till the day your true love married you. Her sentimentality had her sticking to the pearl of wisdom. She did not know about her sisters but her romanticized ideology about love had her holding onto that for the rest of her life.

'It is a gift therefore meant for a special person on a special day. You will not regret ever protecting yourself for the one you love. That one true love.' Her father had urged her thus. She heeded to his advice. The day would finally come.

She hoped that her love, Silver, would consider it a gift as much as she did. She had a lot of feelings at that moment. Scared. Excited. Confused?

She nodded.

"I hope you two go to the Secret Garden," Pink-White continued, cutting off her walk down memory lane and the future. "You know that place where you hid the other time?" He smiled at her. She shifted on the balls of her feet, one foot at a time, hither-thither.

"I know the Secret Garden father."

"I know you do. Take Silver there. Okay? That place does wonders. It will make you grow fonder of Silver. I guarantee it."

Grow fonder of him? Shinja's tiny nose scrunched up in confusion. I am confused daddy. She wanted to say. What did the secret garden have to do with anything? Her father saw the turmoil sweep across her creased forehead.

He let go of her hands and touched her shoulders instead leading her to where they could sit down on the couch positioned in a corner of her room next to her makeshift bath. He guided her into a sitting position. Pink-White was going to clear the air and he was sure his curious shy daughter would love the tale he had to tell. The perplexity of what he had said would soon clear after she heard what he was going to say.

"Your grandmother, my dear, Terese had many interesting tricks up her sleeve." He began. At the mention of her grandmother's name, Shinja's eyes lit up.

That's what I thought too. There it is. Pink-White smiled in thought. "The Secret Garden was like a little magic lab for your grandmother. Each time she was down there, she would come up with something new. Herbs, spells, potions... many things. I am quite surprised that she never told you about what I am about to reveal." He shook his head and smiled some more.

"Well, come on dad. You know you have my utmost attention now. Please, do not stop." That got Pink-White laughing. His shoulders shook with the action. He was never going to get used to the fact that his shy girl only got bold and quite impatient on such matters. Matters of sentimental value. Things that meant to her dearness.

"Papa, come on please. Silver is about to worry and I need to know this before I go. It must be of great importance. You said that it will make him grow fonder of me. I want that. Tell me papa, please."

Her pleas sounded urgent. Pink-White's smile however, did not waver. Funny. Frustrating. The two were experiencing these emotions simultaneously, in contrast of the latter and the former.

"Calm down, my darling. I am going to tell you. It is not as serious or bad if that is what you are thinking. My mother, your grandmother, found out many things while in the Secret Garden. She taught Evalene and I a few of those tricks too.

"Well, she mostly taught your mother. I, however, learnt through association. She learnt. I learnt. I will tell you how that came about." He laughed as he looked out into space, the look on his face indicated that he was conjuring up a memory from far off in his past.

A good memory.

Shinja shifted in her seat. She was getting impatient again, he sensed. He started to speak again this time in a quiet soothing voice that seemed to disappear somewhere in his throat, so thick with emotion. It was mostly like this whenever he was telling her about their mother or his parents. His daughter felt the shift in atmosphere, so she kept really still as if saying a word would break his train of thought and she would miss on gold. She did not want that. She watched her father closely. He spoke.

"One time, your mother and I were going out on a date—just like you and Silver are about to do—when Terese called Evalene aside. It was odd I tell you. They whispered and I could not hear a thing. You do not know how hard I tried. Only after the entire incident, did I get to know what she had asked of Evalene."

"What did the garden have to do with any of that father?" Shinja asked still lost.

"That my dear, is what you are about to find out, what I am about to tell you." He smiled and looked away into space, Shinja traveled with him.

Seeing what he saw.

~*~


A time before Pink-White was king.

~*~

Terese and Evalene stood out of earshot of Pink-White as they discussed hocus-pocus. Seventeen-year-old Pink-White worried his lower lip with his pearl-white teeth. What are they talking about? He only picked one vague word if he was ever lucky to hear a thing of what they were saying. Gar-ren-? What was that she said? Goodness! This is so frustrating!

"When you get to the Secret Garden, there are specific flowers. You will know them when you see them." Terese winked at Evalene and then added. "Make sure my son touches one of them. If he truly loves you, the flower he has touched will turn to white. Its initial color does not matter. If his love is true, whatever color the flower was before will turn to white. That will be his final test. We have come so far my child."

"Yes, mother. I will do that," she said giggling and lingered around for a while digesting what Terese had told her. The older woman saw the young lady and got her moving immediately.

"Well, away you go child. The dreams should be saved for the night. It is day, the time to act. It waits for no man, not even a lady as sweet as yourself. Do not forget what we have discussed. Use it." Evalene was still giggling as Terese pushed her towards Pink-White who was pacing.

Use it? What did she mean by 'use it'? What have they been whispering about? Pink-White burned with curiosity. He tried several times to pry the answers out of his lover when they went away from his mother and she would not let anything slide.

"Are you ever going to tell me what that was about?"

Evalene shook her head no.

"Will you ever tell me?"

This time she spoke. "No."

One word? Come on! She could not seem to control her giggles. To put it right, she was a giggling mess. A very cute one. He liked making her laugh but this time was not THE TIME. He was not being funny.

Poor lad was not even trying, and there she was laughing herself silly. He wanted to know what his sneaky mother whispered to his lover. He actually felt left out. Annoyed. Disturbed.

"Come on! Not even a clue?"

"Nope, nothing." Her lips smirked together shut.

"Pleaseeee..." He tried her puppy-eyed-eyelashes-batting-across-her-cheeks-look but that did not work either. Ugh...

"You know that is not going to work. Though, if it is any help, you will find out soon." Evalene tried to soothe his weariness but the mischief glinting in her eyes was of no help to him. Something was up!

"Soon is no fun. Where is the fun in finding out later when I can get to know now? You are here. I am here. Just tell me already." Youthful Pink-White was no pushover but neither was bubbly Evalene. She laughed on and patted his cheek, skipping away in the direction that they had to take for their date.

Terese watched their exchange curiously. She was sure that her soon-to-be daughter-in-law would let nothing slip. She pitied her curious son. He was in for a surprise. She shook her head as she saw them leave.

Let the games begin, son.

~*~


Present


~*~


"You see that mother of yours—God rest her soul—I could not believe her. I still can't. She came to where I was standing and giggled endlessly. I was burning to ask what it was they had been talking about with my mother. I did ask a few times. She relentlessly refused to say anything."

Shinja tried and failed to stifle her laughter. She let it go. "Oh papa! That was so funny. I now know where I get it from. Oh my God!" She gasped in between guffaws of laughter.

"You're laughing? It was terrible, I tell you. It got worse when my ego got the best of me and I fought to hold it in after noticing her hesitance in revealing the truth.

"I acted cool as though I was uninterested trying to bait her in. Your mother knew me so well. She did not give in. I was still a young man. My ego served me most of the time not with your mother though."

"Oh mother," she laughed, "She did that?"

"Yes, and later on, I asked again tired of the curiosity burn. I gave in. She still did not tell. My dear, I wanted to cry at this point. She went on giggling, acting weird the whole time. I wonder why I have never told you this story before."

"All in due time papa. So, what did you do?" Shinja did not share in her father's frustration. She was enjoying her mother's brilliance.

"Wouldn't you love to hear it?" Shinja's laughter had subsided to giggles that shook her form lightly.

"I definitely would papa." She said battling another fit.

"I was being sarcastic darl..."

"I know dad. Still..." she pleaded with her best doe-eyed look till he gave in.

"Alright, alright! Here goes. So, your mother told me to touch one of the flowers in the Secret Garden. I should not have minded but the whole thing was bizarre."

"Were the flowers weird? Were they creeping plants?" His daughter was all seriousness at this point, her earlier banter gone. With keen attention she listened.

"The flowers had no problem. They were beautiful. By anything they were unique. They had this unique aspect about them that drew you in without you ever realizing. I think that is how your mother got to know them."

"Did you touch them papa?"

"Of course, I did child. There is no way your mother would let me leave that place without me doing so. She did not say it but I could tell it was a directive that my mother had given her and it would mean a lot to Evalene if I did as she said. So, I did."

"Weren't you scared? What if it turned out badly papa?" Shinja asked in a whisper.

"I was spooked that is a fact. I did it anyway. I loved your mother. I trusted Evalene. I chose a purple breathing flower."

"Breathing you say?" She was back to the confusion from before. A breathing flower, how odd!

"Yes, child. The flower pulsed, all on its own. You know the Secret Garden and its spooks, oddities and beauties." He smiled at her because he saw understanding in her eyes.

"The flower turned white before my eyes. That was when your mother came behind me. She put her hands around my torso and went ahead to explain everything in detail.

"How they had plotted to test my love. I laughed. I had not expected that from my mother. Let alone, Evalene, utmost she was quiet. Brilliant but quiet. Plotting was not her kind of thing but I guess my mother had that effect on people."

"You are right papa. Grandma did have her way of doing things and you never knew how she managed to draw you in. You just found yourself doing as she did."

"Exactly! She was always full of surprises." He looked down at his fingers in hers before looking up again into her eyes. "So, my dear...this will be the final test for Silver. Guessing by the look in your eyes, I know deep down you want to do it, so why not?"

He stood up, gave her a once-over and left without uttering another word. Shinja sat on her bed quite dazed. Her nerves were mostly excited by the new information she had just attained.

"Hope you have room for one more test Silver. 'Cause one sure is coming your way."

Somebody was about to go on an unusual date. Judging by her father's reaction to when her mother had done so, she could not wait to see how Silver was going to react to it.

Game on lover! She laughed at her own cheeky thought. Game on, indeed.

~*~

It was as though Silver had been waiting outside because as soon as Pink-White stepped out of Shinja's room, only a few seconds went by before the prince entered.

Oh my God, had he been eavesdropping the entire time? Please heavens, let it not be so. She gaped openly at him.

"Good morning, princess." He said this smiling sweetly at her.

He approached where she sat on the couch—she had not left the spot ever since her father left, it had not been long ago anyway—he pecked her on the forehead. The action must have woken her from her dazed state, she voiced on a rush.

"Oh my God! Have you been there long?" She opened her eyes wide in shock. Please let it not be long...please... She pleaded inwardly. She needed to know if her surprise was not going to happen. The prince took a few seconds before answering. Put me out of my misery already.

"No, I only arrived a while ago." Phew! She let out on a thoughtful sight. She didn't let him hear or see signs of it. "Why? I saw your dad leave the room. I was on my way to pick you up for our date. I was getting quite anxious when I did not see you come earlier." He scratched his head nervously. She knew why, because he had all reason to worry. Her nerves had been making decisions for her on many occasions.

Silver broke the silence when she did not respond, "Is everything okay? Does he know we are going on a date? Did you tell him about it? Is he okay with it?"

"Yes, yes, it is all good. Papa does know we are going on a date. I asked that for no reason. Do not mind me." She tried to lighten up the tension with some laughter but that went south. She ended up sounding like a winded pipe. Real smooth, bambino, real smooth! Oh, shush! This could have been worse. Yeah, right. Pshh...

With bright eyes, she faced Silver and said, "Let's go to that date now." She silenced her thoughts.

She looked up at him blinking her eyes adoringly willing him to focus on nothing but the date. Her earlier nervousness should not become an issue. If it did, she did not know whether she had her mother's strength not to reveal everything. So, they better go for that date before she loses her marbles.

Gladly, he held out his hand for hers to loop into. Thank God. She did.

"Shall we?" He gestured towards the door.

"Of course!" She said quite too eagerly.

He halted her step and added, "Might I add that you look ravishing this fine after-morn."

"Why, thank you your highness." Her cheeks colored at the top.

She picked up her shawl and they both went out of her room to the date they were so eager for. The breathing flower... her father's words came back to her and she smiled. Their date was to be a two days picnic. Enough time to put our plan into place. Sure thing.

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