~~

Acacia

~~

I had gone out for a girls day out with my sisters. The invitation came so suddenly in the morning that I feared that something was wrong but we ended up just going to the mall, which I had never been to, and bought lots of new things.

Most of my sisters that were married and mated lived off the compound and knew what I would need the most if I was going to stay in Colorado City with Cedar. I was so happy that my family was so supportive and accepting of my mate.

When I got home I was surprised to see that Cedar was looking nervous and giddy. The sight of him made me smile though, because despite the range of emotions he was showing, there was clear happiness shining in his eyes.

"Hey." I ran up to him so that I could kiss his cheek, my bags all but forgotten in my hurry. While I was running at him Cedar had grabbed my waist and brought me closer to him, hugging me tight and spinning us in a few circles.

"Will you take a walk with me?" He asked once he had stopped spinning, though he was still holding me.

"To where?" I was curious about what he was thinking at the moment.

"Your parents told me about the garden. It sounded beautiful so I wanted to see it for myself."

"Which garden?" I laughed at him. "There are five gardens here, silly."

"The inner garden."

"Oh, that one is my favorite." I squealed as he sat me down. "I used to love having picnics in there when I was little."

"Then let's have a picnic today."

"Really?" I looked into his sincere and honest eyes and let the happiness wash over me. "Oh Cedar, that sounds wonderful."

We gathered food from the kitchens and a soft blanket from the maids. When we were ready I guided Cedar to the inner garden.

It was called the inner garden because it was located in the heart of the castle. Inside the castle. It was enchanted to grow even without the sunlight hitting it, though there was an enchanted ceiling that changed to look like a sunny day or a starry night sky. It was so beautiful.

~~

Cedar

~~

The moment I walked into the inner garden with Casey I instantly knew why it was her favorite. It was inside but looked like we were outside. The walls were just barely visible behind climbing blankets of ivy. There was a bubbling brook that started at one corner and twisted its way across the large expansive space until it ended at the opposite corner. It even had a current even though the water seemed to just end abruptly.

There were several types of flowers that I recognized but many more times that number that I hadn't seen before. There was so much lively color filling the space that it was hard not to smile just looking around. There were small white stone benches, just big enough for two people to sit together. These benches were apparently scattered all over the garden and they were covered in that same ivy that was climbing the walls.

There were large trees of several breeds, big and small bushes and shrubs that both had flowers and did not have any. The flowers ranged from tiny little things to some that were bigger than I was. And it smelled so wonderful. The place was perfect.

Casey went to a spot that was right in the center of the garden, right next to the brook. That was where she set down the blanket and started to unpack the food. The setting and visuals were different but the feel of this had just reminded me of my first date with Casey. The memories of which made me smile as I thought about what had happened that day.

"Come on, sit down." Casey beckoned me to her by patting the blanket next to her. Who was I to deny my love what she wanted? I moved to sit next to her immediately.

The food was delicious, just what I had come to expect from the castle kitchens. And of course the company was unbeatable. At first Casey was telling me about the stuff she had bought with her sisters while she was shopping.

"It was fun. I got lots of new clothes, each of my sisters and sister inlaws got me something. We ordered lots of new things that I will be bringing with me to wherever it is that I will be staying in the city."

"Won't you be moving in with me?" I was concerned by her words just now.

"Well, I didn't want to assume." She looked so shy right then. "I would like to, but I didn't know if you were ready for that just yet."

"Casey." I was giving her a pleading look. "I want to be with you, always and forever."

"Cedar?" She looked so happy to hear those words.

I rose up onto my knees then and took her left hand into my own. I was gazing into her eyes and pouring as much love and affection into the look that I possibly could. Now felt like the perfect time to do what I wanted to do.

"Casey." I cupped her cheek with my right hand and rubbed it tenderly. "I love you. I know I haven't told you that much yet but I hope you know it. I can't picture a single day of my life without you. I want to fall asleep with you in my arms every night and wake up to your wonderful smile everyday for the rest of my life. I never want to be away from you if I can help it. I want us to start a family and watch as our children grow." I took my hand from her cheek and stealthily reached into my back pocket for the ring I had brought with me. "I want to share all my moments with you, the good and the bad, the happy and the sad." As I spoke I slowly slipped the ring onto her finger, drawing her attention away from my face and to her hand. "Acacia Aspen, will you marry me?"

I saw a happy smile spread across Casey's face when she saw the ring. There were tears swimming in her eyes but not yet streaming down her cheeks.

"Cedar, are you sure?" She didn't trust my proposal just yet. Why would she doubt me?

"I am beyond sure."

"Then my answer is yes. I want to marry you Cedar. Nothing would make me happier." I smiled then and kissed her. It was chaste and innocent and just what was needed in the moment.

The wedding was set to happen in two days time. When I called Juniper and my parents to have them come to the wedding they couldn't have been happier. Though, they were nervous to be going to the Fae compound and the castle. Not to mention they were nervous about attending a wedding that the Fae Queen was going to be attending but they also said that their Alpha and Luna were now a King and Queen so they needed to get used to royalty.

True to their word, Casey's family was able to get the wedding ready in such a short time. The dress that Casey wore was a family heirloom that had been passed down for a long time. It was made of silk gossamer and was a light green. It made Casey look like a real fairy princess as she walked down the aisle toward me. Her hair had been done beautifully in an updo and her thin silky veil made the princess image that much more prominent.

I couldn't believe that I was finally married to my mate. It hadn't been long since we had met but I knew that there was nothing more that I would have wanted.

For our honeymoon we traveled the world. We would head to the most beautiful gardens in the world. The New York Botanical Garden in Bronx, New York. Pukekura Park in New Plymouth, New Zealand. Mauritius National Botanical Garden in Pamplemousses, Mauritius. Aswan Botanical Garden in Aswan, Egypt. Powerscourt Estate in Enniskerry, Ireland. Humble Administrator's Garden and The Master-of-Nets in Suzhou, China. Mirabell Palace and Gardens in Salzburg, Austria. Kenroku-en Garden in Kanazawa, Japan. Ryōan-ji Garden in Kyoto, Japan. Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, London. And a few others. We would take our time to visit each location over the course of a month.

It had taken us a little over a week to get the whole trip planned but when I had told Casey what my idea was she had been ecstatic. She loved the idea of seeing so many different famous gardens from all over the world. I was just happy that I had managed to make my beautiful wife happy with my idea.