Dear Theanore,

It’s me, Elmar. Many things happened since I last wrote you. I found my parents, not my birth ones. It is a bit complicated. I’ll explain when I get back. They are Hades and Persephone, and they want to meet you. Persephone, especially, as she thinks you are of a like mind as her.

I am also no longer a Lich. My father saved me. It was hard on him too, but now I am a human. I will keep up my shape-shifting lessons, as I find them to be useful. But I no longer need to eat bugs. Can I get a hooray?

Little lady, I find that I can’t come back without seeing the capital of the forest of plenty, even if now I no longer need to go there. This will be my last journey before coming home. Is my house big enough for three? My parents want to live with me.

Furthermore, I have a friend named Gary. He is a gnome, well, half-goblin, and he asks if you can get him a teleportation stone and connect his Swamp Heaven inn to the Apple Grotto.

The problem is that his mother is the only cook there. She makes killer gingerbread with baked apples, but that is the only thing she can make because of a curse. My friends are sick of it. Gary was ready to make a deal with a demon to avoid one more apple. I can continue to paint you the picture, but I am certain you understand it now.

Your court wizard, for you, will forever be a princess as far as I am concerned,

Elmar Hades Denrivir.

Theanore squalled and clutched the letter to her chest. Elm was ok. And he had a family. What was more, he was going to come back! What sort of flowers did the forest of plenty had?

“Tania, tell me what flowers I can get from the forest of plenty,” said Theanore, already thinking of the seeds she could receive.

Northern blue flag, marsh marigold, swamp azalea…

“Yay! There are flowers there. Tania, I need a list with all of them that could be grown here. Print it with the printing press,” said Theanore, and then she jumped three times, clapping her hands.

“What got you so excited?” Asked Marinus, who was carrying a bucket with fish he had caught in the pool cavern.

Theanore gave him the letter and ran towards the printing press. A seven-page-long list was spat out of it, and Theanore gathered it up so carefully as if she was afraid that the paper was going to crumble.

“It is a treasure,” said Theanore with a greedy glint in her eyes. Marinus came to her and handed her the letter back.

“It is good that Elm has everything under control,” said the merman, and he looked at the list. “Thea, how is he going to be able to cart all of these here? What if some plants need to be brought as seedlings?”

“Oh, I didn’t think of that,” said Theanore, her enthusiasm dampening. “Tania, I need a new list with the ten prettiest plants that grow from seeds.”

A single page was spat out of the printing press. Theanore read the list out loud.

Flowering rush;

Olney three-square;

Broadleaf cattail;

Big burreed;

Floating burreed;

Swamp lily;

Saltgrass;

Alkali bulrush;

Sawgrass;

Water smartweed;

“Elm can bring ten things, can’t he?” she asked Marinus, hopefully. The boy sighed.

“And where will you plant them? The lake is an ecosystem that is very fragile. Can’t you just take the lily? It could do well with the water lilies we already have,” Marinus pointed at the single plant he thought was worth getting.

Theanore puffed up her cheeks like a hamster that has eaten too much.

“Five plants,” opened her bargaining, Theanore.

“One, the lily,” but Marinus was unmoved. He knew what happened to the sea when invasive fish were introduced by fishermen. The same would happen with plants, he was sure.

“Three, please, Mari!” Theanore hit him with her best puppy dog eye, but Marinus just pressed her nose.

“Princess Strawberry will agree with me. Let me just ask her,” said Marinus, and he picked up the doll. They had placed a new mana crystal inside, although Darion had to do it. No one else knew how to open the doll without damaging it.

Marinus ran to the side with the doll, and he whispered in her ear what she had to say. Then he ran back to Theanore and pressed the button.

“Take the lily, Thea. Lilies are pretty. Just like you,” and then Marinus turned off the doll.

“Princess Strawberry can only repeat. It is not fair to use her like this,” said Theanore.

Marinus sucked in his breath and pretended to be outraged.

“Theanore! How could you say such a thing about a friend? Does she not have the right to state her opinion? Is this a tyrannical regime?” As Theanore began to apologize to the doll, Marinus gave himself a mental pat on the back. This was too easy. He should teach Theanore how to not fall for such tactics. Well, when someone else but him was trying them.

“Ok, I’ll only take the lily. If both of you feel that this is the appropriate thing to do,” said Theanore, now hugging the doll. She kissed its hair and turned to write the letter after setting the doll down.

Dear Elmar,

I am so happy about you. I will contact Luca and tell him to connect this Swamp Heaven inn to the Apple Grotto dungeon. Elm, can you bring me the seeds of a swamp lily? Princess Strawberry says they are pretty. Mari agrees.

Your house is complete and three stories high. Plenty of space for a family. I would like to meet your mother too. She sounds like a lovely woman.

Hugs and kisses,

Theanore the nymph.

With that, Theanore sent the letter and took off chasing after Marinus, the fish and doll forgotten by the printing press.