Demon King's Gardener

“Braelin, why do you want a shrine in the garden?” Jouvi asked at the evening meal.

“A shrine,” Jurao wondered - he was sure Braelin’s concept of such must be different than theirs, for a demon shrine would never fit in the garden.

“Is that not a demon practice?” Braelin asked.

“I think it would be better if you explain what the human practice is,” Minaz suggested.

Braelin nodded, “We put small shrines up with a symbol of a deity - like a statue or icon - as a sign of respect and thanks.”

“So it’s not a place of worship,” Jurao asked.

“You can, but that’s not its purpose,” his gardener confirmed, “Getting human plants to grow made me think of it. I also read about the demon plant deity and thought it would be a good idea.”

“There’s a demon plant deity…?” Festi asked, arching a brow.

“Iescula?” Braelin replied.

“Ah,” Jurao nodded, “She’s more commonly known as the goddess of sieges, but it makes sense that she’s also the goddess of plants.”

“So basically, you just need a space to put a small depiction?” Jouvi asked, then sighed, “That’s doable, I suppose…”

“Thank you,” Braelin said, bowing his head.

“Who is the human plant deity,” Jurao asked.

“Her name is Dwarla,” Braelin replied, “There’s a flower that grows in the Human Realm called a dandelion that’s considered her symbol because it can grow almost anywhere. I don’t actually know much about her beyond that.”

“What?” Festi asked, “But you're a gardener.”

Braelin shrugged, “My mother told me it was polite to thank deities for their gifts, so I always kept the shrine in good shape - but I never looked more into it.”

“Your mother didn’t tell you more?” Minaz asked.

Other members of the table were having their own conversation, but Jurao was happy to see Braelin could handle this many conversation partners at once in such a short time.

“She might have intended to, but she died when I was young,” Braelin replied, “So I was mostly raised by my uncle, and he didn’t seem to care either way.”

“Well, I suppose there’s no harm,” Minaz shrugged.

It seems we have a little in common in that regard, Jurao thought, Though he also mentioned spending time with his father and brother, so we’re not entirely alike.

The rest of the meal passed uneventfully, and a few hours later, Jurao found himself playing Ascension with Feyl as usual.

“That’s the fifth time you’ve glanced over there,” his valet sighed, putting his chin in one palm and smiling unusually, “He’s not hiding under the couch.”

Jurao hummed, “I suppose it’s because he has so little presence that it still seems like he’s here when he’s not.”

“Or,” Feyl suggested, “You just miss him.”

“We only just met,” the Demon King replied, “So I doubt that’s the case.”

“If you say so,” his valet shrugged, “I heard he met Nevve.”

Jurao nodded, “Jouvi enlisted her help due to her specialty with precision work.”

“What did she think of him?” Feyl asked, taking his time with his next move.

“She made a joke about how humans propose,” the Demon King replied, “But only commented that he is quiet.”

“That sounds about right,” Feyl sighed, finally making his move, “And I Ascend. You’re certainly not on your usual game tonight.”

“I suppose not,” Jurao agreed, having felt distracted during the game - almost like he was forgetting something, but he couldn’t place anything he could have overlooked. After a moment, he shrugged, “Perhaps I am tired after all the recent changes - I believe I shall turn in early for the night.”

“As you will,” his valet chuckled, getting to his feet, “Good night then - perhaps you will feel better tomorrow.”

“I believe I will,” Jurao replied, rising as well, “Good night.”

***

Jurao found it difficult to get to sleep - and eventually rose and decided to take a walk. He thought the fresh air and exercise would help put his mind to rest - it had helped in the past, after all. Of course, he ended up in the gardens - the best source of fresh air inside the castle’s walls. The Labyrinthine Hedges opened a path for him without prompting, and he followed it curiously.

He found himself in the Bewitching Garden - it contained arcane-demonic hybrid plants cultivated many millennia ago. Balls of glowing light from the Crystal Hydra trees floated around the garden - in the wild, this light would be used to attract prey, though it did little in the enclosed space of the garden. The twisted branches - covered in glass-like leaves and small glass globes in places other trees might have flowers - were able to grab passersby and pull them into the trunk, the top of which had a mouth of many rows of sharp teeth.

The Fireblossom bushes around them could set themselves aflame, which was why they formed a border around this particular garden. There were Staticbells as well, which could use electricity to paralyze prey for the Razor Ferns to slowly cut into pieces.

“There, that should work,” Nevve said, setting a metal statue inside a small gazebo-like building, “A demon deity should be made of something strong, like iron.”

“If you say so, Braelin replied, sitting on a bench next to what must be the shrine he requested, whittling something out of wood, “The statue of Dwarla in our old shrine had moss growing on it, and my mother used to say she probably liked that as a plant deity.”

Nevve chuckled, “There’s definitely a logic to that - but Iescula is also the Goddess of Sieges. And her priesthood would not be pleased to see her covered in what they would consider as rubbish…”

“What’s this,” Jurao asked, approaching them.

They both looked up in surprise.

“Oh, hey brat,” his aunt said, leaning back against one of the shrine’s supports, “Having trouble sleeping?”

“Yes,” he replied, as she knew his habits better than most.

Nevve jerked a thumb at Braelin, “So was he - and I had been intrigued by the idea of this shrine thing, so it kept me up rendering Iescula’s likeness for it.”

Braelin nodded, “I’ve never had a house to myself - it felt… empty. So I came out here to work on a statue of Dwarla, since I was already awake.”

“I see,” Jurao replied, cupping his chin, “Well, if necessary, you can stay on the couch in my receiving room as you adjust to the change.”

Braelin nodded again, “I believe I might - thank you, my lord.”

“Oh, so that was true?” Nevve chuckled, “I mean, couch in your receiving room makes more sense, but I didn’t quite believe the rumors Braelin was staying in your quarters.”

“You could have asked me if you were concerned, aunt,” Jurao said.

“You’re a grown-ass adult, I’m not concerned about whether or not you take someone to your quarters,” Nevve waved a hand, “I just didn’t think that was something you would do - not that Mr. Planthead here would be a bad choice.”

“Mister… plant-head?” Braelin asked.

Jurao chuckled, “Aunt Nevve tends to give others nicknames.”

“Mm-hm,” she hummed in agreement, “Others say I’m bad at it, but I disagree - I mean, look at brat here. Perfect nickname, yeah?”

Braelin snorted with a soft smile, eyes on his carving, “My uncle called my siblings that - but usually when he was worried about them.”

“How many do you have,” Jurao asked, taking a seat next to the human to watch him work.

“Three,” Braelin replied, glancing up and seeming unbothered, “My older brother Malson, and the twins, who are younger - Ayelma and Meir’ril.”

“Those are elven names, aren’t they?” Nevve asked, smiling herself, though Jurao wasn’t sure why.

Braelin nodded, “We have different mothers - Malson, me, and the twins. Their mother is a frost elf - back in Jost, I was able to plant a small frost garden for her,” he pointed his tool towards the Howling Shrubs, which could create cuttingly cold winds that slowed the movements of those that encountered them, “I think I had one of the parent plants of these, as well as a few others. Since I recognized them, I thought to include Weylylendra in the shrine as well - he’s the frost elf plant deity.”

“The shrine was your idea,” Jurao shrugged, looking about the garden, “And all the plants in the section are hybrids with arcane plants, so I see no harm in it.”

“Where are your siblings now, Braelin?” Nevve asked.

The human sighed, smile dropping, “Unfortunately, I don’t know - we were separated during the usurpation. I sent the twins off with my uncle when I went to help Malson, and he’d already helped our parents,” he paused, looking up to explain, “Ah, Dad and my stepmother, the twins’ mother,” then returned to his work, “Escape first, and he and I were separated while escaping as well. I wasn’t able to find them afterward.”

“That’s sad,” Nevve frowned and looked at her nephew, “You doin’ something about that?”

“Well,” Jurao started, scratching at his chin. He didn’t think it would be wise to say he was keeping an ear out, though it technically wasn’t against Braelin’s request that he not actively search for his family.

“I asked him not to,” Braelin answered instead, “I thought it would be trouble for them to have someone looking when they’re in hiding.”

Nevve asked, “Huh? Why would they be in hiding?”

“Ferrick is still after them since they’re the old royal family and all,” Braelin replied casually.

“That would make sense,” Jurao said - then paused. He looked down at his gardener as the realization hit.

“Wouldn’t that,” Nevve sighed, then laughed, “Wouldn’t that also make you part of the old royal family?”

“No,” Braelin replied, brushing off some wood shavings from his statue and checking it over before nodding in satisfaction, “I mean, the old king is my father, but my mother was a commoner he never married, so I’m not actually a member of the royal family,” the human replied, getting up to place the smaller wooden statue next to the statue of Iescula, “Though, after my mother passed, Malson insisted on actually being like brothers, and Dad went along with it - and that’s how we were when Eweylona arrived from the Elven Realm. Then she and Dad got married and had the twins. But since everyone knew about me, Ferrick was still after me anyway.”

Jurao hummed, considering that - it did make more sense now why Braelin thought it would be troublesome for his family if they were searched for. After all, if they found leads, others could potentially find their leads as well… but if they were found, they could be relocated, so he said, “Then it would be safer for them if they were here as well - if you want to change your mind about looking for them.”

Braelin looked over in surprise, “Oh, I didn’t want to impose. But yes, if you wouldn’t mind bringing them here…”

“I wouldn’t,” the Demon King nodded, then yawned, “I’ll send a message to my spymaster in the morning; he might already have word of them.”

His gardener smiled, “Thank you - I really didn’t know how to help them without making things worse.”

Jurao found himself returning the expression, “It’s nothing - after all the work you’ve already done to take care of the garden, consider it my thanks.”

“I did that for the plants, though,” Braelin replied, tilting his head and frowning, “Why would you need to thank me?”

“Not taking proper care of these gardens - and furthermore not appreciating them - was an oversight on my part,” the Demon King replied, and inclined his head, “You have my thanks for doing these things and for pointing out my shortcomings.”

Braelin smiled again, gaze falling to the ground, “Even in the Human Realm, people took plants for granted - but when I pointed it out, no one really wanted to listen. I’m glad you did.”

Jurao nodded - sharing the sentiment.

Nevve - he’d almost forgotten she was there - cleared her throat, pushing off the support and stretching, “Well, I don’t know about you boys, but I’m ready to turn in.”

“It is getting late,” Jurao agreed, rising - and looking towards his gardener, “Did you plan to accompany me back?”

Braelin considered a moment, then nodded - falling into step beside the Demon King.

Nevve took note of it and smiled, “What’s with this arrangement?”

“Braelin has very little presence,” Jurao replied, “I can’t sense him if he walks behind me, so I asked him to walk next to me.”

“Makes sense,” his aunt shrugged, then clasped one set of hands behind her head and the other behind her back, “Can definitely see how all the rumors got started, though.”

The Demon King hummed, “They’ll die down in time.”

“One way or the other,” Nevve agreed.

Jurao frowned, “What do you mean.”

“Just what I said,” his aunt grinned, “One way or the other.”

“But I don’t know which ways you mean,” her nephew replied, not noticing that - since he was facing his aunt - he reached out to tap Braelin’s shoulder and confirm his presence.

Nevve laughed, “Oh, yeah, I guess not,” she hummed, then shrugged, “Don’t worry about it, I’m just being old and weird.”

“If you say so,” Jurao replied.

“You’re supposed to tell me I’m not old,” Nevve chuckled.

“But you are old,” the Demon King replied.

His aunt laughed, waving as she broke away to head towards her own cottage on the castle grounds, “Can’t argue with that, brat! Have a good night!”

“Good night,” Jurao replied, waving back.

He and Braelin entered the castle to a few stares by the guards, but most didn’t seem to make note of their passage. Jurao bid Braelin good night as well, as the human once again settled on the couch, and went to his room hoping sleep would find him more easily.

He didn’t notice that he’d finally lost the feeling that he’d forgotten something as he doused the light in his room and laid down, slipping immediately into a deep sleep without considering what might have caused his restlessness.

***

“Why am I not surprised?” Feyl sighed as he helped Jurao get ready for the day. He was in one of his moods where he decided to do something with the Demon King’s hair - nothing too complex, but mainly because it ‘clashed with Jurao’s image’ or something.

“I was having trouble sleeping and went for a walk,” Jurao explained, patiently waiting for his valet to finish, “I ran into Braelin in the gardens and he said the same, because he’s never had a house to himself.”

“So, of course, you invited him back here,” Feyl sighed again, securing his work, “Fine, fine, this has already gone on too long to do anything about anyway…”

Jurao didn’t take time to examine the style - as long as it was out of his face if he needed to move suddenly, he didn’t care what it looked like.

“Remember you have that staff meeting at midday,” Feyl said, crossing one set of arms and cupping his chin with a third hand, “The one where you answer questions about Braelin’s appointment and try to convince everyone you aren’t infatuated?”

“I’m not going to try and convince them,” Jurao started.

“Right, because you aren’t,” Feyl waved a hand dismissively, “But could you at least try not to confirm their suspicions? No, wait,” he held up two hands, considering what he’d said, then shook his head, “Who am I kidding? That’s an impossible task, since you don’t care either way. Forget I said anything.”

“Alright,” the Demon King arched a brow in confusion at the shifts, but decided not to worry about it since his valet told him to ignore it.