Chapter 15 The First Spring Together Spring came early to Salastian that year — soft and fragrant, as if the world itself sought to atone for all the winters it had stolen.For the first time in years, the palace no longer felt like a monument. It felt like home. Morning light poured through the tall windows of the royal chambers, glinting on polished marble and the fresh blooms that filled every vase. The air was rich with the scent of cherry blossoms, jasmine, and rain — a fragrance that carried both peace and memory.The first spring after their reunion was unlike any before. The empire, much like its rulers, was still healing — tender, uncertain, but full of life waiting to unfold. The Quiet MorningElisana awoke to the sound of soft rain against the windows. The rhythm was steady, soothing — the kind of rain that nourished rather than drowned. She rose slowly, wrapping a pale robe around her shoulders, and stepped out onto the balcony.Below, the gardens shimmered — droplets glistening on the new cherry trees she and Marcus had planted the previous autumn. Their branches, delicate and slender, swayed gently under the rainfall.She felt the cool mist kiss her face and smiled faintly. There had been a time when she would have felt only melancholy in moments like this. Now, there was calm.Behind her, footsteps approached — light but familiar. Marcus, still in his night robe, joined her quietly. He said nothing at first. He simply stood beside her, watching the rain.“I used to hate the rain,”&nbsp;he murmured.&nbsp;“It always reminded me of loss.” Elisana turned to look at him, curious.&nbsp;“And now?” He smiled faintly, his gaze soft.&nbsp;“Now it reminds me of growth.” She laughed under her breath — a sound that was small but genuine.&nbsp;“Perhaps we’ve both learned something, then.”He looked at her, really looked, and for a moment, the world outside disappeared. There was only her — the woman who had once been the moon to his blinding sun, now shining beside him as an equal light. The Garden of RenewalLater that day, when the rain had passed and the sky cleared, they walked together through the gardens. The air was thick with the scent of wet earth and blooming petals.Servants bowed as they passed, but the couple paid no mind to formality. They walked side by side, their hands occasionally brushing — a touch that was neither forced nor shy, but quietly deliberate.Elisana paused near one of the young cherry trees, its pink blossoms heavy with dew. She brushed her fingertips against a branch, shaking loose a few petals that fluttered to the ground like pale snow.“This tree,”&nbsp;she said softly,&nbsp;“was planted in the hardest of times. It shouldn’t have survived the frost.” Marcus stepped closer, resting his hand beside hers.&nbsp;“And yet, it blooms.” “Yes,”&nbsp;she murmured.&nbsp;“Because it was cared for. Gently. Patiently.” Their eyes met. No more needed to be said. The Weight of PromisesThey continued walking until they reached the reflecting pond — the same one where years ago, their first argument as husband and wife had begun. The memory of that day still lingered faintly in the marble stones, but the pain no longer haunted it.Elisana knelt by the water’s edge, tracing its rippling surface with her fingertips.&nbsp;“I used to think love was meant to be flawless,”&nbsp;she said.&nbsp;“That once it cracked, it could never be whole again.”Marcus crouched beside her.&nbsp;“And now?” She looked up at him, her reflection trembling in the water between them.&nbsp;“Now I think love is not about perfection. It’s about resilience — the choice to rebuild, even after breaking.”He reached out and took her hand, lacing his fingers through hers.&nbsp;“Then let this be our promise,”&nbsp;he said.&nbsp;“That even when we falter, we rebuild. Together.”Elisana smiled faintly.&nbsp;“A promise worth keeping.” The Day’s EndAs the afternoon faded into evening, they wandered through the palace grounds, watching the servants hang paper lanterns for the coming spring festival. The scent of tea and baked bread wafted from the kitchens, and somewhere in the distance, a musician played a soft melody on a lute.Marcus stopped at the central garden, where the cherry trees formed a perfect circle around a marble bench.&nbsp;“Do you remember,”&nbsp;he said quietly,&nbsp;“the day we planted these?”Elisana smiled, her eyes distant.&nbsp;“I remember the dirt on your sleeves and how you tried to hide it from the court.” He chuckled softly.&nbsp;“And you laughed at me.” “You looked ridiculous,”&nbsp;she teased. “I still do,”&nbsp;he replied, leaning closer. Her laughter was soft, warm — a sound the palace hadn’t heard in years. They sat beneath the cherry tree, the petals drifting around them like snow. The setting sun painted the sky in rose and gold, and the air shimmered with the hum of new life.Marcus reached for her hand and pressed it to his chest, just over his heart.“I will spend the rest of my life proving that this time, I will not fail you,”&nbsp;he said quietly.&nbsp;“Not as Emperor. Not as husband. Not as a man.”Elisana looked at him, her expression unreadable for a moment — then she leaned her head against his shoulder. “I don’t need perfection,”&nbsp;she whispered.&nbsp;“Only truth. Only effort.” They sat like that for a long while — no words, no ceremony, just the steady rhythm of two hearts learning to beat in time again. The Dawn of PeaceThe next morning, the palace awoke to sunlight spilling through open windows and the sound of birdsong echoing through the corridors. Servants moved quietly, smiling to themselves; the tension that had once hung over the halls was gone.Elisana oversaw preparations for the upcoming Festival of Lights, her voice calm and sure. Marcus joined her, not as ruler overseeing his consort, but as partner beside his equal.Their decisions were shared now, their voices aligned, their bond unspoken but absolute. The empire had not just regained its rulers — it had rediscovered its heart.And though the future still held challenges — as all lives do — there was no longer fear in their steps, only faith. Spring had come not just to the land, but to their souls. Closing SceneThat evening, as the first fireflies flickered over the garden pond, Elisana and Marcus walked once more beneath the cherry trees.The moon rose slowly, its silver light bathing them both in quiet grace. Elisana tilted her face toward it and smiled.&nbsp;“Do you think it will last?”&nbsp;she asked softly.Marcus followed her gaze.&nbsp;“If we choose it too.” She turned to him then, her expression serene.&nbsp;“Then let’s keep choosing — every day.” He nodded, and for a long moment, they stood there, hand in hand beneath the falling petals — the Emperor and Empress, no longer bound by duty, but by choice.The first spring together was not one of perfection, but of beginnings — fragile, hopeful, and real. And somewhere above, the moon and sun shared the same sky, their light intertwined — eternal reminders that even after the darkest winter, love could bloom again.

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4 AUTHOR'S NOTE

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13 Capter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20 Ending Note

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The Forsaken Empress

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The Forsaken Empress

cielomilo

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Cielo Milo

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