Valnar had been apprehensive when he'd first received the lantern with the invitation saying to come to the Hanging Gardens, it'd been several months since he'd last seen Rose. Not that things had ended badly, or even ended at all, Valnar had simply not been around and that stung deeper than anything had in his life, even leaving his parents house. He'd promised to always be there for Rose and he hadn't been, he'd said that he'd wanted to settle down, which was still very true, but he wasn't even sure if she would still want to. Valnar had wanted to find something rare and unique for her but, looking back now, throwing away several months of being together simply hadn't been worth it.

Reaching up past the ebony mask with electric blue flora design he ran his hand through his white hair, nervously anticipating their reunion. This was definitely something that Rose would attend and what better place to meet than the Hanging Gardens during a masquerade. Valnar had felt it best to wait on the first floor of the garden, he would wait patiently for Rose to arrive before engaging in any of the activities of the masquerade, besides, most of them seemed to be geared toward couples and participating while single seemed silly. Mostly he walked around anxiously, talking when approached by someone and generally watching for Rose to arrive. In a way this reminded him of the time they'd attended the Abedian Color Festival, a small smile played across his lips at the memory. Rose was so very much fun to be around.

Life was a roaring ocean. It never stopped and it wasn’t always happy. Rose had seen happiness in the future somewhere. She had asked her fellow oracles to help her. They had told her that she would find it. She had to believe in that. She was lonely without Valnar. In all her life she had never once liked to be alone. Her mother had talked into going to the masquerade ball. Waiting in Arri forever wasn’t going to bring Valnar back and if he was to come home Toya said she would send him her way.

Long brown chocolate curls were left alone for the most part. The sides were swept back and held with a lapis comb. Her dress was varying shades of blue with pearls decorating it. It only had one sleeve of dark blue and the other had a wrist length glove that was held by a lapis ring on her finger. The edges were done in pearls on the glove and bodice of the dress.

The dress was strapless and had a sweetheart neckline with a lapis in the very center of her cleavage. From it hung a deep blue cloth that looked gorgeous against the light blue skirt of her dress. The bodice had a white and blue pattern made from overlaying lace and silk. As the skirt of light blue parted a snowflake pattern was on the inner skirt for people to see. The bottom was done like a  lace design. Her mask was a gorgeous dark blue with pearl and bundle of baby’s breath on the side.

Along her neckline was a beautiful strand of pearls. She looked lost as she came with the crowd. She thought she was the only person there who was missing their significant other. She felt saddened but she persisted as she walked through the entrance to the Hanging Gardens.

As the night wore on and more and more people flooded through the main archway Valnar began to think that this whole idea was hopeless. Even if Rose had decide to come it'd be like finding a needle in a haystack trying to spy her through the crowd, a crowd with masks to boot! Besides he wasn't even sure that she would be here after all, there was probably a lot she needed to take care of back in Arri and maybe another celebration or two that would keep her from coming here. Valnar dejectedly sipped at a glass whose contents he'd long since forgotten.

Quite suddenly there was a ripple that seemed to go through the pressing crowd, people were whispering and directing their companion's attention toward the entrance of the Hanging Gardens. A woman had just arrived in a beautiful gown made of wonderful fabric and all done up in pearls and lapis, though she had come alone. Valnar assumed that it was just another patron here to attend though deep down he knew that the lapis was highly prized by the Rosenites of Arri and he'd be fooling himself if he denied that he felt hopeful. Setting down his drink he quickly brushed his way through the crowd toward the entrance, he wouldn't have to go far as he'd spent almost his entire time where he'd be able to see everyone coming in. Finally he got to where he could see the newcomer and his blue eyes widened, first with surprise and then with joy.

Nearly immediately he knew that it was Rose, either by the way she moved or the dress choice he wasn't sure but he just knew. It had been so long since he'd seen her, he'd almost forgotten how much he had missed her like an ache right where is heart was. As soon as he had realized who it was, everyone else in the room simply melted from his consciousness there was only Rose and him. Valnar stepped toward the woman and bowed low, "Rose?" he asked, still half believing that he was in a dream or that this woman would somehow turn out to not his dearest.

Rose felt eyes on herself and it made her a tad uncomfortable. There was a light blush against her pale features. She put her hands together in front of her as she walked. When a man came to her and bowed she froze. She felt the same needling feeling in her soul that he had in his heart. The world stopped for her. “Valnar?” Her voice was soft but shocked an electric feeling as she said his name.

“They said you might come but I didn’t think you would find me this fast.” She was trying to hold herself together but was fast at losing it as she launched herself onto him and hugged him. “I was scared you weren’t coming back! Where have you been?” She pulled away so her ocean like eyes could stare at him. Currently, they tossed and turned like a turbulent sea but slowly they were calming down with her emotions. She felt the world spinning. 

Everything felt surreal to her. “We were together and then you just left. I didn’t know what had happened. I didn’t know if I had displeased you in a way. You were just gone!” Her voice was filled with agony as she spoke to him. She felt like her soft voice was shouting but she couldn’t help it. “The oracles said you were coming back but I didn’t know where.”

Valnar couldn't believe it, she was here and they'd somehow managed to find one another in this sea of masks. Valnar embraced her strongly as he caught her, it stung slightly when she asked where he'd been and that she'd been afraid he wouldn't come back. "It's ok, I'm here now and that's what's important. You didn't do anything at all Rose I promise, it was a misguided attempt at……..well let's not dwell on it." Valnar smiled at her, "This looks like quite the party, wouldn't want to spoil it for everyone by dredging up miserable memories. From what I understand the Ghost has had enough sorrow for more than one lifetime."

Valnar held her about the waist as he walked along with the rest of the attendees, "I'm not saying that I won't explain, I promise that I will give you a full detail of what happened but just not tonight." Even just remembering it was exhausting for Valnar, the distance from Rose and all the dangers of the road proved to be an intimidating enemy, more so than the physical ones. The drow decided to change the subject, "How are things in Arri? Any major events?"

Rose couldn’t let herself cry. It would ruin her mask, at least that was the reason she told herself. She wanted to be strong in front of Valnar. She wanted him to know that she just wasn’t some damsel. He had come across her when she needed saving but she didn’t want that to stay the same. She was strong like her mother before her. She tilted her head at Valnar and there certainly seemed to be a story on why he hadn’t been there for her.

Simply she nodded at him. “We’ll talk about it later. There will be plenty of time for it.” He had risked everything once upon a time to take her to retrieve the book of ancients. The book of the Golden Apple of Knowledge. It brought back memories thinking of it. She snuggled into his chest and smiled up at him. “I know.”

When he asked about Arri she just smiled. He knew what was important to her. “A lot actually. A war between Goddesses, my aunt getting blown up into crystals and being resurrected as a child, lots of things.” She chuckled and held kept close as they walked. “It has been interesting since we last saw each other. Though the road hasn’t been any easier.”

She thought about it and soon she was stopping them at the second tier. She looked at the ocean below in the deep dark. “I’ve been thinking about how all my life has been for someone else. From when we met until just before Mendean fell. I’ve always been wrapped up in Wisdom’s chains. He’s not even here anymore.” She took out the silver key. “I knew what I was even when I was younger. I took charge of my destiny when I was young. I bit the silver apple and took on the trial. I gained all the knowledge of our world risking my sanity.” She clenched the key and before long she was throwing the key into the ocean. “I don’t want to live for another person anymore. My life has been nothing but serving other people.” Her ocean eyes looked back at him. “I don’t want that anymore.” Call it a bad habit of being around her free mother who was not kept down by anyone.

Valnar smiled, something he always seemed to do in Rose's company, he was glad that they understood one another so well even when being apart for so long. Rose gave a quick update on Arri to which Valnar could only stare in fearful awe, a war between Goddesses?! He certainly was somewhat glad he'd been away for that though not for missing the pain it must have caused Rose. Hearing that her aunt had gotten blown up but than resurrected as a child was comforting, "Too bad I didn't know her before being blown up, though I imagine that she isn't any different a person? I'd still love to meet more of your family Rose, meeting Bryony and Toya have made me very excited to see more of what I've gotten myself into. How are those two by the way?" Valnar fondly thought back to when he'd first met the two Rosenites he'd mentioned, more than just for meeting those two.

They soon were stopping on the second tier, Valnar had heard that this place was a garden but he'd already seen flowers larger than his head and that smelled the most beautifully of any he'd ever smelled thus far in his life. Valnar paid attention as Rose was talking about taking on knowledge and her life being all about someone else before she threw the silver key out into the ocean below, it stunned him momentarily as he'd never seen her part with it. The reason she did it though brought another smile to his face and he took her hand, "I'm glad Rose, from now on you're free! Though we're still settling down and you may have to live for me occasionally." Valnar winked and laughed lightheartedly, Rose always brought out the best in him and he was looking forward to being with her for the rest of his life. Valnar was still smiling as he, still holding Rose's hand, ran to the next tier. This night was proving to be a good purifying night for the both of them, Rose's bondage at having to live for someone else and Valnar's trepidation at meeting his love again after so long being burned away in the soft light of the floating lanterns.

Reaching the third tier Valnar noticed immediately the large pile of lotus blossoms and the couples releasing the blossoms into the rivers. "Hey Rose look! Let's release a blossom together, my these are big!" Valnar paused momentarily at the sign and read it to himself, it seemed fitting that after purging themselves of everything that had been holding them back they would release a lotus together to signify a closer spiritual connection. Still holding Rose's hand, firmly yet comfortably, he walked around the pile of lotuses looking for one that seemed right.

Rose smiled at him and laughed. “Angela is back to normal now. She isn’t any different than she was before though when she was a child she was menacing everyone. A child goddess with all her powers? A little bit intimidating.” She thought about Bryony and her mother and laughed. “Bryony is pregnant with her first child and my mother? She is helping to raise my niece and nephew. But my mother is always a spitfire and nothing keeps her down long.”

After she threw her key Rose was shocked for a moment at his words. She was glad that he hadn’t forgotten that they wanted to settle down. “Face it, any settling we do we’ll probably still adventure on the side.” She took hold of his hand tightly in return. She was really happy for the first time in forever.

When they got to the third tier she chuckled at his excitement over the blossoms. “I think that would be fun.” She was pulled with him over to the pile. She picked up a large pink lotus and smiled. “Pink lotuses symbolize purity and devotion.” She reached over and kissed his cheek. “Will you release this one with me?”

She took his hands and put the flower in them as she held his hands in hers. His hands were so much larger than hers were that it made her smile as her fingers gently caressed his skin. “It fits. Devotion is why we were both here tonight… Looking for each other and not knowing if the other would be here.” She chuckled and leaned down to kiss his hands.  “Hopefully this is the last time we need to split up for unknown reasons.”

Valnar could almost not remember the last time that Rose had kissed him and the kiss on the cheek sent electric waves down his body, brought the night into sharp focus. The sights, the smells, the sounds all made clearer and sharper like they were made of polished crystal. In the daze he released the pink lotus blossom with Rose and listened as she explained that pink lotuses symbolize purity and devotion. After kissing his hand and sending another electric shock wave of emotion through him he brought her hand up and kissed it, "We were both devoted and now I feel that we can continue on in purity, a fitting flower love. It'll absolutely be the last time, not going to do that again, ever!" Valnar breathed in deeply the cool night air that was laced heavily with the smell of the lotuses with a hint of the sea below. This was certainly going to be a night to remember, the colors and sights, aura and crowd. The Ghost may have been dead but he sure knew how to throw a great masquerade!

Floating down from a level somewhere up above came the sound of music and laughter, Valnar looked into the deep, beautiful blue of Rose's eyes, "Let's go dancing! You may have to tell me a bit on this Ghost that's supposed to haunt this place too. I've only ever known that he's here because he was spurned by his lover several times? He built all this didn't he?" Valnar stood and adjusted the half cloak that he'd thrown over his left arm.

As they walked toward the next level, Valnar grabbed two glasses of champagne and handed on to Rose before taking a drink himself. Valnar gasped after having the first sip, "A little bit stronger than I'm used to," which reminded him, "kind of sounds what it was like getting used to Angela being a child goddess with powers. I really can't wait to meet more of our family." Valnar offered his arm to Rose.

“You better make that a promise.” Rose poked Valnar in his chest when he declared he wasn’t leaving anymore. “I’ll tie you to my ankle if I have to.” It was a valid threat. She started to laugh and knew that Valnar wasn’t exactly old to the ways of courts, dancing, and other things that a farmer’s son would be new to. She chuckled softly once more at the thought and took his hands. She would see how much he knew before deciding to teach him.

She thought about everything he asked. “Well… She turned him down because all he had was his craft.” Her blue eyes were glowing as she reviewed the circumstances. “So he built her this to show her that he could give her the life she wanted. She turned him down again. Even though this place is honestly a fairy tale come true. He did all of this for her.” Her eyes dimmed and she frowned thought about it. “It would be the equivalent of you going out and doing something for me and me telling you it wasn’t enough to even though you made it your life’s work.”

They got up to the highest level and she laughed. “If this is too much for you remind me to keep you away from my mother.” She mused as she sipped on the champagne. “Our family?” She said curiously to him. She wanted him to be with her more than anything. She hoped that’s what he meant. She finished her glass before put her arm in his and smirking. “And now we dance.”

She dragged him out to the floating dance floor where everyone was. She helped him set his hands on her just as they needed to be. She was purposely not helping him as they started. He was stepping on her, tripping, and at one point fell into her and they both landed on the enchanted floor. She was laughing so hard that everyone was staring at her. “Why didn’t you tell me you couldn’t dance?” She gave him a playful smile as she got back up and pulled him to her.

“You do it like this.” She started off slow with him and kicked his feet where they needed to go. Before long she was reciting what they were to do and how they were to do it. He only stepped on her a few times. “If you need to… watch your feet.”