Aegon and Elara had to pass through many corridors before they exited the main keep of the palace. It was way too huge, and it took a few moments for them to reach the garden situated right beside it.

The moment they entered it, both of them couldn't help but stop in their tracks.

The garden opened before them beneath a settling twilight, vast yet intimate, shaped with a care and love that went beyond beauty.

Stone paths curved gently through trimmed hedges and flowering trees, each turn deliberate, as if the place had been designed to be walked slowly or to rest in its tranquil embrace.

Lanterns hung low along the paths, their soft light warming the greenery around them instead of overpowering it. They also complemented the background well.

Flowers bloomed everywhere, arranged with a patience that spoke of memory rather than display. Pale whites and soft blues reflected the dimming sky, while deeper violets gathered in the shadows.

The air carried a faint sweetness, mixed with the scent of fresh earth and leaves, calm and familiar, like a place that had never been in a hurry.

Above them, the sky lingered between day and night. A light breeze passed through the garden, stirring petals and branches, brushing past them gently, almost carefully.

This wasn't a garden made to impress anyone, really. It was a garden made to remember the one person Arnold loved dearly.

Every path, every flower felt like a promise kept. Something built not for grandeur, but for a love that had endured long enough to be turned into stone and soil.

And in that moment, as Aegon and Elara walked beneath the twilight, it felt like the garden was listening, holding its breath, giving them the space to speak what still lingered in their hearts.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Elara said, stretching her hand to caress the flowers.

"It is," Aegon nodded. "Opa takes care of his garden as if it's his child."

"He makes them everywhere?" Elara asked.

"Wherever we stay," Aegon replied. "At least that's what he said. In his words, this garden represents my Grandma and his love, so he wants it to be there for me."

"He really loves her a lot," Elara smiled and said.

"Opa actually inspired me to love only one woman," Aegon said, as they came before a tall tree filled with beautiful pink flowers. "I envied the kind of love he shared with Grandma and dreamt of one day having a love like that too."

"Yet you're so fickle that you fell for two women," Elara chuckled softly at that.

"I'll take the blame," Aegon sighed and sat down beneath the tree.

"We can't control our feelings," Elara said, coming to sit beside him too as they watched the pink petals slowly drift down. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" Aegon asked in confusion.

"I was rash earlier. I pushed my desires on you," Elara replied, holding a petal in her hand carefully. "You're free to choose anyone. It'll hurt, I know, but I'll also be happy knowing that you're happy. If you think you love Rosa more, then please choose her."

"Aiyo! Silly girl, don't overthink!" Aegon smiled and rubbed her head slightly. "I chose you because I love you. That's all you need to know. And I'm happy with you. Actually, you don't even realise how happy I am knowing that you also love me. So never think I actually gave in just because you cried."

"I didn't cry," Elara protested, hitting his knees lightly.

"Small details."

They stayed together like that, watching as the beautiful rain of petals surrounded them.

Eventually, Elara asked, as she leaned against his shoulder, "What is self-love?"

"Why this all of a sudden?" Aegon asked, as he shifted slightly to make her more comfortable.

"Just answer it," Elara said. "Society says it's very important to love yourself, so I'm curious about it. What really is self-love? Why do we have to love ourselves?"

"Self-love, huh!" Aegon wondered before saying, "You're mistaken, El. Self-love isn't really love."

"You're confusing me."

Aegon ran his fingers through her soft, beautiful blond hair as he explained.

"I'll give you an example of my imaginary friend. He was in his mid-twenties, with no friends, no family, no one really, so he felt lonely. Incredibly lonely. To cure it, he searched society for a solution, and he got the same answer as you. Loving yourself can cure loneliness."

Elara let him play with her locks as she listened carefully.

"So he decided to act on it and went on dates with himself. He spent two years like that, going on various adventures around the world, opera houses, restaurants, and much more. He thought he would learn to love himself if he spent so much time enjoying everything with himself."

"Did he succeed?" Elara asked hopefully.

"What do you think?" Aegon smiled and asked.

"Don't ask me," Elara pouted and bit his fingers.

Aegon didn't even feel much pain, only warmth from seeing how cute she looked nibbling on his fingers. He smiled and said, "Still, tell me your thoughts."

"It sounds like an awesome ride," Elara said after thinking for a moment. "I mean, we bond with people if we enjoy so many things with them, so why can't the same happen with the self?"

"You have a point," Aegon nodded.

"So what happened with him? Did he come to love himself and cure his loneliness?" Elara asked.

"He discovered many things about himself. Terrible things," Aegon answered in a solemn voice. "Those two years taught him greatly about who he was, and he found many terrible things. He even began to think something was wrong with him because he couldn't love every part of himself."

Elara remained silent at that, looking down to hide the emotions flashing in her eyes.

Aegon simply kissed her head and continued.

"One day, he was sitting in a restaurant and found himself judging a guy sitting next to him for speaking too loudly. He realised he'll never love that part of himself. Then he looked around and saw many people talking and laughing with each other. Maybe they were couples, maybe they were friends."

He raised his head, pausing to take a breath before continuing.

"Then he realised something very important at that moment. Something that changed his life."

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