The inside of the tree was like its own world. There seemed to be an endless amount of rooms. Alder gave me a tour. A library, the kitchen, a living room, several bedrooms, and mysterious rooms with their doors closed. Each room had my head reeling at how all of this fit beneath a tree. We passed a room with a closed door that had Stolas's name engraved on it. Alder let me know what rooms I could use and which ones wouldn't be of use to me. Finally, we came across large glass doors.

"This is our conservatory." Alder said, his voice proud.

I could only gasp in surprise. It was like a mini forest here. The sound was condensed, several birds and critters flittering about the giant conservatory. There was a set of tables near the entrance. One table held flasks and vials, as if for experiments. Another was lined with journals and books. The last table had a cloth over it and a creature sleeping on it. Alder's chest puffed out. He gave a pleased smile, his hand gesturing for me to move forward.

"This is where I care for sick plants and animals. I also do research and such here. Two Fairy Kings ago, they decided to start writing down what they've found, species, and the like. So I am continuing the tradition."

He led me over to the table with the creature sleeping on it. It had auburn fur that faded into black at its fluffy tail. Its pointed ears were black at the tips. A sudden yawn made the creature wake up. Its mouth opened revealing sharp fangs. I stepped back slightly in surprise.

"It's okay." Alder stepped forward. He reached out and pet the animal. "This is a fire vulpine. Don't worry, he's quite sweet. A bit playful and likes to nip, but won't hurt you."

I stepped forward slightly. I wanted to reach out, but was a bit wary. I've had enough of sharp teeth to last me a lifetime. The fire vulpine stared at me with carmine eyes. It blinked. I blinked. It then nuzzled happily into Alder's hand. It made a sound of endearment. It seemed that the fire vulpine trusted him. The small doubt that had wedged its way into the back of my mind slowly disappeared. That was always a good sign, right? They say animals can tell when someone is bad or good.

"Come." Alder grabbed my wrist and tugged me forward. He held out my hand. "Let him sniff you first."

"I-Is this okay?" My eyebrows furrowed. 

"Look! He likes you."

The fire vulpine sniffed my hand curiously. His nose was cold and wet as he nudged my fingers. Alder's callused palm covered my hand as he guided it forward. The fire vulpine let out a small yip noise as my hand connected with his head. His fur was almost wiry. Alder moved my hand to his ears. Oh. That was so soft. I started to pet the cute little guy more enthusiastically. 

"He's so nice to pet…" I looked back at Alder and smiled. "We don't have many animals in Asmar besides our lupus. They're mainly used for guarding and fighting. We don't keep them as pets."

"The animals here aren't pets either. They're… companions. We live together. I would say it's in harmony, but the cycle of nature always abides."

The fire vulpine jumped off the table and trotted off. It must've been tired of getting pet. Alder smiled and kept his hand on mine. I tried to hide my blush and the shiver running down my spine. He was handsome and good with animals. If I wasn't here for a short time, I would have started flirting with him. He led me deeper into the conservatory. There were so many different flowers, plants, and saplings that I've never seen before. He led me over to a small, well kept section of plants.

"This is my medicinal garden. I use it to test out the effects of plants. I create medicinal drinks, foods, and potions."

"Wow. That's impressive." I leaned forward, poking a flower with purplish pink petals. "We have a garden, but my mom and twin sisters use it for poisons."

"Ah. Yes. That is to be expected from a war elf."

I giggled and nodded. "Very. What is this one?"

"That's an echinacea. It was in the salve I put on your wounds. It's also good for colds and flus."

I straightened and hummed. He continued to talk to me about all the plants and creatures as he led me down a stone path. This place was truly amazing. The care he put into this was truly amazing. I couldn't help but be awed. This conservatory must've been what music is to me. Full of care, love, and passion. I followed after him, happily listening to him talk.

We soon came back to the beginning. There were large yellow flowers that were almost as tall as I was. I looked at them. They were so big and seemed to be reaching for the sun. I looked over at Alder. His eyes were on mine as he stepped closer.

"This is a helianthus. A gorgeous flower. It holds the light of the sun in its petals. At night, it shines. Like a miniature sun."

"It's so pretty."

"It's stunning."

I looked over at Alder and smiled brightly. I couldn't help it. I had been so stressed this whole journey. And now that I had a moment to rest, I felt grateful. Especially with a man who was probably the kindest man I've ever met. Who knew the Fairy King was a smart, kind, and caring man like this? 

We went back over to the tables. He started to organize the mess of books and journals on one of the tables. I watched him. My eyes traveled over his body. His sleeves were pushed up to his forearms, revealing dark green markings. Those were the markings I saw glow when he opened the interest to the tree. I suddenly grew more curious. Who was truly the Fairy King? What was his purpose? How did he use his magic?

"Can you tell me more about being the Fairy King? You mentioned the last one was a woman. I thought all of them were men?"

Alder chuckled to himself. "It's just a term. Gender transcends when you're a Fairy King. The very first Fairy King, bestowed power by Empyria, was male. But the ones after have been different genders. It comes down to what they feel and what they want. Plenty of Fairy Kings have even been genderless, switched genders, or found themselves being fluid."

"Then, when you were given your powers, you just turned from mushroom to a man?"

"That is correct." He held out a journal, handing it to me. "Read this when you're able. It tells stories of past Fairy Kings."

I took the journal. "Thank you. Although, I'd like to hear more from you directly. Can you tell me more?"

Alder's eyes seemed to shine in excitement. It appeared that he didn't have a chance to talk much about this. I smiled softly. His excitement was cute. I knew that I was always delighted when someone wanted to talk to me about music or wanted me to play something for them. It was a good feeling. It was like I was finally being seen.

"As I mentioned previously, my magic is more centered to nature. The type changes with each Fairy King, but it will always continue to be nature based. For example, the last Fairy King had the gift of using her magic to communicate with animals. She knew every language that was and is."

"Wow! That's so cool! What's your magic, then?"

"Healing and research. I can heal animals, Whether it be sickness or an injury, my magic will cure any ailment."

I pouted slightly and crossed my arms. "Then why didn't you heal me completely? My ankle aches, you know."

He chuckled and reached out, ruffling my hair. "It's not that simple, little blossom."

Little blossom?

He continued. "Creatures who have lived in the forest are used to my magic. It flows everywhere. Through the roots of trees, the rivers, the flowers that bloom. They can handle magic. But for beings like you, it can cause distress. It will sap your energy away."

"I see…" My head tilted slightly. "You said I have magic. Shouldn't I be used to it then?"

"You are not used to your own magic, nor do you have control over it. Besides, our magic is two different entities. They are not the same, therefore, they do not affect us the same."

I groaned inwardly. There was so much to learn. So much I didn't know. It felt almost world shattering, especially learning I have magic. I grew up sheltered. There was no war, so there was no reason for any of us to leave. And because of it, I missed out on so much. But now… I had the opportunity to learn. And from the Fairy King himself.

I set down the journal. "What is the Fairy King's purpose?"

Alder frowned. "My purpose…"

Maybe that was the wrong question to ask. I had always thought my purpose was being a bard. It was simple to me. To Alder, it may not have been that simple. It might've been something that was complicated. It was a position that Empyria had given him. That was a lot to handle, a lot to take in. Probably not the best conversation for someone I had recently met. It was time to change the subject. I shifted closer to him, reading the title of the book in front of him.

"The language of flowers? Flowers can speak?"

He blinked, coming back to reality. A soft smile appeared on his lips. "No, no. Flowers have different meanings. It's like its own language."

"Oh. I think I've heard something about that. Like some flowers mean to love or some mean to hate, right?'

"Correct." He cracked open the book and flipped through it. He pointed to one. "Look here. The maple tree. It means balance, love, longevity, and abundance."

"If I was a flower, what would I be?"

He flipped through several pages again before pointing to the scribbled words on the page. "A white caryophyllus. It means… uh…"

"Means what?" My eyes must have been deceiving me. I thought I could see the tips of his ears turn red.

"Innocence, faithfulness, and… other things. Those two are the most important."

I tried to lean in and read the full meaning, but he pulled the book back. "I can understand innocence, but why faithfulness?"

"Your faith towards the power of music. It's quite amazing, little blossom."

"Thank you…" I murmured, suddenly growing shy. "That's very sweet of you."

"Now!" He shut the book and set it down. "Shall we eat? I bet you're hungry."

"Starved."