The Queen of Elysium

Chapter 24 - Chasing Ghosts

Elissa takes a turn around the gardens with Fleur and admires the flower borders. They are a riot of colour; hot pinks and brilliant yellows jostling for attention alongside spikes of purple, giant poppies, buzzing with half-drunk bees and drifts of tiny snow-white blooms.

They come to a path through banks of rhododendrons; seemingly impenetrable walls of glossy green leaves studded with delicate pink, lilac and cerise flowers. Occasionally, she gets a glimpse of the twisted branches hidden within; a perfect climbing frame for an adventurous child.

An area of scorched branches and shrivelled buds on one specimen stands out compared with its glorious neighbours.

"What happened here?"

Fleur shakes her head, trying to be serious, but the amusement twinkling in her eyes betrays her. "Sometimes little Aiden gets over excited. He is a fire Elemental like his father and has come into his powers earlier than most. Poor mother. These gardens are her pride and joy."

"Let's see what we can do." Elissa touches the plant, gently stroking the blackened branch and sending it a cooling wave of energy.

Other branches grow, reaching out to her like a lover. Fresh new leaves and flowers burst forth exuberantly and cover the scarred bough in a cascade of new life.

Elissa barely notices the gasp beside her as she gets distracted by her name being whispered on a summer breeze. It carries a melancholy chill at odds with her warm surroundings. Curiosity piqued, she follows it, ducking off the main path and under an arch laden with magenta flowers.

Around the corner, she finds a hidden garden presided over by a white marble statue of a woman looking down at the flowers around her feet. The space is almost completely encircled by a thick evergreen hedge and has an air that demands quiet.

The statue raises its face and she inhales sharply at the sight of Gaia's glacial blue eyes staring back at her. My child, see what fell before.

Suddenly it is the depths of winter and a soft blanket of snow lays on the ground. Fintan and Fleur, both clad in black, are kneeling before the statue. Fleur is shaking uncontrollably and at first Elissa thinks it must be the cold until the heartbreaking sound of desperate sobbing comes to her ears.

Fintan wraps his arms around his wife, silent tears tracking down his face; he looks younger and at the same time far older. Gently he prises a small bundle from Fleur's embrace and tenderly lays a tiny form, too tiny, on a bed snow to slumber for eternity.

Elissa chokes, her vision swimming as her eyes fill with tears and she spins around unable to watch anymore. Once more it is the height of summer and Fleur is standing there dressed in a floral gown.

Fleur looks past Elissa to the garden and closes her eyes. Her voice coming out as a cracked whisper, "I lost three babies."

When Fleur reopens her eyes, Elissa could almost drown in the pain revealed. Then a faint smile graces Fleur's face and her hands fall to her abdomen. "Aidan is my miracle. Though they almost lost me."

"May I?" At Fleur's nod, Elissa places a hand on her stomach and beneath the soft cotton material she can feel a thick line of scar tissue.

Elissa's hand glows blue, not with destructive stone melting power but with healing magic that flows into the Elemental woman, giving her the chance to nurture another life.

Before she can say anything, there is a patter of feet and a voice calling out, "Mummy. Auntie Ellie."

Fleur chastises her son, "Aidan, this is your queen."