Demon King's Gardener

"Oh, yes, I'm sure Huo'a will be thrilled," Braelin agreed.

Snip and Snap trotted to Jurao's side from behind the High Priest – as the pair often stayed near him for familiarity when Jurao left them at the castle.

Meir'ril watched Bud contemplatively before asking, "Can drakeblooms change forms?"

"The really big ones can," Maukul said, "I don't think… Bud will have access to enough magic to get to that point."

"So being in a small form like this conserves energy," Meir postulated.

Maukul snorted and pulled the elf-human young man against their side to say, "I mean, yeah – works that way for us, too."

"But you usually fly in your big forms, right?" Meir'ril asked, "So how do they… you would have to be in your small form when they are, right?"

Bud made an inquisitive noise, only seeming to notice the flesh and blood dragon then.

Maukul cleared their throat and said, "They usually only manage to take root in caves, so we have to get smaller to make it to them."

"Caves," Bud said with a hum, not releasing Braelin as it looked behind it thoughtfully.

"Do you know what a cave is?" Braelin asked.

Bud hummed again and asked, "A hole?"

"More or less," the human gardener agreed.

"It," Milve said, then hesitated and said, "You're very well spoken, Bud, for… recently blooming."

Bud watched as Rascal approached it, the crushfern currently having red-tipped tendrils with blue starting in the center, leaving a purple area in the middle as the color transition took hold. It gently batted at the fern with a dragon fore-paw as it said, "I could hear you all talking, but some of it comes from the other plants. They don't talk like you all do, but they listen. They helped me sort things out."

Bud released Braelin to lay its anthropoid torso on the ground, reminding Jurao of Snip and Snap when they played together as it batted at Rascal, the crushfern playfully dodging away and darting back in to tug at Bud's mane of flowers. The visual became more literal when Snip and Snap, as they usually did, ran over to join the crushfern in playing – Bud flinching up in surprise before playing with the waste hounds as well.

"Could we build Bud a cave?" Braelin asked, walking back over to Jurao.

Petal swayed between them for a moment before joining in the playing – but rather than darting around Bud, it climbed onto the drakebloom's back to help it 'fend off' Rascal and the waste hounds.

"I don't think that will be an issue," Jurao replied, unsurprised by the request.

"Do you know if there are any other plants that tend to grow near drakeblooms, Maukul?" Braelin asked.

"We're usually told to be wary of blue berry bushes if they're growing near a cave entrance, since it can mean there's a drakebloom inside," Maukul replied, watching Bud for a few moments before their bovid ears canted back and they asked, "Um, Bud?"

"Yes?" the drakebloom asked, lying on top of Rascal in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the crushfern from escaping.

"Would it be weird to um… try eating your flowers?" the dragon asked.

"I don't think so," Bud replied, rolling on its back as Rascal escaped and pulling Petal onto its stomach. It pet the calmer crushfern as it added, "People eat the fruits and flowers of the other plants in the garden."

"Is there something special about drakebloom flowers?" Meir asked, blushing as he finally noticed how close Maukul had pulled him.

The dragon chuckled as they nuzzled the elf-human man's cheek and stood, still hesitating before tugging a few flowers free from the vines on the shrine.

It didn't seem to bother Bud as the drakebloom was properly investigated by Snip and Snap.

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"I told you the scent was a dragon aphrodisiac, right?" Maukul asked, settling back where they had been before, "Some people harvest the flowers of drakeblooms after… uprooting the main body because the nectar inside has a similar effect. Since the scent of these isn't affecting me, I wondered if the nectar still would."

The dragon pulled one of the long flowers off the bunched stem, handing the rest to Meir. They pulled a small string from the bottom before putting it up to their mouth, sipping a little before holding the flower away from their mouth. Their tail started to sway, and their ears drooped as they said, "Oh… I… hmm."

"Effective?" Braelin asked.

"I didn't think it would take so little," Maukul replied with a chuckle, "Especially without the scent…"

"It's the pollen, not the scent," Bud replied, "The hedge taught me how to grow flowers with almost no pollen, so it doesn't spread enough to affect you."

"Ah," Braelin said, "That makes sense."

"Do you need a place to stay, Maukul," Jurao asked.

"Uh," Meir'ril's face went darker as he said, "I… think the cottage should be empty right now?"

Maukul purred and nuzzled his cheek again as they said, "Oh, then we could figure out if it works on elves, too."

Meir'ril sputtered, tucking the flower bunch into the crook of his arm to bury his face in his hands as he said, "Maukul."

"Sorry," the dragon said, pulling back with a chuckle.

"That's a good idea, though," Braelin said, cupping his chin.

"Would it be?" Milve asked, stepping around the young couple with an amused look. Jurao thought the older man looked much happier than when he had first arrived, though the look still felt slightly out of place on his face.

"If it affects demons the same way, it could be added to the feast," Braelin said, "then people might not be as upset by a sudden dragon-plant."

"Ah, yes – it would be an appropriate addition," Milve said, eyeing the drakebloom dubiously – a much more familiar expression for the High Priest.

"There's a way to make it into wine," Maukul said, "I think Lave knows it. Probably too late to serve it now…"

"Not unless Huo'a sped up the fermentation with time magic," Braelin agreed, "Which he probably would, but with only a little under a week, I don't think he could manage more than a small batch."

"What is this?" Hujur asked, joining them with Grand Priestis Losse.

"This is Bud," Braelin replied, "It's – it's?"

"I think I prefer he," Bud said.

Braelin nodded and said, "He's a type of dragonic flower called a drakebloom. His flowers have an aphrodisiac nectar – if it affects demons, I thought we could serve it at the feast to make people more accepting of him. Maukul said there's a way to make it into a wine, and I was saying that Huo'a could probably use magic to ferment a small batch in time."

Hujur took a moment to mentally count to ten before asking, "Is the wine also an aphrodisiac?"

"It is," Maukul replied, standing up with a groan and plucking the flower bunch from Meir'ril and bringing it over to ask, "Did you want to try now?"

Hujur's fox ears went back uncertainly.

"I'll try it," the Grand Priestis said, looking up as e asked, "Have you tried it, Milve?"

"I have not," Milve replied – then sighed and stepped forward, "But of course, if a grand priestis of Maenscul intends to test a plant…"

Losse chuckled, accepting a flower from the dragon along with Milve and Braelin.

"You should probably wait, my heart," Braelin said, as Jurao considered trying as well. His betrothed smiled as he added, "I'm sure Hujur and the Grand Priestis came to get you for feast preparations that need your attention."

"Indeed, we did," Hujur said, though he watched with interest as Maukul showed the others how to drink the nectar.

"I have some personal rites to attend to after speaking with His Highness, which this will help with, if it is effective," Losse remarked, before sipping the nectar out of the flower end.

Milve and Braelin did the same, and after a moment, both priesti's tails swayed as their faces darkened, while the human gardener's face reddened.

"I think a small batch the King can gift to specific individuals would go over quite well," Losse said.

"Perhaps mixed with desire wine," Milve suggested.

Losse hummed and nodded in agreement, twirling the flower between eir fingers thoughtfully.

Braelin cleared his throat and said, "I think I will… retire for a bit."

"Oh my," Hujur said, "If it's that effective, I am certain few will oppose the gardens' newest resident…"

Maukul chuckled, walking back over to nuzzle Meir'ril's cheek as they asked, "Cottage?"

"Right," Meir'ril said, flinching – then chuckling nervously as he offered the rest of them a wave, "Uh, see you later."

Braelin waved back, and his younger brother led the dragon away.

"I believe I will also retire," Milve stated, and gave a small bow and said, "Your Highness," before leaving as well.

"Someone should probably have Soth confirm there will be no lasting effects before wine is made," Hujur said, making a note, "with the differences in all of our physiologies…"

"Probably," Braelin agreed, turning as Bud, stretched out completely, tugged at his cloak.

"I could help," the drakebloom offered.

Hujur made a choked sound.

"Maybe another time, but thank you," Braelin replied, patting the plant's head.

Bud nodded, retreating back nearer the shrine.

"After the cave is built," Jurao suggested.

"Cave?" Hujur asked, sighing as he rubbed one temple.

"Apparently, drakeblooms usually grow in caves," Braelin said – then sighed and waved Jurao down.

The King was not surprised when his partner kissed his cheek, which he often did as means of farewell.

"I'll see you later, my heart," his gardener said.

"Rest if you can, my mud eel," Jurao replied, kissing his partner's forehead in turn and wishing he could follow after his betrothed.

"I think feast preparations can wait a few hours," Losse suggested – gently plucking another flower from its stem.

Hujur sighed – but smiled as he said, "If you say so, Your Grace."

Jurao's tail swayed as he inclined his head to them both and said, "Then, please, excuse me."

"I wonder how the stonemasons will feel about building a cave for a dragon flower," Hujur mused as the King trotted after his partner.