43 Chapter Forty-Three

The walking path to the main palace was winding and indirect. As I looked around, rows upon rows of different flowers filled every spare inch of the ground that was not dedicated to paths or decorative features. Gazebos and greenhouses cropped up every once in a while among the foliage. The view was breathtaking, and the scent coming from all of the flowers was intoxicating, but I found myself unable to enjoy them. 

My eyes lingered on every new outcropping of the cultivated flowers as we passed, and with each step, I grew more disappointed. There were no nymphs here. 

Marcel, who still walked beside me, must have been able to guess my thoughts. "Cultivated gardens such as these are not welcoming homes for my creatures. Too much activity." He looked around the gardens himself, displeasure etched on his face. "Besides, the fae haven't been allowed in Gilden for quite some time, with only a few exceptions made by the previous Emporer."