The Garden of Ashes: Even in Ruin, Forbidden Love Takes Root

Aeren thought leaving would save the emperor. He believed removing himself from the palace would protect Irenus from scandal, political attack, and the consequences of the forbidden vow. In Solferon, a eunuch who stands too close to a ruler is seen as a danger to the throne, not a person who deserves to stay. Accepting exile, Aeren is escorted to a remote sanctuary known as the Garden of Ashes—an isolated estate where former servants, disgraced nobles, and unwanted witnesses quietly disappear from history. It is peaceful, safe, and unbearably quiet. For the first time in his life, Aeren is free from orders, from court politics, and from being seen. He should feel relief. Instead, he feels the emptiness of a life without purpose and without the emperor. Meanwhile, the palace begins to unravel. Without Aeren's presence, Irenus faces the full weight of the court alone. Nobles demand an arranged marriage to secure alliances. The Church pressures him to "restore purity to the throne." Ministers push for policies that undo every reform Aeren helped build. The emperor refuses to replace him, refuses to forget him, and refuses to accept a future shaped by obligation instead of choice. But power is not fueled by determination—it is controlled by those who understand leverage. The court learns quickly that the emperor will do anything to protect Aeren. And that gives them a weapon. Life in the Garden slowly shifts when Aeren meets Kael, a quiet gardener whose role is to maintain the sanctuary's grounds. Kael listens without judgment and teaches Aeren to tend plants—to care for something that will grow, even if no one will ever see it. Their companionship is not romantic, but it is the first time Aeren experiences closeness without conditions. For a moment, he begins to believe he can build a life without the palace, without responsibility, and without longing for Irenus. That illusion shatters when soldiers arrive in the night. They carry a warrant for Aeren's arrest, signed under the emperor's name—yet bearing handwriting that is not his. Someone in the palace has forged imperial authority to eliminate Aeren permanently. The sanctuary burns, and Aeren barely escapes with Kael's help. Before he flees, Kael hands him a sealed document he stole from the soldiers. Inside is damning evidence: the council is planning to replace the emperor, using Aeren's disappearance as proof that Irenus is unfit to rule. Aeren returns to the capital to warn Irenus, only to find the emperor surrounded by enemies and forced into an engagement he does not want. Their reunion is raw and unguarded—anger, relief, confusion, and longing clash in a confrontation neither of them is ready for. Aeren realizes that leaving did not protect Irenus. It isolated him. It gave the court space to move against him. To save the man he loves, Aeren must step into the one role he feared: not a servant, not a shadow, but a political force. The palace tries to silence him again. Aeren refuses. He stands in front of the council, exposes their conspiracy, and makes a choice that changes everything. For the first time, he acts not out of duty, but out of desire. Love once pushed him into exile. Love now leads him back into the fire.