Inspired by the awesome prompt from the ever-darling bubblecloudz.

Prompt: 150+ words, maximum mention of 3 characters, set at dusk or dawn, any genre except angst, mention white flower, reference stars

Word count: 738

Walking through the palace was like walking through the maze of corridors in the Glacier. All of them ultimately intersected, but unless you knew where you wanted to go, it felt like a maze of tunnels. With barely a peep of light from the rising sun, Lirael found it was more difficult than usual to navigate the different passages.

After three horrible attempts at conversation with various palace servants, Lirael finally found her way down to the gardens. There were five sections in all. One was a kitchen garden, little more than a vegetable patch. Like the Glacier, the royal palace grew some of its own food. Another section was completely devoted to shrubberies and hedges. Lirael saw a curious squarish rectangle drawn in white chalk on the ground in the center of this garden. There was a net similar to a fishing net strung horizontally across the rectangle. Curious place for a fishing net, Lirael had thought. (Later, Sabriel explained it was a game. Tennis. Brought over from Ancelstierre. This explanation had earned another round of pleasant laughter from the family. Lirael had learned that it would have been better had she not asked. Ellimere started to badger her about learning how to play and wouldn't let up until she had consented!)

The third garden contained an apiary and all types of pollen-conducting flowers, including honeysuckles. Lirael couldn't stop herself from picking a few. She had seen girls wear them in their hair, but she thought it would look silly on her. Instead, she held them, smelling them from time to time.

The next area was Sabriel's favorite, she was told by a passing gardener. There were a thousand roses of every shape and colour growing in this large plot of land. Lirael was amazed at the variety. She sat on a bench, mind overflowing at the sight of a THOUSAND roses! She pictured what the Glacier would look like if her former home grew a thousand roses. After many moments, she moved on to the last royal garden.

It was a greenhouse. She wasn't surprised. The royal family could afford such luxuries. Lirael looked around at the large variety of plants growing in the spacious enclosed structure. She admired the glasswork and noted the Charter marks shining like small suns. She found tulips, lilacs, jasmine, lilies - all white. Every single flower in the greenhouse was white. Curious, she moved closer to examine each nook and corner.

"This is for Ellimere," a woman's voice said. The words echoed in the building, sounding louder than they actually were.

Startled, Lirael quickly turned around.

"Sabriel!" she breathed, feeling her pulse race. "You scared me!"

"I'm sorry, sister dear," Sabriel replied, touching a foxglove. "I didn't mean to. I merely thought you'd want to know. We built this for Ellimere."

Lirael nodded, understanding that Ellimere and her namesake were one and the same here in this greenhouse.

"White is symbolic, you know," Sabriel explained casually. "It represents purity. Oneness. A new beginning."

Lirael listened, liking the sound of Sabriel's soft voice.

"I've seen the stars," Sabriel said, changing topics abruptly.

Lirael nodded, knowing at once what Sabriel referenced.

"When I was there, it was just after the school - Wyverley College -" her voice broke off. Lirael looked up at her sister and was shocked to see fresh tears making long trails down Sabriel's face. "I'm sorry, the memories..."

"No, I understand," Lirael heard herself say, the words sounding foreign to her own ears.

Sabriel paused and then smiled through her tears. "Of course you do."

The two sisters sat in companionable silence for a moment.

"They told me that she - Ellimere - was happy. You know, I really was worried. She was so young. So full of life..." Sabriel whispered the last part.

Lirael handed her sister a jasmine flower. "They are happy. She is happy. I bet she is so happy for you. She would want you to be happy and live your life to its fullest."

Sabriel stared at her half-sister as if just seeing her for the first time. Then, slowly, a grin formed on her face.

Lirael found, to her surprise, a similar smile on her own face.

"You really are full of wisdom and surprises, aren't you, sister dear?" Sabriel joked, placing an arm around Lirael's shoulders. "How about some breakfast?"