Apple had been hard at work. With the change of the season came the time to plant the garden! She wished she could've found some seeds from the last year, but she'd been... indisposed. Not as prepared as she'd have liked to be. Next year would be easier; the roots already dug in deep, the plot settled, on a careful routine of weeding and watering. For now, she had to do it the hard way -- find plants that were already growing, carefully dig them up, and put them where she wanted them to grow. Make sure they settled correctly, that she watered them enough, that she didn't wet the leaves and scorch them beneath the hot desert sun.

She and Dante were tireless in their pursuit, but the herbal garden wasn't all she was persistent with.

She and Apricot thought up a grand idea as well, together! In wanting to do something nice for Marcia, both to help her feel more at home here and perhaps help her brother in winning her affections. Maybe a little bit, even, to say thank you for all she was helping Apple too, though she hoped for most of the gift to be from the King himself. She would thank the princess herself, somehow. Another way!

She'd left her not-so-small pups sleeping and went off to gather her littermate quietly, and off they'd gone into the misty morning, looking for fresh new flowers to add to the garden.

Look, she whispered, excited, prancing ahead with her slight little limp, A lily! I haven't seen any of these yet around here! She looked at the tall plant with its fine, snowy petals, grinning from ear to ear-stump. Think she'll like this one?