Violet's Garden (The Ember Isles) - Bedtime Story with Soothing Music - Rest: Sleepy Bedtime Stories

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Good evening and welcome to Rest, your sanctuary for peaceful
sleep and relaxation. Whether you're escaping daily stresses or seeking
a nightly companion, you're in the right place. My name
is Jessica, and I'll be your host this evening. Before

(00:30):
we begin, why don't you turn off your screens and
turn down your volume. Now that's done, let's unwind and
help you ease into a blessed rest. For tonight's sleep story,

(00:56):
we return to the enchanted kingdom of the Ember Isles
for a fairy tale called Violet's Garden. So gently close
your eyes, let your breath flow softly, deeply as we

(01:21):
begin our story. The Ember Isles is a land filled
with beauty. There are mountains and valleys, rivers and streams,
forests and meadows. It is also a land where magic

(01:47):
can be found in the most unexpected places. A castle,
for instance, built around a deep lake and perched atop
a plateau overlooking the city. Gardens sprawled over the castle,

(02:09):
grounds filled with fountains and pavilions, paper birches and weeping willows,
and of course millions of flowers. Some were very common,

(02:29):
like daisies and tulips. Some grew on trees like azaleas
and rhododendrons, and some would become fruit like cherries and apples.
Some were very rare, from the highest reaches of the

(02:54):
mountains or the deepest depths of the forests. Once a year,
during the Royal Flower Festival, people from all across the
Kingdom would gather at the castle to celebrate. There, they

(03:18):
would eat and dance and play music throughout the gardens.
Bakers brought bread baked with floral notes, and beekeepers brought
honey from special gardens. Artists and craftsmen brought paintings, sculptures,

(03:45):
and dried flowers to display in the Royal Gallery, while
children made flower crowns, necklaces and corsages. Florists, botanists, farmers
and gardeners brought seedlings, saplings, and flowers to add to

(04:12):
the Royal gardens. Some were given to the Queen herself,
while others were given to the Royal Gardener, who would
place them in one of the many greenhouses scattered throughout
the gardens. At the end of the festival, the delicate

(04:38):
glass buildings were overflowing with plants. It is in one
of these greenhouses that we meet our hero a young
woman named Violet. She was kind and fair, with green

(05:01):
eyes and dark hair, who helped her father tend to
the gardens with care. She was the daughter of the
Royal Gardener and had spent her entire life nurturing the

(05:21):
plants and flowers within the castle walls. Violet enjoyed the
flower festival, but always looked forward to its end, when
she and her father would figure out what to do

(05:41):
with all of the new plants. Some would go in
the conservatory, others in hanging baskets, and the rest would
find a home in the gardens. For her, it was

(06:02):
the most exciting part of the whole festival, and she
would only have to wait a little bit longer. As
today was the final day of the celebration. The Queen

(06:23):
looked as radiant and regal as ever as she watched
her guests from her seat at the high table. Beside
her was Princess Miela, who had spent almost as much
time wandering the gardens as Violet. The two were fast friends,

(06:51):
and someday when Miela was queen, Violet would be her
royal gardener. Like her mother. Princess Miila wore the last
of her seven dresses made just for the festival. Seamstresses

(07:15):
and tailors from across the kingdom had arrived a week before,
hoping that their dresses would be picked by the Queen
or the princess. Of course, everyone wore dresses, shirts, jackets,

(07:38):
or vests fit for the occasion, embroidered or patterned with
floral themes, but none stood out more than two royal women.
The Queen's dress was deep blue and and covered with

(08:01):
silver vines that bloomed with golden flowers, while Princess Mieler's
was green and decorated with purple blossoms violets. In fact,
to honor her friend. Enjoying yourself, the Queen asked Violet

(08:26):
as she neared the head table. Of course, your majesty,
Violet replied with a curtsey. I'm sure you're ready for
everyone to be out of your gardens. Prince Alexander chuckled.

(08:49):
He was the husband of Queen Tatiana and a good
friend of Violet's father. The gardens are for everyone to enjoy,
Violet said, not just me, although she added in a

(09:11):
low voice, I wish people would be more careful. Did
someone fall in your father's pond again, Princess Mila asked
with a smack. Not this year, laughed Violet, but I

(09:33):
did see someone trapped in the rose hedge maze. Well,
I hope you do something a little less treacherous when
you plant your garden, Queen Tatiana said, as beautiful as

(09:55):
the maze is, I myself have been pricked by the
thorns more than once. Have you thought about what you
might do with your garden? Violet dropped her gaze. Adding
her mark to the Royal Gardens was something she had

(10:19):
dreaded all her life. The Royal Gardens were vast, but
every Royal Gardener had added a piece of themselves to
it since the first seedling was planted. They designed and

(10:41):
planned for their entire apprenticeship under the Royal Gardener, and
planted and tended to it from the very first day
they took over. Violet's father had added the Tranquility Garden,

(11:03):
a peaceful pond filled with lilies and surrounded by willows
and Lilac's after his daughter. It was his favorite thing
in the world, but he often praised Violet for her

(11:24):
talent and couldn't wait to see what she would add
to the Royal gardens. That's a long way off, Prince
Alexander said softly when he saw Violet's fallen expression. And

(11:45):
I'm sure no matter what she does, it will be spectacular.
Of course it will be, Princess Mila scoffed. She's been
training for it her whole life. Violet swallowed nervously. There

(12:09):
was so much pressure on her. A few royal gardeners
had been succeeded by their children in the past, but
Violet had been born right there within the castle walls,
in the Violet Garden. In fact, she had never known

(12:34):
a home other than the gardener's cottage. I'll do my best,
Violet mumbled. At last, I know you will. Queen Tatiana,
said Violet forster smile, then excused herself from the royal family.

(13:01):
She wandered through the gardens until she found herself in
front of one of the greenhouses. As she pushed open
the glass door, she felt an immediate sense of calm
wash over her. The scent of warm, damp earth was

(13:28):
one of her favorite smells in the whole world, even
more so than the sweetest flower. It reminded her of
a blank slate and all the possible things she could
grow in the rich, nourishing soil. Plants covered the tables

(13:55):
and overflowed onto the floor. Violet carefully stepped around them,
searching for any hidden treasures among this year's gifts. She
finished looking, finding nothing particularly special, except, of course, the

(14:21):
wonder that was any growing thing. With a sigh, she
left the greenhouse and continued roaming the gardens until she
found herself at the edge of the lake. The water

(14:43):
was calm, perfectly reflecting the starry night sky like a mirror.
Violet stared at the glittering surface for a long time, ignoring.
During the sounds of the festivities echoing from all around

(15:05):
the gardens, she recalled all the times she and Princess
Mila had played in the lake as children. They were
both older now, with very different paths lying before them.

(15:29):
Miela would have to make her name as Queen of
the Ember Isles, and Violet had no doubt that she would.
Violet knew that leaving her mark on the royal gardens
would never be as important as being a good queen,

(15:54):
but she still yearned to make a difference. Violet had
tried to come up with something, anything, that would set
her garden apart from those of the royal gardeners before her,

(16:16):
but always came up empty. Who would remember another rock,
moss or rain garden? Did the castle need another hedge
of roses or cypress grove or meadowscape? Would another marble fountain,

(16:41):
reflection pond or waterfall enhance the garden's beauty. With all
of this on her mind, Violet couldn't stand the idea
of returning to the festival. Instead, she returned to the

(17:04):
cottage she shared with her father and went to her room.
As she closed her eyes, she began to recall all
the plants, flowers, and seeds that she would get to
plant over the coming days. She placed each one in

(17:30):
her mind, arranging and rearranging them, until at last she
fell asleep. The next day, Violet and her father began
sorting through the overflowing greenhouse. They organized and labeled each

(17:58):
packet of seeds, and planted flowers in the castle window
boxes and hanging baskets. They carried bushes and trees to
their new homes all across the castle grounds and buried

(18:19):
their roots in the dark soil. Don't worry about what
your garden will be, Violet's father said, as they stepped
back to admire their work. Think about what it will
become under the care of every Royal gardener after you.

(18:46):
What do you mean, Violet asked, Every year we add
to the gardens, making them diverse and beautiful. Think of
all that we've planted since you were a little girl.

(19:09):
Think about right now where we're standing. This is Oliver's garden,
planted by the Royal Gardener over two hundred years ago.
What did he plant here during his time? What have

(19:30):
you and I and all those before us added to it?
Would he even recognize it? Violet frowned as she processed
her father's words. They made sense, of course, but the

(19:53):
weight on her heart refused to budge. She knew those
who came after her would add to her garden, but
what would they add? She wanted them to stop and
consider what to plant, and do so with the utmost care.

(20:21):
She wanted it to be a struggle to think about
what would be appropriate, even worthy, of her garden. Violet,
her father asked, when she remained quiet, Are you all right?

(20:43):
I'm going to check the greenhouse again, Violet said, just
in case we missed something. All right, my dear, her
father said, in a soft voice, I'll finish planting these tulips.

(21:06):
Without another word, Violet turned around and left for the greenhouse,
where all the guests had left their contributions to the
Royal Garden. The tables were empty and the floor was

(21:26):
bare except for a few empty pots, fallen leaves, and
stray piles of soil. Violet knew it would be this way.
She had just wanted some time to herself. She leaned

(21:50):
against the wooden door and let herself slide down its
weathered surface to the ground, where she drew her knees
to her chest and rested her head upon them. Every

(22:11):
year it grew harder and harder, not knowing what she
wanted to do. Well, I know what I want, Violet
mumbled to herself. She wanted to make a difference. I

(22:35):
just don't know how. Just then, a sudden breeze swept
through an open window and knocked over a rake. The
sound startled Violet from her thoughts, and with a heavy sigh,

(22:58):
she stood to retrieve the fallen tool. As she reached
for its worn handle, something caught her eye in the
shadows under the table. She knelt on the ground and
saw that it was a plant in a cracked clay pot.

(23:25):
It must have fallen off the table and rolled under here,
Violet thought as she retrieved the plant. You don't look
so good, she murmured, as she examined its bruised, bent

(23:47):
and broken leaves. But what are you? Violet had never
seen a plant such as the one in her hands.
Even in its damaged state, she should have been able

(24:09):
to recognize it. It had delicate, fern like fronds that
almost seemed to shimmer in the light. Rising from their
center was a spike with budding flowers that reminded her

(24:32):
of a foxglove. Perhaps you're some sort of hybrid, Violet
said as she rose to her feet. Let's see if
I can help you. As slowly and carefully as handling

(24:56):
an injured baby bird, Via Let carried the plant almost
all the way across the garden to the nursery. There,
she placed the damaged pot on her workbench, where it

(25:16):
split in two and spilled its contents onto the table.
Violet caught the plant before it could fall and cradled
it in her hands. I've got you, Violet said in

(25:38):
a soothing voice as she delicately placed the plant into
a new pot. I'll be right back. I'm going to
get you some nice soil, she added. Outside the nursery,

(25:59):
Violet retrieved a wooden pail and walked to the neat
piles of sand, compost, peat, moss, and soil. She collected
a bit of each and mixed them together with her

(26:20):
free hand. Occasionally she would compress a handful, crumble it
in her palm, and examine it. Then she would add
a bit more of one ingredient or another and mix

(26:43):
it again. When she was finally satisfied, she returned to
the nursery. Here you go, Violet said, tucking the potting
soil around the plant with all the tenderness of swaddling

(27:06):
a newborn child. Now a nice drink, Violet sprinkled water
onto the plant bit by bit, then picked up her
pruning knife. With practiced hands, she began to remove the

(27:30):
damaged fronds, saving as much as she could and propping
up what she thought might survive. Last, she lifted the
broken spike and pruned it from the rest of the plant,

(27:51):
managing to save a single budding flower. Finished violets, stepped
back and examined the plant. It looked sad and sparse,
but healthy. That was the best she could hope for,

(28:18):
but now what to do with it? She started to
place it next to the seedlings in the nursery, but
couldn't bring herself to leave it all on its own.
Something deep inside her told her it needed her. Violet,

(28:45):
her father called from somewhere outside. I'm in here, Violet replied,
still holding the plant. Violet, what are you? Her father began.
He stopped and studied the plant in his daughter's arms.

(29:11):
Do you know what it is? Violet asked, lifting the
clay pot until it was level with her eyes. Violet's
father bent his knees and examined the plant, then straightened

(29:32):
up with a puzzled expression. I have no idea what
that is, he admitted, where did you find it? Violet
explained where she had found it and showed her father

(29:53):
the small pile of fronts and the delicate flower studied
spike she needed to remove. He picked up each discarded
piece and examined them like a jeweler, inspecting gemstones. Then,

(30:16):
with small, precise movements like a surgeon, he opened one
of the buds. It had underdeveloped blue petals and a strange,
bulbous stamen. When Violet's father finished, his dissection, he looked

(30:40):
even more puzzled than before he had started. He decided
to press and dry everything Violet had pruned for preservation
and further study. I don't want to leave it here
by itself, Violet said, when her father began to make

(31:06):
room for it among the other young plants. I'm taking
it home with me, she added, when he stared at
her with a strange expression. All right, my dear, he
said at last. Together, Violet, carrying her plant, and her

(31:35):
father walked the curved and winding paths to their cottage.
The sun was setting when they reached the lake, and
the last bit of fiery color was fading from the
still waters. The stone cottage sat beside, made a secluded

(32:01):
part of the lake, hidden by trees and visible only
from certain angles of the royal gardens. Though it was
called a cottage, it would have looked quite grand were
it not in the shadow of the most beautiful castle

(32:26):
in the whole kingdom. It had once housed the king
who had overseen the construction of the castle hundreds of
years ago. Still, despite its legacy, Violet's home never felt

(32:49):
cold or unwelcoming. Through the trees, the windows glowed with
warm light, and as they grew nearer, she could see
the shadow of their housekeeper moving about the kitchen. Violet

(33:13):
kept the plant near her all night, setting it first
on the dining table, then on the window ledge, over
the bathtub, and finally on the night stand beside her bed.

(33:33):
That was how it went over the next several weeks.
It never left violet side, not when she slept, not
when she ate or bathed, and not when she left

(33:53):
the cottage to tend the gardens. Bit by bit, it
began to recover, with new frands, slowly on furling as
they rose from the soil. Through it all, the single

(34:16):
remaining flower refused to bloom. Her father doubted it ever would,
but she held out hope even as the days turned
into weeks. It can't live in a pot forever, Violet's

(34:42):
father said. One day, it's healthy and growing. You should
find a place for it in the garden. But where
would I put it? Violet asked, what place is deserving
of it? And suddenly the weight in Violet's chest vanished.

(35:11):
This was the very feeling she wanted her garden to invoke.
This was the first plant of her garden, and she
would begin planting it tonight, and she knew exactly where

(35:32):
to begin. Where are you going? Her father called, when
his daughter swept up her plant and headed toward the
door to plant this, she called over her shoulder, where

(35:55):
her father panted as he tried to keep up with her.
The crescent, Violet, nothing grows there. The soil is too rocky,
and the oak tree casts too much shade. It all grow,

(36:19):
Violet insisted. She stopped at the cottage's garden shed and
retrieved a trowel and hand cultivator. How do you know?
Violet paused for the first time and looked into her

(36:43):
father's gentle eyes. I just do. She waited, expecting him
to argue, but instead he nodded and just for her
to lead the way. Beside the lake, a small rowboat

(37:08):
rested on the shore. Violet's father pulled it to the
water's edge and helped his daughter step inside. She thanked
him with a smile, sat on the weathered wooden seat,

(37:29):
and held her plant on her lap while her father
rode the boat. Violet watched the crescent come into view.
The peculiar shaped island from where it took its name,

(37:51):
sat in almost the exact center of the lake. It
was rough and rocky, higher on one side than the other,
and dominated by a magnificent oak tree. Its leafy canopy

(38:15):
shaded most of the island, with its broad limbs stretching
out over the water to shelter the tiny bay. The
boat glided over the calm lake, leaving ripples in its

(38:37):
wake and distorting the stars reflected from high above violets
farther road with slow, even strokes, the oars hardly making
a sound as they plunged into the water. Beyond the

(39:02):
ancient oak, the castle rose from the darkness, its many
windows glowing with cheerful, welcoming light. Violet took a moment
to appreciate her home and how lucky she was for

(39:25):
everything in her life. She silently thanked the queen for
allowing her and her father to live within the castle's
protective walls, the princess for being her friend, and her

(39:46):
father for teaching her all she knew. She also thanked
the garden for all the joy it brought her, the trees,
the flowers, and the earth in which they grew. At last,

(40:11):
the boat nudged the soft sand of the island and
slowed to a halt. It rocked under Violet's feet as
she stood, and her father steadied it with an oar.

(40:32):
He gave her a reassuring nod as she stepped into
the shallow water and settled in to wait. The tree
was even more enormous up close than Violet had thought.

(40:53):
It had great, gnulled roots that sprawled across the ground
and over the rocks, like it was holding the ground
with its ancient embrace. As she walked around its great trunk,

(41:15):
she marveled at its size and how determined it must
be to grow in such a place. Choosing a spot
facing the small bay and between the trees moss covered roots,

(41:37):
Violet knelt and began to dig. Right there, Violet's father asked.
He didn't sound skeptical or judgmental, but interested, hoping to
learn from her. Right here, Violet replied, it's sheltered from

(42:06):
wind and waves and faces the castle so it can
feel the sun every morning. It's where I'd want to
be if I were a plant, me too. Violet smiled there,

(42:30):
she said, patting the earth around her plant and gently
running a finger over its delicate fronds. Do you want
to stay a little longer? Violet's father asked when she
returned to the boat. Instead of answering, Violet yawned and

(42:58):
rubbed her eyes. She was getting sleepy and knew in
her heart that her plant would be safe within the
protective embrace of the ancient oak. Her father chuckled and

(43:21):
steadied the boat once more so she could join him.
It's a full moon tonight, he commented softly as he
looked at the sky. Violet turned her gaze toward the

(43:42):
canopy above them. The scattered moonlight reached through the foliage
and danced over the roots, the rocks, and the single
plant amongst them. Just as her father picked up the oars,

(44:07):
the budding flower seemed to glow all on its own. Wait,
Violet said, rising to her feet and leaning out over
the bough. Look Together, Violet and her father watched as

(44:33):
the flower began to open. The light moved within the
bell shaped blossom, like someone moving a candle behind a
closed curtain. With each movement, a sprinkling of blue sparks

(44:56):
rained from the bloom and and faded into nothingness before
they touched the ground. Then, slowly, like the sun slipping
over the mountains, a tiny winged figure emerged from the flower,

(45:24):
a pixie, Violet breathed, impossible, her father whispered, And yet
there she was a little fairy who glowed with soft
blue light. She slowly flew toward the boat, her butterfly

(45:54):
like wings leaving a trail of sparkling dust behind her.
Violet held out her hand and the pixie landed in
her palm. Her father gasped, but remained still so as

(46:18):
not to frighten the magical little creature. Even though she
had just been born, the fairy seemed ageless and eternal,
and though no more than two inches tall, Violet felt

(46:42):
small in her presence. She had never seen anything so
beautiful in her entire life. The pixie's sparkling hair cascaded
in gentle curls down her back and over her shoulders,

(47:08):
like ripples in a pond. She wore a flower petal
like a dress over her tiny, glowing body, with a
single plant fiber tied around her waist. Her delicate wings

(47:33):
fluttered lazily behind her, the translucent membranes shimmering like stars
between veins that swirled in intricate spirals. The Pigsie took
a few steps forward, then slowly flapped her wings rising

(48:00):
through the air to hover before Violet's eyes. They stared
at each other for several long moments, the latter with
an awe struck look upon her face, and the former

(48:25):
with a gentle smile on her lips. Violet held her
breath when the pixie reached out and touched her cheek.
Warmth flowed from the fairy's tiny hand, filling Violet with

(48:48):
a sense of calm and serenity. The pixie let out
a soft, musical laugh, like the tinkling of miniature wind chimes,
then turned and began to fly up into the canopy.

(49:16):
Sparkling dust fell with every flap of her wings. She
settled on a branch and watched, swinging her legs as
Violet's father began to row. Violets stared at the little

(49:42):
blue glow as the boat floated father and farther away,
until at last it vanished in the darkness. Tears gulled
up in her eyes as she smiled. She finally knew

(50:09):
how she would leave her mark on the Royal Gardens.
It would not be with carved stone or fancy ponds
or artistic arrangements. No, Violet would make a haven for

(50:35):
the fairies and fill the garden with magic. Where there
was one pixie plant, there were surely more. She would
just have to find them. Violet step from the boat

(51:02):
onto the soft grass of the shore near the cottage
and let out a tired yawn. Her eyelids were growing
heavier and heavier, even though her mind raised with excitement.

(51:29):
She looked over her shoulder one last time toward the
little island and smiled. She couldn't wait to begin her
pixie garden, but that would have to be an adventure

(51:58):
for another day. Have a blessed rest, sweet dreams, good night,

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Violet's Garden (The Ember Isles) - Bedtime Story with Soothing Music

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