a late bloomer

The last prompt: philomytha wanted something set five years after "The Emperor's Garden" in early spring (and I am hoping that with my usual lack of self-serving timing I will send her into labor by just posting this, and she won't get to read it for a week!).

This does, sorta kinda, count as Gregor/Ekaterin, not that they don't have too much sense for that really, but you are warned.

( Come here often? )