He stared at her in shock. No one had ever said such a thing to him. No girls had ever pursued him. Not for himself anyway. Only because he was a crown prince. And now because he was king.
But Moonflower didn’t know he was king.
Yet…she found him beautiful. He felt a pang all the way down to his core. His advisors were pressing him to marry. Why couldn’t he marry a sweet, capable, compassionate girl like this one right here? A girl who had the power to touch his heart. Not just his eyes.
He had only had silly girls paraded before him. Princesses from other realms. Foolish chits with not one serious thing on their minds.
Oh, that his brother hadn’t gotten himself killed!
Though, that wasn’t quite fair. Yoongi would still have been a prince. Expected to marry a princess. Not a gardener.
He sighed.
“What makes you think I’m beautiful?” he queried lightly.
She was still seated within the circle of his arms. He smiled faintly. He liked her weight on his lap. Her softness beneath his skin. Her breath flowing across his lips.
“Your voice, for one.”
Surprised, he responded with a questioning tone, “My voice?”
She nodded her head as she stared down at her lap. “You have a gorgeous voice. It’s deep and mellow, like a warm cup of tea comforting me. Or fresh butter melting on your tongue.”
He stared at her in consternation. Yet again, this was a first. No one had ever adored his voice. Though, he had craved someone’s approval in this area. But that was his secret.
“How odd. You’re the first person to ever like my voice,” he murmured.
She had no idea she’d just fulfilled one of his life’s dreams. To reach someone with his voice. To caress someone’s ears with his rich tones. And to have that voice appreciated. He had previously come to the apparently erroneous conclusion that his voice was nothing special. At least, to this one sweet girl caught under the moonlight with him tonight, his voice was something extraordinary. Comforting.
He felt a tear invading his eye. Would she like it if he sang to her?
He bent close to her ear. “Thank you,” he whispered.
His breath slid over her skin raising its tiny hairs. They were all standing at attention, mesmerized by that captivating breath. Her ears were drinking in that beautiful voice. The voice that reminded her of her father’s pleasant tone. Of a voice that she missed every single day. Her heart ached for the consolation of her appa’s voice as much as her arms longed for his loving embrace.
This boy was wrapping her in a comforting blanket of sound right now. She wanted to lean into him and rest her head on his shoulder. Lay her burdens on his chest. Better yet, place her ear over his heart and fall asleep to its steady beat. For she felt oddly safe with this man. Very strange, indeed. She seldom felt safe. Despite her training.
But she did now. She didn’t want to climb down off his lap. However, she supposed she must. But then, after second thought, she found a reason to stay a little while longer.
“I should clean your wound again,” she whispered as she poured more of the alcohol onto the rag in her hand. Then she dabbed it at the lacerations gently.
He watched her face as she worked. She was very near him once more. His eyes traced her lovely lips. He swallowed.
He bent towards her and inhaled. She smelled of moonlight and fresh earth and flowers. Nature itself seemed to cling to her. He closed his eyes and breathed in again.
“You smell amazing,” he murmured, that deep rumble sliding over her nerves with grace once more.
She leaned back as his breath slid over her ear. She hadn’t realized how close she’d gotten to him again. Her eyes seemed to shift towards his for a moment. She didn’t say anything.
Why was her heart hammering in her chest? Maybe because she had finally found the tenderness her heart had been longing for. Years of dreaming of a gentle man who would take notice of her. But he clearly couldn’t see her well. Once he’d seen her in daylight, he would fade away. Just like all the others.
She sighed deeply. Best to pack up all those dreams and bury the box again. Before she got her heart shattered. It couldn’t take one more break. He seemed to be a very pleasant man, but he was still a man. And they were all seeking the same thing. A beautiful woman. A flawless one. And she could never be called perfect. She was, at best, incomplete.
She drew away from him and stood up. Yoongi felt the loss of her like she’d just cut off some vital part of him. He reached for her as he grappled for some excuse to touch her again.
“Will you come with me? Into the palace, into the light, to examine my face more clearly? Just to make sure that the wound is completely clean?”
She moved across the tiny room. Her well-modulated tone sounded slightly off. “I feel certain it would be better for you to visit the palace surgeon. He would know far better than I what needs to be done for you to sustain the least damage possible. Thank you for allowing me to minister to your needs for as long as I have done.
“I need to return to my flowers. I was in the middle of planting a row of new babies. If I don’t finish tonight, and tomorrow I lose my position, the poor, little plants will die.”
Did she always think of everyone else – everything else – before herself?
“You won’t lose your position.”
She turned and smiled faintly at him. “You are very kind to me, but there is only one person who can ensure my place here, and I don’t believe you can speak for him. But I will never forget how sweet you’ve been to me tonight. Thank you. I trust you can find your way back to the palace.”
She moved towards the doorway.
“Will I see you again tomorrow night?” he queried.
Her heart leapt.
Foolish, vain organ! Do not get your hopes up! This man is only interested because he hasn’t seen me in daylight.
For a moment, she wondered if she could always meet him in darkness. Perhaps, next time they could dance under the moon together. Or simply hold hands and speak of unimportant things that made them both happy. Maybe he’d try to steal a kiss…then at least she’d know what it was like to kiss someone.
She shook her head. She had promised herself that she would stop indulging in fanciful daydreams! They did her no good. They simply increased her hope in the impossible.
“We shall see,” she muttered mysteriously as she passed through the doorway out into the cool night air. She disappeared from sight a moment later.
Leaving Yoongi, sadly, alone.
