“Of course,” I replied, simultaneously accepting the flower from him. “They say a purple hyacinth is a symbol of an apology, or more specifically, the phrase ‘I’m sorry.’ Therefore, you have successfully completed the trifecta of repentance. Well done.” I let out a light laugh as I raised the flower to my nose, enjoying its fresh scent. It was rare that anyone understood the hidden meanings behind flowers, especially a man.
He smiled back at me, and I couldn’t help but enjoy the expression. He was far more entertaining company than my family.
As I lowered the flower from my nose, I scanned the flower patch. It only took a moment to spot what I was searching for. Wordlessly, I approached the garden and plucked a fresh daffodil from its stem.
“Thank you.” I placed the flower into his hand and he accepted it silently, his eyes trained on the yellow petals. “It was a pleasure speaking with you. I hope to have the honor again someday... but with much cleaner faces.”
He laughed at my self-deprecating tease. “I shall wish the same. If you frequent this garden often, then perhaps I shall leave you a message?” He looked to me hopefully, and I smiled as I twirled the hyacinth between my fingers.
“We shall see...” He grinned again, his wide smile cracking the dirt around his face. Now that the mud was flaking off, he almost looked familiar, but I couldn’t be sure. The time had slipped away from me, so I waved a quick farewell. I could feel his eyes follow me even as I returned to Burlap. When I finally mounted the horse, he waved once more as I flicked the reins. We rode off quickly into the town, and I only looked back once at the stranger as we left.
I had spent far too long away, but I didn’t regret it. This strange man had perplexed me almost as much as I had perplexed him. Perhaps I should have asked his name…
chapter three
“Prince Jasper! There you are!”
Despite hearing my name, I continued to keep my eyes trained on the sunny yellow daffodil in my dirt-encrusted fingers. ANarcissus pseudonarcissus, often used to represent new beginnings, rebirth, or more uncommonly, known to implore an offering of forgiveness. By handing me this flower, she had essentially stated that she accepted my apology and forgave me for my actions. How had she known the meaning behind such a thing? As the distant shouting grew closer,I turned my head just in time to see my father’s head advisor, Monty, scrunch up his face in disgust at my putrid appearance.
“Your Highness, what in the realms happened to you!?” the scrawny man shrieked.
I flashed him my most innocent smile as I shrugged. “Oh, you know how it is, Monty. I just can’t help but get my hands dirty every once in a while.” I laughed whole-heartedly as the advisor continued to circle me with a repulsed look on his face.
“Your Highness, now is hardly the time for such foolishness.” Monty cleared throat. “Your father has been expecting you for nearly an hour, and I have been the one trying to convince him that you weren’t viciously murdered by swooning debutants.”
I lifted a teasing eyebrow. “Swooning debutants?”
“Don’t sass me now Jasper. We both know how protective your father can be.” He rubbed his forehead fretfully before grabbing me by the arm. “Now come along, there’s no time to wash up. You’ll just have to explain to the king why you’re in such a state.”
An amused smile spread across my face as I imagined Father’s thoughts upon my current appearance. I knew I was going to be late the moment I snuck out into the gardens for a quick walk—although I hadn’t intended to be as late as I was. The warm sunshine had lulled me into a dreamless nap on the stiff bench, and after I awoke, I was so worried about being late that I crashed straight into an unsuspecting maiden. My charms never ceased to fail me around young women.
Sure enough, when we entered the king’s office, his reaction did not fail to entertain. I laughed warmly as Father’s shocked expression switched into a less than amused eye roll.
“Greetings, Father. Lovely day, isn’t it?” I continued to chuckle as he fought off his own smile.
“Hello, Jasper.” He pressed his lips into a fine line, clearly battling his desire to laugh. “You’re looking rather spectacular today. Have you done something with your hair, my boy?” A soft chuckle rose between his words. He had always been such a softie.
“Why yes, I did. Thank you for noticing.” I batted my eyes as I pet my crusty hair with a free hand.
“Oh goodness, son.” The king wheezed, fully chortling. “I was set on being stern with you, but how can I when you greet me looking likethat? Is this your newest attempt at luring a bride?” He wiped a stray tear from his eye as he slowly regained his composure.
“Not exactly…” I ran a hand back through my hair, scratching off some of the mud as I went. “Although, you’re correct to assume that a maiden is the main cause of my spectacular appearance.” To no surprise, Father’s face brightened at the slightest mention of a female.
“Really? What was this maiden’s name?” the king asked with newfound enthusiasm.
He had been pressing me to get married ever since I denied a marriage alliance with the princess of Isalla. The princess was beautiful but wouldn’t have been happy with me. She was clearly already in love when we met, and she was now married to that man and even expecting their first child. Father never faulted me for opposing the alliance since we weren’t in direct need of their resources. However, I was turning twenty-one next month, and I was the only direct heir to the throne. If I didn’t marry soon, the court would start pressuring me relentlessly.
I opened my mouth, but paused when I realized I didn’t have the answer. “She never gave her name, but to be fair I never gave my own, either.”
Father gave me a fascinated look. “You never gave your name? Are you saying that she didn’t recognize you?” He raised a questioning eyebrow, and I gave a sideways smile.
“Can you blame her?” I spread my arms out, displaying my fully sullied form.
“I suppose not.” The king laughed again. “At least I know now that you don’t possess an allergy to the female species. Now we can begin preparation for the upcoming ball without further worry.” His sarcasm was a little more heavily laid than necessary, but I couldn’t argue. He knew as well as I did that I had been avoiding a courtship. Marriage wasn’t necessarily an unappealing thought, but I had wanted to devote more time to my studies before settling down. Being the only heir to my kingdom imparted a great deal of responsibilities, so I often spent most days locked up in the library, studying as much as I could. It had become a rare occurrence for me to exit the palace, so there hadn’t been much time for wooing young ladies—not to mention that the women at court were often a bit too overexcited to befriend the only prince. My handsome face came with a far more handsome crown, which made it difficult to weed out the women who were only interested in marrying into my title.
“Are we certain you want to place me in a ballroom full of dancing women? In case you haven’t noticed, this is the result of me encountering a single maiden.” I gestured once more at my appearance and the king merely waved it off.
“Even in this state, I have no doubt there will be a line-up of young ladies willing to dance with you. A crown sparkles even under a fine layer of grime.” The king snorted through a half-laugh.