Chapter Four: Promises Beneath the Blossoms
1437 Words
"Love does not always arrive in grand gestures. Sometimes, it begins with the simple desire to see one person again."
The first person Danville thought about when he woke the next morning was not his business meeting. It wasn't the luxurious penthouse where he was staying.
It wasn't even the countless responsibilities awaiting him back in Villrede. It was the young woman with warm brown eyes who had laughed at him for getting lost in the Royal Botanical Garden.
He smiled to himself as he adjusted the cuff of his white shirt. He realized that he had somehow fallen in love with a woman his heart accepted, but he wasn't sure if it was going to be the way his mind had told him. Because before now, he had occasionally turned down many young women in Ashvale who wanted to be his bride.
But this girl is different…very different from any girl I've ever set my eyes on, he thought, filling his mind with the picture precious smiling at him.
"So this is what Leonard meant when he said Kaldoria has a way of making people stay longer than planned." His words were so calm, as his smiles covered his manly cheeks.
A knock came at his bedroom door.
"Come in."
Leonard stepped inside, carrying two steaming cups of coffee.
"You've been smiling since breakfast," he observed with a grin.
"Should I be worried?"
Danville accepted the coffee.
"Not at all."
Leonard raised an eyebrow.
"Alright, let me guess— you met someone, didn't you?"
Danville tried to look innocent.
"Oh…right. I met a gardener."
"A gardener?"
"And someone else." Danville struggled to keep his secret.
"Aha!" Leonard laughed. "I knew it. Tell me everything."
Danville shook his head, chuckling.
"It was nothing. I mean…nothing to worry about."
"Nothing?" Leonard asked dramatically.
"You spent twenty minutes staring out the window…"
"I was thinking." Danville cut in.
"You were remembering."
Danville laughed, surrendering, his secret had lasted no longer than a weary thread.
"Fine. I met a young woman."
"And?"
"Her name is Precious."
Leonard's smile widened.
"Wow, what a beautiful name."
“With your unending smiles, I knew you would have met someone amazing.”
“Hmm… ‘Precious’ is a beautiful name.”
Danville nodded thoughtfully.
"Yeah, It suits her."
Meanwhile, inside the Willes family estate, Precious sat quietly at the breakfast table with her father, Minister Antony Willes.
The minister was already dressed in his formal council attire. He was a humble man of a noble home, who served and treated everyone with equality.
Seeing precious around him each time, made him more comfortable and happy. There was never a day he let her leave him, since the death of his wife— in fact, since she was born. There was this bond they shared that made around folks question them here and there of their ‘father and daughter relationship’.
Minister Anthony regarded the presence of precious as an ‘Angel's presence’, because she filled his occupied heart with light and made him feel relieved, in time of stress.
"My Angel, You were late returning from the garden yesterday," he said without looking up from the morning newspaper.
"I'm sorry Dad, I lost track of time," Precious answered gently.
Her father folded the paper.
"That garden has become your second home, taking the space of the family and the council meeting."
"It gives me peace."
"I know. But don't we give you peace?" He inquired, looking somewhat jealous.
Precious smiled. She replied gently to ease the feelings of her father.
“Of course, you do make me happy. And no one— not even the flowers can take away your space in my heart.”
He smiled warmly.
"You've always been happiest among flowers."
After a brief silence, Antony noticed the faint smile lingering on his daughter's face.
"You seem unusually cheerful today."
Precious looked away. , trying to hide it.
"Do I?"
"As your father, I notice everything."
She laughed softly.
“And as your daughter, I can't hide anything from you.”
"I simply met someone interesting."
"Oh?"
"A tourist."
"A tourist?"
"He got lost in the garden."
Antony laughed heartily.
"Poor fellow."
" And the funniest part, he looked so confident while walking in circles."
Father and daughter shared a laugh. Minister Anthony had longed for this moment of his Angel's presence.
Both father and daughter never realized that this simple conversation would one day become the beginning of a storm.
By noon...
Danville found himself standing once again before the gates of the Royal Botanical Garden.
He stared at the entrance and shook his head.
"I told myself I came here to admire the flowers."
He smiled.
"I suppose I lied."
He walked through the gates.
His eyes searched every path, every fountain, every greenhouse.
But there was no sign of Precious.
But not satisfied, he wandered through the rose garden.
Nothing.
Still not satisfied, he went to the orchid house…
Nothing.
Under the shades…
Nothing.
The lily pond…
Still nothing.
A wave of disappointment settled over him, and his smile was already fading.Perhaps yesterday had simply been a coincidence.
Perhaps he would never see her again.
I will never see her again…the words echoed in his mind.
As he turned to leave—
"Lost again?"
He froze. That voice...
He slowly turned around.
Standing beneath a blooming cherry blossom tree was Precious, trying—and failing—not to laugh.
Danville placed a hand dramatically over his heart.
"I was beginning to think the garden had hidden you from me."
She folded her arms with a teasing smile.
"I thought you said you came to admire the flowers."
"Um…I …I did." He spluttered.
"And?"
"I discovered the most beautiful flower wasn't in any flower bed."
A faint blush spread across her cheeks.
"That was rather smooth, Prince Charming."
Danville looked surprised.
"Prince Charming?"
"I don't even know if you're a prince."
He chuckled.
"And if I were?"
She shrugged playfully.
"Then I'd probably bow."
"I hope you won't."
"Why?"
"I'd rather you treat me as the man who got lost, hopelessly in the garden."
She laughed.
"I think I can manage that."
The two spent the afternoon walking through the garden together. They talked about everything. Their favorite books, their childhood memories, the places they dreamed of visiting.
Danville was surprised to learn that Precious loved painting flowers and writing poetry.
"I never show anyone my poems," she admitted shyly.
"Why not?"
"They're... personal."
"I'd love to read one someday."
She smiled.
"Maybe."
"And you?"
"What do you enjoy besides getting lost?"
Danville laughed.
"I enjoy horseback riding."
"Reading history."
"Playing the piano."
“Goofing around.”
"And secretly escaping royal meetings whenever possible."
She stopped walking.
"Royal meetings?"
Danville realized he had said too much. He quickly smiled.
"My family owns a large company."
"So you're a businessman?"
"You could say that."
He wasn't ready to tell her the truth—not yet. He wanted her to know Danville, not Prince Danville.
As the sun slowly began to set, they reached the highest point of the garden. From there, the entire city of Kaldren glowed beneath the golden evening sky. Neither spoke for several moments.
Finally, Precious broke the silence.
"Do you believe some people meet by chance..."
"...or by destiny?"
Danville looked at her.
"I think destiny gives us the opportunity."
"But love is the choice we make afterward."
Their eyes met.
A gentle breeze carried cherry blossom petals around them.
For a moment, it felt as if time itself had stopped. Neither noticed the black luxury SUV parked outside the garden.
Inside sat King Lorgart Ashken.
His sharp eyes watched the pair from a distance. General Varok stood beside him.
"Your Majesty," he said cautiously, "our investigation is complete."
Lorgart didn't take his eyes off the young couple.
"And?"
"The man is Danville Harrison..."
He paused.
"Crown Prince of Villrede in Ashvale."
There was a cold silence. Then Lorgart slowly smiled. It was not a smile of happiness.
It was the smile of a man whose pride had just been challenged.
"So..."
"The prince of my enemy kingdom."
His fingers tightened around the armrest.
"And he dares to court a woman in my kingdom."
His voice became icy.
"No one takes what belongs to me."
He looked at Varok.
"Keep watching them."
"I want to know every place they visit..."
"...every word they speak..."
"...and every breath they take."
Varok bowed.
"Yes, Your Majesty. As you've ordered."
Lorgart looked once more at Precious.
"Very soon..."
"You will learn that no one refuses a king.”
- Writer
