The Gardener's Daughter

Chapter 3: A Night to Remember

Theo ran his hands through his hair for the tenth time, trying his best to get every strand in the perfect position.

"You spend more time in front of that mirror than anyone I know."

Theo didn't bother to look back as he continued to move his hair around. "I'd be quiet if I were you. I know all about the hair oils you've sent for, Nick."

Nick let out a low laugh and clapped his brother on the shoulder. "My hair is worth all that effort though, yours, on the other hand..."

Theo smiled as he stepped away from the mirror and Nick gave him a cheesy grin in return. "You've got to cut that mop." Theo then added, not wanting his brother to have the last word.

Nick waved his head from side to side, shaking his brown curls away from his jaw. "That would be a crime." He said smugly. "I could never deprive the kingdom of this."

"You're an idiot."

"Hey, at least I know how to make sure my collar lies flat," Nick teased as he immediately jumped into adjusting his younger brother's collar. As he reached over, Nick's hands hit Theo's chest, he frowned before quickly readjusting to reach his collar. Nick constantly forgot how much Theo had grown. He stopped thinking of Theo as his short, well-mannered brother that followed him around everywhere.

But it had been a fair few years since then, and Theo was now a mere few inches off Nick's own height. It was a harsh reminder of how far they'd both come.

"Do you really have to leave tonight?" Theo suddenly asked as Nick's hand pulled at his clothes. "How am I going to survive our father alone?"

Nick waited until he finished perfecting Theo's outfit before giving an answer. "You know I have to leave after the ball. I've already put it off for far too long, being that my men left this morning."

Theo looked down for a moment, not wanting to show his older brother that the idea of him leaving was something that greatly upset him. Theo had lost so much, he didn't want to see his brother go either.

The moment was short but Nick still caught the emotion that flashed across his brother's face. He wanted to say something to provide any sort of comfort, but as Theo began to brush everything off and went about fixing his sleeves and slipping on his shoes, Nick thought it would be best to leave the conversation until the end of the night.

"I still think you are doing this to spite me." Theo said, hoping to lighten the mood.

"Really Theo?" Nick laughed.

"Purposely stepping down from the throne to fight our kingdom's battles and become a hero, whilst I'm stuck ruling a kingdom. Doomed to become a king that will grow more and more bitter with each passing year."

"You're right. That's exactly why I stepped down."

"I knew it!" Theo jabbed Nick in the side, seeing he was unconvinced to join the light mood Theo was creating. "That means you owe me, and so the least you can do is help keep these women off me tonight."

"Oh, poor Prince can't keep the woman off of him," Nick smirked as he swatted at Theo's hand, protecting his side from a second jab.

"Seriously, Nick!" Theo whined, rubbing his hands down his face. "They are crazy."

Nick laughed and roughly wrapped his arm around Theo, before leading him towards the door. "Fine. It will be my last present to you as your brilliant older brother. I promise to keep all the women away from you, you poor—poor soul."

They stumble out of Theo's bedroom as though they were drunk. They took every opportunity to push each other against the walls with small chuckles. But as they turned a sharp corner, Nick's arm quickly dropped to his side.

"Hello, father," Nick said clearly, as though he were talking to a stranger. His back also grew straighter just as Theo's smile dropped from his face.

"What are you two still loitering around for?" The king said sharply, his words cutting through the air as violently as a sword. "The ball began an hour ago."

"Yes sir," Nick responded calmly, bowing his head as Theo did the same.

"Go. Now," The king commanded, forcing the men to quickly move past him.

"And Theo." The king added on, forcing the brothers to pause and hold their breaths. "Try to pick a wife tonight. You cannot rule alone."

"Yes, father," Theo called back, crossing his fingers as he hoped it would end their conversation faster.

"Go." The king responded before continuing down the hall.

The brothers didn't wait around as they rushed down the hall. It was only when they turned another corner that they felt they could take a breath and smile at one another.

Theo added with a laugh. "You see what you are leaving me with!"

"Oh please, I'm the one who will be in real danger. You only have to be afraid of small talk with our father."

"I should have stepped down too. I should go and fight with you."

Nick gave his brother a light shove and laughed. "You'd die instantly, you were always so terrible at fighting training."

"Yeah, I was." Theo said as his smile started to shrink on his face. "But she—she was great."

Nick stopped momentarily, his chest seizing. "Yeah." He whispered, unable to make his voice any louder. "She really was."

A clatter then came from behind them and, with the fear it could be their father, they quickly dropped the subject and started to hurry through the castle. It wasn't long before they eventually arrived outside the grand doors of the ballroom.

"You ready?" Nick asked quietly as he placed his hands on the door's rounded handles.

Theo nodded and Nick didn't hesitate to push open the doors. The ballroom was filled with candles, allowing the walls to shine like gold.

The brothers walked forward towards the grand staircase, receiving gasps as they both came into view.

"Women," Theo muttered as Nick laughed under his breath.

"I'm ready to bat them away." Nick whispered back with a wink.

Theo nodded and they both started to descend the marble stairs that they used to sprint up and down on as kids.

And the moment Theo's feet touched the ballroom floor, he was swarmed by almost every woman in the room. Their dresses were all different colours, making Theo feel like he was drowning in a rainbow.

"Hi ladies." Theo called out, as he began to heat up with the bodies surrounding him, "Just give me a moment and I promise I'll meet you all for the dance you deserve."

The women let out several giggles but none of them moved.

Nick managed to weave his hand through the crowd to grab Theo and pull him out of the swarm. "Okay, let's give the to-be-king some room before we kill him."

Theo mouthed a 'thank you' as they both made their way over to a nearby server in order to grab a drink. But Nick swiftly took the drink out of Theo's hands and gave him a knowing look. "I'll grab you a drink, you start on your rounds."

Theo gave a resigned sigh. "You promised."

"I can't protect you from women forever, little brother." Nick smiled as he began to walk back towards the stairs.

Theo took a deep breath in before turning to face the room. Every pair of eyes were on him as he made his way towards the nearest woman. Her dress was bright yellow, and her blonde hair was almost larger than the dress itself.

The woman gave Theo a large toothy grin as he approached, highlighting her cheeks that were drowning in red paint.

"Hello," Theo said plainly as he took her hand and kissed it gently.

"Your majesty." The girl responded excitedly as she curtsied.

"You look lovely tonight." Theo continued, letting go of her hand as he did. Her face was familiar, Theo could tell she'd been a regular at events such as these. "Miss Chanterelle," Theo added, hoping he had remembered her name correctly.

She let out a giggle which Theo took as a good sign. "Thank you, your highness." She said with a blush that was barely visible on her cheeks.

"So, how has your night been so far, my lady?" Theo asked, attempting to be polite and keep the conversation going.

The girl stared at him with wide eyes as her brain rattled for an answer. "Oh—well, I love the castle. It truly is more beautiful on the inside!"

Theo gave a thin smile. "Thank you, that's nice of you to say." His tone was growing bored as he let his eyes started to drift away from the woman standing in front of him. "What's your favourite part?"

The girl's eyes grew wide again as though she was utterly confused by the question. "Oh, the ballroom for sure. It's so gold and glittery. How could you not love it?"

Theo nodded, as his eyes continued to scour the room hoping that Nick had returned and would save him. "Yes, I suppose it is."

"What's your-" The woman began, but Theo had already started to shift his weight, ready to move away.

"The gardens," Theo said with a smile. "It's been lovely to talk to you, I'll find you later."

"Okay." She giggled hopefully, swishing her bright dress around her legs.

Theo moved swiftly, gliding around the women rushing towards him. Until something caught his eye, causing him to stop. He stared out across the ballroom as a woman picked up a glass from a server's tray.

Theo watched as she thanked the server before moving towards the back wall and leaning against it to take a sip of her drink. Her dress wasn't colourful like the women surrounding him, it was completely black and it hugged her figure tightly.

Theo moved towards her, without thinking. He was entirely entranced by the idea there was someone else here that didn't fit in.

But with his eyes looking too far ahead of him, he didn't see the short woman adorned in a baby blue dress standing in his path. He accidentally bumped into her and his eyes darted down, in the hopes he hadn't hurt her.

But when he looked back up, the woman he had been staring at was gone.

Theo furrowed his brow but managed to brush it off and give the woman in blue a smile. "How are you, my lady?" He asked with dazzling charm.

The lady fumbled around into a curtsy before she mumbled out 'I'm good'.

"That's great to hear. How are you enjoying your night?" Theo continued as his eyes involuntarily darted away from the blue woman to find his mystery woman. Theo's eyes eventually found her, and he watched her carefully as the woman pulled the crystal glass to her cherry red lips. A small smirk pulled at the corner of her mouth just as her eyes flickered to his.

She knew he was watching.

Theo dropped his head instantly, suddenly agitated.

"Your majesty?" The woman in blue asked and Theo realised she had been speaking this entire time.

"I seem to be distracted this evening," Theo said as he gently picked up the woman's hand. "My apologies."

The woman smiled and shook her head. "It's no problem at all."

Theo tried to keep his head on the conversation that followed with the lady in blue, but every so often he found his eyes drifting towards the mystery woman. He watched her find other people to talk to and to laugh with. He watched as she sipped her drink over and over until it was empty, and then he watched her fetch another.

Eventually, Theo found he had enough and politely ended the conversation with the woman in blue. He started walking away with a mission, his eyes zoning in on the mystery woman's brown hair that flowed over her shoulders and down her back.

"Hey, Theo!" His brother suddenly said, bumping into him and stopping him from walking further.

"Not now Nick," Theo replied, not bothering to spare his brother a look.

Nick pushed Theo to the side of the room and shook his head. "No, now."

"What?" Theo asked through gritted teeth.

"Something is wrong," Nick said bluntly, looking around the room. "I went to the kitchen to get you a drink, but there was no one in there. So, I went to check the rest of the castle, and the guards that are meant to be surrounding this place are gone."

Theo blinked slowly as he took everything in. "What does that mean?"

"It means we're in trouble. That there's something going down and you're in danger."

Theo swallowed the growing lump in his throat and shook off his nerves. "We have to get everyone out."

Nick let go of Theo's clothes and straightened them out. "No, they are after you. You are the priority, we get you out and everyone else will be fine. Just act normal until we can get out of this room."

Theo nodded and wasted no time in following Nick as he led them both towards the stairs. They were almost to the first step when, suddenly, a long pair of legs stepped into their path.

"Leaving so soon?" She uttered. Her voice as silky as her dress.

Theo's eyes immediately fluttered up the length of her dress to her face, where he caught sight of her blue eyes. They were crowded by dark lashes but Theo could only see the brilliant blue.

"I-" Theo started, turning towards Nick to look for help. But he turned only to see his brother's jaw on the ground. His brother never seemed to run out of things to say and yet here he was, speechless.

The girl slowly lifted an eyebrow, taunting them as she pulled her second glass back up to her lips.

Which then brought Nick back to Earth. "The prince has urgent business, but he will be right back."

The girl's eyes switched to greet Nick's. She almost seemed to be daring him to make a move as her eyes scanned the length of him. She took her time to fully admire Nick, but her eyes eventually stopped upon the scar that ran from Nick's eyebrow to his cheek. She didn't seem scared nor did she seem instantly entranced, instead she looked confused.

But whatever she felt, it was soon gone from her face as her eyes moved back to Theo.

Theo watched as she scanned him as she did his brother before she lightly bit the inside of her cheek. "That's a shame it seemed the party was just beginning to pick up. I was hoping for a dance."

Before Theo or Nick could respond, the girl stepped down and pushed past them both. "Maybe you can make it up to me another time though. You could show me the gardens. I've heard it's the best part of the castle."

Theo's brow dropped as he watched her slowly walk away. Nick seemed to be in just as much awe. They both couldn't help it, there was something about this woman.

"Maybe I can stay for just one dance," Theo blurted out.

"You can?" Nick growled from beside him, a tight-lipped smile appearing on his face.

"It would be alarming for the host of the ball to leave so abruptly," Theo stated quietly, making a valid case for why he should dance.

Nick shook his head but Theo was already stepping towards the woman who had stopped and turned back around.

"Brilliant." The woman smiled as she held out a delicate hand for Theo to take.

Theo scooped up her hand and led her towards the middle of the floor, where he then avoided all looks from Nick.

The woman placed her arms around his neck, which made Theo smile as he moved his hands to her waist. For a moment, they just swayed to the light music.

"Is it odd for me to say I feel like I know you?" Theo asked with a charming grin.

The corner of the woman's lips pulled up again but she didn't fully smile much to Theo's disappointment. "My apologies your majesty, but we haven't met before. I would definitely remember meeting the future king."

Theo let a single eyebrow raise before he twirled the woman out and spun her back into his arms. "You're right. I'm too handsome to forget."

Her blue eyes then seemed to light up. "I didn't take you for a joker."

"Maybe you should get to know me then." Theo responded with a flirtatious look, "You'll come to find I'm hilarious."

This caused the woman to let out a little snort of laughter. The laugh was so quiet that Theo almost didn't hear it over the music, but the way her freckled nose crinkled was a giveaway.

Theo couldn't help but smile to himself.

And then the music stopped, and Theo felt as though something had changed. The woman's eyes went cold, she stared up at Theo but it was as though she wasn't in the room anymore.

Theo gave her an odd look but didn't ask as the woman pulled away to curtsy. To which he then bowed.

"Everything okay?" Theo asked.

She fluttered her eyelashes and shook her head out of whatever trance she had been under. She seemed lost momentarily before a faint smile crossed her lips. "I just wish we could have another dance." She whispered carefully, stepping backwards.

"Another time maybe?" He asked, watching her carefully.

She nodded her head elegantly before curtsying once again. Her arms stretched out either side of her as her body bent over. Her brown hair fell like silk over her shoulders, and framed her face as she tilted her head up to look at him.

Theo felt his previously warm smile slide off his face as he looked at the woman before him. Her whole demeanour had changed, her smile was now icy and vicious. Her body no longer seemed something to admire but something to fear.

Theo immediately tried to search the room for Nick. But as he began to panic over not being able to find him, he attempted to take a step back from the woman.

However, the moment he showed fear, the woman moved with a swiftness he'd never seen before, and in one motion, she had closed any space between them.

He looked down at her hand, to see her clutching a small silver dagger to his lower stomach. Her hands were completely still, showing no sign of nerves despite the treacherous act she was committing.

Theo eventually allowed his eyes to meet her face once more and, suddenly, it all clicked.

"You should have listened to your brother." She whispered, pushing the tip of the blade into his skin.

"Cass?" Theo whispered back, not reacting to the knife but instead finding himself in complete shock.

Cass' eyes widened slightly as she stared Theo in the eye. "How do you know my name?" She spat coldly as she tried to recover.

"What? How are you here?" Theo stuttered, his eyes wide enough that they began to hurt. "Do you not know me?" His words came out fast, and they began merging together.

The room then suddenly burst into chaos around them, as two people dressed as servers burst into the room. One of them was covered head to toe in blood, whilst the other remained clean. The music stopped as they started to slide down the banister of the stairs.

Cass' face gave nothing away, but before Theo could blink, she had moved. Her body fluidly circled him until she stood behind him and had wrapped her arm across his front to position the dagger in front of his throat.

Theo was at a loss for words. He felt the cold of the blade dig into his skin slightly but still couldn't sense the pain.

"Cass?" Nick abruptly called out from across the room. "I knew I recognised you from somewhere?"

"How do you both know me?"