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jiminie-and-his-pinky-finger · 3 years ago

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I TS H ERE OMG- im *fans myself* im ready- or am i-

I’m probably going to say this multiple times throughout this reblog but… I think that you hyping me up for this this whole time, has left me with this exhilarating amount of excitement for this… And even though I just began I just feel… like 💪 excited

Hazel sounds like a 15 year old that never left her home alright 😂😂😂 lmao; also the names you’ve given so far are pretty :0

“Audrey! You know I need my midnight to sleep,” the princess whined from her bedroom.

😩 ugh I know she’s royalty, but I still want to tell her to go get it herself- audrey, and literally any lady-in-waiting for a young princess, was probably so patient man

“You wouldn’t dare!” The girl hollered after her. “My father is part of the Kings council!”

then why are you a maid? quit complainin and do your work 😤

“The princess’s chests are quite heavy,” one of the servants commented as he helped Audrey lift it.

i genuinely thought that he was being sarcastic and was about to join in the roasting 😂

AHHHH THERES A HADLEY 😂 idk why that was worth mentioning but i know a hadley and i’d never seen that name in a story before

:(. aww her family is the castle people, i forget the time period this was basically set in; like it was common for people to pass from fevers and stuff

…but no one had ever believed her fibs.

as they shouldnt- i swear this princess is a menace- *mutters* no wonder her parents are marrying her off so early 😤

DROP HER LIKE A HOT POTATO 😂🤣🤣🤣😂😂 oh im crying; the amount of truth in that, like id understand the prince for doing so-

ahhh my jaws hurt from laughing; anyways- riding a carriage sounds so cool!! also that entire scene played out so smoothly in my head, like a movie AHHHHHH

😏😏 hadley out here considering his options, i like him

ANAAMLQKSKQKakas IS THAT WHO I THINK IT IS????????? a cute gardener 🙈🙈 omg… i wanna knowwwwwww

:( also his grandmother and the flowers, that’s sad

The man laughed. “Why would you like to know?”

youre acting rather sus there mister 🤨 givin me that suspicion that you might be the prince in disguise….

oh what a kind prince, she says… may i suppose he’s that gardener 🤨🤨 im watchin you mister…

audrey is literally the older sister that hazel needed- ain’t no way any other person could’ve still fought for her marriage to a good guy after all those blame games

“Taehyung.”

SHUT. UP. HE IS- I- i thought you’d prove me wrong- 😱 its himmmmm and he sounds so sweet 🥺🥺🥺🥺

i swear the mental image youre giving with the descriptions of the flowers, the castle, and the gardens… just magnificent 🤌

He lived nearly two hundred miles from her.

well… maybe not if you move there with the princess (plus hadley, that was a cute maid we saw earlier 👀 help ya boy out) and you can see him tending to his flowers whenever you want 😚

SHES AT THE STABLES 🚨 AT THE STABLES I REPEAT- is this where- oh my gosh *covers my mouth* is there where we get to read about…. 👀👀

…the way his clothing seemed to hug his body. His pants were stretching ever so slightly to mold to his thighs, and despite his shirt being flowy, his shoulders didn't seem to fit the way they were supposed to. What was his job, exactly, that cause him to be this muscular?

I WAS RIGHT- no because you did NOT have to be that descriptive…….. crap

*t h i g h s and s h o u l d e r s*

🤨 maybe cause he’s a GaRdEnEr… tending to those flowers is a big man’s work; so he built muscles to tenderly brush his fingers against the leaves and such…. right taehyung? 🧐

He drew in a breath. “It’s about someone very dear to me that I lost.”

🥺 poor taehyung 🫂🫂 he sounds like he had lost so many people he was very close to;

also the lyrics to that song were beautiful :0 was this the song that you were talking about when you were writing it a few days ago?

Why were buttons appearing in his garden? Where was his sister? Who had been so special to him that he’d lost so many years ago? And most importantly, was he an unimportant figure in the kingdom, or did his life play a much more pivotal role than hers did?

i thin audrey and i are on the same page <_< she out here askin all the right questions; also i do want to know where his sister is :0

The whole ordeal seemed to fall apart that same afternoon.

yayyyy hazel is gonna get a nice hus- oh well gosh darn it ;-; i was just happy for her regardless of her calling him an old man XD what happened??? did he cancel

girl hit him over the head?? he's not a whack-a-mole-

“I suppose so,” he replied simply.

well i guessed it- i KNEW it- but damn is this man calm o-o somehow thats even worse than him being annoyed or mad at her

“He tricked me! He played with my heart!”

excuse me audrey.. girl i am definitely on your side... but when were you in love 🤨 sure you could say that he was playing with your head because he was confusing you and keeping the truth but... your heart eh? <_<

She reached down and pulled another flower out of the ground.

woah woah woah *woah* no no not the flowers- we know better than to destroy nature because of what a dude did 😤 also ugh the way youre describing the rain is making me shiver... it sounds so aggressively beautiful

“Have you ever had to bury a sibling?”

what. the heck- who WHAT?????? excuse me

where did that come from, taehyung- do you have something to say-

:( wait what just went down im so confused i wanna know more... is the place where he was planting his coreopsis flowers where they buried his sister? cause if so... :( thats so sad

aww dont blame yourself audrey... gosh when i read the lyrics to that song, theres a pang in my heart; id love to know what the tune and the rhythm for the song would be like :0

OMG HE'S THERE YESSSSSSSSS

“I stopped sending them. I thought I’d come give them to you in person.”

alright come out now 🤨🤨 who's been intercepting my guys letters to my girl... imma fightchu; ugh and he wrote more than one??? thats so thoughtful 🥺 im so glad to hear that he wasnt ignoring her

...there was a pressed flower in the envelope. It was a rose, and it matched the description of the ones that Tae had described.

UGH TAKE MY HEART???? THIS IS SO CUTEIQSIYWH im T-T oh gosh the thought of getting letters from the person you love and it being all romantic with a flower pressed to it... ugh;

this is where i fantasize about getting one too 😚

“He came all the way here to ask for your hand in marriage and you’re just going to watch him leave?”

“Be quick, Audrey!” Hazel exclaimed.

this is absolutely the first and only time id let hazel order her or use a more "do it" kind of tone without it being annoying- you know what.. i think hazel grew on me u-u i can see myself tryna be one of her buds

Audrey found herself sprinting through the courtyard a minute later...

this is where the fic turns into a drama 😂🤣 lmao i can just imagine. her tripping over stuff wiht her gown bunched up in her fists as she runs through the town to reach her man

“What on earth are you doing?” Taehyung laughed as he poked his head out the window.

AAKSSKJAKSKA theres butterlifes in my stomach- this is where the dude looks amused and honestly surprised she made it even though there was probably a little hope in him that knew she would 🥺

He bent down then, capturing her lips in a kiss.

YEEEEEEEEHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO *whistles* theyve officially reached the *nani says theyre her babies* phase T_T gahhh im so happy for them

The baby growing inside her made it harder and harder to sit up on her own every day.

*sobs* my babies are having a tiny baby :(((( ahhh more new flowers! i swear at this point tae is gonna have a flower utopia where he plants a special kind of flower for each person he treasures 🥺🥺 that would be so cute

i wonder if he'd name their baby after his sister or maybe his grandmother 🥺 but ahhhh i loved this story sooooo much T-T im actually a teensy weensy itty bitty bit sad it ended

i want moreeeee

Petals of Wax

Pairing: Taehyung x OC

Genre: angst, fluff

Word Count: 9.6k

Warnings: minor character death, arranged marriages

Summary: Audrey, as the princess's lady-in-waiting, must escort the girl as she goes to meet her fiancé. The last thing the lady expected was to meet a suitor of her own, though.

A/N: this is my longest oneshot yet and I’m surprised at how fast I finished it! I really hope you guys enjoy it ☺️

Audrey titled her head to the side. Then she titled it to the other side. Nope, she still didn’t understand the point of this object.

“With all due respect, ma’am, I don’t quite understand why it’s here,” she admitted.

The princess huffed, crossing her arms. “Obviously it’s just here for decoration.”

“It…looks like a water vessel, ma’am. How is that a decoration?”

“You’re stupid,” snapped the fifteen-year-old. “It’s a way to connect myself to my people! Clearly!”

Audrey cleared her throat awkwardly. “Of course, ma’am.”

To her, it seemed a bit daft. Truthfully, the princess had barely even stepped a foot out of the palace. Not because she was forced to either; her parents were fine with her going out on the town as long as she was properly protected. No, Princess Hazel thought that the outside world was too grimy for her precious royal feet. And to think that she was meeting her fiancé in a few days. Audrey pitied the poor man. Although, she herself was happy for a change in scenery. Walking the same forty halls everyday had gotten boring after ten years.

“Audrey! Come dress me! Dinner is in an hour!” Hazel snapped as she walked down the hall.

Audrey sighed. “Yes, ma’am.”

Maybe she could wait for Friday.

♛¤♛¤♛

Thursday evening appeared in the blink of an eye, and Audrey found herself packing Hazel’s trunks full of clothing. Her dressed were so puffy that Audrey was almost convinced she’d need a different chest for each one.

“Audrey! You know I need my midnight tea to sleep,” the princess whined from her bedroom.

“Of course, ma’am. I’ll bring it right up,” Audrey replied, stuffing another dress into a trunk before disappearing towards the kitchens.

“Princess Hazel requests her midnight tea,” she informed one of the maids.

“Can’t she just go to sleep without it for once?” the young maid whined.

Audrey raised her eyebrows at the girl, as if to challenge her to turn down the request. The maid rolled her eyes before hurrying off to make the tea. Usually, the head cook would have it ready before Audrey even made it to the kitchens, but maybe she was off for the night.

“Here,” the maid shoved the cup towards Audrey, nearly spilling it in the process.

Audrey took the cup before quipping, “If you keep acting like this, I’ll report you to the king himself.”

The maid stilled, her mocking countenance falling blank. Audrey turned around and headed out the door, completely unphased by the girl.

“You wouldn’t dare!” the girl hollered after her. “My father is part of the king’s counsel!”

Audrey rolled her eyes. Yeah, sure.

She was back up to the princess’s chambers not a few minutes later, and she set the teacup down on the dresser. As usual, Hazel was sound asleep by now. Audrey pulled the covers up over her before heading back to packing. Tonight was going to be a long night with all of the things she had to finish before morning came.

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

Audrey was up before dawn the next morning, having barely slept a wink after all the packing she’d done. It had been nearly three when she’d gone to bed, finally finished with packing both her and the princess’s clothing. She had to help the princess get ready this morning, and that started with delivering her breakfast and waking her up.

The head chef had returned to the kitchens this morning, and she had Hazel’s breakfast ready the moment Audrey walked through the door.

“I put the strawberries on the side this morning in case madame doesn’t want them. We don’t want the meltdown we had last time!” the older lady exclaimed cheerfully as she plated all the food. “Once the princess is ready, come back down here and I’ll give you your food as well.”

“Of course. Thank you very much, Miss Yorke. Make sure to feed yourself as well this morning.”

Audrey walked the few flights of stairs up the castle like a professional – she’d been doing it for years now – and soon enough, she was knocking on Hazel’s door. She twisted the handle, letting herself into the room.

“Rise and shine, Princess. We have a long day ahead of us.”

Hazel groaned, rolling over in bed. She sat up, downing her cold cup of tea from the night before. Then she laid back in bed.

“I need my beauty rest.”

“And I need you to get up and eat. We have an hour to get you ready before it’s time to leave. I need to go help pack the carriages while you eat.”

The princess rolled her eyes. “Fine, I’ll eat.”

Audrey smiled in satisfaction, setting the tray of food in front of Hazel before leaving once again.

Back on the ground floor, she made quick work of helping a few of the servants load the carriages. They’d moved everything down to the main floor the night before so that they had less work to do this morning.

“The princess’s chests are quite light,” one of the servants commented as he helped Audrey lift it.

“Yes, I had to pack most of her outfits individually.”

“Leslie said the same thing about the queen’s clothing.”

“Did she? I find it odd that their dresses must be so puffy.”

The boy nodded. “You’re going with them, right?”

“That’s right. I must go. I have to be with Princess Hazel.”

“We’re going to miss you. Especially Miss Yorke. She said mornings will not be right without you at the table.”

Audrey smiled. “Well, I’d imagine we’ll be back soon. Within a week at most. It doesn’t seem the king has much to discuss at this moment in time. He’s just insistent that the princess meet her fiancé and see her future homeland before they proceed with anything.”

“Still. A week is a long time. You’ll have to draw me some of the landscapes!”

“Ah…if I have time, maybe. I’m not making any promises.”

“Can you at least bring me back a souvenir? I heard that they have peacocks there! Isn’t that fascinating?”

“Do they? I might have to draw one for you, then.” She sighed. “I should get back upstairs. Princess Hazel might throw her inkwell out the window again if I don’t hurry.”

“All right. I’ll see you…later!”

Audrey smiled. “See you, Hadley.”

As she walked back up to the princess’s quarters, she pondered what life would be like away from her family. The palace workers had been long like a family to Audrey. She’d grown up here, running around Miss Yorke’s kitchens and treating all the kids who were now servants as if they were her own siblings. Her mother had been the previous queen’s lady-in-waiting until she’d died in childbirth when Audrey was born. Audrey’s father had raised her until she was seven, when he had died from a fever. Miss Yorke had treated her like her own ever since. Then, one day, the little princess had been born, and once she was old enough to be learning, Audrey had been her lady-in-waiting.

Truthfully, she knew she’d been groomed for such a position. The current queen’s lady-in-waiting had taught Audrey the tricks of the trade before she could even read, and she’d begun her job taking care of the princess at the young age of fifteen. Hazel had been a bouncy little four-year-old then. Even then, she’d been a real menace. She tore dresses and broke pottery and dumped food on the floor and blamed it on Audrey, but no one had ever believed her fibs.

Somehow, that snotty attitude had stuck to her through her early teen years, and Audrey was genuinely worried that the girl’s new fiancé would drop her like a hot potato the moment he tasted her sass. Although, he was a prince. Maybe he had a younger sister of his own that acted just like Hazel.

Audrey entered the princess’s room a few moments later.

“Shall I draw you a bath now?” she asked, noticing the princess’s tray had been completely emptied.

“Yes. A bath sounds delightful. I expect my clothing to be ready by the time I’m done.”

Audrey was quick to run the bath water, and then she was off to gather all of the princess’s travel clothing while the girl dipped her feet in the water.

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

Audrey barely had time to say goodbye to Miss Yorke before it was time to leave. She was tripping out the door with a biscuit in her mouth as she attempted to shove her hat onto her head. Thankfully, Hadley had taken to helping the princess into her carriage, so Audrey had a few moments.

“Audrey! You have some hair sticking out of your hat. Let me fix that,” Hadley informed her, delicately taking the strand of hair and pushing it under her hat. “Have a good trip! Bring my souvenir!”

Audrey smiled as he held out his hand to her. She grabbed it, using it to help herself into the carriage.

“I will. See you in a week!”

Hadley shut the door before tying its latch. “Tell me if there’s any cute servant girls there. Maybe I’ll move with you when the princess gets married.”

Audrey laughed. “Sure thing.”

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

Audrey was ready to go on a nice, long walk by the time they arrived. Being stuck in a carriage for eleven hours wasn’t comfortable at all.

“Wow! Look at that! How extraordinary!”

Audrey looked up. Truthfully, it didn’t look that different from their home. It was just quite a bit warmer here than it was up north. That, and their castle seemed a bit more on the black side.

One of the servants led Audrey and Hazel to their quarters for their stay. Hazel dramatically flopped on the bed, still wearing her traveling clothing.

“Wake me when it’s time for dinner.”

Audrey pulled her hat off. She, for one, needed a walk.

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

These palace grounds weren’t so different from the ones back home. The gardens were lush, and the walking paths were smooth. There weren’t many staff out here, but for one man with his knees buried in the dirt as he ripped weeds from the ground.

“What are these flowers?” she asked, squatting down next to him.

They were larger than the ones she was used to seeing back home. They were a lush shade of red, and a ring of yellow painted the tips of their petals. She delicately touched one of them, tilting it ever so slightly so that the petals caught the light better.

“Those are gaillardia flowers,” came the man’s reply. “Gorgeous, aren’t they?”

She glanced up at him, her eyes going wide as she saw him. He had smudges of dirt on his cheeks, but his dark brown eyes were the first thing she saw. A few strands of his dark hair were curling over his forehead, but the majority of it was being held back by a headband.

“Are you new here?” he asked.

“I’m the princess’s lady-in-waiting,” she explained.

“Ah. Princess Hazel?”

“That’s right.”

“I did not realize we had guests already.”

“We only got in about half an hour ago.”

“That makes sense, I suppose.” He bent down over the flowerbed again, tugging another weed from it.

“Are you one of the gardeners?” Audrey asked.

He glanced up, a look of amusement on his face. “No. I just enjoy hanging out with my flowers. My grandmother planted these when she was still alive, so they feel like my last part of her.”

“Oh,” Audrey sighed. “How long has she been gone for?”

“About fifteen years now. She died when I was thirteen.”

“Aw. I’m sorry.”

He shook his head. “It’s all right.”

“So, where do you work if not in the gardens?”

It took him a few seconds to answer this. “I work with the prince and the king.”

“Really?” Audrey asked. “How is the prince? Is he…nice?”

The man laughed. “Why would you like to know?”

“I’m not letting my precious princess marry a man if he’s going to mistreat her!”

“Of course,” he murmured. He paused a moment to think while he pulled a few more weeds out of the dirt. “I suppose he’s a decent man. Hasn’t done anything that noteworthy, in my opinion.”

“Should I trust your opinion?”

“I’m not sure. Should you?”

“I don’t know. A man in his late twenties who still cares for his grandmother’s flowers seems trustworthy enough, but I can never be sure.”

“Fair enough. I’m sure there’s plenty of other staff who will give you their opinion on him if you want it.”

“It would seem a little strange to just go around asking people, don’t you think?”

He shrugged. “You have good intent.”

“Do I?”

“Well, in my opinion.” He laughed. “Would you like a flower?”

“I don’t want you to cut these.”

“I can replant one of them into a pot.”

She smiled. “Ok. I think I would like that.”

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

Audrey returned to the princess’s room half an hour later with a small pot in her grasp. One singular flower was peeking out of it. She might not know much about plants, but she’d be sure to take care of this one in the absence of the man she’d met. As she set the pot next to her bed, she realized she’d never asked for the man’s name.

A gentle knock sounded on the door. “I have the princess’s dinner,” came a small voice.

Audrey crossed the room, letting the small servant girl in with a twist of the doorknob. The girl crossed the room before setting the tray on a table in the middle of the room.

“You are welcome to join me and the other servants for dinner downstairs if you’d like, miss,” the girl muttered with a bent head.

“I’d love that! Can I join you once I’ve woken the princess?”

“I’ll wait outside for you.”

Audrey woke the princess, letting her know that it was dinnertime before excusing herself so that she could go eat her own dinner. Then she joined the girl who had brought dinner up.

“Do you spend a lot of time around the royal family?” Audrey asked as they walked.

“I do. I serve them dinner almost every night.”

“Are they nice to you?”

The girl blushed. “Well, I’ve never been acknowledged by the king or queen,” she confessed.

“What about the prince?”

“His Highness is very kind,” the girl admitted in a small voice. “He treats me like his younger sister sometimes.”

“Oh? How so?”

“He’s offered to share his dinner with me quite often.”

“I see,” Audrey nodded. “Has he done anything else?”

“He loves coming to the kitchens to chat with the staff. Of course, he doesn’t have a lot of free time. Mister Tindall loves when he comes.”

“Who is Mister Tindall?”

“He’s our head chef.”

Audrey nodded. “Is he nice?”

“Oh, yes! He makes the best dinners!”

“Lovely. Dinner will be good tonight, then.”

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

Audrey wandered the halls that evening after dinner. The castle’s interior didn’t seem that different from home. The staircases were wide, the halls were lavish, and the chandeliers were huge. Audrey didn’t understand what was with extravagant lighting. Chandeliers were nice, but the amount of crystal on every single one seemed a bit overkill. Maybe she’d never understand it.

She paused in front of a painting of the royal family. The painting seemed to be a few years old at least. The prince was a lanky teenager in this painting, and his robes seemed to be slightly too big for his thin frame. Audrey knew he was at least in his early twenties now, but she hadn’t even seen a photo of him yet. She knew she’d be meeting him in the near future if she ever accompanied Hazel to her dinners, so she’d know soon enough how much he’d grown since this painting had been made.

She began walking once again but stopped at the end of the hallway where yet another painting hung. This one was a painting of the prince when he’d been very young. He appeared to be about four or five. He was sitting in his chair incorrectly, and Audrey had to guess that they hadn’t been able to get him to sit in it the right way. He was grinning from ear to ear, and Audrey almost could’ve mistaken him for a normal toddler if not for the fancy clothing he’d been wearing.

She smiled. Maybe, if the prince really had kept the personality he’d had as a young boy, he could be an acceptable match for Hazel. Not that Audrey had much of a say in the decision, but she was willing to fight for her lady if she needed to. After all, Hazel was barely a young lady yet. Despite the fact that Hazel was a princess, Audrey thought that she at least deserved a decent husband if she was going to be married off so young.

She tapped her foot against the ground. She should probably head to bed. Tomorrow was bound to be a long day, and she definitely hadn’t slept enough the previous night. But first, she needed a bath.

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

It was ten before Princess Hazel even got out of bed, so Audrey had time to walk the palace gardens that morning. Once again, she found the man who gave her the flowers bent in the dirt. Today, he was wearing a hat over his thick head of hair, but his clothes were still caked in dirt. Did he not have a way to wash them? Surely, living in the palace, he could find some way to wash them, right? She approached him quietly, listening as he hummed softly.

“I didn’t expect you to be out here so early,” she commented.

The sun was barely peeking over the horizon, giving the whole palace an ambient glow. The gardener looked up at her, his face being darkened by the shadow of his hat. He smiled.

“Good morning. How is your flower?”

“It’s still pretty happy, I think.” Audrey returned his smile. “Are you out here a lot?”

“Sometimes. My job isn’t one that is needed much right now, so I have more time.”

“Do you work directly with the prince, then?” she asked. It seemed to be the only reason she could think of as to why he wasn’t extremely busy while they had guests.

“I do.”

Audrey nodded. “Are there any other flowers you tend to here?”

“The coreopsis flowers.”

She glanced around. She’d never heard of those before.

“Which ones are those?”

He pointed to a different section of the garden, where a bundle of bright yellow flowers sat. They looked akin to stars, and their petals appeared velvety.

“Were those also your grandmother’s?”

His lips lifted into a wry smile. “No, my sister’s favorite color was yellow. I planted them for her when she was young.”

“That’s sweet,” Audrey smiled. She turned back to him. “I never asked. What’s your name?”

“Taehyung.”

“I’m Audrey.”

He tossed down the weeds he was holding before standing up and dusting his hands off. Then he held one dirt-powdered hand out her.

“It’s nice to meet you, Audrey.”

Normally, she would’ve recoiled at the thought of dirt touching her hands, but for some odd reason, she didn’t now. She shook his hand happily.

“Nice to meet you too, Taehyung.”

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

“Have you ever tried fresh herbs?” Taehyung asked, picking a green leaf off of one of the plants.

“No, I don’t think I have,” Audrey confessed. “I don’t cook.”

He handed her the leaf. “Here. Try this.”

“Are you trying to poison me?” she asked point-blank.

“Why would I? So that I can get my precious gaillardia back?”

“That seems a good enough reason to poison someone, don’t you think?”

“Over one flower? That’s nonsense.”

She shrugged. “You never know.”

“It’s mint.”

“You have to take a bite of it first.”

“All right then. Fine.” Taehyung took a bite of the mint leaf. Then he offered it to her. “Now will you try it?”

“Well, I suppose you didn’t drop dead immediately after eating it….” She took the leaf before eating the rest of it. “Huh. Wow, that’s good!”

“Isn’t it?” he grinned.

Audrey smiled. Then she glanced up at the sky. The sun had begun to paint it many different shades of red and orange.

“You know, I don’t see the sunrise very often.”

“You don’t?” he asked. “That’s a shame.”

“I have to get up and get the princess ready every morning. I don’t have time to look outside,” Audrey admitted with a laugh.

“Ah. I’m out here most mornings before the sun rises.”

“Must be nice to be on your own time.”

“I suppose.”

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

Hazel didn’t need Audrey at dinner that evening, so Audrey took this opportunity to take another walk in the gardens. This evening, there was a young boy watering some of the patches of herbs. His dark curls reminded her of Hadley, and she smiled sadly when she thought of home. She had a feeling this trip would be dragging on for a lot longer than she’d initially anticipated. She wasn’t even entirely sure if Hazel was meeting the prince tonight, or if she was just meeting the king and queen. Nothing had been clear.

She passed by Taehyung’s gaillardias, and she wondered what he was doing this evening. He was probably taking care of the prince tonight. She sighed, unsure why she was disappointed to find that he wasn’t here. It wasn’t even like she could really even be friends with him. He lived nearly two hundred miles away from her.

Her gaze turned to the sky, where she found a range of colors once again as the sun set. Tonight, purple and orange married together, causing the few clouds overhead to be tainted by their color. Maybe she should start going on walks more often when she got home. Watching the sun rise and set was far more peaceful than watching her clock each morning and evening.

Audrey stared down at the path as she walked. She stopped as she came upon something shining on the gravel. She bent down to pick it up. It appeared to be a button. But not just any old button. It was shiny, and it appeared to be made of silver. Maybe it belonged to the prince? She rolled it between her fingers. Perhaps not. She wasn’t sure who else it would belong to, though. There didn’t seem to be anymore royal boys in the palace, and she didn’t see why the king would’ve been out here.

She resorted to tucking it into her pocket. She’d ask around about it later. She turned her eyes to the sky again, noticing that the moon was now peeking out from behind the castle. It was full tonight. She hadn’t seen a full moon in a long while.

She sighed. She should probably return to the castle. Dinner would be over soon, and the princess would need her help getting out of her clothes. Audrey was about to turn around when she saw yet another oddity. There was a shoe print in the mud. She knelt down next to it. The print appeared a lot bigger than one that her boots would make, so it was likely from a man’s shoe. It had barely missed a few of the gaillardias. She brushed her finger over the flowers. They seemed ok.

She stood up again, brushing her dress off as she glanced at the sky again. The sun had fully set now, and the stars were starting to appear. She smiled. Tonight had been nice.

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

Hazel insisted on not being escorted around the castle the next morning, so Audrey was forced to, once again, take a walk. This time, she found herself wandering towards the stables. She wasn’t sure her outfit was exactly appropriate for riding a horse, but she’d give it a try anyways.

She found a man in the stables brushing a horse’s mane. He was humming as he did so, and it put a smile on her face.

“Sir?”

He glanced up at her, greeting her with a smile.

“Why hello there. How can I help you?”

“Is there any way I could borrow a horse to take a ride?”

“I’m sure there is. Let me saddle one up.”

Audrey wandered around the stable as the man prepared a horse for her. There were quite a few different horses here. A few were a solid black, while one of them had an almost red coat. Another few were spotted with white, while the majority of them were a simple brown.

“Here, Miss,” the stable master handed her the horse’s reins. “I trust you know how to ride a horse?”

“I haven’t ridden in a few years, but I think I can manage.”

“You are with the princess, correct?”

“That’s right. I’m her lady-in-waiting.”

The man nodded. “I can trust you with this horse, then?”

She smiled. “If it disappears, you can put the blame on me only.”

“Have a good ride, then.”

Once Audrey was outside the barn, she mounted the horse. It was a bit harder than she remembered it being, but she made it up nonetheless. She started off in a gentle canter, not wanting to have to hold herself on with much strength just yet. There was a wide path along the river just behind the castle, so she decided to follow it into the forest.

She trotted along for a good twenty minutes before she saw someone approaching from the opposite direction. He was going much faster than her, and her eyes widened as she realized he was headed straight toward her. She pulled her horse to a stop, and thankfully, the other rider slowed as well.

“Audrey! Is that you?”

As the rider came closer, she recognized who it was. She smiled as he approached her.

“Taehyung! I didn’t expect to see you out here!”

He laughed as he came to a stop next to her. “Well, I had the morning off, and it’s been a while since I saw the woods. What do you think of it?”

“It’s quite lovely,” she admitted.

“Gorgeous, isn’t it?”

He turned his gaze to the tall trees towering above them, but she couldn’t help but notice the way his clothing seemed to hug his body. His pants were stretching ever so slightly to mold to his thighs, and despite his shirt being flowy, his shoulders didn’t seem to fit the way they were supposed to. What was his job, exactly, that cause him to be this muscular?

“Would you like to head back to the castle with me? The forest isn’t exactly a safe place to be if you don’t know your way around it.”

Audrey took this as her cue to actually look at her surroundings, and she realized that she really didn’t know where she was going. She turned back toward him.

“Sure! Lead the way.”

The two of them rode in a companionable silence for a few minutes before Audrey spoke up.

“It seems someone nearly stepped on your gaillardias last night.”

“What do you mean?” Taehyung asked.

“There was a shoe print in the dirt next to them when I was taking a walk last night.”

“Ah,” he laughed. “Yes, that was probably me. I tripped in the garden yesterday evening while I was taking a walk.”

“Oh.” She paused. “Well, I’m glad you didn’t damage them.”

He hummed. “I hadn’t even noticed my shoe had gone into the dirt.”

“Do you have work to do when we get back?” Audrey asked.

“I do. I managed to escape this morning, but I cannot get out of my responsibilities this afternoon.”

She nodded. “I must check on the princess when we get back. She insisted on not being escorted to breakfast this morning, so I thought I’d take this time to go for a ride. It’s been a few years since I was out just for fun. Do you get to do this often?”

“Sometimes. Depends on how busy the day is. When we have guests, I have less work to do, so I get to do whatever I please for a few hours every day. Normally, though, there’s lots of work to get done around the palace. I help deal with a lot of legal things, so there’s a lot of paperwork.”

“I see. Well, it appears that you’re enjoying your free time.”

He chuckled. “I am.”

When they neared the stables, he nodded towards them. “You go ahead. I have something I need to check on before I return to the stables.”

She turned toward him. “I shall see you around, then?”

He nodded. “See you around.”

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

The next time she saw Taehyung was that evening as she took another walk through the castle gardens. Instead of weeding the gardens, tonight he was coaxing a song from the strings of a violin. Audrey had never heard someone play such an instrument outside the walls of a symphony hall. He was playing quite the melancholy tune, and Audrey wasn’t sure how he was able to play so well in the dim moonlight. He couldn’t see the strings.

“That’s quite a sad song. Does it have a name?” she queried.

He glanced up her, a gentle smile gracing his face as he took his violin off his shoulder.

“No, it doesn’t. I’ve never given it a name.”

“Did you write it?”

“Yes.”

“Ah. Well, it’s lovely.”

“Thank you.”

“When did you write it?”

“When I was twelve.”

“Wow! You had quite the talent for a twelve-year-old!”

Audrey was starting to question the position of this man. Before, she’d thought that he was simply a palace worker, maybe someone slightly more important, but now she was questioning if maybe he was someone of a higher position. A baron, perhaps? Maybe a viscount? But then, why would he be spending so much time at the palace?

Taehyung picked his violin again, beginning to play the tune again. This time, there were lyrics to go with the strain of the violin.

“The moonlight is shining tonight.

“The candles are glowing so bright.

“Oh, how I miss you.

“The tears of the flowers,

“Are making the hours,

“Go on and on and on.”

The violin continued to croon its sad tune even after he stopped singing, and Audrey wondered why this song had been written. It had been before his grandmother had died, so certainly it hadn’t been written for her.

“How does the time go by?

“How do the hours pass?

“Why did we say goodbye?

“Why couldn’t our time last?

“Oh, how I miss you.

“On this starry night.”

As the song came to an end, the tune slowed and eventually came to a stop. Audrey smiled.

“Did you write the lyrics at twelve too?”

He chuckled. “No. They came long after I wrote the tune.”

“What is the song about?” she asked before she could think.

He drew in a breath. “It’s about someone very dear to me that I lost.”

“Ah,” she frowned. “I’m sorry.”

He shook his head. “It’s all right. That was a long time ago.”

“When you were twelve?”

“Grief seemed easier to process through music,” he admitted with a nod. “I suppose you’re out here for your nighty walk. I shall turn in now so I don’t disturb you.”

He turned to leave, but her voice stilled him.

“You’re not disturbing me. It’s quite nice to hear you play. I rarely hear someone play an instrument. Princess Hazel quite despises her harp, I suppose.”

“The princess plays an instrument?”

“Well, she was taught to play one, anyways. I haven’t heard her play in quite a few years. It’s a shame, really. That harp of hers is quite beautiful. It sits in dust now.”

“That is quite sad. But really, I should be getting inside. I’ll leave you now.”

She gave him a polite nod. “See you tomorrow, then.”

“Right. Tomorrow.”

Then he strode off towards the castle, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

Taehyung wasn’t in the gardens the next morning when she went for her walk. The sun had just started to rise, but Audrey had expected him to be here. She went to check on his flowers once again. She wasn’t sure why she felt so attached to them. Maybe it was because he’d been kind enough to give her one of them. As she knelt down, she realized that he’d patted the shoe print out of the dirt. It was smooth again there. She gently ran her hand over the soil, smiling as how he cared so much for this garden.

She glanced across the garden at the coreopsis flowers. She wondered where his sister was now. He hadn’t spoken of her again after that morning. She crossed the garden and knelt down before the flowers. She brushed her finger along one of the petals. They were as soft as she’d imagined them to be when she’d first seen them.

She furrowed her brow when she noticed something glinting between the flowers. She reached forward, making sure to not bend any of the flower stems as she pulled the shiny thing out of the soil. As she brought it close to examine it, she recognized that it was another of the same button she’d seen before in the gardens. She was beginning to think something odd was going on here. Maybe these didn’t belong to the prince like she’d first suspected. Maybe…they were Taehyung’s buttons. But why would his buttons be falling out?

She pondered this, glancing up at the slowly illuminating sky as if it would give her the answers to her questions. Taehyung was truly proving to be more of a mysterious man than she’d initially thought. Why were buttons appearing in his garden? Where was his sister? Who had been so special to him that he’d lost so many years ago? And most importantly, was he an unimportant figure in the kingdom, or did his life play a much more pivotal role than hers did?

She clicked her tongue. Why did she care? She was headed back home soon. Although, if everything went well, she’d be returning. But she’d have far less time than she did now. She’d be back to her busy days of waiting on Hazel’s hand and foot every day, and her walks would likely be long forgotten. Taehyung would just be another figure in the castle that she bumped paths with every now and then, and the two of them would go on with their separate lives. She’d only known him for less than three days, anyways. How much could you really get to know about a person’s true character in that short of a time?

She knew that he gardened…played violin…and knew how to ride a horse. That was about it. And that at some point, he’d seemed to have some sort of a family.

She flicked the button back into the flowerbed. Maybe its owner would come for it again. Then she stood, realizing it was time to go wake the princess.

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

“Have you met the prince yet?” Audrey finally asked as she helped Hazel into her gowns.

Hazel scoffed. “Yes. He’s an old man. He’s twenty-eight! Can you believe that? I thought at most, he’d be twenty-two. I can’t believe Mama and Papa want me to marry that guy!”

“Well…you know your brother’s wife is ten years younger than him.”

“Yes, well, this is outrageous! I’m not Hollace, nor should I be required to be like Gregory. I am a princess! I should choose my own husband!”

Audrey intentionally pulled the laces on Hazel’s dress too tight, making the girl squeak.

“My princess, must I remind you that this is just part of your life? You don’t have a choice. I’ve heard your fiancé is quite a fine gentleman, so you should be glad that your parents have chosen well. You could very well have been engaged to a man who would choose to disregard you at every turn. Would you prefer that?”

Hazel stared at Audrey through the mirror. “Well…no,” she responded after a few moments of silence. “I suppose he is quite charming.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “He’s very kind. He pulls my chair out at dinner for me.”

“See? A gentleman.”

“Indeed.”

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

The whole ordeal seemed to fall apart that same afternoon. Hazel burst into her room abruptly, sobbing hysterically. She began attempting to undo her dress before Audrey could even get up to help her.

Audrey loosened the back of the girl’s dress before sitting her down on the bed.

“Do I need to get you some tea?”

“No,” Hazel moaned. “I need you to hit him over the head for me.”

“What?” Audrey asked.

“The prince! He told me that he plans on breaking our engagement off!”

“Isn’t that a good thing?”

“No! I was just starting to like him! And what will my parents think! I’ve been rejected by my own fiancé! Surely I’m unworthy of any marriage now!” She dissolved into tears as she recalled what had happened.

Audrey patted her back. “I’ll go get you some tea and pastries, all right? Stay here.”

Hazel nodded.

Audrey quickly exited the room, making a beeline for the grand hall. She was going to give this prince a piece of her mind. Before she knew it, she was shoving the doors of the grand hall open, and she was pleased to find the prince still sitting in there. She crossed the room and was about to open her mouth when someone snapped at her.

“Hey! Bow to your prince.”

Someone shoved her to her knees, and a moment later she glanced up to meet his eyes. She gasped.

“Taehyung? It’s you?”

He blinked down at her. “Me? Yes, it’s me. What about me?”

“You’re the prince?” She was quick to get up from her knees, and she glared down at him.

“I suppose so,” he replied simply.

“You lied to me, then!”

“When did I lie to you?”

She hated how calm he looked right now. First, he’d deceived her into thinking he was just an average man working in the palace, and then he’d gone and broken Hazel’s heart. This man was a piece of work.

“You said you worked with the prince and the king!”

“I do. I work with my father, and it’s quite hard to not work with myself.”

She scowled at him.

“Have I told another lie?”

“I…” she stuttered. “I-I don’t know! You sure pretended that you weren’t a prince!”

He sighed. “Why are you here? Did you want to speak to me?”

“Yes! How could you tell Hazel that you’re going to break off your engagement with her?”

“Because I am. She’s made it clear that she doesn’t like me, and I don’t want to get married, honestly.”

“She came back to her room crying because of you!”

He furrowed his brow. “Crying? I assumed she would be overjoyed!”

“Well-” Audrey was stumbling over her words again. “Well, I’ll make sure you regret this!”

He smiled. “All right, then.” He stood from his chair. “I must be off now. I’ll see you around.”

Audrey scoffed at him.

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

Normally, Audrey wasn’t a vengeful or aggressive person. But something about Taehyung hiding the fact that he was the prince made her extremely furious. She found herself in the gardens, and seeing his flowers infuriated her even more. She wouldn’t touch the gaillardias, no, she wasn’t that insensitive. Although part of her wanted to be. Instead, she marched across the garden, coming to stand in front of the yellow patch of coreopsis. She bent down, ripping one of them from the flowerbed. She glared down at it.

“I can’t believe him!” she screamed at it. “He tricked me! He played with my heart!”

She sniffed, and tears started streaming down her face. The skies above her seemed to get the memo, and they began to cry as well. Except this wasn’t the cool, quiet rain that she was used to at home. It was a hot, loud rain that poured down on her and heated her already angered skin. She reached down and pulled another flower out of the ground. Then she stared at the two flowers. They were bright. Too bright. They promised sunny, happy days, but that was not what she was granted.

“Hey! What are you doing?”

Audrey jumped, looking to her left as the loud sound rang in her ears. Taehyung was standing there, his royal robes abandoned, and he was glaring at her. He bent down close to her, and she realized that she’d never seen him even close to angry before.

“Don’t. Touch. My coreopsis,” he growled.

She gasped, dropping both of the flowers to the ground. He bent down to retrieve them. Then he shoved them in her face.

“Have you ever had to bury a sibling?” he asked loudly, but his voice seemed nearly drowned out by the pouring rain around them.

“…no,” she admitted in a small voice, unsure if he’d even heard her.

He turned his gaze to the flowerbed, and his anger dissipated. He looked like he was crying now, but she couldn’t tell through all the rain.

“You haven’t. So you’ll never know what it’s like to be twelve and have your four-year-old sister die.”

Audrey stared up at him in shock and horror. She felt awful for what she’d just done, but grateful that she hadn’t had the courage to do any more damage. Taehyung knelt down, placing the flowers on top of the now baren dirt. He seemed to pause for a second, and then he retrieved the button that Audrey had left there that morning. Then he stood up. He grabbed her hand, tugging it forward before placing the button in it. Then he curled her fingers around it.

“I don’t want to see you again as long as you’re here.”

Now, she felt mad at her own self instead of at him.

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

Their trip was cut short by Taehyung’s announcement to both of the royal households. He was breaking his engagement with Hazel. Audrey was relieved to realize that he hadn’t made any mention of her actions to anyone else. She could at least only carry around the guilt of ruining his garden. She didn’t have to worry about crushing Hazel’s life along with her own. Part of her felt like it would almost be better to receive a punishment for what she’d done, though. She’d destroyed part of what she assumed to be one of the only things he had left of that little life that had been lost.

She found herself wandering the hallways one last time before she left, and she found a painting that she hadn’t seen on her past trips around these halls. It depicted a little, yellow flower, and it had a small child’s hand wrapped around its stem. She frowned, realizing that once, a young boy had planted a garden of flowers just for the joy of a dying little girl.

Audrey wept. She’d been so wrong about Taehyung. She wasn’t sure why he’d hidden his identity from her, but she knew he hadn’t deserved the wrath she’d spent on those flowers. He was a lovely man, and she realized that she didn’t deserve him, title or no title. He’d been so kind to her. He, a crown prince, had treated her like a friend while she’d walked his gardens. And she’d returned that kindness with destruction.

It was ok that she was headed home tomorrow. He could forget she’d ever walked into his life, and she could go home wishing that somehow their paths had intersected differently.

She found herself singing his song as she walked back to her room.

“The moonlight is shining tonight.

“The candles are glowing so bright.

“Oh, how I miss you.

“The tears of the flowers,

“Are making the hours,

“Go on and on and on.”

“How does the time go by?

“How do the hours pass?

“Why did we say goodbye?

“Why couldn’t our time last?

“Oh, how I miss you.

“On this starry night.”

She recognized now that he’d written this as a heartbroken little boy right after his sister had passed on. He’d suffered so much. And here she was, sulking that she couldn’t spend a lifetime with him. She was a sorry soul. She was glad she hadn’t been born royalty. She was given no chance with him, and that was a very good thing.

She made one last trip before she turned in for the night. She’d promised Hadley a gift, and she had no drawing, so she was determined to find a peacock feather. Surely, they sold them somewhere in town.

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

Months had passed since that trip now. Taehyung’s button was something that sat inside Audrey’s gaillardia pot, and she saw both of them every day when she awoke in the morning. She’d written him numerous letters, telling him how sorry she was for the way she’d acted and how kind he’d been to her. She admitted how fast her sorry excuse of a heart had fallen for him, and how she knew they weren’t meant to be. She told him of how she sang his song every night to help herself fall asleep. She’d never gotten an answer. She hadn’t expected to. He was a prince. What time did he have to read letters sent from a lady-in-waiting who was living nearly two hundred miles from him?

Today, she rolled out of bed like every morning. She headed straight for the kitchens to retrieve Hazel’s breakfast. When she arrived, the kitchen was far busier than usual. She stepped back as someone rushed past her.

“Miss Yorke, what is going on?”

“Haven’t you heard? We had a guest arrive late last night.”

Audrey had been asleep by then, probably.

“Who?” she asked. They hadn’t been expecting anyone.

“Prince Taehyung.”

Audrey froze. “Oh…um. Why is he here?”

“I haven’t a clue.”

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

Since they were having breakfast in the great hall today, Audrey had no reason to head to Hazel’s room just yet. She wandered around the halls of the palace, wondering just what Taehyung was doing here. Had he decided to take back his rejection to the proposal? That seemed unlikely. But why else would he be here?

She turned a corner and walked smack into something. She didn’t remember anything being here. She stepped back, and her eyes widened as she saw Taehyung standing in front of her.

“I’ve been looking for you,” he murmured as he stared down at her.

She glanced around the hall. No one else seemed to be here. She looked back up at him.

“Me?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“It seems to me that you haven’t been getting my letters.”

“Your letters?” she asked.

“Yes. I’ve written responses to all of yours.”

“I…I had no idea,” she muttered. “I never got anything.”

“I figured as much.” He pulled a stack of letters out of his coat before handing them to her. “I stopped sending them. I thought I’d come give them to you in person.”

She stared down at that stack of letters. She couldn’t believe this. He’d been responding to her this whole time, but she’d never gotten them. She blinked, and tears started to stream down her face.

“But you…you said you didn’t want to see me.”

He nodded. “I think both of us overreacted that day.”

She shook her head. “I did. You didn’t. I destroyed your garden.”

He shrugged. “It was two flowers.”

He held the letters out to her, but she shoved them back into his chest.

“You can’t give me false hope, Taehyung. You’re a prince. We can’t be together.”

“Says who? I see no reason why we can’t be together.”

“I can’t…I can’t leave Hazel. You know that.”

“All right.” He set the stack of letters in her hand before turning around and striding back the way he came from.

She hugged the letters to her chest, realizing he’d came all this way just for her. But why? Last time they’d spoken, he’d said he never wanted to see her again. Had her letters somehow changed his mind?

She opened the first letter as she walked. It had been dated about a week after her third letter had been written.

Dear Audrey,

I assume that these letters haven’t been reaching you. Neither of your last two have made any mention of mine. I suppose I shall keep these for now, then. Hopefully someday they make it into your hands.

I’ve planted a new flower in the gardens. It’s a bush of pink roses. They remind me of you. Beautiful to look at, but hard to touch.

Would you still write me your letters if you knew I was reading them? I sure hope so, but it seems from the very beginning you thought I’d never read these letters. I am partially glad these haven’t sent to you if that is the case.

Taehyung

When she reached into the envelope to put the letter back, she realized that there was a pressed flower in the envelope. It was a rose, and it matched the description of the ones that Tae had described. She leaned forward and smelled it. It had the scent of the perfumes the princess wore. Was he trying to tell her something? Why was he trying to woo a simple lady-in-waiting?

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

Audrey read the rest of the letters after breakfast. He made mention of her parents, and she realized that she’d seemed to have mentioned their untimely deaths in one of her letters. Occasionally, he would talk about his sister and the fun times they had together before she fell ill. His parents hadn’t tried for any more kids after that.

Each letter was accompanied by another rose as well, and each one of them seemed younger than the previous one. The last rose appeared to almost still be in bloom. Audrey wondered if he’d put it in here right before he’d left. Each letter was stained with the scent of roses, and each envelope was sealed with wax. She wondered if this was what the girls were referring to when they mentioned love letters.

She tucked the letters away into the chest at the end of her bed. She wasn’t really sure what to do with them. Should she go find him? Or was that too much of a risk? Why was he even here, anyways? There was no way he’d travel all the way here just to give her a stack of letters.

She decided she needed a walk now. Hazel had insisted that she was spending the whole day in her room, so Audrey had most of the day free.

She found herself wandering around in the gardens this time. Their garden wasn’t nearly as beautiful as the one at Taehyung’s home, but it was all right for walking. She hadn’t expected to find Taehyung out there, though.

He was seated on one of the stone walls that surrounded the garden, and he was tapping his fingers against the wall. This was the first time Hazel had truly been able to study his outfit. Even dressing like a prince, he still wore trousers that were fitted to his legs. He wore a frilly, white shirt under a fancy red coat. But he still looked like the same Taehyung who had been muddied the first time she met him. She approached him quietly.

“Why are you here?”

He glanced up, startled.

“Why are you here?” she repeated. “If you’re here because of me, then go home.”

He started up at her. “I think you know why I’m here.”

“No, actually, I don’t! You’re not spending time with Hazel, and I don’t think you’re here to take back her hand in marriage, so what are you doing here?”

“I’ve come to collect my lady. But only if you’ll have me.”

“But you can’t have me!” she cried.

“And why not? The king and queen have no objections, so why can’t I have you?”

“What…what did you say?”

“They said I can have your hand in marriage.”

“Did you ask Hazel’s opinion?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Is that not a no?”

She scoffed. “I can’t just uproot myself and move two hundred miles away!”

“Why not?”

She blinked down at him. “I just…I can’t.”

He sighed before getting up from his spot on the wall. “Fine. I’ll go home, then. If you ever want to talk to me, I’m just a letter away.”

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

Taehyung headed out the next morning. Audrey stayed in her room, wanting to avoid seeing him before he left. Usually, she’d be taking Hazel her breakfast by now, but she couldn’t run the risk of running into him this morning.

She was startled by a loud banging on her door. She furrowed her brow. No one should be knocking on that door, especially not at this hour. She crossed the room and opened it just to find the princess staring back at her.

“Are you crazy? You’re just going to let him leave like that?” Hazel asked in outrage.

“Of course.”

“He came all the way here to ask for your hand in marriage and you’re just going to watch him leave?”

“How do you know that?”

“Because he asked me first! He sent me a letter a month ago asking if I’d be ok with it! He traveled two hundred miles just to ask you, and you’re gonna watch him ride off into the sunrise? Go! Get out there before he’s too far away for you to catch him!”

Audrey frowned. “Princess….”

“No! Go!” Hazel grabbed Audrey by the arm, dragging her out of the room and shoving her down the hall. “Get out there now!”

Audrey sighed, giving in. She started down the hall slowly.

“Be quick, Audrey!” Hazel exclaimed.

“Fine, fine.”

Audrey found herself sprinting through the courtyard a minute later, and then she was out on the streets. If she hurried, she could catch them before they got out of town.

By the time she found the carriage, her clothing was covered in dirt. She caught up to them, yelling as loud as she could.

“Wait! Wait! Stop the carriage!”

The driver got the message, pulling the carriage to a stop. Audrey climbed the side of the carriage, not caring that her clothing was now messy.

“What on earth are you doing?” Taehyung laughed as he poked his head out the window.

Audrey let out a squeak, her grip on the side failing as she fell back to the ground. Taehyung stepped down from the carriage a moment later and helped her up.

“What’s so urgent that you had to chase me out of town like this?” he asked.

Audrey stared up at him. “Hazel spoke to me. She told me everything. I’m…I’m so sorry.”

Her gaze fell to the ground as her cheeks flushed. She felt terribly embarrassed. Everything she’d done of late had been blatantly disrespectful to him.

“You don’t need to apologize,” he chuckled.

He reached down, hooking his finger under her chin before bringing her head up so that he could look her in the eye.

“I’m willing to wait as long as you need.”

“We’re not getting any younger.”

“No, we’re not. But that doesn’t matter to me. If you wake up one day when you’re sixty and realize what you’ve missed out on, you’ll always know where to find me.”

“I don’t want to wait that long,” she admitted. “I don’t think I can.”

“Then…will you marry me now?” he asked quietly, glancing between her eyes as he waited for an answer.

“I will. I’ll marry you.”

He grinned. “You will?”

“Yes. I will.”

He bent down then, capturing her lips in a kiss. She sighed. He smelled like the gardens of his homeland.

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

One year later…

Taehyung entered their bedroom, hiding something behind his back.

“Darling, I have a gift for you.”

“You do?” Audrey questioned, sitting up as much as she could. The baby growing inside her made it harder and harder to sit up on her own every day.

Taehyung revealed the gift to her, and she smiled.

“Yellow roses!” she gasped. “They’re lovely!”

“You like them?” he asked. “There’s plenty more in the garden. I thought I’d bring them up to you for now, though.”

She grinned. “When did you plant these?”

“About three months ago,” he admitted with a shrug. “I’ve planted some white ones too, but those won’t bloom for a little while.”

“May I smell them?”

He crossed the room before handing the bouquet to her. She leaned forward, burying her nose in it.

“They smell amazing,” she smiled. “Are you going to put them in a vase?”

“Would you like me to?”

“Of course! Why would you even ask?”

He laughed. “Of course, how silly of me. I’ll go get a vase. But first-” he leaned down to give her a kiss. “I need a few of these.”

She giggled as he kissed all over her face. “That tickles!”

“Mmm, does it? You want me to stop, then?”

“No.”

“I suppose I shall continue, then.”

“Tae!”

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A/N: I wrote this in 3 days and haven't edited it so that's fun. I hope you enjoyed this, because it was very exciting for me to write!

It would be greatly appreciated if you reblogged the story if you liked it!

Taglist: @jiminie-and-his-pinky-finger @jinnie-forthe-winnie @taehoneycheeks @aianloveseven @bangtansjonas @fly-you-dam-fools

#taehyung fanfiction #taehyung fanfic #taehyung fluff #taehyung angst #bts fanfiction #bts fanfic #bts fluff #bts angst #wifey bear 🥺💕

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