IV. If you insist

Dedicated to Jade Thompson

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Nä-ræl became at loss for word the moment he opened his mouth to speak. His voice was deep and soothing to the ears. His voice could raise the dead.

She swallowed hard, unable to find words to say.

Rapha's eyes flickered to the back of her hand for a moment.

Don't be so stupid, she's a noble you are nothing but a servant.

Yes. Nothing but a servant. He thought.

Nä-ræl stretched her hand forward timidly

She was a noble and he was a servant but right know she didn't care about that because she wondered how his lips will be on her hands.

Would it be rough like Ærtle,

Or gentle, smooth and warm.

Rapha's eyes widened in shock. He had certainly not expected it at all.

Hesitantly he reached for her and and placed a gentle kiss at the back of her smooth hands that were cold as a result of the snow which fell softly.

Nä-ræl felt tingles going up her spine and butterflies flying about in her.

His lips were surprisingly warm and they heated up every inch of her body.

Her cold hands became sweaty despite the snow and she could feel her cheeks heatening up.

Rapha bowed once more. "Rapha. Servant of the king and queen of this kingdom."

Nä-ræl nodded slowly before finally finding her long lost voice. "Pleasure meeting you " she curtsied once more.

"How long have you been here?" She asked, tucking a tendril of her hair that came loose at the side behind her ear.

"Since I remember myself milady." He replied staring straight at her making sure he did his best not to show that he was struck by her beauty. Nä-ræl on the other hand tried so hard to conceal her blushing cheeks but to no avail.

They both had no words to say to each other. They were both dazed but they didn't want to spoil the moment by uttering a wrong word or statement.

Rapha wanted to tell her how heartbreakingly beautiful she was and how much he would have loved a dance with her at the ball. How much he wanted to strangle the son of the Duke who kept coming back for a dance.

How much he wanted to kiss her her full plush and pink lips that looked so soft and sweet. How much he wished her to be his.

How he wished he was at least the son of an Earl so he could ask her hand.

So he'd at least be privileged.

He was nothing but a servant.

A servant of the queen and king.

A servant of hers.

He accepted what Fate brought for him.

He would just do his best to be a good servant, a good gardener and admire her from afar to his hearts content.

Nä-ræl wished she was a servant too. She didn't care about riches or titles, she just wanted to be happy with him.

He probably had another servant girl he had interest in.

She felt sad at the thought.

She wished he was a noble man's son. Maybe he'd have interest.

The birds chirped happily as the snow had stopped and a few pecked at some of the forming fruits and seeds of the flowers.

There was no sun setting for the moon had come out but the butterflies surprisingly still hovered round the garden.

Nä-ræl wondered whether they were the same butterflies that were in her stomach.

"This place is beautiful. You deserve to be rewarded for such hard work on this garden. Ask anything you want and it shall be granted unto you."

Rapha wanted to ask her hand in marriage. That was too much to ask and her parents the king and queen will certainly disagree. "I am very content with my position here. Serving you is enough to ask for." He finally said.

Nâ-ræl blushed at his humility.

She wondered what some other servant would have asked.

Probably a sack of gold or something more.

"You deserve a reward." She repeated.

Rapha thought again. What could he possibly ask. "Nay milady. I am content..." But rapha already had something in mind but he refused to say as the princess cut him off.

"I insist that you ask something. A fine reward for your hardwork." She said trying to emit authority in her soft voice that could be very firm when she wanted it to be.

"If you insist milady..." He began, pretending that he was actually thinking.

"Yes I insist."

"Perhaps you could grace me with your beautiful face every full moon...or more often than that I you could." He added as an after thought.

Beautiful face?

Nä-ræl squealed internally.

She had never expected this.

"Certainly, certainly. Your request is granted. I shall be coming to this garden more often..... Perhaps every evening when the weather is fine." She finally said after she finished her internal celebration.

She was overjoyed.

Time passed by in silence but if you were there you'd probably not catch a glance of him.

"I should get going. It is getting late. My mother and father will be displeased if I come home any later." She said after a while.

"Do you wish me to accompany you?" Rapha asked.

"Not at all. It's late but I will be fine. I'm still on the palace grounds. I'm going to pity anyone who tries to attack me." She said as she flashed him a ǔßæl seed.

Rapha's eyes widened in shock.

An ǔßæl seed was a very powerful weapon which was only found in the cursed kingdom of Tarinia and in the kingdom of Narunia which happened to be her father's kingdom.

The seed was very powerful and was never sold out to another kingdom.

It also cost a whole lot.

Six shekels of gold for one seed.

It was used by calling out it's name three times consecutively. It wasn't magic.

It was just natural.

It grew at all times and seasons but was quite scarce.

"Farewell my princess." Rapha bid her goodbye then settled on the soft and slightly wet grass once more.

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"Where on earth have you been?" The queen asked the moment she saw that her daughter's hair was wet with snow.