Chapter Text
Once upon a time, there existed a forbidden forest on the edge of a kingdom. Legends say that the flowers in that forest possessed powerful healing capabilities that could even bring the dead back to life. There were many humans who wanted to keep this power for themselves. They trampled upon and destroyed the forest which infuriated the Guardian of the Forest. The forest which was once so peaceful came to life and swallowed all the greedy humans whole in a single night. Nowadays, they say that those who foolishly enter the forest will meet the very same fate and are never to be seen again.
But such legends did not scare nor deter Zen, a loyal knight to the princess of the kingdom. The princess was dying, and there existed no medicine that could save her. The forest was Zen’s only choice. For his princess. His princess whom he was indebted to and who gave him a home when his parents threw him away.
When Zen first entered the forest, he didn’t know what he was expecting, but he surely wasn’t expecting such a beautiful sight before him. The edge of the forest looked so menacing from the outside, but upon stepping foot inside, the entire scenery changed, almost as though there was a magical barrier that safely hid and protected the beauty inside. The forest was a vibrant green that seemed to have an ethereal glow. It was devoid of animals, but the colourful assortment of flowers seemed to make up for it.
“Who are you?”
The voice came so suddenly that Zen’s first instinct was to draw his sword and point it at the newcomer but froze when he came face-to-face with a beautiful young maiden clad in a long dress that shimmered in the sunlight. You stared down at the sword at your neck, unfazed, before slowly bringing your attention back towards the young man.
“Who are you?” you repeated your question.
Zen hesitated for a moment before finally sheathing his sword. He placed a hand over his heart and bowed in greeting. “My name is Zen. I’m a knight in the kingdom near this forest. May I ask for your name?”
“You may not,” you answered firmly, your gaze steady as you continued to eye the young man before you. “What are you doing in my forest?”
The knight cocked his head, confused at your choice of words before it dawned on him. “Could it be that you're—” Zen wasn’t given the chance to finish his sentence, finding his arms and legs to suddenly be ensnared by all sorts of shrubbery.
“Are you here to steal from me too…?” The question that leaves your lips is quiet, and there’s a certain sadness behind it. “Are you going to hurt me and my friends too? Are you…going to leave me all alone too once you get what you came here for?”
Zen doesn’t know how to respond to your questions, so he answers with his own. “Are you the Guardian of the Forest?”
You lock gazes with the young man, and there’s something in his eyes that are different from all the humans who came before him. His eyes carry kindness, patience, and a sense of determination of…something. You bite your lower lip and decide to introduce yourself. “…Yes.”
“Lady Guardian,” Zen starts, and you can’t help but scrunch your face from being called such a weird title. “A friend of mine is dying, and I want to save her. Please, will you help me save her? I promise, I won’t take more than necessary, and I won’t ruin any of the plants here.”
Your eyes search the knight’s face for any hint of lies like the others, and you bring your face closer to his. He keeps your gaze, determined, and you don’t know why, but your heart starts to race the longer you stare into his smoldering eyes. You have no reason to give this man what he wants, but for some reason, you do so anyways.
Zen becomes free from the ensnarement, and you offer him a single white rose. “Here.”
The knight graciously accepts the rose, his eyes lighting up which makes your cheeks flush. Almost as though forgetting just who exactly you were, he unreservedly takes your hand in his and bends forward to kiss your fingers. “Thank you!”
The next day, Zen enters the forest once again, and your first thought is that he lied to you and came back for more of those healing flowers, but instead, he holds out a red rose for you to take, and you stare at it in confusion. Zen can’t help but laugh at your confusion, the sound ringing pleasantly in your ears, and goes to explain, “In exchange for the white rose you gave me and helping me save my friend.”
“Oh…” you reply lameley as you accept the rose, your fingers brushing with his. “That’s…awfully sweet of you.” Zen only beams in response, and he turns to leave, but you stop him. “W-Wait!”
Zen stops in his tracks and turns to look back at you, confused. You fumble around for an excuse as to why you called out to him before your eyes light up with an idea. You run up towards the knight and hold out a lilac for him to take. “F-For keeping true to your promise.”
The young man stares at the flower before a gentle smile spreads across his features, and he graciously accepts it. To your surprise, Zen came back the next day and offered you a red chrysanthemum. “For making me smile.”
After that, somehow, it became a natural occurrence of Zen coming back to the forest every day and exchanging flowers for all sorts of reasons.
Yellow acacias. “For keeping me company.”
Primroses. “For listening to my thoughts.”
Tulips. “For always being here for me.”
Honeysuckles. “For sharing your laughter with me.”
Violets. “For believing in me.”
Forget-me-nots—
Zen tucks the small flower behind your ear before gently placing his hand atop your cheek. He strokes the expanse of skin with the pad of his thumb and gently guides your face to look up at him, holding an expression that you’ve never seen before.
“Because I love you.”