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Snow blanketed the ground as far as the eye could see. And while nature was quiet and still, the castle grounds were anything but.
As the holidays drew nearer and nearer, the work of the castle staff became more and more rushed. Chefs and cook staff pre-prepared what they could of meal courses; knights and soldiers honed their skills in the cold of the winter air; and chamberlains organized the finances for the upcoming holiday festivities.
And thanks to the work of the royal garden staff, the castle was drenched in a yuletide atmosphere.
With the frost chasing the florists and planters inside, there was little to keep them from indulging in their decorative side.
Garlands of red, green, white, and gold blossoms lined the halls, creating a marvelous background to the full and luscious arrangements of poinsettias, roses, and baby’s breath that filled the vases on the ground. Wreaths of holly and ivy adorned every door and a tasteful number of windows. Many found themselves admiring the small spruce saplings dotted with white christmas roses that guarded the stairwells.
Indeed, the hustle and bustle was in full swing in light of the disappearing dates on the calendar and almost everyone had a role to fulfill.
Almost everyone.
A member of the royal garden staff, Nene Yashiro was idealistic, easy to tease, and somewhat clumsy. She did her job right and she did her job well. But as head vegetable gardener, there were hardly any tasks suited for her at this time of year. Sure, her thumb was green when it came to crops, but decorative plants and flowers seemed to lack a special luster in her care. They would grow and bloom and survive for the expected period of time, but compared to the more senior decorative floral garden staff, her creations might as well have been withered stalks.
She would help where she could, hanging ribbons and delivering supplies from place to place, but would often find that there were few jobs not already being taken care of by another.
However, she rarely found herself searching for something to do for long.
Nene had just completed stacking boxes of ingredients in the kitchens, her arms and back aching as she took her leave. She wiped the sweat from her brow with her forearm, continuing around a corner, and inadvertently shielding her view, she grunted as she collided with someone.
Feeling herself tipping back, Nene braced for the impact of the hard stone floor below her. But rather than cold cobble, she felt a familiar set of arms wrap around her shoulders and pull her forward instead.
After a moment of recovery, Nene tilted her head up to see a pair of deep golden eyes shining down at her. “Well, hello there, Princess. It’s always nice to run into you.”
A light blush dusted her cheeks and she exclaimed, “Y-your Highness!” as if she should be surprised at his presence.
Prince Hanako was a mischievous individual with a penchant for stealing Nene away from her duties. Whether she was out picking vegetables in the summertime or canning produce in the winter, she could be sure that eventually the prince would appear to disrupt her work.
Why this member of the royal family had taken a liking to her, she could not affirmatively say. At first she had been cautious, expecting a cruel prank that revolved around her uniquely… thick ankles. But time passed and rendezvous became more frequent. A routine.
Hanako leaned his head forward and pressed his lips to Nene’s forehead. “Mm, you’re feeling pretty warm,” he commented with a sly smile. “You should take a break so you don’t get sick from overworking yourself, Yashiro.”
Fluster clear in her voice, Nene’s eyes darted off to the side. “I-it’s just the ovens… from the kitchen…” she mumbled. “That’s why I’m warm…”
With his arm around her shoulders, Hanako began walking, guiding her forward with him. “Better safe than sorry, right? You just need some bedrest.” His voice quieting to a whisper, he leaned down to her ear. “I think my bed will do just fine, don’t you?”
The flush of her cheeks deepened as she tensed at his suggestion. “Th-that’s hardly bedrest,” she mumbled.
Still too close, Hanako chuckled. “Don’t worry. You can just relax and I’ll take care of everything .”
Nene felt his breath brush against her cheek as he whispered to her, warm even against her heated skin. She felt herself shudder at the gentle sensation and knew Hanako had felt it as well as he rose to his regular height, chuckling once again.
They continued down the hall together, Hanako never removing his arm from around her, until the sound of footsteps echoed from a path that crossed their own.
Before they could meet the unknown passerby, Nene was quickly swallowed up by the large cloak that hung around Hanako’s shoulders, pulling her tightly to his side as she disappeared from sight. It was an extreme measure in Nene’s opinion, but Hanako had insisted that it was for her own good. That the last thing he wanted was for her to be painted as “The Prince’s Bedwarmer.” She recalled the night when he had caressed her face and gazed into her eyes with an oddly pained expression, almost pleading her to agree to this secrecy, and she huddled closer into his side.
The echoing footsteps came closer until finally Nene heard a voice say, “Ah, there you are, Your Highness.”
Hanako’s grip around her loosened. “Oh, it’s just you, Tsuchigomori.”
Hearing the name, Nene relaxed, letting her head emerge from underneath the cloak.
At the sight of the gardener, Tsuchigomori grimaced. “I see you have your pet with you.” He sighed at the glare Hanako shot him and corrected himself. “I see you have Lady Yashiro with you.”
Though surly and gruff, Prince Hanako’s personal aide was loyal and posed no threat of exposing the two. While Hanako’s goal was to protect Nene, Tsuchigomori simply wanted to avoid the hassle of cleaning up the scandal that was sure to force him into working around the clock to repair. As such, he became one of the very few who was aware of the relationship, though, as he often reminded the prince, he didn’t have to like it.
Nene blinked at Tsuchigomori, her eyes fixated on the cuff of his sleeve. “Sir, are you okay? Your clothes… they’re singed.”
He held up his arm, inspecting the damage as if he’d just noticed the burn marks. “Well, that’s just it. There’s been a little accident.” Rolling his sleeves up as a temporary fix to his appearance, Tsuchigomori sighed.
The prince’s head tilted curiously at the vague news. “Accident?”
“Accident,” Tsuchigomori confirmed. “À la your brother.” Hanako’s expression fell, frustration and annoyance clear on his face. “Let’s just say that His Highness Tsukasa was adamant about the star on top of the ballroom’s Christmas tree being ‘astronomically accurate.’”
It was Hanako’s turn to sigh, grumbling his twin brother’s name under his breath. “And what of the damage?” he asked, bracing himself for the report.
A clipboard seemed to appear from thin air in Tsuchigomori’s hands. “Luckily, there were no casualties and the ballroom suffered only minor cosmetic damage which is already being repaired--”
“Excellent,” Hanako interjected, as he began to urge Nene forward again impatiently. “You have it under control then.”
As she was pulled along, Nene stammered out small bursts of protests. “W-wai-- Your H-Highness…!” At the small squeaks, Hanako paused and looked down at her. “What about the tree?” she asked.
“Nothing more than charred branches,” Tsuchigomori declared from behind them. “It is being disposed of as we speak.”
A charming smile spread across the prince’s face. “See, Yashiro? Nothing to worry about. There will be a new tree up in no ti--”
“Actually,” Tsuchigomori interrupted, making the corner of Hanako’s smile twitch, “there are no spare staff members to fetch a replacement. Thus, this report.”
Hanako shot another look at his aide who simply shrugged at the death glare. When he turned back to the girl under his arm, he was braced for a look of disappointment, possibly tears. However, he instead found himself blinking at a pair of ruby eyes sparkling with excitement. “Uhh, Yashiro?”
Forgetting herself, Nene grasped at the prince’s shirt as she exclaimed, “Let me fetch another tree!” The unexpected response pushed Hanako backward in surprise as the gardener continued. "This is how I can help!" They took another step together. "Every year there's nothing for me to do, but this year could be different!" Another step. "I could do something meaningful!" Another. "I could be useful!" And one more step brought the prince's back to the corridor wall. "I could be worth something!"
His eyes widened at her words. "Yashiro…" was all he could utter in response as she gazed up at him with hopeful exuberance.
"Please," Nene begged. "Let me do this." She gripped at his shirt tighter. "Please, Hanako."
A pang shot through his chest at his name on her lips. No titles. No honorifics. Just him. The sound of her voice and the brightness in her eyes reduced him to just a simple boy and he knew he didn't have a choice. With a quirked brow, his smile was sweet and amused as he reached a hand to pat the top of her head. "Okay then," he agreed. "But allow me to make arrangements for an escort."
Nene was almost bouncing at the approval and she couldn't help but land a quick kiss to the side of his cheek. "I won't let you down, Your Highness!" she promised before running off, leaving the prince to lean weakly against the wall.
Cheeks flaring with pink, Hanako slid down until he was sitting on the ground, burying his face into his arms that wrapped around his knees. When he heard Tsuchigomori snicker next to him, he tightened the fold of his arms. "It seems the little gardener is worming her way into being more than just a pet," the aide observed.
"Shut up, Tsuchigomori…"
Nene stood just outside the castle wall, as instructed by the sentry at the main gate.
The sun sat low in the sky, painting the frozen horizon in warm pinks and oranges, a stark contrast to the below freezing temperature in the air. If the escort didn't show soon, she would have to move ahead on her own, lest the daylight disappear completely before she could even set out.
Bouncing slightly, she pulled at the straps of her knapsack, adjusting it to sit higher on her back. Inside it she had packed the tools necessary to take down a great conifer. Or rather, she had packed the tools she was able to carry to manage taking down a great conifer… she hoped.
After waiting for a few additional minutes, Nene decided it safer to begin on her own. Before she could take her first step, however, she found herself being pushed forward by a familiar hand against the small of her back.
She looked up to the individual at her side to see a grinning Prince Hanako, his face shrouded under a heavy winter cloak.
As Nene's mouth fell open to say something, a single index finger was placed upright against her lips and the prince winked at her surprised expression.
Taking the hint, Nene let him guide her forward once again, turning her sight to the road ahead. Though, she did steal some side glances here and there as they walked on.
Once the two had put enough space between them and the castle walls, Nene finally spoke up. “Was this your plan from the start?”
Without skipping a beat, Hanako happily answered, “You heard Tsuchigomori. There are no spare staff members to fetch a replacement.” Shooting a proud grin at her, he pointed to himself. “What kind of prince would I be if I didn’t help my subjects in need? Besides…” Voice trailing off into a suggestive tone, Hanako slid his hand from her back to curl around her hip. “I didn’t want to sacrifice any of our quality time together.”
Nene nearly halted at the fingers that wrapped just above her thigh, but managed to keep her composure, less a sharp intake of air that burned her throat with an icy sting.
They walked in silence for a few minutes, Hanako keeping his arm around Nene as the snow crunched loudly under their feet. After a short while, though, she noticed that his hold on her was less suggestive than his initial grasp. His fingers didn’t press into her like when he savored the spring of her skin. His arm hovered behind her, firm and steady instead of groping and possessive. And when he finally broke the silence, his voice was gentle and honest.
“This is nice, don’t you think?” he asked suddenly. “Maybe we should take walks together more often.”
She turned to look up at him, searching his words for the innuendo, waiting for his features to twist into the carnal hunger she was so used to seeing on his face. But as the sun set behind him, all Nene found was the profile of a boy strolling through the snow with lips that curved into a genuine smile.
“Ah!” Nene startled at Hanako’s sudden exclamation as he rushed forward to stand at the edge of the path. “What about this one?” He gestured to a spruce set off just to the side of the road. From farther back the tree looked fine, but as Nene got closer she noticed spaces of nothingness between the branches that stuck out all too obviously.
Shaking her head, Nene stood next to Hanako. “It’s not bad, but maybe something a bit more filled out would suit the ballroom better,” she suggested.
Turning to the tree in question, Hanako inspected it before shrugging and turning back toward the path. “You’re the exper--” The sound of shifting and crunching cut him off and he turned around to see Nene trudging through the snow as she stepped off the road. “Y-Yashiro? What are you doing?”
Grunting as she marched through the knee-high piles, Nene replied, “The best trees-- ugh --are the ones-- huff --that are blocked off-- ggh --from the wind…!” She paused to catch her breath and looked back at Hanako. “So I’m heading into the thicket!” Before disappearing into the flurry of pine branches, Nene huffed out, “You can wait on the path, Your Highness…! I won’t-- gh --take too long…!”
Watching the gardener vanish into the greenery as night set in, Hanako stammered and floundered for a moment before finally steeling his resolve and leaping through the drifts, chasing after her into the brush. “Wait up!” Once he squeezed his way between the trees, he froze in his tracks and blinked at the groaning girl who had apparently fallen moments before, embedding herself into the snow as she lay on her back. Composing himself, Hanako chuckled. “So you’ve finally fallen for me,” he joked as he bent over her. “Need a hand, Princess?”
The open palm that stretched down to her was kind, helpful, and all too patronizing.
That’s why Nene reveled in the shock that overtook that confident smirk. That’s why hearing the yelp that escaped his throat was so satisfying. That’s why she found herself chuckling victoriously as she pulled the prince down and rolled to pin him into the snow.
She hovered over him, laughing away at the surprise on his face, taking it as an indication of her triumph. And while she giggled and simpered, Hanako gazed up at her in awe.
The moon rested behind her, a bright halo bestowed upon her by the heavens, and though it should have cast her in shadow, she somehow shone even brighter the longer he stared. Bitten by the cold, her cheeks and nose were dusted a red that played off the scarlet in her eyes and the rubescence of her lips.
Those lips…
So full and soft…
He’d felt them against his own countless times before. Memorized the sweet taste they left on his tongue. Craved the pillowy sensation of them wandering his skin. For all intents and purposes, Prince Hanako was all too familiar with Nene Yashiro’s lips.
So why, as he sat up and cupped her face in his hands, did he feel like this was the first kiss they’d ever shared?
The gasp that replaced Nene’s fit of laughter was sharp and quick and the silence that followed tangled knots in Hanako’s stomach. In the face of his nerves, though he wanted nothing more than to continue, he broke away from her slowly, the gentle sound of released suction lingering between them as Hanako stared hazily into her wide eyes.
Silence prevailed around them for but a few moments before Nene uttered out a whisper. “Your Highness--” She squealed as she was pulled back to him for another deep kiss.
It was shorter this time. Just long enough to keep her from finishing her thought. “Don’t call me that,” he whispered, more of a plea than an order.
Still reeling from another sudden kiss, Nene blinked a few times. “B-But… It’s your title--”
“I don’t want the person I love to address me by title!”
Nene’s eyes widened at the declaration, keeping her gaze steady on the resolute determination on his face. If this were any other day, any other moment in their typical routine, she was sure this would have been another one of his bedroom games. She was almost tempted to wait for his expression to melt into one of coy seduction before taking her right where they were, her body submitting to his whims and the brumal conditions around them.
Perhaps it was the hint of desperation she’d heard in his voice that convinced her otherwise. Perhaps it was the way his thumb brushed over her cheek as he held her face. Or perhaps it was the skip of her heart when she watched a tear tumble from his reddened cheek that coaxed the word out of her.
“Hanako.”
Again, the prince pulled her lips to his, this time a bit more fervent in his movements, and when he broke away, it was only to breathe a request against her skin. “Say it again.”
“Hanako…”
Mutual passion filled their next kiss as Nene brought her hands up to his face, mirroring the way he held and tugged at her. Their lips grasped at each other, melting together into an embrace brimming with love and adoration rather than one of lust and debauchery.
They could have gone on indulging in each other for who knows how long, and if it wasn’t for Hanako taking notice of the shivering girl that sat upon him, they might have.
He allowed himself one more moment to enjoy her before pulling away, planting one final peck on her lips with a smile. Before she could say a word, her vision was blocked by the flutter of a dark cloak as Hanako wrapped it around her with a flourish. “Can’t have you actually getting sick on me.” He chuckled as she blinked at him from under the hood. “So, what do you think about that tree?” he asked, nodding his head to the side.
Following the gesture, Nene’s eyes landed on a deep green fir, lush and full with impeccable symmetry all around. Carefully, she rose to her feet, stepping over mounds of snow to inspect Hanako’s find.
As the prince took his time following after her, she scrutinized the tree, humming thoughtfully. “It’s beautiful, but don’t you think it’s a bit short for the ballroom?” she finally observed.
Approaching from behind, Hanako placed his hands on her shoulders and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “I was thinking it could go in our room.” The tone made her tense and the insinuation made her blush. After a few moments without a response, Hanako chuckled again. “Cat got your tongue, Princess?”
Finally, Nene managed to speak. “S-Stop that…” she requested bashfully.
A devious grin spread across Hanako’s face. “But it’s your title,” he mocked.
“No it’s not!” Nene defended honestly.
When Hanako took the opportunity to capture her lips again as she turned her head, Nene squeaked. And before she could even register what was happening, the kiss was over just as quickly as it had begun. “Not yet ,” he countered as she was left blinking at the most gentle smile she’d ever seen from the prince.
Nene could only return the expression as she leaned in for one more chaste exchange, hoping to soon have the feel of Hanako's genuine smile etched into her memory and bound to her lips.