Chapter Text
Noel never really liked being in the public eye.
He was a quiet person in nature. He didn't like swarms of people who didn't give one care about his personal space, or boundaries for that matter.
Ever since his father's death, his mother chose to keep him enclosed in palace walls for the remainder of his life. Noel had never been able to play with the other kids after that. Well, most of them, at least.
Ocean and Savannah, both friends of Noel's, were able to visit as much as they chose. His mother thought of Ocean as a good influence on him, and Savannah as a potential suitor for the boy. However, Noel saw them both as his siblings, of sorts.
They were a source of comfort, someone to lean on, someone who would do anything for you in a heartbeat. It's always been this way. Since his mother was barely around, he was glad to have people like that in his life. Though on a particularly gloomy day, he was introduced to this boy his mother had hired to "help him with daily tasks".
This boy.. His name was Mischa Bachinski.
The first thing Noel noticed about Mischa was that he was loud. Very loud. Noel wasn’t necessarily upset about this, no, he was merely not used to it.
Actually, Mischa was a nice change. Life in the castle was quiet mainly, except for when the occasional king would visit, flaunting his daughter like she was a trophy Noel could win. Besides this, Noel’s life was boring. Tend to the royal garden. Be lectured about the familial curse. Sit in his room. But now, he did this with Mischa.
The first time he took care of the garden with Mischa was eventful, to say the least.
“Why is flower sharp? Is pretty, no need to be sharp,” Mischa had said to Noel when he was tending to the roses.
“The thorns are a defense from animals that want to eat them.” Noel told Mischa while snipping off some of the leaves from the roses. He was focusing intently on the roses, each movement being careful and delicate.
Mischa looked at Noel, “so flowers is sharp as armor?”
Noel nodded, continuing to tend to his roses. There was every color of rose you could imagine in his garden. Noel had a strong connection to them and always tended to them himself.
“Do you need help?” Mischa asked, getting closer to Noel. Noel didn’t need help, he didn’t like others usually touching his roses. But when Noel looked at Mischa he could tell he wanted him to say yes.
Noel sighed, “I guess.” He passed Mischa a pair of sheers and Noel demonstrated how to trim the roses.
Mischa went over to a batch of deep red roses and started doing what Noel had shown him. Though, he got carried away. After a few snips the head of the flower fell to the ground. “Shit.”
Noel’s head shot up and when he saw the beheaded flower he couldn’t say he was pleased. These flowers were Noel’s passion, he had allowed someone to trim them, what a foolish mistake.
Noel didn’t realize he was just staring at Mischa for several moments. Feelings and thoughts flowing over him like a hurricane in his mind.
“I am sorry, your highness.”
Noel looked at the tragically beheaded rose, and then back at Mischa. The prince noticed that the boy tensed up when Noel laid his eyes on him. He almost felt bad for Mischa in a way.
“It’s okay, Mischa.” He sighed, and continued tending to the batch of white roses he was trimming.
“And for the record, you can just call me Noel. None of that ‘your highness’ bullshit.” Noel stated, air quoting ‘your highness’ for extra effects. Noel glanced over and noticed the boy had a confused look on his face.
“But would it make more sense if..” the boy mumbled, trailing off his sentence. “Okay, Noel. Sounds good,” Mischa responded. Although Noel could still sense a bit of confusion in his tone.
A few moments of comfortable silence were passed between the two, as Noel continued to tend to the roses with Mischa watching over his shoulder.
“What has my mother planned for the day? Anything yet?” Noel asked, breaking the silence.
“Hm.. I believe Princess Savannah and her father should be coming this afternoon. The Queen did request for you to accompany her for that meeting.” Mischa stated. Noel groaned and rolled his eyes in response.
“I swear to the heavens if I have to listen to my mother and Savannah’s father talk about our ‘marriage’ again I’m going to puke.” Noel mumbled under his breath.
Mischa snickered at this and continued, “Constance will also be swinging by today and dropping off some sweets.” Mischa recalled.
“Brownies?” Noel asked, looking up at Mischa.
“The Queen did not specify. Do you wish that I ask?”
“Oh, no no, it’s fine, don’t bother yourself.” Noel went back to the roses, snipping off access leaves.
“Is not bother!” Mischa insisted, walking around the garden bed and crouching down so that Noel could see his expression. “You ask, I do. Is job!" The loud boy smiled at Noel, dorkily. Noel slightly smiled back.
“Are you sure?”
“Again, is job. Job makes money. What you is is what you got, so have job, have money, is money. You get?”
Noel raised an eyebrow. “…what?”
Mischa laughed, a sweet sound. “Never mind. You will learn. I will teach you.”
Noel laughed lightly as well, Mischa’s energy infectious. “Okay.”
‘In which case, I’ll be back soon your hi- Noel,’ he smiled before wandering off in the direction of the castle.
Noel carried on snipping away the final batch of roses, beaming to himself as he did so. He’d never really properly interacted with Mischa before today.
But Noel liked him, he really liked him. He was so different to anybody he’d ever met before. Mischa was real, he had actually had a life outside of the palace walls. Noel had never really met, well, anybody like that before.
Looking down at his roses, Noel had an idea. He carefully snipped a few of the lavender roses at the stem, before taking them over to the tool shed and tying them into a small bouquet.
He looked at the flowers in his hand and smiled. Lavender roses - unique love, which he supposed was what he felt towards Mischa. Well, maybe not love.
Friendship? Was Mischa even his friend? His thoughts were interrupted by a loud voice in the doorway.
‘Brownies Noel, it is brownies.’ Mischa said, glancing down at the flowers in Noel’s hands. ‘Are those for the princess? I’m sure she’ll love them!’
Noel felt his cheeks begin to fluster. ‘Actually- they were for you,’ he mumbled. ‘I just wanted to thank you for your help today,’ he added quickly.
Mischa took the bouquet from Noel, holding it carefully and smiling down at Noel for a few moments.
‘Your mother wishes to see you Noel’ he said softly, causing Noel to let out a sigh.
‘Of course she does, yes’ he smiled, rolling his eyes. ‘Very well then’ he said, making his way towards the exit of the rose garden, back up to the palace entrance.