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Hi. My name is Shirabu Kenjiro. I’m 23 years old and a herbalist. Basically, I deal in medical herbs. A common one is sage. I’m around 5’8 with sandy colored hair parted unevenly to the side. I have brown eyes and a pretty average build for a herbalist like myself.
But that’s enough about the descriptions. Let me tell you a story. A story in a fantasy land of dragons, mages, and princes. A story of romance. A story of how a mere poor commoner was able to change his entire life. This story starts in a little tiny shop, just on the edge of town.
“Kenjiro! Did you happen to know where the jar of german chamomile went?” I look up from the counter at my best friend, Taichi Kawanishi, who’s currently scanning over our shelf of plants. We’ve known each other since we were teenagers and now he works with me as an herbalist. We live in this shop together.
“I think we just ran out. I can run out and grab some. I need to pick up some basil anyway.”
“That would be great. Thanks.” Taichi puts a jar of garlic back on the shelf before walking over to me. He towers me completely, reaching a height of 6’2. His hair is a dark ginger with brown, hooded eyes. He’s lengthy but fit for his age, which is the same as me. His shimmering earrings dangle from his long pointed ears.
I give a slanted smile before grabbing my satchel and walking out the door, after grabbing my coin pouch of course.
I make it to the market around noon. The city streets are bustling with people. A variety of stands are propped up selling numerous things. From food to jewelry. Even to weaponry and magic charms. Mages, humans, elves. All types are out on the streets.
For a human kingdom we’re very welcome to aliens. Salinda has always been the one and only kingdom to be this welcoming. The current king and queen have been keeping this kingdom steady.
I make it to the herbs stand and start grabbing what I need when Yachi Hitoka approaches me. She’s always been in charge of the herbalist tent. She’s short with blonde-yellow hair, tied back in a short ponytail.
“Hi there Shirabu. Just basil and chamomile for today?” she says as the props her head on her hand, looking like a lost puppy.
“Yes please.” I set the products on the counter as I fetched my coin pouch from my satchel. 4 silver. 2 for the basil and 2 for the chamomile. I’ve practically memorized the price for every product here.
I pay for my things and am about to leave when Yachi starts a conversation. Great. “Did you hear the news?”
“News about what?” I looked over at Yachi who leaned further over the table.
“About the prince silly!”
The prince. His royal highness Semi Eita. more like a royal pain in the ass. Not that I know him but from what I've heard, he’s a stuck up prince who doesn’t care for anyone but himself. And not only that but he’s super complicated and spoiled. Not only that but most people don’t even know what he looks like. He hardly ever leaves the castle and if he does it’s top secret. He’s practically invisible.
“Apparently the king and queen are throwing a ball tonight for the prince to find a lady to be wed. Isn’t that exciting!”
A ball? The kingdom hasn’t thrown a ball since the prince’s birth. No one really knows why. And a partly arranged marriage? That doesn’t seem like something the king and queen would do. Unless desperate times call for desperate measures. Maybe Prince Semi is incompetent with choosing his own wife. What a lazy, indolent- person.
“He’s apparently invited everyone in the kingdom!”
“Even the commoners? Strange. I would believe they’d want their son to marry a royal.”
“Based on what I heard Prince Semi refused to pick a wife from only royalty. He wants to view everyone as equal and a possibility. Isn’t it romance?”
“More like insufferable.” I notice Yachi rolling her eyes, though it was replaced by her usual warm smile. The market seemed to get busier as I felt myself having to squeeze closer to the herb stand.
“I should get going now. Taichi is waiting for me to get back with the chamomile.” I say, pushing myself back away from the stand, shoulders bumping into mine. I wave off at Yachi before heading back to the shop.
I’ve never seen the market so busy before. I had no idea why until I passed by a popular clothing store. All the women seem to be standing outside, waiting for entry. Of course this is for the ball.
I make it to the shop after pushing and weaving through the crowd of people. I close the door immediately behind me as I enter. Taichi turns around from the counter, dropping the paper sail he was levitating through the air. I won’t ever admit it out loud but I've always envied his elven powers. If I could levitate objects it would be so much easier to do half the things I need to do in a day.
“Hey. Hear the news?” Taichi comes over to me as I pass him the german chamomile. He walks back behind the counter and pours a tablespoon of chamomile in a mortar and uses the pestle to grind it up into a powder.
“About the prince? Yeah. It's the talk of the town.” I hang my satchel on a coat rack as I start putting the basil into its respective jars and organizing the shelves. We fall quiet. Taichi doesn’t mention the news after that, which I'm grateful for.
After organizing I grab my satchel and leave the shop once more, this time heading to the woods. I find it better to scavenge my own herbs than buying. Especially mugwort and burdock. Which is exactly what I'm looking for.
I find an open field and begin my search for the weeds. Among all the flowers I find a patch of both of the herbs I'm looking for. As I pluck some weeds from the ground I hear a faint sound of a beautiful singing voice coming from the trees beyond the field.
I stand up and walk towards the mysterious male singer. As I get closer to the person I recognize the soft melody. A lullaby. A popular one most mothers sing to their children. I hide behind a tree as I approach the man.
I peek around the corner to get a look at him. He's average height standing at about 5 '10. He’s human. His hair is messy and ash-blonde with dark gray tips. His eyes are sharp. Gray-blue. His voice is even sharper. The sound of an angel.
Suddenly he stops singing. I hid behind the tree again, afraid that I'd been caught watching him. “I know someone’s there.”
Shoot. I come out from behind the tree, standing face to face with the mysterious man. Come to think of it, I've never seen him before. Maybe he’s a traveler from another Kingdom.
“I’m sorry for eavesdropping. I heard your voice down in the field and thought you sounded-”
“It’s quite alright. I was shocked anyone would be this deep into the woods.” He interrupted me before I could even finish my apology. Or give him a compliment. What an ass.
“Do you always lurk in the woods mysterious and sing lullabies?”
“Do you always sneak up on random strangers and spy on them like some stalker?” His voice was cunning. His eyes narrowed as his lips came to a smirk. I can’t believe I was about to compliment him. He’s so egotistical.
I roll my eyes as I start heading back to the field. This was clearly a waste of time. I need to gather these herbs by tonight. Can’t be late for the clientele. “Hey wait up!”
His voice called from behind. I could hear the twigs rustle under his feet. Next thing I knew he was next to me again, walking along with me.
“Are you following me? Who’s the stalker now?” I stop walking. He does the same. What a creep.
“Far from one.”
“Then leave me alone.”
“You came to me first. I’m just being friendly.” A smile crosses his lips, his perfectly white teeth showing.
“What are you doing this deep in the woods anyway?”
“I could ask you the same thing.”
“I asked first.”
“Well I asked second. So what are you doing here? And what's with the weeds in the bag?” He points to my satchel where a few burdocks stuck out from the side. I stuff them into the bag before continuing to walk. He follows.
“You sure are persistent.” He doesn’t say anything. He just keeps walking with me. We get to the entrance to the field. I sigh, deeply. “I'm an herbalist. I’m collecting medical herbs for an order.”
“Oh. can’t you buy these herbs in the market?” he says as he plucks an aster flower from the ground, twirling it between his fingers. The purple petals brushing and dancing along his long, skinny fingers.
“I guess. But I prefer to get my products from the root, unless I don't have the time.”
He drops the flower before bending down with me. He watches me pluck the weeds from the ground. Not much help.
“If you're not going to help then you can leave.” I catch a glimpse of his smile before he begins to help.
I can’t lie, he’s a fairly attractive man. He’s strongly built, tall, and has sharp features. You can clearly see his perfectly chiseled jawline. Like a sculpture sculpted by him by hand. Perfectly marked.
Everything down to precision. His eyes and smile are his true weapon though. With the slant of his foggy eyes and the flash of his perfect smile, any lady would fall for him.
“So…what are you doing this deep in the woods? Besides singing to yourself like a creep.”
The guy rolls his eyes as he continues to pluck the mugwort from the ground. “I like to consider myself an…adventurer.”
“An adventurer huh? What brings you to Salinda?”
“Business.”
“Vague much?”
“That's all you need to know.”
Nothing more is exchanged as we finish picking all the weeds I need. He hands me his pile before standing up, offering me his hand. I refuse, of course. I brush my pants off with my hands before looking up at him. He seemed to look offended. I didn't take his hand. Good. It’s what I was going for.
“Enjoy your stay at Salinda. Stop by my shop if you ever feel ill.”
“Oh? And here I thought you hated me.” He says, his smirk reappearing on his beautiful chiseled face.
“Don’t get your hopes up. Business is business. Now I must be off.” I walk past him lightly bumping into his shoulder as I make my way back to the path I took earlier.
“Hey! Wait!” I turn around to meet the eyes of the guy. He’s still standing in the field. The flowers surrounding him give off some glowing hue. “What's your name?”
Jesus. I roll my eyes and continue down the path. Why do I bother?
I made it back to the shop around 3 pm. Taichi should be out by now. I don’t really know where he goes but I also don’t frankley care enough to ask. I hang my satchel up, taking the weeds from it. I start working on the medicines due for tomorrow. I lose track of time until I hear the shop bell ring.
“Good evening. Please help yourself to look around-”
“It’s night, Kenji.” I look up to see Taichi standing there, his face blank. Though I noticed him holding a bag in his hand. When’d he go shopping? And why?
“I guess I lost track of time.” I say sheepishly as I rub the back of my neck. I look outside to see the dark night sky and luminescent stars. I look back over to Taichi. “What did you get there?” I motion towards his hand.
He lifts his hand to reveal the shopping bag. “Just a little something. For you. For tonight.”
I raise an eyebrow, looking at Taichi in suspicion. “What do you mean?”
It’s Taichi’s turn to look sheepish as he sets the bag on a nearby table. He opens it up and takes out a suit. A well tailored suit. Far too expensive for any of us to afford.
“How did you-”
“Don’t mind that. It’s yours.”
“Mine? Why?” Taichi just motioned the suit to me. “No seriously Tai, why? I’m not…” The ball. He did not. “You did not.”
“Come on Kenji. You need to get out of this shop every once in a while.”
“No.”
“Kenjiro.”
“No. I’m not going.”
“When was the last time you had fun and actually let go of work? And when do you ever get an opportunity like this? To be able to go to the royal castle to dance for fun. That's a once in a lifetime opportunity. You have to go.”
“I don’t want to. I don’t want anything to do with the royal-”
“-pain in the ass. Yes I know. You’ve shared your dislikes about him more than once. Have you ever even met the guy? You can’t believe everything people say.”
“I don-”
“Besides. You don’t have to be around him. Just go to have fun ok? The only answer is yes so come grab this suit and put it on. Besides, you’ll never know if you don’t try.”
Taichi’s eyes fall and his mouth drops to a scowl. He’s serious. He won’t not let me go. I can't really say no to him either. I sigh and walk over to him, grabbing the suit. It's amazing. The dark blue waistcoat and pants are made of silk. The turndown collar shirt is a fine white with a matching dark blue cravat. The only thing missing is the cutaway tailcoat and I'd look like true royalty. I put on the attire. It fits like a charm.
“Hope you're okay without the tailcoat. It would’ve cost about 40 more silver.”
“40!? Taichi, how much was this?”
“That doesn’t matter. What matters is you are going to have fun tonight and actually party away from work.”
I smile at my best friend. “Thanks, Tai. this means a lot.” He smiles back. I open the shop doors, the brisk air meeting my cheeks. If only the tailcoat wasn’t so expensive on its own. I give one final wave to Taichi before closing the door behind me. I head towards the castle. Other people on the street are heading the same way. Lots are commoners. Lots I recognize.
I make it to the palace. The white and gold walls shimmer in the dark night. Just like the stars. I approach two guards who are greeting the guests.
“Name?”
“Shirabu Kenjiro.”
“You may head in. The prince will arrive shortly.”
I nod my head as I make my way into the castle. If it wasn’t for the various maids and butlers telling me which direction to go I would have never made it to the ballroom. Once I arrived it felt as if the entire room filled with an overwhelming heat. Not like the sweaty heat you feel when it's hot out and you don’t have a cryo mage to keep you cool. But the warm home like heat you feel when surrounded by the people you care for.
A variety of people are on the dance floor, moving around in a spontaneous motion. Women with their husbands, girlfriends and boyfriends, strangers, friends. Some are even dancing alone. Many here are women but a number of men came as well.
Next to the dance floor is a long, long table, filled with food. Every inch of the table has some sort of cuisine on it. The table fabric isn;t even visible. And it smells even better. From the freshly baked cinnamon bread, to the honey roasted ham.
I make it down the steps into the ballroom. I avoid the dance circle and find a pillar to lean against. Standing here alone watching people is making me tired. A part of me feels glued to this pillar. Maybe it was a mistake to come. I never wanted to in the first place.
“Hello there once again stranger.” I jump up and look to my side to see the adventurer from before. I hold back a scream and turn to face him.
“What are you doing here?”
“I told you I had business to attend, didn't I?”
“This is business?”
“For me it is.” His usual smirk tugs his lips again. God, I hate that smirk. I wish I could smack it right off his smug little face.
I look up and down his body to notice his attire. His main suit was a dark purple. A sign for wealth. He had a classic purple tailcoat. His pants were the same. He had a silky black waistcoat over a white collared shirt. His cravat matched the dark purple of his coat. His hair was combed back more neatly than this afternoon. As much as I hate to say it, it was a good look for him.
“Checking me out now huh?”
My attention refocuses. “I wasn’t checking you-”
“Hey. I don’t judge. I know what you’re thinking. “He’s quite handsome.” No?”
“Not even close-“
“Besides. You're not half bad yourself. Surprised a herbalist like yourself could afford such a nice looking suit.”
I felt my eye twitch as I looked him in the eyes. “What did you say?” I say through gritted teeth and a fake smile. He only chuckles as he takes a sip of his glass that I never noticed till now.
Once he finishes he sets his empty glass on a nearby waiter's tray. Strangely enough the waiter smiles and bows slightly at the waist. There’s no way he’s just some average adventurer.
Suddenly the violinists start to slow down their melody as do the people on the dance floor. Dresses swirled as women were twirled by men.
“Well?” I look to my side again to see the man holding his left hand towards me, his right behind his back, and lightly bending at the hips. “May I have this dance?”
My face widens as a deep shade of red crosses over my cheeks. “Why would I dance with you?”
“Because it’s fun?” I look over at the man again. I turn my entire body to face him completely.
“I haven’t danced in years.”
“That’s quite alright. I’ll lead you.”
I stand there for a moment before hesitantly grabbing his hand. He stands up straighter, releasing his right hand from his back. He snakes his right hand around my own back and rests it on my shoulder blade. I lightly grab his shoulder. It’s strange to be the “woman” in this situation.
He guides me to the dance floor and starts to dance. He leads, I follow. He’s an amazing dancer. As elegant as a gazelle. He knows what he’s doing, where he’s going, even if he’s not looking at the floor. His eyes stay glued on me the whole time. It’s a strange feeling but it's not entirely awful. In fact, it’s quite wonderful. He somehow manages to make me feel special. He makes me feel as if we’re the only ones in the room. It’s as if there’s some spark between us that just matches perfectly. Like a missing puzzle piece. He truly is wonderful, even if he is some jerk face adventurer.
“You're not as rusty as you believe you are.” His deep calming voice echoes in my ears.
“And you're a lot more graceful than you seem to be.”
A low chuckle comes from him as we continue to make our way across the dance floor. Shivers run down my spine. It feels like hours pass by as the music continues to play. I could stay in this moment forever. Regardless of who I'm with.
Eventually the man guides me off the dance floor to a part of the ballroom that’s far more secluded then the rest. “I want to show you something.”
I let him take my hand as he guided me outdoors, into the biggest garden I've ever seen. White roses grow on bushes. Geraniums grew on the ground along with salvias and daffodils and many other types of flowers. Weeping figs circled a fountain of sparkling water. Each shimmer reflects a shining star. The man leads me towards the fountain and we both sit down on the ledge.
“It’s…beautiful. I never knew the royal gardens looked so…marvelous. Though I should have expected it, it’s still amazing. Each flower looks to be in the best shape possible, blooming with color.”
“Yeah.” His voice is quiet. Almost a whisper. As if he only wants me to hear. No one else is out here, though. I really do love that voice.
“How’d you know about this place?”
“I used to come here a lot.”
“What?” My face drops and confusion fuddles my brain. What does he mean he comes here a lot? I thought he was a mere adventurer.
“Uh…I visit Salinda often. The king and queen have become, uh, dear friends of mine.”
“You're a horrible liar.”
I stand up abruptly as I start pacing next to the fountain. He doesn't say anything. He lets me run my course like a wild horse on an open field. I eventually stop pacing and face him directly. “Who are you really?”
A deep sigh comes from his part as he stays seated. “My name is Semi Eita. Son of King Cyrus and Queen Reina. Prince and future King of Salinda.”
My face drops but it feels as if my whole body collapses. The prince. I’ve been dancing with the prince practically the whole night. And not just that. I practically frolicked in the woods with him.
“You're telling me that you're the heir to the throne? Your Prince Eita?” he nods his head. He lied to me. My face turned from one of confusion to one of shock. What shocked me the most though, wasn't that he just confirmed that he’s the heir to the throne, but that I was actually hurt by this. I’ve known this man for not even a day, yet I felt hurt.
Suddenly Prince Eita stands up and grabs my hands. I was quick to pull away. “No.”
“Please, listen.” He reaches for my hands but I pull away. In a state of shock I sprint to the ballroom doors. “Please wait!” I hear his voice call from behind me but i dont stop. The warmth of the ballroom now feels suffocating as I race my way up the steps. How grateful I am that I don't have an overheating, heavy tailcoat to slow me down.
I reach the entrance of the castle, weaving and out of breath. My legs stop running as I take a moment to catch my breath. It was short lived as I heard his voice again, calling behind me. I begin to run again, however my shirt gets snagged on a rose bushes thorn. In a quick attempt to escape I tear the shirt, allowing airflow to enter my body. The brisk air hits my skin in a freezing delicacy. The sweat from my body along with the evening air burns against my skin.
I don’t stop running. And I don’t look back. I make it out of the palace gates but I continue to run. I run until I cannot hear anything but my heavy footsteps treading against the hard gravel. I don’t stop running until the familiar dim light coming from my shop comes into my view.
Upon entering I noticed the shop was completely empty. I close and lock the door behind me, sliding my back against the door frame as I cradle my knees in my arms. Why did this hurt so much? I barely know the prince. So why do my tears stain my burning cheeks?
There was something about him. Something that proved to me that he wasn’t truly some egotistical, lazy prince. Maybe that’s why it hurt so much.
Because I have been wrong. I wrongly accused him. And once I learned the truth, even in a short amount of time, he just might have caught my attention.
After an hour of crying on the floor, I wiped away my tears and made my way upstairs. I open my bedroom door to find Taichi passed out on his bed. His legs hanging off of the edge. I smile slightly at the sight of my best friend before changing out of the now torn and dirty suit.
I have never felt more relieved to get into my night wear and slay in my bed. Once I hit the comfort of my slightly lopsided mattress, my eyes fell shut. Everything turns to dark as I drift into a deep sleep.
I woke up the next morning alone. That’s right. Taichi always leaves early in the morning on the weekends. Again, I could care less where he goes. As long as he stays safe and stays out of trouble it really isn’t my problem.
I groggily get up from my bed and get ready for the day. I put on a dark green tunic and dark brown pants, held together with a leather belt. I comb my hair as neatly as it could get before I make my way downstairs to open the shop.
To my surprise, a customer already stands in the shop, a jar of rosemary in his hands. My face widens. I don’t even need to see his face to know who it is. His body length and hair is extremely recognizable.
“What are you doing here?”
The prince turns around to face me, setting the rosemary back down on the shelf. “You said I could stop by if I ever feel ill. I do say, I feel quite sickly.”
As much as i hate to see his face i can;t deny a customer. Work comes first. “What seems to be the problem?”
“A broken heart.”
I look up at him to see that same smug smirk. The one he always wore. Darn him for being handsome. “Sorry. I can;t help you there.” I was about to walk back upstairs when I felt a pair of hands wrap around my wrist.
“Please. Don’t do this again.” Every inch of my body screamed at me to resist. To pull my wrist away and go to my room, but I stayed. Stupid I know. I don;t turn around. I can;t face him right now.
“Let me apologize.”
“Make it quick.”
“I’m sorry-”
“Thank you.” I finally turn around to face him, though it’s mainly to gesture to the door behind him. His hands let go of my wrist.
“I’m not done.” His voice was stern. Unshaking. “I’m sorry I never told you I was the prince. I should have told you in the woods. But you have to understand that I couldn’t have told you. I wasn't even allowed to be out of the castle. If it got around that i have left, who knows what my father would have done.”
“The king? Why would he do anything?” I cross my arms over my chest, suspicion rising.
“My father can be… quite strict when it comes to me. Especially when I leave the castle.” He stopped talking. Probably waiting for some response but nothing came from me. How am I even supposed to respond to that?
“That’s besides the point. Can I just say that meeting you in those woods might have been the most free I've felt in a long time. I genuinely felt relaxed just being near you. I don’t know what it is about you specifically but you can’t deny that you feel it too.”
His eyes shimmered brightly. Like a lost puppy, looking for answers. My head falls down. “I…I don’t know what to feel.”
He lied to me. And it wasn;t just some little white lie. It was a big big lie. One that could change everything about this situation. I won’t lie, he’s an attractive man and he denies all false accusations of him. But he’s a prince and I'm a mere herbalist. That won’t work. I’m not royalty. And even if that didn’t matter, I have a fulfilling life right here. I can’t just run away and frolic with the Prince of Salinda.
“I can’t leave my life as a herbalist behind. This is what I live for.”
“You don’t have to.”
“What?” I look up at him once more. God do I love those eyes. Those foggy, mysterious eyes. The gray-blue looks like an early morning that's just about to rain.
“You can stay an herbalist. In the palace. You don’t need to be any more than that. I promise.”
I look at him as if uncertain, but deep inside I know he’s telling the truth. I can feel it. When I was young my mom used to tell me stories about how a person is connected to another, through magic. A deep magic that resides in all of us. One that connects two people together indefinitely. Soulmates.
I used to believe those made up fairy tales. However, when I got older I just stopped believing along the way. For some reason, right now, I want to believe again. Maybe this is destiny. Maybe this is why he makes me feel so…strange. Taichi’s voice rang in my head. “You’ll never know if you don’t try.”
“Let’s try it.”
“Really? This is-”
“But! Under a few circumstances.” Prince Eita nods his head, mouth shut. “I will live with you in the castle if and only if my friend Taichi may join. Also we will not be getting wed. I hardly know you. This is just time for me to figure out if this could truly work. Got that?”
“Of course. I understand. And your friend is always welcome to stay.”
“Good.”
Next thing that happened, Prince Eita’s hand was on my cheek. His face is close to mine. It happened so fast I didn;t have time to process what was happening. My cheeks reddened as he drew closer. Our lips touched.
His lips were soft. Not a crack. He kissed me slowly, almost as if time meant nothing to him. It was deep and affectionate. As if he would never let go. To be fair, I did run from him last night.
We separated. He was smiling widely. “Let’s go to the palace. My family can’t wait to meet you.”
I smile nervously but agree. This is it. This is where my life changes. I’m with the prince. The prince. And to think I was just a mere commoner a day ago. What a whirlwind of events. This’ll be quite the adventure.