Chapter Text
Spring in the gardens of your home was always beautiful. The colours of Winter fading to soft yellows and pinks, green spreading through the new leaves like spilled ink across paper. You escaped to this soft place, full of flowers and fruit, away from the tedium of etiquette lessons and Latin practice. Of course, it was not a true escape, always under watchful guard. But you never minded.
There was a knight, who stood on guard at the entrance to the courtyard. Eventually, you learnt that he was only a knight in training – a squire. When you first laid eyes on the boy, you did not know the difference. He was only a little taller than you, with blonde hair that reached his nape, swept to the side over his ear. His face was slender, his sharp brown eyes narrowed and wary, as if he was focused too deeply on observing the gardens before him. A short sword remained sheathed at his side, hanging off the belt that was draped around his waist. It looked too big for him.
As you reached up to pluck at the grey leaves of the willow by the shaded bench, you could feel him looking at you with a cautious eye. No doubt if you somehow fell injured, this boy in the garden would take the blame for it. The sun cast your shadow across the lawn, stark amid the dappled shapes of leaves that swayed in the gentle breeze. You found yourself walking over to him, back across the well-kept patio, your long skirts brushing against the stone. He stiffened a little as you approached, keeping his gaze resolutely on the fountain at the centre.
“Is that sword heavy?” you asked him, voice airy and curious, rocking on your heels a little. He blinked back at you, eyes flitting between you and the ornamental landscape. His first true encounter with the young princess.
“No, your Highness,” he murmured after a moment of deliberation, his brow pinching a little. His voice was surprisingly deep compared to his young stature, mellow and warming. It made you long to hear it again. “Nothing that I cannot manage.”
You hummed at his answer, and sized up the weapon that hung from his belt. It was likely that you would never get to hold one in your lifetime. You felt a little envious. “It looks very heavy. You must be very strong to wield it, then.”
“I will be.” His voice sounded a little more confident then, his eyes a little brighter. They caught the light of the afternoon sun, and suddenly dark umber became flecked with warm honey. The sight made you pause, dazzled by the shade. The buckles of his tunic clinked as he shifted his stance, squinting at the sky. “Shouldn’t you be heading inside, your Highness? The sun is getting low.”
Reluctant to heed his advice, you stayed, sinking down onto the soft lawn, and basking in the last dregs of the daylight. Like a statue, he did not move from his guard. But you could feel his gaze on your back, as warm as the disappearing sun. Eventually, one of your handmaidens came out to call you back, scolding you for shirking your lessons, and ushered you back inside to the warmth of the castle.
For most days in your youth, you would try your best at escape – disappearing into the gardens, to find your knight. Mostly, he would attempt to ignore you, that stoic gaze of his focused solely on the horizon. You would badger him until his eyebrow twitched, or get him to ‘guard you’ as you picked the flowers. Of course, he could never refuse you. When offered a flower or a daisy, his ears would flush delightfully pink, and he’d keep his eyes firmly away from yours. He was never one to refuse a gift, however, and would allow you to adorn his breastplate with a poesy.
You plucked up the courage to ask his name one day. It took him nearly an entire afternoon to give you an answer. “Kento. Kento Nanami,” he murmured softly, in that lovely voice of his, deep and smooth for such a young face. But you now had a name for it, a singular piece of him that you had managed to pry away from his armoured shell. You cradled the syllables on your tongue, whispered it to yourself in the dark of the night, let it keep you company.
At every opportunity, you would call out to him by that name. You would laugh softly at the way his eyes seemed to widen, a sliver of alarm on his face before it would melt back into that controlled ease you were used to. Kento, your knight, your guardian. No harm would come to pass when his eyes remained eternally fixed to your form, and his hand resting safely on the spotless hilt of his sword.
* * *
Summer slipped slowly into the gardens, and the green buds of late spring unfurled into the pastels of fragrant roses and dahlias. Your squire had become a sort of unofficial guardian to you, the quiet protector of the princess as she idled away in the warm gardens. Of course, you were not deaf to the tittering of your tutors and handmaids, but your heart and mind were full of an entirely different matter, and had no time to waste upon the rumours of your un-queenly inertia.
You picked blackberries from the prickly brambles on the west side, beyond the topiary, and brought them into the kitchens to be washed. The servants glared at you, but you could not have cared less. After rinsing your bounty, you carried the small punnet back into the gardens, and searched for your knight. He was never too hard to find.
The sun bounced off of his pauldrons, gleaming like polished silverware, and you could tell even from across the flowerbeds that he was squinting, a deep-set furrow in his brow. The skirts of your summer dress bounced behind you when you skipped over to his side, and he raised a slight eyebrow at your approach.
You were a little breathless, both from your eagerness and from the way his blonde hair seemed like gold wheat under the midday light. “Look what I brought you.”
He shifted again, as he usually did, his armour clinking. “A gift?”
“Yes! For you,” you thrust the punnet out before you, and a proud smile graced your lips. “Blackberries. Picked by hand.”
A familiar pink spread to his ears, and Nanami's eyes glanced down to the offering in front of him. “I did not see you gather these.” His eyes met yours once more, and a butterfly took flight in the pit of your stomach. A new feeling. “Were you out this morning?”
“Yes… I wanted it to be a surprise.”
He paused, his lips pressed into a thin line, and he removed his hand from the hilt of his blade. Grasp hesitant, Kento gently took the punnet from you. “Thank you, your Highness.” Your own hands retreat, and you clasped them behind your back to hide the way your fingers seemed to tingle. “May I ask if… you would share these with me?”
The warmth of the June air could not rival the heat that quickly painted your cheeks. Yet, the flush framed the smile that broke across your face. “Of course, Kento. I would love to.”
He leads you to the small apple grove to the east side, shaded from the many windows of the castle that sparkled in the sun. You wasted no time in sinking to the soft grass, your skirts forming a carpet beneath you. Nanami gently lowered himself to the ground beside you, albeit a little less gracefully, his sparse armour clanking to your great amusement.
You reached into the punnet of blackberries, and plucked one of the small fruits, inspecting it for any flaws. Not that you should have needed to, since you were extremely thorough in your quality assessments when you picked them. Still, your knight did not deserve anything less than perfect. “You do like blackberries, don’t you, Kento?” you then asked a little hurriedly, suddenly fearful that your gift may have provoked some unknown offence.
A small, barely-there smile lifts the corner of his mouth. A chink in his armour perhaps, a fraying at the seams of his blue tunic that offered you a glimpse at what lay beneath. You wished to devour that small smile far more than the blackberry in your hand.
“Yes, your Highness. I am fond of blackberries. Thank you for your consideration.” He bowed his head slightly, some humour still dancing in his eyes, before straightening up and reaching for a blackberry himself. He popped it into his mouth, and glanced away as he considered the flavour.
You quickly ate your own berry, and the taste barely registered on your tongue, as you were still left reeling from the tiny smile you had spied upon his lips. “Any good?”
“Yes. Perfectly ripe, and sweet. Thank you.” He had never sounded more sincere, and you realised that you had never heard him speak so much at once in the time that you had been together. Then again, since when had the thought of togetherness grown roots in your mind? Since you had seen him, like a statue in your garden? Since you had shared a glance? Since you had learned his name?
“…Wonderful. I am glad.”
The apple trees shaded your afternoon tryst, tucked away from the prying eyes of the castle. Kento was quiet, somewhat unsure, as you shared the rest of the blackberries. Maybe growing shy at this extended closeness. His brown eyes stubbornly avoided yours, his back upright, as if fearful that relaxing his posture would invite some unseen attack on your royal sensibilities.
After the punnet was empty, he rose from the grass once more, much to your disappointment. But you could not protest. It was likely that he had his own duties to attend to. Nanami extended a hand to help you from the ground, his own cheeks flushing slightly when your hand slipped into his.
"Will you escort me back to the castle, Kento?" you asked him innocently, batting your lashes at him, holding his warm hand with both of yours. Of course, he could never resist you.
Swallowing thickly, the young squire offered you the crook of his arm - which you were all too happy to accept. You both walked in step back through the gardens, and for a moment, you imagined that you were sharing a stroll with a suitor. Sneaking coy glances as you share idle chatter, each stolen touch holding the promise of courtship. Beside you, Nanami was rigid, and the red had spread from his cheeks to his ears. Yet, he made an effort to keep his arm steady for you, his steps even, his pace ensuring that you would not trip over your skirts.
He was always so gentle with you.
The courtyard greeted you all too soon, and Kento lead you up the steps to the castle. "It was a pleasure to share your company, your Highness," he murmured, his brows ever so slightly pinched as you slowly withdrew your arm from his. Before he could second-guess himself, he caught your wrist, to your utter delight.
Ducking his head, he bestowed a kiss to the back of your soft hand, chaste and sweet. Your heart rabbited in your chest at the sight, not expecting the stoic squire to engage in such a bold gesture. Kento was quick to lift his head, embarrassment dying his face the colour of your favourite roses, and he shifted uncomfortably in his armour.
Leaning up on your toes, you pressed a kiss of your own to his warm cheek, before you lost your nerve.
"The pleasure is all mine," you breathed, eyes fixed on his stunned expression, brown eyes wide and unguarded. You tuck the image into the corner of your mind, saving it to cherish during your lessons. "Goodbye, Kento!"
And you skipped away before he was able to fumble together a reply.
* * *
Sweat beads on your brow as you kneel in the flowerbeds, your sundress sullied with dirt and soil under your fingernails. One of your ladies-in-waiting is watching from a bench in the courtyard, disgust clear upon her face as she fans herself. The staff had attempted to dissuade you from gardening with valiant efforts, all to no avail.
You are in the process of pruning the dead buds of your beloved roses, which are now in full bloom. The fresh fragrance delights your senses, and you can't help but stroke the velvety petals. Beside you is a pot of pink damask roses, a gift from your father. You plan to plant them next to the other rose bushes, now that they have overgrown their small enclosure.
Luckily for you, you have just the idea of who to help you with such a task.
"Katherine!" you shout from over your shoulder - making the girl in question jump in her seat. "Fetch my squire, please!"
"C-certainly, your Highness!"
She darts off, not needing to ask which squire you were requesting. It was no secret now that he was your favourite. Two years later, and your favourite pastime was still making the young knight blush.
After a few minutes, the familiar thud of boots sounds from behind you, accompanied by the soft clink of metal. A soft smile lifts on your face at the low, dulcet tones of his voice. "You called for me, your Highness?"
Swivelling in your crouched position, you look up at Nanami, the bright sun haloed behind his head, making his straw-coloured hair gleam in the light. Such a beautiful knight he will be.
"Would you like to join me in some gardening, Kento?"
He blinks at you, surprised. Maybe from the fact that it was an offer, instead of an order. "Gardening?"
"Yes! I have been gifted with some roses, that are now in need of a new home."
"…They are very lovely."
"Aren't they?"
Exhaling softly, he lowers himself awkwardly to the flowerbed beside you, removing his baldric and laying the scabbard to the side. The sight of Nanami knelt among the bushes with you brings a warmth to your chest, secretly delighted that he so easily indulges your whims. "What would you have me do, princess?" he asks, studying the soil as if surveying a battlefield.
You hand him a trowel, and point to the patch of soil that you have cleared. "Please dig a suitable hole, if you would be so kind."
Your knight diligently begins his task, digging up the earth with focused intent. Allowing you to watch him unabashedly, propping your chin up on your hands as you sit beside him. Every so often, he glances at you out of the corner of his eyes - swift to break eye contact as soon as he makes it, ears making the hue of the roses you are about to plant.
After the hole is dug, you direct him to lift the plant out of the pot and into the waiting gap, clapping happily when the roses are snug in the ground. You even manage to catch a little smile on Kento's lips as he dusts off his hands, admiring the plush flowers in bloom. You envy their blessed petals.
"Perfect!" you coo, patting down the excess soil, leaving the flowerbed neat and tidy once more. "I shall have to call on your aid in gardening much more, Kento."
"…I would be glad to oblige."
You turn to look at him, and see that soft smile now directed towards you instead. It makes the breath catch in your chest, and suddenly, you see why his eyes would so often dart away upon meeting yours. You feel as though you are set alight, illuminated and exposed by the rays of the sun.
"Would you like a hand, my Lady?" Kento murmurs, having risen again in the time that you were dazzled by his gaze. Youthful face softened by the summer air and the perfume of roses, the sun sparkling upon his unblemished armour. Hand extended towards you, uncaring of the dirt beneath your fingernails.
You are all too eager to take it.