"Are you ready to go, Lia?" Lucas asked, after Aurelia gave him permission to enter the room.

"Yep!" Aurelia grabbed her bag. "Let's go!"

"Well we can't leave right this second. We haven't properly said goodbye." Lucas laughed.

"You've actually found humans you want to say goodbye too. Aw, Luke, I'm so proud of you." Aurelia teased.

Lucas' face flushed red. "I- oh shut up."

Aurelia laughed. "Well I know that Serenity and Nyel will be in the gardens... Alone."

Lucas looked confused. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying Nyel wants to talk to Serenity alone. Seems like an interesting conversation to accidentally overhear, don't you think?" Aurelia suggested, smirking.

Lucas crossed his arms. "Are you suggesting we eavesdrop on their conversation?"

"What? No- okay yeah." Aurelia grinned.

"If they want to have a private conversation don't you think we should allow them to have a private conversation?" Lucas wondered.

"You sound like someone whose never had siblings."

"Well, yeah, because I haven't." Lucas stated.

"Oh come on! Lucas, it'll be interesting." Aurelia said. "It is rather curious... What do you think they have to talk about in private?"

"Oh boy. I guess..." Lucas sighed. "You're too curious for your own good."

Aurelia grinned, grabbing her bag. "We might as well say goodbye this way right?"

Lucas could only shake his head no at her words.

***

"You must care about these gardens a great deal." Serenity stated, walking next to Nyel, her hands folded across her lavender dress. She gave him a soft smile.

It was obvious to anyone who looked at Nyel, that his heart was pounding. Aurelia and Lucas were not fooled. He clearly had something to say.

The two bookworms hide out behind a cluster of large- and not poisonous- bushes and a tall, oddly colored tree. From behind it they could observe easily and stay out of sight.

"Oh yes. I find plants incredibly fascinating. For instance, the Rosaceamoure is a favorite of mine." Nyel gestured to the familiar rose bush that had stumped Lucas and Aurelia. The multicolored roses gleamed with dew fresh on the petals.

"I believe you mentioned it the other day." Serenity stated, smiling.

"It's a very curious plant. I simply can't figure it out. It smells like what you love. How can it smell like so many different things to so many people?" Nyel wondered.

Aurelia thought of what she had smelled: old books, grains from the mill back home, and a fresh, saltwater smell she couldn't quite figure out where it was from. She wondered what Lucas had smelled- she knew he must have been lying when he said he simply smelled roses.

Lucas remembered what he had smelled: old books mostly, but there was also the scents of fresh grass and something vanilla that he didn't remember well.

"What does it smell like to you?" Serenity couldn't help but ask.

Aurelia couldn't help but smirk. Serenity was definitely trying to figure out what Nyel loved, in a not so subtle way. These two...

"Well I used to just smell fresh, nature scents, but now..." Nyel's face flushed a darker red.

Serenity raised an eyebrow. "Now?"

"Now I smell your perfume. Lavender and roses."

Serenity grinned. "You smell me?"

Aurelia wanted to laugh at the sound of the statement. She chose instead to choke back her snigger and to keep quiet as not to draw any attention to where she was hiding. Lucas shot her a look.

"Er... Yes." Nyel scratched the back of his head, shrugging in embarrassment.

It happened very quickly Serenity threw her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his.

Aurelia and Lucas both gaped, eyes bulging from their heads in shock. Aurelia grabbed Luke's arm, as if to steady herself in the surprise.

The two broke apart, grinning at each other. Neither seemed to know what to say after that.

Nyel turned to the bush and plucked off a rose from it. It was mostly yellow with a few pink and red petals. He torn off the thorns, jabbing himself with them on accident, before handing it over to Serenity. She grinned, taking it and tucked it behind her ear.

"Thanks," Serenity leaned over and planted a kiss on Nyel's cheek.

"Aurelia," Lucas hissed. "This seems pretty intimate. I don't think-"

Aurelia shushed him. She had to agree. This was probably better as a private affair, but it would be extremely difficult to sneak out of the gardens now. Lucas had to keep quiet.

"Serenity, I think you've known for a while that I've felt a certain way about you. I care for you a great deal- I'm in love with you, alright?" Nyel admitted.

Serenity brushed a loose strand of hair from her eyes as he said that and her grin widened to be bright like a crescent moon on a clear night.

"I've been hoping you would say that for a while. I'm in love with you too. I have been for a while too." She replied.

"I was disappointed to hear about your engagement to Prince Lucas." Nyel admitted. He turned to Serenity so he was in front of her, no longer walking besides her, and he grabbed her hands with his.

"So was he." Serenity joked. From behind the bushes Lucas rolled his eyes and Aurelia held back a snigger.

"But now you're free to marry whomever you wish and I'm free to admit my feelings for you." Nyel slowly sank onto one knee, still holding Serenity's hands.

Aurelia was the first to realize what he was doing and gaped, unable to speak.

"Oh my goodness," Serenity breathed, staring at Nyel.

"He's not..." Lucas whispered, never completing his own sentence.

"Serenity of Zerawyn, I care for you a great deal. You are more than a tool in a negotiation to me. I don't want to be with you for your title. You are my friend and I want you by my side forever. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" Nyel asked, hope shining in his chocolate brown eyes.

Serenity straightened up, smiled, and proudly uttered, "Yes,"

"Yes?" Nyel couldn't help but repeat in case he heard wrong.

Serenity's grin spread again. She nodded. "Yes, yes, yes!"

Nyel embraced Serenity in his arms, before cupping her face and kissing her.

Aurelia and Lucas couldn't help but gape. They both felt as if the air had been sucked out of them. That was a lot to watch. This was big.

That's what they got for spying.