I've always watched from a distance. It's not my place to interfere or to even be seen. The family who live in Riverside Castle aren't ever going to notice me. And why should they? They're just stuck up people with a title. I'm just a gardener. I'm just Virgil Summers, an unpaid, apprentice gardener.

"Hello."

I look up and have a small panic. First of all, a prince from Riverside Castle is talking to me and second of all, he's hot.

"Oh shi- Your Highness, I-I didn't notice you were here." I said, hurriedly bowing. The prince laughs slightly.

"It's alright. You don't have to bow to me. I'm Roman, not a prince."

"You are a prince, your Highness." I mutter, returning to the roses I was planting, suddenly very conscience of every smudge of dirt on my face.

"Well, I'm not a prince here. I'm just Roman. Do you have a name or are you just 'the cute gardener'?"

I feel my face heat up and I refuse to look at the pr-Roman.

"I-I, er-" I take a deep breath and try to return my cheeks to their normal colour. "I-I'm Virgil."

Roman laughs. "Sorry. I didn't know you get flustered so easily."

Well, two can play at that game.

"I wasn't flustered, your Highness." I mutter, standing up and turning to face Roman. "I was just surprised that a prince was talking to me. Scratch that, I'm surprised that a very handsome prince who is definitely single is talking to me." I smirk as Roman's face slowly changes colour to pink before going back to the roses.

"I won't be single for much longer." Roman mumbles. "I'm getting married soon."

"Let me guess." I say, sitting back on my heels and squinting up at Roman. "Girl, never met her, don't want to throw away your youth yet."

"I, er, yeah." Roman says, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Ah, the so very difficult life of royalty." I say sarcastically.

"Now, that's not fair. I don't know the woman I'm going to marry, have a little sympathy."

I turn back to the roses. "The only sympathy I have if for the flowers I plant, the snowflakes I work for and for myself."

"Snowflakes?"

I sigh. "A snowflake is someone who is overly-emotional. Like the head gardener. Does that clear things up for you, Princey?" My eyes widen at my nickname for Roman and I turn back to the roses quickly.

"Princey?" Roman asks, a laughing tone to his voice.

"I-I, um, I like to give people nicknames. It makes it easier for me to remember them." I mutter, digging my hole of shame even deeper with every word.

"Oh, so you want to remember me, do you?" Roman asks me, the flirtatious tone back in his voice.

"I'll have to. I work for your family and one day, I'll be able to tell people that I met the king before he became king."

"Is that the only reason?" Roman asks, a slight bit of hurt creeping into his voice. You wouldn't notice it if you weren't unintentionally hanging off his every word and listening so intently.

"Yes." I say sharply and quickly. I stand up and wipe my hands on my coat. I refuse to look Roman in his eye. His perfect eyes. Stop it Virgil! You shouldn't fall in love with Roman, he's a prince and you're a gardener. This isn't some fairy tale.

"Virgil, look at me."

I don't. "You should go. The castle will be missing you." I mutter.

"Virgil-"

"Princey, please go. I have work to do." I say, turning away. I don't look back as I hear him walk away.

"Hello again."

I look up to see Roman standing over me. I sigh and start to stand up.

"You don't need to bow."

"I wasn't going to. I was simply going to apologise for how I spoke to you yesterday. And I thought that it would be less demeaning when we were the same height. I was wrong. Why in God are you so tall?"

Roman laughed, throwing his head back. "I don't think it's me that's tall, Virgil. I think it's just you that is small."

I growl, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "I am not short."

"Really?"

"You know, I am exactly the right height to kick you in the ankle and do some serious damage." I growl, shutting him up. I look at his face and bite my lip out of worry. "Sorry. I speak my mind. A lot."

"It's fine. I think you should speak your mind." Roman sighs.

"What's up, Princey?"

"Arranged marriage is a pain."

"At least you'll be able to find love, even if you do marry for money."

"Yeah, I doubt mother is going to let me marry a man." Roman claps a hand over his mouth as I look at him.

"You-You're gay?" I ask. Roman nods and I feel happy tears prick the corner of my eyes. "Glad I'm not the only one." I mutter, rubbing my eyes and going back to planting roses. I hear someone approaching me and I immediately put up my emotional walls.

"What are you doing?" Roman asks me. I looked up at him surprise.

"Are you joking Princey?" I look from Roman to the roses and back. "I'm planting roses."

"Are they Imperial?"

"Hm? Oh er, no. They're Darceys. Why do you care?"

Roman shrugs and walks away. I shake my head and sigh. What is this prince doing to me?

***

"Hi Virgil."

"Princey, I need to ask you something?"

Sure. What is it?"

I stand up and look Princey in the eye. It's very difficult to do that when his eyes are so green and clear and sparkling and- stop it Virgil!

"What was yesterday about? Why did you just walk away? You didn't even give me a reason."

"The castle would miss me." Roman says, rocking back on his heels.

"Why did you care about what roses I was planting?"

"I don't need to give you a reason for my choices." Roman says defensively.

"Princey, relax. It was a simple question. What's got you so..." I stop. "She's come today, hasn't she? Your new wife."

Roman nods and sighs. "And she's the worst. So stuck up and boring."

His whiny tone just annoys the Hell out of me.

"Oh get over yourself, Princey." I snap.

"Excuse me?" Roman asks, shocked.

"At least you get to rule the kingdom. You can chose what you do with your life. I can't. So cry me a river and get over it." I snarl. I don't know where all of this anger is coming from, I just can't take it anymore.

"Don't tell me what I already know. The life of a prince is more difficult than you could-"

"Shut up! Just shut your royal mouth right now!" I yell. "You have no idea what a difficult life is like. You've got both parents, a brother and everything is handed to you on a silver platter. You weren't orphaned at 10 and you didn't get an apprenticeship just to survive. So don't you dare tell me what is difficult." I finish, breathing heavily.

"Oh, you are so lucky that, as a prince, I am not allowed to punch you." Roman growls, rubbing his fists. I laugh humourlessly.

"And if your station wasn't above mine, I'd have a black eye wouldn't I?" I say, laughing.

"Yes, you would."

"So give me your best shot." I yell. "I can take it. Come on, give it your best shot." I close my eyes, bracing myself for the impact of a fist connecting with my eye. Suddenly, someone's lips are on mine. I open my eyes in surprise, it's Roman. Roman, the prince, is kissing me, a gardener.

He pulls away before I can react. I can feel my entire face heat up and Roman turns away and mumbles something that sounds very much like an apology.

"Princey..." I say softly. Roman turns to me cautiously.

"Sorry." He mutters. Then, he runs off.

Maybe the folk at the castle aren't so bad.

(Word count: 1359)