"Ena, like most Goldoans, didn’t care much for flowers. She didn’t hate them or anything, but their existence was as unremarkable as the innumerable other plants of the world. Castle Goldoa had been built high in the mountains, where the air was thinner, and vegetation was sparse. The few flowers that grew there were small and pale, hidden within the cracks of the mountainside, easily overlooked.

When Prince Rajaion suggested they install a garden within one of the royal courtyards, Ena assumed — like many others — that it was one of his jokes. Rajaion’s sense of humor had always been odd, but harmless. Charming, even.

But Rajaion had been serious.

King Dheginsea was flummoxed, as were they all. Flowers were such delicate, finicky things, in full bloom one day and then gone the next. No one thought them worth the effort.

Ena was inclined to agree.

But then came the day she found Rajaion in the courtyard, with fragrant soil caked up to his wrists, a serene smile on his face as he dug holes with his bare hands. Surely such a task was beneath the crown prince. There was even a smear of dirt across his cheek. Yet Ena could not help but think he had never looked so handsome.

That was the day that Ena fell in love with flowers."

Thank you to enbyleighlines on Tumblr for her permission to illustrate this cute little story!