“Your Highness, am I interrupting a personal moment?”

The voice tickled in Taehyung’s ears; the latter watched the butterfly fly off his finger as he stood up and turned to his side. “I believe we are comfortable with addressing each other by our names, but if I am mistaken, I shall return to addressing you formally, Jeon Jungkook.”

Taehyung gestured the other to enter, and eagerly watched as the prince of the east strolled over with wide steps; the tall prince let his eyes linger on the flowers and ferns that bordered the footpath.

“Good morning, Kim Taehyung. I see you’ve busied yourself among the gardens yet again, but I understand why you find the place so precious to your heart. One of the most beautiful gardens I have seen, I must say, especially with the pleasing view of the shining lake and the mountains far ahead of the kingdom. If I am not incorrect, are you here to speak to the late queen?”

The tenderness in his voice had Taehyung mildly flustered, and the soft feeling that bubbled within him wasn’t familiar either. “I shall let my mother rest for longer before I disturb her with my voice again. Moreover, have I mentioned that your voice is very soothing? Something in the tone of your voice reminds me of a ballad or a lullaby, touching and calm to the ears… Silly may my words appear to be, but it oddly resembles a drop of honey glazing an empty plate, with your voice being the honey to my poor, empty ears.”, Taehyung chatted away with a shy smile.

He walked over to a stone bench and seated himself on the cold surface, his legs dangling side to side and his shoulders jumping up and down with pure enthusiasm.

“You cannot simply utter those words so nonchalantly and unexpectedly! My heart can only beat so fast!”, Jungkook replied with hesitance as he scooted closer to the other. He was flustered and overwhelmed with an unfamiliar feeling, and the other let out a giggle.

Unlike the charming smile plastered on Taehyung’s bright face, there was an expression of concern on Jungkook’s. As the silence conquered the atmosphere between the two of them, Jungkook cleared his throat to bring in a light conversation, not knowing it would turn serious soon.

“I suppose you find comfort even in the quiet areas, although I do see why. Something about these gardens shower droplets of peacefulness and joy, as if its purpose is to provide warmth to its visitors.”

The other giggled and shook his head, “The garden is never quiet if you pay attention to the buzzing bees and the chirping birds, as well as the cool breeze gushing through the foliage. Have faith in me and let the beauty of nature accompany you to your valley of serenity. Furthermore, I was summing up thoughts to be relayed to my mother.”

“Ah, of course. Pardon me for asking, but why have you decided to let the large pine tree represent your mother? Wouldn’t a portrait or a memento have been more suitable?”, Jungkook asked out of curiosity. He wanted to ask that question since he first encountered the prince sitting by the tree, but assumed it to be too personal to be discussed about on their first meeting, yet he couldn’t help but voice it out even though this was only their second confrontation.

“My decision is irrelevant in this matter, for it is a family tradition that has been passed down the generations. All the women in my family were given a necklace with the locket of a pine tree, and it has been passed down from my great-aunts and my great-grandmothers, all the way to my mother. As I have no sister, my mother wanted me to have the family necklace, so I accepted it with pure respect and honour.” Taehyung paused his words and carefully looked at the different trees and plants in the garden. Smiling, he crouched down and gently poked at a rose.

“All the flowers, bushes, ferns and trees in this garden were planted by my ancestors. My mother wanted to plant a pine tree, the one in the locket of the necklace, saying that it would be discriminating to have no tree being planted amidst these lovely shrubs. However, she was too busy raising me and my brother to make time for a tree. Nonetheless, she managed to gather enough large pine corns for the pine tree. I was still quite young, but I saw the tree sapling mature over time. Despite the success, my mother felt guilty of having the gardeners nurture and care for the tree. Therefore, when she finally had the chance to take care of the tree herself, she was in a state of bliss. However, the unfortunate illness that prevented her from going outdoors shattered the blissful days of her life. I couldn’t bring myself to plant a new tree or a bush, and I felt responsible for the pine tree. I found myself fawning over the majestic tree. Due to certain events in my life, I always relied on my mother for comfort. After her death, I still longed for her comfort, and I continue to do so. I decided to let out my thoughts to the tree, the only thing that truly held her soul.”

He looked at the sky for a moment before gazing back at the glorious tree. “At times when the tree danced with the wind, I forced myself to believe that she was listening, that she was paying attention to all the details, that the warmth and the refreshing aura radiating from the conifer was her loving touch. It was too late to find solace in someone else. She was, and is, and always will be, my one and only saviour.”

Jungkook examined the endearing smile on the other’s face, knowing that the queen was probably the one who brought out that delightful smile. He couldn’t help but grin at the sweet yet emotional story that the other narrated. Although much wasn’t revealed, he understood and felt the feelings, yet he seemed to be drawn towards one specific information that was hinted at.

“Although I am in no position to be consoling you about your mother, I assure you that she will always be in your heart if not physically.” He waited for a few seconds before diverting the topic to what he intended to ask. “Those certain events that you mentioned, do they have anything to do with the story that I asked you about yesterday? Of course, understanding that it may be too personal, you may choose to ignore the question. Perhaps a bit out of harmony my words may appear to be, but I would love to hear more about your life, for it seems that you have a lot on your mind that prevents your smile from staying at the surface for too long. To be more precise, it seems that your smile fades away within the garden. Although it is wondrous to be smiling, it is more important to speak out your heart. If anything happens to cause you distress, voice it out, for only then will you be able to smile genuinely. Isn’t that right, bearer of the alluring smile?”

The words seemed a little rushed, and Taehyung detected the hesitance in the prince’s words. Jungkook wasn’t aware of Taehyung’s intention to reveal the story during their first engagement; if it wasn’t for the royal guard’s notice, the two would’ve learned more about each other.

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