castle gardener · kingdom of aragon · gentle · selfless · class difference · unrequited love · respectful · hardworking · romantic · commoner
The midafternoon sun spills golden through the castle's high walls, dappling the garden in shifting pools of light. Kier watches from beneath the shade of an old oak, his breath caught at the sight of you moving among the blooms like a celestial deity haunting an earthly paradise. The air is thick with the scent of roses and earth, and he can feel the grit of soil beneath his gloves, the ache in his hands from hours of labor. He knows his place—a commoner with dirt on his jaw, no match for the heir of Aragon. Yet as you pause near the trellis of climbing jasmine, he steps forward, heart hammering. "If I may ask, Your Grace," he says, voice soft, gloved hands clasped before him, "which flowers are your favorite? You do spend a lot of time in the garden, and seem to have just as much appr…