The Flower That Can't Be Bloomed

"What is this?"

The Duchess filled with bitterness said, as she look at the new gardener and the Duke strolling down the main gardens of the palace, with smiles on their faces and laughter that echoes in her ears.

"The young lady is the new gardener that the Duke have hired, your Majesty. She is quite skillful and she proves to be in par with her own father who have passed away; thus the Duke accepted her."

The Duchess with her eyes slanted and filled with contempt looked at her servant who has her gaze lowered, her fear of the Duchess, obviously painted on her face.

"I want that filthy girl out of my palace."

"But...! Your Majesty!"

"I don't care if the Duke favors her so! I want her out! I've had enough of the vermins living in this old castle, there's no need for a cunning rat being added.", The Duchess said with her thundering voice that it send down shiver on the servant's spine.

Immediately, and almost falling down from her own clumsy way of running, the servant does what the Duchess has ordered and find a way to get rid of the innocent gardener.

Meanwhile, the Duke enjoys their morning stroll of the gardener, everyday. And, he slowly realizes that it wasn't the clear weather nor the beautiful flowers that the Gardener has grown that beckons him to come out of his room to take a stroll and enjoy the palace's gardens.

It was the Gardener's smile, her cheeky laugh, and her witty remarks that made him want to enjoy and spend his time with her.

He was slowly falling in-love with her. Not just because of her beautiful looks, but because she is, who she is and she is confident about it that it made him realize that the love he have known, all this time could not even hold a candle to the love he is feeling right now.

He felt home when she is by his side, speaking her mind, laughing at his terrible jokes and sharing her knowledge about growing flowers to him.

Whenever their hands touch, his cheeks would flush and he would feel shy like a little boy. The woman in front of him, may be the woman he have dreamt about, all his life.

He did love his past wives but the Gardener, it couldn't simply just be love, it was like two souls fated to meet, and to love each other and care for each other, so deeply.

It wasn't something that could be reasoned by with mere words. The feelings that slowly festered inside him was simply beyond logic.

But what was he to do? Do the gardener feel the same for him? Oh, how broken will his heart be if she would not return his feelings but whatever should happen, he would want her to be happy. He can atleast guarantee that the young gardener can live her life in comfort.

It is his greatest wish.

And, if ever their paths would have to be separated then he would respect her wishes. The young gardener was already of marriageable age, and the Duke was thinking of finding her a match.

"And, like I have said, your Majesty. I would love to show you my private collection of seeds and well, show you the book of flowers that I have discovered."

The Duke snapped out of his daydreaming and his focus return, with his eyes deeply staring into the gardener's brown eyes.

He clears his throat, and with traces of a blush forming on his face, he immediately looks at his left where he saw the Princess and her Butler curiously looking at their direction.

When he caught his daughter's eyes, the Princess, surprised by him, hid behind the bushes where they were hiding and eavesdropping from.

The Duke's face broke into a smile and when his eyes met with the Butler, the Butler showed his respect by slightly bowing and then he also goes into hiding  in the bushes with the Princess.

'That silly little girl.'

The Duke thought then he finally looked at the Gardener once again who was also looking at him with curiosity.

"Oh, um... I'm sorry, yes the seeds collection... and the... uh—"

"The book, your Highness.", The Gardener answered for him.

"Yes, hahaha.... I'm sorry, I was distracted.", He said sheepishly fumbling over the words he wants to say to her but can't get out.

"It's alright, I too also noticed the Princess sneaking in the bushes, and following us. I hope she will not misunderstand.", She said with a smile on her face.

Both of them looked at each other in disbelief and laugh.

"I thought you didn't  notice. And no, don't worry she will not misunderstand.", The Duke said as he smile at her and the Gardener did the same.

"Well, she is such a sweet girl. I noticed how close you two were, and truly the Princess is just adorable."

"She is.", And, the Duke found himself staring at her again. Then he saw her lips. He began thinking about how soft and plump her lips looked like. It was tempting, and it was as if the young girl's lips were beckoning for him.

Lost in the moment, the Duke was about to lean forward, and kiss her but before he loses control of himself, he manages to clear his throat, and take a sharp breath. It was almost as if he was in a trance. A wonderful and romantic trance.

One that he would not want to wake up from but it was not proper for a gentleman. Especially, for a gentleman such as himself who is married, and already has children of his own.

      Meanwhile, the gardener actually felt the same way as the Duke. She was holding her breath the whole time, and she thought that the Duke was about to surely kiss her but he did not. She felt a little disappointed and feeling that same sensation in her heart when she first met him, makes her only confirm her dread.

It kept her sleepless these past few days and she tried to reason with herself, thinking it was only the weather getting to her.

She was aware that she was falling in-love. Deeply Inlove with him which was wrong because the Duke is much older than her, and he already has a wife. Well, she thinks he does but she doesn't see much of the Duchess when she's at the palace.

But what is a Gardener even hoping for? Especially, from a married man and a Duke, no less. It's a sure recipe for disaster if she tries to pursue this feeling.

She knows the rumors about the Duchess using the Duke for her own gains and the Duke marrying her not for love but for the City.

Her father also told her many stories about him when she was still a little girl, how heavy everything is for him, the expectations, his title, his married life. And, everytime she hear the stories of him from her father her heart could not stop what it wants to feel.

First, it was pity and worry but finally knowing the Duke, being with him for months, her heart slowly learned to yearn for him.

For his arms around her, and his lips on hers. One can only imagine what it would feel like being touched, and loved by the Duke.

She can't stop herself from imagining a life with him.

But it is nothing more than an imagination, and it should stay as an imagination. For how can a Duke fall Inlove with a lowly commoner like her who has no power nor riches to offer?

It's impossible. Yet, her heart desires him so much. She had become greedy.

    After the morning stroll of her, and his Highness, she took a ride home on a carriage. On the way home, he bought the ingredients she needed for the flower she has been working on, almost her whole life.

A flower that did not exist anywhere on this Earth, a flower that shows her love for the Duke.

She plans on giving it to him. It is her secret confession of her love for him and she named it 'Smeraldo'. It means 'the truth that cannot be told.'

Just like how it is with her true feelings for the Duke.

But no matter how much she tried perfecting it, her work showed no progress, and that made her only more desperate.

The flower does not bloom, no matter how careful she handle growing the flower, it would only wither and die.

Writing every method she tried on her book of flowers, she continue to experiment and hopefully, one day, the flower that could never bloom will somehow be the most beautiful of  all the flowers she have ever laid her eyes on

And hopefully, it will be the way for her to finally convey her love for the Duke.

Even if it ends in tragedy, and heartbreak.