Blooming Stars

Chapter 7

He held a small collection of Ghost Stars. My mouth dropped open, not because of what he offered me, but because of who offered it.

"I was going to have them sent to your room," he said, "but..."

Should I take them? It might be rude to refuse them, but then I also felt I shouldn't be speaking to him. I remembered what my sister had said, and how those ladies treated me at the tea party.

There were grass stains on the knees of his trousers. It took effort to find Ghost Stars as they didn't grow in large groups. How long had he been looking?

I cupped my hands to receive them. "Thank you, Your Highness. I am grateful for your..."

He took one of my hands and poured the plants into my palm. "This is thanks for helping my horse."

His warm fingers curled around my hand. I couldn't stop the blush that came. The crown prince himself was touching me. Wouldn't those other ladies be jealous, when he wouldn't even speak to the daughter of a marquess? I banished such a foolish thought from my mind. He was only doing this as a thank-you.

"Ghost Stars have healing properties," he told me. "They're used in a number of herbal medicines and spells." He paused. "I thought you might be interested since you have healing abilities."

My face burned hot. "Y-Yes. Thank you." He hadn't released my hand.

"There are many in this spot," he said. "You can come here anytime to find them." He spoke so smoothly and eloquently, but with a business tone, like he was speaking to an aide.

"Thank you."

At last, he let go of my hand. He stood there quietly for a long moment, and I wasn't sure why. I wondered if I should leave first, but he said, "Why are you studying Ghost Stars?"

I swallowed. "I find them interesting." I had already known a little about their healing properties, and I was somewhat embarrassed to admit to him the real reason I was so interested. No one had taken me seriously before.

"Do you know about the strange disease that's killing children in the southern provinces?" I said.

"Yes."

Of course he did. He's the crown prince and knows everything that goes on in the empire. I wanted to slap a hand over my face. "I was hoping maybe...I could help...find a cure."

He stared at me blankly.

Ah, I'm so stupid. The disease was new and didn't have a name yet. It had managed to resist healing spells and other treatments, making it an absolute mystery. Even the most experienced and talented healers and priests were struggling to find a cure as the disease swept through the population, for some reason only affecting children under the age of ten.

And here I was, a fifteen year old girl of average intelligence who thought she could help.

Yet, my heart broke when I thought of the children. So many had been taken by the disease so quickly that some were being buried in mass graves. It was only a matter of time before it reached the imperial capital as well. Wasn't there something even I could do?

The silence stretched between us, and my embarrassment grew.

"Have you found anything?" he asked at length.

I stifled a nervous laugh. Was he really asking me that? "Not yet."

"Hm." A very cryptic reaction. Did he think I would find out anything? I had only just started my research.

A voice interrupted us. "Your Highness, His Majesty is requesting your presence."

I took a step back to put a respectful distance between myself and the prince. A slender man with full green hair past his waist came toward us. When his eyes landed on me, their sharpness made me uneasy, like he was evaluating me. I was a stranger, after all.

The prince ignored him. "I also would like to find a cure," he said to me. "I believe the Ghost Star might be a key."

My expression brightened. "Do you really think so?" I regretted how informal my words sounded, but I couldn't help but be excited by his statement.

"Yes," he replied. Then, the corners of his lips tipped up in a small smile. I would've been blinded by this dazzling visual had I not quickly shifted my gaze to the green-haired man.

"Your Highness," the man said again.

The prince hesitated for a few seconds before turning away, while I stood dumbly holding the Ghost Stars in my hands.