JiMina Collection

More Than Gold ~ Part 9

    Mina was almost shocked that she had a pretty decent morning. She had woken up from the nicest sleep she'd had in what seemed like her entire life. Though she supposed it must have something to do with the soft, luxurious bed. She had gotten dressed and immediately started preparing for her plans for the day. If she was being forced to attend 'festivities' in the royal garden that afternoon, she was going to make the most of it.

     First of all, Mina asked one of the attendants about the garden. Apparently, there was no rule against picking a few of the flowers, as long as they weren't the ones purposefully on display. Perfect. Mina grabbed a basket, a blanket, a knife, and some ribbon. She loved to make things, but never had any time to do so when she was working to sustain herself. Now that she was here, Mina was trying to make the most of an unfortunate situation.

     As expected, a servant showed up at her door a couple minutes before noon, reminding her that she had been requested to arrive at the gardens. While most girls were carrying light jewelled clutches, decorated paper fans, or even nothing at all, Mina was lugging her very large, heavy basket around. To say that she got a few displeased stares would be an understatement. 

     Alongside the others, Mina found herself out in broad daylight at midday. The royal gardens were nothing less than pristine. Vibrant flowerbeds were trimmed and clipped to perfection. Cobblestoned paths wound in all directions like a maze in the fauna. In fact in terms of size, it was less of a garden and more of an entire field. 

     In the center, a large outdoor luncheon had been prepared. Crumpets, pastries, and other finger foods and delicacies were set out for them to eat. Off to the side, an orchestral quintet was constantly playing. It was obvious that this was an event for socialites. They were expected to entertain themselves with their own chatter while strolling through the gardens and listening to music. On the other hand, the communal table looked as though it would collapse under the weight of all the food it held up. 

     Mina couldn't help but gape in awe at the natural beauty of the garden. There were so many different types of flowers; even some she'd never seen before in her life. Sadly, she was the only one doing so. Everyone else was quite preoccupied with something else at the centre of the garden. Or rather, someone. The prince himself was shifting awkwardly next to the King. Mina noticed his eyes widen in horror as he realized they'd arrived. This definitely wasn't the first time this had happened. It could no longer be a coincidence. Did the prince not want them here? Mina couldn't understand how that was possible. Everyone knew that marriage to a noblewoman meant huge monetary benefit for the kingdom. More money. What monarch didn't want that?

     Mina could really only see him for a few measly seconds before the other girls flocked around him like a gaggle of geese; just as loud and flappy too. As time progressed, everyone grabbed a platter of food and began walking around and talking to each other. Or in most cases, trying to talk to the prince. The King simply showed up for the beginning, then promptly left just as the event began, leaving the prince to fend for himself.

     As usual, Mina was left quite alone. Thankfully, this was all according to plan. After complimenting the musicians on their music, Mina grabbed some food and snuck away from the main commotion. According to the servants, the edges of the gardens were more unkempt, so no one would be around to bother her. Mina walked as far as she dared to go, all the way to the wall of the garden. 

     The sun was shining and the sky was bright blue. Despite feeling pretty frustrated with these past few days, Mina was finally starting to feel happy. Finding a spot to her liking, Mina took out the blanket she packed with her, laying it out like a picnic blanket. She was situated right next to an old gate; one that looked rather worse for wear. Ivy grew all over the front and it looked as though it hadn't been used in a long time. Nonetheless, Mina liked the aesthetic. Dumping the rest of her stuff on top, Mina took the small knife and walked around with her newly emptied basket. The flowers here were more unkempt and were allowed to grow out a little more. Mina found that she liked it here more. It felt more natural, as opposed to the manufactured appearance of the fauna in the centre of the garden. In fact, Mina was so far away, she could barely hear the music and loud chatter anymore.

    Taking her little knife, Mina started picking flowers. A lot of them. Her plan was to make as many cute little bouquets as possible to thank the castle servants for being so kind to her. When she couldn't fit any more in her basket, she returned to her picnic blanket. Settling down, Mina began to work quietly at the task at hand. After trimming the stems and cutting off any extra leaves, Mina arranged the flowers into little bouquets, tying each of them off with ribbon.

     Everything seemed so peaceful. She was all alone, sitting in the sun and halfway through her flowers. It would have stayed that way if there wasn't a sudden rustling of leaves at her side. The wooden door beside her shook, as if someone was trying to get in. Without much of a warning, someone tumbled unceremoniously out of the gate and onto her blanket. 

    Mina didn't know what to make of it. She was so startled she simply sat there frozen, flowers still in hand. The figure sprawled on the floor in front of her seemed to be a male. He was still facing away from where she sat and was covered in leaves. Mina still remained silent, her eyes wide open.

     The man still didn't seem to notice she was there as he grumbled under his breath, brushing the leaves off of his tailored jacket. It was while he was brushing himself off that he noticed the blanket underneath him. He whipped around, finally allowing Mina to take a look at his face.

     It was none other than the prince himself. Mina had no idea what he was doing here, and for a while she continued to sit as they stared at one another. It was a very 'What are you doing here' moment. 

     After an eternity of staring, it seemed as though he was the first to snap out of it. He desperately scrambled away from her picnic blanket within seconds of this realization.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't think anyone would be here!" he said, standing up and apologizing.

     Mina was about to make a joke about how she didn't think she'd be here either, but suddenly remembered that she was speaking to royalty. Standing up as well to curtsy, Mina returned the favour. "It's not a problem, your highness."

     The prince's face betrayed no emotion. Mina suspected that he was taught or perhaps even forced to do so. However, his feet subtly shifted on the spot and he wouldn't directly meet her eyes. Mina could tell he felt awkward. To be completely honest, so did she. However, Mina eventually took pity on him. She saw how inexperienced and uncomfortable he was talking to the others, despite the fact that he put on a mask of confidence and formality. She decided to let him go on his way. "Don't let my presence bother you. I do hope you enjoy the festivities, your highness."

      He looked as though he wanted to say something. The prince's mouth opened for a fraction of a second before he pressed his lips tightly together. Instead of speaking, he curtly nodded and dismissed her with a quick "Good day." And with that, he disappeared into the winding paths of the garden.

     So much for being all alone, Mina thought. She must say, she thought that had been very interesting. She would've imagined a very different reaction to being tossed out onto the ground and covered in dirt and plant life from a person of such high upbringing. How peculiar. 

     Not wanting to dwell on the matter, Mina went back to work. Within the hour, she had completed all the bouquets and packed them neatly into her basket. She returned to the party with time to spare. All she did was stand around in a little corner, waiting for the event to end. Unfortunately it couldn't come soon enough, and Mina was very eager to give out her gifts. 

    Every once and a while, to her surprise, she would catch the prince staring at her. It seemed as though he was just as confused with her as she was intrigued by him. They were enigmas to each other. Puzzles that didn't make sense. Every time they did so, their line of sight would be obscured by one of the other girls, eager to chat with the prince.

     This same routine continued all the way until dusk, when they were finally let back into the castle. As soon as she could, Mina made a beeline straight for the servants' quarters. The delight on each of their faces when receiving their gifts made all her efforts worth it. Mina had made as many bouquets as she possibly could, and ended up giving every last one out. It filled everyone, including herself, with so much joy that Mina knew this wouldn't be the last gift she gave them over the course of her stay.

    Later that night, Mina skipped back to her quarters with a full-to-bursting heart. Even though the first maid she'd befriended had to excuse herself and couldn't stay to talk, Mina was still over the moon. Much like the day before, she bathed, dressed, made a warm cup of tea, and stood out on the balcony to watch the stars. Things were finally looking up for Mina. It was just a matter of how long that would last.