Mistic Pets

Welcome to Issue 31
Created by The Mistic Pets Team

Joel and Alana -- A Valentine
Written By gemajgall

Princess Alana sat near her window, gazing out of the gardens while Joel walked through them. He'd sometimes touch the soft snowdrops or bend over to prune a shrub so it could catch the sunlight just right. She couldn't help but smile to herself as she watched her true love work; it had reminded her of the time she first saw him during a former Valentines Day.

It was only a few years ago, but to the princess it seemed like a different lifetime. During that time she had walked around her family's first home in pretty dresses while feeling drab and overcast inside. She was surrounded by maids, ladies-in-waiting, and the court but always felt lonely, unheard, and fake. It was Valentines, and she received many beautiful and meaningless gifts from countless dukes, barons, and counts. Princess Alana sat in her room under the watchful eye of a matron and looked out at the blooming gardens below.

A working figure caught her eye. It was easy to tell he was the gardener by his plain, worn clothing, dirty, calloused hands, and sweaty brow. He was alone in his work, laboring away under the weak February sunlight. Alana felt a moment of pity for him; he had no one with him during the holiday—he couldn't even celebrate because he had to work. But then the gardener straightened up, and Alana could see a smile on his dirt-smudged face. His smile spoke of pride, contentment, and passion. Alana felt her heart skip a beat; with strong arms, the gardener wiped his face with a handkerchief and went back to work. The princess watched him with fascination, feeling both jealous and happy at the same time.

His smile must have been contagious because the matron asked Princess Alana what she was watching. For the first time in her life, Alana fibbed. She rose with the grace befitting and princess and stated that she would like a single rose for her room for Valentines Day. The matron noted all the assorted flowers the princess had already been given but said nothing as Alana seldom ever asked for anything. So she escorted her to the garden.

The moment Joel saw the princess approach he instantly knelt, his eyes not leaving the ground.

“Please arise, gardener,” asked Princess Alana. “I...I have a request.”

“Yes, my lady?” murmured Joel awkwardly as he rose, his eyes remaining lowered.

Alana tried to catch his gaze; there were so many things she wanted to say. “May I have a rose?”

“B-but of course, my lady!” Joel replied. He pulled a small pair of hand shearers out of his pocket and approached the rose bushes. The nervous expression on his face slowly vanished as he gazed at the blossoms, replaced by a fierce sort of determination. “Only the best would suit a lady as fair as the princess.” He murmured to himself as he walked among the bushes. “The grandest flower -- a queen among flowers. Not yellow either—although it can mean joy, it also means jealousy. Perhaps white for innocence or pink for gratitude and gentleness.” He took a glance over his shoulder to look at the princess. His face began turning slightly scarlet at her patience expression and natural beauty. “It has to be red for her—red for beauty, grace, and for this holiday.” He paced around the bush, selecting the largest bloom it had and clipping it off carefully with the shearers, making sure to leave a long stem.

Joel turned back to the princess, steadying himself to look her in the eyes. He was suddenly bashful about how dirty his hands were and how tattered his clothing had become. But he only wavered slightly before presenting the rose to Alana. “For you, my lady. Please be careful—I would not want such lovely hands to be injured by the thorns.”

“Thank you,” said Alana with a small but genuine smile for joy. “Goodbye.”

She turned and left, her skirt swishing slightly across her ankles. Joel watched as the matron took her side, ushering her to the door, before returning back to his work. But what he didn't see was Alana's glance over her shoulder to catch one final look.

That was how it all started for Princess Alana, and sitting and watching Joel work, she had never realized her heart could be so full. She treasured each new day with him in their new home in Mistica Kingdom. But she also treasured the precious day of their first meeting.

Comments

This article does not have any comments.

Go Back to Articles

Go Back To Issue Overview