A prince strolled through the courtyards of luxurious palace gardens. Since he had brought the Flower to the palace, he hadn't seen him anymore. The servants said he spent days and nights in the greenhouses and hardly ate. Concerned about his betrothed's health, the prince headed to the gardens.

Near the aging statues, old architects scratched their long beards, pondering how to fix them. In the flowerbeds, herbalists sat, gathering rare plants for medicinal preparations. The prince smiled and greeted politely, but his heart was troubled because he couldn't find the young man with pink eyes anywhere.

"Where are you?" the prince whispered to himself, rubbing his sweaty neck.

"Are you not looking for me, Your Highness?"

The prince slowed down and turned around. He looked over his shoulder at the barely noticeable young man hiding in the bushes. His face was smeared with dried mud, and a patch of wet dirt clung to his brow. The young man sat in the grass so low that the shadow concealed the magical color of his eyes, making them pale and barely noticeable.

"Flower?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"What are you doing there?"

"I... I'm eating," Flower admitted hesitantly.

"Eating?" The prince raised an eyebrow. "Can I know what exactly?"

Flower blushed and looked down. "The energy of the earth."

"What??" The prince furrowed his brow.

"Do you want me to teach you?" Flower asked awkwardly, smiling with trembling lips.

"Eating earth?"

"Energy," Flower corrected, lowering his gaze. "Come over here."

The prince stepped onto the grass in his boots, and Flower waved his hands. "No, no, Your Highness, you must take off your shoes."

"Why?" The prince arched his right brow in surprise.

"To feel the true love of nature."

"But there are all sorts of worms and bugs crawling around..." The prince shuddered.

"Then you won't feel it," Flower sighed.

The prince hesitated. "Okay..."

But the prince couldn't bring himself to do it. Lately, when he followed orders, first from his parents and then from the keepers of trials, he only received a pass to the next level, not the rest he so dearly loved.

"And what am I supposed to feel?" the prince cautiously asked.

"Love," Flower simply replied, shrugging.

"And what is 'love'?"

"It's something you can't touch, something that can't take material form. Love is a choice of consciousness."

"If love is a choice, can you get love from the earth?"

"You have to try," Flower answered with a soft smile.

The prince removed his shoes and stepped onto the green grass.

Behind the bush, an interesting scene unfolded: Flower pressed his fingertips to the ground, and golden sparks surrounded him, transmitting energy up and down. The prince watched as if he were observing the workings of veins and arteries, but it was not frightening; it was rather beautiful.

"Wow!" the prince exclaimed in admiration.

Flower closed his eyes and smiled.

"Plants feed from their roots, so I have to obtain food this way. Before, I had to put in a lot of effort—reaching down for water and up for sunlight. But now, I've learned the power of love. I just had to ask for help, and an image came to me like a dream. I chose this place."

"But aren't you human now?"

"No, Prince. I am human only in body, but my spirit will always be a flower," Flower replied, opening his eyes.

"What can I do for you, then? Are you confined to the castle?"

"Not at all. I've become your partner, friend, ally... lover," Flower blushed and added in a whisper. "And I like it because, after going through these trials, you chose me, and together we can learn to love each other."

"After difficult trials, isn't the love for the hero a ready-made reward?"

"Of course not, Prince. What century are you from? There was no choice before. Now I stay here because you are handsome, not because I love you."

"So, you were hiding from me for that reason?"

Flower lowered his gaze. "Actually, I thought my true element, the earth, would show me what love for a human is like. But my mother only said I couldn't learn it without you. And I hid from you because I was afraid the attraction would be irresistible."

"Attraction?"

"What you called the 'reward for the hero after the trials' is attraction. It's not love."

"What do you mean by 'attraction' then?"

"Passion," Flower whispered, blushing even more, barely able to look at the prince.

"Are you ashamed of desiring me?"

"It's improper," Flower smiled, still avoiding the prince's gaze.

"Do you want to love me first?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"How can you love me?"

"When we learn to love together."

"Flower," the prince knelt in front of him, "would you like me to tell you something that only my parents and personal servants know?"

Flower raised his eyes.

"Why?" he asked.

"Perhaps it will build trust," the prince replied, scratching his ear. "I'm not sure, but in books, they say it's an excellent foundation for love."

"In that case, tell me," Flower leaned in closer, not taking his hands off the ground.

"Would my name suffice? I haven't told my name to any of the trial keepers."

Flower just smiled and blinked slowly.

"First, press your fingers to the earth," he instructed.

The prince touched the ground.

"It's warm," he smiled, looking directly into Flower's pink eyes.

The earth was dry but alive, warm, and comforting. It exuded such stability and tranquility that the anxious heart began to slow its rhythm, and the prince's breathing evened out. He closed his eyes and allowed himself not to analyze but to feel: the breeze, the birdsong, Flower's breath, which, for some reason, drew closer.

Kiss..

The prince opened his eyes when he felt such a soft kiss on his cheek, more like a gentle touch.

"Lorenzo. My name is Prince Alexander Lorenzo. But the first name belongs to my father, so call me by the second one."