33. Flower

Today was Valentine's Day, and the people in Pherae were out and about, getting gifts for their special lovers. The town near Roy's castle was bustling with people as they shopped for the perfect presents.

Marth pushed through the crowd, muttering 'excuse me' and 'sorry'. He rushed through the town, looking for a specific store. As he searched, his mind raced.

Roy-his best friend. Over the years, Marth harbored a crush on the boy, but he was afraid to admit it. When they hung out near Roy's castle, Marth tried to keep his composure; he resisted the urge to hold his hand or even kiss him. He figured that Roy probably doesn't feel the same way he does. Perhaps this Valentine's Day, he could tell him that he loved him.

Finally, he arrived at the store he'd been searching for. A green sign hung from the shop's eaves, and had yellow lettering that read 'Flower Shop'. The shop was quite small; only one person was working there. Inside, flowers of all kinds were placed in pots full of water.

Marth walked in, glancing around the area.

"Ah! Prince Marth!" the store manager exclaimed, bowing. "How may I serve you?"

Marth smiled at him. "Hello, I am looking for the perfect flower for…" He gulped. He didn't want to say Roy's name. Otherwise, the man would probably give him a strange look.

"For someone you love, eh?" The store keeper nodded and continued on to say, "Sure thing! I have some flowers that could fit well for your special one."

The manager brought Marth to the back. There were more potted flowers, except these types of flowers were rare: Parrot's Beaks, chocolate cosmos, Franklin trees.

Marth's eyes flitted around the room, studying each of the flowers carefully.

"Do you see something that you like, Sire?" the manager asked.

That was when a red flower in the corner, caught his eye. When he approached it, he realized it wasn't entirely red; more like a mixture of a pink and a deeper shade, magenta perhaps. It sat in a red clay pot, and the difference in shade was striking. Its beauty blew the prince away for he had never seen such a flower.

"What is this?" Marth asked, staring at it in awe.

The manager's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. "That? It's a Middlemist Red. Those are extremely rare! Are you sure that you want this?"

"Yes," Marth said as he grabbed his large bag of gold. "How much?"

"10,000 gold. Are you absolutely sure, Sire?"

Marth was taken aback by the high price, but he nodded. "Of course. H—she would love this."

The manager hesitated, but he nodded. "Yes Sire."

After giving him the gold, Marth grabbed the Middlemist Red and rushed back to Roy's castle, protecting the rare flower from any harm.

Roy sighed as he sat on the castle's stone stairs. Looking up at the sky, he wondered, "Where's Marth? He should be here by now…"

He then heard footsteps. Looking back down, he saw Marth walking towards him, one hand behind his back.

"Oh! Marth," Roy spoke, smiling.

Marth's face grew red. "H-hello Roy…"

"I was wondering where you went." Roy said.

"W-well…" Marth rubbed the back of his head with his free hand. "I was…looking for something. For you, to be exact."

Roy stared at him. "For me?"

Marth nodded. "Y-yes…" Gulping, he revealed the flower from behind him. "Here."

Roy's eyes widened upon seeing the extremely rare flower. "Marth! That—I—how did you—" he stammered, his face as red as his hair.

"I-I found it at the Flower Shop," he admitted.

"But…that must've been expensive! You didn't have to spend all that money! This is so rare!"

Marth shook his head. "It was for you, Roy, so I didn't mind I—" He felt a lump developing in his throat as he spoke again, "I love you."

Roy stared at him, his jaw dropping. "Marth, I—"

"I know that you probably don't feel the same way bu—mmph?!" Before Marth could say another word, Roy grabbed him and their lips met. Despite being taken by surprise, Marth closed his eyes, enjoying the lovely kiss.

When Roy broke the kiss, he spoke, "I-I love you too, Marth. Thank you for this wonderful gift."

He grabbed the flower from Marth and smelled it, enjoying its aroma.

Marth smiled, hugging him. "I'm glad you love it."

The two gazed down at the flower together, gentle smiles on both of their faces. As Marth studied Roy's joyful expression, he couldn't help but think that this was a successful Valentine's Day, indeed.

Constructive criticism is welcomed! Requests are still opened!

Beta reader: h34rt1lly