Page 25 of The Botanist and the Beast

“Nothing decent for others to hear.” He tugged Sebastain closer. “Do we have a deal?”

“Yes, yes, Fine.” Sebastain swat him lightly backing away. “Now go. I need to get to work.”

Lyle and the prince held hands for second before they finally went their separate ways, but to Theo, it felt like eons. There was something about that small contact between the two of them and the downright saccharine tone of prince Sebastian's voice that made Theo's skin prickle with discomfort. He tried to push it away but the whole scene irritated him like a mosquito bite that needed to be scratched.

Once they were inside the shed, Theo saw another reason why Lyle had pressed the issue. There were three wheelbarrows left. One for Jacques and Oliver, one for Henri and his soon-to-be partner Lyle, and one for Theo and the prince. The last one was piled high with extra logs.

"We can take some of the extras," Jacques suggested quickly.

"It's fine," Theo said, waving them off. "I don't mind doing extra. I'm not bothered by immature antics."

"You're sure?" Henri said slowly.

"Positive." He put on a smile and took the wheelbarrow and headed towards the door. "Prince Sebastian, can you carry the axe? Since I'm oh so dangerous, let's let you carry it down."

"I apologize for the other guard's immaturity," he said as he led the way with the axe in hand. "I've tried to keep you away from them, but they seem to be trying an indirect approach to make your stay harder."

"I truly don't mind. I had odd parents and in my teen years I was stained or kissed by the veil. I'm used to passive aggressive peers. I also know how to hold my head up high and move through it."

They took their place out of the earshot of the other guards. They were constantly glancing over and snickering at Theogetting more work. Lyle and Henri were further across the lawn with the others while Oliver and Jaques were close by chatting.

At first the prince held the axe, but Theo took it from him. "No need. I got it, your majesty."

"I am capable, you know," he said as he sat next to the wheelbarrow and set the first log from the pile down for Theo. "I'm not sore anymore. I've had plenty of time to heal."

"I never said you weren't capable." He dropped the axe with a quick smack and the two halves toppled aside. "But those hands of yours are soft. I know you aren't used to hard labor. I'm happy to do it."

"I have chopped logs a few times," he muttered as he set another log down.

Theo dropped the axe again with a laugh. "I promise I don't mind. Next time we can swap."

"So," the prince said awkwardly after a while. "You said you raise your sisters?"

"I do," he said, brightening. "You remembered."

"How many sisters and why do you raise them?"

"Two sisters," he said as he continued to work. "And my parents passed almost ten years ago when I was sixteen. They were attacked by a pack of wolves in the veil. I got custody of the girls eventually, but it was a long road."

"I'm sorry," he said, furrowing his brows. "I know how hard it is to lose parents. I know it doesn't make it better, but I am sorry you had to go through that."

"Thank you," he said, smiling down at the prince's empathetic stare. "I appreciate it."

"Why was it a long road to get custody? You don't have to answer, of course."

"I don't mind. Not like I'm busy with anything else," he said, falling into a steady rhythm of chopping as he spoke. "I went with my parents into the veil one night; my sisters weren'tallowed yet. We were foraging when wolves attacked. I don't remember much, to be honest. I remember teeth, claws, and pain. I remember my mom dragging my body and pleading with the plants to keep me safe, but that's about it. The next thing I knew, I woke up to find both of them dead among the flowers and a new scar on my chest that glowed."

"She pleaded with the plants? Is that a common human practice?"

"Not really, but my parents loved the veil so their relationship to it was different."

"The veil must've heard her if it decided to leave you with a kiss. I bet that kept you safe that night. Other dangerous children of the veil like fae wouldn't go out of their way to toy with a human so favored."

"Maybe it did." Theo swallowed the knot in his throat as he remembered that awful night. "When their deaths were discovered, it was decided that I couldn't care for my siblings alone. So, authorities took them."

"They took them and left you behind? That seems a bit cruel."

"I don't blame them. Coralie was six, Yvette was seven, and I was sixteen. I could take care of myself, but not two kids. I understand their logic, but it hurt something awful. I felt like I let my sisters down. They lost their parents and now they were in an orphanage. I worked nonstop to have enough money for them to give them back to me. I decorated weddings, I taught music lessons, I made and sold pottery, I commissioned portraits, and of course I sold flowers and their byproducts. As I mentioned before, botany is my specialty, so that's what I did most."

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