Page 33 of The Botanist and the Beast

"A glowing being?" Sebastian frowned. "Our world is so vacant and the storms so extreme. It can play tricks on you. Especially if you're saying it was white. It could have been the snow."

"I get that, but I got close to them. I followed them before the snow cyclone picked me up." He huffed. "I don't understand how no one else has seen them. They don't seem dangerous. Just odd."

"I believe you. I'll look into it."

"Thanks," he said, shivering. "Aren't you cold?"

"I don't feel cold like the others anymore." Sebastian moved closer so their shoulders were touching. "Stay close. I'll keep you warm."

"You don't have to, I..." Theo's words evaporated as he felt the heat of the prince's body near his. Sebastian's big, fluffy tail snaked behind him and wrapped around him like a thick blanket. The tip ended near his face and brushed his cheek.

"Better?"

"So much better." He hugged the tail and nuzzled his face into it. "This may be the softest thing I've ever felt in my life." He looked to Sebastian and even in the dim purple light they made, he could see his hungry eyes. His ears were pinned back and his fangs lengthened but he didn't seem angry now. Theo swallowed and fought his instinct to flinch as he stared back. "Should I not touch your tail?"

"I don't mind. Especially if it keeps you warm," he said, tightening his tail around Theo like an anaconda. "I'd rather you not freeze because you were worried about me. Anything else I can do to help you feel more comfortable?"

"A conversation could be a distraction.And hopefully distract you from wanting to eat me."How was your night last night?"

"Fine," he said with a shrug. "Did Oliver and Jacques treat you well?"

"Obviously," he said with a slight laugh. "Did you spend the whole night with Lyle?"

"No." He tilted his head. "Why?"

"Just asking."Thank goodness. "Tell me about your family. I don't actually know that much about your past and I'd like to know the people who thought you two could possibly be a couple."

"Well, I don't really know what to say. My mother was the parent I connected to most. She had such a softness to her despite everything. She never wanted to marry my father. She wanted to wait for her chosen, but my father didn't leave her much choice. He wanted a water nymph child, and she was the best bet. She understood what it was like to be thrust into a world of politics against your will, and I suspect she felt guilty for birthing me into a royal family. I craved tranquility and stillness. Being in or around water calms me but there was rarely time to indulge when I was being trained to inherit the throne. Even so, she did her best to give me those quiet moments."

"If you didn't have to rule, what would you do?" Theo asked curiously.

"Well..." He looked off into the dark them smiled. "When I was younger, I dreamed of running away and settling down by a lake. Now, though, I have this dream of settling near some hot springs. I've been surrounded by snow for too long and I just crave heat. Sadly, that'll have to stay a dream."

Maybe it was because he had gotten to see Sebastian with his friends, or maybe it was the way he gently shielded him from the cold. Whatever it was, suddenly the injustice of the curse suffocated Theo.

"What about you?"

"What do you mean?" Theo said, not following since he was lost in thought.

"You have to have something you yearn for that's a little silly?" He peered at Theo with a small smile. "I want to get to know you, too, while we're here."

"There's this flower I dream of finding," he stammered slightly under the prince's piercing gaze. "It's a blue rose. If been looking for it for a while."

"A blue rose?" He tilted his head. "Is that difficult to find?"

"A true blue rose is, yes. Most are a trick of light and are actually purple. A real natural blue rose doesn't exist in the human world at all. There's allegedly some in the veil. But they only grow under distinct conditions. They need to be near water, they need to get specific hours of moonlight, blue birds nest near them, and more. This makes them hard to find."

"What a particular flower. What do you plan to do when you find one?"

"I'd have to sell it. I have things I need to pay for like my sisters’ traveling and schooling. If I had some money left over, I'd buy myself a greenhouse like I've always wanted."

"You've wanted a greenhouse?"

"Yeah, I love breeding flowers, so a place to work that wasn't a little shed would be nice."

"I think you should keep the blue rose if you can." He flicked the tip of his tail softly against Theo's cheek. "Just cherish it."

"Maybe I will." He laughed and petted his tail again. "You're being playful today."

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