When we first met, you didn’t register my presence.
It was at the airport. I was in Charles, a foreign country, lugging around a bag of back bending luggage, when the commotion broke out around me like a waterfall, words flowing like turbulent water. The excitement was perceivable, and as I trailed it, it brought me to you.
Not you, technically. You and Prince Keith. Both of you were gazing ahead resolutely, your faces set, ignoring the childish comess that you had created with your mere presence. To be very honest, I was immediately taken by the beautiful, crystal violet hue of your eyes, the flawless coiffure of your dark hair and the regal cut of your face. You were, without the shadow of a doubt, one of the most handsome men I had beheld.
In the tea room, with all of the other princes, even when Prince Roberto was being his kindest, in the back of my mind, I was pondering, with equal parts of irascibility and admiration- Why doesn’t he speak to me? Why is he so aloof? And even when he does, he regards me with utter contempt.
But then, hey, I am aloof too the first time I interact with with anyone, and you were a PRINCE! A darned prince, what did I expect? And even when I refused to admit it to myself, even when I believed that my attraction to you, of all the other princes, was fleeting, ephemeral, irrational, some part of my pertinaceous insula refused to take my thoughts into consideration.
And the red wine….Oh, the red wine….The moment I took a tentative sip of that heady liquid was when you spoke to me with something resembling cordiality. Even as Prince Edward gently prised the glass from my fingers, I couldn’t help but smile. I had gotten to you. Even if I had barely scratched the surface, I had done something.
The snow white envelope I received from your kingdom, requesting me to work as a designer for the Dres Van royal family, came as a cushty surprise. Also, when I recollected how you had dismissed my designs as juvenile, I couldn’t help but smile. Well, you didn’t have a choice now, hon, did you?
Do I even need to tell you that what followed was, without the shadow of a doubt, the most disrupting event in my life? The unintentional peck we shared tipped everything. My boat had capsized, but I had managed to glimpse a new existence beneath the waters. A beauteous, marvellous life.
It wasn’t very smooth initially, yes. I was suddenly thrust into the blinding limelight, and I could only raise my hand weakly in an attempt to shield myself. The work that was piled upon me, an intended temporary designer, then princess, was tiring, to say the least. But slowly, as time stretched, I began to feel your steady presence. Your silent assuaging of my fears. You understood that it wasn’t easy, and you were willing to help. We weren’t exactly best friends, but you still cared, no matter what your facade conveyed. The press conference and our trip to the admirable and welcoming City of Flowers cemented the fact.
The City of Flowers was special, because that was when you told me that your favourite flowers were geraniums. They symbolize elegance, gentility and determination, all of which you embody to a tee. It was also the day your people accepted me without questioning my intentions. They were pure hearted and trusting, just like you, even though I didn’t know it then.
When you visited my family, I discovered that not only were you a gentleman, but also that you had a seemingly incurable case of ailurophobia. It was pretty amusing, because every animal holds a special place in my heart, and felids, especially the big cats, had left the mark of their exceptionality upon me, and I expected everyone to appreciate just how magnificent they are. I still try to make you see that they don’t mean harm, never will, and we are making progress, which is good! They are just as loveable as dogs, who you adore so much and who reciprocate your fondness.
The fact that you are a bookworm, big time, is secret to none. I love books and acquiring knowledge, and so do you, so yes, we were meant to be! Not to mention, your exceptional memory and ability to guzzle about five newspapers before and after breakfast, juggle multiple works with ease and handle every matter in this vast kingdom of yours justly multiplies my admiration for you everyday, if that’s even possible.
I am sure you know by now that every moment I spend with you is ethereal. Even then, I coveted each moment, each memory we fabricated. The camp with Prince Leonardo? Riot! The stroll through the city? A dream come true. The balcony in the silver moonlight in the City of Flowers, which you said was the time you realized that you cared for me? It was illuminating, Joshua, because that was when I understood too, that I would always give myself to you whenever you needed someone, no questions asked. You deserved a chance to express yourself.
Even that nasty little attack by the king of Nervan had its benefits. You saved me, without a single thought for yourself, and then you embraced me, that night, and I felt like everything had smoothed itself out, life wasn’t at all as hard as I made it to be. My apprehensions were allayed, but yours weren’t, and you sent me away for safety, disguising it as an invitation to a ball in Charles. I cannot thank you enough for what you did, even though I thought about you every single second after I left, and then, as we danced to that elegiac love ballad, I knew, just knew, that I had it bad for you.
The dolor in your eyes that night, caused by the debilitating blow Jan had delivered, tormented me. I was astounded too, yes, but I could imagine exactly what you were going through. Jan was the only man you had closest to a brother. Such betrayal cripples a person and gives birth to hate, but you are, to put it simply, an untainted soul. You still cared, though you didn’t show it, and set out to sort things immediately. You knew he had wronged you, and yet, you had let him. Only a true king can harbour such selfless emotions.
I was there for you then, and I shall always be. Even if it means me losing out on prizes for my work, because no prize can match up to you. Nothing can compare to the mirth you have brought to my life. So never, ever consider ravaging my world with the dust storm of your departure. Even though the press conference reunion we had was distinctive and tear jerking in the best way, I really don’t want to face such searing pain in my soul again.
You, Joshua, are the man who took me all the way north just to see Santa, who dragged me to a Snow festival at just the mere mention of it, who accepted my chocolates, surprised me with a ship cruise for a White date and put up with my terrible dancing in Espanja. But none of that is as important as the fact that it was you. You are like no other, though, obviously, you know that. You may want to shut yourself out from the rest of the world, but know that you can never do it with me. I shall constantly pester you with my persistence and clumsiness, but I shall also give you all of the love you deserve, and more. A lot more, even if it may seem beyond my capability.
No words can ever portray the cosmic intensity of my feelings for you, but yes-I love you. Happy Birthday to you.
