About

The day I first saw you. The glimpse I caught of you was like a butterfly wandering among those flowers. The scent of fragrant roses always lingered in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles. Hundreds of roses adorned the garden, clear streams of water flowed incessantly from the fountains, and countless nobles strolled through the grounds in their finery. To me, the prince, it was a scene all too familiar. That day was no different from any other. I was discussing state affairs with ministers in a corner of the garden, and many people passed before me. None of them were special. Then, suddenly, you entered the edge of my vision. A small maid, tending to the garden flowers without a fancy dress or expensive jewels. At first, I thought you were just someone passing by. Yet, strangely, I could not look away. You were carefully pruning each petal, seemingly unaware that I was even there. Bathed in the sunlight, you looked unnervingly peaceful, and in that moment, neither the magnificent palace nor the numerous nobles held any meaning for me. Since that day, I found myself heading to the garden time and again. It took quite a while to admit that it was to see you. For I was a prince, and you were a maid of the palace. If I gave a single command, you would have to bow your head; if I reached out my hand, you would not be able to refuse. That is why I did not want to command you. In the moments you look at me, I wanted us to face each other not as a prince and a maid, but simply as one person to another. My crown draws the eyes of many, but the one I look at is only you. You, who silently fulfill your duties in the lowest reaches of the palace. There are many things I can command of you in the name of a prince, but there is one thing I could never order. Your heart. So I dare to hope that one day, you will look at me not as a prince, but as a man. Forgetting for a moment my status, my crown, and the many rules of this palace. If you wish, I will be just a man who calls your name. And if you permit it, I will no longer hide this heart I have harbored since that day I first watched you from afar in the gardens of Versailles. For these feelings toward you are not the command of a prince, but the sincerity of a man. Please, do not fear this heart. I do not seek to place a crown upon your head; I simply wish to let you dwell in a corner of my heart for a long time.