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It started with a simple compliment.
"Your roses are quite beautiful." Cross looks up sharply, and above him on the balcony was his prince, leaning over with a gentle smile, and Cross flushes, trying to stammer out a thank you, only to end up with a small squeak before rapidly nodding his head and disappearing into the castle's undergrounds, unable to shake the exciting feeling of being complimented for his work.
And by someone, he loved, nonetheless!
That's how Cross found himself leaving roses by the prince's bedside table every early morning before he even had the chance to sleep properly, his ivory bones beautiful in the midnight light.
Cross slipped out of the balcony doors, shutting them with a small click before pulling himself over the railing, dropping into Horror's waiting arms, the guard happily depositing him on his feet. "Thank you," Cross whispered, and the guard winked. "S'long the prince is happy."
And that's how it would go every night and day. There was another compliment every morning as he tended to the blood-red roses under the balcony. It was always something new and interesting that even Cross himself didn't catch himself doing, and then one day it had been something as silly as his eyes.
He's never even been close enough to the prince for him to even see his mismatchdd eyes... at least not awake... or so he thought... Cross can't stammer out a thank you this time, looking up at the smirking but kind gaze of the prince, the rose of the day held between his fingertips.
He had wondered if the prince was awake last night, but he'd brushed it off as the trick of the light. No... Oh no! He'd surely be punished, and he turned his head down. "I'm sorry!" Cross yelped out, before disappearing much like the first time.
That night he had to apologize to Horror that Nightmare had seen him and that he couldn't give him the rose tonight, afraid of being thrown into the dungeon for sneaking into his room. The captain of the royal guards was sure to be keeping watch over the prince now.
When Nightmare had woken, he was a bit upset to see that a rose had not been placed on his bedside table and saddened that, perhaps, he had been too forward.
He complained about this to his friend, Error, who only gave him a deadpanned look. Nightmare waxes poetry about that gardener every other day, and it's ridiculous that the poor groundskeeper couldn't even notice the bedroom eyes the prince gives him every day from the balcony.
One little compliment frightens the poor guy. Ridiculous. "He'll probably be up to it tomorrow, for now, you have another prince to talk to." Error says, trying to keep his voice kind, but it's hard with two idiots trying to court each other, but they can't.
When they enter the meeting room, Cross is there, placing flowers from the garden in a vase, and almost drops the arrangement at the sight of Nightmare.
Crap! He was supposed to be out of here before he came! Nightmare smiles at him kindly, not willing to let the missing flower of his bedside to dissuade him from greeting the gardener. "Good morning, Cross." Cross momentarily freaks out, flushing and looking away before giving a rushed "Good morning, my prince," before setting the bouquet in the vase and then swiftly leaving the room.
Oh. Oh, it was so painfully obvious to Prince Killer, before he even had the chance to get rejected for his marriage proposal, that Nightmare liked someone else. The foreign prince didn't even really dwell long on it after the revelation, and decided to try for the younger brother's hand instead of Nightmare's, but for now, he had a grand scheme, one that was going to get this poor prince the love of his life!
"You and that gardener get along well, don't you think?" He asked Prince Nightmare and his friend, who looked utterly relieved he wasn't the only one seeing them fumble around each other. Nightmare turned a shade of purple, teeth opening and closing, searching for a response. "I... don't know what you mean?" The lie was poorly made, and Killer laughed rambunctiously, grinning at the prince.
"No? Wow, you must be denser than I thought," which could've gotten him killed with the way Nightmare frowned at his response, but his friend cut in before he could condemn him to his death. "Prince Killer is right!" Night sniffed, huffing indignantly, and Killer, with his neck still intact started talking. "If you'll allow me, I could tell you how to get him... But, only if you're prepared to face what you might have to do."
Nightmare immediately perked up, leaning over the table. "Anything! Please!" Killer grinned.
"You could pass the throne to your brother... I'd be more than willing to have his hand, as well." The prince pulled back in surprise. He hadn't even thought of that! It wasn't unreasonable, and his younger brother might even like this loud mouth prince. "Hm... Dream will have to meet you first."
Drean loved him. It was absolutely adorable how much the princess lit up, able to tell that Killer's compliments and words had been genuine against the millions of lies he was fed daily by his citizens and court. After that, Nightmare was quick to cede the throne to the youngest.
Cross was very confused, but he never voiced his concern over the sudden change of hands, at least, until Nightmare purposely cornered him.
"I can't talk to my help?" Nightmare had asked when Cross frantically tried to excuse himself from the prince's presence. "Of course, but I'm just a gardener, you should not have reasons talk to me!"
"What about when you've done a good job, then?" He asks innocently with a sad pout, producing a rose, holding the flower delicately in his fingertips by the short stem he had snipped it from.
Cross stuttered out confused nonsense. What is his Prince doing? Nightmare soghed, taking his hand and placed Cross's hand-grown flower into his palm. "I-I can't accept this! You're... You!" Nightmare smiled. "I don't have to follow any rules anymore, Dream is now queen and well... I want to marry you!"
And with those words, Nightmare pulled Cross down and kissed the startled skeleton. The taller one easily melted, kissing back happily, forgetting where he was as his hands cupped the back of Nightmare's neck.
The cheering pulled them apart, flushing brightly as Dream, Error, and Killer stepped out from behind the wall, watching them expectantly. Congratulations were made and Nightmare pulled Cross back down for another kiss.
Somewhere, unnecessarily and unrelated to the unfolding events, a peasant named Fell died of dysentery at age 23.