The next ball Markus was allowed to attend was at the end of autumn. This was not a special occasion, so he was only given a short break from his work, just long enough for one dance. To his surprise, he was asked to dance by Clarisse, the daughter of the Duke he had worked for. Alexis must have been hidden by the throngs of people or not there at all, because Markus didn’t see him, despite being frequently scolded by Clarisse for looking around rather than at her.

At the midwinter ball, all the staff were allowed a dance or two, this being a royal occasion. This time, however, the prince found Markus before he had even set foot in the ballroom, and the pair of them left the palace through the kitchens. None of the cooks questioned them, although Alphonse did give Markus a questioning smile as they hurried past him.

As they waited in the sheltered little courtyard, the same as they had used before, for the first song to begin, Markus asked Alexis why he had not at least waited for the ball to start before leaving.

“Simple, really,” Alexis answered. “I was worried that some woman might ask you to dance, and you might forget the ladies’ part before long.”

“So, you’re saying that if I can only remember one part, then I only need to know how to dance with you?”

Markus spoke in jest, but Alexis’ reply was completely serious.

“Yes. You needn’t dance with anyone other than me.”

From then on, Markus did indeed dance with no one else. At the next few balls, he met the Second Prince outside when he was given a break from his duties, and went back to his work afterwards feeling as full of life as the gardens around him, which were little diminished at the end of a mild winter. Then, after almost being interrupted by another gardener, they decided to use a small room on the second floor, not far from the balcony the musicians played from.

Between his studies, his tasks, and frequent meetings with the prince, a year passed quickly by. The siblings were still living with Alphonse, who was now engaged to Isabelle, and Markus’ apprenticeship was hopefully almost over. He and the other apprentice had been set a task to assess their abilities, and when it was complete they would either become fully-fledged topiarists, be assigned another six months’ training, or be deemed unfit for topiary.

They had each been given a small, unshaped tree at the edges of the grounds, and one week in which to shape it. This time they had no plan to follow, but rather complete freedom to snip and clip as they saw fit, making use of the original shape of the plant. If the end result was suitable for a palace and not simply a copy of something already there, they would pass.

However, when the week came to an end and their work, finished or not, was over, they were informed that it would not be the head topiarist alone judging their work. Robert told them that it was not uncommon for the royal family to show an interest in their servants, and urged them not to be worried. “A prince’s approval may do a lot to help your case, but I’m the one who makes the decision. Whether you are good enough or not is down to me,” he warned.

And so, Markus was entirely unsurprised when Alexis arrived, wearing a long red cloak that must have been uncomfortable in the late-summer heat, and ordered Robert to proceed.

“Whose work would you like to see first, your highness?”

“Either, but please only tell me which tree is whose after I have seen both.”

The first they visited was the other boy’s work. He had cut it into neat circles, getting smaller the higher they were, with a cone for the top. Both the prince and the head topiarist praised it, commenting on the neatness of the trimming and the pleasing overall effect. “If I had to criticise it, I’d say it lacks originality. But I’d really rather not criticise it at all,” the Second Prince concluded.

Markus had gone for something a little more unconventional. His was cut in a spiral, with each layer cut like a triangle slanting upwards and outwards, and it was leaning. The tree he had been given had grown leaning to one side, and he had decided to work with that, rather than trying to change it. Robert remarked that the trimming was done very well, but the design itself was not as nice to look at as the other one. Alexis agreed that it was a little unusual, but he said he found it rather intriguing. “The other one was certainly prettier and more regular, but this seems to draw the gaze more. I don’t think I could choose between them, but in any case, both seem perfectly good to me.”

The head topiarist thanked him and told him which boy had sculpted which, and the three of them bowed to him before he left. Then Robert turned his attention to his apprentices.

“You have both become very skilled. That first tree was excellent, exactly what I was looking for. Markus… it was a nice effort, but I think from now on you should stick to following my plans exactly. However, both of you have done very well, and you can now consider yourselves ‘palace topiarists’. Your apprenticeships are complete. You may both have the rest of the day off.”

It was early afternoon, so Isabelle would still be working, but Markus was eager to tell her the news right away.

“May I go to find my sister, sir, so that I can tell her?” he asked.

“She works in the palace, doesn’t she? Yes, you may go, and if anyone questions you, tell them I gave you permission.”

“Thank you, sir.”