His brows furrowed, confused. 
I cleared my throat, moving closer to him. “Don’t be so sure that she will give you the answer that you want to hear.” 
His eyes widened. “Are you saying that I have no hope with her? That I cannot win her heart?” 
“Please don’t take my words as antagonizing you and bringing you down, Benjamin. Like I mentioned before, you can have any woman you want,” I quickly replied, explaining everything as fast as possible. I don’t want our relationship as brothers to be strained all because of a woman. “I just don’t want you to be too complacent. We still don’t know what she will say,” I added. 
“Robert, she will say yes,” he looked directly into my eyes. Full of certainty and determination. He didn’t blink as he continued to stare at me. “There’s no ounce of doubt within me. I know she will say yes,” he continued. Never have I seen him act this way. And I wish I have the same confidence when it comes to meeting women in court. 
“How sure are you that she will say yes?” I asked. 
“My friends at home agreed that giving her flowers is already a step forward to success,” he smirked. His confidence rose through his head. “And second, to have you with me is already an advantage. You being here to support me and my cause is a guaranteed win for us.” 
My brows knitted together as my eyes squinted. “Why do I have the feeling that you brought me here for a specific purpose other than to help you pick the perfect bouquet of flowers?” I asked. 
He chuckled. “Brother,” his hand landed on my shoulder, “I want you to help me convince her that we’re destined for each other.” 
I moved my head back in shock. All I knew is that I accompanied him so he won’t have the worst flower arrangement in the whole world. I was only to watch him from afar and wait for things to unfold on their own. I didn’t want to be a part of this. But as his closest friend, I wanted to be physically present. 
I groaned as I rolled my head. “Is that even necessary? You can easily do this without me. You don’t need my help in regards to this matter.” 
“Robert,” he put an arm on me and pulled me closer, “you need to add more fuel to my fiery passion. You can prove to her that I’m perfect for her,” he added. 
I sighed, defeated. There’s really no way of getting out of this situation. I tried and I failed. I never liked doing things such as this. But if it has to happen then it must happen. “Very well, then,” I said after another brief sigh. However, I’m only doing this because you dragged me into it. And there’s no escape in sight for me right now.” 
Benjamin smiled before he messed with my hair. 
♔♔♔ 
A few minutes had passed and the man finally came out with Benjamin’s requested bouquet. As he approached us, we were surprised by the amount of flowers squeezed into the arrangement. The bouquet was so huge, the man struggled to see his path. 
“Here she is,” he spoke amidst his grunts. As the bouquet appeared before us, we finally had a clear view of everything in it. In the middle, a red rose stood out. It was surrounded by sunflowers, daisies and poppies. Small yet unfamiliar flowers were scattered all throughout the bouquet, which made it all the more exquisite. 
With caution, the owner handed it over to Benjamin. “Here you are, young man.” 
Benjamin smiled as he examined every bit of his order. I gave the owner his gold coins. “I’m quite familiar with these flowers,” Benjamin spoke before looking back at the owner. “However, I would like to know why you chose these flowers?” 
“Pay no mind for what they stand for,” the owner smiled. “They are sure to win your heart’s desire in no time.” 
Benjamin nodded as his gaze returned to the flowers. His grin couldn’t be contained as he continued to stare at it. “Thank you very much, sir. You don’t know how much this means to me,” he said, in complete awe of the bouquet. 
The owner then turned to my direction. “I also made a simple arrangement for your friend.” 
My brows furrowed. Confused, Benjamin and I shared a look before we turned back to the owner.
“And how much would that be aside from the bouquet’s charge?” Benjamin asked. 
“There’s no need to worry,” the man replied as he reached for something behind him. “This one is free of charge.” He then revealed a crown of white and pink flowers. 
My eyes widened in horror. Benjamin let out a brief snicker as I asked, “What in the world is that?” 
“It’s the crown of friendship and gratitude.” He then attempted to put it on me. However, I stepped back and put my hand in front of me. 
“I’m not wearing that. And I don’t believe that it’s called specifically that,” I protested. “I think the real name of it is the crown of shame and embarrassment.” 
Benjamin cleared his throat before he called my attention. His eyes begged for me to close my mouth and to simply go along with it. 
Ugh! The things I do for Benjamin! 
I snatched the crown from the man and slammed it onto my head. I then turned to the door with a huff. 
Behind me, Benjamin once spoke, “Again, thank you, good sir. 
“You’re very welcome, young man,” the owner and Benjamin shook hands and we stepped out of the shop. “I wish you all the best of luck with your conquest.” 
As the sound of the shop door closed, we headed directly to our horses. Still in a huff, I didn’t bother to say my goodbyes to the owner. I don’t want to talk to him nor do I want to see him. This flower crown that he made me is nothing to be proud of. As I kept my head down, I felt eyes on me. Some of them laughed as they passed by us. I just know it.