The Lily and the Bull by Moyra Caldecott

Ierii, the daughter of the chief gardener at the palace, is in love with Thyloss, the son of the keeper of the Queen’s bulls. Thyloss, who yearns to be a bull acrobat, a position of great importance and renown, finds his feelings for Ierii gradually changing. But their hopes are shaken by events beyond their control.

The Lily and the Bull is an exciting fantasy set during the dramatic events of the last days of Ma-ii, a Minoan city on the northern coast of Crete.