Heir of Beasts

Ch. 2.3- Avamir

I know as soon as my feet touch the stone path that I made the right decision- the air is sweet with the smell of Abrigan and newly bloomed Beveria, so the entire garden smells like honey. Butterflies land delicately on the Abrigan's bright pink petals, their proboscises unfurling to gently lap at the flower's sweet, fragrant nectar.

The turtleroses are in bloom, attracting buzzing bumblebees. I can't resist reaching forward and plucking one, then tucking the striking green flower behind my ear. Tyro chuckles.

"What?" I ask, taking in more of the gorgeous gardens surrounding me.

"Sometimes I almost forget you're a man," Tyro says.

"What?"

"You're just so- so pretty and delicate, and now you're tucking flowers into your hair like it's the most natural thing in the world."

I frown. "I like turtleroses; what's the harm in wearing one?"

"No harm at all," he says with a grin. "Just a bit of amusement."

"I'm glad I amuse you," I mutter, annoyed. I consider taking the flower out of my hair but leave it, his opinions be damned.

"I meant nothing by it," he adds, noticing he's offended me. "Ignore me, Shira."

"No one ever means anything by it," I say sharply. "At first. But then enough of them say something and the great uncles start looking at you like a pet, and the aunts disapprove of you because you're considered prettier than their daughters, and soon the whole family thinks you're too weak to rule!"

I pause, surprised at my outburst. "I mean- it's not my fault I look the way I do."

"I never meant any offense," Tyro repeats. "I'm sorry to have said-"

"Never mind," I sigh, my sudden flash of anger dying down. "It's not like it matters now anyway. The great aunts and uncles are dead and I'm not likely to rule more than a flower garden any time soon. And I do like flowers and fabric and reading, hardly the harshest or most masculine pastimes. I shouldn't be offended by the truth."

"That's why I brought you out here," Tyro says. "I want you to meet someone who loves flowers as much as you do. She's just got a desert lily to bloom. I don't know much about plants, but apparently that's quite a feat."

"A desert lily?" I ask, wide eyed, all former offense forgotten. "Here in Kama?"

He smiles and leads me past a row of Gentian and behind a wall of tall shrubs. There's a small cottage nestled between the greenery, a charming little thing painted white and blanketed all over with creeping ivy.

A woman is bent over by the front door, potting something. When she hears footsteps she stands up and smiles, waving at us. She's small, even shorter than I am, with skin the warm yellow-brown color of Evebia tree bark. Her hair is free, red-gold strands flying about in the wind.

She's Seramichen, I can tell even from a distance. The hair and the deeply tanned skin give her away. Tyro smiles and waves back, and I see a look I can only describe as adoration steal over his face.

"Avamir, this is the boy I was telling you about," he says when we near the door of the cottage. "Shira Katzuna. The one who likes plants."

"Shira, this is Avamir Sumarik, the Ambassador's head gardener and a botanical genius."

The woman, Avamir, blushes. "Stop it, Tyro," she chirps in a lilting Seramichen accent. Then she turns to me and says, in the sweetest way possible, "welcome. I'm so glad to finally meet you. You don't know how nice it is to meet a fellow botanist here, most of the staff can't tell Jessonweed from Rhodesium!"
I laugh and move to put out my hand so we can greet each other in the Kamai style, but a nervous look flits across Avamir's face and Tyro quickly pushes my hand down. I wonder what I've done wrong, until I look into her face and see contrition.