Sighing, he tried to push the matter from his mind and focus on his work.Today he would be copying various articles and sections of other books into a single tome, all revolving around the healing properties of witch willow.Lady Hedieh was a healer, but more than that, she was a scholar of healing, and also the head of a special group of healers who were always doing so many things, like charity work, holding special classes, giving speeches, and more.It was wondrous work, and he loved contributing in his small way.
Hopefully he hadn't just ruined everything with his self-indulgent drawing.
*~*~*
The palace gardens were divided into three sections: the public gardens that anyone at all could visit, be they resident, staff, or visitor.They were the vast majority of the gardens, and nearly twice the size of the palace itself, arranged into all manner of sectioned tiers.
Then of course there was the section restricted to nobility, so the poor things would not have to be constantly troubled by the riff-raff in the public spaces.
Last was of course the private gardens of the royal family, who from what little Aaralyn had seen, more than deserved it.Unlike back home, the royal family here seemed to work, seemed tocare, instead of spending their time carousing and tormenting slaves.
On the hunt for yet another flower, this time with special permission to go into noble spaces, Aaralyn of course managed, despite the sprawling mass before him, to stumble across the one asshole who could not bear to leave him alone.
Lord Feyz only ever seemed to be happy when he was ruining Aaralyn's day by either asking rude questions, looking him over lewdly for reasons Aaralyn had never understood, or trying to bully him into doing things he either couldn't do or wasn't obligated to, since Lord Feyz wasn't his employer.
"As I said, my lord," Aaralyn replied, keeping his eyes lowered, "I do speak multiple languages, but Lavarren is not one of them."He did copy it fairly often, amusingly, but that was really just a type of drawing at the end of the day."I would be honored to help you if I could, but I cannot.Lady Hedieh employs a different translator for that language."A really kind woman who spoke Rittuen, Gollen, Lavarren, and Hodgish, in addition obviously to Tavamaran and all its many beautiful dialects.Aaralyn covered the onerous undertaking that was the Havarin Empire, but also Petchin and Tritacian.Lady Hedieh herself spoke Pelennish, as her husband hailed from there.
The man scoffed and had the audacity to reach out and grab the front of his tunic, giving him a hard shake."I've seen all your fancy books.I know you damn well can, boy."
"I do copy many things for Lady Hedieh, but I do not understand everything I copy."
He'd just wanted to find that stupid flower and then retreat to the safety of his workshop.Instead he'd gotten hopelessly lost, could not find the flower, and could not be rid of this asshole who reminded him far too much of the miserable home he'd fled.
"Just translate it already," the man snapped, giving him another shake for good measure.
"What is going on here?"asked a voice as sharp and cool as fresh water on a hot day.
Lord Feyz let go of him and retreated a whole three steps.Aaralyn stared at him in shock before dragging his bewildered gaze to the source of the voice—and immediately dropped his eyes, heart racing.
One of Prince Bakhtiar's concubines.The tall, slender imposing one that everybody said used to be an assassin.It was a favorite story whenever the subject of concubines came up, the wild tale of a killer who fell in love with his prey instead of taking his life.Nonsense, of course, but it was a fun tale, he couldn't deny that.
He was impossibly beautiful, with gold-toned, light brown skin and short brown hair so dark it nearly passed for black.His eyes by contrast were an extremely pale brown, and seemed to miss nothing as he looked between them.He had a long, lean build that certainly leant itself to stories of stealthy assassins creeping through shadows, though the sapphires and gold that adorned him spoke to entirely different nighttime activities.
"Why are you accosting this man, Lord Feyz?"
"He was being impertinent and refusing to translate something for me," Feyz replied.
"Does he work for you?"
"No, my lord, but I—"
"If he does not work for you then he owes you nothing," the concubine said."Even if he did, that still does not give you any right to manhandle him that way.You have been warned before about such behavior.Be certain this will be reported and a second mark put on your record.If you need something translated, there are plenty available to do it.Be on your way."
"Yes, Lord Kurosh," Feyz muttered, and bowed stiffly before storming off.Which was astonishing, because if he had done that in Havarin, left without permission and with so much attitude, he'd have been dragged back and publicly whipped, noble or not.
Eyes still on the ground, Aaralyn bowed."Thank you, my lord.I apologize for interfering with your day."
"Feyz interfered, not you.Has he done that before?"
Aaralyn hesitated, but finally nodded."Yes, my lord."
"How often?"
"I have not kept track, but several times since I moved into the palace."
"I see," Lord Kurosh said."What brings you to these gardens?You work for Lady Hedieh, correct?"
Shock jolted through Aaralyn, and he reflexively looked up before recalling his manners and looking down again.Why in the world would a royal concubine know who he was?"Yes, my lord.She has bid me create a personal compendium on the healing properties, known and potential, of a particular flower.I was told it grew in the noble gardens, and had permission from her to seek it out to ensure my drawings are as accurate as possible.I was still searching when Lord Feyz requested my services, mistakenly believing I could read Lavarren."
