Taliesin was in the little garden again when Daniel found him. He’d sent a message to his brother requesting to talk to him whenever Daniel wasn’t busy with his court duties – Taliesin wasn’t sure what exactly Daniel did for his parents, but he was always busy with court appearances.
Then he’d gone to the library and hunted out a guide on plants. He’d sat in the library not reading for an hour, during which Vincent didn’t magically appear, before deciding to put the book to practical use and take it outside.
Daniel found him sitting on the bench he and Lucas had shared the day before, flipping through the pages of the book and trying to identify the flowers on the tree behind him.
“What in the world are you doing?” Daniel asked curiously as he left the path to join Taliesin on the bench. “And don’t let the head librarian see you’ve taken one of his precious books out of the library. He’ll pitch a fit.”
“Does he ever leave the library?” Taliesin asked absently, studying the picture of a flower in the book before glancing back to the flower he had plucked from the tree for investigation.
“It’s a magnolia, Tal,” Daniel told him with palpable amusement. “Marissa likes them and I think Mother had a fit when they were added to her garden.”
“Oh, but it doesn’t look like…” Taliesin flipped back through the book to where the pages on magnolias were. “See?”
“I think there are different kinds?” Daniel offered, leaning across the bench to study the book. “You could ask one of the gardeners.”
“I tried that,” Taliesin admitted. “He didn’t seem very thrilled about catering to the whims of a pushy noble so I let him get back to work.”
Daniel laughed, ruffling his hair. “How sweet of you.”
“Shush, you,” Taliesin ordered, making a face as he tried to straighten his hair. “Why is it that everyone has to mess up my hair? What did it ever do to you?”
“You’re cute like a puppy,” Daniel replied, by way of explanation. His eyes were bright with laughter, and Taliesin barely refrained from sticking his tongue out at him. “So what did you want to talk about, Taliesin?”
“Oh, um,” Taliesin started, fumbling his words. “Just… Caspian…”
“You wanted to talk to me about Caspian?” Daniel asked, looking as confused as the words sounded. “He’s treating you right, isn’t he?”
“Yes,” Taliesin said, nodding to emphasize that. “Just, he mentioned yesterday when I asked that you knew… or had dealings with Lord Thedor?”
Daniel scowled, looking away, and Taliesin’s heart sank.
“I have, yes. Why?” Daniel asked after a moment, turning back to peer at Taliesin suspiciously, like he suspected what had passed between Vincent and Taliesin.
“He… approached me yesterday,” Taliesin said, letting out a breath of air. Daniel’s face darkened a little. “In the library, and asked me to the observatory.” Taliesin glanced away, curling his fingers around the edge of his book.
“Don’t get involved with him, Tal,” Daniel said softly, shifting slightly on the bench next to him. “He’s charming and handsome and a sweet kisser but if he’s approached you he wants something and I have no doubts it has to do with the latest incident in the feud between his family and the Wellworths.”
Taliesin nodded, biting his lip. Daniel sighed, sliding closer and draping an arm around his shoulders.
“I’m sorry, Tal, I should have warned you. I thought you’d be safe from this for a few days more,” Daniel apologized quietly. “There are a lot of nobles around court who would use you to get their agendas across.”
“I know,” Taliesin protested, shifting to look at Daniel. “That’s why I came to you before anything happened.”
“Oh,” Daniel said, looking briefly perplexed. “So your heart’s not broken?”
Taliesin laughed softly. “Maybe slightly bruised. He’s a good kisser.”
Daniel shook his head. “I won’t tell mother you’re already off breaking hearts.”
“I’m not breaking hearts,” Taliesin protested, blushing. “He came to me. And you said he wasn’t on the level –”
“I’m just kidding,” Daniel cut him off. “Let Vincent know, if he keeps bothering you, that he’ll have to deal with me again.”
Taliesin laughed, wrinkling his nose a little. “I’ll tell him.”
“Good,” Daniel said, leaning back a little. “Anyone else bothering you?”
Taliesin shook his head, smiling a little. “Do you know when mother plans to announce me? Or if she’s planning a big celebration or something?”
“A small celebration, in light of your fragile health,” Daniel said, a teasing note to his voice. “And in a few days, actually. You’ll probably be summoned at some point this afternoon to be measured for a new outfit.”
“I already have too many clothes,” Taliesin grumbled, making a face. He liked the lazy afternoons he’d been enjoying. But he did want to start doing something productive, soon.
“Wait until fall,” Daniel said with a grimace. “There are balls every week, and a new outfit for every one.”
“Yay,” Taliesin deadpanned, keeping a straight face for a moment before beaming. He’d be here in the fall for the harvest celebrations. Daniel laughed, ruffling his hair.
“I should get back, before mother or father misses me,” Daniel said regretfully, planting a kiss on Taliesin’s forehead. “Continue being smart, little brother.”
“Yes, sir,” Taliesin said, saluting smartly. Daniel laughed, giving him a last wave before leaving him alone on the garden bench. Taliesin watched him leave, sighing softly.
Of course things would turn out that way with Vincent. Taliesin couldn’t be that lucky, that quickly. Though things must really be tense between the Thedors and the Wellworths if Vincent was trying to influence the affairs with Taliesin, who had barely been at the palace a week.
Or perhaps he’d hoped for Taliesin’s naivety in the matter and for his family to indulge his whims. Which wasn’t too far off-base – if Taliesin were so inclined, he was sure he could wheedle nearly anything out of his parents. Except he wasn’t that stupid. He didn’t know much about the feud between the Thedors and the Wellworths, only that it had started a few generations ago when one of the Thedors had refused to marry a Wellworth, and then subsequently claimed that the Wellworth had refused to marry him.
Taliesin sighed again, pushing the matter out of his mind. He wouldn’t dwell on it – and he’d ignore any attempts at communication from Vincent. They hadn’t decided on a meeting place for their next rendezvous, so it should be relatively simple to not meet up with him again.
Taliesin bent his head over the page of the book in front of him, reading what the book had to offer about magnolias. The sound of footsteps made him look up briefly, but it was only the gardener from yesterday. He paused at the sight of Taliesin, but Taliesin only gave him a brief smile before returning to learning about magnolias.
~~@ @~~
Taliesin tucked his fingers around the mug of cocoa, gathering the vast number of notes and letters from various noble houses together with his free hand. His mother had announced the reason for the celebration (not that she ever really needed a reason, Taliesin reflected) earlier today, after Taliesin’s talk with Daniel.
Taliesin had spent the majority of that time outside in the garden, reading and trying to identify plants and flowers with very little success before he figured out the book he was trying to use was on the plants and flowers of the southern provinces.
It seemed a lot of people had made the connection now, and Taliesin now got to spend the day “regretfully” declining invitations to go on hunts and setting aside a pile of interesting requests to go over with Daniel or Marissa later. They’d know whether or not it was a good idea to accept any of the requests for tea, and which of the lords and ladies just wanted to have tea with him and which wanted something more along the lines of what Vincent wanted.
Flipping through the letters quickly, Taliesin deftly separated them into two piles, one to reply to in the negative (anything that involved an extreme amount of athleticism or even just a lot of riding) and one to reply to with Daniel or Marissa.
He’d have to dine in court tonight. Taliesin made a note to remember to call for Tamati to help him get ready for that early. One of the reasons he wasn’t as fond of eating at court, even though there was guaranteed to be some of his family there – he had to dress in uncomfortable and annoying clothing.
Taliesin thumbed open another notice, scanning the words quickly. A smile stole across his lips – Isabelle, thanking him for his pleasant company the other day. And asking if he would accompany her to the celebratory fete, provided he did not have other plans already.
Taliesin grinned, and set that aside in the pile to ask about. He’d say no, but only if Lucas would ask her immediately. Otherwise he’d say yes, secure in the knowledge that she already had her eye on Lucas and wasn’t likely to be swayed.
Caspian knocked on the door loudly, which meant Taliesin had a visitor. A visitor who wasn’t a relative, because they all came in without knocking.
“Come in,” Taliesin called, setting down his cocoa and folding up the topmost note. Not that it contained any state secrets, but Taliesin was a fan of his privacy. Caspian opened the door, his face set in a blank, stony mask. Taliesin nearly upset his stacks of papers upon seeing his visitor, startled because he hadn’t expected to see Vincent this soon.
“Good afternoon, Taliesin,” Vincent greeted with a wide smile, and Taliesin wondered for a moment if Daniel had been wrong about Vincent.
“Good afternoon,” Taliesin replied slowly, frowning softly. He didn’t know how to do this. Caspian hovered by the door, watching Taliesin steadily. Taliesin gestured for him to go – this was something that Taliesin had to handle, not something he was going to make Caspian handle.
“Is something the matter?” Vincent asked, crossing the room towards Taliesin slowly. “I’m not being too presumptuous, visiting you, am I?”
“Oh, no,” Taliesin shook his head, glancing down at the papers in his lap. “I just… I talked to my brother today.”
“Ah,” Vincent stopped, smiling unhappily. “Which one, highness?”
Taliesin sighed, but didn’t bother to correct him. “Does it matter?”
“Well, it certainly will give me some idea of how awful they were in their descriptions of me,” Vincent said wryly.
“Daniel,” Taliesin said, glancing up. Vincent’s shoulders imperceptibly shifted down, and Taliesin sighed. “I’m sorry, Vincent.”
“That’s it?” Vincent asked, crossing his arms and Taliesin wondered if it were a bit early to be worried that he’d sent Caspian from the room. “You’re ready to believe that I’m only here because I want something political from you?”
“Not – no,” Taliesin shook his head rapidly. “It’s just, even if you’re just here because… you like me, and not because you’re after some political goal, I can’t. My family is more important.”
“Did your brother forbid you to see me?” Vincent asked coldly, no trace of a smile on his handsome face. Taliesin sighed, shaking his head. Daniel hadn’t outright forbidden him. But Taliesin didn’t want to be stupid.
“You have history with my brother,” Taliesin pointed out, sagging a little in his seat. “It’s just not a good idea.”
“Love often isn’t,” Vincent replied loftily, and Taliesin smothered an inappropriate laugh. How did Vincent manage to sound so silly and so serious at the same time? “But as you wish, your highness. I won’t bother you again.”
“No, don’t do that,” Taliesin fussed, setting aside his papers. “It’s not – a romantic relationship isn’t a good idea, but could we do friendship?”
“Would your brother approve?” Vincent asked, and Taliesin flushed.
“It doesn’t matter,” Taliesin dismissed. “Besides, it’s just a harmless friendship. He can’t protest that.”
Vincent laughed, shaking his head. “Alright, highness, but when Daniel – Prince Daniel – comes to me telling me to leave you be…”
“Send him to me,” Taliesin ordered with a smile. “He can deal with me if he has a problem with our friendship.”
“Yes, highness.” Vincent bowed slightly, a faint smile still curving his lips. “Are you sure you won’t rethink the romance?”
“I’m sure,” Taliesin confirmed, smiling widely. He wondered briefly what, exactly, had passed between Vincent and Daniel, but decided to leave it be for now. He could ask Marissa later, if she’d tell him, or maybe Lucas. Lucas liked to gossip.
“I think I will take my leave, then, and go to nurse the wounds you have inflicted upon me,” Vincent informed him with that slight smile still on his lips. Taliesin laughed, shaking his head. “Shall we do lunch soon, highness?”
“Taliesin, or I will start throwing things at you like a proper bratty prince,” Taliesin threatened. “And yes, though I suggest it wait until after this fete in a few days. I think mother has me booked solid for fittings and the like between now and then.”
“I’ll send you an invitation,” Vincent promised. “Until we meet again, Taliesin.”
“Until then,” Taliesin repeated with a smile, picking up his stack of invitations as Vincent let himself out. Caspian gave him a questioning glance, but Taliesin just shrugged. He couldn’t very well explain it, but he did like Vincent. He’d be on guard for any attempts from Vincent to sway him on anything political, but in the meantime he could enjoy Vincent’s company. Smiling faintly, Taliesin hoped he wasn’t being too stupid as he returned his attention to the stack of invitations in his lap.
~~@ @~~
Taliesin couldn’t focus on sorting invitations after Vincent left. He tried reading one of the books he’d smuggled from the library, but he couldn’t focus on that either. He didn’t really want to brave exploring the castle either, not when it was so much more likely that he’d be recognized.
Taliesin gave up not too long after Vincent left. Dropping the book next to the stack of abandoned invitations and letters, Taliesin crossed the sitting room and retrieved the light jacket he’d abandoned earlier. Tugging it on, he headed for the door, unsure where he was going to go, just that he was going somewhere.
Caspian didn’t say a word when he opened the door, just gave a half smile and fell into step behind Taliesin. Taliesin headed down the hallway, tucking his hands into the pockets on his jacket as he walked.
He was disappointed, Taliesin acknowledged as he walked. He had liked Vincent – he was handsome and silly when he was trying to be serious in his professions of adoration. Taliesin sighed quietly, wondering how many more people would try the same thing. Vincent… Taliesin was willing to believe he hadn’t been trying for more than a bit of fun.
He was a prince though, so it was best to not take the chance. Besides which, Vincent had been involved with Daniel. Taliesin really didn’t want to get involved with someone one of his siblings had been involved with. There was too much of an opportunity for teasing.
Perhaps it would be best to just swear off the romance until he got a better idea of who people around the castle were, and who they’d been involved with previously. Taliesin wasn’t really fond of that idea, but it was reasonable. Not forever, of course, and there was no saying he couldn’t break the rule if someone really special came along.
Taliesin let himself into the little garden absently, Caspian still following behind him. He’d left the book on plants, but it wouldn’t have been very helpful in any case. Meandering along the path that circled through the garden, Taliesin steadfastly did not meet the gaze of the aging noblewoman who had settled with a handmaid beneath one of the flowering trees.
Taliesin made one slow circuit of the garden, noting a new bush with peculiar lemon-colored flowers. Then he settled on the bench beneath the magnolias, brushing the falling petals off the bench seat before settling in comfortably.
He’d have to go to dinner tonight. And probably most nights from now on, if only to start learning the faces of the nobles. Taliesin wasn’t too excited by that – the court dinners had been vastly different from the meals he’d partaken of at the summer house, but that appeal had worn off quickly. They were loud and busy and had too much food and his mother fussing over him not eating enough.
But they also had his siblings, so Taliesin would go and make the best of it. He’d see if he couldn’t steal the seat by Lucas, because Lucas knew the best gossip about the nobles (and sometimes their brothers and sister).
Taliesin blinked in surprise as a magnolia petal floated down, in front of his face. Cupping his hand, he caught it carefully, studying it for a moment. There were tiny little tears in the soft petal, little notches out of its edges, and it seemed pale in comparison to the other petals littering the ground. Taliesin let it go after a moment, watching it sink to the ground to join the other fallen magnolia petals.
Looking up, he almost jumped as he met the eyes of the gardener. The gardener was watching him with a slight frown, his mouth turned down slightly as he studied Taliesin. Taliesin blinked, a little confused as to what he’d done to earn the man’s attention again, since he was just sitting on the bench and not pestering him about the garden’s plants again.
The gardener stared back for a long moment, and Taliesin was beginning to wonder if they were just going to stare at each other all day when the gardener spoke up.
“If you’re still interested, I can tell you about the plants now, my lord,” the gardener said, not bowing or offering any sign of respect. Taliesin blinked, brushing another fallen petal off the front of his jacket.
“I’m still interested,” Taliesin replied cautiously. The gardener nodded, stepping off the path and approaching the bench. His gaze shifted briefly past Taliesin, to where Caspian was standing, but he didn’t hesitate in his approach.
“Do you care for all of the plants in this garden?” Taliesin asked curiously. He’d only ever seen the one gardener, after all.
“I do,” the gardener confirmed slowly. “It’s a small garden.”
“It’s more than I could do,” Taliesin said wistfully, but he smiled as he said it. “What is your name?”
“Mikhail, my lord,” the gardener told him warily, like he expected Taliesin to take offense to his name.
“Call me Taliesin,” Taliesin said firmly, ignoring that it wasn’t really proper to let a gardener call him by name. “Are you from Lagan, then?”
“Yes,” Mikhail admitted grudgingly and Taliesin decided to let it drop.
“Can you tell me about this one, then?” Taliesin asked after a moment, gesturing to the magnolia tree behind him. “My brother told me they’re called magnolias, but the book I had didn’t describe them very well.”
“Magnolias, yes,” Mikhail said, shrugging one shoulder slowly. “What more would you like to know about them, my lord?”
“Everything?” Taliesin suggested, smiling a little shyly. Mikhail stared at him flatly for a moment, and Taliesin wondered if he wouldn’t perhaps be better off with finding a new book on the subject.
“Magnolias come in many different types,” Mikhail said slowly. “Do you want to know about all the types or just this one?”
“Start with this one?” Taliesin asked, his eyes following another petal as it fell from the tree behind them.
“It’s young,” Mikhail said, his eyes briefly straying to a fallen, wilted blossom. His eyes were the opposite in coloring to Vincent’s – dark and intense where Vincent’s had been bright and blue. “It was planted five years ago, and it has only been flowering for two years. It’s a spring bloomer. It should only grow to be a few stories high, so not taller than the palace.”
“How long will it be losing petals like this?” Taliesin asked, a slight breeze shook a few more petals onto them.
“A week, maybe two.” Mikhail glanced behind them, up at the tree. “Depending on how devoted the birds are with their attention.”
Taliesin laughed softly, standing up slowly and walking around the bench, closer to the short magnolia tree. Mikhail followed reluctantly, pausing when he reached the tree to pluck a mostly-whole blossom from the tree. It was missing one petal and Mikhail brought it over to Taliesin, carefully cradling it in his hands.
“Magnolias won’t bloom without proper watering, but they can grow in the shade,” Mikhail said seriously, lifting his eyes from the flower to meet Taliesin’s eyes.
“How many types of magnolias are there?” Taliesin asked softly, a little hesitant because he didn’t want to run Mikhail off by pestering him with too many questions.
“Lots.” Mikhail shrugged. “None in the main garden, though I think a few of the smaller gardens like this one may have some. This tree is the best suited for the climate here, however.”
“It seems very healthy,” Taliesin observed, though past the fact that its leaves were green and vibrant and it seemed to be overflowing with flower blossoms he couldn’t say much for its health.
Mikhail smiled quickly, briefly showing his teeth. “It’s been a good spring, my lord.”
“Taliesin,” Taliesin corrected quietly but didn’t press the issue. “What are the differences between this magnolia tree and the other kinds of magnolias?”
Mikhail shrugged, letting the magnolia blossom fall to the petal-strewn ground.
“There are many,” Mikhail said slowly, giving Taliesin a speculative look. “Are you sure you are interested in hearing this, my lord? Taliesin?”
“Yes,” Taliesin confirmed, smiling a little. “I don’t know much about plants and I’d like to learn.”
Mikhail’s face relaxed slightly into something resembling amusement. “There’s one other magnolia tree in this garden.”
Mikhail turned away, gesturing discreetly for Taliesin to follow. Taliesin did, unable to keep from smiling just a little as he followed Mikhail across the garden. He was going to make the most of this offer of Mikhail’s, because for all he knew, Mikhail would lose interest quickly in telling him about the plants in the garden.
~~@ @~~
Taliesin sat between Daniel and Lucas at the court dinner, doing his best to ignore the staring he was garnering from the crowd of noblemen and noblewomen who were attending this evening’s court dinner. More than usual, if he recalled correctly from the few court dinners he’d attended before.
Hopefully that would die out quickly, though Taliesin was beginning to rue being seated next to Lucas. Lucas was diligently naming the nobles for Taliesin, but he was also including horribly funny nicknames or stories about each one and Taliesin was having problems keeping a straight face. Which wouldn’t be such a problem, but it seemed like everyone was watching, so he couldn’t keep breaking into laughter.
“And that’s Lord Vincent Thedor, who, rumor has it, already knows you quite intimately,” Lucas pointed gestured discretely to the end of a table as Taliesin’s cheeks heated slightly. Vincent caught his eye, raising an eyebrow before returning to the conversation he was having with his seatmate (the Lady Rebecca McDonough, who, if Lucas was to be believed, wore a chastity belt made of solid steel).
“He does not,” Taliesin hissed, denying it quickly. “Daniel wouldn’t be happy if I did.”
Daniel glanced over briefly at hearing his name, and Taliesin gave him a plaintive look.
“Lucas is picking on me,” Taliesin informed him mournfully, blinking as the servers replaced the soup set before him with what looked like another bowl of soup.
Lucas and Daniel both snickered, and Taliesin grinned, pinching Lucas’s leg under the table as Daniel shook his head and was distracted by a question Marissa, seated next to him, was asking.
“So you know all about the tangle Daniel and Vincent have themselves worked up into?” Lucas asked, somehow managing to empty the bowl in front of him before the servers whisked through with another course. Taliesin shrugged, snagging a bit of bread off the plate in front of him and chewing on it thoughtfully.
“Some of it?” He offered, because he definitely didn’t know all of it and the way Lucas said it implied there was even more he didn’t know.
“Ah, well, long story short, they’re both stubborn asses who need to get over their lover’s tiff and just…” Lucas trailed off, looking thoughtful briefly before waggling his eyebrows. “If you know what I mean.”
Taliesin stifled an inappropriate giggle, but couldn’t help laughing when Daniel shot a frosty gaze past him to Lucas.
“You had better not be telling tales about me, Lukey. I know where you sleep,” Daniel threatened, not looking pleased.
“Never, dearest brother,” Lucas professed, winking. “I speak only truth.”
Taliesin covered his mouth, stifling his laughter into his palm. Daniel rolled his eyes, leaning closer to Taliesin. “Don’t believe a word he says.”
“Okay,” Taliesin agreed cheerfully, laughing when Lucas snickered.
“Good.” Daniel gave Lucas another warning look before turning back to Marissa, who looked amused.
“It’s all truth,” Lucas whispered. “But look, next to Thedor, not Lady McDonough but on his other side, that’s the Lady Tellis. She’s been married twice and has thirteen children, and she looks younger than you.”
Taliesin shook his head, not sure whether to believe Lucas or not, but he tried to commit the details to memory anyway. He’d probably run things by Daniel first before he attempted to use anything in conversation, but for now Lucas’s chatter made an excellent distraction.
~~@ @~~
Taliesin found himself out in the garden again the next day. He hadn’t meant to end up there – he’d originally been aiming for the library, but he’d passed one of the picture windows on the way there and it just seemed so nice out that he’d changed directions and almost run straight into Caspian, who hadn’t been expecting the sudden change in direction.
He made a quick circuit around the garden, pausing when he reached the magnolia tree but continuing along the path without actually stopping. The fallen petals were mostly gone, which Taliesin supposed was a good thing – it made the garden seem better groomed, but it was also a little strange when he was used to seeing the petals scattered across the ground.
There was also a new square of land a few yards away from the magnolia tree that had been dug up but conspicuously lacked anything green or flowering. Taliesin spent a moment puzzling that before wondering once more who did the planning for the gardens and how they picked out what plants to include in the garden and where to put them.
He slowly approached the turned-up ground, wondering if he could see if something was planted (though unless it was obvious, with something sticking out of the ground or seeds scattered on top of the soil there was no way he’d have any idea).
“Good afternoon, my lord,” Mikhail’s voice greeted from behind him when he reached the edge of the plot and Taliesin couldn’t help but blush faintly because he probably looked quite silly, edging closer to the dirt like it was going to attack him.
“Good afternoon, Mikhail,” Taliesin greeted quietly, turning away from the plot of land. There were no seeds scattered across the ground, and he hadn’t caught any glimpse of anything planted yet.
But Mikhail was pushing a small, flat cart with nearly two-dozen plants sitting on it. Flowers each with their bulbs wrapped in canvas and tied roughly a short distance up the stem.
“Irises?” Taliesin asked, though there was no mistaking the flowers. They were all in bloom, a gorgeous shade of violet, and Mikhail nodded, pushing the cart across the soft grass to the edge of the turned-up patch of earth.
“Rejects from the royal gardens,” Mikhail said after a moment, and Taliesin stifled a laugh. His mother was too picky – these flowers were lovely. “They bloom in spring and early summer.”
Mikhail picked up one of the flowers gently, kneeling by the patch of earth. He hollowed out a shallow space in the ground before unwrapping the flower and setting it in the hole. Taliesin watched curiously as he smoothed handfuls of dirt over the bulb and short, stubby roots, settling the plant into place as gently as he’d handled taking it off the cart.
“Just rows of them?” Taliesin asked as Mikhail fetched another iris and began the process again. “Three by six?”
Mikhail hesitated, glancing at him with faint surprise. “Yes. I’ll find some plant that can coexist with irises to fill in the gaps.”
Taliesin smiled, sitting down next to the plot of earth. He wasn’t going to be presumptuous and start playing in Mikhail’s dirt, but he could maybe sink his fingers into it. That wouldn’t get him too dirty.
“Do you do the planning for this garden?” Taliesin asked, crumbling a dirt clod between his fingers. “Or is there a… an overseer, I guess?”
“I’m responsible for this garden,” Mikhail replied as he hollowed out space for the third iris. “It’s small enough for one person to take care of the plants, and as long as no one complains, the royal gardener doesn’t care what I do here. Everyone visits the royal garden anyway.”
“I like this one better,” Taliesin said slowly. “It’s quieter, but it’s also nicer.”
Mikhail snorted, actually smiling at him for that. “You’re saying that because I admitted I’m in charge of it.”
“I was coming here before I met you,” Taliesin pointed out, smiling back. “A few times, and even after I met you too.”
Mikhail might have made a disbelieving noise, but Taliesin chose to ignore it, sinking his fingers into the dirt again. He could see why Mikhail liked gardening. Taliesin wondered briefly what he’d be if he wasn’t a prince, but morbidly just came up with “dead” because there was very little chance he would have survived the sicknesses that plagued him since he was young if his parents weren’t royalty.
“Have you always been a gardener?” Taliesin asked without thinking, ignoring the faintly wistful note in his voice. He liked being a prince, though, even if being a gardener looked like it would be fun in its own way.
“No,” Mikhail said slowly, not looking up from where he was planting the last of the first row of irises. “Since I moved to this country, yes.”
Taliesin nodded, humming thoughtfully. “You like it,” he said after a moment, more a statement of fact than a question. Mikhail rolled his eyes, patting down earth a little more firmly than he needed to around the seventh iris.
“Yes, I like it,” Mikhail replied, a little sharp. Taliesin bit his lip, tugging his hands free of the earth. Mikhail was probably sick of being bothered by the noble nuisance. He brushed his fingers off carefully, keeping quiet because he didn’t want to leave yet, even if he was being a nuisance.
“I apologize,” Mikhail said after a moment, clearing out another shallow hole in the dirt. “I am… a bit sensitive about my past and I shouldn’t take it out on you.”
“It’s – it’s not any of my business, I shouldn’t be asking,” Taliesin dismissed, rubbing at a smear of dirt on the back of his hand. Mikhail sighed noisily, and Taliesin looked up to find Mikhail watching him with something akin to exasperation.
“Would you like to plant a flower?” Mikhail asked after a moment, and Taliesin brightened.
“Can I really?” Taliesin asked, and Mikhail rolled his eyes again, but he was smiling.
“Get an iris from the cart,” Mikhail instructed, removing the canvas from his. Taliesin grinned, clambering to his feet quickly. He fetched an iris, holding it carefully with one hand beneath the canvas bag around the bulb and the other steadying the stem. Mikhail finished smoothing the dirt over his as Taliesin approached.
“You’re going to get dirty,” Mikhail warned, but Taliesin shrugged. He’d need to change before the court dinner tonight anyway.
“So, in line with that one and this one?” Taliesin asked, setting the plant down next to him as he knelt next to Mikhail. Mikhail nodded, and Taliesin smiled quickly before working his hands into the dirt again.
“Not too deep,” Mikhail cautioned as Taliesin carefully hollowed out space in the ground for the flower.
“Okay,” Taliesin accepted, carefully scooping out dirt until Mikhail was satisfied.
“Leave the flower on the ground to untie the canvas,” Mikhail instructed, reaching past Taliesin to steadying the plant’s stem as Taliesin worked at the knot. Taliesin focused on the knot and not on the way Mikhail smelled of dirt and sweat (or the way his stomach twisted just a little as he breathed in). Taliesin slid the plant into its hole carefully, steadying it so the stem didn’t bend.
“Don’t put all the dirt back in, just pack it gently,” Mikhail said, sitting back. Taliesin did, smiling a little because his iris was sitting a little crookedly when he was done.
“It’s not good,” Taliesin said, making a face. Mikhail just snickered at him, shaking his head.
“It’s fine, don’t worry about it,” Mikhail dismissed, spreading the excess dirt evenly between Taliesin’s iris and the last one he’d done.
“Can I do another?” Taliesin asked hopefully, smiling at Mikhail like that would help him make his decision. Mikhail laughed, shrugging.
“So long as you don’t mind getting your hands dirtier,” Mikhail said, smiling widely at Taliesin. “You can finish this row, and I’ll start on the next.”
“Okay,” Taliesin agreed immediately, climbing to his feet to fetch another iris. He pushed the hair out of his face as he made his way to the cart, belatedly remembering that his hands were covered in dirt. Dismissing it, he picked up another iris carefully, and returned to playing in the dirt.
~~@ @~~
Taliesin ventured into the royal gardens the next day. He felt a little bit guilty for cheating on Mikhail’s garden, but he didn’t have much of a choice. His mother had asked him to fetch Daniel for lunch with her, and by all reports he was out here somewhere.
The royal gardens were quite extensive – much bigger than Mikhail’s garden – and Taliesin didn’t even know where to begin looking. Trudging along the paved garden path, Taliesin half-hearted watched his surroundings, not really expecting to find Daniel unless he ran into him accidentally.
The garden were distracting enough on their own, between the mix of commonplace and exotic plants, the winding, cobblestone path that must have taken ages to lay, and the sheer number of people Taliesin had had to greet since he’d started at the garden gates.
He was about to give up when he caught sight of the guard who followed Daniel around. The man was lounging beneath a large, leafy tree, looking lazy and surprisingly Daniel-free. Taliesin hesitated, looking around briefly for Daniel but not finding him. He didn’t think any of the royal bodyguards were lazy enough to abandon their charges – though maybe if Daniel had ordered him away, he’d give Daniel some space but loiter nearby?
At the very least, he’d have some idea of where Daniel was. Taliesin could either find him and drag him off to dine with their mother or have a good excuse for not bringing him which was better than an inability to find him in the first place.
Stepping off the path, Taliesin crossed the soft grass to where Daniel’s guard continued to lounge.
“Good afternoon, your highness,” the man greeted when Taliesin got close enough. Taliesin smiled at him, stopping a few steps away.
“Good afternoon,” Taliesin greeted politely. “I don’t suppose my brother is around here somewhere?”
Daniel’s guard laughed, pointing up. Taliesin blinked, but looked up, surprised to find Daniel settled on a branch about halfway up the tree.
“Hey, Tal,” Daniel greeted with a grin. Taliesin shook his head, moving into the shadow of the tree so he wasn’t squinting into the sun to see Daniel.
“What are you doing up there?” Taliesin asked curiously, wondering if he’d be able to copy Daniel’s feat. Probably not, and Taliesin couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed about that.
“Hiding,” Daniel replied cheerfully. “You didn’t find me, right, Taliesin?”
“I couldn’t find a trace of you,” Taliesin said solemnly. It wasn’t like lunch was a big deal, and he could always trade on the favor later and make Daniel cover for him for something.
“Is that really safe?” Taliesin couldn’t help but ask as a gentle wind swayed the branches around Daniel’s perch.
“Safe enough,” Daniel said with a shrug. “Isaac wouldn’t have let me climb if it weren’t.”
Taliesin took a second to connect the name with Daniel’s guard. “Safe enough for me to do it too?” Taliesin asked after a second, teasing because there were plenty of things that his brothers did that they didn’t let him do. Swordplay, for one.
“Maybe not that safe,” Daniel said, shifting suddenly. For a moment, Taliesin thought he was falling, but he was just letting himself down to the next lowest branch. “Mother would have kittens if you fell.”
“She wouldn’t have kittens if you fell?” Taliesin asked, watching Daniel’s progress with fascination. Perhaps he could find a tree worthy of climbing in Mikhail’s garden. He could try it when Mikhail wasn’t around, because he doubted Mikhail would be happy with the idea of anyone climbing his trees.
“Not as many,” Daniel said and Taliesin laughed, cutting the noise off when Daniel’s foot slipped off the branch he was attempting to lower himself onto. Daniel cursed, tumbling the last few feet from the tree. He crashed into the ground awkwardly, and Taliesin was torn between concern and amusement as Daniel cursed even louder.
“Are you alright?” Taliesin asked as Daniel straightened himself out, standing up slowly.
“I think I bruised my pride,” Daniel muttered, shaking his head. “And probably my rump.”
Taliesin snickered, covering his mouth with his hand as Daniel turned to him, apparently finished taking stock of his injuries.
“Climbing trees is foolhardy and dangerous,” Daniel told him solemnly, stretching his shoulders. “Don’t do it.”
“Of course not,” Taliesin replied immediately, adopting Daniel’s solemn tone for a minute. He ruined it by grinning though, and Daniel eyed him suspiciously.
“Oh, but you’re bleeding,” Taliesin pointed out, his smile fading as he crossed the last few steps separating him from Daniel. There were red splotches soaking through the sleeve of Daniel’s shirt, high on his upper arm.
“Where?” Daniel asked, looking down with a frown. Taliesin gestured, watching with concern as Daniel twisted his arm to look. He hooked his fingers in the small tear in his shirt, ripping it a little more and displaying a short gash in his arm. Fresh, brightly-colored blood ran along Daniel’s arm, nothing like the dark color Taliesin had thrown up and coughed up in his lifetime.
“That’s not good,” Taliesin said faintly, and Daniel shrugged, letting his hand fall away.
“It’s just a scratch,” Daniel dismissed, and Taliesin tore his eyes away, meeting Daniel’s eyes instead. “Are you okay, Tal?”
Taliesin nodded, shrugging a little. It was just a little bit of blood, so just a little scratch.
“Come on, sit down,” Daniel ordered, wiping his hand off on his pants before grabbing Taliesin’s arm and tugging him down. Taliesin went without protest, sitting down carefully.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone lose their color that fast, Tal,” Daniel spoke up after a minute. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Taliesin nodded, rubbing at his cheeks because that always got more color in his face.
“Are you getting sick or do you not like seeing blood?” Daniel asked, his tone concerned and Taliesin sighed, because he was never going to get away from people asking if he was feeling ill.
“Blood, I guess,” Taliesin muttered after a minute, staring at the grass. “One of the first doctors did bloodletting because I was obviously an evil child who was pretending to be sick to get out of lessons.”
Daniel scowled, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and tugging him closer. “Did mother kill him?”
“I don’t think so,” Taliesin said slowly, trying to remember what had happened to that doctor. “I don’t know if she knew.”
“What?” Daniel asked, frowning. “You didn’t say anything?”
“I was kind of bedridden,” Taliesin pointed out dryly. “And I think that was the first fall I spent at the summer house, so mother wasn’t there to tell.”
“Oh.” Daniel shook him gently. “I’m glad you’re not sick anymore.”
“You’re going to jinx me,” Taliesin chided playfully. “Can I skip lunch, too? I think we’re both really late.”
Daniel laughed, his arm falling away as he stood. “Sure, but I’ve got to get to a meeting with Lady Wellworth soon. I should probably change first,” Daniel mused, brushing ineffectually at the dirt staining the knees of his pants.
“Lady Wellworth?” Taliesin asked, thinking for a moment. Unless his memory was failing him, the Wellworths were the family that was feuding with Vincent’s family. “What about?”
“I think she’s trying to sway me to her side of the conflict between her family and the Thedors,” Daniel said with a grimace, not looking any too pleased about the idea. “From what I’ve heard, she thinks she can use Vincent’s actions last year against him now.”
“What did he do?” Taliesin asked softly, pushing himself off the ground. He brushed the seat of his pants off, unsurprised when the question made Daniel’s expression darken.
“There was an incident,” Daniel began, gesturing for Taliesin to walk with him. Taliesin fell into step next to him, tucking his hands into his pockets. “Where some of the peasants who lived in Thedor territory ambushed one of the Wellworth girls when she was traveling through the their land on the public roads. She wasn’t hurt, just scared, but the Wellworths demanded compensation. Vincent tried to influence my parent’s decision through me.”
“How?” Taliesin asked, biting his lip. Daniel frowned, pressing his lips together. He didn’t say anything, just stared unhappily at the side of the palace as they approached it. “I can ask Lucas, if you want? I should probably know, since he approached me too.”
Daniel shook his head, smiling faintly. “That’s blackmail.”
“I use the means available to me,” Taliesin replied with a grin, bumping his elbow against Daniel’s. “Since I can’t beat it out of you, I’m going with blackmail.”
Daniel laughed, pulling open the door to the palace for Taliesin. Taliesin stepped inside slowly, blinking at the dim light in the hallway.
“Vincent had approached me a few months before the incident,” Daniel said after a moment, leading the way down the hall towards the closest set of stairs. “He and I were… involved. When this came up, he brought the topic up and tried to argue his side of it to me.”
“And then?” Taliesin asked curiously.
“And that was it,” Daniel said, shrugging. “What more would there be?”
“But,” Taliesin started, frowning. “So you fought over it?”
“Yes,” Daniel said, raising his eyebrows at Taliesin. “Why?”
“I don’t know,” Taliesin said slowly, biting his lip briefly while he debated whether or not to continue to press it. But if he was going to stay friends with Vincent, he probably should know more about what had passed between him and Daniel. “Did he say he was just using you? Or just pressed it after you asked him not to?”
“He didn’t say it, Tal,” Daniel said, scowling for a moment before clearing the expression from his face. “He said it by bringing up the topic when he knew he shouldn’t have.”
“Did you talk other politics?” Taliesin asked softly, knowing he was pushing his luck. Daniel sighed loudly, shaking his head.
“Yes, we did. I really don’t want to talk about this, Taliesin,” Daniel said, doing a decent job of not showing how annoyed he was, but not completely masking it.
“Sorry,” Taliesin apologized, tugging on one of his shirtsleeves. Daniel rolled his eyes, ruffling Taliesin’s hair.
“Don’t worry about it. Just don’t ask Lucas, he blows the entire story out of proportion,” Daniel dismissed as they reached the foot of the stairs. Taliesin hesitated – if he went back to his room, his mother would just send a servant for him and pull him into dining with her anyway. He didn’t mind dining with his mother, but if it was just him alone she’d focus too much attention on him.
“I need to go hide from mother,” Taliesin told Daniel solemnly, earning a laugh.
“Good luck,” Daniel replied with just as much sincere solemnity. Taliesin grinned, stepping back from the stairs.
“See you at dinner,” Taliesin said, giving Daniel a quick wave before turning away. Daniel muttered something in agreement before starting up the stairs. Taliesin sighed softly, turning away and beginning to walk. He wasn’t sure where to go, but that would hopefully work in his favor – if he didn’t know where he was going, how was anyone else supposed to figure it out?
