Aplin reached up and plucked an orb the size of his fist. “They start out orange. As they ripen, they darken to purple. This one looks perfect.” He handed the fruit to Frisha. “Go on. Try it.”
Frisha bit into the orb and was pleasantly surprised by the sweet, tart burst of flavor. “Oh! This is amazing.”
Aplin shook his head. “Yes, but you should probably not eat too much. They are quite intoxicating.”
Frisha glanced down at the purple and orange delight as it dribbled succulent juice onto the dirt floor. “The fruit is intoxicating?”
Tieran grinned and plucked one for himself. He took a large bite and said, “Yes, the juice is like sweet wine. We do not even have to wait for them to ferment.”
Frisha rolled her eyes and handed the fruit to the mage. “I should have known.”
Tieran slapped Aplin on the shoulder and said, “He is a genius.”
Aplin diverted his gaze. “I am only an apprentice.”
“Well, you are far more knowledgeable and skilled than I,” Tieran said.
“Oh, I doubt that, Lord Tieran. You have a significant talent.”
“Technically, I am only an apprentice as well.”
“Still, you are to be duke.”
Tieran frowned. “A title I was not required to earn, and I have done nothing to deserve it.” He shook his head and lightened his tone. “I give credit where it is due.”
Frisha gave him an incredulous look and said, “No, you usually don’t.”
Tieran appeared surprised she would say such a thing, and Frisha was, too. He then turned to Aplin and said, “You—you have worked hard. My talent is raw, unrefined. This”—he gazed at the tree—“is a masterpiece.”
Frisha glanced between the two men who were busy stroking each other’s egos. She smiled and said, “This is all great, but weren’t you trying to make food?”
“Come now, Frisha. Surely you can see the benefits. Cael needs exports. We will be the only kingdom to supply this wine, and we can do it faster and easier than anyone else.”
Frisha pursed her lips. “Yes, but they don’t know that.”
Both men looked at her with uncertainty, not knowing if she was supporting or rejecting the idea.
She said, “Look, if only we are producing the wine, but everyone wants it, then it becomes a delicacy. Delicacies are expensive. Less is more.”
“Ah,” Tieran said. “I like the way you think. If we sell fewer bottles, the price grows higher.”
“Exactly, but we have to be careful to maintain the proper balance. We sell only so much that people are willing to pay more to get their hands on them, but we must be careful not to drive the price so high that people lose interest. We will have to market it in such a way that the higher classes see it as a privilege to acquire but also so that their peers expect them to serve it at formal occasions.”
Tieran chuckled. “I had no idea you were so adept at manipulating the nobility.”
“Well, I am not an expert by any means, but I did listen to my father sometimes. He wanted to make sure I could run the businesses in case my future husband turned out to be inept. It’s just that … well, I wasn’t very interested, so I didn’t pay enough attention.”
Tieran rubbed the back of his neck. “I suppose I can understand that.”
Frisha turned to Aplin. “Thank you for showing us your work. It sounds like what you’ve done is not easy. You should be proud of yourself.”
“Thank you, Lady Frisha. You are most welcome to come back anytime.”
As they strolled through the freshly cultivated gardens, Tieran said, “What do you really think?”
Frisha smiled ruefully. “I know little about plants. My home in Cheswick was in the city. We had a small herb garden, but mostly my mother and the maid took care of it. I think it did not require much maintenance.”
A cool sea breeze, mixed with the scent of soil, fresh cut plants, and blooms, tugged at Tieran’s tunic and ruffled the green scarf Frisha wore somewhere on her person nearly every day.
He said, “I try not to think of home often, but this place brings up old memories. We had many gardens on our estates. My mother enjoyed spending time in them, but she did not like getting her hands dirty. I had a private tutor in the talent for a while, but my father said it was beneath a duke to toil in the garden. We have servants for that, he would say.”
“But, plants are your thing, aren’t they?”
Tieran nodded. “Yes. My talent presented early. I was only twelve. I remember that, as a child, I always enjoyed spending time with my tutor in the garden. My father, however, spoke disparagingly of him. My father is so confident, so self-assured. He is the duke. People respect him. No one would dare contradict him.” He sucked in a sharp breath and said, “The last time I saw my tutor, I was fifteen. I said to him, If plants could grow coins, then your talent might be worth something. It was what my father had said to me the night before at dinner. My tutor refused to work with me after that, and now that I look back on it, I cannot say I blame him.”
Frisha had no idea how to respond, so she said nothing. They ambled along the path toward the palace in awkward silence. Eventually, her uncontrollable tongue got the better of her. “You surprised me back there.”
“How so?”
“Well, you usually don’t show much appreciation for those of lower station.”
“He is a mage,” said Tieran.
“Yes, not nearly a duke,” she replied, “and he is only an apprentice.”
“He has worked many more years on the talent than I. He has earned his place. What have I earned?”
“What have you tried to earn?” she said. Tieran again looked at her as if she had lost her mind for saying such a thing. She smiled playfully. “Oh, I don’t really blame you. I can’t say that I’ve done anything worth mentioning.”
“I am the heir of a dukedom. You are much younger … and a woman. You are not expected to do anything.”
Frisha nodded. “I know, but should I not try because it is not expected? To be honest, I never even thought about it. I knew I would marry and have children. All of my friends were the same, except Tam, of course. But, now I know women who are mages. Yserria is a swordmaster! Even Reaylin has worked hard to become a warrior. During all the time they were training and learning, what was I doing? Dreaming about my future husband is all. Worrying over how terrible he might be, hoping for the best.”
“Perhaps you might have done more, but you still have time. And … there is one very big difference between you and me.” He paused, and she with him. His gaze traced her face and then caught on the scarf. He started walking again and said, “You treat everyone well. You are always kind to them, and you are not afraid to speak on their behalf. Their stations in life do not seem to matter to you. You have done well with our task.”
Frisha shook her head. “Rezkin put us both in charge, although I’m still not sure why he chose me.”
“You are to be his queen,” Tieran said, and she knew he had seen her wince. “People feel comfortable working with you. More come to you with their problems than to me. People like you.”
“I am sure they like you, too. They are probably just intimidated by you,” she said, her tone hopeful but not convincing.
Tieran turned his gaze to the road. “I think Aplin likes you.” Frisha smiled, but he did not see since he was busy staring at the stones on the path, his brow furrowed in contemplation.
“I like him, too,” she said. “He seems very nice.”
Tieran shook his head. Without looking up, he said, “No, that is not what I meant.”
Her cheeks heated, and Frisha suddenly found the path to be interesting as well. “Oh, I don’t think he thinks of me like that.”
“No? I doubt he would ever say it. No one wants to upset the king; and besides, I cannot imagine you would give up a chance to be queen for a mage.”
“I don’t want to be queen,” Frisha blurted.
Tieran’s head came up, and he stopped. “You do not wish to marry Rezkin?”
“No, that’s not what I meant. I was only referring to the part about being queen; but, well, I’m not sure about the other either.”