Of Winds And Quakes

33. The Kiss

Year of the Roses
Floral Season
The Orchard
Altsas

Alysia

I'M WARY OF LYSIA. Ever since she told me that she was in love, she has been acting like nothing happened. I wonder who are love interest was, a Prince? A duke? A Sire? A commoner perhaps? She leads me deeper into the orchard and we sit under the shade of trees. She doesn't even loosely resemble the girl who was crying just minutes ago. She sits beside me biting into a mango. She sinks her teeth into the fleshy yellow fruit and chews with a hum.

"Are you sure you won't eat some mango?" She stretches a small mango to me. I shake my head. Her countenance falls but she recovers fairly quickly. "Suit yourself," she says with a shrug.

"How big is this orchard?" It seems to stretch out to the horizon.

"Acres and acres," she replies dryly while sucking on the hard mango seed.

"That's really impressive," I gush. "I can get lost here."

"We used to have horses here too but I haven't seen any so they must be in the stables." She throws the seed and it lands with a small thud a few metres away.

"Can we go to the stables? I would love to see the horses," I ask a bit too perky.

She wrinkles her nose in what I perceive is disgust. "The stables are too stinky, Alysia. My brother will have to take you," turning to me, she asks, "you haven't seen a horse before?"

"I have. Only the wealthy can afford a horse at Kintil, and some merchants," I reply.

"Oh," is her only reply.

We sit in silence and Lysia gets started on the second mango. I stand up and my legs protest with pricks of pain, I deserve it for squating too long.

On a few trees away are noisy weaver birds, there can be hundreds of them. Their chirps and songs are mellifluous to my ears. Since we are under a mango tree, the smell of mango is consuming my nostrils.

Lysia said there used to be horses here. I can imagine them cantering through the trees and grazing at the short grasses. I can imagine them drinking from the lively crystal river. I can almost imagine riding on their back, my hair tousling in the wind.

"Can you ride?" I'm hoping she can teach me. The scandalized look on her face is comical, it's obvious she can't.

"I'm afraid not, Alysia." Sighing, she rises to her feet and stretches like a cat. "You two are so alike," she adds dryly and begins to walk away from the tree that was our shade only minutes ago. Not that we need a shade, the weather is balmy and not scorching hot like the Torrid.

"What do you mean?" I follow her as she trots in between trees.

"My brother. You two are a match made by God." I'd say she was just trying to crack a joke but the look on her face is quite serious.

I roll my eyes and hope she didn't see me."And why would you say that? I haven't even said a word to him."

"You seem so interested in horses," Lysia states. "And when he's not on one of his stupid hikes, he loves to spend his time in the stables."

"So?" I'm not seeing her point though I want to ask about the 'stupid hikes' I'd rather not.

"Just imagine it, Alysia. You two can ride off into the sunset." She adds with a wistful sigh.

My laugh is forced and dry. "You are such a dreamer, Lysia."

She shrugs indifferently. "You only get to live once and I don't mind daydreaming through it."