Page 68 of Ahelno
“Yes, Lumanela. The Prince was most insistent that we are at your service.”
“Uh huh, I’ll be back,” I said, and closed the door in his face. I went back to the comms panel and asked to be connected to Dakleth.
“Greetings, mate,” he said, smiling. “You have already received my gifts?”
I dispensed with the formalities. “First, it’s Andie. Second, why is there a group of gardeners on my doorstep?” I demanded.
“I am giving you flowers. It is a traditional human courtship gift, yes? Leo informed me.”
“Wait, so planting bushes is the Ptexari equivalent of giving a human woman flowers?”
“I do not understand. There is no equivalent. Ptexari do not exchange flowers. I am giving flowers to you to declare my courtship intentions in the human way.”
Ohhhhhh. I couldn’t help it. I started giggling, then broke out into peals of laughter. Flowering bushes. So ridiculous, this man. He really was trying hard to learn our customs. Should I tell him? I didn’t want him to be upset with himself for getting it wrong, but I also didn’t want any more “flower” deliveries.
“Why are you laughing, mate?” He narrowed his eyes at me.
“For the love of all things holy, stop calling me that,” I said, irritated. “For the record, humans will cut the stems of flowers from plants that are in bloom. We will give the cut flowers to our friends or a date as a bouquet. Twelve is the traditional number of flowers. Sometimes we wrap a ribbon around the bouquet. Whatever…. the point is, we stick the flowers in a vase of water to brighten up a room. We don’t usually give each other a pallet full of live plants.” He was silent for a moment.
“That makes no sense,” he said. “Cut flowers would only last a few days. They would die and have to be thrown out. That is wasteful. Bushes will flower in your garden every year. They will also attract pollinators to help your garden flourish.”
I rolled my eyes. He got it wrong, and now he was going to shit on the custom? “Human courting gifts aren’t meant to be practical. They are little things that a woman wouldn’t usually buy for herself. Ugh! Why am I even explaining this to you? I’ve got to go let the gardeners in the back gate, I guess. Thank you for the weird-ass gift. Get further clarification from Leo before you try to surprise me with anything else,” I huffed as I cut the call. Sighing, I led the troupe of gardeners to my backyard and told them not to mess up any of the other plants.
A bit later there was another chime, and I opened up to find Camavel at my door.
“Greetings, Andie, and blessings upon your house,” she said.
“Thank you, Camavel, and on yours as well. Would you like some Oonag?” I asked.
“That would be welcome. I am curious to know why there is a small army in your garden,” she said.
“A bit of a miscommunication,” I said irritably. “Prince Dakleth wanted to send me flowers, which is a human custom. We send cut flowers to put in vases. He misunderstood and has sent me a bunch of flowering bushes. And gardeners to plant them, evidently.” I looked toward the back door. I wondered if M’Pak was back there, but I hadn’t heard any shouts of alarm, so I guess he was making himself scarce.
“Why do humans send flowers to one another?” Camavel asked.
“Oh, well, it can be for many reasons. Someone’s birthday, or to celebrate a special occasion,” I explained.
“Is there an occasion to celebrate?” she asked.
“Um, well, men also send flowers to women they are dating,” I mumbled.
“Dating? What is this word?”
“It’s, ah, like courting.”
“Is Prince Dakleth courting you?” she asked with obvious glee.
“Calm down, woman,” I said and sighed. “He did declare that was his intention, yes.”
“And he attempted a human courting custom?” she pressed.
“Attempted and failed,” I snarked.
“It is a thoughtful gesture,” she mused. “Not many Ptexari males would be so keen to honor your human customs, I think.”
“You’re right,” I grumbled. “I’m just feeling out of sorts about the whole thing. I’m not sure I want to be courted.”
“That is exactly what the courting period is for,” Camavel said. “To ensure that the male you eventually choose is compatible. Ideally, you would be courted by several males and choose the one you find most suitable. The Ptexari courtship period lasts many months, giving you plenty of time to get to know your suitors. You have had many males declare their interest, and you have spurned them all.”
