Chapter 439 - A Thorny Situation to Bee-solve

After ensuring the Second Chimeric Queen was taken care…and wouldn’t hurt the bees…Belissar and Tarwantrad made their way to the Land of the Fair, heading for Lord Aratodel’s dungeon. Along with them came a communer from the Third of the Fourth’s hive, whom Belissar invited along since the queen seemed to enjoy talking with Lord Aratodel.

The group soon arrived at the dungeon, where the silver elf guards immediately stood at attention and saluted.

“Welcome, Honored Signatory Belissar!”

Tarwantrad snickered.

“Well, they’ve certain changed their tune, haven’t they?”

This time, the group was welcomed in and brought to a gazebo in the middle of a flower garden. Belissar glanced around, for the scenery was unlike any he had seen. There were nearly as many flowers around as in one of his Flower Meadows, but they were far more organized. Neat rows of flowers formed stripes of color that curled along with stone walkways. Different flower species didn’t blend together except where intended, creating a scene more like brushes of paint than the chaotic rainbows of Belissar and Tarwantrad’s fields. Flower bushes grew in clear shapes, forming living sculptures of leaves and flowers.

Lord Aratodel himself was waiting for them. He stood to his feet and gave Belissar a bow.

“Signatory Belissar! Welcome! I am honored to host you today!”

Belissar smiled.

“Thank you for having us.”

Lord Aratodel guided them to their seats, then poured them each a cup of tea…though he paused when he got to Tarwantrad.

“Lady Tarwantrad, I must admit I am surprised to see you here again.”

Tarwantrad rolled her eyes.

“I told you, enough with the lady stuff. We don’t do that sort of thing in Viryaskog, Aratodel. And of course I’m here, someone needs to make sure you don’t give Belissar the wrong idea.”

Lord Aratodel stuck up his nose.

“It is only proper to acknowledge your station, Lady Tarwantrad, Grandniece of Signatory Ornetrad. And I hardly know what you mean, I fully intend to assist Signatory Belissar to the utmost of my ability and with all my sincerity.”

Tarwantrad narrowed her eyes.

“That’s precisely the problem! You butcher your flowers and lord over them like you want to lord over everything else!”

Lord Aratodel shook his head.

“I tend my gardens to the utmost of my ability, bringing out the best of my flowers with careful planning and tender care. It is you who are negligent in your garden’s care, letting weeds run rampant and refusing to tend your flowers as you should!”

The two elves glared at each other, Tarwantrad growling while Lord Aratodel huffed. Belissar glanced back and forth between them, uncertain what to do.

“The…God of Flowers likes you both though…right?”

Both of them glanced at Belissar…then refused to look back at each other. Tarwantrad’s face suddenly curled into a sly grin.

“Well yes, but I’m the favorite. She told me as much.”

Lord Aratodel scoffed.

“You shouldn’t lie so blatantly, Lady Tarwantrad. It is unbecoming.”

Tarwantrad giggled.

“Oh, it’s no lie. Go ask Almablom if you don’t believe me. The God of Flowers visited Belissar’s Tower and spoke to us both.”

Lord Aratodel paused, then turned to Belissar with an eyebrow raised.

“Truly? It is said no god has incarnated since the Hunger arose.”

Belissar nodded.

“The God of Flowers did visit us. I…think the gods can only show up in other gods’ dungeons? The God of Bees only appeared when I visited Tarwantrad’s…”

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Lord Aratodel blinked.

“My word…”

Tarwantrad was about to continue when a silver elf stepped up to the gazebo and bowed.

“Lord Aratodel, honored guests, please excuse me but you have another visitor. Oracle Almablom has arrived and says she has messages for you.”

Lord Aratodel immediately began nodding.

“Let her in, immediately.”

A minute later, a silver elf guard led Almablom to the gazebo. She smiled at them.

“Belissar, Lord Aratodel, it is nice to see you both.”

Belissar and Lord Aratodel both greeted her in turn. Almablom’s smile grew.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

She turned and bopped Tarwantrad on the head, her smile immediately turning into a frown.

“The God of Flowers says stop that. She says she didn’t praise you so you could torment Lord Aratodel. She says that, frankly, both of you could stand to learn a thing or two from each other. Lord Aratodel, the God of Flowers thanks you for your steady devotion and says she hopes to meet you one day in Belissar’s Tower.”

Lord Aratodel’s eyes widened, then he knelt down and bowed low.

“It would be my honor.”

Almablom nodded.

“She does say you should learn from Tower Keeper Belissar and Tarwantrad on how to cooperate and share your devotion with others, but also that she appreciates your work. She hopes that you three will all work together to bring flowers to new heights.”

Lord Aratodel bowed even lower, touching his head to the ground.

“It shall be as she says!”

Almablom smiled.

“Now then, that is all from the God of Flowers…”

Then she turned to Tarwantrad, scowled, grabbed the dungeon master’s collar, and began shaking her with all her might.

“TARWANTRAD! WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME THAT THE GOD OF FLOWERS INCARNATED?! THAT WE COULD MEET HER FACE TO FACE?!”

Tarwantrad…couldn’t make eye contact.

“I’m sorry. I just got so excited that I forgot…”

Almablom did not seem any less upset.

“FORGOT?! YOU FORGOT?! I SEE HOW IT IS! YOU’VE BEEN SO OBSSESSED WITH YOUR BEE MAN THAT YOU JUST FORGOT ALL ABOUT ME, DIDN’T YOU?!”

Tarwantrad…was unable to respond in the face of Almablom’s rage, just glancing away and whispering apologies. Almablom turned back to Belissar and Lord Aratodel, a perfectly peaceful smile on her face.

“Excuse me, you two, but I’d like to borrow Tarwantrad for a bit. Would you mind?”

Both Belissar and Lord Aratodel felt the need to shake their heads with all their might. Almablom smiled at them once more…

And then she dragged Tarwantrad out of the dungeon. Belissar glanced at Lord Aratodel.

“…should we…just continue without them, then?”

Lord Aratodel slowly rose to his feet and nodded.

“I believe that would be for the best. Lady Almablom can be frightening when she’s upset. I fear Lady Tarwantrad may be…indisposed for a while to come.”

Belissar decided that now was as good a time as any for an introduction and motioned for the Third of the Fourth’s communer to land on the table. Lord Aratodel raised an eyebrow.

“Tower Keeper Belissar, who is this bee?”

Belissar smiled.

“This is a communer bee from the Third of the Fourth’s hive. She looked forward to speaking with you again.”

The communer bee followed up with a dance.

“Queen-mother says hi! Thanks for help, says tea much better now!”

Lord Aratodel’s eyes widened.

“Communer…I take it she is a communication-specialized monster?”

Belissar nodded.

“As long as she’s here, you can speak with the Third of the Fourth through her.”

Lord Aratodel smiled and then gave the bee a bow.

“The pleasure is mine, Your Majesty the Third Queen of the First Dynasty of the Fourth Spawner, Defender of the Bee Tower and first of her line. Your child is most welcome within my halls, I will show her the very best of my hospitality.”

Lord Aratodel made good on that by bringing out a small dish and pouring the communer some tea…and went on to pour tea for Niobee and all of Belissar’s escort bees as well. Only then did Lord Aratodel take his seat. He spoke with Belissar about some unrelated topics, such as the weather, the conditions for gardening, and some gossip regarding the silver elf court. Belissar didn’t know what to make of that but went along with it while drinking his tea…it was quite good.

Eventually, Lord Aratodel got to business.

“Now then, Signatory Belissar, you are ever welcome to make social calls whenever you wish, but I believe you had some business with me today?”

Belissar nodded.

“I’m planning to set up a challenge for the God of Flowers in my Tower, so I wondered if you had any advice.”

Lord Aratodel smiled at that, but Belissar wasn’t finished.

“I also wanted to see if you wanted any bees and had any to exchange in turn, or flowers if not. I’ve done the same with Tarwantrad and, well, you’re a dungeon master of Flowers too, right?”

Lord Aratodel blinked…then bowed his head low once more.

“Signatory Belissar…I would be honored beyond words.”

Belissar smiled.

“Just make sure to take care of them and make them happy. Though, with how many flowers you have, I don’t think that’ll be a problem.”

Lord Aratodel began to tear up and placed his hand over his heart.

“On my honor, I swear I shall be the finest caretaker to any of your bees that you entrust to me! And with their honey, I shall serve to you the finest tea ever brewed!”

Belissar gave him a nod.

“Good, then let’s discuss what they need. I’ll bring over a beehouse later and show you how I make them.”

Lord Aratodel smiled and bowed his head again.

“You have my thanks. In turn, allow me to show you the best of my gardens and my dungeon! I do believe you will enjoy the flowers I have cultivated.”

Up in the Realm of Flowers, the God of Flowers was currently…glancing away from the world below.

“I…um…probably should have incarnated for Almablom. I’d do it now, but I can’t get the God of Light to give me authority for the next one…S-Sorry, Tarwantrad, but you forgot too! And I told you not to taunt Lord Aratodel with this, so it is your fault too!”

She took another peek before glancing away.

“…maybe I should tell Almablom not to be so jealous. S-She should know I love her too, right? Maybe I should tell her again…and give her a blessing or something…”

A bumblebee minding its own business in her realm stared at her for a moment, but the God of Flowers was too busy to notice….