Alaras wasn't soothed. Basren gave one glance down to the discarded cup before lifting himself from the bench. He'd hoped Alaras wouldn't pick up until he did feel better, but he'd foisted himself up and off in the opposite direction of the statue before Basren could even make an attempt at leading the way.<br/><br/><i>This looks well-tended and cared for.</i><br/><br/>Basren had to quicken his steps to make up for his moment of quiet consternation. "Well, it is," he said, in that same hesitant, slow tone he'd taken before. He didn't want to<i>offend</i>Alaras, but then... Alaras was already so... different. Basren felt himself flailing for how to treat him, since there didn't seem to be any guide to follow. Usually, people were wheedling with him, or full of praise (false praise, as far as Basren was concerned, because few ever made an offer for him), or even just coolly tolerated him. The only consolation was that Alaras seemed just as off-kilter as he was.<br/><br/>"You don't have servants help you in your garden?"<br/><br/>Perhaps that was why the Langlais family hadn't put up much of a fuss about sending their young bachelor to court by himself. Certainly he'd be tempting to anyone here, although not to Basren. Basren wasn't their object. They needed someone rich.<br/><br/>At any rate, they were both falling back on the one thing they had in common--the garden. Alaras was saying he had never seen some of the plants before, and for a moment, Basren had to tamp down on his pride.<br/><br/>"Some of them aren't native." He paused to brush his thumb over a dark green leaf, its buds not yet flowered out but tightly furled into an arrowpoint of purple. His smile was cautious. "I'm hoping everyone else will be just as surprised." His gaze flickered down to Alaras' notebook. "I hope you won't mind keeping it all a secret until it's unveiling...?"<br/><br/>He plucked the leaf, taking it over to Alaras to make a press of it in his book, if he liked. The question he could hear in Alaras' next comment surprised him. He stood for a moment, trying to analyze it, but in the end, Alaras seemed so plain in his confusion, Basren gave up on seeing him as anything but genuinely confused.<br/><br/>He reminded himself that Alaras had<i>never</i>been to court. He'd always been either too sick or away at his studies.<br/><br/>"Well, I'm no threat," he said, simply. "I mean, no one can reasonably think you've come to court looking for--for someone like me. I'm simply Sovele's... ambassador." He was hesitant to say more. His own suppositions couldn't be voiced, but they were plain to anyone who'd been in court for five minutes. Except, apparently, to Alaras. He said, gently, "You can't be entirely ignorant of your... qualities? Especially as an heir?"