Chapter 19: Hard to Confuse

"You won't miss our dance?" pressed . . . oh, whichever twin it was. He'd given up trying to keep them straight.

"Of course not, lady!" he promised. "Kedidi and I came halfway around the world to see you dance. I've already sent pictures of you and your sister to my lady mother so she can see you dressed up. She's very happy you like the wrist braces she sent, and she wants to see you wear them for your performance."

Blue eyes widened with childish awe at the reminder of Avocato's royal mother. "Ohh! The princess!" She sighed in delight, holding out her skinny arms to admire the ornate beaded cuffs. "They are very pretty. None of the other girls have anything like them."

"They'll show up nicely when you dance. We won't have any trouble spotting you. Now hurry along, your mother is waiting."

"Don't forget to come, Avoo! We dance at noon!"

He returned her wave as she ran off to join her mother and sister. The harvest celebration was just starting, and Avocato was already enjoying it. Held on a series of flat islands connected by flimsy-looking bridges and surrounded on all sides by a maze of canals, Avocato could see bright awnings and stalls and could smell foods spicy and sweet being prepared. Music unlike any he'd ever heard before reached his ears, and crowds of farmers and fishermen moved about, talking and laughing. Children (with the occasional hund at their heels) ran around, shouting as they chased one another and played. There was a little more variety in color of the Ventrexians present, but not much. The prevalent coloring was variants on cream with dark points like Nikos' family, and it seemed as if everyone wore the same type of hat, including Avocato and Kedi. Nikos had explained that the festival had, in years past, been a small event to celebrate the harvest, but spice merchants had gotten into the habit of scheduling their buying trips at the same time to get the local wares at their freshest. So, while enjoyable, there was also a great deal of tension in the air as farmers tried to barter the best prices for their crops.

Avocato looked around with wide-eyed excitement. By his absolutely transparent expression, Nikos and Kedi could tell Avocato had never seen, let alone been to anything like this before in his short, sheltered life. That meant they were in for an entertaining time, but he couldn't be left alone for even a moment. Kedi had chased him around the stores in Tektul to save him from himself and keep him from purchasing everything he saw. Here, he'd probably eat all day and then buy enough trinkets for Miriyalu and Mrica to fill a dugout. Avocato might be a brilliant student and martial artist, but when it came to practical matters, he was clueless, harmless, and mostly willing to be led.

"We have a little time before my sisters' dance," said Nikos, securing their boat - one of many lined up along the dock. "Lead the way, cadets, and I'll follow."

They wandered past food vendors and artisans, prized farm animals on display, and the tables where spice farmers and buyers would show their wares. They then joined the crowd gathering at a raised platform where the dancers would perform, and that was when things began to get . . . odd.

Or was that odder?

On the boat ride here, many people had called out to Nikos, asking about the academy and peering with immense interest at his guests. Many people poled their dugouts closer just to have a look, and one little boy actually fell in the canal when he stood up in the boat to keep staring.

Here at the stage, everyone turned and looked at them - or, more specifically, at Avocato. And it wasn't just looking - they were staring and pointing and smiling and whispering and nudging each other in excitement and many adults, mostly older ones, inclined their heads respectfully and bid him a good day. Just as many thanked him for coming, voicing hopes he had an enjoyable visit. Avocato, whose manners were as much a burden as a blessing at times, was kept busy returning the greetings and trying to detach himself. He was given a wide berth, too, by those not bold enough to approach, and the three of them found themselves on a little island in the midst of the crowd. Kedi was likewise treated with polite nods and a few greetings, and Nikos got many looks of approval and more than his fair share of hearty claps on the shoulder, but Avocato was undoubtedly the main attraction.

"Nikos," begged Avocato through clenched teeth, on the verge of panic after yet another middle-aged lady had just welcomed him to Vel Pitten and introduced him to her daughters.

"I have no idea," murmured Nikos back, equally ill at ease but with sore shoulders to boot.

Kedi just sipped the fruit juice he had bought and watched them struggle, glad to dodge being the center of so much attention.

The crowd - and the scrutiny - increased until finally the first set of dancers came out, to Avocato's immense relief. They were little older than kittens, and their performance was adorably disorganized, with one little boy unable to do more than stand in spot and wave at his mother while the dancers bumped into him. His mother finally had to come pick him up off the stage when he would not get down at the end. Another set of dancers, equally adorable but more coordinated, did a short piece, and then it was time for Nikos' sisters.

A dozen or so little girls about the same age as the twins filed onto the stage. They wore matching dresses but their own accessories and jewelry. Even to Avocato's untrained eye, it was immediately apparent by the side-eyed looks and expressions that Miriyalu and Mrica were the envy of the dance troop with their silver fans and gorgeously beaded cuffs. Scanning the crowd, they spotted their brother and his tall, foreign guests and waved enthusiastically, the braces sparkling in the sunshine. When the three cadets waved back, all the other little girls wore looks of complete astonishment and stared at Avocato with wide blue eyes as if they could not believe he was real. One little girl, who was almost a solid cream color and standing between the twins, glowered in what had to be jealous anger. They were so intent on Avocato that their dance teacher had to clap her hands a few times to get then to line up for their performance.

"Drama?" whispered Avocato.

"The girl in the center is Sheba," Nikos replied, smiling and nodding. "According to my sisters, she thinks she's prettiest in their school grade."

"Ah. Is she a bianca?"

"Not quite. It's very rare in Answaar. A true bianca is all white, like Cordell, but Sheba says she is."

"Enter Avoo with presents from a princess," laughed Kedi.

"Behold." Nikos gestured with both hands. "My little sisters, triumphant."

Kedi saluted with his juice. "Let them enjoy their victory dance."

They danced well, the strings of bells tied around their tails sounding like rain. The dance was in homage to the Saan River, and when they reached the part that had set them to giggling the day before, Avocato grinned and performed the gesture with one hand. Nikos elbowed him in the side, but the twins broke into wide smiles and for the rest of the performance, all the little girls tried to outdance each other. With their brilliant smiles and sparkling jewelry, the twins were the clear winners in the unspoken competition.

"Now I know what I looked like dancing with Cordata," said Avocato.

"They're prettier than you," corrected Kedi, and they all laughed.

Pipar and Piarcynka, who had watched the dancing closer to the stage, joined them after collecting Miriyalu and Mrica. Rinkon was with them, but lingered only long enough to congratulate her sisters and frown in consternation as yet more people - some of the village elders no less - paused to welcome Avocato.

"What is that about?" wondered Pipar.

"I wish I knew," Avocato replied, completely missing the smug smiles Mrica and Miriyalu exchanged.

Piarcynka lifted the reed basket containing samples of spice. "Nikos, I must take the girls to change out of their dance clothes and your father is going to help judge the woodcarving. Will you carry this and meet us at the merchant tables before they open?"

"Of course, Mama," he replied, taking the basket. When his family left, Nikos looked to his friends. "Gentlemen, let's eat."

"Are they mistaking me for someone?" Avocato asked a few minutes later. He had just purchased a skewer of roasted prawns and fruits, and been handed enough food for three people.

"I can't imagine who," said Nikos, who likewise had been handed far more food than he'd paid for. "You're hard to confuse with anyone."

They ate everything, deeming it tasty but not as good as Piarcynka's - or even Nikos' - cooking. Hesitant to exploit his new-found fame to get something to drink, Avocato volunteered to watch the basket while Nikos and Kedi braved the food vendors for drinks and sweets. Avocato found a bench in the shade and sat down, enjoying the crowds and sounds and smells as much as a chance to remove his hat off and cool off.

He was looking at the fragrant bundles of spice, each carefully tied and tagged, when two well-dressed Ventrexians and a Shrillia'ji passed by, a hovering secretary robot following close behind. They paused and looked his way, exchanging intent whispers. Gesturing for his companions to wait, the older of the Ventrexians approached Avocato.

"Excuse me, young master," he said, "but if I may be so bold, you are a Blue Imperial, are you not?"

His accent was familiar; he was from Ventrex City or thereabouts. Avocato set the spice back in the basket and stood to greet him. "That would be correct, sir. Avocato, at your service."

"Lev Raion at yours, master. We heard rumors of a Blue Imperial in the area when we landed in Tektul yesterday. It's an unlooked-for pleasure to actually meet you. Is this your first visit to Vel Pitten?"

"It is, sir," he replied, not sure if the man was glad to meet him or just his pelt, and if he still looked like a tourist as Kedi had said. "I'm vising a friend from the royal military academy and learning about spice farming."

"Are you now? It's a fascinating subject, and the volcanic soil of this region produces outstanding flavors."

"Agreed. I've gotten rather up close and personal with it all. I helped with some of the harvesting and I've definitely enjoyed sampling the produce."

"Harvesting?" the man asked in genuine surprise. "You did it by hand?"

"Yes, sir. I wasn't aware that there are some connoisseurs and religious orders who feel automation detracts from the flavor or purity of the product. I confess a great deal of teal hair ended up in the mishtberries and the kor bark the days I helped, so I can't vouch for their purity."

Lev Raion man smiled, but his amusement was genuine and his eyes glittered shrewdly. "I'm sure there's many an enthusiast who would pay well if they knew a Blue Imperial had been the one to pick the seasonings they're using."

"My parents will definitely enjoy it. I've shipped them any number of spices I've never encountered in Alfatrix, and enough peppers for . . . actually, probably not enough if my lord father enjoys them as much as I suspect he will," he finished with a small laugh.

"Your father is a connoisseur?" was the carefully worded question.

"My lord father," said Avocato, unconsciously falling into his habit of formal speech when dealing with his parentage, "collects new flavors the way other men collect artwork. He and his circle of friends meet up once a month in Caer Fellix. Each person is responsible for one course of a meal, and it's expected to be a dish or ingredient no one has encountered before. This visit to Vel Pitten has set my lord father up for the next eight dinners at least."

If Lev Raion was surprised to hear Avocato's father was a regular visitor to the royal family's primary estate, he gave no indication. Instead, he nodded in appreciation of that particular tidbit of information and stated,

"I was not aware anyone from the Saan River Valley was attending the academy."

"Oh, yes. Nikos, son of Piarcynka and Pipar of the Stillwater Cove Farm. Ah! Here comes the cadet himself."

Avocato gestured as Nikos and Kedi returned, and he smiled at the sight they made. His two friends could not have looked less alike if they tried – Nikos so small and scrawny and sharp, Kedi so broad and solid and round.

"And who is his very . . . gray companion?"

Avocato laughed. "That walking wall of fur is Cadet Kedi. He's from the Far Reaches and is convinced Nikos lives in an oven."

As usual, Nikos and Kedi were arguing and bantering back and forth, their accents clashing horribly, so they did not notice the elderly Ventrexian at first. Nikos handed Avocato a dewy drink, saying,

"Cato, try this. It's a local fru – oh! Excuse me!" He blinked, surprised, then blinked again in recognition. "Good afternoon, sir. It's a pleasure to see you again. I see you've met my good friend, Cadet Avocato."

"I was just making the cadet's acquaintance, young Nikos," said the man, looking rather satisfied with the brief encounter. "My congratulations on your acceptance to the royal academy and for keeping such esteemed company. Please tell your parents I look forward to seeing them. Gentlemen."

He smiled, inclining his head in a move that was almost a bow when directed towards Avocato, and rejoined his companions.

"Do you know him?" asked Avocato, taking his juice.

"Of course. Everyone here does. That's Lev Raion. He's only the foremost buyer for one of the largest food companies on the planet. He's the one all the other merchants have to bid against, so everyone wants his attention. I can't imagine he actually remembered my name."

"I just told him," admitted Avocato.

"And here I thought I made an impression," was the sarcastic reply.

Avocato laughed. "He said they heard rumors of a Blue Imperial when they landed in Tektul and lo and behold! Here I stand. Rumor confirmed."

With a frown, Nikos said, "I'm surprised they'd know what you're called in Tektul. Before meeting you, I'd never heard the term Blue Imperial, or known that color coat existed. Let's go find my parents," he said as a precaution, hoisting up the basket of samples. "What were you talking about?"

"Spice farming, mostly. He seemed very intrigued when I mentioned helping hand pick some of the harvest. Is that unusual?"

Nikos shook his head. "Not at smaller farms like ours. We take care of a lot of direct orders."

"Nikos, I'm sorry. I had no idea of who he was. If I've affected or ruined anything for your family, I apologize."

"I can't imagine anything you could have said would upset him, Cato. Come on. Don't worry."

Resolving not to mention his confession about the hair, Avocato clapped his hat back on his head and jogged to catch up.

They found Piarcynka staking out a table among the other farmers, and as he handed over the basket of samples, Nikos told his mother about Avocato's encounter.

". . . and will you please reassure my idiot friend that no harm will come of him talking to a spice merchant who recognized his weird coloring?" finished Nikos, well aware of Avocato's lingering anxiety, as well as the persistent stares and whispers.

"Avoo," cooed Piarcynka, cupping Avocato's face in both hands, "do not fret, little one. Raion has always been fair and generous, and he is highly respected by all here. He was probably as happy to see and meet you as we were."

He smiled and stepped out of the way when Pipar arrived with the twins.

"Raion seemed very pleased to talk to you," said Kedi.

"I can't imag . . . oh," murmured Avocato, realizing all he'd said.

"Cato?"

"Well, I may have mentioned my lord father visits the royal palace . . . regularly."

"And I'm sure you called him your lord father," said Kedi, trying not to laugh as Nikos clapped a hand to his head.

Avocato, who had tried his futile best to keep the visit as low-key as possible, grimaced, which was answer enough.

"Ignoring the fact that you're blue - oh, we can't," teased Nikos. "That only appears in the Imperial family."

"We could shave you, but you'd stand out even more. Plus, sunburn," was Kedi's contribution.

"How did I get the two worst friends on the planet?" Avocato wondered.

"Luck."

"Skill."

"Ventrexia herself has blessed you with us."

"So, she hates me," Avocato concluded.

Nikos grinned. "Cato, you are her favorite son."

When the buyers started to arrive, the three cadets took the twins to get a snack and to get out of the way. Miriyalu and Mrica were clearly enjoying the attention Avocato drew, holding his hands and pointing to what they wanted to eat. Behind them, Nikos and Kedi exchanged a look as both young men figured out what was happening.

"There you are!" cried a childish voice, and suddenly Sheba the almost-bianca approached them where they stood in line. Screwing up her courage and balling her fists, she marched right up to Avocato and the twins, looking as fierce and determined as her age would allow.

Avocato, completely unused to being confronted by combative nine-year-old girls, smiled and said, "Good afternoon, Miss Sheba. Congratulations on your excellent dance performance earlier. It was very enjoyable."

That Avocato could speak seemed to come as a shock, as well as the fact that he knew her name. Sheba stared, then with a little shake to get back on course demanded, "Are you a prince?"

"I beg you . . . " He gaped at Mrica and Miriyalu, understanding dawning, and tightly whispered, "You told them?" To Sheba he hastily protested, "Oh, no, miss, I'm -"

"They said you'd say that," snapped Sheba, unconvinced. Her anger increased. "They said you're cousin to the king!"

"Well, I am, but -"

"And his lady mother is a princess," boasted the twin on his left, flashing her wrist braces. "Princess MooMoo of Hiss!"

"Actually -"

"And he introduced our brother to the crown prince and princess," bragged the other, opening her fan with a metallic snap. "And a real bianca - with odd eyes!"

"Yes, but -"

The situation was getting quite out of control. Armored with jealousy, Sheba gave Kedi a narrow-eyed glare, challenging, "Are you really a lord, then?"

Loving the chaos and more than willing to contribute to it, Kedi bowed at the waist. "I am, Miss Sheba. I am Lord Kedi, son of High Lord Kotikat III of House Kotic in the Far Reaches."

Her eyes grew huge at his accent. She looked from his golden eyes, then back to Avocato so tall and blue, then at the proud and smiling twins. Sensing defeat and seeing nothing else for it, Sheba's face screwed up and she let out a high-pitched bawl that made the three friends wince and drew the attention of everyone in earshot. Still screaming, she stamped her feet and ran off, the sound gradually fading. Avocato watched her disappear in utter confusion, gesturing with both hands.

"What just happened?"

As Nikos descended upon his cheeky little sisters, Kedi clapped Avocato on the shoulder, laughing.

"Congratulations. You're now a fashion accessory, Cato."