"The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Bloom where you're planted"
Likes:
Early morning rides
Greek cuisine, especially his grandfather's moussaka recipe
Folk music, particularly with Celtic influences
Historical documentaries
Stargazing on clear nights
The smell of leather and hay
Swimming in natural bodies of water
Dislikes:
Loud, crowded places
Overly processed foods
Reality TV shows
Unnecessary bureaucracy
People who are unkind to animals
The sound of motorcycles (spooks the horses)
Artificial air fresheners
Pet Peeves:
People who don't clean up after themselves in shared spaces
Misuse of equestrian terminology
Individuals who interrupt others while speaking
Leaving tack poorly maintained
Chronic lateness
Overuse of social media, especially during face-to-face interactions
Waste of resources, particularly water
Fears:
Losing his connection with nature due to urban sprawl
Serious injury that could prevent him from riding
Disappointing his family's expectations
Large bodies of water (ironic given his love for swimming in natural water)
Climate change's impact on ecosystems
Confined spaces (mild claustrophobia)
Strengths:
Patience, especially with difficult horses and people
Physical stamina and strength
Ability to read non-verbal cues (both human and equine)
Quick thinking in emergency situations
Natural leadership qualities
Strong work ethic
Empathy and emotional intelligence
Flaws:
Tendency to be overly critical of himself
Difficulty in expressing deep emotions verbally
Can be stubborn when convinced he's right
Sometimes prioritizes work over personal life
Occasional bouts of melancholy, especially during winter
Can be overly frugal, sometimes to his own detriment
Struggles with technology beyond basic use
Skills:
Expert in various riding disciplines (dressage, show jumping, cross-country)
Fluent in English and conversational in Greek and Te Reo Māori
Basic veterinary first aid
Proficient in stable management and business operations
Skilled in natural horsemanship techniques
Able to read weather patterns for outdoor activities
Decent cook, specializing in hearty, rustic dishes
Hobbies:
Amateur astronomy
Collecting and restoring vintage tack
Landscape photography
Volunteering at local animal shelters
Participating in cultural events celebrating his Greek and Māori heritage
Hiking and trail riding
Learning traditional Māori woodcarving
Horse: Alder does not own or ride horses as he is completely afraid and bewildered by them, but he does what he can to allow his daughters to be around them regardless.
Alder Waratah
Full Name: Alder Waratah
Gender: Male
Age: 42
Birthdate: October 4
Nationality: Grew up in farming village near Corne D’Or (there is no “nationality” in this A.U.)
Zodiac: Libra
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
Weight: 154 lbs (70 kg)
Physical Description:
Build: Lean and wiry from physical labor.
Hair: Dark brown hair with premature gray at the temples.
Face: Alder's face tells a story of quiet resilience and gentle endurance with a rounded shape that is somewhat unremarkable. His honey-brown eyes, soft and slightly unfocused, often seem to be looking beyond the immediate moment - gazing into memories or lost in thought about his next gardening project. They're framed by subtle laugh lines and the beginning of worry lines that crease softly at the corners, testament to years of quiet concern and subdued joy.
His skin is sun-weathered and earth-kissed, with a warm tan that speaks of countless hours working in the royal gardens. Premature gray threads through his dark brown hair at the temples, giving him a distinguished yet slightly worn appearance that hints at the weight of his responsibilities.
His mouth is typically set in a soft, contemplative line - not stern, but not quite smiling. When he does smile, it's gentle and slightly crooked, revealing just a hint of the vulnerability he usually keeps hidden.
His expression is most often one of gentle concentration, as if he's perpetually listening to something just beyond hearing - the whispers of growing things, perhaps, or the echoes of memories of his late wife.
Skin: Sun-weathered skin with laugh lines, perpetually dirt and grass-stained fingernails despite frequent washing.
Distinctive features:
A slight stoop from years of bending over garden beds
A noticeable limp in his right leg from an old injury
Always carries a worn leather notebook full of plant sketches
Has a habit of rubbing soil between his fingers while thinking
Speaks with a slight stutter when nervous
Left-handed but trained himself to use pruning shears with his right hand
Personality:
Alder Waratah is the 42-year-old Head Royal Gardener of Corne D’Or, known across the palace terraces for his wiry frame, sun-weathered hands, and extraordinary botanical intuition. Quiet, contemplative, and plagued by persistent imposter syndrome, Alder finds far more comfort in the predictable rhythm of soil and seed than in the cutthroat politics of the royal court. Balancing his prestigious appointment under Master of the Household Corve Redvers against the whispered sabotage of Countess Rosalind Belvoir, he masks his deep self-doubt behind unmatched skill in rare hybridization and living soil ecology.
At home, Alder is a devoted widower struggling to navigate single fatherhood three years after the death of his beloved wife, Rosemary. While deeply loving, he tends to overcompensate for his grief through permissiveness, finding himself entirely out of his depth as his daughters—headstrong Alma (17) and spirited Summer Rayne (9)—develop an all-consuming obsession with equines. Viscerally terrified and bewildered by horses, Alder copes by viewing their care through nervous gardening metaphors and relying heavily on Alma to keep the household tethered.
When an unexplained environmental blight threatens the royal gardens alongside a high-stakes diplomatic hybridization commission, Alder discovers his daughters have been slipping through wild dimensional rifts (Aedifex’s Pranks) into external realms. Caught between court ruin and parental panic, this gentle earth-tender must confront both aristocratic malice and his own deepest phobias to pull his family back from the edge of catastrophe.
History:
Born to a family of farmers in the outlying regions of Corne D'Or
Showed early aptitude for growing things, could make anything flourish
Met Rosemary while gathering herbs in the forest
Married young and had Alma within the first year
Worked as a traveling garden consultant for wealthy estates
Eight years later, Summer was born
Obtained position as assistant royal gardener through Rosemary's connections
Rosemary fell ill when Summer was 6
Promoted to head gardener during Rosemary's illness
Became a widower three years ago
Struggling to maintain balance between work and family ever since
Additional Traits:
Personal/Practical Skills:
Problem-solving with limited resources
Sketching and documenting plant life
Basic home maintenance
Financial management (though noted as a weakness)
Patient teaching (learned from raising daughters)
Emotional Intelligence Skills:
Active listening
Quiet emotional support
Reading unspoken emotional cues
Adaptability in challenging circumstances
Maintaining composure under stress
Hidden/Unique Skills:
Creating pressed flower arrangements
Natural pest management without chemicals
Weather prediction based on plant and environmental observations
Experimental plant hybridization
Storytelling (likely learned from his late wife)
Parenting Skills:
Nurturing
Providing stability
Emotional availability (though sometimes limited)
Creating safe environments
Encouraging independence in his daughters
Learned Profession/Occupation: Royal Head Gardener