It looks even more ridiculous since the mostly empty wooden structure looks so light Potemkin could lift it and leave it behind him, but that would uproot all the plants. He would have to make repayments to the gardens for their time and work lost, and these flowers aren't cheap. So for all his power the soldier has been done in by style.

"I can handle this," he says under-breath, as he starts to crouch and bend-over as much as he can, while turning so the width of his shoulders isn't facing the trellis. The fact that he has a whole ritual for this probably confirms Ky's thoughts. What's next is to crab-walk sideways, slowly...

Visitors were probably not meant to get that close to the arch, since even when he barely passes through Potemkin gets some flowers dragged with him for his efforts. He stands on same side as Ky, hesitating on whether he should pick them off his clothes (especially on his shoulders it looks like he's been sprinkled with something) or try and forget that just happened.