“Um, what?” Tor said to her back, catching her sleeve lightly, which got an annoyed glance from her as she looked over his head. Finally she looked down and her eyes focused.
“Tor? Sorry, didn't notice you.” She sounded distracted and glum.
“Are you alright?” He asked quickly, leaning close in hopes that not everyone in the room would hear.
She shook her head. “Not here. Later. I'll explain, but… It isn't for this place.”
“OK. Later. Don't forget though.”
Collette, the lady in pink that stood right behind him oriented herself so that her chest pressed against his back briefly, nearly the back of his head, so that she could see who he talked too. She introduced herself using her title again, Baronetta Coltress. Trice's eyes went wide as she noted the contact between them and then she sagged a little, looking almost like she was going to cry.
Tor pointed out that Collette was with Count Thomson, which helped his friend perk back up a good bit. She was probably glad to have her other, more appropriate, friends around. After all, he couldn't help her much here, especially if something had made her sad. Or help her anywhere else really, unless it was a simple problem that one of his little field projects or devices could aid with. Or a baking emergency. Then he could do something.
Seriously, he was all over that one.
Her dress was a deep blue, one that offset cornflower color of her eyes wonderfully, she wore a simple silver chain around her neck from which the shield he'd given her flashed. Trice wore it openly as if it were something to be proud of. Did she expect danger he wondered? Maybe he should stay ready then. Trice knew her way around these things better than Tor ever would, no doubt. Collette noticed where he looked and pointed at it excitedly.
“Oh! Is that a Tor device? I haven't managed to get one yet. Almost no one has them you know. How did you manage, I mean if it's alright to ask?” Her voice didn't sound catty or anything, just curious.
Trice smiled and pointed at Tor with a half wave. “He gave it to me, several months ago. A present just because, he said. It's a full Tor-shield, one of the newest ones, the fourth model, updated past what the military has even. And smaller too. The original plates were about the size of half your hand. This one's barely the size of a large coin as you can see.”
The woman behind him grasped his shoulder slightly and spun him half around. She didn't speak to him, but to Trice instead.
“Seriously? Are you two… friends?” Tor started to say yes, but Trice shook her head.
“Not that kind. He's just really nice.” Her smile looked a little sad to Tor, which didn't make sense. A lot of things just didn't in this world of royals and palaces.
A deep voice came from behind Collette. “That's true. He gave me the shield I'm wearing and my flying gear too.” Count Thomson smiled. “Tor is a good friend to have for a lot of reasons, and trust me, these things aren't even the biggest part by half. He saved my honor once.” Tovey put a hand on Tor's shoulder and smiled. “Something I haven't forgotten by the way.”
Trice nodded.
“Me either.”
It took him a second to get what they meant, the whole thing with him hitting Tovey on the back. Right. He was about to tell them that there was no debt between friends, which was just true, but didn't get a chance.
A stirring came from up front, near the raised platform the King and Queen were on. No more than a sudden silence and shifting of weight, but the whole room suddenly turned to look. It was kind of amazing really. A field of effect? That felt right, but whatever had gotten their attention was already finished now. Kind of a shame. It would have been interesting to examine how it worked.
Mind magics like that were considered delicate and complex things, rare and valuable, but not overly useful in day to day life. Though a field that projected a sense of peace would have worked at some of the King's meetings Tor bet, wondering if the man had one yet. If not he should find a master builder to make him one.
The loud man called out for Trice's parents, the Duke and Baroness. Tor wondered why the woman wasn't a Duchess, but figured there was some complicated and ultimately baffling reason he wouldn't understand. They both walked to the front, the crowd parting gently before them, slightly stiff looks on their faces.
The King explained loudly for the whole room with a gentle smile.
“A gift! Master Tor asked me personally to deliver these to you. Two sets of flying gear with full shields. May you use them with joy and prosperity.” Richard handed over the box his eyes alight.
Everyone clapped as if it was a big deal. Then again, it was delivered from the hand of the King, which did kind of make it special. Tor figured that if he'd just given them each a bag of fertilizer from the stables people would have clapped too. The idea made him want to laugh, but he didn't feel like explaining just then. Especially to their daughter, lest she think he was insulting them instead of just laughing at the idea itself.
Instead he shook his head and murmured just loud enough for Trice to hear.
“Master Tor? Kind of him, but I have a long way to go before I earn that title, you know?”
From behind them a few people someone, a woman, asked if the Baroness was sleeping with Tor or something, to get such a gift.
At first Tor was afraid that people thought his gift was too poor to be given like this, which he agreed with. After all he'd just wanted it to be passed along, not publicly presented. Maybe slipped covertly somehow. But that thought changed suddenly when the same woman boldly proclaimed that, if it was, she'd gladly sleep with him for a chance at the same thing.
A huge man standing next to her cleared his throat gently, “dearest, if that would work, I'd beg you to myself. In fact, I'd suggest it even if he isn't giving things away to everyone. Such an alliance would be advantageous, don't you think?”
The woman chuckled a little, still watching the Morgans, who seemed pleased enough at least.
“I do think. We must make a point of having the man over for our next party.”
Trice eyed him and smiled.
“Good! Now all we have to do is tell them that you gave it to them because you love me and then convince the King to give you a title, and you can marry me instead of…” Her voice died, realizing that people could hear her, and worse, were listening.
Tor didn't ask what it was about, but knew that it had to be big for her voice to have been that serious about something so obviously absurd. Not that he wouldn't love to marry her, or someone like her, all he had to do was rise about sixty social levels and he'd possibly be within those three steps of her that everyone kept telling him about. Maybe. Probably not. He thought about it and tried to work it out for real. Sixteen social levels not sixty, if he was generous and started as a scholarship kid from the Lairdgren school instead of his birth status of village bakers' kid. Could it be done? A few times in history a great warrior or very wise man had climbed the ranks, becoming a councilor to the King or general in the military… he thought.
Well, he wasn't a great warrior, that was for certain. Was he wise? Heh. Maybe in seventy years, if he worked at it hard enough, about the time he earned being called “Master Tor”. That wouldn't do him any good with Trice though, would it? Best to get his mind back in the real game and focus he decided. He tried to take the evening meditatively, as he'd learned in class at school, from Instructor Doris, accepting, noticing and not responding overly.
“Well…” He said, his voice soft and a little dreamy sounding he knew, from the meditative state. “I'll see what I can do in that regard.”
He meant it as a joke, of course, but she smiled at him a little sadly, and sighed. At least she didn't seem upset with what he'd just said. It wouldn't do to compound any sadness she had if he could help it.
At dinner itself he was seated away from the Queen and King a good ways, but closer to them than most people, which surprised him. He figured they'd put him off in the kitchen or at least at the other end of the table, if they were going by rank. After all, some of the servers probably outranked him socially here. They were palace servants after all and he was just a student. Actually, that would mean everyone in the room outranked him. It was sobering, but made him both grin to himself and feel a bit like an impostor. No one around him was familiar, but he was seated directly beside a young girl with deep reddish brown hair and a smooth cream like complexion who looked familiar. The same one from the room the other day? She was a little too young for him, maybe, but not so young that he couldn't think she was pretty. Fourteen or so. Back in the village he could have dated, even married her, in a year or two, his own seventeen not being considered too old for her yet. Not all gross or anything at least. Fourteen was legal after all, if she was really that old.
Here… well, he didn't know the rules regarding ages here, but suspected it wasn't all that strict. Not if Maria had gone off to marry a thirty odd year old Count when she couldn't have been any older than the young woman next to him. The girl smiled, her eyes looking very familiar, but then a lot of the royals did. They were all related in some fashion or another after all.
“I don't think we've met formally yet. I'm Veronica.” She didn't offer her hand, but kept smiling and leaned towards him slightly, so that he knew she was speaking directly to him.
“Nice to meet you. I'm Torrence. Um, everyone calls me Tor though. My friends at least.”
She giggled and nodded.
“I know who you are, of course. I saw you in your room the other day? You're the one that's making this summer bearable, thanks to the cooling devices you gave me. Karina told me she nearly kept them all, but found that she didn't need to, they work so well. She likes you, you know. My sister I mean.” The girl looked around to check and see where the other Princess was, up the table a few places. “Don't buy it though, she just wants stuff from you. More toys. She'll play with you that way if you let her. You're better off just giving her the things she wants and finding some nice girl to hang around with. At least find one that will actually sleep with you. Karina's a giant tease. Plus, even if you got her into bed, she'd probably only do it to get you to do what she wanted. Definitely not worth the hassle.”
The girl smiled and looked around at the people around them, keeping a polite and gentle look on her face the whole time.
Then they spoke of much more normal things, where she went to school, the palace of all places, since they had fine tutors brought in for it. Then what kind of things she liked to do. It turned out that she was interested in learning to fly, but so far hadn't gotten a flying rig. It wasn't forbidden her like it was the King, but the military was taking them all up so fast that they were almost impossible to get.
“That's why everyone's so envious of the gift you gave the Morgans tonight. Say, you don't have any more of those lying around your room that you might be willing to part with do you?” Her voice got excited.
“Um, not right now… I can probably work up a new batch. Actually I need to soon, but I won't be able to on vacation, I don't think, I have so many other things to do first. Want me to earmark one for you? The controls will be for the left hand, which I think will help the military. That way most of them can use their dominant hand for aiming weapons. Plus I need to fix the turning on them, so that it's easier to control, which will make them simpler to use I think.” He held out his left hand and mimicked aiming a weapon with the right to demonstrate, getting some oddly interested glances from the people around him, instead of the baffled glares he expected. Well, they could all hear him anyway, so it probably made sense.
The youngest Princess smiled at him and nodded, telling him that she'd pay well for it if he'd get her one. He shook his head.
“I just meant as a present. There's no debt between friends after all. Besides, you have to wait, at least a bit. I do have some shields though. I'll send one for you and another for your sister, they're handy to have, even if you can't fly yet.” The girl smiled broadly and brushed his right arm gently with her left. A friendly gesture he thought. Nothing that would make Rolph have to pound him at least. He hoped.
Over the course of the next hour her chair kept moving closer to his as she whispered things to him, mainly court gossip.
“Baroness Michelson and Count Ward have been having a thing for a while, since he got… well, you know about that. People aren't supposed to notice who's with who overly, but he doesn't know the meaning of discrete. The lout even had the nerve to ask me to bed. After the thing with Ursala. I mean, before sure, why not, but after? He must be nearing forty don't you think? You'd think he'd know better. Talk about improper. Not the age thing, that could be forgiven in interest of having a good time, he is dreamy, but all of it put together. I got mom to talk to him and let him down easy. But… well. Not something I like to dwell on.” The girl grinned at him and hid it behind her hand.
Tor realized that the girl was a little confused about some things, like her sister trying to use him. She wouldn't use, she'd just demand. For that matter the junior Princess could just do the same. That she asked instead meant a lot to him personally. Hopefully she'd continue in that vein over time. No one liked to feel like they didn't have a choice at all, even when they didn't.
The dinner itself was excellent, if having too many courses for comfort. After the first one Tor had to copy the petite girl next to him, and eat only a little of each serving, since cleaning his plate would lead to discomfort, if not his getting sick at table. That would be worse even than his seeming wasteful. With each course, he noticed that Varley made point to engage a different person in discussion. He started trying to copy her, figuring that the girl knew a lot more about how to do this kind of thing than he did.
What he found out was fascinating.
About half the people seemed to actually want to talk to him, normally about problems in their district, county or once, from a fairly attractive, but much older, woman about six people to the right, but across the table, her own household. Her problem turned out to be easy enough to solve, once he thought about it for a few seconds. She had mildew inside her home, because of moisture. All she needed was a device to drive out moisture during the damp months. That could be done. It was just a matter of moving water around after all.
He'd done that a few times now.
Tor repeated what he'd told Varley, that he couldn't do the work just then, but would gladly send something to her if she'd write him a note reminding him about it and where the device had to get to. She looked surprised.
“Oh! I… I mean that's wonderful of course, but surely you're too busy for my petty concerns. I'll muddle by like always…”
He waved that away and asked her to send the note again. It was a largish field, but it wouldn't take that long to develop. Tor just needed the time. He always needed more time. Better than being bored at least, right?
It was the rest of the conversations that made him feel uncomfortable.
Two of the women openly flirted with him, right at the table, so blatantly he figured it was them just making fun of him for some reason. Especially since one of them could have been his grandmother, which given how young all the royals looked compared to real people meant she must be nearing a hundred years old. The other looked to be about thirty and really, if she hadn't been sitting right next to her husband, he might have been interested, at least in theory.
Tor didn't really want to sleep with a married woman, at least not if she wasn't married to him. It was just his Two Bends upbringing, but it still bugged him. No doubt he should work on that part of things? He just couldn't bring himself to flirt back and so found himself at a loss as to what to do. He'd been warned not to be rude, even if they were just playing with him, he kind of even got that he should play back, but it was too hard. Tor floundered for a few seconds, feeling more awkward than he could remember being in the last year.
Varley saved him.
After a fashion at least.
“Oh… my brother mentioned that all proposals need to go through my mother for Tor. She's handling such things personally for now, so that he can give his full attentions to matters of import for the kingdom. She's being a stickler too, only taking the most serious. She already shut down my sister's proposal of marriage to him, so, you understand, there's a high bar here. I'm considering floating my own offer too, but don't know if I'll make the cut either. I think mother wants him for herself. She's already married though, so really, I don't see the problem.” She said it simply, smiling, then taking a delicate bite of a tiny chicken pie thing that was delicious if too buttery and rich for his simple palate.
Tor almost choked on his own mouth of food when she said the words, her cute face dimpling into a look that he took to be teasing. As soon as he got her intent he played along though, nodding seriously as if it were normal that the Queen would be stepping in for his own mother for real. No one else teased him about things like that for the rest of the night at least. There were some funny looks though.
The dessert was a flavored ice dish that actually got applause. Lime. It wasn't half slush, but shaved ice delivered to the table frozen solidly with no melting at all. It evaporated on the tongue like fine winter snow. Even in the cool dining room it was fantastically done. The Queen tilted her head at him and pointed at the dish with her spoon. She smiled at him warmly and shook her head just a tiny bit. Did the cooks use the new cold boxes? She seemed to think he'd had some kind of hand in the dish. Tor didn't know himself. They could have had some other plan in place already, before he did anything even. Things like that took planning for even a few people, and had to have even more for hundreds.
The shouting match didn't start until after the meal had finished at least.
He couldn't even tell what it was about, some overly large man decided that some other overly large man had wronged him, of course. Something about lines and borders, from what was being screamed back and forth. Tor would have been happy enough to let the men, both old enough to have learned at least a little self-control, past thirty but under forty at a guess, handle it themselves if one of them hadn't grabbed the lady that was with the other, and start to strangle her.
It was a shocking move. If the man had gone after the other large fellow, it might have made sense, but this? It simply wasn't right or proper.
Tor couldn't move fast, but he did the best he could, stumbling along towards the back of the room, slapping at his shield to turn it on as he went. The damned splint was impeding him too much. The one man, who'd been the louder of the two mere seconds before, spoke to the other man softly, telling him to let her go… or else. That noble didn't attack, probably worried about the woman who was having the life choked out of her as he spoke, she was turning a pale blue color already and her tongue was sticking out in a comical fashion that a lady like this would never have done on purpose. Not in public. The calmer man's voice became both softer and more anxious the whole time.
Tor activated his shield hoping that he could get the man to simply attack him instead. He wouldn't be hurt and the woman should be alright. She'd stopped struggling by the time he got there, making only the softest of whimpering sounds. That attacking man wouldn't let go, obviously well into battle rage already.
Walking up behind the man and dropping his walking stick, so he wouldn't have a weapon on him, Tor hit him in the right kidney as hard as he could with a right hook. Which… didn't even make the man turn. That hurt, being hit like that. Nearly as much as being hit in the groin. Tor knew this from personal experience. Maybe he was just too small to make it work like it was supposed to? He tried it again, half expecting the Royal Guard to come and start trying to kill him right then, instead of waiting for him to have a chance to save the lady.
He knew he was dead after this anyway, he had to be. You just weren't allowed to hit royalty like he was doing and live. Not some common guy from Two Bends. Still, the light blue woman needed his help. Everyone else had pulled away or just stood there. So that left only him, right? If he was trading his life for hers, then he really needed to get the guy's attention fast. Two people dying here wouldn't be worth it at all.
He hit again and again, then, in desperation, he kicked the man in the groin from behind, balancing precariously on his splinted leg for it, nearly falling over backwards. Finally the guy let the woman drop and started trying to just kill him instead. He didn't bother fighting back, just standing and letting the man exhaust himself against his shield. After about twenty minutes of steady punches and kicks that had a very trained quality to them, certainly more than he could have handled without his shield, even if the giant wasn't in a super strong combat condition that left cracks in the floor again, the dark haired giant stopped suddenly. Blinking he looked at the room, where the party had mainly moved to the other side and looked down at Tor, suddenly going white.
“Are you alright? I… I'm sorry, I was discussing a border issue with Baron Rochester and the next thing I knew I came-to hitting… you… what happened?”
Tor decided to go for a flip answer instead of simply crying for mercy that couldn't come under the law anyway. Too many people had seen it this time for anyone to turn a blind eye. He might as well not look like a wimp on the way out, right? For all the good that would do him. He had to fight to keep the Two Bends out of his voice when he answered, moving past fear and even shock into hopelessness faster than his mind could handle.
“We got into a fight over a girl… I got the girl in the end by the way, go figure, right?” He smiled at the man who just looked baffled.
Tor took off his shield amulet and handed it to Rolph, who'd cautiously walked over to him, looking concerned. No one came for him though. He waited and then figured it out. Of course they'd wait for him to leave the party, not wanting to endanger people, or cause a scene, one of those polite social rule things that royalty always did. This in mind he walked outside into a garden space, the Prince following him closely, about five feet back. Two Royal Guardsmen came as well, watching him nervously. One shifted a little, turning back to face the room as Rolph stood holding up the amulet.
“Tor?” He said his voice uncertain. “Something?”
Tor shrugged and waited for the guard to do their duty, but they just stood there, watching him, and oddly the room, closely. Finally one of them, the large black and purple clad one that faced him spoke, his voice calm, as if speaking to a mad man.
“Sir, Master Tor… do you intend to pursue this further?” The man sounded almost diffident, which was not what he expected from the Royal Guard, even when they were being nice. It took him off guard.
“Huh?”
“Do you intent to meet the Duke in battle sir? Or do you consider yourself satisfied as to the resolution here? We need to know your intent so that the King's forces may plan accordingly…”
He knew all the words the man used, at least in theory, but they still didn't make sense. How was he going to meet a Duke in battle and what did the King's forces have to do with it? He shook his head trying to clear it. What were they talking about? He looked at Rolph and raised his shoulders in a shrug.
Rolph figured it out and fixed it for him. Tor suddenly felt thankful for having gotten to know him then. Even if things hadn't turned out all that well in the end. Outside of his family, Rolph was the only one that had always been there for him since they met.
“Oh! I see… This issue is over as far as Tor is concerned I believe… It was never personal on his part, and he only sought to protect Lady Priscilla when he saw her attacked. I do not believe that Duke Winchester means harm towards Tor either. Just a potential disaster thankfully avoided. These things happen. Do let us know if the Duke changes his mind however. I don't like his chances if he decides to go that route against Tor, but that's up to him.” He handed the amulet back to Tor and motioned him to put it on.
Shaking as if cold, Tor still couldn't figure out what had happened here. Why hadn't they arrested him? Why was it so hard to think? He took deep breaths, trying to calm himself enough to figure things out. About ten minutes later Connie came out to find them and hugged him close to her for a long time as he kept shaking.
“It's fine now. Priscilla lives, and no one was harmed other than a little bruising. Thankfully her own shielding kicked in enough to save her for a while. She asked me to thank you, even as she still gasped for breath. That was most brave of you.” He finally pulled back from her, his eyes going to Rolph and then her.
“Why didn't they arrest me? I struck a noble, right in front of everyone. Several times. That's the death penalty, without exception, for someone like me.” He hadn't stopped shaking, but it had slowed a bit, which let him sound as if he was just confused, not like a lost six year old ready to cry for his mommy.
Rolph laughed, that low laugh he got when something was deadly serious and not funny at all.
“You are kidding, aren't you? First, you're under the King's livery, that little badge you're wearing? It means that you didn't do anything at all, the King did. I'd like to see someone try arrest him for this. That's why the guard asked if you intended to meet Winchester in battle. If you'd said yes the King's army would be mobilizing right now, so just as well you don't hold grudges. Besides…Tor… don't you realize what just happened in there? When Duke Winchester moved on Priscilla… you went into a combat rage yourself. The aura's unmistakable. You challenged him fairly and held until he ceased, without even attacking him further. People were only afraid that you might not come back from it. That happens sometimes, especially in the first few episodes, and, you know, you look young. It was just possible that you might have insisted on making war with the man which as I said, I don't think would go well for him. He only has about twenty thousand under arms, most without shields and no weapons that would stop you, even if dad wasn't backing your plan. Luckily your version of battle rage seems to be very protective of others and not all that violent. You fought, yes, but only until he let go of the lady, then all you did was defend. I wish I had that kind of control. I… don't know why you turned your shield off though… No one would have thought less of you for keeping it on.”
Heh? He'd had it on the whole time. Hadn't he? Rolph shook his head and so did Connie. Oh. That was strange then. It had felt like he had a full working shield on and the force moved correctly, into the ground. He'd probably built it on the fly having had so much practice with the devices he made. It made sense, but didn't at the same time. He shrugged and asked if he could go to his room, if he was still allowed in the palace, that was, after his brutish behavior.
Connie hugged him again.
“Don't be silly. On both counts. Yes you're still welcome here, and of course you can't go back to your room. You have to rejoin the party and show them all that you have control over yourself. To do less would be a sign of weakness. Mental weakness, a lack of character. That coupled with your accomplishments to date would terrify, at least those smart enough to realize what it could mean. So, take a deep breath, smile and go back in…” Her look was stern, as if the matter didn't brook argument. He swallowed and took that breath, still shaking. Then holding his head high, which he figured was implied in her little speech, he plastered a smile on his face and walked in to the room.
No one looked at him directly when he came in, but a hush crossed the room. Winchester, the man he'd fought with, if hitting a person from behind and then letting them beat you counted as a fight, walked across the room towards him, which made several others move at the same time, closing on the point where they'd meet near the door, since the Duke walked fast and Tor hobbled slowly. The metal splint slowing him down a lot, not just his short legs.
Count Thomson got there at about the same time they met, as well as an older, very distinguished giant of a man that must have had six inches in height on the King even and nearly that much extra across the shoulders. They clearly expected trouble, but instead the Duke went to one knee and bowed his head rather humbly.
“Forgive me.” He said simply as if Tor was someone to ask forgiveness of.
Tor bowed back, not going as low, because of the splint.
“Sure. It wasn't a personal thing, no reason for us not to be friends, right? Things like this can happen, and there are no debts between friends after all. So nothing to worry about there, right? But…” Looking around he couldn't see the woman, Lady Priscilla was it? At all. She might have been hiding or taken away to safety. “Really, it's not my forgiveness that should mean anything to you right now, and that isn't an issue at all. If you haven't taken care of the other matter already at least I mean?”
The man stood and bowed low, his eyes still downcast.
“I'll see to that directly.” He said it as if it were an order instead of a friendly suggestion from some guy he probably had every reason to hate at the moment. Then the man stood straight and held his own head high again, and turned away, presumably to go and see to the other apologies he needed to make.
The larger man looked satisfied for some reason and took a half step back, so that he wasn't looming over Tor by as much. He still loomed, but probably couldn't help it, not and still be in conversational range at all. The man put his hand out, a thing so big that Tor felt like a five year old trying to shake his hand. It made him smile. Dwarfing him or not, the huge man was trying to meet his countrified ways to set him at ease. Everyone else just bowed here as a rule, so this man was going out of his way to be kind and polite.
“Count Ford. I wanted to come and thank you personally for all your help. That river you created… No one has ever even heard of the like, not even in the time of legend. And I spoke to the Queen earlier, she said that you already have plans for a relief effort to make up part of the lost crops in my county? And that you're doing it at the expense of yet further work on your part without expectation of reward? I… I'm humbled and touched. Thank you sir. If you ever need anything that I or my people can provide, anything at all, please let me know and it will happen.”
Tor thanked him and tried to not blush under the praise, making sure he didn't duck his head bashfully.
“But really, all this praise should be going to the King, since he was the one that made it happen. I'm just glad I was around to help.” This got a nod from the Count who moved off to thank the King personally he said, his voice cheerful enough about it.
He lasted for another few hours, making sure he didn't leave until the Queen told him it was alright to. Tor still couldn't really think, so he trusted in her to get him where he needed to go and kept trying to smile and be polite when people talked to him. Trice hovered close behind him, softly touching his shoulder every few minutes to get him to turn and talk to some new person or other. They passed in front of him in a way that he knew meant that he'd never remember all of them later. Finally when Connie gave him a wink and told him he'd done well, Trice walked him back to his room and left him at the door with a sad little kiss on the cheek.
He smiled. Yeah, sure, he'd probably looked like a moron, but at least he wasn't being executed for some reason. Being daring he suddenly hugged her and kissed her back. Just on the cheek, but it made her smiled.
“I haven't forgotten what I said earlier…” She told him. Then she turned and left before he could get that clarified.
Did she mean the teasing about getting married or that she'd promised to tell him why she was so sad and distracted? Both maybe. It was a stupid idea, him even asking to marry her for real, but it was more fun, if he was just going to be pretending for now. Tor decided to go with that one just for the moment. Chuckling a little to himself he realized that she'd be Trice Baker. Back home it would come out as “S'treeze Baky” which would actually make her sound almost like one of his sisters. He'd have to start calling her Patricia, he decided. At least at home. Then maybe not. It would come out “Pas'treeze Baky” Pastries Baker. It was a cute name, but might confuse people as to her profession.
When he got back to his room he had to have Burks help him undress, that or risk damaging the clothing just to get it off and then fell into bed wearing nothing but a few amulets and some underclothes. Tor couldn't have stayed awake if his life depended on it. No dreams came, just sleep. Thankfully.
The next day Tor felt like someone had drugged him, his head full, stuffed to the brim, apparently with hard packed, throbbing wool, and he could hardly move at all, sore like he used to be after exercising before he got in any kind of shape. He made himself get up and move, if painfully. Bathed, with help from Burks, shaved and changed into a new pair of loose silk clothing. He stumbled out to the little dining room he'd been told breakfast was waiting in. Burks had a little smile on his face when he said the words, but then again the man was always pleasant.
There he found several people sipping at cups of tea or something like it, apparently waiting for their own breakfasts. There were enough people that he felt like pulling back and leaving, but the Queen looked up and waved him over. No getting out of whatever this was now.
Hell.
His head didn't feel up to it. It really didn't matter what it was. He just didn't think he could manage right now. Tor had to suppress a groan as he walked in, but forced himself to try and smile. A weak and pasty thing at best, but what did they expect? Probably that he wouldn't act like a little wimp or something. Right. Totally unrealistic of them for sure.
It was a group made up of Connie, Karina, Varley, Mercy and an older woman that he didn't recognize at all. She looked efficient, gray haired and nice, flowing clothing that didn't look dressy, but businesslike instead. The Queen spoke first, speaking softly as if trying to not scare him. It was clearly an ambush, he could see that now, a place had been set for him already. So that's where the trap was? Or was it the bait? He also knew that under no normal circumstance he could think of would a group like this want him for anything. So it must not be something normal.
“Good morning Torrence, did you sleep well?” The Queen's bright voice hurt his head, like he'd been drinking or something stupid like that, which he hadn't. It hardly seemed fair. At least people that let themselves drink too much earned their headache. Tor's had just decided to come hang out because he'd been too stupid to get his shield on at the right time. Then again, in a strange way, maybe this was his just punishment for failing to do so?
Yeah, that sounded about right. Forget to do what's needed and you pay. Lesson learned, Tor promised his aching head. It throbbed back that it didn't believe him.
He tried not to sound surly, but wanted this to end as fast as possible so he could go back to bed, or at least hide in his room with the curtain drawn for a while. Possibly open his head with a drill to let the demons out? It might not work, but the idea surely sounded attractive in the moment. As it was the pressure in his head made him want to be sick, at least a little.
“So, do you want me to build something for you? Make some kind of novel device? I can't think of what this would be about otherwise.” Nope, Tor realized he sounded petulant and like a spoiled little kid. He apologized and held his head for a second, then tried again.
“I meant to say, what can I do for you?” He tried for bright, it came out sad, but not for lack of effort.
Varley laughed and gave him her cup, which had a thick brown beverage in it, not tea at all. She told him to drink it for the reaction to the battle rage. Tor still didn't know if it had really been that, commoners like him didn't have that, after all, someone with enough royal blood might, he guessed, but not someone like him. Maybe the treatment for this, whatever it was, would be the same? Better everyone think he'd done it, that battle rage thing, if that got him out of being killed for what happened, though the King's livery thing seemed real enough, so maybe it didn't matter at all? He sipped at the bitter liquid and she suggested he just tough it out and slug down the whole thing fast. He took it in about five large gulps and suppressed a shudder at the end, because everyone watched him so closely. It was bitter and the flavor lingered on his tongue for a long time, unpleasant and medicinal. Varley grinned and took the cup back.
They were there because of the older woman that sat next to the Queen, who turned out to be a representative from someone seeking his hand in marriage. At first he thought it must be a joke, so he started to chuckle a little, waiting for the women to bust up laughing. Everyone went serious, because, apparently, the woman wasn't allowed to discuss the issue without him present. That made the whole thing sound a lot more real somehow. Tiredly he looked at the older woman and waited. If it was just a joke it was pretty elaborate, but then these were royals, so it still could be a lark.
Tor took a few seconds to observe the woman, who was clearly watching him back just as hard. Her face didn't tell him much, yes, she looked older than anyone else in the room, and not as big as a standard royal woman of her age, but what did that mean? She was a lot bigger than the women in his village. Her clothing was quality and she had a few extra pounds on her, possibly at least, it was hard to tell given the clothing she wore. That spoke of money and long term wealth, even being able to give the impression of a bit of extra weight.
Who'd be asking him to marry? Tor tried to put his mind on the task, but nothing really came of it. Who did he know that would ask for him at all?
No one that could afford a go between like this, that was for sure. Unless… well, no, he couldn't think of anyone. Varley saw his confusion and got him another cup of bitter sludge, which he drank just as quickly as before. It was room temperature, so not too hot as far as gulping went. Finally the woman started asking him questions.
“First, and this is mainly a formality, but I need to know if you, personally, are open to the idea of marriage? This would simply be a waste of everyone's time if you aren't.” The words were blunt, but the tone was polite enough. Professional sounding.
Tor thought about it, was he? He'd always figured that he'd get married if he could someday, and while he wanted to get through school so he could properly support a family that wasn't totally impossible if he was married now or in a few years. After about ten seconds he nodded.
“Yes.” He didn't bother elaborating. Didn't everyone want to get married at some point? To have a partner that would stand by them and help them face the world? A mother for his children? Going into his reasons seemed boring and ridiculous. Why state the obvious?
The woman smiled.
“Very good. Now, the woman in question asked me to assure you that if you should choose to disregard her proposal, she'll understand and not take it amiss. As to her station, well, she understands that your current situation is slightly below her own socially, but wishes to also express that she understands that your own natural position may simply have been misunderstood to date. Perhaps even transcending her own.”
Was this supposed to be building the woman up, flattering him, or just inundating him with words so that he didn't realize that he'd said yes when he heard a name? Who did he know that it could be? Did he know her at all? The idea, while a little odd was possible. This could be someone that he didn't know. After all, if he did know them, why would they be interested in him?
Connie cleared her throat and gave the woman a glance that argued for her speeding things up a little. No patience for mysteries either? Again Tor wondered what he would have done if Connie had been about seventeen years younger, not royal and unmarried… Probably freeze and blink at her a lot, get tongue tied and make darn sure she didn't have reason to reject him.
That sounded about right to him. At least in the current situation he could smile at her and raise his eyebrows in agreement. The woman pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to him. The paper was thick and high quality, almost card stock in a rich cream color. The writing on it was lovely, obviously professionally done.
“Meredith Anne Sorvee? Um… I don't think I've had the pleasure of meeting her?” That would have to do as far as politeness was concerned. A Sorvee? The two of them he'd met to talk to were both… Well, one of them had tried to rip him off, and the other was a bully that he couldn't stand. Tor couldn't say that out loud, not in front of this woman who was, most likely, some kind of agent for them, even if her real job was just to propose a marriage, his reaction had to be… proper. He made himself smile and tried to make it touch his eyes warmly.
“I'd love to know more about her and to discuss this with my advisors here. I understand that my low social standing might be a difficult factor for her to overcome and… I don't want to drag her down. I…” He was trying to be self-effacing, but the Queen and her sister both suddenly started talking him up as if he were the next Count of Wonderfulness. Kind of them, but it didn't help his escape plan at all.
He started to flounder a little, his heart beating faster in his chest. He didn't want to be connected to Sorvee. Just the fact that Dorgal was one of them tainted the whole group in his mind. That probably wasn't really fair, of course. For all he knew this girl, who turned out to be a widow and nearly thirty, according to the go between, was the sweetest woman in the world and everything he could ask for.
Except she wasn't, because she had that one glaring black splotch in her family tree. Maybe. Dorgal. Ugh. That simply couldn't be accepted.
Tor looked around for help, but Connie and Mercy seemed to think that this would be a wonderful idea. Scrambling, his mind fought to come up with something. Anything.
The only thing that came was a vast, long distance, destructive combat lance. Not a bad idea as far as a project went, in case of sudden war or if he ever went insane and wanted to destroy big chunks of the world, but not anything that would help him right now.
Scrambling he decided to try something desperate, hoping that the Queen and Mercy would at least get the idea that he was buying time and not just shut him down immediately.
“Um, the only problem here is that… last night at the party I was, um, asked to marry someone else, so that plan is already in the works…. It's a complicated thing, and may not work at all, but it predates this and well, I do love her…” She'd said for him to say that and really, it was even true as far as it went, he loved her as a friend and really, marriage wasn't normally about love anyway, but the business of having a family. The situation was impossible of course, in reality, and she was too tall for him, but for now… Maybe it could act as a shield, at least until his head cleared? A Trice-shield?
Now all he had to do was find her and tie her to his arm.
Everyone looked at him with interest, even the go between, who didn't look put out. Then again he hadn't said no, and indicated that this other situation was complicated. That meant a high likelihood of failure in theory, which was even literally true.
“Now, I don't want anyone to feel insulted, my station just isn't very high, so… well, we've been going slowly, but it wouldn't be fair to hide this any longer, even though not everything is in place yet.” He glanced at Connie, hoping she'd protect him from Mercy for what he was about to say. Maybe he could enlist Varley too? The girl was kind to him, and wicked smart. Now if he could have gotten her to marry him… The idea almost made him lose it and start laughing. Easier to get her married to a pig. Well, a royal pig at least. There would have to be that closure of separation in rank after all. Three steps. So a Duke pig at least? Oink.
Connie didn't push him, but she was clearly interested in what he had to say.
“Well… the presents for the Morgans were supposed to just be the start of a campaign to soften them up to our cause and I have to try and do something to earn a title from the King, but, um, Trice, Patricia Alyson Morgan, she asked me to marry. Herself. She said all the words and everything.” He wanted to duck his head, or activate his shield, which he got ready to do anyway in case Mercy went into a combat rage and started to try and take his head off. Who could blame her?
Instead she merely nodded.
“She did mention something about this the other day. It's… well, it's a bit of a long shot, gaining a title like that, but… well, as a Ducherina third, she isn't in line to inherit much, but brings some small properties with her. I was waiting to discuss it with the King himself, honestly. What do you think Connie, should we pursue this? Should we let them pursue it?” Her voice didn't have the normal playful lilt he would have expected from her. Still, she was backing his bid to buy time, so he smiled at her worriedly and did the same with the Queen.
Karina sighed.
“Darn. I knew I should have asked you last week myself! Even if mother said I had to honor the engagement I have…”
Next to him Varley patted his arm and grinned. “It's Tor. Of course he can swing a title. He's already helping to save a county and did that heroic well thing saving those kids, that should at least get him knighted, if he keeps it up anyway. Three heroic acts, that's the rule, isn't it? That's two already and some of what gets counted as heroic… Really, between the magic river, saving those kids and Galasia…” The Princess suddenly looked very thoughtful, eyes going a little wide for a few seconds. Then she obviously recovered herself and grinned.
“Well, I think he should have to earn it. Fight a monster or maybe sail around the world in a boat he made with his own hands. Or make some kind of new device to prove he's serious about my cousin, since that seems to be his thing, building stuff. It has to be new though, none of this recycling something you already made Tor. If we let that happen everyone will be trying to do it, and that would get tiresome.” Now her voice held a teasing lilt. She nudged his arm gently and got him another cup of that beverage.
He almost laughed at the idea of him fighting a monster, but the Queen just agreed that it seemed rather possible, all things considered. The King could shut it all down instantly of course, she warned. But until that happened, since Trice had asked first, she needed to be given a chance to give it a go. Tor sighed in relief.
Somewhere in there they'd all figured out what he was trying to do and decided to work with him? Thank god. The go-between outlined her plan, an attempt to explain how interested he was, while also showing that he had prior interests that had to be examined first. It would, she assured, be handled delicately and it was, after all, not a “no” just a request to see where love might take him. Even merchants had room in their hearts for a romantic story.
After the woman left he almost melted out of his chair, the soft red cushion on the seat holding him in just enough. That had been too close. What would he have said if he hadn't come up with that bit about Trice? The audacity of the claim, even just as a ruse to throw off Sorvee was incredible. Now they just had to make it look good in public. He could only hope that Trice wouldn't be so insulted that she killed him.
Mercy, not even seeming angry with him about saying those things involving her daughter, left at the same time that the go between did. Trice's mom seemed amused by him at least and didn't even wait to scream at him or anything. Good enough.
Connie sent him off to his room to work on something, anything he wanted, but asked him not to leave the palace for a bit. Tor didn't have anywhere to go anyway, and no money to spend in town even if he went, so told her that he'd be running up some new specs for flying devices, there were some things that needed to be fixed on the original design anyway.
For instance, if he could figure out how to let people breathe at best speed, they could go a lot faster without too much trouble. The field itself just had to allow for greater organization along the path of movement to increase that without stress on the field. That should keep it from heating the amulet uncomfortably. Having enough air to breathe easily was really the big limiting factor right now. He also needed a left hand control unit. They were all minor things, but it could make a big difference in flight, especially against the Austrans, who had machines that could fly so fast they roared like thunder as they traveled. Tor had never seen one, but Kolb had told him about them.
It sounded scary.
Using the field on his current flight gear as a guide, he was able to make up the new template inside a day. He hadn't meant to take that long, but the idea caught his interest and he figured out that he didn't have to do all the work over again, just make one simple change, the controls being on the left, and add a field that would catch air as it passed and funnel it to the mouth and nose, while allowing the air to be constantly refreshed. That way the exhalations of the person flying wouldn't foul the air around them too much to breathe after a couple of minutes. Add a slightly stronger basic field and boom, faster flying. Fix the turning controls so they weren't as sensitive… Then, just because he didn't want to risk Sorvee rage yet, he made up a hundred copies of the new field.
No one could fault him for dodging the problem if he was actively working could they?
Of course they could, but he doubted that merchants would. Product meant money in their minds, they probably put that poor woman, Meredith, up to it just in order to steal his working contracts with Debri house anyway.
Really, it was a good plan.
Dorgal had probably told them how Tor couldn't get a girl on his own, and that he'd probably be willing to take anyone offered without thinking about it. Then, after he did, well, of course he'd have backed his new family first. That was just normal and polite. Luckily for him Meredith didn't have a different last name. If not for the connection to Dorgal he probably would have just said yes. Just having someone make the offer was flattering enough that he would have taken it, most likely.
Then Tor turned around and spent half a week designing the cargo floats, and making a hundred copies of those as well. After that… Well, he had some drying units to make and nearly five days left before he and Rolph could escape back to school. To safety.
Rolph, naturally, had been spending almost all his time with Sara, and who could blame him? The girl was great after all and did things with Rolph that Tor didn't even know about exactly, except what he'd seen animals doing out in the fields. It surprised him a little bit when his big friend popped in at lunch the day he finished everything he could figure out to do for the time being and sat down, with a huge grin on his face.
“So, have you finished saving the kingdom by yourself for now? A few people want to see you, you know. Prime among them your new potential in-laws. I told them I'd have you there tomorrow night at nine for dinner. Don't worry, it's just a planning and strategy session. No Tor torture on the menu at all. At least not the one they showed me.”
Tor grinned and asked Rolph if he'd ferry the dryer template for him, getting it from Debri house, since the Queen still wouldn't let him go out of the palace, due to his ankle. Or possibly to prevent kidnapping… she hadn't said why actually, now that he thought about it, just asked him to stay there.
His friend had it back to him before dinner. By the next night he had another fifty cargo haulers and a hundred dryer plates ready. It had taken all night, but he managed to get a nap early in the morning, until nearly noon. Lazy of him, but hey, it was a vacation, he could afford one or two days like that, right? Sleeping late felt weird though and he decided not to make a habit of it. It just seemed wrong and put everything a little out of balance.
Rolph came to get him at seven for the carriage ride to the Morgans, since they'd be going the slow way. Why that was he didn't know and Rolph wouldn't tell him. They chatted about stuff, the new fields he'd been making and how Rolph wanted one of the newest flying rigs if he could get it. Tor had gotten Burks and another man to help him load all the fields going with them that night in a single heavy chest. It was a sturdy, but beautiful thing, dark stained wood with carnations and owls carved on the top. Carnations had all those little petals, so someone had done a lot of work to make them look so real, he could tell, even if he wasn't really savvy about art most of the time.
He knew effort when he saw it.
Tor had fifty cargo hauling fields, each device the size of his palm, that many food dryers and an equal number of the new flight devices, which were smaller in physical size and tidier in appearance than the old ones he'd made. The hand controls had nice leather thongs that looped around the wrist and two fingers for stability too. It just looked sharper, less like a little kid just tied something on with string while playing make-believe. Burks had arranged for those, not even blinking oddly when Tor had asked, even though it wasn't his job at all.
Thankfully for him, Rolph was a royal, which meant giant. That meant Tor didn't have to try and carry the chest himself or even take one of the handles, his friend doing all the heavy lifting. Otherwise it would have taken half the night, with him limping out of the carriage like he was, dragging the chest behind him on the ground. The box wasn't that big, two foot long, half that wide and about that tall. It weighed in at about a hundred pounds, a lot for Tor right now, not so much for his friend.
At the door a man he didn't know escorted them in to the “sitting room” which seemed a place to keep guests out of the way until dinner. It had a green and cream flower patterned padded bench to sit on, which was pretty soft, but lost his attention when he heard a noise to his right and turned halfway around to see who, or what, it was.
A purple flash came towards him, moving fast and hard, which made him jump slightly in fear. The face on top of the blur looked like Trice, but strange, like she'd been crying. Bizarre for her really, she wasn't one of those weepy girls as far as he knew. Sara was a bit, but not the curly haired girl. Not that he'd noticed.
Her parents had probably been teasing her about him. Sigh. Normally fine, except that she might take his head off now for it. He felt himself lifted off his feet and flung back on a padded bench with a back, which slid a little when he hit it, Trice ending up on top of him. He got ready for the beating, figuring that he kind of deserved it, after dragging her into his problems without permission, so he was shocked when she started kissing him instead.
He heard Rolph chuckling behind her.
The kisses weren't hard quick things like he expected them to be, but soft, warm movements that caused her to almost meld with him somehow. His lips still tingled when she rose up off of him laughing and crying at the same time.
“They just told me! I love you… You are so wonderful! Thank you. I… this… Thank you! You can't know how much better this is…”
She kissed him again and kept at it until her father cleared his throat in the background. “Ahem. Hey, I said Ahem!” The man smiled at them when Trice finally broke off her assault on Tor's face.
“Dinner's about to begin, if you'll all join us?”