Tor felt his anxiety growing as he woke the next day. It was simple enough really, every second or third time he stayed at the palace, someone tried to kill him. Usually his new temporary boss, Smythe of Westend, but who knew what was coming this time?
Tor decided, since he wasn't actually needed for any of the current things to run back to the school and see about catching up on his classes. He'd been working out, running and practicing his fighting skills as best he could without a partner, though part of that he had do to in his head, imagining the fights, because there hadn't been room on the submersed craft for any of them to be flailing around. They'd had to take turns even stretching. It seemed that the Austran method of seeing things in the ocean would see them if the craft got too big, or they could have had a lot more room.
He almost got out without anyone talking to him, but he ran into the King, leaning his eight foot plus frame against a ten foot high open door.
“Tor, fancy meeting you here!” He said brightly, his voice dry, rather than witty.
Caught then.
“Hmmm. Well, I'm running out, at least for a while. I have school you know. I've worked on what I could, even got Denno to tutor me in math, but I need my violin if I don't want to fail music. Plus, wife and friends to connect with. I'll be back later.”
The King sighed and patted his back gently, reaching down to his own waist to do it.
“I understand Tor, I just wish it didn't take seven hours to fly back here if we need you.”
“Um, about an hour now.”
The King looked impressed, “Really? New flying rig?”
Tor explained the new carriage system to him and that he could bring back a few copies of the device that day, or if he wanted a lot more of them. The devices could be made at Lairdgren School after all. They had an actual thing going on there, he confided. Not that he knew what to call it, but the Lairdgren group was doing a good sight better than the major manufacturers so far. If they kept improving, which Tor knew they would, the numbers for things would probably go up greatly. Sure it meant less money for him maybe, but he had enough, didn't he? What did he need really, some food? The occasional trinket for his wife?
Land?
Richard let him go on the condition that Tor came back before dinner later that night. The King wanted him there to make Denno feel comfortable. The man was, no matter the circumstances, a dignitary, and that meant doing whatever they could to make him feel welcome. It would make the trip more rushed, but he'd deal. Maybe he could bring back Ali and Rolph for the night?
“Is that all right? I'd rather my own bed, but if we wear shields all the time it should be safe enough.” He glanced at Richard warily, not wanting to be mean about it all, but not wanting to end up dead either. So far he'd been attacked less inside Austra than the King’s palace. It made a body leery.
“Tor… It saddens me greatly that not only do you fear staying in my home, but that it's a deserved fear. I hope to do better in the future by you.”
That was honest enough, no promise it would work or even that he'd really try, just that he hoped to do it.
Grinning Tor laughed.
“And I hope to pass economics, but if I don't go and at least see to my schoolwork a bit, Wensa's going to kill me and then where will I be? Failing even more classes, that's where.” That Wensa would kill him for not attending classes was insane of course. Beat him in the commons… That was possible. It was even within the school rules, so Tor would have to take off his shield and let her, if she demanded it as penance for his having missed so much.
He hoped not though, because as a Royal Guard, she could kill him that way. Maybe even by mistake and that would suck.
The trip was smooth and faster than he'd thought by nearly twenty minutes. It took Tor a bit to understand, but the field on the fast carriage was based on organic principles, so it would keep trying to grow and get stronger over time, or should at least. Eventually the growth would stop, it would simply find a comfortable place and stay there, but for now it was exciting. Really, a forty minute trip was better than an hour by a lot. If they could get it down to half an hour, it would suddenly be a trip that could be made daily without hardship.
He went to check on Ali first, knowing that showing up unannounced would probably lead to finding her entertaining some boy, man, or even fellow schoolgirl, probably naked or hurriedly dressing. Maybe even a couple at once. She was allowed, so it wasn't like Tor could get mad about it. Not really. Well, he could, but if tradition said she could have all the lovers she wanted, should he blame her for being good at finding them? It was a bit of a skill, wasn't it? Really, Tor decided, he should be proud of her ability to make friends so easily. It wasn't something he did half as well or as comfortably.
So he made himself relax on the way, an act of will even knowing it wasn't a real problem, and knocked on her door firmly but without being the kind of pounding that some people used. The door flew open as if someone was expected, but it was Sheri who looked out and then grinned.
“Alissa! Look it's your husband! Tor’s here! See, he isn't dead at all!” She pulled him in roughly enough that his shield activated, throwing her hand away with a painful jolt. It really felt like a solid slap, and didn't hurt that much, but if it was unexpected people generally yelped. Sheri did, but then laughed a little, too relived to care about a bit of discomfort.
Inside the room sat a miserable looking girl, very light brown hair disarrayed, brown dress looking like it had been slept in and eyes dull and sullen. Had she been ill or… Or had one of her “friends” broken up with her? That could be hard on a person, Tor knew. He moved to her side quickly and wrapped her in a tight hug.
If anyone had hurt his wife by being cruel, they'd be getting a piece of his mind, if not more than that. After all a whole brain being thrown had to be off putting. That would show them. The image caught him for a second, but Ali needed him. Whatever it was he was there for her.
“Tor? Tor! You're alive? Oh gods! I've been so worried. Did they hurt you, do you-” She looked at his crotch less than subtly. Right Daria's threat to have him unmanned.
Tor chuckled, not able to help himself, “It was all talk, I'm fine, the Ancient was rescued, if it was a rescue at all and I've come to take you to the palace for the night. Special permission from the King, so I think Hardgrove will let it slide, we're taking Rolph along too.” Tor turned and looked at the lanky and wide eyed girl that stared at him in amazement.
“I'd take you too Sheri, but I have to ask first, so maybe next time? Or, well, Noram day is in a month, would you like to come down to the Capital for it? You don't live close enough to go home for that do you? Not that we couldn't get you home if you want. Really we should consider transport for everyone here. I'll have to see if anyone wants to work on that.”
She shook her head.
“No, I live about a thousand miles east of here, but I'd love to go, I mean if it's really all right. It's OK if you were just being polite, I'm sure the school celebration-”
Tor nodded, “Is grand. But we have room and transportation, so baring emergencies? Really, you two should make up a list of who you want there, because I might not know all your friends yet. Different classes and that. Oh! Remember to invite the building kids too… Anyway, honey, we won't be leaving until about eight, so…”
They made plans, exchanged hugs and kisses and groped more than was polite in front of someone else. Tor wondered if the other girl and his wife were lovers, but if so, Sheri had always managed to be discrete as the conventions required, so Tor wasn't going to ask. It would just make things more uneasy in his life and really, he didn't need that right now at all.
The next stop was to get his class work. Really he needed to talk to Rolph first, but after what he'd picked up the last time… Tor hadn't thought about it much, because he didn't know what to think at all on the topic. Rolph loved him? As in, really loved? And wanted to have sex with him? It was too hard to deal with. He didn't want to hurt him, and really Rolph had never said anything and probably wouldn't, but could Tor manage to be the same now that he knew that existed?
Should he?
The plain truth was that the idea of having sex with a man… did nothing for him at all. Might as well be describing rocks and trees. But that didn't mean the Prince was in the wrong here, Tor wasn't even willing to really try. That was his failing not his friend's.
Gah!
Couldn't anything in his life just be simple anymore? So, he'd get his schoolwork first and then try to figure what the hell he was up to with his best friend. Maybe it had just been a passing thing? Worry because he'd been leaving? That might be it. Tor knew that he was lying to himself saying that, but screw it, if the lie got him through the day, he'd take it.
Wensa drilled him on economics, which mainly dealt with accounting in the phase they were in, which was pretty much the same everywhere, and what Tor read about before he had to leave, because the instructor had ordered him to. Raising a single eyebrow she said he had a grasp of the material, but she didn't praise him more than that. She wouldn't though, not with him. They got along OK now, but they weren't exactly friends or anything and she seemed to expect him to pull miracles out of various orifices while at the same time hiding in the woodwork. Not that he wasn't good with that plan, it was just hard to do sometimes.
The rest of his classes where pretty gentle about him having been gone, since the Dean had told them that Tor was away on a rescue mission. Not subtle at all, but true enough, he supposed. Instructor Fines handed him not one, but three new books to read on building theory.
“Now, don't run off and do all of it at once, some of the things in there probably shouldn't be done at all, even if they can be, but it might give you some ideas.” The man seemed pleased and said that Tor could easily catch up if he applied himself and the kingdom’s needs gave him half a chance. It was a load off his shoulders to hear that.
Really being gone nearly three weeks in the middle of a term should mean he had to repeat the whole thing, which would be a pain, at the current rate he'd be eighty and still working on the end of his fifth year. Sure there was time, but school was a means to an end, learning. That's what this was all about and just like he had the last time he was in school other things kept getting in the way.
OK, so all the instructors were being really nice to him about it, which helped, but Tor felt bad about not doing his part as fully as possible. He decided that, just as soon as Denno was settled a bit there would be a serious academic push for a while. That planned out he went to find Rolph, who was actually in their room doing schoolwork like a good student, wearing plain canvas browns and brown boots. It made him look like one of the poor combat giants, instead of the Prince, but to Tor it was a wonderful sight.
A hard working Prince not afraid to look humble, who didn't seek the best luxuries for himself even in private? Who didn't like that? The Two Bends kid in him wanted to bow and scrap a little at the sight. It was like something out of a legend.
Rolph looked over when the door opened, a slightly shocked look on his face. That was understandable, since no one knew when, or if, Tor would be back. He jumped up and hugged Tor tightly for a long time, his feelings warm and friendly, a bit of love mixed in that suddenly threatened to overwhelm the poor guy, Tor noticed. He had to know what was going on, so spying on his friend’s field was needed. At least he told himself so. But it was also unfair.
To Rolph. The guy was great, fantastic even. His best friend and really, when it came down to it, Tor knew he loved him too. Not a huge love that overwhelmed him, but he'd die for him if need be and not even think about it. Or maybe even kill to protect him…
That was the important part.
There were a lot of people that Tor would die to protect, even some he didn't know. Any child or person that couldn't defend themselves for instance. He once went to his death, what should have been his death, for Maria Ward of all people, and he'd disliked and distrusted her more than anyone else on the planet at the time. But there were few he'd actually kill for.
Connie. Yeah, Tor had kept his distance there and she hadn't pressed him for a long time on the matter, but she made the list. Rolph of course. What scared Tor a little there is that when he judged the feeling he was more willing to do it for his friend than anyone else. The implications really frightened him. A lot.
Changing the subject he realized that Trice also made the list. Sarcastic, judgmental and sometimes bitchy about things that didn't even make sense, but she was his. If anyone tried to harm her, they'd die. Tor nearly laughed, which must have showed on his face, because Rolph let him go, looking embarrassed.
“Sorry…” Rolph mumble, looking down, but smiling himself.
Tor hugged him again.
“It wasn't directed at you, I just realized something about the people that I'd protect no matter what, who I'd die and kill for, and the idea of me going all military commando and taking someone out just struck me as ridiculous, that's all. “Me mighty Tor, me crush you!” You have to admit, it's a bit silly.” Tor mugged a little and puffed himself up when pretending to be the big warrior, which got a smile.
“I don't know Tor, I think a lot more people than you might expect would just run away in fear if you started towards them with intent. I've seen the new military plan for handling you if you get out of control and it's…” He just shook his head seriously.
“There's a military plan for that? What is it? Or… or is it a secret so I can't plan for it, I'd guess that would make sense, maybe I shouldn't know.”
Rolph shook his head and sighed, Tor recognized that a joke was coming, so steeled himself for it. The Prince wasn't normally cruel, but his jokes could be ill timed now and then.
“Tor… It's truly horrible. If you get out of control and are attacking them… their supposed to drop to their knees and grovel, the idea is that it would embarrass you so much you'd be rendered incapable of fighting anymore!” There was a chuckle in his voice, but Tor went still.
Totally still, thinking about different scenarios he'd experienced in the past. Rolph stopped smiling and gave him a look, one that asked silently if he was offended by what was said, Tor shook his head, not smiling at all.
“I… that would probably work. I mean as long as they weren't hurting anyone, what could I do? I might run away then, but I couldn't keep fighting, could I?” Tor threw his hands up playfully. It was just true after all.
It wasn't funny, but they both laughed and waves of affection came off his friend. Tor felt like a heel then. It wasn't something he could help, but now that he knew it, how Rolph felt, he had to stop being so mean to him. It… There was just nothing he could do. If he were a better person, or even just less backwoods in his thinking, he could just be Rolph's lover and that would fix it. His feelings were real enough for his big friend for that.
It just wasn't something he could manage, not for real. Even kissing Denno that one time was gross and he was as pretty as a girl. The whole situation sucked, and not in a way that anyone would like at all. Looking at his friend in front of him, hair red, but still short, a military cut, Tor decided to let go of the whole thing for now. Why worry overly about what he couldn't do anything productive about at the moment?
“Anyway Rolph, dinner at the palace tonight, we leave at eight, plan to stay over though. Burks and I got Denno, but I'll fill you and Ali in on the trip… I think she can know about it at least. It doesn't seem to be a secret or anything.”
Until then they'd just do school work, Tor decided. He badly needed to practice his violin, you didn't get better without work after all, and he needed it there. As it was it felt like he'd fail that class for sure. His instructor was a wonderful woman, older and gray, but she had a keen ear and always called the kids on lack of practice. In front of everyone. Tor focused himself, started a noise canceller for Rolph's safety and peace of mind and practiced until he felt his friend shake his arm. Blinking Tor realized that he'd dropped into a working trance while playing, which was decidedly odd. Really he hadn't even known that would be a possibility. The activity of doing something active, with his eyes open should have prevented it. He’d been deep too.
They collected Ali, a small magical trunk floating behind her, filled with… nothing much, Tor guessed, some brushes and make-up maybe? That reminded him to provide his people with the disguise amulets soon, especially the girls. It could be made to color their skin in place of cosmetics and would be a lot faster, at least once preset. Less time spent doing that meant more time to work and help others, right?
Right. Because that was exactly what the average person did with their free time.
They spent the trip with Tor explaining the whole situation, trying to leave out the part about him having to kiss Denno and then what the device had played while they escaped. It was just too embarrassing. That he was the only one in the whole world that would find it so didn't matter, his face and neck got hot just thinking about the shame. It had worked, but still…
“Gods! Tor, is that the King’s river already?” Rolph goggles, as Tor nodded.
“Yep. This new carriage is a little faster than the old kind.” That was an understatement of course, and came with a matter of fact and dry tone.
The trip in took just as long as usual, of course. It was silly and really wouldn't help anything at all, that ten minutes of slow decent into the palace grounds, but it was traditional now, so it had to be done. Well, at least the Royal Guard wasn't requiring that everyone be stripped to bare skin and all their secret parts be checked for devices and amulets. It had been suggested at one time, but the King put his foot down. It would simply take too long.
That was the actual rationale for not doing it too. Not preserving dignity or anything like that. Just that it would take too long to be worth the effort.
As it was they had to all be checked with truth devices to prove who they were and that they intended no harm. When it got to Ali the cream and yellow stripped aura of light that surrounded her turned black when she gave her name, causing the guards to draw weapons. Ali shrieked and looked scared, but Rolph just put his hand on her arm gently.
“It's all right. You have to give your real name, that's all. I know you don't use it, but I think that's what’s triggering the device right now.”
“Oh, right. Um, I'm Gretchen Alison Derring Baker. I go by Alissa or Ali now. I intend no harm to anyone.” That got a pure reading and the Royal Guards put the weapons away so smoothly it hardly felt like they moved at all.
In a way it was how both Burks and Denno did things too, that smooth and economical way of moving that didn't waste motion and gave them a still feeling most of the time. It was more pronounced in the Ancients, but now that he noticed it, it made sense. Watching the others he suddenly realized how much energy and time people wasted doing most things. Did it make you faster by cutting out wasted motion? It was something to think on.
Like he needed another thing to ponder. What he needed was to start making a list of things, so he didn't forget good ideas later.
Sighing, they all walked to the dining room, Rolph had changed into a splendid purple velvet outfit with gold highlights and what looked like thick cotton underneath, a winter time dress outfit for a Prince? It looked sharp and was mainly purple, which Tor liked, that being his favorite color and one of the Cordes house colors. Ali was wearing a big dress that looked fluffy and huge, cream and white satin and piles of lace. Rolph had commented on how pretty it was when he saw it and again as they walked down the hallway.
“Thank you Prince Alphonse,” Ali said, making the change of title and name come to her lips far more easily than Tor ever managed. She had a small, alluring smile on her face, flirtatious and a little coy. “So kind of you to notice. Petra Ward designed it for me. She's one of the best in the kingdom you know.”
Not for the first time Tor wondered if they were sleeping together. It made sense, maybe he should suggest it if they weren't? Rolph was great, Ali was splendid and given their shared culture making love would have been pretty normal for them, even if they hardly liked each other, since they both knew him so closely. It was hard to think like that, but Tor shrugged, no one noticing that he did.
The stupid royal rules made little to no sense to him at the best of times.
They didn't sit at the table at first, small meal or not. The dining room wasn't one of the big ones, but Denno was basically as important a visitor as they could have at the palace, so they'd pulled out the stops. All of them. Even common sense.
The room was filled with more kinds of magic than Tor had ever seen working in one place at one time, some of them his, but a lot of them were other peoples as well. It was almost like a museum display, as if to overwhelm Denno with what they could do. The room clicked and buzzed, lights flickered and blasted at times, different, all pleasant, emotions tickled across his skin, and music, ethereal and soft, chimed from the back of the room.
It was too much and looked silly to Tor, not very tasteful at all, but Denno kept walking from one device to the next looking amazed and baffled, finally he turned to Tor and threw his hands up.
“I can see it works, but how? It's against the laws of physics and thermodynamics!”
Blinking Tor stopped for a second and tried to remember what he'd worked out about that, from the bits of science Burks had told him about as they trained and prepped for the mission a few weeks before.
“No it's not. That's the flaw in your thinking on it, you're missing one key part, so you think that it's impossible, even when you see it working. Magic is simply a complex organizational process on the quantum level, using a biological interface. What you're missing, I think, is that every object exists down to the smallest parts of reality.” It made sense to Tor, but the Brown man grimaced.
“I know that.” He said, as if Tor had just insulted him.
“Good, but remember, the human brain exists on that level too, and we can control our thoughts, which means that we can build partial structures of information on that level…”
Denno looked shaken for a second.
“But…” Then he stopped talking and walked away.
The man stopped asking him how magic worked at least.
Connie walked over and placed her hand on his arm gently to get Tor’s attention. It was a soft and gently thing, and she looked radiant, as always. Her hair had grown out a little, near collar length, and was still her normal red-brown color, it was hard to describe really, being as lovely as it was. On impulse Tor gave her a warm, but small hug. It wasn't enough to insult his wife, and the King wasn't in the room yet, being busy elsewhere for the time being, so it wasn't rubbing anything in his face. She looked at him in surprise, but took the opportunity to kiss him gently on the lips. Nothing to overt, but it got a grin from Ali who stood at his arm.
The Queen looked around the room and sighed.
“Burks suggested it. I'm mortified myself, but Mr. Brown does seem impressed. We'll shut it all off for dinner.” She looked at both of them and suddenly swooped in to give Ali a hug.
“Now, Tor dear, go away so I can chat with Alissa about you in private.”
Laughing Tor walked over to Rolph, wondering what they were really going to be talking about. He wasn't interesting enough for a conversation, he knew. His huge friend stood and watched Denno walking around with an amused expression. It was a little funny, even as the good looking man fought for control over his face. Someone had given him a clothing amulet Tor noticed, and let him set the style, a plain jumpsuit like everyone wore in Austra. The color was a simple brown and looked bland for the room, but Denno still didn't. The guy always looked good.
Rolph shook his head.
“A year ago I thought the Ancients were just a fairy tale told to children, immortal little men and women that helped guide us all in secret, like gnomes or something. Now I not only know they're real, but have met six of them.”
“Six?” Tor only counted three himself.
“You, your mother and sister Tiera, Lairdgren, Brown and Lara Gray. Six.”
“Ah. Well, I don't count. I'm still just Tor after all.” He tried to sound normal, but it came out humble and a little embarrassed. He wasn't Ancient at all, two months younger than Rolph even.
“Court Jester!” Came a familiar voice from his right, near the door, Ambassador Mutta from Afrak. His great niece and cousin. Tor stopped himself from wincing but it took work. His family tree was so convoluted it hurt his brain to think about.
Tor and Rolph both spun, smiling. The vision that walked smoothly towards them was incredible. Dark skin that was so brown she nearly looked blue, ice blue eyes and brilliant bird like red hair that stuck up several inches and fanned out just a bit all over. She was wearing a proper court dress, a deep almost purple red, which was both lovely and a subtle blending of her hairs color and the royal purple of Cordes. There was lace on it and she looked stunning enough that everyone had turned to stare, even Denno.
Mutta may have called his name, but her eyes were only for one person, Rolph, who stepped forward and bowed low to her, while she fumbled at a curtsy laughing.
“My lord,” she said through the chuckles.
“Princess Abbie.” The Prince returned.
Mutta was trying to wrangle a marriage with Rolph, which, as big a surprise as it seemed to Tor, was working. She really was approximately a Princess, though they didn't really have those in Afrak, as it had been explained to him, but she was the third person in line to rule. The first one was an Ancient, Tor's grandmother it turned out, so Abbie would never gain any more power there. Here she could be a Queen, but really, she just seemed to actually like the Prince. As a reason to get married, there were worse ones.
Tor gave her a familial hug.
“Great niece, how are things going?” She knew what he meant, even without his very direct and obvious look at Rolph, a gesture that made her smile.
“Very well. I'm here tonight for a reason.”
“A reason?” Tor said, smiling. “Sounds important.”
She just nodded and kept looking at Rolph.
Nothing was said except for small talk at dinner, a rule at the royal table, Tor looked for Karina, but she didn't attend at all, which was a little strange, since the rest of the royal family was there. After the meal was over she walked in, wearing a plain black outfit that didn't highlight her athletic figure at all, her hair straight, short and black now, instead of the near red he'd last seen and had look on her face that seemed dark and sullen. Tor stared, but she didn't look back, and didn't even wave to Ali, who was one of her best friends. Tor reached out to her, trying to find out what was wrong, but she just moped and sat looking at the table, barely noticing the room. Waves of depression came off of her. Crap.
It was Tor’s fault.
Not that she was depressed, that was the situation, her friend Yardley had been murdered and the murder had gone free, back to a life of luxury and fun. That was beyond his control. But he'd left her. He was her friend and Tor had gone off to school and just left her to sit and stew in her own salty tears, not even bothering to visit, just because he was too “busy”. He hadn’t even contacted her on the communications device, which, he realized, wanting to kick himself, he could have done daily. All her friends had left at the same time too, Ali, Sara Debri and even Trice. That had happened because they all had to follow Tor for one reason or another. Double crap.
No one talked about it or looked at her overly, as if ignoring her obvious pain would make it better. Even Ali paid attention to the King as he announced something.
Prince Alphonse was to wed Princess Abumanintali Mutta. That was good, but not the most important thing at all. Tor made himself smile and so did Karina, so at least there was enough left inside her to try and fake being polite. The wedding was to take place in a year, which was quick for a royal… anything really. If there was no reason to hurry, they just didn't.
The King smiled and welcomed Abbie to the family, and she smiled back, gave a humble seated bow and thanked him. For her that was huge, given how little the Afrak thought of men in general. She was definitely trying her best. Then if she didn't, Tor would have to take her to Two Bends so that his mother could yell at her. The rest of the evening was subdued, going into more small talk. Denno stayed with the King most of the time, but flirted with Connie too when the chance came. Finally, working up his courage, Tor approached them all seriously.
“Your majesties? If I may have a word with you, in private?” Tor said so seriously and quietly they stiffed and stared at Denno Brown as if he was suddenly a threat. Denno just looked at him as if interested.
The King didn't smile at all, not even a polite grin, “Of course Tor, at once.”
They all went to a room through a hidden door in the back of the dining hall, the heavy thing nearly sound proof, Tor figured. Looking around he reached out to touch first Connie, then Rich on the arm to stop them a little over ten feet into the space, it wasn't a huge place, but had chairs. Tor didn't need a chair though, he wanted to not be heard instead. He openly hit a noise canceling sigil on one of his consolidated amulets and explained what he was doing to grim nods.
The King spoke first once it was done.
“Is there a threat?” He said, ready to spring into action.
Tor nodded, but held the hug mans arm to keep him from running off.
“Yes. It's Karina. She's… not in a good way. I want to take her back to school with me. We can add guards and put her in with the special school kids, but…” He readied for the fight to come, the arguments, all good ones, about the school not being safe enough, about their desire to protect Karina and hold her back in case something happened to Rolph. That logically meant keeping her in a different location.
The King sighed, stopped for a moment and then gave Connie a look.
“Alright. It's clear that she isn't getting any better here, it hurts to watch her suffer and I can't do anything to help. Maybe you, and her friends, can? It's cowardly of me to send her away, I just don't know what to do any more.”
Connie nodded, tears in her eyes, make-up running slightly.
“I've tried and tried, but nothing works. She's so angry about Daria Serge walking away like that. If this goes on I fear she'll run away to Austra to try and find her on her own.”
And kill her, Tor filled in mentally. No one doubted it, not for a second. It would be a bad plan for the kingdom at the moment, but who could blame her? Tor may not be able to bring himself to seek the girl’s death personally, but he wouldn't cry at her funeral either.
The whole conversation took about four minutes, then another two for Connie to fix her make-up with the help of a man that ran out of the wall, a panel that opened quietly, holding a brown lacquered case, who's hands moved to reapply things so fast that Tor nearly reacted as if he was trying to hit the Queen. Tor actually found a weapon in his hand and nearly tapped the activation sigil before the whole picture made sense to him. Connie had her eye closed and the man with the makeup was too busy to notice, but Richard saw and after Tor put the white piece of stone that looked almost like glass, eight sigils shining on it, back in the pocket on his right side, nodded somberly.
“That, in part, is why I'm willing to entrust both my son and daughter to you Tor.” The words were soft, almost too deep to be heard. It was a giant thing, all the men had those deep and booming voices, but when they spoke softly it was hard to really hear them, you felt it more than anything.
They returned to the party as soon as that was done and Tor walked straight to Karina. He'd done this before with her, so decided to skip the seventeen steps of him fumbling around and simple moved into her with a kiss, she smelled, obviously having gone without a bath for a while. That must have taken some real work, since bathing was practically a sport at the palace and it was suggested to you often, even if you'd already bathed that day.
“Alright you, you're coming with me and we're ditching this get together. Ali!” Tor called waving her over gently.
“We're going to our room with Karina.”
The Princess shrugged.
“Whatever.” It was dark and moody. Worse than before. By far.
The walk was in silence, but he touched her the whole time and she didn't throw him off and walked with them without being pulled. They got to the room and Tor, without asking or waiting led her to the bath and tapped her clothing sigil, turning it off. She didn't start, or say anything, just stood, still looking down. Ali ran a bath, the tub a large ceramic thing, tan and long, but not as big as the ones at his house. When the tub was full he asked her to climb in, but she didn't move. Instead of fighting over it, he picked her up and stepped in himself, still clothed, then sat with her on his lap. His hands were tied up so he focused intently on his own clothing device and turned it off too, then started scrubbing the girl clean. His body reacted to the contact, his manhood stiffening, but he ignored it. This wasn't about him, it was about Karina.
It took time to get her clean, this being about as awkward a way of going about things as possible, if close and cozy, but over the course of about forty minutes they managed it well enough. They drained the tub and let it empty without moving. Karina grew chill, not wearing a temperature equalizer or anything else and didn't bother trying to dress herself for warmth. Great, Tor thought. She was clearly suicidal.
Oh, it wasn't “give me the cutter so I can end it now”, but for her to go without a shield was still courting death and was something that for her had to be on purpose. She knew better than that. A subtle thing, but serious. Using towels they dried her off and took her to bed, tucking her in naked.
“Alright silly, Stop this now. Pull yourself out of it and don't make me do something more drastic.” Tor looked at Ali, signaling for her to get her clothes off too. The girls had told him flat out that they'd been lovers, and had since Ali was twelve. Illegal, but then, not really. A Princess could do whatever she wanted and Ali had always looked older, even now at fourteen she looked closer to Karina's seventeen. Plus, back then she'd lied about her age and no one questioned her claim of fifteen. No one blinked at her being married to Tor even, not that nobles would. Naked she actually looked like the older and more developed girl, between the two of them, if shorter still. His wife was shooting up, and would end up nearly as tall as the Princess most likely. Her mom was tall at least. Tor didn't know for certain if Count Derring had been her biological father, but if so, he was pretty tall too. Or had been, before his mysterious death.
Karina glared.
“What drastic action? A bath? Some sex? You're just going to leave me again. Everyone always does.”
Tor kissed her, but she turned her face away, growing surly. He let her do it and kissed her cheek instead then took her chin gently so she'd look him in the eyes.
“What kind of thing is that to say when I just had a horrendous battle with your parents to get them to allow me to whisk you off to school with us? They were winning too, lots of hammer blows and logical reasons you couldn't go, until my begging and crying won them over. It was a close thing though. I think I won them over when I hammered my head against the floor begging on hands and knees.” Toe shook his head, eyes innocent and face blank, Karina glared at him for a bit, then tilted her head.
“Really?”
“Well the part about you coming back with us. I didn't cry though, I was quite manly and no one hit me. They really do want you to be happy you know. Now, you don't have to come if you don't want to, but if you don't, I'll have to come down here every day and tickle you from now on, which will absolutely destroy my grades. Barely passing as it is.” Tor grinned a little and hoped she'd come, since that really would just about end his schooling all together.
They didn't make love, just held each other all night and talked about things, mainly how lonely she'd been feeling.
Ali poked her, several times.
“You were supposed to come visit us! We have a house and everything, so you don't even have to share my little dorm room bed. No excuse. No excuse! If you feel lonely you should have done something about it. If nothing else you could have gone and visited with Box and Debbie, they'd have loved to see you and Box could probably use a little extra attention about now. I know he likes you too.”
Karina agreed, a mumbled thing that sounded more contented if still sad. Tor nudged her a little.
“I don't know for sure, but her own dorm bed will probably be just as little and uncomfortable. I suppose we should come up with a nickname for you too, so everyone at school doesn't instantly know who you are. Keep the hair like this, black and short.” It was a real point, Tor knew, especially if he didn't want to wake up one night with the Royal Guard beating him for making their job impossible.
“What? I'm going to school there?”
“Right. I said we were keeping you, didn't I? What did you think I meant, a two week stay? Nope, we're stealing you properly. Special school though, with Trice and Sara and their friend Ridley? I don't know what they learn, but even your dad thinks it will be useful for you. I'll try to get Kolb to take you on as fighting instructor. He can help teach you not to suck so bad at it.” Tor was teasing her, not that working with Kolb wouldn't help, but the Princess didn't suck at fighting. Not at all.
It was dark in the room, so she couldn't see his smile, but she inhaled suddenly, a real sounding thing.
“Do you think he'll be as hard on me as Rolph says he is on you?” It was half whining, and sounded a little worried.
Tor snorted.
“Of course not. He'll probably be two or three times tougher on you, since you have all that natural talent for it. Me, I have to practice running away all the time, more now even. Burks recently showed me how much I suck at it. And at fighting. But yeah, if you want someone to coddle your feelings and pat your fanny when you fall down, we could import someone maybe… but you won't find them at Lairdgren, Princess or not.”
It wasn't Karina that answered, but Ali who said something shocking.
“Can I try too, I mean, is it all right? If I learn to fight?”
Tor nearly said no, since she was his wife and he was supposed to be the one to protect her. Always. But that wasn't real, was it? He went places and left her alone for instance, and what if she ran in trouble when he was just in class or working, and she wasn't? The same was true of everyone else too, wasn't it? All the new kids at school, the builders. He was turning them into a real threat to Austra, making them valuable in their own right, including to some bad people and had left them defenseless, except for their building skills.
“Yes. In fact I'll see to it as soon as we go back tomorrow. It's mid-term, but it's a good idea, even if it's not a graded class. School isn't about grades, it's about learning. The grades are just there to make sure you keep trying.”
It rankled that he couldn't be there for her all the time, but it was the truth, wasn't it? Him trying to act the big tough man would leave her vulnerable to attack. That couldn't be allowed. Not at all.
He half crawled over Karina and kissed Ali deeply.
“I love you little wife.”
She told him she loved him too and seemed genuinely happy to hear it. Before Karina could sulk about it he kissed her too.
“I love you too, rather tall Princess.” It wasn't true, but like with Ali, it made her feel better to hear and he could live it, even if it wasn't his true feeling on the matter. It was better to lie and make them happy and secure than telling them the truth, that he really just liked them as friends and lovers, but didn't feel much more for them than that. It hurt to think about. He should love them after all. They were good people and worthy of it, but his feelings were what they were. Tor wouldn't let them down or hurt them, not if he had anything to say about the matter at all.
Tor nestled into Karina contentedly. A liar he may be, but that didn't mean he couldn't be a good one. A lie lived well enough was the truth, he'd once heard someone say. His mother come to think about it. Back then he didn't realize that she'd been living a lie herself, hiding away in a small village as a poor baker’s wife for decades. It kind of proved the point though, didn't it? Live it well enough and it was made real.
For his friends he would do that. No matter the cost.
Even if it meant his life or sanity. The sanity was the big threat right now, since Tor didn't know how much more of all this he could take. Everything falling in on him constantly, making him struggle to get past it just to glimpse something normal.
Most days anymore he wasn't even getting close enough to normal to wave hello it seemed.