Petra ran past him into the driving area, which she called the “pilot house”. It had windows all the way around, well, invisible shields, but that was even easier than making them look like something else, so Tor hadn't stinted on them. Petra examined the controls and smiled, it was the same as for a fishing boat, even if the craft was way larger. She started slow, a few miles per hour and then inched the lever forward slowly. It gained speed, moving faster until the whole thing started to shudder and skip a little on the waves. She giggled and slowed it down wide eyed and smiling. At a guess she was moving at around forty miles per hour still. The turning radius seemed horrible, the big ship making a circle about an eighth of a mile in diameter, but she seemed pleased with it. Very.
“It's just how boats this size are. Actually this one seems to handle better than most. A lot better….” She took it out for miles before bringing the speed to zero, pulling the level, one that looked like polished wood in a dark color, all the way back. They stopped moving then, except where the waves lifted the boat a little bit.
That's what happened when stopped, so there wouldn't be a need for an anchor. That earned him another hug, then a kiss, her hand moving down his back and finally clutching his behind. It was playful and seemed a little interested, if Tor was any judge of such things. Petra grinned again.
“Show me the rest?”
The deck, obviously was just a deck and had no special properties at all. There wasn't even a hatch for a cargo hold, since it wasn't meant to carry any he let her know. The railing looked good and they spent a minute looking at the ocean, holding on the rail and each other for a while.
“I love this. The ocean I mean. The present is alright too.” She chuckled and shook her head gently. “Of course now I'm spoiled and no boy giving me mere flowers will ever stand a chance. Well, unless he's really cute of course, then it might work…”
Tor stuck out his tongue.
“Like you'd ever be anything but proper? Besides, flowers are nice. Their colorful and smell good. Who doesn't like that? At least the equal of something like this.” Tor grabbed her hand and pulled her over to the door at about mid-deck that held the stairs. It was a spiral set of steps, because Tor thought it was elegant, if slightly dizzy making, each looking like sturdy pieces of drift wood. So the look was eclectic? It gave it a bit more character than if the whole thing was just one style, right?
The rest of it was massive, now that he got a good look at it. It had five rooms in all, a restroom, done to look like warm wood and that had a pattern to it that made you feel like you were in a forest somewhere, the ceiling looking like trees with a daylight sky above. That was where the light came from, but it didn't change. He hadn't figured that part out yet, making the image move. The bathing chamber had a big tub, but it looked like it was made of clear glass. The shower next to it also had the same look. The walls did too, something he was particularly proud of.
“Obviously, we can see out, but even someone trying to look in will only ever see the side of the ship. I um, thought you might appreciate the risque aspect of it.”
She did, and wanted to show him just how much right then and there. Tor was tempted, but he kind of had something set up with Collette. When he admitted it, Petra just smiled at him and shook her head. She didn't push the issue though. Tor wondered if he should have done it anyway. It was so tempting, but felt wrong somehow.
Yes, it was wrong.
If he was in Two Bends.
Here having two women in a day was probably normal. He so needed to finish reading that book on manners Holly had lent him. It was probably covered in there. If not he needed to make up a list of questions and just grab someone to ask outright. Rolph would tell him. Or Rich maybe, if he really got desperate. If the poor man could find the time to talk about things that trivial to the kingdom.
Pet tested the water and then tasted it. It was pure, and cold. It didn't take her ten seconds to figure out how to set the water to what she liked, something far hotter than what Tor would have picked himself. Then she let it all out, checking the speed and action as it drained, seeming impressed.
“Another thing that would work well I think, just to carry around with you. Except, if I'm using it in public I wouldn't want it to look like clear glass. That has to make your butt spread in highly unflattering ways.” She tried to look at her own behind over her shoulder and laughed at the same time.
The next room he showed her was the kitchen, which she told him was the galley on a boat. It had an eating area right there divided by a serving counter towards the back of the boat. That section was decent sized as was the kitchen, the cooking part was all in black stone marbled with lightly glowing blue and orange, at least for the counter tops the rest was white stone that didn't glow at all, except for the ceiling, which gave off a decent approximation of sunlight. She liked the look, but pointed out that she could barely cook, no matter that he was providing magical instruments for it. Tor shrugged.
“But I can.” He said lightly. “It will give you a reason to take me with you when you go places. Part of the time at least.”
The dining area stopped her in her tracks.
“This is lovely Tor!”
It was, that's why he copied the look from the guest house dining room at the palace in the Capital. The walls were covered in green silk, the table in green linen. Everything else was wood of half a dozen different colors from deep cherry to blond pine. Really, lacking taste himself he feared, he'd done similar things with the next two rooms, if in his own way.
The big room had three sofas and four softly cushioned chairs. All done in white velvet and dark wood that almost looked black. There was a table to hold beverages near each, except a low bench like thing he'd gotten the idea for from the madam’s office at Wilderness Station. It looked good for a quick nap. It occurred to him then that a madam might have something like that for something other than dozing and blushed, but Petra seemed to like it.
The bedroom was just a nearly exact copy of a room he'd stayed in at the palace. Some wooden chairs, a polished cherry wood table covered in white and a bed that was still the biggest thing he'd ever seen the like of.
Until now.
This was bigger. It was nearly twice as wide as it was long, and it was ten feet long. It had a canopy over the top with gauzy curtains that could be drawn for privacy or maybe to set a mood. Given all the spies and eyes on you in the palace, Tor figured it was the first one there. Privacy. Seeing it now Tor felt like it was ridiculously over done, but Petra threw herself onto it and rolled.
“Whee!”
Crawling under the covered she squirmed.
“Silk sheets? God Tor, laundering these delightful monstrosities must be impossible…” She didn't look upset about it. Tor sighed and acted a little put upon, crossing his arms and shaking his head at her.
“Alright, out of bed now… Out!” He smiled when she scurried out, looking worried, as if he was mad about something instead of just being playful with her. He tapped the headboard sigil, a glowing hawk, and the bedding disappeared and came back, tightly made and pristine. That earned him a gasp.
Over time Tor was starting to get that there were different kind of gasps, some of them shocked and angry sounding, others just surprised and amazed. That was the one he was going for here. Petra jumped back in the bed and got under the covers again, squirmed and rolled to mess the whole thing up, which took some work, then she scrambled out like a little kid and hit the sigil to watch it all again.
Then his tall dark haired friend, who might, he realized, actually be his girlfriend, if so, the first he ever had, froze, her eyes going wide. She tugged hard at the sheet, pulling it free from the thick comforter on top of it and stood, draping the gold fabric around her shoulders, staring at it hard. She got it all the way off the bed and made sure it hung totally off the floor.
“Wait, this is… silk? But it isn't is it? It's a shield you said? Like the hull and the deck? Or the house? But it looks and feels real? That means we could use it to make clothes?” She actually bounced in place looking gleeful. “They'd be really expensive, but you could add special properties to them or something. They could change color and glow on demand. Or, I don't know, pleasure you with vibrations or something. I saw a device like that once, Martya's mom had it… That could be fun. Could you make them fit anyone though, or would they need to be sized to the individual? That's why clothes are so expensive really, that and how rare the best materials are. Oh, and shoes, or boots, could they be the same do you think? Hit one sigil and you're dressed for the day? Maybe more than one outfit per unit?” Petra stopped talking and went still.
Clothes making and design was her passion, and since this time she wouldn't be doing hand stitching, Tor kind of figured her plans might get a little elaborate. Well, if it made her happy, he could try. Maybe he could make the controls work to mental command or feedback? Then it would at least be practice for Trice’s arm. He really needed to make a study of limbs and how they worked mentally soon, as well as how they looked close up. He didn't think about it much, but he kind of thought that getting it wrong would really stand out. He started working on the feedback and mental control aspects of the clothing, which meant Petra came back to herself before he did.
Pulling his arm gently she guided him to the pilot house and slowly drove them back to the bay. They just took off from the deck flying the boat about ten feet out of the water before turning it off. Tor knew that Petra kind of wanted to put it in dock, to show off, but what was the point of having a magic boat you could carry around, if you didn't? Like with the houses he'd made. He had one around his neck even though there was one set up in the Wards yard. Well two, but he planned to leave the other for them to use as a guest house, since they seemed to like it well enough. Tiny magic house in the yard, what wasn't to like? They could put it away until needed even.
Tor looked at her fondly. Out of all the people he knew, she always seemed the most innocent. It could be taken as stupid by some, but they'd be wrong. Petra was clever in her fields, just like he did all right in his. But her heart was what impressed him. Trice was funnier, and Varley, well, pregnant out of wedlock or not, it wouldn't shock him to find out in the end that she was the smartest person he knew. Rolph was friendly and personable, when not trying to be the best heir to the throne ever. But then, did they want an heir that wasn't trying his best? Probably not.
Karina was… Tor drew a blank there. The only thing that came was that she was not to be underestimated. He'd try to keep that in mind, because it felt like a portent of some kind.
Tor wasn't even going to try and categorized the King. That would be stupid. The man hid everything so well. He'd ticked off Tor by making Trice betray him in public, but… Well, he could have had a reason that Tor would never know about, couldn't he?
The same went for Connie, who at least pretended to like him really well and would probably sleep with him to prove it. Which was why he couldn't trust her. Not really. Even if she did like him, he wouldn't be able to tell if she was just acting for some reason. Unless he read her field of course.
The idea stunned him for a moment. It felt… off. An invasion of privacy if nothing else. One that would work though.
They flew back in silence, but a companionable sort that reminded Tor of being home in the woods, when there was just one or two other people and you did nothing but hike and camp for a day. There was a peace to flying, the world seemed so small and it felt like you could deal with anything. Best of all was the quiet. The wind rushing past you made noise, but you were too far away to hear anything from the ground. Tor hadn't realized how much he appreciated silence, until he'd learned to fly.
That being the case, feeling so relaxed, Tor half expected to fly back to find a fight had broken out, or someone dead. All they found though was a party and people cleaning up for dinner. They landed close to one another on the front stoop of the house, white stone, marble he thought, just as the sun was dying. There was no one there, even though he normally would have preferred to land in a more open area.
Trice saw them and walked over looking smug and belligerent.
“So, where did you two get off to for three hours? Out counting the sand dunes?” Her voice wasn't slurring from drink, but it didn't sound happy. In fact it sounded a bit like she wanted to pick a fight. Her face looked like that too.
Oh goody.
Tor couldn't tell who with yet. He tilted his head, waiting to see what she'd say next, but Petra couldn't contain herself and burst out happily about their day and his gift.
“It's huge! Some of the rooms are nicer than the King’s palace in the Capital, or at least copies of it, and it goes so fast, for a ship I mean. Would you like to see it? We could go tomorrow. We could stay out for a night even, the bed is huge, I mean we have to share, but it's twenty feet wide and ten feet long. It looks ridiculous, but it's so soft and it forms to you perfectly. Ooh, and the bed? You hit a single sigil and it cleans and remakes itself, so no sleeping in the wet spot.” She grinned and tried to nudge Trice a little on the shoulder. But she dodged it easily and glared at Tor.
“So, trying out this new magic bed with your girlfriend? Was she good? Did she let you be on top so she didn't crush you or what? I see how things are. I lose my arm and suddenly I'm not good enough for you? Or you just never liked me at all, is that it? Not noble enough for you?” Her voice was getting higher pitched and fierce at the same time.
“Scored a Princess, so figured that nothing less than a Counserina will do? Is that it? Found out you were a Countier and now I'm not good enough for you?” She looked ready to cry.
Tor sighed, because he knew this probably didn't have anything to do with him at all, just anger at all she'd lost. Her arm, her comfort zone at school, her reputation and, just possibly, him. If she'd ever really cared about that. She'd said she loved him and meant it though, crazily enough. This didn't seem like it to him. Then Trice never did do anything the normal way. Too easy and predictable probably.
Tor opened his mouth to speak but Petra beat him to it again, and of course, said things that Tor never would have.
“Patricia… I didn't have sex with Tor, not today, because he has a meeting with Collette this evening and doesn't want to dishonor her by coming fresh from another woman’s bed, which is a bit old fashioned, but sweet, don't you think? And she's a Baronetta so you know he isn't getting silly about rank.” The large girl put her arm around Tor protectively, or tried too, her hand hovering over him like normal.
“Besides, we talked about you and you're definitely on his short list. He just doesn't know if you want to or not, so he's been hesitant to ask. Still, Collette has actual work stuff to do with him tonight and I do to, as soon as that's done. Then, if you're really interested, I suggest you get in line fast, because in case you haven't noticed, women aren't exactly in short supply around here, but people giving away free magical devices are. Plus, Tor is very good looking, pale and exotic. If he just yelled out that he was looking to meet ladies, they'd come just for that, don't you think?” Her voice never went mean but Trice glared at her, stamped her right foot hard on the stone once and stormed off.
Not knowing what to do he started to follow her but Petra moved in front of him and tilted her head a little to the right, shaking it.
“No Tor, don’t. She was trying to be bitchy because she's feeling down on herself. If you let that work for her now she'll just keep doing it. If you want to keep her as a friend, you have to stand up for yourself. She isn't allowed to push you around and you don't deserve that kind of thing. If she'd done it in private, maybe you could have comforted her about things, but going after you at a party? Classic manipulative bitch move. Now you're supposed to run to her and make her feel better, but if you do, that proves you're weak, and while she'd like it today, in a month or two you'll have no value to her at all. Women don't really like emotionally soft men. They think they do, but in the end they really want a protector, not a slave.”
That made Tor blink. He'd… never considered anything like that at all.
So, taking her advice, even though he was still worried about his other friend, he went and got something to eat. Mainly fish tonight, but cooked, thank goodness, with a strange starchy vegetable that was covered with sugar burnt to a kind of caramel. Everyone else acted like it was fantastic, but Tor didn't get it at all. Still, people seemed happy and danced a lot. Instead of dancing, Tor decided to just go back to his little house and wait for Collette, who was still busy with some pretty good looking guys.
Well, if she forgot, Tor could just work on the controls for various kinds of clothing, right? In the end, after about an hour of waiting and working out how to do it, it hit home that even a house could use feedback like that. It could be used to add rooms, doors, hallways to join various areas as well as add multiple levels. It couldn't dig in, so no basement or cellar, but still… He could even let people pick the outer and inner colors. Or add and subtract furniture… It was massively more complex than what he had already, but if he did the work carefully and in a deep enough state, could he have it all in a day? It would take that risky work state again, but mastery didn't come with a promise of safety, did it?
Thinking back to school he couldn't remember anyone ever telling him that.
Hard work, sacrifice, sobriety, and dedication. That had all been mentioned in class, but no talk of safety in particular. Not for the builder. Tor rubbed his head, the long black hair getting in the way. Nope, risk was a part of life. He'd try it. Tor would be careful and plan first, but if he didn't try then he wouldn't know if it was possible.
When Collette did show, about two hours later, she came walking in with Martya, who carried a plain tan wooden box, the flimsy looking kind people sold fruit in. Smiling the dark skinned woman, shorter by a good four inches than the Baronetta moved to the table and took a seat easily, his blond friend did the same with a grin. Well, this was unexpected, wasn't it?
“Time to divvy up sir! Shall I count or…” The look she had was one that spoke of people not trusting her as a rule in business, probably because she was a whore. Well, Tor wasn't like that, he smiled and gestured to her to go ahead.
Tor wondered about that, feeling naughty for a bit. If you couldn't trust someone with gold, why the hell would you put your manhood that close to their teeth? The piles of coins, mainly silver and gold, with a few coppers thrown in, were sorted first by kind. There were twenty gold coins, but turned out to be nearly fifty gold worth of silver and two silver in coppers. Seventy gold wasn't bad for a day’s work.
Then, not making eye contact she started to divide the coins, taking fifteen percent of them for herself, leaving him the rest. Her head hung slightly and she winced when he spoke, even though his voice was gentle and calm.
“That's not the split I had in mind, Martya. Here, let me show you, it's easier than explaining. It's different…” He split the pile three ways, but the first pile held half the coins, the next two were evenly divided. The woman smiled and licked her lips.
“I get twenty five percent? But… Who gets the other bit?” She pointed at the other pile of twenty five percent and glanced at Collette. It seemed meaningful to him.
Heh.
Tor shook his head again.
“No, you get fifty percent of the daily take. I get the first twenty-five percent, and the last is to help out other people in the area, mainly to get on their feet if they need it, or start new businesses. Kids just starting out, or people that have a good idea. Or in case people lose a house or business. Whatever you think sounds like it might work. I may have some new devices, or even old ones, that people can use for that, like a fleet of the new fishing boats or, I don't know what else, some basic tools? Cutters or the like? This money is to help out other people though. If you really need it, just use the money, but get with me first if you can. If you want a palace, it may be cheaper to buy the land and then get me to help with construction for instance. Or… at least I may know people, you know? That kind of thing. I'm not going to be here most the time, so the whole thing is on your honor.” Tor jumped up and got her a shield, a good one, but not the best kind, remembering his promise to himself to keep those so that people hunting him didn't have easy access for testing. That had been what Smythe had done, he was sure. Gotten his own shield and then tried different things until he found a gap.
Never again.
“This way you won't be easily jumped or attacked. I should be in and out here for a while though. Just keep my share for me? If you spend it all, expect me to come begging for food at your door if I'm ever broke.” Tor raised his eyebrows playfully and grinned. He meant it though. The whole begging for scraps at her door thing.
The woman looked shocked and repeated everything he said verbatim, sounding a bit doubtful. He smiled and nodded with her though and by the time she finished she was smiling too. Then he warned her about shields and how they only worked if you used them. And really, if she got so drunk that she lost consciousness and left her shield off to drink, those guys would probably get her, and she'd wake up with a sore behind, since they seemed to have been just waiting for her to make a mistake before. Possibly other women as well, but Tor couldn't hand out shields to all the women of Ward. Not with a war on. They were needed elsewhere for now.
She winced.
“Yeah, you'd think I'd learn after the first four times, but I keep right on drinking. I'll cut back though, I promise. Half the drinking was because I wasn't happy with my job, this is way nicer, and I get to help people too. We may need to buy a location though. Any minute now the counts going to wake up and realize that he could be charging us rent!”
That, they decided, could come out of his share. Rent or new land. Why not?
Martya left, her hips dancing a little as if to the saucy beat of the music outside, though Tor didn't hear it until she opened the door to leave.
Collette watched him as he locked the door and sat back down, her eyes never leaving him, attention riveted. She had some design ideas with her that they looked at, which made Tor realize that even the King’s palace or the big house next to them, as grand as they were, could have been improved upon if the design team had included her. Their loss of course. There was enough there for ten houses, but that could work, if the mental controls could be made to do all he wanted… Actually he could just do it with sigils, but he had something else to design. A hand just wouldn't work well if it required sigils to function would it?
They went room to room with her describing as exactly as she could what she meant. Tor listened and tried to absorb it all, making sure he asked questions if he wasn't completely certain about something. It wasn't that hard, but things like textures and color options were important. They did the bathroom last and she pointed out how the tub could move in different ways and how movable screens could be used to make the space more cozy for a couple, or even more if that's what they wanted.
The tub could be made to grow or shrink on command he realized, something else to put in if he could. It was a lot of new information, plus different textures and colors, it could glow too… Interesting enough things.
He heard something behind him, a rustling of fabric, which got him to turn just as Collette finished removing her undergarments.
“Run us a bath, would you?” She asked, her legs spread a bit, so that he'd notice their long beauty and how they led all the way up to the blond hair between.
He did. Tor noticed all of her really. Very much so.
The next day was nice, since he woke up with a lovely woman in his arms and then was able to start right in to work on the project for her as soon as she left. It didn't take as long as he thought, which meant he'd gone deep. In a lot of ways he couldn't remember even doing the work. Tor knew he had though. It was there and held his mental field signature, so no one else did it for him while he wasn't looking. Then, that's pretty much what states that deep meant, right? It was a different part of his being doing the work. To his conscious plan, but it wasn't the Tor everyone knew really. It was the deep him. In many ways the real Tor.
At dinner he ate a decent amount not really noticing the food overly and then collected the Baronetta, as well as a crowd of people that wanted to see what he'd made. Laughing he told them he hoped it wasn't just a huge failure, making them go silent instead of chuckle. Tor covered by clearing people from a space and then turning the new little house on.
It worked wonderfully and Collette wasn't the only one to squeal and clap when the inside was revealed. When Tor asked first Collette and then other people to touch objects and start picking new colors people became ecstatic, clapping and stomping as if it were a show instead of a simple field test. Then he explained how to alter the decor by touching it and imagining what you wanted. What you got was almost always different than what you thought about, because the design had to be in the device, but it did work well enough for each room to be changed to suit a person’s needs.
They added rooms first then several stories to it and finally changed how the outside looked, through different types of stone, brick and wood. The roof was always the same in look, a steeple with tile shingles, but the colors could be changed from the ground. They could do other angles of course, but this way he could see it. Once they had what people thought looked nice, Tor shut the field off.
This was the real test. If it worked right, everything would come back as they were left. It was a hard field to add, almost a kind of intelligence, but just memory. To Tor’s relief it worked perfectly. That would be useful for Trice’s project too. The integration the amulet learned could be saved for later, so if she took it off, it wouldn't have to be relearned all over again each time.
Petra's clothing device was, well not simple, but doable after that. It took two days, being much more in-depth and flexible than a mere house, so that people could basically build their own outfit from scratch, even creating almost any outfit they could imagine. Still when he came to the surface no one seemed upset by his “absence”. Oddly that cheered him up a little. It meant that when he left in a few days no one would worry about it too much. He'd taken enough time “off” for now and had to get the investigation going somehow.
That meant Smythe.
Wheee.
Maybe he should go find Dorgal Sorvee and see if the boy wanted to apprentice with the older man? They could sit around making complicated plans to “get” him or something. Maybe Dorgal could act as his hand or something?
That reminded him that he should probably ask Trice if she wanted to go with him to the Capital too. She hadn't spoken to him in days, but then, if she had something to say, she knew not to be shy, didn't she? It wasn't like her to try and wait to say anything. Not if she cared at all. Maybe she didn't? She didn't seem happier here, the girl didn't seem like she wanted to be anywhere, just sad all the time. If it was just her arm, well, yeah, that wasn't good. Tor knew he needed to work harder on that for her, but there was a lot to learn first. If it was him…
Well, he didn't have to be around if that would make things better for her, did he? Still, they were friends and he'd ask at least. Even if she didn't answer. Because that's what you did for your friends, you were there for them, no matter what.
Even if they were being a pain in the ass.
The morning they were to leave Collette mentioned that she'd like to travel with him, since she had some things to do back in the Capital. She made this pretty plain by showing up with her bags in tow. She had old fashioned flight plates for them, but no follow-alongs. He'd have to make sure he got her some. It made navigating the city much easier. He hadn't made any for a while though. Not since the batch he'd made for the shop keepers in Printer.
Collette cleared her throat a little, and looked nervous about something. Since they'd already had sex and she'd made a point of inviting him for it again, that didn't make a lot of sense. After about ten seconds she looked down and back up, taking a breath.
“Actually Tor… I guess I should just ask… Could… we set up the same type of operation that you have with Martya, only there? In the Capital? I think that ice sales would do as well there as here, maybe better and I could get a little land near the Kings river to use as a water source, but not too far away from the city for the ice to reach daily. I'd like to try anyway. I know that I might seem a bit air-headed at times, but I'm a hard worker, diligent and well educated, if not in business. Running a home or keep takes-”
“OK.” Tor didn't wait, he dug out the proper amulets and went over how to set them up, promising to help if he could. It was a good idea. That he hadn't thought of it probably meant that she was smarter than he was, that or he was incredibly preoccupied.
It even made sense, once she explained it, why she wanted to try. Gold. Not just riches, but so that she could live on her own and choose her own life. Marriage was fine, of course, but if she didn't marry soon her father was going to get a little prickly with her, she feared. Possibly cutting her allowance. That would force her hand and since noble women outnumbered the men three to two, it would be better if she could take her time, be a little picky, and this would let her try. In addition, for right now she had an allowance to fall back on if it didn't work.
“Plus, a wife that can also work in the business world is a lot more attractive to noble men than not. It will really up my personal value if I have something like this going on, even if it doesn't make a lot. Most women past the merchant class are helpless in the real world.” She looked incredibly determined.
It looked good on her, Tor thought, nodding.
He sighed and gave her a hug, which didn't seem to displease. When he pulled back he smiled softly and blinked, already feeling too tired to face the day as early as it was. At least he'd already packed up and was just waiting for whoever was going with him. Petra said she wanted to come, to check in with Kolb if nothing else. Trice had just shrugged when he asked her, not even bothering to say no. He felt horrible for her, but had no clue how to fix things, if it was even his place to try. He'd make an overture and she just rejected it time and time again. Now he was starting to want to write her off himself. She'd gone along with the King, her uncle, in hurting him for months, making him feel like he was barely human. Tor still felt that way really. She claimed, or had, to love him, but she wasn't showing it now. Yes, she was in a bad place emotionally, but how had that become about him? He didn't cut her arm off or set off that death dust bomb. He hadn't said bad things about her in public or made up lies just to hurt her.
So what did she want from him? Honey walnut rolls and tales of undying love? By Two Bends tradition she should be the one coming up with the rolls, to show her culinary skills, since they were a little hard to make. At least for girls that didn't grow up in a bakery.
The undying love would have been implicit by them getting married which would have happened if she hadn't started claiming he probably liked little boys for sex in public. Tor was just about ready to let her go totally when both she and Petra came out, their luggage following nicely, about a foot off the ground.
“Hi everyone! Ready to go? Got everything you need? Have to use the restroom first?” The darker girl chirped happily.
Smiling Tor said he was fine, and Collette greeted Petra with a hug, looking pleased.
“I asked and he said yes! I didn't even have to beg. You were right Petra, he really is wonderful!” She turned and hugged Trice and then Tor in turn.
“It's so wonderful! Wait till daddy hears, he'll be so pleased, I just know he will.”
Collette kept on in this manner for a while until finally Trice snapped and started yelling at her.
“Well good for you, bitch, why don't you just rub in how wonderful it is that Tor agreed to marry you some more. I'll bet your fathers going to be happy! You might as well be bringing home Prince Alphonse! Hell, Tor will make him more money and probably smarter grandkids to boot, so no worries there. Big fucking deal. Everyone gets engaged to Tor, but they never stay engaged, you know why? Because no one human can live up to the example he sets. Your County is on fire? No worries, Tor will save you, flying out of nowhere with an army of warriors. Storm destroys your city? Miracle boy to the rescue. Poor little whore's family going to lose the farm? Here have the money, oh, no, you don't have to pay me back or have sex with me, no debts between friends…
“Holly Printer stole millions of golds worth of stuff from him and what does he do? He just brushes it off like it's nothing and starts rebuilding from scratch and does it with nothing more than some rocks on a beach! So yeah, great catch, but just know, you're never going to be able to live with yourself, no matter how hard you push or how much you lose. A new magic every day, but notice, there’s no new arm for me, is there? Why is that? Right, because Tor's distracted by his new piece of ass.” She snarled at Petra too, being the inclusive girl she was.
“Sorry, pieces of ass. So, do you all have threesomes yet? Or is it just one on one?”
He blinked and looked around at everyone else they all looked a bit upset, Tor could see that.
“Threesomes? I… is that a thing? How does… It sounds… interesting, thanks for the idea. Now if you'll let someone else get a word in-”
She wouldn't. The next five minutes became a harangue of nearly epic proportions, with her abusing Tor enough that both Petra and Collette looked ready to hit her. The only thing was that, when he finally focused on her and found her field, she wasn't mad at all. Not even a tiny bit. She felt a little amused and very scared. Of him. Not Petra, who'd already triggered her shield and was holding a force lance in her right hand covertly. It took digging for him to figure out what was going on, she was acting, but couldn't tell him about it, because of the watchers. Right. More royal intrigue bull droppings.
It took an act of will to suppress the sigh he felt, then he decided not to, what was he supposed to do here? He kept his mind still and stared at her, face blank, until she stopped talking, nearly two minutes later. It took him a while to work out that she was looking to get him to explode, but hopefully without violence. Well, he didn't explode. Not generally. Maybe once or twice, if he was honest about it, but never all that violently. Maybe some yelling. He shook his head at her and grinned. But it was a nasty grin, one that seemed filled with rage, if he'd gotten it right.
It was Kolb's grin, the one that said he wasn't really amused at all and would be kicking your behind shortly if you didn't start running. Apparently he'd gotten it right, or at least close, since Trice went white.
“Shut up, Trice.” He said quietly. It was as close to menacing as he could get without holding a weapon on someone, so not very, but she did go quiet at least.
“You have to make this all about you, don't you?… but you're too stupid to see that it already is, aren't you?”
She winced. It was an overreaction to the words, but she was clearly playing off of what he gave her.
“What do you mean?” That at least seemed genuine, was genuine, Tor could feel it resonate through her. It wasn't exactly mind reading the way he'd thought of it from stories and such. He kind of knew what she was getting at, feeling and thinking, but it wasn't in words or anything, just field states.
“What do I mean? Well, let's see…” Tor angrily held up his right hand and started counting on his thumb. “First, making solid looking objects, like houses and boats, with complex devices embedded within them. Second, feedback and mental control in the all latest stuff, the new houses and clothes, even where simple sigils could have worked. Third, working in dangerously deep states so that I can get things done faster for complex projects that otherwise would have taken too long to survive. Do you think that's all just to impress people or get laid?” He spun to look at Petra and Collette.
“Totally worth it if it was, but there was more the whole time…”
Trice swallowed and her feet shifted uneasily.
“But-” She didn't get to finish.
“But nothing! All of those are parts, just the tiniest pieces, of what I need to make you a new freaking arm! So, yeah, I can't grow a new one for you. Know anyone that can? I tried! Three times I tried, and can't make it work. So I'm planning to make you a new one! It's not the same, I know that, but most people get nothing more than a metal hook, or even go without anything at all! So, sorry if I'm not perfect enough to do it instantly, but don't try and act for a second that it isn't all about you! Almost every second of every day I've been working on this.”
Tor spun away then so that he wasn't facing her any more, letting an angry look come over his face that was probably closer to despondent than mad. Tears came to his eyes too, but he didn't let them fall, wiping at them covertly. He wouldn't let her see him cry normally, so he wouldn't now either.
“If you were my real friend you would have figured that out by now, or at least asked. And what's with this bitchy acting all jealous now? Do you really think I don't get what's going on with you and the Wards? Or is it just Maria? I'm fine with it though, because you're my friend. If that's what you want, I'll back you. But me… I'm supposed to be alone forever because you don't want me to be happy or whatever? Remember, you were the one that said those things that made us break up in the first place.”
Tor sucked in a large breath and readied himself to take off, “stupid bitch.”
Then he flew away, not looking back. He flew for about half an hour before even looking behind him to see if Petra and Collette had followed, which they had, but, as she'd planned all along no doubt, Trice had stayed behind, probably crying loudly in that faked up way she had, or raging around. Whatever would catch the most attention without seeming phony. After three and a half hours Tor landed by a river to wait for the others to catch up. There were some early season berries growing on bushes, so he collected some as a snack while he waited. They were a little tart, but still good.
The blackberries were collecting up nicely in the bowl he pulled from his luggage, since he'd made some for his little Not-house. The term hit him suddenly and he liked it, but doubted it would catch on at all. Like how everyone called the Not-flyers “Tor-shoes” even though it made him cringe a little when he heard it. Tor shoes were what he wore on his feet and nothing overly special. Well, except that today the black leather was actually a shield, and he could change the shape and color considerably by imagining what he wanted. They could even glow in different colors of light on demand. But those were Tor-shoes.
The girls had given him a good lead, nearly ten minutes, closer to fifteen, and landed slowly as if they expected him to attack or something. Tor grinned and asked a question that had been bothering him for a bit.
“Collette… how old are you?” He said, his voice not accusing or anything, it was a bit of a rude question normally, but she looked about his age, eighteen or so, but he thought she might have been a bit older than that. Royals looked young.
She winced but told him anyway, her pretty face turning a little red.
“Twenty-two.”
He nodded.
“And you went to Lairdgren? What section were you in, the special school?” It made sense, now that he thought about it, but Petra stayed blank.
“Yes…” She said tightly.
Ah. Well, she knew that he knew and all that, it seemed. Tor decided to take a chance then. Petra was a Ward, but also in the King’s service, if in a more secret capacity than Collette was and that was still pretty darn secret. Enough so that no one had told Tor at least. This intrigue stuff was way too complicated, but it was part of his world now, so he needed to bumble through it as he could.
“I was reading Trice's field back there. It's not… not mind reading or anything, but I can kind of get the idea of what a person’s thinking in a way, a little bit. She wanted me to do that. Someone was watching, I think.” Tor held up his hand and waved it a little.
“Not that what I said wasn't true. I really have been working on making her a new arm like I said. Also, really, she was being a bitch. I just wanted you both to know that I think she was just pretending to that part and didn't really mean it, so that you know how to respond properly in the future.” Grinning he added something else.
“Plus so you know I'm not actually flying around ready to kill people or something. Want some berries?”
The rest of the flight was more relaxed at least, even if Tor spent some time worrying about Trice and leaving her alone there. If there were watchers that she felt she needed to fool like that, to show that they weren't on the same side totally, then they could be a danger to her. She had an updated shield and weapon at least, if she remembered to use them.
Was it the Wards? Maria and Marvin had both apologized, but words didn't have a lot of weight or bulk for royals, he was coming to learn. They could have something in the works, easily. In fact, even if they really meant it and were innocent, they probably did have a plan ready to go. Tor wouldn't have put his life in the hands of someone that had no reason to like him, not without a back-up of some kind, why should they? Just like Holly obviously intended to attack Ward the second they didn't fall into line exactly. It was part of why she got to keep all the devices she'd “borrowed” and why the King put David Derring in as a trainer for her forces. Probably at least.
Was there a book out there called “Pointlessly Complicated Plots” to go with “Manners”? If so he needed to read that one too, didn't he? The most complicated collusion he'd ever been in on was a surprise birthday party for his little sister Tiera four years before. Oddly enough that didn't really seem to prepare him for the world he'd ended up in.
Or did it?
The basics seemed similar, not letting the person that was the objective really know what you were doing, acting sooner, or even later he supposed, than the person expected and getting other people to go along with you in secret. Were there parts to all this plotting that he could learn, a basic frame work, like what he used for the healing device, that everything had in common maybe? He'd have to examine the idea if he ever got a chance. It all seemed silly to him, all the plotting and complicated plans where a simple and honest one would work as well, but if it was the tradition for the nobles, what could they do about it? Now that he was a noble too, he'd just have to learn, that was all.
There was, Collette assured him, an area outside the town where the temporary market was set up for bulk goods just outside the wall, not too far from the river, where they could “camp” for the time being for a modest fee. If they set up, the fee collectors would be out with the guard to get the silver per week rent, which they were allowed to pay for as long as they wanted, though the space was nearly empty this time of year. It was a dry dusty zone without even a well, but the river really wasn't far off, so Tor picked a space out of the flood zone and set up a house and an ice making device before going off to see to his business in town.
Not that he was dragging his feet, trying to put off the uncomfortable visit he had to make.
Nope, definitely not that.
He left the girls to set up the house as they liked and gave them twenty golds to use to set up rent if needed. When he left they were out piling up blocks of ice into a little castle shape. People were coming out to look even before Tor buzzed towards the city using his Not-flyer. Ice festival part two? It made him grin. The idea was great for promotions, and really, it wasn't like it cost them anything to do it. The place could use the cheering up.
It was something that he hadn't quiet admitted to himself before, but Tor really didn't like the Capital much. At first he'd thought it was the heat, but he didn't feel that now, and hadn't felt that way in Printer or Warden, which were as hot and humid too, which should have been even worse. No, it was all the bad things that had happened to him there. Being abandoned to wonder the streets, being attacked by commandos and left blind, the emotional ripping and tearing that always seemed associated with it too. Not really knowing who he could trust. Even Rolph was more suspect than he'd ever imagined at school.
It just made him sad.
What didn't was that, as he floated quickly down the street, having come through the south gate, he could smell a bakery nearby. One that, when he saw it, Tor recognized. Debbie's. He'd worked there for about three days once, before fleeing the city, not knowing if the King and Queen hated him and were spurning him at their gates on purpose or not. They'd claimed it was all an accident, but given the intrigue they went in for, that was suspicious. Could he trust anything they said? Well, he could if he tried to read the truth, or lie, in their words.
It felt low and un-trusting of him, but then… it was.
So at least there was that.
On a whim Tor stopped at the bakery door and went in. He probably didn't look that different, though his clothes had been made green, they reflected a simple silk look that was at once expensive looking and plain enough that no one would think he robbed a young Countier or something.
The woman behind the counter looked up with a smile but clearly didn't recognize him at first. On the wall there was a temperature control plate and the whole interior had been redecorated, with lights all around and Tor noticed, a new door, expanding into the shop next door? Cool! The little shop was growing then. He felt a little better, since last King’s week he'd run off and left her in a bit of a lurch, which wasn't fair of him at all. He'd left her some money and some field devices to make up for it, and sent some later with the lights, but it had left a bad taste in his mouth at the time, even through the rest of the misery he'd felt. That she'd made do… it made things easier.
Tor smiled and poked his head into the space next door, which had an empty glass topped display case for goods and some tables where customers could sit and eat in the cool, several people were busy using it for that at the moment. It was a good idea. Not everyone could afford their own temperature plates, or knew him to get personal ones to wear, but for the price of a roll they could get out of the heat for a while here.
There was a stirring behind him, a rustle of fabric and a scent of vanilla before he turned around.
“The magical Tor devices are all sold sir, but we do have some baked goods…” Her voice was diffident, but Tor smiled when he turned.
Right, so she had a store front for magical devices, but was all out? That could be fixed. He wondered if she'd take the same sales deal that Ethyl and Clark had. Without preamble Tor mentioned it, her face looking shocked as she put it all together.
“Tor! I…” He found himself wrapped in a hug, or at least her arms tried for it, she stood back eyes wide, but not commenting on the shield.
“I never thought to see you again! How are you?” The voice was worried, but not scared.
Debbie still reminded him of his older sister Terlee, straight black hair, thin, but not raw boned about it, and with brown eyes that looked happier now than they had last time. Her clothing was a good bit nicer too, but then his sister had started dressing the royal, which she was, so Debbie couldn't compete there, not yet.
“Right, well, so far it looks like I'm not kicked out of the city, though people keep trying to kill me since we last met. So, if you want I can bring some things for you to sell in a few days? Sooner if I get a chance to work. But well, palace stuff, you know? Who knows how that's going to go.” Tor grinned and looked down. “If they don't refuse me at the gate again, but right now I almost hope they do. I'll make up some things for you and come work in your bakery for King’s week. I mean if you'll have me of course, after the way I dodged out on you last time. I… feel really bad about that. I'm sorry.”
Tor wondered if he should kneel and beg forgiveness like some of the royals did when they really messed up, but Debbie didn't seem to require that of him, she snorted instead.
“Tor… you left me enough to keep me as a Princess for the rest of my life! If anyone should apologize it should be me for not realizing who you were sooner, I… sir…” She curtsied.
“Cut it out Debbie. I'm your employee or maybe, now, partner in half the shop? Without ownership of course, which makes you the boss still, so I'm pretty sure you don't curtsy to me at all. If anything I should bow to you, but I won't, because I think were good enough friends to skip all that. Right?”
Tor got a beef hand pie and ate it there before saying his goodbyes and heading out to the palace to face Smythe. It was funny but that was the part that worried him now. If Varley couldn't, or no longer wanted to, marry him he'd deal. After all, he had experience with bad relationships now.
The military minister, that was a different horse all together. Normally he'd have left him blind and crippled, just for his own safety, possibly even suggested he be removed far off to a country estate where it would be harder to plot against him. Even if he had to pay for it himself. Tor wouldn't put a blind man in prison though and wouldn't suggest it. He'd been blind for a bit. It was its own prison. You could deal with it, but it made greater punishment too much.
It was scary to him anyway. Smythe was needed, for the Wards to feel comfortable if nothing else, and possibly for everyone else too as well. But Tor still shook a little at the idea of facing the evil man again.