Lord of the Sky (The Young Ancients: Timon) (5 page)

Petra knew that too, of course and even though he hadn't mentioned it, from his facial expression at the girl's name, Tor did too. Ali didn't, and he couldn't tell with Trice, but that last one was pretty likely. What was the point of training up a new spy mistress for the Kingdom if she wasn't going to know what was going on? It didn't show externally at all however.

The last people to give a gift were the older couple that had shared the bad end of the table with them earlier. They presented a nice set of handmade rocking chairs. They were actually pretty nice, the lines matching closely enough that no one would think they weren't a perfect pair. There were differences, but Timon noticing them didn't mean they weren't well done. He noticed a lot of things that others missed.

The King said a few words to them, but it wasn't anything special. Whatever they'd done wrong, it clearly wasn't moving into full rebellion against the man, so he didn't feel the need to make a big deal out of the whole thing. Timon wondered what it was, but Trice, knowing almost everything, let her head rise a notch and simply explained softly.

"Count and Countess Lynd. They had a problem last year and their present didn't make it in time. I always suspected sabotage myself. They've been on Connie's list ever since. It's really about other things of course. No one cares that much about presents after all. Political leverage can be found everywhere, if you're willing to look hard enough. No one will call them disloyal this year. Those are some nice chairs." She grinned, but the underlying message wasn't about the gifts at all, but about what had happened at the meal. There was a reason the King spoke about that. It was considered almost foolishly trusting for a noble to eat without checking their food.

That was the point he'd been trying to make.

Timon really wanted to get things going that night, since it would take hours to arrange it all, if they were going to help people in the morning. Not that he really cared, but it was kind of the job that he'd been set, right? Though mainly that was about Kolb wanting him to not be available for his sister, which was strange. He got the basic idea, that the Weapons Master wanted his young protégée to make her own kills, as either a lesson or trophy, but if there was to be a war, didn't it make sense for her to have all the help she could get?

Maybe not, but if that was the case, he needed it explained to him. Some kind of honor thing maybe? He knew the rules for that, but if it was an emotion at all, he was lacking that one too. That and shame. He could
fake
it, and understood when he should be feeling that kind of thing, but he just didn't. It was biological. No guilt either. Fear existed, but he was coming to think that it was a weaker thing in him than others.

Shaking his head a little to clear it, he turned and slowly reached out, letting his hand rest on Trice's arm gently. It was funny, but Tor positively glared at him for a moment, even if he was only trying to get her attention.

"We should get together soon. Perhaps with Petra?" The words weren't loaded with anything except a normal, basically friendly, invitation, but everyone else smiled, as if he were hitting on the woman. That was silly, since if he was going to be doing that with anyone right now, it would be
Heather
. After all, she had the raw size that would be needed to challenge his trauma. If he did that however, Prince Alphonse would beat him up. He'd said so at least. Timon wasn't certain that he really meant it, or what the boundaries would be that caused that to happen, but he knew the man
could
do it. That he was a superior fighter was clear in every move he made. Tim thought he might be faster, so if it was going to happen, he was planning to flee for his life. Or at least his hide's sake.

The reaction from the girl was fantastically strange and overdone. So much so he had to fight to keep a happy expression on his face.

"I'd
love
too! Maybe we could all get together tomorrow evening? You're going to be in Montblanc? Is that alright with you Heather? I know that things are a bit tense, but having visitors now can only help smooth things over..." She touched the Countess on the arm too, which got her to swallow, almost as if it were a trick or something of that nature.

Like she was inviting in an army to attack?

"That would be fine. I don't have much staff left. My household was hit hard, before I could manage to find a single healing amulet for sale. It took a good portion of the annual budget for it. Worth it, I just wish I could have gotten it earlier. Still, if you don't mind me waiting on you personally, I'd appreciate the guests." She looked worried then, and glanced at Ali.

"Right. Expect guests. We'll each bring a dish and do it school style. Is that where you're going to be, Tim? Living with Heather?" She actually pushed her chest forward a bit, and tilted her hips a little, aroused by the idea. Or at least whatever she thought would be going on.

Timon let his head come up, almost like a tick.

"For a few weeks, if she'll have me. I set up a house near hers, I'll have Petra in to play chaperone, so that Heather's good name won't be smeared over it." It made a certain amount of sense to him, but there was a gentle chuckle from behind that sounded familiar.

Count Lairdgren.

"Won't that just taint Miss Ward's good name instead? I've actually heard a few whispers to that end already, that you two are bending some age of consent laws. No one is blaming either one of you however, so I think you'll survive it." The man glanced at Tor, measuring him with his eyes again, as if to see if he was growing visibly as they talked.

Sticking out his tongue, Tor sighed.

"They aren't doing anything like that at all. I can read it in his field. Perfectly chaste and proper." Looking around he hunched a bit and went wide eyed, it was a playful thing his brother did at times, to show he was joking. "We should keep that quiet, or we'll ruin Tim's reputation as a ladies' man."

That got sage looking nods all the way around, and got Trice to move her shoulder next to his and hold his hand gently.

"Don't worry, I know lots of things we can do that are perfectly legal, and still enough fun to be worth trying out. Tomorrow? About seven in the evening, or did you want to do something earlier?" She, it seemed, was ignoring the threat that Ali had made to show up en mass. She also pitched her voice to sound a bit throaty and seductive. It was so clear that she was playing to the crowd that Tim just nodded.

"That sounds about right. I'll make snacks. Bring a change of clothes." That part was over the top, but, then again, for the room they stood in it
wasn't
really. He was under age, but also technically an adult. It was an uncertain area for some. Not for him, but at least a few of the people, mainly women, watching him, seemed a lot more interested suddenly than they had been earlier.

In that kind of way that made his skin crawl and suspect treachery now. Thanks to Nora.

He did a good enough job of seeming like he meant it that Trice actually blushed, but then nodded, as if she'd
really
be spending the night on Noram Day Vigil. Tor actually huffed at him and turned away, as if watching what someone else was doing, even if he had to get at least part of what Trice had planned. Maybe more than Timon did, if he was reading her field closely. That could explain his reaction. If so, his brother was becoming a better player than he'd ever managed before. As far as Tim knew at least.

After that, mercifully, they managed to get outside, which meant they were able to leave. He had to find his floating trunks first, but that wasn't too hard, since they were in the same small room they were left in. Heather picked up her clothing and started to change, taking both amulets off at once, before even picking up her carefully folded gown.

It was very different, but nobles just really didn't care about nudity as much as rural people did. They hardly cared at all in fact. He tried to look at her a polite amount, but that caused him to become aroused, which reminded him instantly of things he didn't want to think about. In the end he had to look away, but forced a smile, hoping his regard had been enough for her not to feel insulted. She was attractive, but explaining that it was all him probably wouldn't be enough.

She dressed efficiently however, and no one stopped them as they left, not even to chat. She kept brushing at the front of her clothing, the dirt not wanting to leave where it had touched. It probably wouldn't, without water. The soil in the area of the Capital was fine and a nice light tan color, but it got into everything. Including the small nooks and crannies of fabric.

After setting up his craft, which just appeared in total silence, just like it always did, they climbed in and moved out of the area carefully, not going too fast at all. When they were about ten miles away he pushed the palm sized control piece all the way forward, making sure to climb high enough he wouldn't accidentally hit a mountain or anything. The pressure change wasn't too bad, but some people didn't like it at all.

Heather just stared into the night, her face not moving for a long time. Finally she moved to look at the side of his head.

"You were made uncomfortable, when I took my clothing off. Is it me?" Her words were light enough, as if she didn't care if that was the case, but it was a trap. Even he, with no real relationship experience at all could hear it in her voice.

"No. I... You know that I killed Countess Alan? Do you know why?" It was possible that everyone in the world knew. He'd really thought that the whole thing had been pretty well hidden, but apparently not so much.

"Not at all. We were just told that you did it. Didn't the King just order it done?"

"Uh, not at all. She and a Larval Assassin kidnapped me and..." It felt, for a moment, like the words were just too big to come out, especially to a stranger. He forced them to anyway, trying not to care about anything at all. They didn't
shame
him, it was just that thinking about it all reminded him of it. "They tortured me. They used a rack, and a special pain inducing Austran chemical that's supposed to be the very worst pain a person can feel. It was three days. It felt like weeks. Nora...
abused
me the whole time. Raped me. Then she used a knife to cut my manhood about halfway off." He dared to glance at her and actually managed a small smile. "Don't worry, the healing device fixed it, but when I was trying to escape, I built a cutter. It wasn't a big thing, but I was so damaged that I couldn't reach the chains on my legs. I cut them off. My legs I mean, so I wouldn't die a prisoner. My Grandfather and his people came and got me about then, and managed to save me. Now all the scars are just the ones on the inside, but..."

Tim stopped talking and glanced at her again, expecting pity. It wasn't there. Instead he looked into the face of rage.

"Why? Did they need your secrets so badly that they did such barbaric things?" There was a hiss after she spoke, followed by another.

"Not at all. They didn't even ask me to tell them anything. They just wanted to use my communications device, the old style one, to get in touch with Tor, then they were going to make me scream, to get him to come and save me. He never answered. I could have told them that he wouldn't. In fact, I'm pretty certain I did mention that, early on. Anyway, that, the torture and abuse were linked inside my mind, so now, if I even start to get interested in a woman, I panic. Especially very tall women. So, no, it wasn't about you at all. Except that you're too attractive. Probably best to keep your clothing on around me for the time being." Plus he was too young, but he didn't bother mentioning that. She wasn't offering herself to him, just making sure she hadn't been offensive. Possibly seeking to reassure herself that her looks hadn't faded yet at the same time. They hadn't.

There was still a lot of anger inside of her it seemed. She didn't hit anything, but it was clear she wanted to.

"
Damn
her. I knew that not everyone that held bad feelings towards the Cordes family were totally savory people, but I didn't think I was crawling into bed with monsters of that scale. Did Count Rodriguez play a role in that? Is that why you captured and...
questioned
him?"

Timon looked straight out the window.

"Tortured. I used some of that Austran pain medicine on him and two of his people. I know it works after all. It was out of revenge, but not because of that. Count Rodriguez had taken Petra hostage and tortured her for three weeks. They nearly ruined her, but some friends of mine and I were able to get to her, and help her heal. That's why I went after him. To hurt him for doing that. She was supposed to
marry
him. It wasn't just him grabbing someone to try and question her, some random person. She was
his
, and trusted him. She was at his house to spend time with him and he betrayed her so... evilly." There was no heat in the words, but he meant them all the same. His right palm was a bit damp, from the contact with the shield material that made up the hand control. That and stress. It wasn't a comfortable line of discussion.

"I think I understand." Slowly a hand came out and touched his right shoulder. It was all he could do not to tense up or pull away. "Thank you for offering myself and my people your protection. I didn't know what that meant, before. I really thought you were mocking me, saying I was too weak to defend myself and my people. I half wondered if the Queen had gotten you to do it. We've never gotten along that well. I didn't know that you were a person to be reckoned with. I apologize for my error." The strange thing there was that she really seemed to mean it.