P. Power - Knight of the Realm

When Maria saw Trice she smiled wetly at first and moved towards her, then… she shrieked.

“Patricia! What did they do to you? I… Gods…” Now the crying got loud and of course it started Trice off.

Well.

There goes the afternoon, Tor thought, holding his mind in a peaceful state. It was going to happen after all. What happened next was… interesting. Sobbing and crying, Maria started kissing the other girl. Hard. It wasn't just a comforting thing at all either. She pulled back and held the slightly smaller woman’s shoulders, staring at the stump.

“I promise you, we'll find the people that did this to you and make them pay! Even if it's the last thing we can do. I promise it!” The words were fierce and angry, but softened immediately, tears replaced with a cold rage. “Oh, my love…”

Tor let Petra explain everything. Luckily everyone agreed that the Austrans were at fault and not Karina despite her hand having done the actual cutting. She was, more or less, just the surgeon on the scene after all. Ward didn't approach, which was a little odd, because Tor had figured that Trice had been sleeping with him to gain entry to the household. And for fun. The guy was famous for scoring with beautiful woman after all and Trice was certainly that. The giant man just looked at the scene and nodded a little. To his credit he seemed genuinely worried for Trice when Tor mentally touched his field. It was a complex jumble, but jealousy didn't rate in the mix at all. Hardly at all. Tor felt as least as jealous of the scene the two girls were making and with a lot less reason.

Collette remembered they had guests first and sent for cool drinks, since she was acting as hostess. Tor didn't really get that at first, but Petra did, after a few minutes of Maria not acting properly.

“Oh!” The large girl turned to Tor her eyes going wide. “They're your prisoners, so they can't act as host or hostess. Have you stayed in your home the whole time, since Tor last was here?”

Marvin sat down with a thump.

“Yes. It's boring, but we weren't told what we were allowed to do or not. Mother said that Tor wouldn't insist we stay in our rooms however, and even Collette agreed, so we took liberty of the house. Is… that alright?” He sounded shy and a lot younger than his nearly forty years.

That really was fine with Tor. His only real stipulation was that they presented themselves at the appointed place for the investigation into the matter and to court, if there was to be a trial at all for it. If they were cleared, there simply wouldn't be. Maria stopped cuddling and cooing at Trice then, her eyes still wet, but her face suddenly still.

“We're… to have a real investigation first? I…” She started crying again, but with a smile. “We hadn't thought to get that! We figured that it would just be a show trial and then we'd be put to death. How did that happen? The King wouldn't buck that many nobles for us, not after everything, it would be too much to hope for… did Sir William Smythe step in for us then? If he leads the investigation everyone will have to admit we're innocent!” She sounded happy and suddenly triumphant.

“Ah…” Tor said, feeling horrible suddenly.

“No.” Trice said shortly. “Tor stepped in for you. Smythe ambushed Tor and they fought. They were both left completely blind by the weapon Smythe used. Tor had to take his right hand to get at it and fight already blind. I was there. It was… horrible. Smythe gave no warning and the situation didn't warrant an attack at all. He just moved on him… King Richard thinks that it was due to fear on the Counselor’s part, but he's blind now and only has one hand. So he's pretty useless in this.”

Two things happened then. Maria gasped and clutched her hands to her bosom, scared again. Actually projecting her fear, near terror, into the room. The Count went wide eyed and openly stared at Tor.

“You bested Sir Smythe… in single combat? Both with the same shields and him having the only working weapon? And… while totally blind? I…” The man straightened and bowed. “I apologize again for my conduct at the meeting concerning Countess Thorgood. Please forgive me.” He sounded totally humble, which Tor really didn't like. He was the one who should be humble here, wasn't he? If they were going to break with that tradition he'd be set adrift, not knowing his place at all.

Tor waved him up.

“Already forgotten. My part at least. The Prince too I believe.” He bowed back a little. “Really, I never took it personally at all anyway, so it was never an issue. I hope that…” Tor couldn't think of the next words and froze, but the Count just winked at him.

“Good then. One less thing to worry over.” The smile he gave was so strained it barely made the classification, but the man tried. That counted too. Right?

The idea that formed as Maria cried helplessly turned his stomach more than a little. Tor could fix the man’s eyes. Possibly even with the device he'd made for healing, so it wouldn't even be hard. It wouldn't regrow a hand, but would probably heal the wound. It had on Trice at least. She still covered the stump, but that was just to keep it from making people sick, she said. If the hand for her could be made to work, then he could probably make one for Smythe too.

The sick making part was that the guy would probably kill him at some point if Tor did. Everyone else kept talking like the man was a saint, beyond reproach and nearly perfect at his job, but Tor just couldn't see it.

What it came down to then, was that these people’s lives, people he didn't have any great reason to love — apologies or not — were worth more than his. Tor had to put that off for a while, the idea was too big to process all at once. Instead he went to his case and started pulling out things from the bottom and piling them on the floor quietly. He had four piles set up after a few minutes. After a bit he realized that everyone was staring at him.

“Presents.” He said simply.

“Sorry, I know that they should be different for everyone, and these are kind of generic, but I… kind of had to rebuild my inventory of stock recently, and things have been a little hectic…” He held up a group of glowing amulets on strings. They just had a cool blue color for now.

“Temperature equalizers. They change color depending on your mood too. I'll make enough for everyone if I get a chance. How many people do you have here?”

Maria knew that off the top of her head, being in charge of the house normally.

“One hundred and seven all told, more counting guests…” She looked around at Trice, Collette and Ellen. Her gaze skipped Petra. Old habit or did family not count as a guest? If so, why count Ellen, her mother in law… Well not his concern.

Tor just nodded. After a second he got it. Petra had her amulet out and showing, so wouldn’t need one.

You'd have thought he invented bread or something the way they went on about the equalizers, Tor thought, how they tracked the mood and turned lovelier colors if your mood was good. Ellen smiled at him and bowed from a sitting position, which reminded him of something. He handed her another one. She looked at him, happy enough, but not understanding.

“For Georges. I have some other things for him as well, I can send those along with you?” Tor remembered the old serving man and retainer, who'd guarded them with his rusty spear the one time he'd been to her house, even further south. It was largely a swamp, hot and uncomfortable all the time he'd bet. They had a problem with dangerous giant lizards there. Ones that apparently thought royals were tasty eating. It was probably true, they had a lot of meat on them.

Her eyes lit and she surged to her feet, pulling Tor into a hug that pulled him from his feet for a moment. She kissed his cheek.