P. Power - Knight of the Realm

Ever.

“I was just thinking I should get you to save a dance for me too, that was all.” He smiled, hoping it wasn't too forward. They didn't know each other that well really.

She laughed out loud, enough so that the people at the head table looked over at them from some twenty feet away.

“Me save a dance for you? Master Tor, I think it should be me asking that instead. The only reason women haven't been asking you yet is that they need a few more drinks to work the courage up. Even if you hadn't being giving out magic all evening it would happen. If you sleep alone tonight it won't be due to lack of offers. Is there a queue for that? If so I'd like to take a number myself…” She reached out and touched his arm, starting when she hit his shield. She pulled back suddenly as if embarrassed.

“Oh.” she said, worried suddenly, as if embarrassed.

“What?” Tor asked amused.

“Oh, well your wearing a shield? Are you afraid of attack here? I know that not everything has been smooth between you and the Count and Countess, but I don't think they'll attack you here. They rather need you after all…” She looked down at her plate, the food half eaten.

Tor shrugged and smiled.

“Habit mainly. Having a shield and not using it is a bit like being kicked down a flight of stone stairs, or getting a knife in the back, I've found. Plus, we're at war with Austra. Austran agents have tried to kill me, three, maybe four times already. For a nobody like me, that's a lot.” He turned the shield off and reached out to touch her arm, then took a bite and put it back up while chewing and sitting. He did it automatically now and normally didn't even notice it any more. “Anyway, I think the topic was you wanting to know if there was a waiting list to spend the night with me. The answer is, alas, no. I'm intending to work a lot tonight though, but I have tomorrow night free, if that wasn't just an offhand comment, I mean. If it was, that's all right, I won't take offense if your already engaged or busy.” Or just didn't really want to. She was nice, but that didn't mean she'd want to get that close to someone like him. Tor could understand that.

It was a little clumsy maybe, but the book had said that all invitations had to be taken seriously, but when in doubt, give the other party a graceful way out. He was in doubt of course. Collette was blond, not his personal favorite hair color, preferring brunettes really, but she was probably as pretty a person as he'd ever met. And she'd always been kind to him. If the engagement with Princess Varley fell through, which it probably had already, and if Petra didn't want to marry him, Collette would certainly be someone to ask.

The idea startled him a little bit.

Not that he'd consider asking her, but that she'd actually marry a little troll like him. He fought to keep a wince off his face, which was good, considering what she said next.

“Really? I'd love to. Your house then, tomorrow night? Shall I plan to spend the whole night, or… is this a secret? I can manage discrete if I try, I think. A quick visit in the evening perhaps, wouldn't be taken amiss. I could tell people I was consulting with you on a bit of magic, or trying to wheedle something from you. One of those houses for instance. I looked in to the other one earlier. A full working kitchen, freezing box and oven. A working restroom that removes waste with magic and a full warm water shower and bath? And those beds… Have you considered making those as a standalone? I'd buy one. Right now. I don't care if it beggars me until I get my next allowance even. Just heavenly. Could be a bit bigger though, in case I wanted to have a friend or two over….” She giggled, so Tor chuckled too.

Apparently, according to “Manners”, if a woman chuckled, giggled or laughed at anything other than death, a gentleman did too. Even if it wasn't really funny. The instructions flat out said that too. With death you were supposed to pretend it was just nerves on the ladies part and comfort her as if she were troubled, even if she was really just being evil about it.

If she passed gas in public the nearest man was supposed to look embarrassed and excuse himself for having done it, to save the lady in question from being shamed. Well, so far that hadn't come up, but if it did, he was ready. “Manners” was a really complete book.

“Well… Technically I'm engaged to Varley, Princess Veronica? But that may be falling through, political stuff, if I was told correctly and not just being put off. We're friends regardless, so I wouldn't want to embarrass her, and I'm kind of fond of Petra, so I wouldn't want to insult her or anything either, so… I guess a bit discrete? I think we can get away with more than a quick meeting though. We're friends too.

“On the other stuff, I haven't made beds like that, but I have the basic field for it, so that would be easy enough. I can't do it tonight though, not if I want to sleep. If I didn't I would have asked you over already. But I have some things to do up first… I can give you a house though, if you want. I have a bunch of them left.”

She clapped and leaned into him, whispering gently.

“Can you decorate it too? I'd love a sofa and maybe some drapes.” She laughed, but this time he didn't, not trying to be rude, but taken aback a bit as the idea hit him.

It was all possible, if he knew what he was supposed to do. He could even modify the current field to redesign the interior without having to rebuild the whole field. If he could get her to show him what she wanted…

“Yes… It will take a little longer, but if you're willing to do the design work and get me pictures, or examples to work from… That could be done. It's really a good idea. The thought is for these houses to be portable, which gets harder if you have to put in real furniture and stuff. But making it a part of the field… Yeah… That makes so much sense.” He grinned at her, feeling a little excited at the idea. “Let’s do it!”

After he finished eating dinner, but before the real dancing began, the Wards made a point of passing out the temperature equalizers Tor had made, so almost everyone was glowing openly when the servants, also glowing at the throat, mainly in bright yellows and greens, brought out three large containers of ice for everyone to enjoy. Maria made a point of giving the credit for it to Tor, but it hadn't been his idea. It was hers.

The Countess smiled at Tor and bowed lightly, but didn't take any credit for her own action in giving it away at all. Tilting his head towards her he bowed back with raised eyebrows. She got it well enough to look pleased, which was a little baffling to tell the truth. He wouldn't have thought she'd care what he thought about most things, especially her.

After that, well, it turned out that Collette wasn't wrong about women coming to ask him to dance. A couple of men did too, much to his surprise. Tor nearly froze the first time, but then shrugged. If people thought he liked men, well, those rumors had been around for a long time, hadn't they? Started by Maria, come to think of it. As long as they were just the happy bouncing dances and not the grinding ones that couples were doing, he decided to just agree. He mainly danced with women and did manage a turn with Collette, though she was as busy as he was. He tried for a turn with Petra, but that wasn't happening he soon realized. She was very popular here and a good dancer. Like him she didn't turn anyone that asked down, it seemed, and that meant she didn't get a chance to do more than breathe between songs.

Tor would have danced with Trice, but she just sat next to Maria the whole night, leaning into each other more and more closely as things wore on and drink flowed. Both had glowing amulets out and both had more than a little pink showing. So they were friends? Tor looked at them, and realized the interest was probably more than that.