P. Power - Knight of the Realm

They all looked grumpy and tired, except Ellen who looked well rested and even happy enough, seeing all the smiling faces. Someone had gotten a band to come, which Martya cleverly paid instantly, making it worth their while to spend the day. They played happy tunes that matched the mood of the crowed.

Petra ran up to them and started passing a healing device around which made everyone happier inside a minute or two.

When it came around to Ellen she took it, but clearly didn't think much would happen, having been wise with the amount she drank the night before. Standing stiffly at first, her eyes closed, like almost everyone else had, her face relaxed after a bit and she smiled, a real genuine thing that took in her eyes as well as her mouth. She didn't let go of it for a long time, nearly ten minutes, even as people stared. A popping sound came from her lower back, which made her wince and cry out, but then she sighed.

Eyes still shut she nodded slowly at first, getting faster as she went, “OK Tor… I'll let you have my virginity…” She murmured dreamily, making the crowd of watchers laugh. She smiled again and opened her eyes wide. The whites were a pure now, without the slight yellowish tint of age they'd had before, turning the amulet off she handed it back to Petra, then leaned in whispered something to her, which got a chuckle from the people around them, but a nod from her daughter. That made everyone smile, except Trice who looked suddenly angry. She glared at Petra, and then him, for some reason Tor didn't get.

Did Ellen say something about her maybe? That didn't make sense. As far as Tor could tell they hardly knew each other. Well, Trice would tell him or not, or if it got bad enough, he'd ask. Then she wouldn't tell him, because “he knew what he'd done” or something like that probably. It was a favorite line of his mothers with the boys when she was particularly displeased over something that would have been too minor to anyone else to even notice. Luckily Trice didn't remind him that much of his mother at all.

The ice festival, impromptu as it was, needed some games, which the Count and Countess got to come up with, that being the tradition in Ward. Tor offered some of his little devices as prizes for them. He got out some lights, Temperature equalizers, Not-flyers and cutters. For a grand prize he offered one of the houses complete with water pump, one of the purifying kind.

The games were at once familiar, and disturbing to his country bred mind. The contests for the kids were unique, but made sense in a way. Like one were the competitors had to sit on blocks of ice, the one that lasted the longest won a Not-flyer. A basic idea that wasn't so much skill or luck based. Good for the young ones, or at least Tor thought so at first.

It came down to a little boy of about five and a twelve year old girl, both in clear agony, who refused to let the other win. At an hour Tor went into his house and got one of the remaining devices in that set and brought it out, handing it off to the Count. The large man declared them both the winner, in a loud booming voice, and presented then each with a unit with a happy smile and congratulations.

Petra suggested that they earmark both of those kids for military service later, because they'd already proved they were tough enough, hadn't they? Ward nodded, but with a somber sidelong glance at Tor as if wondering what he'd say about the idea.

He just shrugged.

“The girl will need to go to school in a few years regardless. Get with me when it's time and I'll cover her for that. The boy too, when it comes time. I have some connections in that area, or will at least, by then.”

Marvin bowed. Honestly he looked more than a little happy about it. Like it was a gift for him personally or something. Then again, as the Count, any child given an education from his area was a good thing, right?

If anything that made the rest of the competitors work even harder for some reason. There was a fruit eating contest, which was close enough to things Tor recognized really, even if the fruit was unique to him, bananas, followed by people eating raw fish.

If it was up to Tor, each person willing to take a single bite and keep it down would have gotten a prize, because he nearly lost his lunch just watching. The contestants ate with vigor and seemed to enjoy it and the winner of that contest put away pounds of the stuff.

The contests that got to Tor a bit were the later ones, in the afternoon. The ladies dance competition sounded innocent enough. After all, what harm was there in dancing and bouncing around to music? All the women that wanted to compete went out into the green and danced, using their best and showiest moves. It was to last ten songs, with the crowd hooting and clapping at the end of each musical number for each in turn, the one with the most applause winning the round. Win the most rounds and you got the prize. By the fourth a woman just sank to her knees and started mimicking pleasing a man with her mouth. It was funny and pretty provocative, Tor thought, figuring that would end there, or possibly be copied in the next round since that woman, a cute red-head with dark skin, at least as dark as Petra, won that dance.

Instead, in the next round half the women took their tops off and danced that way, to the hoots of the crowd, who were starting to get a little drunk already, as early as it was. Two dances later all of them were completely nude and thrusting in the air and sometimes with each other and in the last round several of them were openly pleasuring themselves while the band played. Tor moved close to Petra and asked, a little timidly, if this kind of thing was normal. She shook her head and glanced at him, looking away from the spectacle for a bit.

“Not at all. The most I've ever seen before was a bit of toplessness, and that was late at night with women more than a little drunk, not in the middle of the day and sober like this… but this is for one of your incredible magic houses. One of those is probably worth about fifty thousand gold you know… Or well, maybe you don't? You never seem to count the golds when you do things. It's kind of humbling. I almost cried when you made it so both those kids would have Not-flyers for their prize. No one even sells those anywhere and even rich kids here wouldn't be able to get one at all. They'd have to get it on the black market and I assure you no one but the wealthiest could afford one. But really, you can rest assured that all these women are doing this to get your attention, just in case they don't win the contest here. It's a good strategy, if they don't know you. Really, if any of them had asked me, I would have told them to just go to you and suggest that they'd like one.” Petra looked at him mischievously, licking her lips a little.

“Hey, if I do some of those things with you can I have one of those houses?”

Tor laughed and took her hand so she wouldn't think he was mocking her. Their shields bumped which got them both going.

“Nope. I think… I hope at least, that what I have for you is better. If there's any daylight left at the end of this thing, I'll show you. I promised tonight and tomorrow to Collette. Um, work stuff, at least mainly… Working to build in decorations and furniture on the inside of the houses? I already tried a little, but… well a woman’s touch, you know?” He hoped that was discrete enough. It was all true, as far as it went, but would Petra buy it?

“She's hot, you should totally try to get her into bed if you can. Patricia too and probably Maria… Maybe my mom… She asked if I'd mention that too you earlier. I told her I would.” Her voice was warm, but not teasing.

Tor almost choked.

“No. God no. I mean, yes to the first two and possibly Ellen, she's nice and I consider her a friend already, but Maria? That would be the worst idea possible I think. Look around us.” Tor didn't watch the action, even as the song ended and a few women were faking orgasms. Either that or their timing was perfect. The crowd didn't seem to care either way. They practically roared their approval.