P. Power - Knight of the Realm

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.