P. Power - Knight of the Realm

He spoke, trying to make his voice warm and happy sounding. It wasn't hard. He really liked Bonita.

“Currently not engaged to be married, but supposedly I have a date tonight, with a Baronetta even. If that doesn't fall through or something. Things are looking up, definitely, you know? I was just coming to check and see if Bonita had a jealous husband or boyfriend I needed to watch out for, the way she stole away like that… And seriously, two and a half gold? No one's worth that for a single night. I'm keeping it though, we can use it for our date.” His voice came out wry and pleasant sounding at least.

His voice got her to look up. Finally. He'd thought she might bolt, Terlee used to do that when scared or pushed too far socially. That or hide and mumble at him, instead she smiled, and jumping behind Trice, tried to pull him into a hug, then a kiss, but he had his shield on, which he turned off for her.

It was warm and done well enough to feel nice, what more did he want?

Trice got up and stormed out.

Angrily. A small flash of real angst coming from her as she did. And a whole lot more confusion.

Tor ignored her and kissed Bonita back.

The next few days were some of the most wonderful Tor had ever experienced. Nita, as he'd taken to calling her, met with him each evening and they did things. Fun things. Like flying along the coast and having a picnic on a beach, the wind whipping past them and blowing sand everywhere. Or walking through the market place in the city, where smiling people kept offering them free things for some reason. The late nights were fun too. Each morning after the first, he woke to find Bonita's arm over him protectively, as if he were going to suddenly disappear on her if she wasn't careful.

It was different during the day, they ate with the Wards most of the time and Trice kept giving him looks that indicated his death might just be imminent, but it seemed a little over the top to him. Even if she was really angry at him for “spurning her affections”, which was kind of what she hinted to everyone that would listen, she wouldn't have acted like that.

She might have punched him when he wasn't looking, but she wouldn't… sulk. Not like she pretended to. Worse, she insisted on following him and Smythe around like a puppy, making sure she was at each questioning and glaring when he wasn't looking. He could feel her doing it.

Her field said the anger wasn't real at all at least, and even that she was mildly bored by it all, but that didn't cause her to let go of the plan. She had orders it seemed. From the King.

It explained it, sort of. Tor needed to get with the man and discuss the situation, didn’t he? It really was pretty much wasted effort at the moment. Plus annoying.

Smythe was far more professional, and didn't even act like Tor should be put to death at the moment, choosing perhaps to wait for the investigation to finish? Really, the old, but huge, military Counselor assured him several times, his part, Tor's, was finished and he could go back to the Capital or even stay with his new friend when Smythe moved to the next location to hunt for spies and assassins.

“The King wanted you to be here in case a war had to be stopped, clearly. A full force of men would simply aggravate things, so he sent a single man in their place, in case it was a trap. He has great faith in you, I hope you understand that? It would be a shame if you let him down. That's not the point however. Your time is better spent doing what you do. Building and, one hopes, continuing your humanitarian efforts. Also… you're a young man. This kind of thing… It doesn't serve to put youth in the way of ferreting out spy's and assassins. It hurts the soul too much, too soon. Enjoy your youth while you can. You'll have an entire lifetime to be old.” He smiled warmly and as far as Tor could tell, it was a real thing and the words heartfelt. It made him pause for a bit before speaking.

“Sound advice, and trust me, I'd love to take it. Work on my little projects, grab Nita and maybe a few other girls if I could manage it and go to the Capital, spend my time making friends for once and going to parties where people will at least pretend to like me, desperately trying to wheedle things out of me that I'd just give them if they asked, or even just hinted at wanting, within reason. But I can't do that, can I? We're at war and the King put me with you to learn. What the lesson is I don't know. Probably professionalism when a task is at hand. But regardless, I can't leave your side until told too can I?” Tor grinned.

“Plus, honestly, with all the spies around me anyway, learning to tell who's working for whom is a valuable skill. Besides, I guess if I need killing, I might as well be you adjacent. But for god’s sake, make sure I really need it, will you? Could — might — be — a — problem — eventually is a dumb reason to kill a friend you know.”

That got a somber nod, but no comment since the next set of interviews was beginning. Tradesmen, merchants and barkeeps, serving girls and whores were all questioned. Nothing much turned up on Laval at all. The truth devices sped things up a lot and cut out something like ten repetitions of the same question, so they'd be finished in a few days, Smythe told him, instead of the months it might normally take. Then it would be on to Printer, Thorgood and so on.

“And Lairdgren School of course. We know that one of the Larvals was there at least. I can interview you here, and Captain Wensa wherever Prince Alphonse is, but we need to be thorough, who knows what some student saw or who the man's contacts were. Of course in a few days we have to be in the Capital anyway. King's week. All sitting nobles and Counselors have to attend, especially now, with a war on. Stupid rule, but if you don't keep a firm hand with nobles they end up thinking they're as fit to rule as the King. Some are, some aren't, but what I've noticed is that the ones that would make the poorest leaders always seem to think they deserve the position most.”

Tor got out a piece of paper and wrote that last bit down, making Smythe chuckle. Well, sound advice could come from anywhere. He added the bit about being young while he could so he wouldn't forget later. That was the kind of thing he could lose track of pretty easily, he knew.

It meant he had a week to come up with a present for the King. He wondered if they'd let him in to the party, or turn him from the gates again this year, but finally decided to let that go. He'd just plan to skip it and have a party with his friends and send presents along with Count Thomson again or something. Maybe Rolph would hand them off. That just left finding out what the man wanted. He pretty much got whatever he desired. Except a break…

That… It would be hard to do, with a war on, but they had communication devices in case of emergency now and Rolph, Prince Alphonse, was the heir, in the loop already, even in on the secrets, and kind of should have the practice when there was time. All it would come down to would be protecting the King and Queen and selecting a place no one would ever think to look for them. Isolated and externally bland looking? The beach house at County Ford? No, that was a known property. But the idea was good. Count Ford had said that if he ever needed anything, he should just ask, right? Plus they could go in on that present together. It would have to be a secret, so he'd need a real gift too and a public spectacle so that people didn't think he was mad at the King. It was the problem with coming up with good presents a few times for the royals. From that point on he had to have something just as good or everyone would think he didn't care to be bothered.

He should have stuck to napkin rings and pots of preserves.