knew how to wash dishes after all and the set up was pretty standard. Take the bowls and dump any fish stew that was left, rinse under the warm running water, then scrub in the hot sink, rinse again and set to dry on the rack. After a second Tor set up a warm air blower, like what the magical houses used to dry you after a shower. It sped that part up a lot.
The young woman, Merilee, was amazed by it.
“How did you do that? You changed the building by touching the wall?”
“Oh, right, um, just touch the part you want to change and imagine what you want, as clearly as possible. It will probably come out a little differently than you think, but it works well enough.” He kept working as he said it, not wanting to look lazy.
The girl, who was an adult woman actually, in her early twenties, chatted the whole time they worked, a pleasant sound, a little high pitched and falsely happy, but given the situation fake cheerful beat the heck out of morose. They worked side by side and she kept “accidentally” bumping into him, even though she was working halfway across the decent sized space for most of it. Everything in the room looked like stone, except them and the bowls, the fake stone gray and uniform, slightly rounded under foot, but not sticking up enough to make them trip. Well not him at least. She kept falling against him, sometimes using him to catch her weight altogether.
“Sorry,” she said after the tenth time. “Must be tired.”
When the dishes were caught up they both sat at the tables for a while, listening to the kitchen people talk. The old woman was angry, because people had been complaining about the lack of bread.
“They think we have starter sitting in the back? Or even leavening left? We have flour and salt. I should take it and feed a bowl to the next person that asks!”
Tor thought for a second.
“Is there any oil? For cooking I mean? Lard or butter, anything really.” His head tilted in thought as the old women stopped in her angry diatribe and stared at him, but not too crossly, which was good. Tor didn’t want to make her angry. Angrier. She was pretty sore already about people pestering her about the food.
“Aye… what of it?”
“Oil crackers.” Tor nodded to himself as he thought about it.
It was about the simplest thing to make that came near being bread, crispy and filling because of the oil, and rich enough people wouldn't complain overly, he thought. He had to run and make a dozen trays from focus stone, a rich black here, darker than the plates, but then it was easy enough. After the first two batches the old women took over the making herself.
“Good thinking boy. I'll make sure to save you some for your supper.” She grinned at him and sent him back to washing dishes, being groped more openly now by the girl working there. Finally, after the first hour of continuing fake falls and laughter Tor just told her to do what she wanted to him, as long as they kept working. Even he could get that she was lonely and looking for attention.
She was cute enough and really, the fake falling thing was getting a little thin as an excuse. For a while the falling stopped and she didn't touch him at all, though she did keep chattering about her life. Just before it was their turn to eat, she pushed him towards the back of the room, out of sight and felt between his legs boldly, which was a bit more direct than he'd expected.
“Oh!” She told him, rubbing enough that he responded instantly under her hand. “That's nice. Would you like too… you know? Later?”
The idea didn't thrill him even as her hand kept working the front of his trousers. It wasn't her, she seemed nice and was certainly friendly enough. It was just that he was busy.
Really though, was that true? He'd spent the afternoon helping to wash dishes and bake crackers. Worthy work, but not something he couldn't take a short break from. Plus, really, she seemed to like the idea pretty well. It was a bit hard to think of why she’d feel that way, but Ali wouldn’t mind, he didn’t think.
“That sounds fun.” He said happily. Why not? Ali really wouldn't mind, in fact she'd probably encourage it. He did need to make sure that the girl realized he was married and lived all the way across the country first, since she was way too short to be a noble herself, most likely at least. Her rules might make it impossible. If it worked for her though, he could go with it. At least he wouldn't get her pregnant.
It turned out she was fine with all of it, especially once she found out that Ali followed the noble rules, meaning there wouldn't be any trouble for her later over it and it only took about half an hour, since she was eager, if not overly skilled. She wasn't married herself, and didn't plan on it, so felt free to do as she pleased. Normally she made her way doing odds and ends, making baskets mostly, but also taking in sewing work and doing the odd turn as a shop girl in town. It was an unusual life, but it made her happy.
“Plus it means that if I find a pretty thing like you to play with, I can and no ones to say otherwise but the frigid busy body squad. You know, the old ladies that don't have much use for sex, couldn't get wet in a rainstorm, and feel that if they don't like it no one should? Maybe we can do it again before you leave? You're very good at it.” She actually sighed happily and kissed him again.
Tor blushed. That whole being good looking thing was so hard to accept. It just didn't seem real to him at all. Burks had said that it probably never would really, but that he needed to except it or at least that others would treat him that way.
That night he actually got to bed at a reasonable hour and woke up half buried in a group of people, arms and legs thrown over him haphazardly. Ali had climbed in next to him, and they were face to face when he woke. She was being cuddled from behind by Sara and of all people Ridley was at his back, petting his backside gently in a half sleep state.
Pervert, Tor thought automatically, then quelled the noise in his head. That part of the noble society, what some of the men did together, was off putting and a little scary to him, but in their world it wasn't wrong. It just wasn’t what Tor really wanted to do personally. Still, he playfully elbowed the other boy in the sternum, hard enough that his shield turned on. So, maybe a little harder than was strictly playful? The guy didn't wake at all.
Tor was too tired to get up and just tried to relax. It wasn't like he was going to be screwed up the behind by the guy in his sleep. Not with his shield activated at least. That wouldn't work at all and he was pretty sure that his own shield would turn on if it was tried. His own deep mind would view it as an attack, no doubt.
A few hours later everyone else was getting up and Sandra, eyes wide and a little scared looking came over holding the communications device out in front of her at full arms length as if it would bite. She waved to him, shaking slightly and panicked, trying to get him to come over.
She hissed at him softly, “It's the King and Queen! They want to talk to you, here!” She nearly threw the device at him, and then tried to walk away, but he took her arm gently to stop her.
“Builders Tor and Sandra at your service, what can we do for you today?” It was nearly glib and got a laugh from both the monarchs.
The King didn't waste time after that however.
“First, the men you requested are incoming as we speak and should be there inside six hours. Three hundred with full gear. Second, Counts Ross and Ford both have food for you, grain and vegetables, dried, but healthy enough. I said they could sell them at going market rate? They wanted to give it to you free, of course, but that tends to hurt the economy. They've agreed to trade for fish if the locals agree. I'll get with Countess Cannor on that though, not your worry. Do you need anything?”
Did he?
“Well, if you could have someone package up a jar of yeast starter from the palace kitchens? We have flour here, but no bread without yeast, all that got lost in the flood.” More to the point it had died because it starved in the floods, no one being able to bother feeding their home portions for nearly a week. The King didn't care about that part though, so Tor just shorthanded it.
The Queen’s voice came over the device clearly and sounded warm and friendly. Tor melted a little to hear it, but tried not to let it show.
“I'll see to it at once Tor.” Her voice sounded warm, like velvet. Soft and like he could wrap himself in it.
“Oh, and some sugar? I'll pay going rate for it, as much as possible on short notice.”
That got a laugh.
Tor blushed when Sandra looked at him with a wicked grin. It had to be some kind of noble code for something. Probably to do with him and the Queen. He didn't know, but he might have just offered to pay her for sex. At least they'd all laughed, probably getting the idea that Tor didn't mean it that way.
Richard spoke again his voice very calm and royal suddenly.
