Tor stared at Burks and shrugged. The elder man winced and looked away. He had the needed gear, but wasn't supposed to? Tor grinned.
“You can use mine. I keep it in Burks’ basement.” It was a lie, but Green shrugged and gave Tor a solid look, then Denno.
“We can leave in the morning.” If it was said in anger at Tor it was hidden well. It sounded bland. Almost amused.
Denno wasn't fooled at all though.
“You're secret hoard? Against the treaty, isn't it Green? But then, I guess, as you've mentioned more than once, Purple here isn't a signatory, is he. Good plan… I suppose it beats my people being destroyed over one stupid bitch that thinks the world should revolve around her crazy whims.”
Tor yawned.
“Sorry, I'm about to go to sleep. I really can't help it. Um, Burks, if you and Brown would please look into those things for us, I'd take it as a personal favor and um, everyone else, if you'd remember to keep this quiet for now? Please? We don’t want to alert the wrong people, especially since we have no clue who they are.”
Everyone murmured agreement and no one seemed too upset. Baron Coltress didn't seem exactly happy, but he gave Tor a bow before he could float from the room.
“Thank you. You're efforts mean a lot to us all.” He murmured gently.
Tor Bowed back, but found himself waking with a start, head coming up in that over tired fashion that people got when they forgot to rest properly for days on end. He just chuckled about it though, and made his way up to what he assumed would still be his bedroom. It probably was, he figured, since his wife and girlfriend Trice were on the bed when he opened the door, naked, doing something complicated and fun looking. He froze for a second, then closed the door. It was a little awkward, wasn't it? He'd known that they were “friends” that way. Trice had flat out told him several times after all. A stab of jealousy ripped through him, but after a few seconds he just had to shrug.
After all, his marriage to Ali was real enough, but hadn't been for love at all. He did love Trice, but hadn't exactly been around for her lately, and she was fresh from her own traumas and darkness. If she was doing this, wasn't it a good sign? He floated into the room, nearly falling asleep. Awkward situation or not.
“Hey loves.” He said gently, earning a squeak from both women on the bed. They started to scramble to correct their “indiscretion” but he waved them back. “Nah, finish up. If I was in better health I'd join you, but I'm going to pass out in about a minute anyway. Just, you know, I love you both. Talk in the morning?”
It wasn't an inspired speech, but he managed to get to the side of the room, on the far side of the bed, near the wall, before his eye closed. They said things to him, but he wasn't really sure what it was. It had the tone of “I love you” rather than, “get the hell out” which was good, because he fell asleep then.
When he woke up they were both still there, light coming from the window lighting them up, casting golden sheets over them both, as they lay entwined. It was lovely, he decided. Both were naked and wearing several amulets, so heat wasn't an issue for them, after the covers were kicked off. Tor would have been, should have been, aroused, he knew. His pattern just couldn't handle that right now. Smiling he got into the bathroom and managed a full shower and shave, all on his own feet, checked the bed sores on the back of his legs which had healed a lot, once the constant pressure was gone and walked out slowly.
Trice opened her eyes and stared at him as he approached.
“You look better. Um, about all this…” Her tone was a whisper and her gaze moved over Ali gently. Slowly she ran her left hand over the still sleeping girls shoulder.
“I know that it must have been a shock to you.” Her tone was wry and playful.
“A bit, but nothing too bad. I mean, you are our girlfriend, right? I'll adjust. It's just, well, I need to get better and that's going to take time, so I do feel a little down about that part of things. You're both so cute. Anyway, I need to find breakfast soon, if I can. Want to try and get sleepy head there up and around while I get that going? Oh, by the way, we have guests, so you know, whatever that means… Guest rules?”
Surprisingly, even though it was later than he'd thought, nearly ten in the morning, no one else had come down to the table yet. They only had one dining room now, the table made smaller by Collette, not needing more at the moment. Tor could have resized it, but it looked big enough for the number of people they had. Well, the ones that he knew about. It was possible that they had other guests.
The kitchen was in about the same place, So Tor figured that he'd start trying to work something up, only to find the room filled with the scents and activity of cooking already. He sort of recognized several of the people even, from Kings week, when they'd hired a bunch to cook for the hundreds of nobles that had shown up. Apparently they'd never left. Well, that was good. It meant that they’d all had jobs the whole time. Had to like that.
Collette sat on the far side of the room, going over a list, a cup of tea in front of her.
“Looks like we should be starting soon then everyone. Tor, do you have any particular request for the meal?”
“Um, food would be good. Other than that, you know, we have guests, so whatever they like is fine. Maybe something done in Warden fashion, so that they'll feel comfortable? If that isn't too much work? I know it's a bit short notice.” He sounded tentative and weak again, so covered with a grin. If they wanted a commanding high lord, they needed to go somewhere else, didn't they?
“I think we can do that sir, something like the style of breakfasts from before? Very good.” The woman that spoke wasn't that old, mid-thirties at most, about six foot tall, which could have marked her as either merchant or noble, though the way she swung into action argued for the later pretty strongly. Even merchants weren't normally that bossy. Tor just hoped she was actually in charge of the kitchen…
Collette noticed him looking at her and nodded towards the bustling woman.
“Oh, Tor… I know you two didn't get a chance to meet last time, though she was actually here a lot. This is my mother, Glaran. Um, I kind of hired her. She and father aren't together. It's complicated, they were married, but a different situation had to be arranged for father, in order to protect the barony, so they divorced. I hope that's all right, her being here?”
Tor blinked and nodded.
“I don't understand the situation at all, but family is always welcome. Are you Bonita's mother too?”
“Oh, yes dear. She mentions you often. Thank you both for seeing to my care like this. I should have mentioned it sooner, but I had the impression that we were rather hiding me away in the kitchen in shame.” Her eyes twinkled when she said the words though, as if she hadn't thought that at all.
Tor was just confused. Why would they hide her? Especially from him?
“No ma'am. Never. Um, speaking of which, would you be free later in the day? We're going to have to add to the house staff, for several dwellings during Postern, if you'd aid us in that, it would be wonderful.” He turned to Collette.
“We're paying for the Capitals amusements this year. Out of the golds the kingdom is holding for us. So… Rolph invited every member of every Count and Countesses extended family to stay with us. I figure that we should grab as much land along the river as possible and set up houses for them. I'd like the people from Warden to be put up, if possible, since there personal friends. Also, um, we should invite the Ross' and the Brettermeres. Plus anyone else you can think of. Kind of stack this place with our pal's. The Lairdgren group too, plus the… Um… well, everyone from school.”
Tor held his hands out and laughed a bit.
“Yeah, that will keep the curmudgeons away, turn this into the kid’s house.”
Collette walked over and hugged him, as if he might be deranged, but Glaran, who was also blond and still very cute waved them out of her kitchen. She had a wooden spoon in her hand when she did it, making it look like an implied threat, but her face showed a real enough looking smile.
“Breakfast will be out in a few minutes. Now, you two out, let us work. To answer your request Lord Baker, I'd be most please to aid in your plans. Just let me know where and when.”
Tor bowed to her. It wasn't a deep bow, which everyone accepted as being correct, but his words weren't, he knew.
“Just Tor. Which goes for everyone here. Um, I hope to get to know you all. If you need anything, please let me know? After breakfast I mean.” He chuckled a little, but the staff stopped and looked at him silently, until Glaran waved them back into action.
Well, Tor figured that he'd obviously just opened a can of worms there, hadn't he? Oh well.
