at least socially, to a person he knew first hand hated him. Tor pointed this out. Several times. The whole room, except Burks, seemed to be on the side of his helping her out anyway. Well, Burks and Varley who at least seemed concerned for his feelings in the matter. That… was really pretty nice of her. There was no rule that said a Princess had to come to his defense at all, was there?
The servant just smiled at him calmly and waited to see what he’d say. Tor just looked around, until, finally Ursala spoke. Her voice was very quiet, so much so that if Tor hadn’t been walking directly behind her at the time he’d have missed what she said all together.
“They killed my parents. My child.” Nothing else came out. It wasn’t wheedling or begging or… anything. It was a simple, dark, statement.
Heartrending.
“ Alright… But when I’m even more of a social pariah and no women will talk to me and all men revile my name, I expect you people to be on my side. I’m talking hugs and cuddles all around here, pats on the back, the whole game.” Tor let his voice be quiet when he spoke too. This, he knew, probably wouldn’t be fun at all. He’d be better off just flying over with a few men for back-up and killing them all. Or maybe making a giant air choke that would do it from a mile away. In the night. They’d never wake up at all. The only problem with that would be filtering out the servants and others so that only the Wards were affected.
“You… can do that?” Rolph’s eyes went wide and he half stood for a second, then sat slowly, lowering himself into the chair instead of just dropping. It was more dignified and also probably saved on furniture, as big as he was, Tor thought suddenly, surprised he could think about anything other than the impending destruction of what little respect he might have left in the world.
Oh well.
If the price of getting justice for Karen, Ursala’s people and the rest was his dignity, as small and tarnished as it already was… Could he refuse? It sounded like a good deal over all, except for the part where he’d be the one suffering for it in the end. Then again, his suffering, no matter how great, was tiny compared to the universe as a whole. Nothing to get worked up over. Not really.
Funnily enough, it took almost everyone a while to understand that he’d just agreed with them. Agreed to risk whatever it was they were asking of him on the off chance that a person that might hate him more than anyone else in the world, could use it to catch some bad people. The only thing he could really hold out for himself in all this was that he was pretty sure that when it was all over he could move to some little town in the deep woods that didn’t have a baker already and start over.
What amazed him was that even after he agreed, Varley kept arguing that they shouldn’t do it.
“No. I won’t let this happen. He’s suffered enough in all this. He’s been poisoned, humiliated and maligned when all he’s ever done is help people. We can find some other way. Assassination or… We can call a forum and present overwhelming evidence… I don’t know. I guess that’s what this is about, trying to get that evidence, but we can’t ask this of him! Not after all he’s done for us. It’s… wrong. This isn’t asking some man or woman to spend their life heroically gaining honor in the process, this is… The exact opposite! “Hey Tor, let us strip you of all honor and dignity, oh, by the way, you get to live with the fallout from it forever. Have fun with that.” No. I… I forbid it.” Arms crossed her chest as she looked at them all defiantly, no one spoke for a long time and the room started to feel too close to Tor, not warm, but like there just wasn’t enough air for all of them with the door closed.
“Princess Veronica,” Dean Hardgrove spoke gently, his voice pleasant but serious at the same time. It was very nearly deferential; something that Tor hadn’t really noticed being there before, not even when he’d been speaking with the King a few minutes before.
“I’m not saying you’re incorrect, but please don’t think this is suggested lightly. Not every sacrifice a person is asked to make for the kingdom is one of honor. If you get a chance sometime, ask some of the Royal Guard what their oath is. I think you’ll find that nowhere within it does it assure them honor in the eyes of others, or that anyone will ever think well of them at all. What we’re asking for here, from Tor, is more than we would ever ask of any normal man, true. But he is no normal man. I think you can see that, can’t you?”
Varley spun on the man aggressively enough that for a moment it looked like she planned to fight him. The idea was ridiculous of course, or would have been if the Princess wasn’t sitting behind a fairly decent shield and probably had weapons actively on her person. Probably better equipped than most of the military commandos were, all things considered.
“Tor isn’t a Royal Guard! He’s not in the military and until two months ago, he wasn’t even a noble, not really. Would you ask me to sell my name and honor in the eyes of society just to catch some murderers? No offense Ursala… know that if you need me too, I’ll go and kill them myself… But please… don’t do this…” Her voice suddenly held tears, which were matched by Sara and Ursala after less than ten seconds.
Tor shook his head.
“Easy there Varley. I’m already considered an evil troll that’s probably responsible for all manner of bad things and can’t get a girl, which probably means I like to sleep with men or animals or children in the minds of some people. What’s the worst that can happen? No one talks to me again ever? I’m hunted to my death or out of the kingdom and no other land will have me? I’m willing to bet that not even a tenth of that actually happens. If it does… Well, I can survive almost anywhere now, If I work at it a little. I don’t think some words and aspersions will cut too deeply now, not when I know it almost has to happen. Let’s do it and see though, right? Once you get past the fear of death, everything else is just another thing to deal with.”
He hoped it sounded about right, because if things really went too far south, he’d probably really regret those words. It took everyone and more than a few hugs, but the Princess finally gave her permission. Tor wasn’t sure what would have happened if she hadn’t, but no one seemed inclined to push her that far on the point either. Not even the King or her own brother. It wouldn’t have been war, he knew that, she didn’t have her own army, so what could she do? Kidnap him away until the whole thing blew over? Right now, since she was the only person standing up for him in all this, Tor thought that might be tolerable. He grinned at her, dropped his own shield and put his arm half around her.
Leaning in, he whispered very near her ear.
“It means a lot that you tried to protect me. Thank you. I won’t forget it.”
She turned and hugged him, which got an amused looked from most of the people in the room, except Burks who just yawned and rubbed at his black hair, and Sara, who looked strange. But then she did that sometimes. It was like Tor made her sad sometimes. He couldn’t think of anything he’d done to make her feel that way, but it seemed likely anyway. If he could, he needed to make that right between them. Hopefully before he became the most evil being ever in the eyes of the whole kingdom.
“Wait. Sara, this destruction of all that is Tor that’s coming no doubt, will it hurt your family’s business? Or the other people doing business with me? Lintel and Sorvee now, plus anyone else you lined up contracts with? I don’t want to ruin lives that way either. You know, making it so no one will buy anything that I had a hand in. I suppose we could change the names and look of the devices and stuff, but…”
Blond hair got pushed at, even though it was too short to really be in the way at all now.
“Not likely. I wouldn’t expect a lot of party invitations to come in maybe, but people would buy your stuff if you were known to, well, think of the worst thing you can, then double that. Rumors won’t hurt that. Top builders are supposed to be eccentric; it’s part of their charm. Especially since you’ve taken pains to prop up about half the current war effort yourself. Actually, I’m not really certain this will damage you at all. Someone bad mouthing you right now will pretty much just seem insane or evil themselves. I’m… more worried about what it might do to Trice. I can see this all splashing off you perfectly and landing back in her lap, leaving you almost untouched and her an evil Doretta that no one ever talks to again. That kind of thing can follow people for decades. This might work, but it’s risky that way.” Sara took a deep shuddering breath, as if she expected him to yell at her. When he didn’t she started talking again.
“I mean, I know that she hurt you, but this kind of thing… We’ll, you may look and feel bad for a while, but she’ll be known as a Doretta forever, I think. You aren’t… well, you’re Tor. Every person at school remembers you and probably will every time they sit to a meal for years. You’ve saved more lives than anyone I’ve ever heard of, from the most common of people, to high ranked nobles like Ridley and his family. You’re everyone’s friend now. I know she really wants to show you that she didn’t do this and her parents didn’t either, and that she’s willing to do about anything to do that, even lose you, even die, but god, I just hope this ends up being worth it.”
So did Tor.
Was he supposed to tear into Trice again now? Sara looked like she expected it, but for all that he still hurt
