“Gods yes. Full market rate, you just haven’t asked, so we haven’t said anything about it yet. War on and all you know, so there’s a pinch, but we have the golds, if you want them. They’re yours, holding them just lets us use them as collateral at need. It’s quite a bit by now I think. Actually I know. I’ve seen the accounts.”
Tor wondered at the amount, which wasn’t given in specifics, just stated as being a lot.
“OK, then we just have the treasury send over a slow monthly draw on that, and I’ll use it to pay them. If the money just disappears, well, everyone knows I’m bad coin, just giving things away all the time. Really I didn’t even think I was going to be paid for the items I made for the military. I probably shouldn’t tell you that, you’ll want them free now.” He smiled but the King didn’t.
“Oh, definitely not. That would destroy the economy. Bad enough all that gold is going to one person. Be sure to spend that will you?”
“Alright. At any rate, I can give some away too, spread it around a bit. That way no one guess the actual point.”
Richard smiled and shook his head.
“An expensive way to get things done, but yes, I agree, that would hide it all nicely.”
“The reason that I wanted to go over this with you, well first of course, was so you’d know that it wasn’t something sinister, not me building my own army or anything, since I can’t have one. Second though, is the chain of command. Your whole family needs to know, since they’re it. They tell these people that they want someone dead as a joke, or offhand statement, and those people will die. Ask for the moon and they’ll start trying to get it for real and won’t stop until they have it or are told to give up, that kind of thing. They’re already some of the best fighters in the land and armed and armored like we can get them, I don’t know that a lot of people will be able to stop them. Especially once they get past the whole idea of being honorable warriors and all that.”
“So, it’s me, Connie, you, Alphonse, Karina then Varley? Or, are you before the Queen?” His voice sounded slightly strange suddenly, suspicious or un-trusting?
Tor grinned and shook his head.
“I’m not in the chain of command at all. Not a member of your family and I think that “by marriage” shouldn’t count for this. Lowest man in line outranks me there. I’ll back their plays, and I guess pay for it all, but other than that, I don’t even really need to know what’s going on. Safer that way. At least until I’m older and more stable emotionally. Smythe may be a prick, but he wasn’t wrong there. I get that now. Um and really, all the kids basically have the same “rank” as far as this goes. I guess you could set that up differently, but I didn’t think about it at the time. So you know if Varley and Rolph countermand each other you or Connie will have to settle it.”
Seeing that he wasn’t going to be killed Tor sat down and swallowed.
“So, um, I didn’t come to ask to marry Varley. I figured that would just be a good thing to hint at in order to get someplace safe to talk. I… What do I say? I mean, of course I’d like that, but should she do it? Is that really what’s best for her? Or, I mean, is this one of those polite refusal things you guys are supposed to do? You say sure, so that I feel all right about it, but she has to decide, then she confesses she really loves Count so and so and I have to step aside honorably? If so, it’s all right to just say so, I won’t be mad or anything. I wasn’t even asking really. It would be great, she’s incredible, but, well, I’m just me.”
As vexing as it was, Richard smiled and shrugged. Then he leaned towards Tor and whispered.
“Ask and find out? I told you the truth as far as I know it, but she is a woman and they do change their minds. Today she likes Tor, master of the mighty, tomorrow she might like Varro the gardener… Of course, she can actually marry you, so I say risk it. Let her sleep with Varro if she wants and who’s to mind? Certainly not Varro, he’s eighty if he’s a day and really, quit the coup for him, no? The worst that happens is that she, very politely, puts you off. None of my children is a Doretta in any way. That simply can’t be afforded at this level of the game.”
Putting his hands flat on the table he pushed himself up, taking more effort than he’d thought it would. He leaned on his hands for a moment, hoping it looked confidential not weak. It was a little weak, but that was probably just shock.
“Alright then, I put forward my bid, knowing that she’ll probably find someone better in a few weeks or throw me over for the gardener. If she does. I’ll step out of the way. Is that proper? I don’t want to trap her, if she, you know, needs to be doing something better for her? I guess… well, I’m a little leery still, after Trice. Make sure everyone knows that they don’t have to rip me apart publicly or anything to get rid of me, all right? Seriously, I’m good with a note, come to that.”
The King stood chuckling slightly and went to the door behind Tor and called gently up the stairs that they were ready for everyone now. Varley got to the bottom of the stairs faster than anyone else, floating down using her Not flyer, wearing a lovely white gown and a wrap of gossamer material, that reminded him of the stories he’d heard about faeries as a child, and what he imagined their wings to look like. The girl landed on her feet lightly, the hard soles of her white shiny leather shoes touching down with only a little tap. Smiling she ran to him, hitting her shield to turn it off. Laughing he did the same, as per their prior agreement. She half tackled him and pinned him lightly against the wall with a sudden twist. Then her lips touched his.
“Yes.” Varley said, her voice low. “Yes. I will marry you.”
“Marry?” Tor said with a grin. “Who said anything about marriage? I was just asking your father if I could borrow you to be the new apprentice baker at my house. We’re really in a bind right now that way. He suggested that you also clean the stables, but we don’t have any of those, so it looks like you’re going to luck out there.”
She laughed and kissed him again, which made him giggle a little.
“Well, all right, I guess we can do that marriage thing if you really want to.” Tor said when she back off a little, laughing.
Richard, standing back behind the table still, laughed himself, a deep bass thing. Tor couldn’t help but think that he wasn’t really being helpful. This one at least, if he wasn’t going insane and imagining it all, was a real marriage. Not something just to keep someone else from getting the girl. He didn’t think so at least. It might be hard to tell with royals, but he was taking it as real anyway. Even if he was really just acting as an acceptable place holder for this Varro guy. He’d get with Rolph later to make sure, one way or the other.
Nearly a minute later the other three members of the royal family came down. Since all of them had Not- flyers on, Tor assumed that their walking down the stairs was meant to give Varley time with him for some reason. Nice of them.
When they all got into the room Tor pushed the door shut and latched it from the inside securely. It was Rolph that broke first, grinning.
“So am I going to be calling you brother Tor or not?” He asked genially. Varley smiled and nodded.
“I told him yes! This is so great. I’m going back with him to his house and if I come back pregnant you can all just deal with it.”
Connie hugged the girl and then Tor with a single movement.
“Oh no you don’t young lady. No getting pregnant until at least a full year after the day of the wedding. You know how to prevent such things. No shadow of scandal please. Also… children, your father and I have something to tell you… it involves Tor, and his family.” She glanced at the King who waved his hand with a smile.
“You were all taught the old legends, how long ago ancients that survived the end of one world, took the best of it, and built anew, forming on each continent a nation of power, based on a single premise. Magic for us, genetics for Afrak, spirituality for the Tellerand and technology for the Austran. But behind all this was an underlying principle, that the failures of the old world not be brought back. That the world not be unbalanced again, that the population not be allowed to grown to unmanageable levels. That we don’t use up the world we live in, just live.”
Karina snorted, an unladylike thing to be sure, “Right, but I always liked the one about the faerie Princess that lived in a giant gourd, it always sounded much more fun. “Bodabink- you’re a rabbit!” I always wanted to be a rabbit as a child you know. That or a bird. Of course, now I can fly, so half way there. Tor, if you could get to work on the rabbit part of things when you get a chance?” She grinned at him and gave a wink.
Tor blinked. Well, he couldn’t turn her into a rabbit, could he? But… well, if he could make a light, could he make her look like a rabbit? Shaking himself he tried to hold his focus on the situation at hand.
With a serious look, Rolph hovered his large hand over the shield on his sister’s shoulder.
“Don’t worry, there’s a tie in here. Wait for it…”
Connie nodded regally at her children.
“Indeed there is. So you know the stories, how the ancients, six of them back then, lived, and didn’t age or die, so that they could stay around and keep setting the world right from the damage done by the old ones. Well,
