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.
Well, too late for that now.
Those he could do, with a bit of work. He started that night, after Nita fell asleep, working until morning. Not much sleep, but Tor wasn't going to let his friend be alone if he could help it, since she seemed lonely at times still. Sometimes he wouldn't be able to be with her, and hopefully she'd understand that, but for now he just pushed himself into the deepest dark within and worked there, barely understanding things in words anymore, just ideas. If anyone asked him what he done exactly he'd have to point to the things he made and shrug. It was just too different to talk about easily.
He built and worked, carefully and deeply, for two more days before things suddenly went sideways on him.
It had to happen, something like it at least, he realized as Nita sat across from him at the small round table they ate at, staring at her plate of brightly colored bits of food. She hadn't eaten much, just picking at things listlessly for a while. Finally, as the music started and drinks began to flow, she spoke, her voice sad and a little scared sounding. Worried maybe?
“Um, Tor? I was thinking and, well…” Her face buried behind her long dark blond hair she whispered. He could just make out what she said.
“Did… Did Maria get you to do this? Is she paying you to spend time with me?”
He blinked. What? At first the words didn't even make sense to him. Pay him?
“Sorry… I… why would she do that? I mean, no, but why? And really, I don't need gold, what would she be paying me in?” Land came to mind as a bribe, but he didn't say it out loud, because Nita was a little down on herself still. No need to throw fuel on that fire, he decided instantly.
That she'd gotten five days in before doubting herself this much, this openly, was amazing really. Tor didn't let anything show for a second. Denials wouldn't work, he knew that. He'd been in similar places in life and saying he loved her simply wasn't proof. Reaching under the top of his tunic, a simple light-tan looking thing he'd made up that morning, with a red sash and white canvas pants and black boots. It kind of fit in with what people wore here during the day, without aping them exactly.
Real people, not royals.
Finding the truth amulet he carried all the time any more, he tapped firmly and it started glowing in gold and cream, the gold making two broad stripes down the nimbus around him.
“You've seen this before right? Goes black if I lie or say something that isn't true, even if I don't know it when the words come out? As long as it's in my head at least. So, no, Maria did not, at any time suggest I date you, spend time with you or anything of that nature, except mentioning you weren't married, which I took to be implied match making, didn't you? Kind of nice of her given that she and I aren't all that close.” The glow stayed steady and she ducked her head but asked more questions while she had him like this. An odd type of shyness that she had…
“Are you… sleeping with her? My sister?” She glanced at him looking almost afraid.
“I've never slept with your sister.”
This caused the whole field to go a deep black, which made Nita cringe and the few people around them listening openly lean in suddenly, since things had obviously gotten interesting. Sorlee even shifted seats to move closer. Tor held up his hand and grinned, embarrassed.
“Sorry, I misspoke, that can happen. Um… I should have said… I've never slept with Maria.” This time the field did what it was supposed to do at least. Gah. Pesky truth. Still, it showed the whole thing worked and that he didn't have a special device that let him lie. He could do that, but who would? If he didn't want people to know something he just wouldn't say it.
“Which one…”
