Well, he could meet the time limit, if he tried hard and didn't get too ambitious, he had all the work he'd done in Ward already, but well, there was so much to do. Couldn't they see that? If Tor stopped he was failing everyone. Letting them suffer because he was lazy. It wasn't that the King was wrong, of course, but he'd had breaks and vacations. Defensively he pointed this out, he remembered taking them.
Rolph snorted at him.
“When Tor? Name one time and I'll go plead your case to the Council of Counts myself tomorrow. Just one.” His friend looked curious more than anything else. Probably wondering when Tor had been goofing off. Well, he had one right there didn't he? Rolph was even there for it.
“You Trice, Sara and I went to the beach, remember? Less than a year ago even.” It was the nicest real vacation he'd ever had. The only thing he'd ever done before that was camping with his brothers and their friends for a few days each summer as kids.
“Oh? Right, I remember that. You built test models for the River Tor and sat in front of a fire for a few hours while the rest of us got drunk. Do better.”
How high was the bar here anyway? Tor scrambled mentally.
“Um, the river is “The Falcons” not the “Pretension River” so, please try to use that name for it? As to the rest… Well I had a long break at school last year… I just lounged around in bed for days. You have to remember that.” Was he the only one that saw these things? The others were there though, they had to know…
“What? Oh, that? Sure… You stayed in bed for nearly three days indeed… I do remember that. Just lounging as you said. Of course. After you nearly died of poison. Then you got up and went back to classes, barley able to speak and hobbling around like a two hundred year old man. Are you seeing a trend here yet?” The Prince leaned forward and steepled his fingers.
“When was the last time you even did something just for fun? Not planning a work project or doing something for someone else, just doing something because you enjoyed it?”
That was a good question, and he had a good answer, but he couldn't say, because it wouldn't be discrete. Ursala gave him a sly look but didn't say anything either. What else did he have? He… didn't do anything fun. What was fun anyway? Well, he was going to throw a big party and he'd been part of the ice festival, so that had kind of been fun and he hadn't worked really, had he? Given stuff away and all that, but did getting other people to do stuff count as work?
Varley had been nearly silent the whole time, but she looked over at him and smiled, if a little morosely, so it probably wasn't about him.
Karina looked… horrible, like she hadn't slept in a week or eaten in nearly that long. Really bad. God, she hadn't gotten pregnant by Ward too had she? Tor checked her field, but she just seemed exhausted and really sad. Miserable. Had something happened? Her younger sister, pregnant by a married man, reached over and squeezed her hand gently and she didn't flinch away. So it was pretty bad, whatever it was.
Rolph seemed unaware. Totally.
“Hey, that palace of yours is basically a shield right? So no one should care if I come stay with you for vacation? Unless that's work for you?”
Actually, Tor considered it for a minute and decided it really would be nice to have him over, if it was OK with the King and Queen and all the Royal Guards. He didn't want to strip them from the palace while they were needed.
Tor had an idea though, which could help with that a little.
“I know, why not have Kolb and his fighting instructors down for the celebrations? I don't think even the Royal Guard would be too uneasy about it then. His folk could get practice guarding people and blending into a crowd. If you’re going to teach fighters, knowing what a guard does can't hurt. Lots of fighters do that between wars, don't they?”
It was a better force than those out of the loop probably knew, unless their spies were really good. The royal families own squad of go anywhere, do anything combat giants. Besides, some of them were his friends. He should probably invite the women of industry down too, but then again King’s week was probably a big gold making time for them even at Wildlands Station. People partied and got drunk, which meant they spent more. And really, up there they didn't have any competition, not even from wives and girlfriends. He hoped that Godfrey was keeping his people in line with them. If he had to Tor would go back and make that happen. They were his girls in a weird, backhand sort of way.
“Besides, that will give you a chance to apologize and grovel to Maria Ward so we can finally put that whole thing to rest before she goes all “Countess Wylde” on us again. Really at this point I almost don't care what went on, but you told her that you loved her and then let the poor little bumpkin take the fall out of your putting her off. Go ahead and hang your head in shame now.” Tor waved at him, telling him to actually do it. Rolph didn't, but his face did seem embarrassed at least and he went beet red. It was a start.
“We'll wait while you do a proper job of it. We're not letting you off the hook, and heir or not, the King and Queen will simply not let this go. Neither will the bumpkin.” He crossed his arms in front of him sternly. It probably made him look like his mother, but Tor didn't back away from it. Someone had to call Rolph on this and if his own best friend wouldn't, who in the world would?
The Queen looked shocked. No… horrified.
So there were things you didn't do just to save someone’s feelings? Or maybe it was about Tor confronting the heir like that in front of others? That didn't seem right, she watched her own son, not him. Everyone else stared at the Prince too. They already knew about it, some of them at least, but this must have been the first time they'd actually given it any thought since it was uncovered. Well, everyone had been busy, Tor could see forgetting it even. Maria Ward wasn't exactly everyone's favorite right now, what with that little war thing and all.
Tor added, just so Rolph wouldn't try to wiggle out, what Maria had said while wearing the truth device, so that the rest of the table would know too.
“So, we know it's true. Your whole family heard it. I can have the device she said it on brought in, or you can question Smythe, he was there too. It wasn't a hedge, or a mistake, or even a delusion. Those would trigger the truth field. It was said, and you said it. Personally, not in a note, not in any way that would release you from responsibility for the words.” Tor glared.
After all half of the bad things that had ever happened to him, maybe more than half, could be tracked to that one event. Tor could let it go for his own sake, Rolph had already apologized after all, to him, and what were a few beatings and attempts on a life between friends?
But to tell a girl you loved her, to say that to anyone, if you didn't mean it… That was low. Most especially if you weren't going to back it up with actions later. He knew Rolph to be a good guy, a great friend and loyal to the extreme, but Tor could sure see why Maria Ward might have thought differently.
The Prince held up a hand, then two, palms out, more of a warding off of potential violence than just a signal to let him talk.
“Look, I said it, but well, we were in bed and she said “I love you.” so I said I loved her too. It was stupid, but I wasn't trying to get her to have sex with me or anything, we already were… Things said while having sex don't count.” He looked down and hunched his shoulders.
It made Tor jump, when Karina's hand slapped the table hard.
“It obviously counted to her didn't it?” She stood and stormed all the way around the table and started slapping the Prince on the face angrily. He covered his head but didn't fight back or even make a sound.
“You lied to her and she loved you, then you hurt her you… jerk! Why are you even sitting here when you should be on your knees begging forgiveness right this instant, not laughing with your friend about taking a vacation. Tor… make him apologize!” She hit him in the side of the head with a really well placed open hand blow that took him off his seat. Given their size difference that meant she was really striking him, it wasn't something playful or pretend for effect.
The King and Queen both looked at the scene serenely and everyone else either looked away or down at their plates rather than the scene of violence. Right. Violence at the table was rude. Even in Two Bends it had been unheard of, but who could say anything to a Princess about it?
She was right in this case too.
Karina moved in for another round of blows when Tor stood. Walking around the table he slowly put a hand out and touched her shoulder. Rather than slap at it or hit him, which he kind of thought she might do, as worked up as she was, Karina turned and buried her head in his shoulder. He hugged her and patted her back. Tor didn't get
