suspected that the “engagement” had been a ploy the whole time. Karina had really thought that Lilli loved her. If anyone could get what she was experiencing it would be him, but that didn't mean the depth of pain would be the same.
The first thing they did was organize all the devices Tor had for the celebration and tried to find people to run the events. Most the Ward people jumped at the chance, even though they wouldn't get as much free time to wonder around or play themselves.
One of the women, the one that he'd talked to about shopping a few days before hugged him a little with one arm.
“Tor… you saved our lives. Twice. If you need something done, I don't think anyone here would blink about it. Plus, big celebrations are only fun if some people work part of the time, the more people taking turns the more everyone gets to relax. Don't worry about that, none of us will forget to take our turn too.” Her smile was dazzling in her dark face. If she wasn't great looking, she still had her charms, pleasant demeanor being the first one he noticed.
Taking his cue from her he smiled and thanked them all, and since most of them didn't shake hands at a rule, he started handing out hugs instead. It was awkward feeling, but everyone patted him on the back or said a little something friendly. He tried to do the same, even though he suspected he wasn't doing it right. No one said anything about how moronic he sounded and kept smiling, so he went with it.
That's what he was doing when Collette and Petra came in, both walking with a slightly older dark skinned man, the guy with the cold ice drinks from Warden, Tor couldn't remember his name if he'd ever known it.
Or could he?
If he just focused on remembering and dropped into a trance, it shouldn't hurt his field at all. Literally speaking he was strengthening it, concentrating on a part of himself. That made sense, and reminded him not to slack off on meditation. It really should help him rebuild his own field faster. The idea surprised him a bit, but he decided to try it. After a few moments the name came to him.
“Hi Morgan.” Tor hoped he'd gotten the name right. The man smiled big and said hello, but called him “Master Tor, sir”. Sticking out his tongue Tor said they should all just call him Tor, since it was his name and he definitely wasn't a master of anything yet. Everyone laughed, but Petra pushed Morgan forward a bit more. He was holding a tray of drinks, several different kinds in focus stone cups. They were mainly ice by the look.
“I'd thought to sell my wares at the King’s week festival here, and wanted to get permission. Counserina Ward and Baronetta Coltress both said it would be all right, but since I want to set up in your front yard to avoid ground rental fees…” He passed out the drinks, which Tor checked openly for poison first. The one Tor got didn't even have alcohol, but the others all did. They were even better than the ones from Ward, except there was none of the pineapple and coconut drinks. The red berry mix he had in front of him was good though. Bonita had something yellow and tart smelling, with waves of alcohol fumes wafting off and Trice had a drink that was a brilliant green. Karina had two, and suggested that they give them away for free. Morgan blanched, but Tor nodded, taking her meaning.
“Let’s do food too. Morgan, what will it cost? You won't lose money, probably make a lot more. I'll just cover it for everyone so a lot more people will probably have them. I’ll pay in advance, so you can get supplies. Can you work up something in purple and gold too?” Richard’s birthday, so his colors.
Nita made notes and Tor suggested a cold box for the ice to be kept in, using a freezing unit. He wanted to make a miniature snow box that would keep the cold in and make enough for all the drinks constantly, but even thinking about it was stupid, since it might just kill him at the moment if he tried. Instead Morgan and his helpers would use a metal blade rubbed back and forth to shave the ice. It worked and Tor knew it was better that way, letting other people do for themselves, plus the helpers got paid, so he kept his mouth shut and mentioned nothing.
He did give Bonita a box of gold to pay for everything she needed to, having Collette get it for them. It was just a few hundred gold, five hundred. He told her to just get more if it was needed.
That… earned him a funny look from the room, but she hugged him. Tor didn't get why people reacted to that. If she was his second in command for this, why shouldn't she handle the money? If he'd had a wife, she'd have done that for him surely, right? And she was one of his girlfriends. They'd both said so. That meant it was real.
Maria smiled at him then, looked down and back up at him. Now, over a year after the first time he'd seen her do it he understood what it meant. She was flirting with him. Him? The Troll of Galasia? The one she accused of all sorts of perversions and vile things, not the least of which had been trying to force her to have sex against her will, when they'd only ever even talked once, and that being mainly her attacking him verbally? Why? Did she have some plan in mind? Some game or trick to make him look stupid or some new way to hurt him? Sure, she'd apologized, but she'd also admitted that she didn't mean it at the time. Not totally, just because his flower arrangement had been too good. Pretending not to see he looked away and started going into the food arrangements.
They had some kitchen staff, but no other servants, which was fine with him really, the house mainly took care of itself after all, so when a knock came on the front door Tor jumped up and walked quickly to get it himself. The door was just outside the main dining room, the smaller of the two, but they didn't have to feed hundreds of people yet so it made sense to use that one, right?
It took him about a minute to get to the door, and on opening it he saw two older people that looked only vaguely familiar at all. He searched his mind and figured it out. It took another trance really, the data being a little obscure.
The very first royal party he'd gone too, the people being announced just ahead of him. The Duke Brettermere and his Duchess. They'd never spoken or anything. Well, perhaps they'd come visiting? They had luggage with them, a good ways back on the porch. Ah. Looking for a place to stay, but not wanting to presume anything?
“Look everyone! It's the Brettermeres!”
A small cheer went up behind him as the older couple smiled nervously.
Chapter five
If the Duke and his wife were expecting a cool or grudging reception they didn't get it.
Instead Tor just made sure they planned to stay, and started trying to move their luggage himself, which had six strong men following him without asking, doing most of the real work. Collette jumped up and played hostess, leading the band of people to a room on the second floor. It was marked with a bright yellow compass rose, each door had a design, but Collette closed her eyes and touched the door, a few seconds later in very good hand writing and large black letters it said “Brettermere” on it.
The door opened and both the royals froze.
“Oh my! What a lovely room! I,” The Duchess looked down and then straightened, making a bit of a wry face. “Howard and I have had a standing invitation to stay at the palace, and have since before Richard took the crown. More than once he's led us to our room himself, as a Prince. This year we arrived only to be sent away. We thought… well, we are rather of a different generation than the Queen and thought perhaps we'd been put to pasture when she sent us off here. We didn't realize it was an honor. I think I might have been a little cold to the dear, I'll need to send her a note first thing. This is splendid!”
The Brettermeres were both even more impressed after being show around and how to use everything and the Countess pulled out paper and pen to start her letter to the Queen right then. On that note the rest of them left, planning to get back to work.
Before everyone had no more than sat down another knock came at the door. This time a sitting Baroness and her husband, with their kids tagging along behind them. Three of them. In the back stood a good looking and familiar face. Beaming.
“Ridley?” Tor started, looking at the young man that Tor thought he recognized from school, but Trice practically tackled the guy and started kissing in a way that looked more than a little friendly. Everyone looked on for a second without comment. People had friends after all, so no one thought anything of it.
