Lord of the Sky (The Young Ancients: Timon) (32 page)

It was true that Holly seemed nice and not creepy at all, but that could all be an act. A way of getting others to let their guard down, so that she could abuse them, or torture them for fun or information.

They were taken almost immediately to the table, where it was instantly clear that they were sharing her meal with her, the food being evenly divided and bulked up with extra bread and tumblers filled with wine. On the good side, even at her own table, the Countess used a small copper poison detector, which meant he and Trice didn't have to feel bad about doing the same.

She looked at the plates, seeming embarrassed, but Timon smiled at her.

"
Good
. That means you didn't secretly know we were coming. It would be spooky if you did. After all, we didn't think of it until a few hours ago." The tall woman smiled back and didn't seem insulted by his words, which was nice really. It was always hard to know how a high noble would react to any given situation. That was why Count Peterson had worked so hard not to call him young, or suggest that he should be protected. Doing that to a man could be a grave wound to his pride, but not doing anything might be just as bad to your own, if you were a decent person.

The tall and relatively thin woman took some bread, which was crusty and a bit dry and slathered whipped honey butter on it.

"I
knew
there was a reason for my simple habits. So are you making the rounds of all the people you know?" She winced as the words came out and grimaced a bit. "That makes it sound wrong. I just meant to ask if you were touring to make contacts."

Trice smiled and buttered some bread of her own, then took a bite before answering.

"A few people are on the list. We don't have to stay with anyone. Timon has made these incredible new craft. They're nearly as fast as the ones Tor has, but are a lot more suitable for pretty much everything. They can be a real home, or a boat, a cargo hauler or a passenger ship. We've been using one to just go wherever the mood strikes us. It's a lot of fun. Right now it's sitting at your docks, looking like a boat. We didn't think you'd want us landing on the beach in front of your house."

"Oh? That sounds... Very impressive actually. Are you planning on taking building courses next year Tim? I have to say, it sounds like you could
teach
them. We don't have a wonderful program yet. Not like Lairdgren. I've been hoping that we could attract some of the top builders, but so far that just hasn't happened. They can all make a lot more coin working for themselves than teaching. Even the mediocre ones can really. What I really want to do is steal some of the Lairdgren Group and have them do it, before they all become too powerful and mighty to stoop to being mere instructors." She punctuated the words with a bite of food, a bit of meat that was white, and probably lobster. Timon wasn't certain, but it wasn't tainted so he tried some for himself.

The blonde woman looked at him curiously, and then waved her fork, which was rude, but didn't really bother him.

"If you can make a craft like that, you probably don't need classes in building, do you? We have a good mathematics program already and history. Geography too, if you like maps?"

"I do like maps. One of my favorite things. I'll probably take maths, and maybe look into history. Fighting too, if it's offered. I don't know how yet. It was suggested to me recently that I might want to learn." Rather painfully, but it had left an impression. The lady didn't ask who had suggested it, which was kind of her, since it was a bit of a story.

"Oh? We have a
very
good program for that. I have a friend that I finally talked into coming to teach next year. Petra Ward? She's incredibly good and is a capable teacher. You might recognize the name, but I assure you that she doesn't take after her brother the Count. She's
very
loyal. I'm afraid that things have been hard for her, because of him and his bitch of a wife. Why the man ever married that Doretta I don't know. We should have just beaten her to death and left her in the woods at school..." There was a low growl that was surprising, an old, but real, anger stirring within her. She mastered it and shook her head, eating for a while before regaining her composure. "Petra however is wonderful. If you weren't married already I'd have recommended her to you in a few years. Her last engagement fell through. Well, you've heard that Count Rodriguez confessed to treason? It was him. Why
precisely
he chose to do that I don't know."

Trice picked at her vegetables, some kind of fried dish that had green inside. It was tasty but a bit greasy.

"My guess is that, after he was kidnapped by your Heir and Timon, then tortured for hours, confessing to his crimes was a relief." A frank look was leveled at the Countess, who seemed more than a little shocked.

Timon was pretty surprised that Judy hadn't reported it all to her. That had been, most likely, because doing so could cause her to be pulled back home instantly, if the Countess was worried about losing her.

His wife expanded on the information her lips just showing the hint of a pleasant expression.

"Will Rodriguez took Petra in the bath, using armed guards, and then had her tortured for three weeks. He didn't get any information. Uncle Richard sent in some people to get her out, the cover story is that the Orange Ancient and an undisclosed friend of hers did it. It was two of the Royal Guards and Tim. Then Judith and Timon took the man and two of his people... and
broke
him. Just because Tor wasn't around to do it for her. I have to say, the King has some
very
kind words about your Heir right now, if you ever get a chance to talk about the subject. Obviously, this is secret, but you need to know that the King backs his own, even when it's dangerous for him. Timon does too. As it seems, does Judith Press."

The other lady stopped talking altogether for a bit, thinking it seemed. When she engaged again, it was with Timon, not his wife.

"I'd heard that you had some difficulties in County Alan, not long ago? That... isn't much of a secret. I'm sorry about what you had to endure. I heard that you dealt with it however. Personally. I didn't realize exactly how entwined you were in all of this." There was another wince. "Forgive me. I think I've had a bit too much to drink already. I keep saying things that come out wrong. I wasn't suggesting any of it was your fault."

He waved it away and took a drink of his wine. The glass was half empty already and it was a large thing, un-watered too. It wasn't his favorite thing in the world, the taste a bit less than pleasant, but you didn't serve adults fruit juice, and as it turned out, he really couldn't get drunk anyway. For her part Trice was just sipping at her own beverage, the level having hardly dropped at all.

"I know what you mean. It's all the traveling I do. I get to meet a lot of interesting people, but that means the bad, as well as the good."

Trice kept going, her words and gaze both fairly even.

"Since then Petra has been living with him. His girlfriend. Not lover, I don't think?" She was just making conversation, he thought, not trying to make him blush. It took a bit of focus, but he held that part of himself silent, so that he didn't really feel it at all. It took a lot of focus to get it done.

"Friend really. Girlfriend implies that something illegal or immoral has been going on, and I assure you that isn't the case. I can still go to a school where she's teaching and not have it be too awkward. She won't have to give me good marks if I'm not doing well for instance." They weren't as close as all
that
really.

The countess wasn't buying it. Not at all.

"You saved her and then tracked down her kidnapper, a very powerful man, and personally took revenge. What part of that means she wouldn't feel obligated to give you anything you wanted? For that matter I'm not much better that way, am I? She's like a sister to me. Well, luckily Kevin doesn't know who you are at all. Kevin Butler, the schools headmaster. Even there, Tor appointed the man and you're his brother... I hardly see how you can fail really. Not that it matters, since you're paying your own way. I have that right, don't I? You aren't beholden to anyone at all for it?" She looked blank, but it was clear she was trying to make a point.

That the school didn't really have a hold on him, like they might a regular student? It was probably true. They could kick him out if he wasn't doing that well, but barring a war making his attendance impossible, he didn't think it would be a real problem. Learning wasn't all that hard or anything.

"That's right. Except for the fact that Prince Alphonse would fly over, and kick my behind if I didn't do well. I don't know why it is exactly, but he definitely won't put up with laziness from me. Takes being my brother's friend very much to heart." The man had never said any such thing, but it let the conversation change a bit, and they covered more normal topics, like the weather in the Capital and if a storm would be coming in later that day or not.

There were those clouds, but they didn't look to be moving all that fast, so it wouldn't be a real problem. Just some rain. There was a dessert, which was a frozen cream dish, lightly sweetened and with berries mixed in. It was actually a sugared preserve, he thought, given the time of year, but it was good. The countess looked embarrassed again and tried to apologize to them for it, but Trice winked at her.

"Well, it's not bad really. That isn't the dessert we came for however. Not to be pushy, but we should go to your room and get these uncomfortable clothes off."

Timon rolled his eyes, not able to help himself.

"And yet,
still
incredibly pushy, even if you don't mean to be. Not that
I
mind. Countess Printer is fascinating after all." It was true enough. Timon didn't mean it the way context would make it sound, not yet, but someday he might, and letting her know that now wouldn't harm her feelings, he didn't think.

It got a chuckle from Trice, who took to her feet and waved for them to follow her. On the interesting side, she was able to lead them up to the Countesses room without missing a beat or step, selecting the correct door and everything, which was on the far side of the house, so it wasn't an accident or anything. She'd been there before. That part wasn't a shock really. Though, from the hesitancy of her steps Holly wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of having sex with her in front of Timon.

When the door was shut, Trice shut off her clothing amulet, leaving her completely naked, and reached out to touch the Countess on the arm.

"We should go to bed."

The blonde woman was suddenly naked herself. She didn't cover anything with a hand, but she hadn't thought that Trice was going to strip her either, it was clear. Timon was left his clothing at least, which was nice for him. A hand came out and pulled him along, so it looked like there was an actual event planned or something.

Then, being a discrete and modern noble, she activated a sound dampening field, so that the moaning and crying out wouldn't be a problem to anyone. That meant, since there was a magical set of lights in the room that they could be seen, but not heard.

Trice pushed the woman back and kissed her neck, then pulled back just a bit, so that her speaking would seem like she was whispering sweet words or possibly breathing on the other woman. Holly for her part looked at him, seeming scared and uncomfortable.

"Baron Eager is in with the rebellion against the King. His lady and their son, Wallace, as well. We found them in Ward, pretending to get magical tools for wood working. Timon was there, so he made them. Hopefully there was a real need, because he charged them through the nose for the work."

Timon felt himself start to shake a bit. He was getting aroused, which only seemed right, considering the show in front of him, but thoughts of pain and giant women ran through his mind, instead of the interest that should have been there. He tried to fight it, to let himself realize that these particular women didn't want to hurt him. It was hard, because the Countess reached out and touched his arm without warning.

"Are you well?"

He could have lied, or even made an excuse to leave, but didn't bother. She knew about the torture after all.

"Not really. I'll live." He nearly tried to leave, but Trice took his arm, very gently and then pulled his hand out to touch her. Thankfully she was happy with him simply touching her real hand it seemed. Tiny steps to start with? It was too much for him, but he didn't pull away or act sickened by the contact.

That would be too rude, and there might be more to say.

There didn't seem to be, except to assure Holly that they were being honest and knew who Baron Eager was, as well as let her know that they might be involved on that side of things, on and off, not taking sides. That got the women to glare at him, but Trice moved down her body with a trail of kisses, which ended with the woman not speaking much at all. It was fascinating, but made him feel awful at the same time. Dirty inside. That was just from watching too. At least no one was insisting he participate.

When it was over, after each of the women had a turn, and Trice asked if he wanted to try for himself, which he politely refused, citing his age, they were able to leave. Holly gave him a quick hug before they did, her body scented in a strange way that he'd rarely noticed before on women. It was alluring, but a little off. After she let go, staying in her own bed, he got it.