Ambassador tya-4

by P. S. Power

  Shaking himself hard Tor stood up and got ready anyway. He was a Knight of the realm, they said, a noble by birth, and a friend of the King himself. They didn't have to let him in at the gate, but he had to try and go. No matter what. Even if it meant dragging himself home in shame again. Paying close attention he dressed himself in a very nice outfit of black velvet and silk, a silver and moonstone belt and soft sued boots. At least that's what it looked like. He put it away with a single tap and showered, re-shaving carefully, because coming to any party dripping blood from your face would be embarrassing. This was supposed to be one of the biggest of the year, only Noram day was a bigger deal, so that held doubly or triply so. Then he tied his hair back with a truth amulet and loaded himself down as if going to battle. He hid a second set of items in his pocket, just in case. The rest would handle itself, wouldn't it?

  Or not.

  At least this year he wasn't dumb enough to try and bring someone else to be turned away if it happened, choosing to go alone, driving carefully through the crowded street in his much reduced carriage, recoloring it to look like it was made of faintly glowing purple glass. It was about a quarter the size of a normal one pulled by a horse, but had the same ball like rounded shape, with a faint pattern of dark looking scrolled glass work in it. People stared, but after days of these things giving free rides around the town no one just stood in the way gawking any more. Kids and adults waved to him, so he smiled and put his own hand up. Tor might as well be kind, he figured, since he'd probably be seeing these people again in a few minutes.

  He had a gift that he made, a little device that the King might like, he thought, even if he didn't need it. It was just a decoration really, Something to pass the time. The image of a little dragon that would sit on his shoulder and react a little to his moods and thoughts. A fake pet that didn't eat or make messes. The device wasn't as complex as Trice’s arm, but had a feedback mechanism that could make it seem alive, a bit. It was in a well decorated, he hoped at least, wooden box, with a delicate inlay of glowing white. The whole thing was magic, so anything could have been chosen but this had a, classy was probably too ambitious, nice was a better word choice, feel about it. He hadn't brought anything else this time.

  Really he didn't expect to be let in at all.

  When he pulled up the gate guard looked at the vehicle and nodded, recognizing him instantly for once, even greeting him by name and with a gentle smile, but couldn't let him in without the invitation. Tor just shrugged and heaved a sigh.

  “Well, you know, it's a tradition now, nothing we can do about it.” Twice did make it a tradition, didn't it? He shook his head slowly, trying not to look miserable.

  Well, what could he do then?

  Follow the rest of the new annual pattern?

  There was a line waiting, so he got out of the way, put his miniature transport away, and stood until he saw a familiar carriage. A nice black wood one. Walking up he knocked gently on the door until Count Thomson popped his head out, a polite, but questioning look on his face.

  “Hi Tovey. No invitation again for some reason. Here…” Tor handed the amulet to him causing the box to try and float into place.

  Hidden from sight at first, a small dark haired head duck around, she looked lovely, wearing a velvet gown of green and deeper green, it worked with her light skin and black hair. Darker skin than his, but still his mother's child and not a freak of nature like he was. Terlee. His older sister. She spoke softly but in the home tongue, which was always faster than Noram standard by about half.

  “S'torrance? J'g'ot'n wastha? Not be goin? He'dar! I'm na goin eiter if'n they don h's'Tor! S'right?”

  He shrugged, but spoke in the Capital tongue, that being where they were.

  “No invitation again, you might as well go though. At least this time I don't think it's actually all that pointed at me. Say, I'm working mornings at a bakery in town again this year, Tovey knows the one, you two met me and Collette there to come here last time? Come see me? It'll be fun.”

  Then he had to get out of the way, so that the driver didn't run over his foot as he pulled forward. Sighing Tor chuckled. At least this year he had his own party to go to, kind of. He just used the carriage, setting it up on the walkway next to the repaired stone section of wall, and flew straight up and over, a trip that had taken nearly an hour and a half on the ground done in the few minutes. When he got in to his house there were people wondering around, but no one really doing much of anything fun. They drank and kind of moped in the front room. The Warden people were working and having more fun by far. Everyone had seen the events and while music was nice and the drinks free, all the nobles felt a little left out, not being important enough for the King’s big party.

  Screw that.

  Tor walked up to a familiar group of people, not knowing their names and started ushering them outside.

  “It's a party, not a funeral! Dance, drink if your foolish enough to, go down the waterfalls. Heck, I'm going right now, who's coming?” He said it loudly and kept inviting people on the way, so he had a group of fifty naked royals and at least as many real people from the city following him through the rain tunnel, calling out suggestions as to what they should call this part of it. Most were variations of female sexual parts, but Tor laughed and took a cute noble girl he didn't recognize at all, who looked about thirteen, by the hand and led her up the stairs. At the top he pointed her to one of the slides, a fun twisty one that didn't go overly fast, and gestured for her to go first.

  She looked nervous though.

  “Um, I'm scared. Will you go down with me?” That got people to hoot drunkenly, even though it meant they had to lay next to each other naked for the trip down, she was about his height at least, so it didn't look that bad in the dusty twilight. Well… he considered and then nodded. Why not? It wasn't having sex with her and she might be older than he thought. Or younger. He'd keep it clean.

  They rode down, both screaming and yelling the whole way, holding hands, laughing and making a spectacle of themselves. Then they went again. At the top he ended up trading partners, a tall boy, as naked as everyone else, drunkly asked if he could be next. The guy wasn't a boy really, but a young looking adult noble who kept trying to grab Tor's groin on the way down. Laughing, he slapped the man’s hands. With good humor the man didn't say anything at the bottom after they stopped in the water he just kissed Tor on the cheek and bounded away.

  That was off-putting, but he recovered quickly and dressed again, clothing getting wet from his skin, to look into food and drink.

  It was there, ready to go thanks to the Ward people and all their hard work, so Tor cast around and found a band that was just resting and eating themselves and bribed them to start playing happy songs immediately and then got more people to come back with him from the milling crowd. One of the Warden women started dancing, a shimmying dance that looked awfully seductive and called to Tor to join her. He didn't know the dance, and looked ridiculous, awkward and he suspected like a small child aping adult behavior, but other people joined in, giving him the anonymity of the crowd. Most were taller than he was so after about five minutes he was nearly invisible. It left him feeling more at ease at least.

  His night went on like that, moving from event to event, getting people to try night jumping, the brilliant purple and gold streaming and sparking lights going nearly constantly after a while making the whole night brighter and happier. Then he took on all comers at shield combat, letting the little kids win, the women win if they promised him a kiss, and the men… he did his best against, winning most of the time since he knew the system and wasn't half drunk. Sure, not all the women were cute, most weren't but they were happy, and that was the important part.

  He found an adventurous group of young men and women, about half nobles, to help him surround the city with the multicolored glow units. Even giving them away a few were left. A few of them had flying gear, so they didn’t have to scale the wall or anything, making it all much
faster. By placing them right under the river on the wall it made it glow, the light carrying down the tube of clear water a good ways for some reason. They decided to use all purple and in about two hours the whole thing lit up. It made a ring of pure purple light around the whole capital. It was vast. Sure, he'd never see the light units after the festival, but he wasn't supposed to anyway, so that would be just fine.

  By one in the morning there were about three hundred drunk people dancing in the night, glowing people drawing others like moths to a candle.

  Bonita wasn't there, so he set off the fireworks himself, the sky lighting brightly, the display much bigger tonight, because he skipped one level. It was Rich's actual birthday celebration after all. People screamed and yelled a few even made love under the exploding sky or floated in the water of the waterfall slide, a huge area that held over a hundred easily, so it wouldn't hurt their necks to look up. He didn't go to bed at all, but he did go in at about three-thirty and clean up for the mornings work.

  The streets were still crowded when he went in, and for once he had to wait for Debbie at the door for a long while. Box wasn't there at all. She looked a bit tired and lonely when she saw him. More than a bit.

  “I look like your sister? I suppose you couldn't just close your eyes and pretend I don't? Just this once?” The words felt hopeless, but Tor shrugged and nodded.

  Why not? She was his friend. If she wanted him that badly, he could manage. She wasn't his sister, if nothing else and if he started thinking of Terlee halfway through, that wasn't her problem, but his.

  Amazingly she didn't look much like Terlee at all with the lights off, and his mind stayed focus on what they did, her hands and mouth on him greedily as if he were some prize, or like he'd back out halfway through if she didn't keep him constantly enthused.

  They used the small room in back with a hard cot in it. Last year he'd slept there, not having anywhere in the city to go. This year it was more fun. It wasn't until he kissed her, tasted her mouth, that he realized she was more than a little in her cups. Well, people did that during parties. They even did this, had questionable sex with people they probably shouldn't at them too.

  It was another tradition, wasn't it?

  After they finished, laughing, they both cleaned up out back, stripping down to wash, it was less awkward than Tor had thought, she was still pleased enough that they'd done it, giving him odd looks as if she wanted to do it again. Maybe they would?

  She wasn't as good as most of the royal women at the whole thing, but it had still felt nice, and he knew she liked him as a person. Besides, being good at sex was like anything else, you got better with attention to detail and practice. Which kind of demonstrated why the nobles were all so good at it. They practiced a lot.

  Tor started to feel guilty, but let go of it quickly. What if she got pregnant? Supposedly that couldn't happen at all with him, and really, once past the Terlee looking thing, she had everything he wanted in a woman. She was smart, pretty, and hard working. Kind and generous, if in a merchanty fashion that somehow always led to them making even more money.

  The work was harder to keep up with since all the helpers were late, but then the crowd was too, which evened things out a lot, not really starting to come in until noon by tradition. Karina showed up at ten looking embarrassed, but Ali seemed pleased. She told him how everything had gone at the King’s party and how everyone had cheered when the river started glowing purple to honor the King. Burks had taken Bonita as his date, and Rolph got Collette in, Petra had gone alone and looked for him, her position and rank getting her in with no problem.

  “It was so much fun! I got to dress fancy and eat good food and men danced with me and asked me to have sex with them, but I put them off, because Karina said I shouldn't be too easy until I get adopted, so that people will understand my position and not think I'm a street walker. I can see that, I guess. Counts don't marry street walkers do they? I mean outside of stories? So that's a good plan, don't you think?”

  On the good side, her chattering meant no one else had to, since getting a word in was nearly impossible until she ran down. Debbie gave them all hand pies to eat at eleven, since no one was coming in yet. Davie dragged himself in, looking hung over about that time. He mumbled sorry, but got right to work.

  Box actually walked in about ten seconds before Terlee, who'd dressed in Two Bends style, backwoods blah, had her hair pulled back in a plain fashion, kind of like he did and walked into the still reeling man when he suddenly stopped, his worn leather shoe's catching on the wooden floor, he half spun, pulling the much smaller girl down on top of him as he fell.

  “Sorry Debbie.” He said, trying to help her up.

  “Tripped…” The look he gave her was hard and then he shook his head fuzzily. Same hair, same general build, smaller and a little thinner, but even the face had enough similarities that Box could have been her brother without any problem at all.

  “It's not problem. I came to see my brother? Torrance?”

  Debbie walked out and stared openly at the other woman for a while, long enough that it became uncomfortable.

  With a soft sigh, she nodded firmly.

  “Would you be Terlee? Tor's mentioned you a few times. Seems to feel we look a bit alike. If so I should take it as a compliment, you're gorgeous.” The look she gave him was apologetic.

  “Sorry I doubted you Tor.”

  It was a simple statement, one that no one else got. That was fine, now that he saw them side by side he saw the differences, not the similarities anyway. He smiled and then went to give his sister a hug.

  “Right, so, everyone, this is my sister, Tamerlane Baker-” Tor stopped when his sister held out her left hand. It had a large and glittering ring on the correct finger Tor noticed nearly instantly.

  “Tamerlane Thomson now. You should visit home more Tor. Totally missed my wedding and why? So you could fight with some assassins? Silly reason you know. Didn't even send a gift. Not even a note?” She shook her head sadly, but Tor picked her up into a big hug, making a whooping sound.

  “Congratulations!” The wedding had been planned for a year out from the betrothal, but it was close, he wondered why they'd rushed it for a minute then swallowed. Oh. He looked down but didn't check her field, it wasn't his business. He did kiss her cheek, which made her blush.

  So she'd need baby stuff, probably a full kitchen set up, well, her servants would… he didn't know what else. Tovey had nice houses already so that wasn't needful… Right, magic clothing, that was useful. Even Kolb had grabbed one of those for each of his people. As soon as Tor reminded him it was part of the new secret groups allowance, getting things from him when they wanted.

  “Alright then, so everybody, my sister Tamerlane, Countess Thomson. This mountain you ran into and hugged already is Debbie's brother Box, don't worry, I'm sure he enjoyed it. Debbie is my good friend, and owns the bakery and the magic device shop through the door there, where we'll go in a minute. Kari here — have you met?”

  Terlee looked at the girl and shook her head gently.

  “I don't think so.”

  Karina dimpled and winked, “Oh sure we have! Last night even. Though a few other times too. I'm usually dressed nicer, tend to be at parties with the royal family…” The look on her face was the kind used to lead a person to an obvious conclusion.

  “Oh! Princess Karina! Kari? I see. Good to see you working. Mom's always going on about how growing up royal can spoil a child forever, but your brother seemed all right when we've met. This will hearten her greatly to hear.”

  As if he'd just introduced a coworker she switched her attention to Ali almost immediately. The girl curtsied and laughed.

  “I'm your niece!” She said, with a cheery tone.

  “S'wha?” Terlee said reverting instantly.

  Tor nodded and explained, then dropped into home speech and gave the whole story quickly.

  “So, Grandpa set me up, probably knowing that it was a good idea. It'
s not official yet, but if you'd treat her like family, it would be good, no matter what happens. She feels so all alone right now.”

  Terlee didn't wait, running over to the girl and giving her a familial hug.

  “Welcome to the family Alissa! You're all coming to dinner at my house tonight.” She announced.

  “Can't sis, sorry, I have to get with the King about some things. Could we do it tomorrow night? I can give you these two for the evening though, if you’re interested. If not that's fine too, I'm sure-” Terlee shook her head and frowned at him her face managing to be playful even if only he got it.

  “They're family Tor, of course they can come. Alissa, Karina, please plan on staying the night. Tor, everyone else will be by soon no doubt, do I send them here or, where?”

  Everyone else?

  The whole family? More, they'd all gotten to go to the King’s party the night before, except the littlest ones. They were in Two Bends with Taler and his family, his oldest brother. Who had apparently decided to not have anything to do with all the noble nonsense at all. So the youngest here was Timon, who liked to be called Weasel now, if that hadn't changed in the last year, half year, since he'd seen him. That wasn't too bad, six months. He'd have to get by and see the others soon though. The littlest wouldn't even recognize him anymore he bet.