Kingdom of Stars (The Young Ancients: Timon Book Three)

by Power, P. S.

  Tovey smiled and looked at Tiera like she might hold the answer that they all needed for the problem.

  That got her to smile back, very prettily. Tovey noticed, but for some reason didn't seem to feel flattered.

  "I suggested that we don't pay Tim at all, and beat him instead, for being so slow. No one took that last part seriously. I still think that we can do the first bit. Some things are just too big to sell."

  Trice, out of all of them, nodded. He would have figured that she would be the one to hold back longest and try to get golds out of it, but there it was, her going right along with it.

  "Make it a gift to the Kingdom. That way no coin will have to trade, hands and rather than have a crisis you'll have millions of friends suddenly. There are worse things to deal with. This reminds me of something I heard once, about Tor." She glanced at him, worried for a few seconds, but then she soldiered on. She wasn't a wimp after all.

  She did pick up a cup, one that held wine and took a large sip.

  "It was a few years ago, after Tor had built this hand for me, the newest one that can feel." She wiggled the fingers of her left hand, which they all knew to be fake, though without checking through field reading, it was almost impossible to tell. "Heather Debri had just assessed the value of it at somewhere around the net worth of the entire Kingdom of Noram. A thing that no one could ever afford to buy. Perhaps the King, for titles and a daughter or two, but no one else. Her point was that it was a very valuable gift, but Tor just shrugged and suggested that they'd have to give them away then, to those that need them. As far as I know it's the only item in the Debri catalog that's ever truly given away for no coin at all. Anyone with a missing limb can walk in to any of their locations and order one and bakery owner or not, Tor has delivered each time."

  It might have had a lot of meaning to her, but Timon didn't think it was that big of a deal. Mainly because Tor had obviously done a lot of work on the first arm, the one that she had, and that was the hard part. The rest was no bigger a deal to him than making Not-flyers would be for Tim. She wasn't including it in her tale, but the fact that he'd made that first one just for her... Was a sign that he really loved her.

  That wasn't the kind of thing that a man wanted to hear about his brother, in regards to his wife. Even if he sort of knew it to be the case all along.

  That he managed to seem bland instead of irritated was due mainly to the last year of his life and the hardships he'd had.

  "We'll take care of that in the morning. Before I leave. Now, I need to get to bed. Unless there's something else I'm needed for?" He nearly made a comment about him having to build something for them, but this group of people barely thought of him like that at all, did they? Yes, the shields had his name on them and there were a lot of them, but that was it. He'd made about fifty different things in the last six months though. Mainly by copying other's work and changing it to suit the needs of the moment. Deshi had made less, but he was actually managing to woo Wistra at the same time, and was still doing a good job. All Tim did was work.

  He was planning to head off to bed alone, but everyone turned in then, since they were used to saving on lights when they could now, to do their part for the war. The one against a faceless enemy that kept hammering the entire world with horrid attacks from unexpected directions.

  Stupid Ancients, being so smart and evil all the time.

  Timon smiled as Trice moved beside him, taking his hand, to lead him to their room, which was in a different place now, further down the hallway. Without needing to be told, he got the idea. It was an interior space, with no windows, so they could have lights inside without being obvious to anyone looking from the outside. The whole place could have been made solid, but that would announce to anyone with a brain that they had a well lit and rich interior. Not that it would be unexpected, because the whole thing was made of magic, but even most of the nobles didn't have that kind of thing, so rubbing it in would be bad of them.

  "Do you need to go to sleep right away?" Trice made herself sound like she didn't care, one way or the other, but she was asking him to have sex with her. It was legal, since they were married, and it wasn't like she was ugly or anything. Actually, she was rather pretty, he realized, feeling himself respond more than he ever had with her and not have a torture flashback.

  "Not instantly. No." Then he took her by the hand and across the room, leaving the lights on as he pushed her back onto the bed and kissed her.

  They actually managed to do a lot. Enough that their marriage was consummated even, which was a first for him. She seemed a little surprised and very pleased by his efforts, but didn't comment on them. Not until it was all done.

  "Well, someone has been working on that. You didn't have visions or fears?"

  "No. I haven't been though. Working on it. Not at all. Not even alone, or in my head. I wasn't kidding about the work load. The most fun I've had in months was sending a man onto a work detail."

  "Ohhh! I heard about that! Count Peterson told me how you saved his life, fighting with a hundred powerful men and women, so that he wouldn't be put to death instantly. I take it that the reality was a bit different? Raul can sure tell a story though. Unless it really was that?" She grinned knowing the answer already at least.

  "Of course it was. Who am I to suggest otherwise?" He laughed a bit, meaning it, if only for a moment, then he laid his head on Trice's naked breast and sighed. It was dark enough that he didn't think she could really see him, but he could her. That was just how he was made though. "I think that everyone was just glad to send a message to the High Servants that they couldn't ignore. The King is trying to start something new there, and a few of them were still acting like the Lord of the Mighty. It was close though. I think the other High Servants were about to chuck the loud mouth outside by the end of it, which is saying something. At least most of them are coming around now, and willing to work."

  That got his wife to smile and she shook her head, just a bit.

  "Well, that's good. And this, settles an old argument I have with Alphonse." They'd pretty much been raised together, the Prince and his wife, so he moved a bit so that she'd keep speaking.

  "What's that, how wonderful I am in bed? I know I need practice. First time, who knew."

  "Heh, no, not that at all. You did splendidly. No, whether or not I'm a pervert. I had entirely too much fun with you for this not to count. It was my lawful duty, but... Well, you know."

  "Oh, yeah. I can see that. Totally a pervert. Well, I'll give you a year to fix that, does that sound fair?"

  She had to do the math on it, but smiled again.

  "That would make you nearly fourteen, wouldn't it? A year and what, two months?"

  "A year and three. I'm expecting you to relapse a few times. You're only human after all."

  They chuckled about that for a while and cuddled and then he had to move away from her a bit, so that he could fall asleep. After all, he wasn't used to being in anyone's arms at night and never had been.

  In the morning the very first thought that occurred to him, even before he opened his eyes, was that it was a good thing that they'd had the night before. After all, he could very well die that day. Or soon at least. That his mind was strong enough now to let him enjoy something like that was amazing. The second thought he had was that he needed to use the restroom, and get ready for the day. In that way it was pretty normal seeming.

  Except that now, after the last months, nothing really was. Just waking up, instead of staying awake in a trance most of the time, was different. Really, it didn't happen, he knew. His mind was clear and focused, but distant in a way. He was still in a deep state and probably would be for as long as he lived. Unless he survived the day, that was. That would be the plan, if he could swing it. One way or the other, he wanted to live.

  He did things differently than before, starting with a shave. He'd seen others do it for years and had the materials right there, so he cleaned the peach fuzz off his face. It was dark a
nd made him look awkward, which wasn't what he wanted for the time being. Without it he looked even younger, but his new height was helping there a bit. Tim was youthful looking, but actually seemed like a real noble kid. Taller than a lot of them were at his age even.

  Timon cut himself, the pearl handled straight razor a bit harder to handle than he'd figured on, but the healing amulet he had fixed that in about ten seconds. Then he showered and ran a bath. The tub was a huge thing, and it would be nice to soak for a bit, in some warm water. They didn't have the resources to spare for things like that in space and he'd kind of missed the pleasure of it.

  That was where Trice found him, and after a quick shower she climbed into the tub. It was a bit strange for him, but only for a moment. He was so deep that he managed to smile and let all the emotional weight of the actions go in short order. It was still there, of course. He felt the embarrassment of being seen naked still, his backwoods upbringing making that something that would exist as part of him for a long time. There was also pleasure in it though, seeing her nude like she was. The only things she had on were her shield, one of the new ones he noticed, even if he hadn't given it to her directly, and the small pea like amulet that held her left arm.

  For a while he stared at the amulets, feeling them with his mind. The fake limb was a masterpiece, of course. Articulate, and so well formed that it was nearly perfect. The thing there was that his humble little shield was nearly as complex, if in a different way. Nearly as good too. That kind of surprised him. He'd thought there would be a lot more distance between his work and Tor's still.

  The things that Tor made were all his own work however, which made it harder, and his was derivative, but Tim could live with that. He was making what was needed for now, not what he'd been dreaming about. That would be hard, because in his dreams he didn't build much at all, and simply ran a few businesses.

  His wife smiled at him, her deep brown hair being pulled back and up, to keep it out of the water. It was very curly, and her blue eyes didn't quite go with it, but it managed to be striking on her, rather than strange.

  "So, what's the plan for the day? Morning with Uncle Richard and Aunt Connie and then heading over to Vagus?"

  Timon didn't think it was actually going to go that way at all, to be honest. Remy was smart, and old. If Brown had word of a shape changer in Vagus, then Remy would go to where he figured Tim would hide. He might not have figured out that he was in the Capital yet, but it was his home and almost everyone ran there first, when they were in trouble. The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed that he wouldn't have to go anywhere at all.

  Still, not telling Trice that wouldn't help anything. There was no Remy in the room, though he did search for listeners with his mind before speaking.

  "I don't think so really. Can you get everyone here shielded before we leave for the day? You might want to give us an extra bit of time too. I'll walk over to the Palace, myself. Say in about half an hour? I'd love a bite to eat first, if the kitchen has anything ready."

  Trice had her flaws, but being dumb wasn't one of them at all. She worked out what he meant before the last words were out of his mouth and went wide eyed.

  "We can call in troops. The King's Army and the Baker forces will back us. I can-" She stood suddenly, making the water in the large black tub slosh a lot. It looked like focus stone, which was the convention, he knew, even if it could have looked like anything they wanted. Marble or even wood might be nice.

  Tim forced a small smile, not meaning it, and waved the woman down, noticing her dark nipples had gone hard at the thought of danger. That it was a thing that he could notice now, without fear made him feel a lot better again. The night before might have been a fluke, but he didn't think it was.

  "No. Not us, and not a sacrificial force of pawns. This is my fight, and..." He tapered off, realizing how it sounded. Like he was too stupid to let anyone else help. "I have some things ready to go. If it works, then anyone else would just be in the way. If they don't, well, then there's no reason for a bunch of other people to die. From what I hear, as far as a Remy goes, once their chosen target is gone, they stop. Doing anything else is wasteful."

  What he didn't share was just how many layers of defense and offense he had ready. It was more than seven, which would at least make Cordes happy, he didn't doubt.

  Trice made a face at him and suddenly seemed like she was going to argue.

  "You're just a little boy. You can't go to battle with this thing alone. No one could do it. Green said-"

  "Green said what he needed you to hear, Trice. He's not a bad person, but he only says what he thinks will cause people to do what he thinks is needed. The thing there is that he can't see a way for anyone to win against a Remy, because he couldn't do it. That isn't because he lacks the skill or willpower to do it, but because his nature refuses to let him directly confront one of the command line Ancients. For him it would be simple death, and he thinks that it will be the same for me, but he's wrong. It's just a fight for me." Then he grinned, nearly meaning it. "True, it's a kid going up against a being that has thousands of years of experience, but hey, I could get lucky, right?"

  That didn't seem to make her feel any better, but when they got out and dried off using fluffy towels that were made out of magic and felt a bit like Farlo Ross to his mind, she only called to set up a meeting with the King, and not tattle on him. She did dress in combat leathers as they were leaving though, which got Tim to roll his eyes at her.

  "No. You have to stay here. I'll meet you there in a few hours. Really though, that's way too obvious. Notice how I'm dressed?" Like a school boy, all in rough spun looking brown. "This is the way not to over sell things."

  That earned him a snort and a hit to the shoulder that caused his shield to come into play on its own.

  "Don't die Timon. Run, if you have to. You have forever to fight this thing. Don't be stupid about it."

  He smiled and then winked at her with his left eye. Taking a deep breath, he let his mind go blank and empty.

  "The last time we met, it was the Remy that fled, not me. Not that I think that means it won't have learned from the events of that day, but I have, too. I'll play it smart. This... I'm not planning on a fair fight. I'll survive this." If he could.

  If it showed up. After all he could be wrong about the whole thing, and the Remy might well be on the Ranford, pacing the hallways sourly, since he wasn't there.

  Tim kissed his wife goodbye and made a point of doing a good job of it. After all, he really might not be coming back, even if he wasn't going to say that at all. She knew. She had too much information not to get the basic idea.

  The strange part of the thing, Tim noted, as he left the richly appointed front of his palace, and it was that, in truth, was that he wasn't scared. Oh, he would be. Even in a trance state, it could happen, as he'd learned the night before as the dark world rushed at him. For the moment though he was calm and relaxed, feeling almost good about the world.

  The front gate was still guarded, if by different people, but the two women there just nodded to him, probably not certain who he was at all. They'd clearly understood that he was coming out, not trying to get in, and were fine with that. Really, he should have stopped and chatted with them, so that they'd recognize him later, but he just didn't feel like bothering. Outside the gate, once he could see it all in the light, he felt slightly amazed. The inside of the wall was nice, having several gardens and a few young trees, but outside, it was paradise. The whole world, a space which had once been a battlefield that had seen thousands of deaths, and before that had been an empty wasteland of dust and a few scraggly bushes, was now lush and green. Not perfectly so, but there was even and tended grass as far as the eye could see, broken in the distance by rows of growing things that made it seem a bit like a farm.

  There were trees almost everywhere, and off to the left there was a large lake that hadn't been there before at all. Timon started toward it, wondering if it was
being fed by the floating river that ran around his own wall when a rather poor looking girl in a plain brown smock waved to him.

  "Sir! A word Sir?" She took a few steps in his direction and then stopped, the new lake at her back, though that was still about a quarter mile away. She stood barefoot on grass, and had brown eyes, which made her seem very common looking. She was missing a tooth in the front, which wasn't likely to be real, since everyone had use of healing amulets still, and missing teeth grew back. That got him to check her field, which was very, very wrong for a human being.

  So, Remy Seventeen really had been waiting for him? Perfect. He wanted to tense, but didn't, smiling instead. She wasn't ugly after all and he was supposed to be caught unaware. It would make things easier for him, if the Remy figured its plan was working.

  "Sir? I... Was hoping I could beg a position at this residence, Sir. Do you know who to ask about such a thing?"

  Timon let his face go considering, as if he was really trying to work that all out.

  "Well, right now you need to talk to Patricia Baker, since she's the lady of the house. Technically I own it, but claiming that... Well, you know how that is. The woman rules the home. I could put in a good word for you though? If you wish? Right now I have to go and give away a fortune's worth of things to the King so he won't ruin the economy, but... Here, take these. It's a few coin and some magical amulets. You're about fifteen?" He dug for the correct things and actually got two silver out as well, as if he were flashing how rich he was to the girl, hoping to get her into bed. It was a time honored tradition after all.

  "Seventeen, Sir. My last position fell through, due to hard times. It's something like this or whoring now for me and even the street girls say business is slow." She didn't move to take the things from him, letting him close the distance, which was clever. The act was nearly perfect after all, except for the missing tooth. It was well healed. If Remy had made it a fresh looking thing, that would have worked better. It was a timing issue. "I can suck cock though, Sir, and take it up the ass. Should the job require that, I mean. I'd prefer not to, but my last place did. Master Henrique figured that apprentice tanners should earn their keep in more than one way."