by P. S. Power
There was no nod or look that suggested she already knew that, though it seemed kind of mean not to mention that part to her. Not if she were the kind of friend you could pass millions of golds worth of events to, which seemed to be the case.
She looked around at what he'd done so far, and started to nod, and walk toward the poor inn. She didn't speak, just going inside, and making changes without asking. He'd had wooden floors and walls, which she replaced with dull stone, unfinished wood, and comfortable but plain beds and furnishings. Each small room was the same, and had a very beige aspect to it.
Then she left, after adding two floors to the whole thing.
"You made good sized spaces, keeping them nice and small, but it's King's week. You'll need more of them. Especially if you aren't charging people to stay here. What's the price for the good inn?"
He knew that one at least, and shrugged.
"A copper a night. Or the rough equivalent in trade. A lot of space workers don't carry coin on them." It sounded too cheap suddenly, but when the woman walked over, she turned the building into a real palace anyway. It was made larger, and looked almost like you could eat it, on the outside. It was tasteful on a level that he'd never seen before, and parts of it glowed, as night fell.
Then, as if it made perfect sense, the woman, who was truly an adult and looked it, aided him with the rest of the spaces too, including the restaurant, which was a copy of Marissa's inside, duplicated almost exactly. That one got left.
"Now all you need is a Tiera food device and this place will be set... Tor's palace has one, but... I don't know if I could let it go, even for a good cause. It isn't mine to lend, I'm afraid."
Dareg nodded, since that kind of thing suddenly made sense to him. Doing anything to piss off a wizard was known to be stupid, but angering a person that would literally give you mansions for a pet project had to be insane.
"Queen Tiera has that part for us. She gave me ten of them. Is it safe to set that up yet? She mentioned theft as being possible." Which was a real thing, since they didn't have guards or even workers yet. "Tor said that I should get with you about gold to pay for workers? There's a lot of clean-up still needed. I should set up a players house too. I wanted a bawdy house, but unless I'm going to work it myself, I doubt I can fill it in time." He smiled at the words, and stressed them to show he wasn't serious, which got her to chuckle a bit.
"We might get musicians in. They have to play somewhere, and do enjoy coin I hear. Since the others are coming back, this will be a very large event. It doesn't all have to be here, but plays and events, as well as food will go over well. Now... Tell me, how did you get Tiera to part with ten of her food devices? I wouldn't have one except Gerent stays at Tor's with Petra a few months a year. For that matter, how did you get all of these palaces?"
Rather than go into the real reason, which was likely a mix of guilt and nepotism, he took a deep breath and offered up a more interesting option.
"I have one of the new class three shields Timon made. So I used it to fly to the Moon, without a ship, and asked them about it. They didn't make it too hard after that." He kept the words bland, but the woman laughed anyway.
"That sounds about right. Well, it will work for this at any rate. Tor mentioned that I should get with Queen Constance, about all of this. I really wish he wouldn't do things like that to me. Just because he can call on her at a moment's notice doesn't mean that works for me. How about you? Do you have any secret contacts in the palace?" It was a joke, but he shook his head anyway.
"No? Tor said I should get in touch with the Queen too, so I can commiserate with what you're going through. How could anyone normal make that happen? I..." He stopped, frowned and pulled his communications device. "Would... If we got a Countess to do that for us, would that work? I don't want to bother her, but we don't have a lot of time to waste, I don't think. Not if you have to do all the work on the buildings and making it look nice. I'll..." He didn't let himself think just calling up Tamerlane's name, which he understood to be Terlee Baker, putting some things together from what he'd heard, and waited as the lady in pink looked a bit strained.
"Hello?"
Dareg noticed that the voice was awfully deep and masculine for his aunt, and the face was that of Count Thomson.
"Hey. This is Dareg? I hate to be a bother, but Collette Sorvee and I need to get in touch with Queen Constance. It's a bit of a rush thing. I was able to run some tests, and it seems like the Harmony people, Queen Tiera and her family and some others I think, they can come back now, and are planning to, in four days. I have some magic things for it, and Collette is getting more, in a few minutes it looks like." There was a ship landing. It was glowing green, like Gerent's had, which probably wasn't a mistake. "So we were just conspiring to throw a Countess at the Queen here, so that she'd notice us. I guess there's going to be a bit of a party? Tor is paying for it." He knew that one for certain.
The man on the compact looked away, then nodded firmly.
"Terlee is out right now. I can see about setting that up however. You and Collette are in charge? Let me see if I can get that going before dinner there. I can't guarantee anything, but that's exciting news. Our Ancients are coming back. The Heir, too?"
Dare smiled.
"Him, and Princess Karina. I was just with them both a few hours ago. I think that was the plan. I know Alphonse mentioned it to me in particular."
That got a big smile.
"A great man, the Heir. Let me see if I can get anything going here. Constance will likely contact Collette first, being old friends." Then he started saying goodbye in a very flowery way. It was nice, but after a minute the lady in pink rolled her eyes.
"Tovey? I think you can get to that now, if you'd like? Not to be rude, but we need to meet a ship. I think it's Gerent's?"
"Ah! I'll do that directly then. Out."
That worked, which meant they were able to climb into the little blue Tam-car and set off. It was a good distance away since the place had gotten a bit larger in the last hours. Not that it made much of a difference. They were at the big craft before anyone came out at all.
When someone did, it was Petra Lairdgren, not Gerent at all.
"Collette! Dareg!" She jogged over, holding a box this time, rather than canvas sacks like he'd gotten his things in. Then, most of those weren't for him, but were for the different ports.
As if they hadn't just seen each other he threw his arms wide for her, and yelled.
"Petra, my one true love! My heart has ached without you near!" The words got him a hug, though it could have been the arms being stretched out. It was, he realized, interesting. She had breasts, and they were real enough, but her body was hard under that.
Worse, she picked him up and spun him around.
"I knew I was your favorite. It was the clothing tips wasn't it? That had to pay off sometime."
"That, and the other information. I got through that meal last night without anyone trying to toss me out or anything. I even managed a bit of small talk with my table mate. She was four, but very knowledgeable about dolls. I mean that. How they're built and things. It was interesting." It really had been, but Petra winced.
"Seriously? They put you with a four year old? Ouch. I bet Tovey was beside himself. It's a bit of an insult. As if they were saying that was the best level you could aspire too. I take it she was the only girl available?"
"That's right. Kenzia was delightful though." He was using some of the words that Petra had told him too there, which got her to smile. The girl had been. She hadn't even spilled most of her food on his lap."Then, that might just be that she really is my social equal, in skills at least."
That got a smile from the pink lady.
"Well, that's something. Is that how you know Tovey?" It was probing, but he just nodded, rather than make her work for the data.
"That's right. We met last night. It had been planned as a smaller thing, so he had to coach me how to dress for it. Some other people
showed up to visit? King's week was blamed."
Collette started to buzz, and slipped a tan hand into her side pocket, activating the device instantly.
"Collette Sorvee, how may I help you?"
"Hello Collette! Count Thomson just informed me of the wonderful news! They're coming back, in four days! We're having a celebration for it, naturally. Short notice, but we've done as much with less. I believe we're to be joined by the new spaceport commander? That sounds like a grand idea. They have to land first, after all, which will make for a fine entrance. It's rather barren out there however. Perhaps we could... I don't know, a parade?" She sounded doubtful, but like she was friendly and willing to try.
The pink woman smiled at her hand.
"There are buildings now, and a lot of cleanup to come. Some has already happened. We have a small river as well. I can set the color on it. What do you think? Gold? To match the purple of the wall? The roofs of the buildings are already in Richard's colors, since Dareg is very patriotic. I also have a load of events that Tor sent with Petra. I think we can do this, your majesty." She seemed to really feel it too, if her tone was any indication.
"Wonderful. Can you and Dareg come here tonight? Please bring Petra, as well? I don't know how to get a hold of him, I fear. I was told that we should meet... And I have to agree."
"Oh? He's standing right here. I think we can be there in about an hour? I have my Tam-car with me. It would be a quarter of that, but the streets aren't good right now. I think this is already gearing up to be the largest King's week in years. It's almost like people know what's going to happen."
The Queen didn't keep them long, since it would take a while to travel the streets, since they seem to have been designed to cause a person to get lost. Winding as they did, back and forth, not once or twice but hundreds of times. That was what it felt like. It was actually twenty-three, he knew, since he'd counted without meaning to.
Thankfully he was there with Petra, who was in the seat next to him.
"Say, Petra?"
She winked at him, her dark face pleasant.
"You want help with your outfit? I can to that. I'm thinking iridescent brown for you. We don't know what we're walking into, so it will pay to be slightly over dressed. We should all match, too. Everyone will think we're together, but close enough."
He nodded, and let himself be touched by her, but smiled.
"See, I was going to ask if you wanted to kiss. Well, I guess this is the best I can do for now. But later? We can all do it, if you want?" It was insanely cheeky, but Collette, in the front seat, chuckled at it.
"I can see why you're popular at least. Good looking, and cocky. Who can resist that combination?"
Putting up a mock sigh, he saw that he was going to be in deep green with a blue armband for some reason. At least for the jacket. The rest was, as promised, a shiny and shimmering brown. His boots got high enough that for a moment he thought she was going to tease him with whore footwear, but she stopped well below the knee. They were a deep brown, but gleamed. Then she put herself and Collette in brown, a similar color to what he had on. The styles were a lot different, but both looked ready for the ball to him.
Not that he'd ever been to that kind of thing before.
At the front gate of the palace, which was a heavy iron thing with guards, they were stopped. He expected to be searched, but instead was handed a small truth device. Collette and Petra went first. Giving their names, and saying they meant no harm so he did too.
Then the man, who was in purple and black, pointed at his little, rather humble pack.
"What's in there?"
"This? The remains of a sandwich, a jug that I pissed in while I flew to the Moon, which I already emptied, and some magics. No weapons. I do have twenty-one jump ships, but they're a new kind? They don't have anything too dangerous on them. I think it's safe enough, for visiting?" No one would be hurt by him just having the things after all, Dare didn't think.
That got two reactions. Collette turned to stare at him, and the guard just waved them past. Honestly, for all the world it was like he didn't even care about any of the things Dareg had just told him, other than the idea that he wasn't a real threat. Which he wasn't, so that part worked for all of them, it seemed.
It took a bit for the blonde woman to start driving again, but eventually they got underway.
Chapter five
They were met by a very elderly man, who while taller than Dareg was by about six inches, wasn't huge for the people in the area, from what he could tell. That the man was important seemed very clear however, given the reaction of the ladies. Neither of them bowed to him, but they smiled like they'd just encountered an old family member, or long lost friend.
Petra seemed nearly ecstatic.
"We aren't being taken in under guard anymore?"
That got the older fellow, who had thinning gray hair and enough wrinkles to show that he wasn't exactly a kid any longer, to straighten, his eyes looking over their heads. Even though he wasn't young, the man seemed to be in good health. Most people did though, if they had access to a healing device. There had been a plague about twelve years before that had killed a lot of people worldwide. Dareg didn't remember it really, but he'd been saved from it by healing units made by Tor like everyone else had.
The very thought made him want to wince, but he managed to be more respectful than that in the moment, playing his part in things by not seeming like a freak.
The older man, some kind of servant, at least in potential, gave a small smile.
"Indeed, ma'am. The Royal Guard has decided that we can safely return to our more polite methods of greeting people. The rebellion has been over for years now, but they, as a group, do like being cautious." He had the feeling about him of a person who was both pleased, and not really condemning the guards for being what they were. "This way please? We're to meet for an early meal, in the private hall?"
That meant nothing to him, but the ladies both nodded, their faces fairly blank. That made it harder to tell if that was a good thing of not, though there was a bit he could take from it all already.
For instance, they were met by the older man, instead of the four or five people that were watching them from behind the walls. From their breathing and the little noises that were coming from their hidden positions, they were tall people, but not vastly so. Like the men at the gate had been.
That had to be a sign of confidence, if it wasn't a trick to get them to let their defenses down.
As they moved, the hidden people followed along, shuffling behind the stone and wood of the rather grand place, distracting him a bit. There were bright hangings on the walls, and statues, carvings and art all over the place. The floor was just stone however. Marble, he thought. It was polished to a level that he'd never seen from that kind of thing, and though it had some scratches and marks, it was very nice looking. In fact, the place was, without a doubt the nicest he'd ever been in by so much it was a bit overwhelming.
Part of him wanted to just stand and stare, but the bodies in the walls were creepy enough that he kept moving, scanning the world for any hint that an attack was about to come. Not that he'd be able to do anything about it if that happened. Yes, he had a shield on, but that could be defeated. No one would make that kind of thing and not design some way around it, after all. What if a bad person got hold of one and went on a killing spree? They'd need to stop them, so there had to be tricks that would allow that to happen.
The one that popped into his head was just keeping the person from having air, though his shield would make that hard to pull off. Unless it could be altered to not let him breathe?
It took work, but he made a point of setting his feet down quietly, so that he wouldn't jar his world with each step. That allowed him to catch some, but not all, of the things going on around him. No one else spoke for a long time, until they got to a large wooden door. It had strange and complicated patterns carved into it, but as far as he could tell it wasn't a
language or even a picture. Just star-like lines that were clearly not meant to be stylized flowers. It was nearly black, and shone, probably with some kind of oil.
He thought that there was a faint hint of oranges in the air, but that could be something else. The older man, who had been leading them all anyway, opened the door and let them inside.
That bit of things changed how he viewed the world, almost instantly.
If the hallway he was in had been the nicest place that Dareg had ever seen, including Marissa's on Harmony, this large place, which was nearly the size of a real person's house, was easily five times grander than that. It was mainly wood inside, except for the green and white stone floors. The table that took up the center of the space was big enough for about fifty people, though there were only four sitting there at the moment. They distracted him for a bit, though it was mainly the large fellow off to the left hand side that caught his real attention.
After all, they'd met, if briefly.
Count Peterson. The giant with his reddish beard and nice clothing. He'd been at the Thomson's house for their party. Next to him was a lovely woman who smiled at them, but whose eyes fixed on his own after a bit. She had long brown hair, with hints of red in it too. Also light colored eyes, but that was all he could make out in the distance. She was pale, but more like he was than Timon or Tor. A very light tan, really.
Dareg got who the giant man at the end of the table was. The King. Richard Cordes. He was so big that even sitting down, that far away, he managed to loom a bit. Next to him, to the right hand side, was the Queen. She looked fairly youthful, too. That was probably down to makeup however, since she was at least fifty. Her face didn't show that however. Her clothing, like all of the people there, had the flawless look of being made by magic. She was in a light pink gown that shimmered a bit, and had a small crown on her head. So, he noticed did the King.