by Wade Adrian
The door was shut, but unlocked.
He quietly ducked inside.
Tovi was seated at the table. Wine glasses waited on a platter beside a pitcher.
She smiled at him. "It's quite unseemly for a man to enter a young lady's chambers uninvited and unannounced."
He shut the door behind him. "I assumed you not being at the celebration, and the unlocked door, as an invitation."
"It was." She held out a hand, offering the chair beside her.
Kari, Tovi's redheaded handmaid, stood just inside the door, leaning against the wall.
He cut his eyes to her. "So I'm not trusted anymore, hmm?"
Tovi filled a glass with wine. "As if dear Kari's presence has ever kept us from doing unspeakable things, which included her as I recall."
He was in no mood. He took a few steps toward the table, but stopped short of it, his voice soft. "Eira is dead."
Tovi's hand faltered, the pitcher falling the last inch or two to the table. The wine inside splashed, a few drops landing on the wood. "What?"
"She fell retaking the Rock."
Tovi seemed to deflate a bit as she slouched in her chair. "How?"
"She decided to take on Einar without me. She took three other scouts and tried to corner him while they left me to fight the Rock's commander alone. I was unaware of this plan."
She frowned. "I'm sure she had every confidence in you."
"I'm sure. But I'm more concerned that she tried and ultimately failed to do the job you sent me to do."
Tovi took a drink from her cup. "But Einar is dead?"
"Einar is gone. But he survived her attempt. If she hadn't acted without consulting me, she might still be here. Was I always just a distraction?"
Tovi shook her head. "No. Mother said you might not go through with it, but I never suggested sending Eira instead." She held the glass with both hands. "My dear Eira."
Kari stepped around Max. She moved close and wrapped her arms around Tovi.
She hadn't known.
Which meant it was all Corvi's doing.
But... maybe it wouldn't be in vain. Corvi held sway in these chambers, but clearly this wasn't her proudest moment.
He took a few steps closer. "I didn't want you hearing it from some clerk." He knelt beside the chair. "I'm sorry. She was a good friend. I trusted her with my life. I didn't mean to sound harsh before."
Tovi reached out and grabbed hold of his hand.
He sat on the floor. He couldn't really get very far.
There was a knock at the door.
Kari moved in an instant, her hands falling to daggers at her waist.
Tovi tried to conduct herself, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.
Max dropped into stealth.
He wasn't supposed to be here. What she had said about it being unseemly wasn't wrong, even if she had meant it in jest.
A man in dark blue livery stood outside the door. "Apologies, ladies. Lord Brynjar wishes it known that this night is one of reverence for the fallen, that their names and deeds never be forgotten. Her ladyship's presence is requested at the proceedings. As well as tomorrow morning's funerals for the fallen, and the state funeral for Lord Einar."
Kari scowled at the man. "That is how you break the news about her ladyship's brother's demise? Could you not find a stone to throw? She will attend if she wishes, you petulant cur, though I would not blame the poor girl for mourning in private. Be gone before I remove you myself!"
The man bowed and scraped before disappearing from the door.
Kari shut it again.
And locked it.
She sighed as she returned to embrace Tovi once more. "I'm sorry."
Max shifted a bit. "I should go."
Tovi's hand tightened on his. "I forbid it."
He shook his head. "I'm not from here. You can't command me. This is a personal thing, I should go."
"In that case I am asking you to stay. Please. You were her friend, too. It's fitting."
Max turned his eyes to Kari.
She shrugged.
He sat back down. "Okay."
As Kari poured wine, Tovi shifted her chair and slid out of it to sit on Max's lap, her head on his shoulder.
He twisted a bit. "The armor can't be comfortable for you."
"Shh."
33
The party didn't exactly die down. People had things to celebrate on both ends of their strange celebration spectrum. Good and bad. Life and death. Conquest and defeat.
If Tom could get further away, he would, but he had sat down at the end of the table closest to the door. Leaving might well be rude, and with half the castle liquored up it would probably start a brawl.
Not that that wouldn't be fun to watch.
He caught the arm of a guard going by. The man looked familiar, though now he was carrying pitchers like he was running an unruly inn.
"Yes, my lord?"
Finally some recognition. "I've had a long day, saddle sore and whatnot. Funerals in the morning. What of those lodgings you mentioned?"
He nodded a few times. "Uh, yes. I'll go see." He spirited himself away without leaving space for another word.
It there hadn't been two of him, Tom would have given them a piece of his mind.
He picked up his cup... it was too light.
Who drank all his mead? The nerve.
He'd had a few cups before that one, true, but it was fine. Had to keep up appearances.
Iona leaned over, watching the guard wander off. "I hope he finds something. I sleep in the barracks. You wouldn't like my bunk. Cramped."
He scoffed. "Quite the assumption you're making there. I'm a terribly eligible bachelor, and a war hero right now. You're going to have to beat off all the other women with a stick."
She laughed. "Good luck finding another one that will even talk to you. I know you're okay, but all anyone else knows is that you have a crappy god and aren't ashamed of it."
"Hey, I have a perfectly good god. I healed lots of people with that god."
"I heard that one guy grew an extra ear after you healed him."
"What? That's stupid. But if he did, it's because he was supposed to have it and now he hears half again better."
She grinned. "I like that you deny it, but also insist it was on purpose."
"Got to cover the bases."
"What?"
He sighed. "I don't have the patience to invent baseball right now."
The guard wove his way back through the crowd. He set down a key on the table. "This goes to a set of rooms on the third floor. I have another for your companion, master Talren." The guard lifted his chin, looking over the room. "Have you seen him?"
Tom shook his head. "No. But I'll keep an eye out." He held out his hand.
The guard seemed all too happy to be free of the responsibility, handing the second key over. "Very well." He pointed. "Out that door is a set of stairs. Take them to the third floor, then follow the right hallway until it branches to the left. Follow that until it dead ends again and take a right. The rooms are on the left side. If you find yourself amongst red tapestries, you've gone too far."
Tom blinked a few times. "Got it."
The guard nodded and left.
Tom turned to Iona. "Did you follow any of that?"
She nodded like her neck was made of rubber. "Yes. Third floor."
"Good. That narrows it down. The keys will open something."
Max's eyes opened when someone knocked on the door.
He was lying on a pile of pelts in front of the fireplace in Tovi's quarters, and under a heavy blanket Kari had pulled off the bed.
Tovi was cuddled up close, Kari behind her.
Nothing had happened beyond drinking and telling stories. Tovi and Kari seemed to feel better talking about Eira. Max's stories had been simpler, shorter, and much more recent, but they seemed to appreciate them anyway.
Kari climbed out from under the blanket when the knocking picked up again. Apparently they wer
en't taking no for an answer.
She was still mostly dressed, missing her boots, coat, and weapons. Her hair was a mess. She kicked an empty wine bottle as she went, grumbling.
Max shifted the blanket some to hide under it. Somehow he didn't think being invisible would help.
Kari opened the door. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"
The man outside wore dark blue livery trimmed in gold. "Yes. It's seven in the morning. Lady Tovi must be present at eight."
Kari glared at the man, but he turned and left before she could respond. She shut the door. "Rude little..."
She knelt by the fire, getting it built up again. "I'm sorry my lady, but..."
Tovi groaned.
It was quite unladylike.
"I don't want to get up." She shifted a bit, her eyes opening and turning to Max. She blinked a few times. "You stayed."
He shrugged one shoulder. "I didn't have anywhere else to crash."
"I'm actually certain some lovely chamber goes wanting." She turned, laying a hand on his cheek. "I dearly hope that one morning you'll wake in this room... simply because you wish to be here, with no ulterior motives holding you."
"Maybe. Sounds nice."
He had every intention of getting out of and then fixing this world, putting it all back the way it was supposed to be. Once he did... there was no way she would want anything to do with him, even if he ever even made it back to this part of the world. He had no idea how to actually get here.
And yet he needed to get back to where he had been. No small task.
She smiled. "I'll take that, if it's all I can get."
He kissed her on the forehead.
Kari scoffed. "You missed, you goof."
"I was trying to be sweet."
The handmaid shook her head. "That's not what she wants from you."
Tovi glared at the girl. "Since when do you speak for me?"
"Professionally? All the time. On this matter?" Kari prodded the fire, coaching it to life. "Since you get weak kneed around him."
Tovi sighed... and laid her head against Max. "So rude."
He moved a few strands of hair out of her face. "I'm not sure this is helping you get ready."
"It's helping."
"Um, pardon me. Mister Caddrach?"
Tom pried his eyes open. Someone was shaking him. "Who?"
The man took a step back, straightening his jacket. "It's morning, sir. The day is soon to begin."
"That happens in the morning." He covered his eyes.
"Uh, yes. Yes it does. King Brynjar has requested your presence at the proceedings."
Oh.
Right.
He nodded a few times. "Super. How long until... that?"
"About twenty minutes from now."
Tom uncovered his eyes, staring up at the man who was... fuzzy for some reason. "Nothing like cutting it close, dude."
The man shrugged and waved his hands about. "These are not exactly the rooms you were assigned, sir."
Tom cut his eyes around the place. It was spinning, which was kind of odd, but a neat feature. That had to cost a pretty penny.
And yet it looked... pretty damned rundown. What kind of nonsense where they trying to push? He was a war hero in these parts. He definitely deserved better than-
He heard a rather distinct, and rather loud, moo.
Tom sat up, straw falling off of him.
He blinked a few times.
The guard shrugged. "Took me awhile to find you."
"Well, good on you. Guess its your turn to hide." He was lying on a rough tarp on top of a pile of straw.
Iona was beside him, still asleep.
The sound of an empty bottle hitting the floor was unexpected but not surprising. The other couple of bottles were news, though.
Tom stared at the man. "I requested your finest barn. I am disappointed."
The guard ignored him. "Twenty minutes, the main hall, if you'd be so kind."
The man swerved back and forth as he walked away... or maybe that was Tom. He rubbed at his eyes.
Yeah, no. He wasn't going to be sober in twenty minutes.
He checked the few bottles he could reach. The last had a bit left... of course, it was only the last one because he stopped looking after that... huh.
He downed the contents and gave Iona a shake. "Hey, time to get up."
She threw a punch at him. It was weak, and missed by a mile, but he had to admire her just for the effort.
He should have tried that.
"Come on, stuff to do today, unfortunately."
"Like they need me there to sing and drink."
Tom tilted his head. "That's a funeral around here?"
"Basically."
"I thought that was a celebration."
"It's a celebration of the life, not the death."
"So... you people just find any excuse to drink."
She nodded against the tarp a few times. "And sing. Doesn't everyone?"
"Only respectable people." He shoved himself off the straw pile.
His feet were... less than stable, but they worked. He hobbled his way over to the door. "I don't remember leaving the party."
"Me neither." Iona sat up with a sigh. "But I guess we need to go to the next one. Don't need another reprimand."
Tom chuckled. "Written up for not drinking on the job. Interesting place."
"More of an attendance issue." She dragged her fingers through her hair. It got most of the straw out, but it didn't restore any semblance of order.
Tom took a few steadying breaths.
Almost done. All downhill from here.
Max entered the main hall from the front door. Showing up with Tovi would have raised questions. This day was going to be tough enough.
No one had seen Brynjar yet, at least from what Max had heard. He'd spent the night alone in his chambers after sending out all his normal retainers.
The staff were walking on eggshells. Tovi had been trying to reassure them the last time he saw her.
He'd had a brief chance to bathe in a more public spring. Even alone he had cleaned up as fast as possible. He just knew someone would storm in any second... it hadn't happened. Probably because most were too busy sleeping off last night's drinking.
Tom was already in the main hall, seated at a table near the door. Iona was beside him.
Max wasn't sure who was holding who up. Sort of a strange symbiotic leaning thing.
The hall had plenty of occupants but for once... it was strangely quiet. A few muted conversations. The occasional cough.
Not just the staff walking on eggshells then.
Max sat across the table from Tom. "Morning."
Tom's eyes fluttered a bit before he gave a small nod. "Yes, it is." He leaned forward onto the table, propping himself up with his elbows. "Where did you get off to? I half expected them to run you out on a rail."
There was a... slightly sour smell.
"I had a talk with Tovi."
"Yeah, that's why I was expecting them to run you out on a rail. I guess it didn't go bad, then."
Max shrugged. "Well enough. It wasn't her plan, it was Corvi's."
Tom's eyes immediately dropped to where the crow skull usually hung around Max's neck. He seemed surprised it was missing.
"It's outside. Some squirrels were playing with it when I came in."
Tom grunted. "Probably not the best place to speak openly anyway."
"No."
"Tact." He nodded. "But hey, I'm glad your girlfriend isn't an evil bitch. At least, not because of that."
Max rolled his eyes.
That was Tom being tactful?
Oh god damn it, he was drunk.
Max rubbed at the bridge of his nose. "When did you stop drinking last night?"
"The word stop has such... finality to it."
"You smell like a brewery."
"No, I smell like a winery. Much more highbrow."
Iona snorted out a laugh.
Max sighed. "Right. If they ask, let me do the talking."
Tom gave Max finger guns, then two thumbs up.
It was last July's performance review all over again.
Strangely... this was sort of a performance review. By all accounts they had hit most of their goals... aside from the thing with Einar. That was bound to count against them. It seemed like it would come down to who was rating this a success or failure.
Murmuring rose across the room as Tovi appeared at the far end. She put on a small, strained smile and waved her hands. "We thank you for coming, dear friends. Father has requested we hold this ceremony on the patio above. Please make your way up, if you'd be so kind." She bowed her head and left the way she had entered.
Murmuring picked up again as soon as she was gone.
Apparently that was an unusual request.
Tom rubbed at his temples. "Damn, I was enjoying the lack of sunlight."
Max stood and held out a hand. "Better put your hood up."
It was simple enough to find their way up. Everyone else was going. Herd mentality.
The "patio" was at the rear of the castle, a large flat section of stone clearly originally meant for defense but instead set up with tables, benches, and some colorfully painted statuary.
It was nice. Pretty. The morning sun warmed the place as people found their way to their seats.
Max helped Tom, who in turn helped Iona to sit at a small table. A servant came by and set out cups and a pitcher. She lifted it over Tom's cup, but Max slapped his hand over it.
"He's trying to cut back."
Tom made a sour face at him, but the girl bowed her head, set the pitcher down, and wandered away.
He could see Tovi at a raised podium at the far end, where the stone work ended. Beyond he could see distant mountains washed in the blue of early morning. That side also had a lake well below, but it was so far below one would need to be dangerously close to the edge to see much of it.
Brynjar was standing near the podium as well, staring off at the distant mountains.
Tovi made a sour face at him before stepping up to the podium. "Good morning, friends, family, and countrymen." She tried to put on a smile, but it faltered a bit. "I wish we were here purely to celebrate our great victories of late, but such victories never come without a cost. We have paid that cost. Let us tell the tales of those who made this grand victory possible that their names and deeds shall be remembered forever."