Metal Mage 10

by Eric Vall

  “Baron Flynt,” Cayla hastily corrected, and the marshal nodded as he stepped forward to the edge of the carpeted steps to announce our arrival.

  “Baron Flynt and …”

  I tried not to laugh as he suddenly looked ready to piss himself, but eventually he just barreled on.

  “… and his women,” the marshal announced to the hall.

  Aurora snorted as the crowd turned toward the stairs, and even though Cayla clicked her tongue in disapproval, I offered the guy an unconcerned shrug while he dabbed at his sweaty brow.

  “Nailed it,” I assured him.

  I could see Temin chuckling to himself at the head of the hall as we descended the stairs, but a sea of nobility separated us from him, and half of them were muttering curiously to one another as they waited for us to join them in the hall.

  Temin had gone the extra mile and had servants all over the place dishing out hors d’oeuvres and goblets of wine for everyone, and my pulse kicked up a notch as I realized how many nobles there were in Illaria. They had their wives, daughters, and sons along with them, too, and now, every eye in the damn place was staring at us thanks to the marshal’s announcement.

  For a few seconds, I was slightly irritated that most of the crowd was watching my women’s hips sway, but then I realized they were actually staring at the diamond garters and pistols, and I couldn’t help feeling a little smug. I was in the right crowd for it, at least, and when I glanced at Cayla, she was looking smug enough for the both of us.

  The princess was clearly in her element and proud to be escorted on my arm, but my other three women had insisted that ogre formation would look the most impressive. They must have been onto something there, too, because by the time we reached the base of the steps, there was a circle of nobility gathered close to make their own introductions as soon as possible.

  “Baron Flynt,” a portly old man said as he pushed his way ahead of the rest. “An honor to meet you at last, sir. Your efforts on behalf of Illaria are nothing short of--”

  “Baron Flynt,” another man interrupted, and he lifted his nose stubbornly as he introduced his wife and daughter as loudly as possible.

  Then a regal woman planted herself in front of me before she was rudely shuffled aside by another dower lady in blue silk, and I just nodded along and pretended I was registering any of this for the next ten minutes.

  None of their names were filed away because they kept talking over each other, and also, I didn’t really care, but Temin eventually parted the crowd as he gestured for us to follow him.

  “Thank you,” I chuckled, and the king grinned.

  “You look like you could use a drink already,” Temin said as he waved his hand toward a server waiting in the wings. “Ladies, always an honor, and may I say, you outshine everyone here.”

  My women bowed slightly to the king’s praise, and when the server brought goblets of wine over, Cayla took one and handed it directly to me.

  “You’ve done wonderfully with everything on such short notice,” Cayla assured the king.

  “So kind of you to say so,” Temin said, and his relief was palpable. “I’m afraid tensions are rather high this evening, but your wine is certainly helping in some respects.”

  I nodded. “I’m glad to hear it.”

  “They haven’t spoken to anyone,” the king hissed out of the corner of his mouth. “They refuse to. Did you make them any of those weapons of yours?”

  “Who?” I asked with some confusion.

  “The Elders!”

  “Oh,” I snorted. “No, why?”

  “Thank the gods for that,” Temin sighed. “I was beginning to think they’d come to kill us all. Would you speak with them for some time? I tried but to no avail, and I’m afraid their behavior will do little to improve the evening’s discussions. Perhaps if the others see them acknowledging something other than their wine, they’ll warm up a bit.”

  I craned my neck over the crowd in the direction Temin gestured, and I couldn’t help laughing as I caught sight of the Elders of Aurum. They were seated at a long table with only five goblets on the table in front of them, and most of them glared in disdain at the nobility all mingling nervously nearby. Agrokea was obviously staring off across the room without seeing much of anything, but his frown showed he was just as unenthusiastic as his companions.

  “Yeah,” I chuckled, “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “I appreciate it,” Temin assured me. “The meeting will begin in one hour in the great hall, so time is of the essence. It would be best if you strive to make yourself better known amongst the nobility. Your reputation precedes you, of course, but a few personal acquaintances would serve you well when it comes time to discuss the tariffs. I recommend you drink plenty of wine beforehand as well. It’s the only way I ever manage to get things accomplished amongst the nobility these days.”

  “Thanks for the advice. Where should I start?”

  “Do you see the larger man in the blue coat over there?” Temin muttered as he tipped his head, and I nodded. “Lord Allen. He’s the Earl of Rainard, which is the largest fief in Illaria. Or rather, it was, until you procured the lands surrounding Falmount. Establish yourself with him, and you’ll gain the favor of at least fifteen others, but handle it delicately. He’s rather used to sniveling barons attempting to get into his good graces.”

  “An earl … ” Cayla mused. “Interesting.”

  “Don’t even think about it,” I muttered under my breath, and she sent me a smirk that showed she was already mentally promoting me.

  “Then there’s Lady Emonie, who presides over Tellish in the west since her husband passed,” Temin continued, and he gestured to an elderly woman with a medieval sort of lace frill around her neck.

  Lady Emonie was speaking with a group of grim-faced women in equally archaic gowns, and she wore several golden rings on both hands while she looked down her nose at a group of young lords passing by, and it was more than clear she was unimpressed.

  “She holds precedence with several of the baronesses, and I will just hint that her particular associates have strong influence with their husbands,” the king clarified.

  “Duly noted,” I replied with a smirk.

  “Tread carefully amongst the women here by the way,” Temin warned. “You may have four beautiful ladies of your own already, but there are plenty of barons present who won’t appreciate your charm where their young wives are concerned.”

  “Are you implying I’m a scoundrel, Temin?” I chuckled.

  “Of course not,” the king said with a grin. “Only that many would like to paint you that way.”

  “Rough crowd,” I muttered as I drained my goblet, and Temin swiftly beckoned to a servant who brought me another.

  “I would dedicate your time to Lady Emonie and Lord Allen first,” Temin told me as he lowered his voice. “Although there are several young lords who could potentially be swayed if your beautiful women aren’t averse to charming people.”

  “That’s why we are here,” Cayla purred. “I told you, our assets are your assets.”

  “Your princess is ready for some sport,” Temin chuckled. “Good luck.”

  I let out a sigh as the king turned away to greet a group of nobles behind him, and Aurora nudged me.

  “We’ll handle the lords,” the half-elf giggled, but I shook my head.

  “I didn’t bring you here to dangle you in front of these idiots,” I informed the women.

  “No, you brought us because we’re your women, and we always work together,” Shoshanne replied.

  “Exactly,” Cayla agreed, and just like that, the evening was in her hands. “I’ll go along to handle Lady Emonie, and the rest of you, start praising Mason amongst the rest of these idiots. Make sure to mention that he’ll be building up Falmount soon, but once it’s time to approach Lord Allen, Shoshanne will join Mason instead. She’s the most elegantly dressed of the four of us, and a man of his stature will appreciate this.”

 
; “Oh, really?” Shoshanne asked lightly, and Cayla rolled her eyes. “How convenient that I’m so appropriately modest this evening. I think it’s my turn to say it … you’re welcome.”

  “Ladies,” I muttered with a pointed look. “We can slap this all out later. Let’s just get to work.”

  “Agreed,” Aurora said with a nod, “but do I get to slap Cayla, too?”

  “What did I do to you?” Cayla scoffed.

  “Nothing, I just want to,” the half-elf said with a shrug, and the princess couldn’t help the dirty grin that came to her face.

  “Deal,” she agreed, and I chuckled as I turned to lead my women deeper into the hall of ritzy nobles while I swiftly drained my goblet again.

  A server appeared out of nowhere to swap it out for a fresh one the second I was done, and I was just fixing to drain this one as well, but then my path was abruptly intersected, and I would have doused the Baroness with the entire contents of my goblet if Cayla hadn’t pulled me back just in time.

  “Shit, sorry,” I snorted.

  Then my eyes dropped directly to the Baroness’ plush lips, and my mind went blank.

  She’d painted them a sultry red for the occasion, and when she caught me staring, her lips curled into a seductive grin that did nothing to distract the direction of my thoughts.

  “Uh … hey, or hello,” I mumbled.

  “Good evening, Baron Flynt,” the Baroness murmured.

  “Yeah, good evening,” I replied, and I decided to just look anywhere but at her.

  Luckily, Cayla interceded. “Baroness Batanova. It’s nice to see a familiar face here tonight.”

  “The feeling is mutual,” the Baroness said as she bowed to the princess. “You all look as beautiful as ever.”

  Aurora giggled in a way I rarely heard from her, and I turned to see her cheeks as bright red as her dress while she avoided the Baroness’ gaze, too.

  “And Miss Shoshanne,” the Baroness continued, “I must say, you look like an angel in white.”

  Now, I furrowed my brow as her choice of words struck a familiar chord, but the obscure woman was already turning away, and she left us without another word.

  I watched her go as the hair on my arms stood stock straight, but then I casually continued on my way even though I could feel Cayla’s icy gaze on me.

  “What did you do?” the princess asked point blank.

  “What are you talking about? I was polite.”

  “Yes,” Cayla allowed, “and she was practically devouring you with her eyes. What did you do?”

  “Did you sleep with her?” Aurora hissed, and I half drank, half inhaled my wine.

  “No,” Cayla mused, “that’s not it.”

  “Then she went down on him,” Aurora decided, and wine almost spewed out of my nose as I whipped around.

  “H-How did you … ?” I stammered, and my women’s eyes sparkled with amusement as I quickly scanned the surrounding nobles to be sure no one was within ear shot.

  “When did this happen?” Cayla demanded.

  “More importantly, was it good?” Aurora asked with a devilish grin.

  Deya giggled. “I bet it was incredible, have you seen her lips? They are dark and delicious.”

  I bit my tongue just as I was about to admit her throat was actually the best part, and I lowered my voice.

  “Can we discuss this later?” I muttered. “The clock’s ticking.”

  “Only if you promise to tell us everything,” Cayla replied, and I quickly nodded my agreement before she looped her arm in mine.

  Then the other three women headed off through the crowd while they giggled to one another over the look on my face, and Cayla and I made our way toward Lady Emonie.

  Running into the Baroness so abruptly had thrown off my focus completely, and I was beginning to feel claustrophobic amongst the many snobbish men and women surrounding us. I couldn’t help wishing there were a few more ogres in attendance to liven things up a bit, but still, I had a feeling I could actually sway this crowd if I got in the right mindset.

  All I had to do was cozy up to a select few before the meeting began, and as far as the rest were concerned, my women really did have a point. Even I couldn’t stop glancing over my shoulder to get another look at them, and if they wanted to use that leverage to bag me a few more votes, it was hard to argue with the approach.

  Unfortunately, I was becoming acutely aware of several admiring looks from the younger women I was passing, and they giggled my name in greeting.

  Cayla refused to stop for any of their batting eyes, though, and I only risked a slight nod of the head as I caught their sullen husbands eyeing me carefully.

  “I’m not sure a baronetcy is gonna work for me,” I muttered, and Cayla chuckled.

  “Yes, that shirt is backfiring,” she admitted. “Now, it’s impossible to ignore how good you look. All these women want a piece of you. If they only knew how amazing you were, they’d want more than a piece.”

  “Should have gone for the blood stained shirt,” I sighed and sent her a wink, and the princess elbowed me hard as we approached the group of grim-faced elderly women who gathered like a flock of sheep around Lady Emonie.

  “Lady Emonie,” Cayla said, and she dipped into a graceful bow as the woman’s eyes immediately locked on her diamonds.

  “Princess Balmier,” Lady Emonie replied. “I had hoped we might have a chance to meet ever since I heard you were residing in Illaria. Your honorable father and my late husband were fond of one another.”

  “I’m honored to hear it,” the princess admitted. “May I introduce Baron Flynt of Falmount Rift?”

  Lady Emonie looked more intrigued sizing me up than she had with other young lords earlier, and I made sure to bow my head in respect while she did so.

  “Baron Flynt,” the old woman mused, “I have heard so much about you.”

  “All good things, I hope.”

  I couldn’t believe this was all it took to get a giggle out of the dower women surrounding her, and Lady Emonie’s withered cheeks suddenly tinged a light pink.

  So, I decided to definitely roll with this, and I sent the women my most charming grin. Another bout of giggles followed, and I knew Cayla could tell what I was up to because she was fighting against her own giggles as well now.

  “Lady Emonie,” the princess continued in a forced serious tone, “I had the good fortune of visiting a merchant in Serin recently whose stock of silk is the finest I’ve seen in ages. Then he told me you are his patron.”

  “Sir Hubert,” Lady Emonie said with a smug grin. “Yes, he is the only merchant I work with in Serin. You are a woman of splendid taste.”

  “I have to agree with you there,” Cayla said cooly, and she curled her arm in mine for good measure as I tried not to chuckle.

  Damn it, she knew how to work a room.

  “Might I say, Princess Balmier, your jewels are absolutely exquisite,” Lady Emonie praised, and the women around her nodded in agreement. “I’ve never seen such a display of diamonds before. Which silversmith did you procure these pieces from?”

  “How kind of you to notice,” Cayla replied as she casually stroked the massive jewels dotting her neck. “I’m afraid you’ll not find anything of this kind in Serin, though. Baron Flynt crafted them himself.”

  I slapped another charming grin on my face as the group of women appraised me once more, and when Lady Emonie’s fan suddenly unfurled and began to flutter at her breast, I decided this couldn’t possibly go any better.

  “Well,” Lady Emonie sighed with a smile, “he is certainly a talented man.”

  “You have no idea,” Cayla murmured, and when every cheek amongst the women blushed, the princess turned to me. “We mustn’t ignore the other guests, though, darling. I believe King Temin asked that you introduce yourself to Lord Allen, yes?”

  “Lord Allen?” Lady Emonie asked as her fan fluttered a little faster.

  “Yes,” I replied, “although I would certainly prefer t
o spend my time with you all, I must honor the king’s request.” Then I nodded to the other women. “Ladies, it was a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I look forward to seeing you regularly in the future.”

  “Baron Flynt,” they replied with hazy smiles, and Cayla turned me around.

  Once we got out of earshot, I glanced her way, and the princess couldn't have looked any more pleased with herself.

  “Is that seriously all it takes?” I clarified.

  “Trust me,” Cayla replied, “I know what I’m doing. You might be a danger amongst the younger women, but you are exactly the sort of baron these older ladies want in Temin’s court. Not only are you incredibly nice to look at, but you’ve proven yourself to be a man of honor who fights as readily as any knight, which is more than can be said for half these young lords. They’ll vote for anything you recommend as long as you keep that charming grin of yours in place.”

  “Damn,” I muttered. “So, how many more old ladies do I have to smile at?”

  “None,” Cayla informed me. “Temin was correct about Lady Emonie. Even the nobles of Cedis know who she is because of her silk, and the nine women beside her worship her. Not to mention, her husband’s relationship with my father happened to be largely on account of her taste in fine jewels.”

  I cocked a brow. “You’ve been plotting for this all day, haven’t you? That’s why you went and got all those silk dresses and had me make you all the jewelry.”

  “Of course,” Cayla said with a shameless grin, but as she reached for another goblet and handed it over to me, her eyes suddenly narrowed.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “The man in green,” she said in a low voice. “He’s speaking with the Baroness at your five o’clock.”

  I nodded and sipped my wine a bit before casually turning to get a look, and I found the Baroness’ gaze locked on me already. She didn’t appear to be studying me, though, so much as she was waiting for me to look over, and the man in green who was speaking quietly in her ear seemed to be the reason.

  Then he glanced across the room with a sneer, and I followed his gaze directly to where Aurora and the others were speaking with a group of men. I couldn’t decipher his words with so many conversations taking place around the marble hall, but as I watched the guy, his glower drifted toward my half-elf three more times. Then the Baroness arched a brow, and the man walked off as if they hadn’t been speaking at all.