The walk only had one turn, and Tor had been there before, once, so ten minutes later they were at the Baron Coltress' door, gifts in hand and smiling, the older man had light blond hair shot with silver and still managed to look stately and somehow younger than he should with a twenty-seven year old daughter. He was a good looking man, which probably explained all his attractive daughters.
“Hi!” Tor offered brightly. “Bonita sent us, with gifts? We're, um seeing her? She couldn't get away today, working with the Queen on the enhanced celebration thing, but she thought you might like to meet us?” His voice was a question the whole time and made the man frown and shake his head for some reason.
“Why won't you people leave my daughter alone? She's a good girl! She deserves to be treated with respect, and not made fun of by noble snobs and brats that have too much coin and not half enough sense for their own good. Tell me what they paid you to set up this… whatever this game is your playing, and I'll give you double to go away and leave my baby be. Triple if you'll tell me who paid you first!”
The man was close to being enraged, almost growling, except that he was sad too. It made Tor wonder what people had been doing to his Bonita? If her own father had this kind of reaction to them…well, it couldn't be friendly could it. Karina stepped forward just slightly and bowed a tiny bit.
“I don't know if you'll remember me? I had a different haircut then, and my hair was more red, the dye is wearing off so you can see the color? Anyway, I'm Princess Karina Cordes and this man is Torrance Baker, you know, the Wizard Tor? I suppose he could do magic tricks and I could stand around looking regal if you don't believe us, but Nita really is seeing us both, so we kind of need to prove the point to you I think.” Her voice held good humor even though the greeting had been more than a little harsh and off putting.
Tor took it as a father doing his job and protecting his child, as was correct, even if he didn't know why exactly, but didn't expect Karina to act that way. It seemed that once again she was more than a little full of surprises.
Six amulets later the man relented, and decided that they were who they said, since actors wouldn't have access to that many magical devices all at once and making a magical carriage and house appear one after the other in the front yard was a bit telling, especially since you couldn't even buy the carriages anywhere yet. He'd seen Tor before apparently, but the hair hadn't been so long. Tor brushed it back so it wasn't in his face. Laughing Karina tied it back with a truth amulet on a hemp string, wrapping it into a pony tail. The man bowed then and smiled.
“Ooh, hand pies? The right ones too! You must be a wizard then, well come in. So both of you are seeing Bonita? That's a bit of a shock.” The man didn't sound pleased to be saying it, but didn't hesitate either.
Tor tilted his head slightly and watched the man for a bit as he looked into the covered basket again. Giants did like to eat, as a rule.
“We are, and she's been staying with me at my house. Um. She has her own room there though. I don't want you to think that…” Tor blushed and shook his head, wanting to wince and shy away from things.
“That's not totally true. She has a room, but she's been sharing a bed with me.” Getting ready he moved slightly in front of Karina, in case that news triggered a combat rage in the Baron.
Instead the man just smiled.
“Oh? Well good for her! About time something went right for her in that way. Things haven't always been easy for her. It isn't fair at all. Come, let's chat in the drawing room.” He pointed the way with his left hand, the right holding the handle of the basket firmly.
The talk didn't last too long, but the Baron did get an invitation to dinner, Karina couldn't be there, palace duties, but Tor would be and she promised to send over Alphonse if she could. After all, they wanted to keep at least one watcher on Tor at all time to make sure he didn't do anything too close to real work. Apparently the King and Queen were in on that one too.
A real royal conspiracy.
When they walked out Tor hit his Not-flyer and looked at her sideways. After about fifteen seconds he grinned and looked where he was going.
“But if Rolph wakes me up the same way you did this morning, I'm leaving the Capital and never coming back.”
Karina giggled.
“I'll be sure to warn him about that. Really I think he just wants to get laid.” Giving him a sideways glance she grinned.
“Female company, most likely, though you are rather attractive. The palace is a little dry for all of us, honestly. Everyone is either a diplomat, dignitary, or related by blood. The servants are off limits in general, so that leaves almost no one. Your place is much more interesting! Plus the spies are all available for sex. Sara Debri, she's kind of cute, isn't she? Do you know if she's seeing anyone in particular?”
Tor thought about that. Did he know? She was cute, and lived on a military installation, sort of. If she wanted men, she had them. That didn't take a genius to figure out.
“Well, your brother for a while, maybe still, I don't think they've really stopped seeing each other. Me a little, about what we did, a bit more, a bunch of times. Um, maybe Ursala? I don't know on that, they never said one way or the other, but they had opportunity if they wanted too and both of them are great, so why wouldn't they? Are you interested, do you think?” That would be interesting, wouldn't it?
Karina tilted her head, clearly copying what he did all the time, and smiled a little.
“Well, I'm not that into girls, a diversion really. Bonita was only the third for me and you were the fourth guy, so I'm not absolutely certain. Can I… Do you think I could really be your girlfriend? I know you can't speak for Bonita, but will you, I mean do you want to? I…”
They were moving so Tor didn't kiss her.
“I'd love to. Though at this rate I think I'm going to start messing everything up soon. I can't pay proper attention so many ways, can I? Well, at least everyone else has people too. Trice certainly seemed happy to see Ridley last night. He's a good sort though, so I can't complain there, and really, all we've ever done is kiss a few times.” It was true, but Tor suddenly felt embarrassed and that must have shown on his face because Karina smirked.
“You and Ridley? Well, I'd better leave that out, or Alphie will feel you're putting him off a bit rudely, don't you think? I mean, you two have been best friends for a long time, years now and you're both good looking, so you'd think if you were going to do anything with the man it would be him. Really, you probably should, just to cement the relationship.” She gave him an odd look, one that spoke of thoughts he was glad he didn't know.
“I meant Trice, thank you very much.”
That got a laugh, “Sorry, misunderstood for a second, that's all. Really? You didn't even test her out in bed? You were going to get married. I mean, I slept with Raul just to see. He looks wild, but he's actually a good lover. Kind and gentle, attentive. I should have done more with him, and not gotten sucked in with Lilli. Yeah, Raul isn't as good looking, but looks don't matter that much do they? I mean, a good soul Counts more, right?” The tone was plaintive, as if begging him to agree. As if he wouldn't? It was just true.
“Kindness, a good heart, intelligence, all these things are more important than looks. But you're cute. Good enough looking that I'm getting looks as we go past people, saying, “how did he get to be with someone like her.” Though that might have been about the height difference too. People could be judgmental that way.
The Princess didn't say anything for a minute. Finally she cut her Not-flyer and settled in place, he had to float back about fifty feet to stand next to her.
Her voice was low when she spoke, not angry or sad now, but serious.
“They aren't looking at me, not at all, they don't even see me. Oh, a girl floating by, which is still interesting, even in the Capital, but not me. Even if they realized who I was, most of them wouldn't pay that much attention, not with you here. You're wonderful. Lovely and magical and brave. If I asked the next woman that passed if she'd like to have sex with you in an alley what do you think she'd say?”