“She sold you on the street, and the first two women double teamed you for a gold? Damn. That's… both impressive and a bit creepy. On her part. More than a bit. To copy a phrase of yours, “who does that?” I mean, I guess she made her point, but since when did she turn into an insane person? And why did you go along with her? You could have just said no and left, or told them it was all a joke… Of course you got free sex out of it, so there's that. I wonder if that would work for me?” He shook his giant head a bit mournfully.
“Probably not. Take the whole heir thing away and I'm just another royal out looking for some action. Women don't pay for that, they get paid for it. God I need to get laid! The whole time with Ferra… she was willing, but Gemma was right there, we slept in the transport mainly and the day I have sex in front of a thirteen year old girl is the day I cut it off and join a monastery. Fourteen… well that's legal and all, but thirteen is still just a kid. I don't suppose you have any extra girls at your place you could recommend me too? Over thirteen hopefully?”
It was a clever change of subject, subtle, and sensible. Rolph couldn't change what had happened and Tor hadn't been hurt or abused, not really. He could have walked away, just not without offending the women. But if someone they thought was a whore refused sex with them, what would that do to their self-esteem? Tor wouldn't have done that. Not ever.
Karina probably didn't know it, or wouldn't have believed it if she'd been told. It was just something that had happened, and he'd kind of found it interesting, hadn't he?
With just a little more rationalization Tor figured he could be good with the whole thing.
“Um, well, there are a lot of women there now and most of the women from Warden seem pretty friendly. Or… I think that if you were nice about it, Bonita Coltress would be up for it. I… just promise not to steal her forever, right? Collette might as well. She's nice, really pretty too, so I'd certainly ask there. Ursala, if she stops by of course. I'd like to spend time with her too, so if you see her first, remind her of that? Obviously if you're going to be married you get more attention from her, that's only right. Sara might be in. The rest are related to you. Well, Maria isn't… Collette is her prettier sister by the way. Have you met?”
They hadn't. That could work out then. The first time Tor had met her she'd been trying to meet Rolph at a party, there with Count Thomson. They might not like each other that way, or they could possibly both end up being too busy, but Tor could make some introductions. After all, Rolph was his best friend in the whole world. Any women should love him on sight, shouldn't they?
Of course.
A bit of giddiness ran through him at the prospect. It tickled his soul a little. Tor had never been in a position to set someone up before. Probably not a good idea, given his own track record in relationships, but it might be nice to try. Maybe he was better about it all when it wasn't him personally? When they got to the house, it was filled with people. About three hundred of them.
There was not one, but two new levels on the top, a new set of windows showed movement behind about half of them, a steady train of carriages ran the streets, mainly magical ones in a variety of colors and styles, noticeable because they didn't have wheels. Some were driven by Warden people and a few by Kolb's giants, some of whom Tor was used to seeing on the other end of a sword, usually with some pain involved. For him. They were all good, some of the best. Especially armed like they were right now. They needed to be updated, but they were better armed by far than the Royal Guard or the elite military units.
They found a harried and brittle looking Collette smiling as yet another person walked in, when Tor moved to her she looked at him, sighed and hugged him tightly, looking at Rolph with trepidation. The Prince smiled, but Collette narrowed her eyes, looking as if she'd hurt him if he dared to try and beg a room. They had the rooms, Tor knew that. If they didn't they could expand or even put up another dwelling somewhere else. It was probably the stress then, trying to deal with hundreds of demanding royals that thought Collette was a servant, not one of them. Not their hostess. Sounded like what they'd think at least. As a group.
Freaking royals and their entitlement.
“Collette, don't snap and kill us, please. This is Prince Alphonse Cordes, he wants to date you sometime. Possibly not tonight. I'm planning to run him past Nita first. Alphonse, this is Collette Coltress. I don't know for certain, but I bet if you help her right now she'll be your friend. What can we do to help?”
Collette laughed and hugged him again, then bowed to the Prince, and hugged him too. Tor thought it was a bit friendly since they’d just met, but Rolph seemed to enjoy it, so he didn’t say anything.
“Please? Help? Tor, could you guide people to their rooms and… Prince Alphonse, could you help me greet people? That would do I think. Half the people coming are being turned away from the palace, which is fine, we have the room, but they keep expecting us to wait on them too, and we don't have that kind of staff. Not even close. We can feed them and the beds make themselves, but they're calling for things like warm baths to be drawn up, even though the tubs are right there and all they have to do is tap a few sigils! One fellow even asked for a girl to be sent up to “relieve his tension”. When I mentioned we don't have anyone like that here, he suggested that I would do just fine. His wife was standing right next to him too! It was all I could do to not put him through a wall. How does your mother do it?” Collette looked ready to start ripping at her own hair.
Which would be a shame, Tor decided. It would make her look funny.
The Prince closed his eyes and focused, his clothing turning from a nice and friendly blue summer suit with no buttons into a dark purple and gold thing in silk and velvet, with the royal coat of arms over the heart. The shoes on his feet turned into black boots that disappeared under the pants, in all it looked a bit intimidating.
Opening his eyes he gave Collette a tight smile that Tor had seen made the business sharks of Debri house scramble for legal loopholes to keep themselves out of prison.
“I don't know how she does it really, but I don't think many men suggest she service them in her own foyer either. From this point on, simply direct anyone too troublesome to me. I assure you that mother only wanted people given a place to stay, there was no assumption that your guests wouldn't adhere to the basic rules of politeness and civility. Please accept my apologies for any hardship we've caused you and know that from now on I'll back you personally at need. If we have to fight, I'll go high, you take low, alright?”
The look Collette gave the Prince spoke of true gratitude then and she grinned. It was the happiest Tor had seen her in days.
Tor guided, carried bags and finally grabbed follow along floats from his room, using them to handle the luggage. It ticked him off that people weren't being nice to his friends. None of them were servants, except the palace staff that had come to help, and they were guests in a way too. Friends come to help, even if they were being paid for it.
It would be rude to kick people out, wouldn't it? Maybe he should set up another place and let the trouble makers get their own food and drink? Tor considered the idea for a while as he walked people to their rooms and helped them get set-up. Most of those were, if not polite exactly, no worse than any stranger would be in a new place. After his fourth trip he came down to find a fight going on in the doorway. Not just an argument either, and actual fight.
An attack really.
A rather drunk, and decently large royal in black, glass bottle of clear amber fluid still in hand about half gone already, punched at Collette with his right fist. The bottle in his left started to swing like he was going to hit her with it. She didn't move, much, just blocking on instinct, but as Tor and Rolph ran towards her position the bottle hit her shield, splashed stinking liquid all over, which was followed by a tinkle of glass as the bottle snapped in the man’s hand, meaning the blow hadn't been playful in any way. The fellow was at least forty, decent looking, but nothing special and didn't seem to get that the pretty blond girl in front of him wasn't there to, as he put it “get on her knees and lick his ass”. If there was a ruder thing to say to someone trying to help you, Tor couldn't think of it. Of course being impolite wasn't something he'd ever excelled at, was it?