“Really?” She said, her crying a little softer now. “I don't have to do things? If I don't want to? What if I want to?”
It was an odd question. Tor shrugged.
“That's all right then, as long as the other person,” he glanced at everyone else slightly, raising his shoulders at them. “Or people, want to do those things too. Then it's OK. But you don't have to. Not ever.”
He walked to Karina and gave her a hug and found Ali joining in, a bit awkwardly, but he moved to let her, her friend had been killed too and if Karina had to be watched, this girl would need it twice as much.
“Karina, I hate to do this, but you're needed at the palace, your father asked me to tell you specifically that it's urgent. I've been forbidden to tell you why. Please don't ask. We need to move now. Um, Bring Ali and… everyone. Get Bonita too. Collette and Petra can stay here and run things for now, please? They know where the money is and all that. Let's go.”
Ali couldn't fly, and neither, oddly enough, could Ridley. Or was it that odd really? When would he have learned? Tor had given him poison detectors for his family, but not flying rigs or shields. He should have given them shields at least. They'd been having a squabble with the Wards' and feared being poisoned, why, Tor didn't know, but it seemed to have been resolved, at least no one had stabbed anyone else at his house yet. Right, so shield for them as soon as possible, even though the danger had probably passed. He had on two and gave one to Ridley without explaining.
The man looked at him, concerned, recognizing what it was.
“Is there physical threat?” He spoke almost into Tor’s ear as they walked, almost casually, as if asking when dinner was or if there were plans for later.
Tor shrugged and kept going.
“No, not now I don’t think. Just get with me, or Trice, later and get shields and flying rigs for your family? Grab some weapons for you and you’re parents to.” Outfitting his little sister with a full compliment seemed a little bit much.
Ridley didn’t say anything after that at all, just dropping to the back of the group.
Tor pulled out the carriage amulet and marched to the front of the house, setting it up on the stage behind a rather good musical group that played string instruments, there were about ten of them. Not too bad, if he could judge things like that. He reformed the vehicle to make enough seats for everyone, and made it clear on top so that they could be seen.
Then he focused, just a little, using his own pattern exactly like he wasn't supposed to, but keeping the damage down, being careful, making a glowing symbol appear under his left hand. It was pumpkin orange and a bit ugly, a stylized f, to indicate flying. Then he lifted off, going straight up to the cheers of the crowd. People treated it like it was a fire work, or another display.
Fine. He wished them the enjoyment of it.
Slipping the communications plate out of its little carry bag he passed it back to Rolph left handed, but he didn't know what it was at first, since all the other plates had been fixed in place. Ursala did the work for him, hitting the glowing palace sigil, the one that said “Capital” and making it turn blue. After that though, once Richard was talking, Rolph didn't hesitate.
“Dad, we're all flying in a craft Tor made, Karina and her friend Ali are with us. Countess Thorgood, Trice, Ridley Dens, Sara, Tor and I. We're almost there, could you let them know we're coming? This vehicle doesn't look like a transport at all. We're over the palace now. Um, it’s purple.”
Tor made the decent slow, and if it wasn't as smooth as some pilots, well, they generally weren't coming in on their first solo flight either, were they? Tor decided to keep that part to himself and strive for a smooth, slow action that looked professional. He got down into one of the bare patches the bigger normal palace transports had worn, just as Connie and Richard walked out quickly to meet them. They didn't keep everyone in the dark, simply explaining about Yardley Principle, and what they'd found out so far. Tor almost cried out for them to stop, knowing that Ali wouldn't be able to handle what they said very easily, but they didn't hesitate.
Karina just nodded stiffly.
“I… figured it must be something like that. She's been questioned? Lil… Lillith Degray?” The Princess stood straight and didn't look broken at all.
It was worse than that by far. Tor knew that aspect of being personally, he'd lived it once.
Karina was going to go find the one that caused her pain, and make her pay. Lethally.
Right.
Well, he'd back her, if that's what she needed to do. Even if he had to kill Lilli himself. The idea made him shake a little, but that didn't matter. What mattered was being there for his friend. Tor walked over to her, but didn't touch her. If she wanted to be touched she'd reach out to him. Clinging to an undersized bakers son wouldn't look all that regal. She just stood straight, head high, and eyes on fire with rage.
“What has she said?” The Princess barely moved, but the King laid it out clearly enough.
It wasn't complex, amongst all her other crimes, a fairly extensive theft and underage prostitution ring that Karina hadn't known about at all, the girl, who was in her mid twenty's not the sixteen she'd told everyone, had been selling women for years. Normally as private sex slaves, under contract as whores. It was illegal in several ways, but the girls she preyed on were usually not all that bright. Tor winced when the man said it, but Ali nodded. She knew who, and what, she was.
Probably meaning she was actually smarter than she thought.
Yardley's “crime” had been trying to keep Ali from being sold. They'd argued and Lilli wouldn't put up with another “traitor”, what she called anyone who disagreed with her at all, so she killed her. The pieces at the end weren't big enough to save her. Kolb's people had tried, using one of Tor's healing amulets. Yardley was identifiable only because the head was left intact. Mainly. The girl’s parents were calling for blood.
The King seemed of a mind to give it to them.
So was everyone else.
Tor kept his mouth shut. The idea made him shake with fear and rage and gave him a perverse desire to try and save the woman, but that wasn't sane and he knew it. The execution would have to wait for the trial, Karina murmured softly, her light freckles darker in the dim light of the courtyard for some reason. That or all the blood had rushed from her face.
His shield kicked in as she started to lash out, first at Ali, who was closest to her and either too worn out, or too stunned to run away. Tor jumped between them, the Princesses shield suddenly pounding against his, over and over. The strength of the blows was great, a lot more than seemed reasonable, the ground under him making dull, echoing thuds when he was hit. Count Ward had punched harder, but not much, and the man was at least four times the thin princesses weight. Everyone else backed away, Rolph dashing in to grab Ali, and pull her out of the way, shielding her with his own body, thankfully.
The attack went on longer than any Tor had seen or heard of, nearly a full hour of pummeling and blows raining down. She pulled weapons, but only a force lance and a cutter, so not too much else was effected. He was fine when they hit him, but if they hit the palace it would have done damage and the wall around the complex hadn't been rebuilt yet. So really, no hiding it, if it was done. He tried to keep her going after him with focus and precision. Tor could have taunted her into it, but he couldn't stomach that, not after her good friend died. Her girlfriend or lover. Kind of heroically even, trying to protect their other friend, who clearly couldn't stand up for herself. Even if Yardley had been too late to stop anything, if the sale had really been happening.
Finally she went still, unmoving, not even panting somehow. Her look told him how confused she must have been and how close to death she'd worked herself. Her brain would be fried for a while, and the next day would hit like she'd spent the whole night drinking instead of pounding him. She'd also be depressed and probably cranky in the morning.