“Hell…” He started trying for a greeting, but got a sudden harangue that stopped him cold. Tor decided to just listen and glanced at the clothing she wore, brown leather pants, new looking tan boots and a green silk top, a deep green that looked almost black. Mercy had on deep blue. House colors? The King had purple and gold, which Tor liked, because purple was his favorite color, but deep green wasn’t too bad. It worked with his mom’s black hair and pale skin, so it would probably work with his too. At least the house colors weren’t pink and yellow. The idea nearly made him laugh. Lairdgren. In proper country speech that just meant “Lord Green” which made sense. Heck, Tor’s middle name was Green. It all kind of clicked into place suddenly.
“Your father and I did not send you off to school to get into fights like some kind of common ruffian! I’m of half a mind to send you home right now young man. Of all the irresponsible, lame headed, hare brained things to be doing! Well, I hope you haven’t been neglecting your baking skills, because after this little display you’ll be lucky if anyone will let you do even that. Hmph!” Her voice was just as shrill and harsh as he remembered it at least, so that hadn’t changed.
Looking around he saw that Dorgal Sorvee had walked over, probably enjoying the fact that Tor was being chewed out in public like this. Well, it was embarrassing, but she was right. He should have watched what he said and let David deal with it. But still…
“Ah, ma’am?” Dorgal said in a genteel voice, bowing slightly. “Now, normally I’d be all for watching the little baker boy here be taken to task for, well, pretty much anything, since he bugs the crud out of me most days, but he wasn’t in the wrong here. Count Rodriguez challenged a first year student to a duel to the death because he was mad at the kid’s father. Tor got him to challenge him instead. Then handled it without killing him, which was rather smoothly done. That weapon Davie Derring has is… Well, that plowed looking field next to us? It was grass earlier.” The greasy seeming boy shrugged.
“He would have killed the Count and that wouldn’t end well for anyone, probably starting a war, and wars are messy, don’t you think? Bad for business all around. Now, if it pleases you, knowing all that, do continue ripping this guy a new one. I’ll get some snacks and take notes for later use.” Dorgal bowed and stepped back with a smarmy smile, far enough away that the glare from Tor’s mom barely scathed him.
“Friend of yours dear?” Mercy put in, obviously trying to change the subject.
“Ah, no, kind of the school bully actually. Little shocked that he didn’t find some way to use this to his advantage yet. Not that he’s the violent type. He just says things, you know… Related to Meredith Sorvee I think. Good thing Trice asked me to marry her first.” Standing about fifteen feet away Dorgal blanched. “Though really, I’m sure Meredith is a great person… I just couldn’t risk it, in case she’s a relative of his.
“So, if you’re not here to see this debacle, why have you both come? It’s not… Trice hasn’t decided to break off the engagement already, has she? She didn’t mention anything to me about that…” He knew he hadn’t been a very good fiance yet. Since they’d been back he’d spent almost all of his time working on one thing or another, not paying attention to her like he should. Sure the whole thing wasn’t really real, but on the off chance that he could win her over, shouldn’t he try? Or at least… Well, he should make himself look as good as possible to her, so that she might recommend him to other women as a decent person, after she was done with him. He’d make a point of working on that, if the whole thing wasn’t up already. Had she met some other boy? Well, he’d certainly given her time to, so who could blame her?
Mercy shook her head. “Nothing like that. In fact she was just telling me how happy she is with you and how she hoped you didn’t die out there. It looks like you took more of a beating than it seemed though, did your shield fail or…”
Tor touched his face. “No. These… a Royal Guard kicked me down some stairs last night. I took her prisoner and locked her and her troop up in a holding cell after. I guess I get to go deal with that now. Do you think that the King would have secretly ordered my death… or I don’t know, would Connie have done it? I thought we were all friends, but… No one’s talking about why Wensa keeps trying to kill me. She’s claiming that she didn’t do it last night, but it sure seemed like her.” Tor rolled his eyes. “Sorry, I’ll handle all that later. Now, to what do we owe the pleasure?”
The reason they were there surprised Tor a little, but not in a bad way. Terlee had decided to come and visit Count Thomson. They were flying over and saw the gathering of people so they decided to land and see what the situation was. Probably hoping for jugglers or a party.
“Imagine our surprise…” Laurie began dryly, still glaring at Tor a little.
Terlee was over by the Count, who stood in a small group of people around David Derring, it was a good enough excuse to drag everyone over, since it was his sister after all. Besides Trice stood next to her as well. His sister looked… good. Royal, if tiny. Her hair was pulled back simply but her face had been made up like the ladies at court did, but with less color, so it looked more natural. She wore an outfit similar to his mothers, but that pulled in at the waist a little more and pushed her bust line forward. Courting clothes. David smiled when he walked up and started making introductions.
“Tor! Tor, this is my father, Count Derring, of course, and my mother.” The man and woman looked at him as if he’d done something special. The man bowed slightly towards Tor.
“I was just saying how lucky it was that David didn’t fight Count Rodriguez.” The man said, his voice a little prickly for some reason. Tor shrugged and agreed.
“Yes. David’s at least five times better than I am at fighting and really didn’t have as much reason as I did to let the man off easy.” Tor spoke softly, trying to pitch his voice so that the Count alone would hear him.
The Count looked surprised.
“Oh, yes, well… I did rather mean that weapon that you gave him. That was impressive. The fool should have surrendered on his knees right there. Still, we are, of course, just as glad that it all ended without any death. Right Davie?” The voice was dry and a little smarmy sounding to Tor’s ear, which couldn’t be right. Wouldn’t any father be simply happy that their child was unharmed in a case like this?
“Of course.” The kid sounded so subdued suddenly that Tor wondered if his father had ordered him to kill the man outright or something. If so, he’d make sure that David knew to blame him for it. Tor hadn’t known of any plan, after all, and who could expect some country bumpkin like him to get a complicated plan like that anyway? So far, as nice as both Davie and Karen were, their father wasn’t making a very good impression. He felt creepy. On a field level, not just his looks or something basic like that. Torrence looked up at the man his neck twinging a little from the extreme angle. Huge and creepy. Almost evil.
The Countess Derring, a sweet looking, if large, mousy blond in her mid-forties, meaning she looked younger than that, moved in and gave him a hug. Tor was baffled for a few seconds.
“Thank you for my son.” She whispered directly in his left ear so softly Tor almost couldn’t hear her. It didn’t sound like thanks for saving his life, which he hadn’t done at all. The boy really would have won pretty easily. If Tor managed it, he would have. Probably by leaving bits of Rodriguez all over the back of the field. So, was it thanks for making sure her son didn’t have to kill the Count?
David smiled and continued the introductions.
“You know Karen and Count Thomson of course…” He gestured with his right hand, a move far too elegant for the heavy canvas clothing he wore. He didn’t sweat, which meant that he had on a temperature equalizer too most likely. “Next to him on the left is my cousin, Ducherina Patricia Morgan. She goes to school here, I don’t know if you’ve met? On the other side of the Count,” he continued without pausing so Tor couldn’t explain anything. No one else tried yet, so Tor let him continue. “Is the lovely Counserina Lairdgren, Tamerlane.”