The conversation went on for a long time, and a lot of war related things were talked about, which Tor mainly just nodded through. It was nearly all he could do not to fall asleep. His eyes were heavy and the topic, while supremely important, was about as interesting as watching yeast ferment. Starting he realized that his head had dropped suddenly as he'd fallen asleep. Sitting up straight he waited for his things to be delivered, or perhaps someone would come and take him there? That would work too. That was probably going to be easier he realized. Six medium-large trunks would be hard to move, right? Especially if they didn't know how to work the follow along floats.
Nothing came. Eventually they moved to one of the dining rooms, but Tor didn't drop his shield to eat. After all, that would open him to attack. Plus for all he knew the food was poisoned. Everyone else had a poison detector, but not him. All the ones he had were in with the amulets in with his stuff.
No one said anything, but he got worried glances from everyone for some reason. Finally, after almost two hours a liveried Royal Guard came in, looking panicked. Everyone stared as he whispered in the King’s ear. Whatever it was Rich didn't look happy about it, frowning and going very still as he said something and listened to a reply. Suddenly he took a deep breath and walked from the room, heals clicking softly on the stone floor.
“Thomson, Thorgood, attend me now, please. It's… potentially urgent.” He said, not looking at either of them as he walked quickly from the room. Rolph shrugged but kept eating.
“Well, Tor, is there anything we can do to convince you that it's safe here with us now?” The Queen asked, batting her eyelashes just enough to catch his attention, without making it seem phony. It was of course, he realized. She'd probably had lessons in it as a girl. Ah well, so what if she had? If so it had worked out well enough for her, since she was Queen. If she'd been taught homemaking, she'd have been out of her depth, wouldn't she? He didn't think there was but said nothing, not knowing how to answer her.
Tor kept drifting off, and was, he realized, asleep when everyone came back in. Because being caught napping would make him look good. Not weak at all.
They didn't run, actually, if such large people could be said to mince, that's what Tor would have gone with as a descriptor. They all looked horribly worried about something, but only Tovey actually looked at him.
“Tor… all your things have been stolen. Even the devices that were in the room you shared with Countess Thorgood and… Countess Printer. All of its gone from the palace.” The Count didn't seem pleased about it at least.
Well.
Either they were lying to try and keep him there, or something had gone horribly wrong. Tor just waited. They'd probably give him something more to go on eventually. It was the King that finally broke the silence.
“Ahem. Well… not to point fingers, but Countess Printer was seen leaving with ten cases earlier, flying at speed away from the Capital. We're tracking her now, but she seems to be making best time back towards her County. We need to prove this before taking action but it seems highly likely.”
Nodding Tor just sat.
“Wait…” Something didn't make sense to him. Well a lot of things didn't really, but right now one thing really stood out. “She took my clothes? My toothbrush? Why? She'll never fit in them, and even if she did, well, the colors and styles are all wrong for her. Really, I have all those green shirts, she'd look better in burgundy, don't you think? And I know for a fact she has her own toothbrush, I've seen it, it has a really nice carved ivory handle… Oooh, and what could she be doing with my under things?” Tor mugged a little, getting a laugh from the Princesses at least, well, Trice too, though that was more a dark chuckle, as if she had some ideas about the subject that Tor probably wouldn't even think of.
That dark chuckle triggered an equally dismal thought in Tor's somewhat sleep deprived mind.
“Oh, and, I don't suppose that the amulets I was wearing when Smythe attacked me went into those cases, did they?”
Trice told him that Ger had collected them and was holding them for him.
“Great! He's a good and trustworthy person to keep my stuff. Very good in fact. Um, could someone send for him? Quickly please? Before his next meal time?” A smile strained his lips, half panicked.
No one got it except the Prince.
“Shit Tor… Do not tell me a twelve year old boy is running around with that super weapon that looks like a poison detector?”
Well, Tor considered it for a moment. Gerald was thirteen, so there was that. Nearly an adult and a Squire to boot. He wasn't worried the kid would run off with his things, just that he might get confused and check his meal with a poison detector that simply wasn't. He tilted his head back and forth as Rolph ran from the room. Gasping slightly Tor followed. He didn't want the Prince to scare the kid after all. As long as Ger knew he had it, everything would be fine. Probably safer with him in fact, since no one really seemed to want to kill the boy. No need to freak after all. It could be hard not to, but it wouldn't help anything, losing control never did.
They pelted through the hallway, rounding several hallways before making it to the kitchen, one of the smaller ones that Tor hadn't been to before, to find both Ger and Gemma helping out with the dinner prep. Chopping potatoes into little cubes.
Tor smiled and waved when the kids looked up.
“Hey all!” He forced his voice into brightness. “Ger, do you still have my amulets by any chance?” He asked immediately, not getting an answer really, just a flying tackle from two sides.
“Master Tor!” Gemma cried, her arms slipping off his shield, her own doing the same. That earned a smile from Tor. With the double slices of stone in his right hand Tor aimed a blow for Ger's shoulder, he had a shield on too. Good. If he hadn't the second blow would have landed on his head, if not hard enough to do more than sting. He was a Squire now, so that meant he needed to stay ready, especially since they were at war.
For nearly a minute the kids enthused about his not being blind or dead, which made Tor happy enough. Ger, being a good Squire, even if not his, had all the amulets and weapons on him. He was using that shield, Gemma had the one Tor gave him. Very smart of them really, good use of available resources.
“Right, um, see the poison detector there? Could you hand it to me please?” The field was definitely not that of a poison detector. Being hyper careful Tor stepped out of the room and activated the cutter still in his hand, facing away from anyone and, hands full, tried to make another mark in it. Nothing happened.
Right, the shield he had on protected it too. Tor tried not to indicate he'd made that mistake and didn't react. Looking around and taking a deep breath, he willed the shield to drop and made the second and then third mark on the tiny copper piece quickly, then made sure he was protected again.
“Whew! Here you go then Ger.” Tor handed it back to him, earning a panicked look from Rolph. “OK. Ger, that, as you may have guessed, isn't a poison detector at all. It's the most powerful explosive weapon I've ever made. Maybe the most powerful thing that exists in the kingdom. If you use it while on the ground or on anything too near you, and I mean within at least a mile, maybe more, you'll die, shield or not. So will everyone else around you. Keep the other weapons, and guard it with your life. Give it to no one except me, Kolb, Prince Alphonse or the King, and really, if any of us seem upset or angry when demanding it, don't give it to us. Got that? Even if you have to fight us to keep it. Gemma? When Ger needs to bathe or anything that means his shield will be off, you have it. For god’s sake don't get confused and check your food with it! Are you both armed?”