Ancient Kings (The Young Ancients) (2 page)

No one else thought that was particularly important, actually, but he did. Besides, it was as good a place to work from as any, given the speed of travel the Fast Carriages could bring to the table.

Timon looked upset, in a
very
subtle way, his face slightly more pale than usual for some reason. It was the kind of thing he wouldn't have noticed before his Rhetistics had broken down, Tor didn't think.

The boy didn't look at the others then, staring directly at Tor himself.

"She blames you for this. In part. She's cutting you slack, since you're her brother and obviously meant well, but you need to keep that in mind. To her you practically
ordered
Sandra to do it. The only people she blames more are Sandra and the King. She'll move past that with you eventually, being family, but..."

No one asked why the King was getting part of the blame. Not even Richard questioned it. He'd given Sandra Morris sanctuary at his Palace and asked Tiera to stand down, claiming that the death was a tragic mistake. It really
was
, and the tall, dark skinned girl had sworn to it while using a Truth amulet, so it wasn't a lie, but Tiera wasn't exactly being reasonable at the moment either. If it had just been him that she was blaming, or Count Lairdgren, they could have worked it out, in time, but everyone kind of feared that the girl was going to do something drastic at any moment.

Like try to kill the King.

That was treason, but she was, like it or not, an Immortal. It had been Richard himself that explained that part to Tor. No one could really do much to her, could they? She was super-human, very angry, and not going away. Plus, as Timon had intimated earlier, if the King
did
act against her, or if Count Lairdgren tried, then there would be a very different fight. One that would involve the rest of their family. She was, right or wrong, his sister after all.

The worst thing about all of that was something he hadn't really understood before. The King, the leader of an entire land, with a powerful army, vast spy network and no doubt a host of personal assassins ready to go, was afraid. Of
them
. Of Tiera and Timon. Of the Count... and even Tor. That last one was almost impossible for him to wrap his mind around when he'd heard it, but the King wasn't lying about his thoughts. His field told about how clear that worry was to the ruler.

The explanation had been surreal too. After all, why would any of them be trying to harm the King? He was, by nature, a good guy. One with too many secrets for his own good and a bit too into all of his intrigues and what not, but that didn't make him evil. No, that would feel different. But he was legitimately worried that Tiera would kill him and take out his family while doing so. After all, she had the ability, didn't she? If not at the moment, then she would in time, if she wanted to learn.

Tor had to agree there, having scuffled with her a bit a few days before. She'd broken six of his ribs, and if it had been a regular fight, without shields and magical weapons, she honestly might have beaten him. She was stronger than he was, for all she looked tiny, and
faster
too. He thought he was a better fighter still, but how long would that last? She was going to the same school he had, with the same instructors as far as that went. More, she was really studying fighting, as her main course there. He'd just taken some classes for a few years, since it was on his schedule. At the rate she seemed to be learning Tor didn't doubt that she'd be a better fighter than he was within the year. Maybe sooner.

Well, as long as he didn't cheat, which he was going to be doing if it ever came to it. Otherwise someone might really get hurt.

What then though? Once she really knew how to fight, she could go for the King, even without magical weapons, and possibly take him out. Sure, that would mean having to leave Noram for a generation or two while people forgot about her, but she was
immortal,
and that meant she could do it. Most wouldn't risk that sort of thing, but his sister wasn't really thinking clearly at the moment, was she?

Tor sighed.

"Right. Well, let's tell her that there's going to be a real trial. Maybe that will buy us some time? If she knows that Rich is trying to fix this and knows why, maybe that will help? She's angry, but she isn't evil or insane. I don't think." He hated to add the last bit, but Timon made a face at him for saying it anyway.

"It isn't
your
way, or mine, but
she's
the one that has the right of it here Tor." Tim waved at the King in an offhand fashion, as if the man were a relative already, instead of the leader of the land. "Not the part about King Richard, but the rest of it. If I wasn't worried how she'd react I'd suggest that Richard go and lay on the floor for her. As it stands I think we should wait as far as that goes. He's the King after all. It would be annoying to have to replace him at this point."

That got a snort, from Rolph. The name got Tor to smile to himself and make a mental correction,
Prince Alphonse
. Rolph Merchant had just been his name at school, used to protect him from... Really, the more Tor thought about it, the more he realized that it had probably been about ego, more than anything else. Protecting the Heir from his own upbringing and power. He'd learned accounting there, but the most important lesson had been about not thinking he was better than everyone else. It was kind of a big deal, and the fact that the King had set it up was too. Most nobles didn't think that far ahead with their children, Tor knew.

The Prince smiled, if a bit sadly.

"That's the truth. Well, I'll just be off with Tor then, to smooth things over with his sister." He held up a hand, the smile gone from his face. It was, oddly enough, directed toward his mother though he looked directly at Timon when he did it. That was something new, Tor thought. Why would his friend be worried about what
Tim
thought at all? The boy was only twelve for goodness sake.

"I don't think she'll kill me. Maybe slap me around a bit. What do you think?"

The younger boy looked back, his face unreadable.

"I... have to agree. That would be a good idea. She isn't angry at you in particular at all. If you went to present the story to her, spent some time with her for a few days, it might help. Maybe if Princess Veronica went to visit as well? They like each other I hear. Not in the same way you two do, given the questions there, but since Veronica is practically our sister, Tiera will have to stay her hand."

On the good side, Tor figured, no one else seemed to understand what he meant either, except Count Lairdgren, who shrugged and explained, looking at first the Queen and then Richard, making a face.

"Yes, that. Veronica came to me a few weeks ago and requested genetic screening. At first I didn't understand why, but the results were... Unusual. To say the least." Then, frustratingly, he stopped speaking, as if waiting for someone else to fill in the hard parts. Tim just sat though, regarding the man as if he were a moron.

Rich looked slightly ticked off and growled at him. "
Explain
."

After a few seconds Burks pulled out an amulet, a Truth device. Turning it on he was suddenly surrounded by a cream colored glow that had two goldenrod colored stripes down the front and back. It was a real amulet too, Tor thought, it felt correct at any rate. That was good, because the man had a fake one that he'd used before. The sigil on this bit of focus stone was pink though and glowed merrily, instead of the green that had been on the Ancient's own version of it.

"It seems that Princess Veronica is, biologically, my child. Mine and Constance's." He looked at the Queen then and made a face that was a little strange seeming. A wry, slightly lopsided grin that looked a bit too relaxed for an admission like that. "The only problem there is that Constance and I have never been lovers, or particularly close in that way. Certain things are required to have a child, and to the very best of my knowledge, we haven't done any of them, at any point."

The field of cream and golden yellow didn't flicker at all.

That didn't stop Tor from feeling like his stomach had fallen out the bottom of his being though. After all, he and Burks,
biologically speaking
, as he'd said, were the same person. That would mean, in a very real way that Varley was... his
own
daughter.

And they'd had sex.

There was a low murmur from the Queen, and Tor knew that he should have been watching her reaction, but he had to surge to his feet and look for a place to be sick. The heaving that came was dry, since he couldn't really throw up very well for some reason and had never been able too, but his body tried really hard to get it done. He sank to his knees, still wracked with pain and surging every few seconds, before anyone said anything that he could understand. Karina ran across the room to him, patting his back gently.

"It's alright... You couldn't have known, either of you."

That was true, but for some reason it didn't really leave him feeling any better. After a minute, Connie having taken up the amulet, the worst of it stopped, so he was able to listen to what she was saying again.

"I really haven't ever done anything with Burks. Frankly... I've never been that enthused about him. He's attractive enough, certainly, but a bit overbearing at times." She blushed a little, which was visible through the glow, so it had to be a real thing, or at least her being close to combat rage. "I don't know how this might have happened otherwise however."

Again it was all true, and the King didn't seem that upset about it, having had a few seconds to adjust it seemed. He sat back a bit and just waited, clearly thinking. Tor envied him his aplomb, not feeling it himself at all.

"That's
interesting
. Well, she's the third child, so from a legal stand point not required to be mine by blood. I have to say that the thought she might not be mine
had
occurred to me before. Then, she does take after her mother, doesn't she? It could have just been that."

That got Burks to sigh and stand.

"Yes, that's the other part of this, isn't it?" Again he stopped and for once Tor didn't really want him to go on. Thankfully he didn't. Not at all.

Timon did though. Jerk that he was.

"I see. So Constance is also your daughter? I take it that you never had relations with her mother either?" There was a coolness to his voice, a thing that got the attention of everyone in the room. Tor wasn't able to track the subtle meaning, the feeling of his lips tingling being a bit too strong.

"Correct. On all counts."

Then, for the first time in his life, Torrance Baker managed something that he hadn't really been certain was possible at all. He spewed black bile across the polished marble floor in front of him, his body spasming so hard he nearly cracked his head against it. After about two minutes of this, a burning sensation hitting him like fire, he managed to sit up. Karina didn't help him this time.

 No, her eyes had gone wide instead.

"Oh... Crap. Well Tim, I guess it's a good thing we haven't been sleeping together then, isn't it?" She didn't make eye contact with Tor at all, but Alphonse did, his own eyes wide.

Dangerously so.

"I... think that we shouldn't take anything done without knowledge to heart. No children were produced and that's the real point of such taboos. Just a few mistakes made. Nothing to worry about..." He didn't sound overly convinced however, which left Tor suddenly feeling ashamed. His friend couldn't even look at him.

Probably because Tor was dirty and tainted now. An evil... Was there even a name for what he was? Someone that had sex with his own family like that? He decided to try heaving for a while more, to get the filth out of him, but nothing came. No one called for the floor to be cleaned either, but after a few moments, Karina produced a kerchief for him to wipe his mouth with. It was light blue and had her initials embroidered on one corner in black.

"Thanks." He muttered the word as he stood, turning to look at the others, knowing that he couldn't really avoid them forever. Not unless he moved out of the Kingdom for a few hundred years. No one spoke for a while but finally Timon chuckled a little.

"I did
not
see that one coming. Interesting, like the King said. So, who could set that up? Gray?" He was talking directly to Burks, who nodded, his face looking a good bit less than perfectly pleased.

"Yes. Genetic manipulation is her area of expertise. We can't count any of the Ancients out, except for you kids, of course. Still, Lara would be my first guess. Why though? It doesn't really make sense."

Tor felt something then, a strange thing that he'd noticed before, in the last months. It was as if his mind was receding down a tunnel after a fashion. He felt his mouth shape words, and felt better. Calm and collected suddenly, as if nothing really mattered that much at all. Relaxed.

"It might be possible that Lara was trying to cross breed our lines Burks. To create another version of me that could assume control of Noram? I don't have any way of knowing what deals or bargains she and I might have made, after this first copy of myself was created, for implantation. I lived for hundreds of years after this Rhetistic set was developed after all. There seems to be some sense in it however. Veronica is brilliant, and while not immortal the genetic potential is there for that to happen in future generations, particularly if there is more inbreeding in the germ line." The words were deeper than Tor's real voice, smooth and friendly, even when serious.