"Yes. We can speak of it later. It doesn't mean much for your studies, except that I have no plans to retire in time for it to benefit your class marks."
"Oh. I had to ask, just to make certain I wasn't being made fun of. Countess Baker said it was truth, but..." She winced, since implying that a Countess might lie, even when it was obvious and clear at the time, was dangerous. Doing it after you
knew
she was being honest was a thousand times worse.
Tiera tensed, anger coming, but fought it back, since it wasn't that, really, was it? Mags didn't think of her that way, she was just some bitchy girl that had helped beat her one day. One that
she'd
come to help without hesitation anyway.
She could let it slide.
When they got to the Capital, not too long after Kolb had to go and actually eat something, Mags let out a low whistle and pointed.
"There in the battle field, in that orchard... Who lives there?" She pointed, but so far there was only the one place, which really was impressive. It was late enough that the silver river that ran around the top of the wall, floating in the air lit the whole thing, and the place inside was simply grand, having four stories and a few out buildings in the back, including a lit and finished landing area in the front, which Tiera used.
Timon waved at it, his arm not moving, but visible to the woman in the back.
"This is my place. You're welcome to come visit whenever you like. In fact we'll save you a room for King's week. Anyone that comes to help save my life gets first pick of spaces. Do you want to come in?"
It was kindly said, but Tiera stared at him anyway. If she hadn't known better she would have been certain that he'd just not only invited an adult woman to stay with him, but did it in such a fashion that she'd know he was "
grateful
". Not that he was beyond light flirting, even if he was too young for it, but this had the marks of a person actually intending to follow through with something, and really, he wasn't of age. Married, so that would mean he could have sex with his wife, by special dispensation, but not anyone else...
Not legally.
Then, did Timon really care about the law all that much?
Tiera sighed. It was his life and he had to live it. Mags wasn't all that pretty, but she wasn't hideous either, and she really
had
come to save him. On the other hand
he
was successful in business, wealthy, and had good connections, for all he was young. If the woman didn't at least try to be his friend she was a fool.
Tiera didn't let her answer however.
"We're going to the Palace to report on this, then... I need to go and talk to some people, maybe take them some of the new communications devices so the next chat won't take three days of travel to get done. Kolb is going to kick my ass for this, but I think it has to be done."
That got a chuckle from Mags at least.
"Kolb
always
kicks our butts, and if you let him know why you're going to be gone he doesn't even punish kids. Besides that, you have all that extra time in already, doing extra practice and kissing up. I'm pretty sure if you explain he won't be angry about it. Just don't come in and tell him you were off getting drunk or laid, without having given notice first. I can't imagine what he'd do to you then." She looked at Timon then, talking past her a bit. "The instructors in the morning beat her all the time. Leaving her bloody and with broken bones, at least three or four times a week. She gives her own back, but no one else has to put up with that kind of thing. Even after she won her County they did it, ganging up on her and tearing half her face off. I didn't see it, but a bunch of people told me they flat out lost their breakfast seeing it. They were about to call the guard to try and save her. So how they could punish her for anything I can't see."
Timon shrugged and moved to climb out.
"Easy enough, make her do something boring like clean the weapons or wash the floor. That sort of thing. Anyway, come visit soon, Mags. We'll be looking for you. Tiera, keep in touch? I'm not certain I should go anywhere right now. Given what's going on. Be safe about it." He finished going out the door and walked to his palace, jogging a bit to get inside quickly. She didn't lift off until he was.
Then she called Prince Alphonse again, so that he could get them cleared with the Royal Guard and the shield wouldn't be up, which it hadn't been at any time that day according to him. There was always something after all, and locking yourself in constantly made you look weak.
To that end, after a clothing change for both of them. Mags had a clothing amulet on, which was a gift from Tor, she confided, even though she didn't know him personally. They dressed nicely for it, since it probably wasn't a direct attack on anyone at the Palace yet, if she had it right. Except possibly Karina. Really, that girl needed to go into hiding soon. Possibly that day.
The Royal Guards on the door truth tested them, asking enough questions that Tiera was pretty well convinced that Mags wasn't a spy, or in on any plans to get anyone that day, including her. Then they were taken to the Prince, since he was handling the crises. That made sense. You didn't learn how to do that kind of thing from a book after all, and he was the one they'd contacted for it.
There was a few minutes of waiting while Alphonse and Smythe of Westend fielded communications, some of them to the military, since, it seemed, they'd gotten some of the generals such devices. They'd gone to a higher level of alert, but not that much. They were mainly just putting out the word to have people keep an eye out for Timon's attacker.
"That's right, about six-two, black hair, brown eyes. Dressed like a mid-level merchant, mainly in brown and tan the last he was seen, no scars or markings, but may be carrying a wooden box with glass tubes inside of it." It was hard to explain technology to people that weren't used to it, and the Prince clearly wasn't going to try.
After that they both stopped and smiled at the women, but didn't stand to bow. Tiera threw one off, since Mags was there and needed to realize these were important people. She went low. Almost commoner low, for all she was over six-six herself and clearly of noble blood.
"Tiera, anything new?"
"Not particularly. I just need to let you know that Princess Karina should be wary. It seems that Gray is behind this, and she's less than thrilled with her. So far it's all been about going after Tim, but..." She didn't point out the rest, since Alphonse knew the story, having been there as Gray had beaten the Princess nearly to death. It had been a duel, a challenge that the girl had been forced to accept, since Gray had poisoned everyone in the Palace and claimed that she'd let them all die if the girl didn't fight. Bare handed against a super humanly strong Ancient that had managed more than a bit of time to practice. One that had looked like Denno Brown at the time, but wasn't. Now it kind of made sense that she might not have actually been her at all, just a copy with her memories in it. Designed to do exactly what had happened. Except the part where Karina had actually won in the end.
The real Gray or not, this seemed to not be totally over.
"I'll see to that, thank you. Both of you. Mags Helms... I don't know that name I'm afraid..." The Prince seemed baffled, which made sense. There were only a few thousand high nobles, but more relatives without power or grand position. It was a bit rude to point it out like he was doing, but he was the Prince and Mags didn't as much as make a face.
"That makes sense. I'm at Lairdgren thanks to my great Uncle, Baron Marks. He's covering it for us. Prince Alphonse."
He just nodded and smiled at her.
"Well, I know who you are
now
. Thank you for your service today, we owe a debt to you for what you've done. This will of course be repaid the traditional fashion. By giving you more work." He smiled at her charmingly though and spread his hands in the air. "I'll try to get you the nice ones though. It's supposed to be a reward, not punishing you for daring to do something good."
Mags bowed, looking a bit flat.
"Thank you, Prince Alphonse. I'll try to do my best."
"Excellent. I don't mean to be rude, but we should be getting back to work, passing this information around. Do you two have plans?"
It sounded like he was asking if they wanted to make the calls, but Tiera nodded.
"I'm leaving for a few days to try and track this down. Soam, the Antarctic, Afrak and Tellerand. I can just talk to Lyn and Denno, so that will save time. Mags needs to get back to school however, unless she's needed for another task at the moment?" She was being a bit leading, but Smyth of Westend nodded a bit and smiled, seeming genuinely pleased by the taller girl.
"That would be fine, but you should check with Tor and see if you can get a communications device. When you do, please contact me directly. We'll set things up from there."
Mags bowed, but looked like they were asking her to kiss a toad. It was funny, in an awkward way.
Then they were able to get out and go back to the school.
The world was dark under them, and after they left the bright city, Mags sighed.
"Not that I'm claiming I did much today, but more work doesn't seem like a great prize, does it?"
"With these people? If you play it right you might find yourself working for Smyth directly. Sure, it's
work
, but if you do it well, that's about as fast a track to power as you can get. Even sleeping with the Prince isn't as good, I don't think."
"Oh? I guess that is better then. Most of the time when people ask you to work, they just want to use you."
Tiera nodded.
"And they
do
. I didn't say otherwise. They know that you're cool under pressure, willing to take action when others didn't and to go into possible danger to save a life. Those aren't little things. Now you'll have to prove yourself hard working and clever too, but you aren't bone headed, so you can do it. I'd stop drinking though. Right now. Just don't do it for the next few years, so if a call comes in, you can go instantly. Really, you should ask Timon for a Fast Craft too. Or Tor. You know where his bakery is?"
The girl was silent for a long time, but when she spoke, her voice was soft and gentle.
"I... go there sometimes. His prices are good and he's pretty easy on the eyes. I can't just ask him to give me a communications device, and I can't afford fifty gold for it either. That's... I don't know. It felt like an order, for me to get one of those, but there's no real way to make it work, is there?"
Tiera rolled her eyes, but didn't speak, flying for a long time silently and setting her bright pink and blue craft, which currently looked like a teardrop, in front of Ali's house. It was late enough and she needed to talk to her brother anyway, to get some communications devices for the other Ancients, come to think of it. That and tell him the whole story for the day.
He came to the door himself and gave her a hug, then smiled at Mags.
"Hello, please, come in. We're going to have dinner in a few minutes. Would you like to stay?" He gestured for them to come in smiling at both of them like they were actually guests.
Tiera held up her hand for silence as soon as the door shut.
"We have news and need some of the new communications devices. Mags needs one, so that Smyth of Westend and Prince Alphonse can put her to work. She helped save Timon today. That's the rest of this." The explanation wasn't that long of one, since she told the conclusion and a bit of what Timon said, not the blow by blow. "So, devices for the Ancients, if you have them? Oh, and make sure you remember Mags. She's at the school here, so you can call on her too if you need anything. Especially if you have a Fast Craft you can part with?"
Tor shrugged and left without speaking, coming back a few minutes later with a little floating case for Tiera, and several amulets in an even smaller one for Mags. It was about the size of both of Tiera's hands put together and looked adorably cute, hovering behind him like that.
"I don't have a Fast Craft right now, so I put in a Space Craft, since Alice Orange has told me they're safe. Get out to her compound to learn how to use it. Then a new shield, some weapons that the school would strip from you if you mentioned them, and twenty gold. That will keep you in food if we have to send you on errands or what have you. Tell me when it runs out and I'll give you more. I set the communications device with your name already."
The woman, who was nineteen, Tiera thought, bowed low to him, which got him to do it back, barely moving. It was technically correct, since he was a Countier in his own County, and had just given the woman a
Space Craft
. As far as she knew that was the only one owned by a private citizen at all. It was, essentially, priceless.
Tiera smiled.
"Good. We need help that won't be identified as a close personal friend. It could be important. I can't prove that, but..."
Tor nodded.
"She went to save our brother. I won't forget that."
Then they left, which had Mags frowning a bit.
"I'm not really certain what just happened there. Was I hired for something?" She sounded a bit uncertain that it was real as well, even as the little case hovered along behind them as they walked.