by P. S. Power
“My house, um, by the river, palace looking thing? Near a mountain of waterfalls? Can't really miss it, only place out there like it. I don't know when I'll be in tonight, dinner is at nine though, early tomorrow I'll be here again.”
It wasn't very clear, but it was about the best he could manage on short notice.
Before she left he grabbed a basket and let her pick out anything she wanted from the store next door, asking Debbie to write up a bill for it. That way the gift would be from him, not the store itself. Terlee hesitated and finally picked one thing, blushing, a new bed. Smiling Tor asked for the basket and started loading it up with one of everything and two of a few, so Tovey could have one too. A bunch of lights as well. Everyone not blind needed light after all, as he was still far more acutely aware than he would have been half a year before. Terlee blushed at all the gifts, but took them. They were family, so she had to, and really, it wasn't like it put him out or anything, even paying retail for them.
“There, now, I'll see you in a few days, tops. Alright?”
She ducked her head as if she were sixteen again and still a shy and retiring flower, instead of the nearly confident Countess she'd become. Ali was thrilled though and wanted to go buy something for her, as a visiting gift. It seemed reasonable to Tor, but he didn't know the rules for things like that. Karina did and wrinkled her nose at him.
“I'll take her around this afternoon to look for things. Newlyweds, so the rule is for things useful to the home or bedroom. You gave her one of those excellent beds, so… Really Tor, I'm almost certain you don't want to know what I'm thinking…. But Ali's your daughter, or nearly, so it should come out of her allowance. I get five gold a month.”
Ah. Tor had more than that at the store, just from the previous days sales even after Terlee's gifts. He handed the coins over to his daughter to be, and decided that thinking of her as the short busty girl had to go as well. She had a cute face, and wasn't over tall, but then he didn't even know her age. He kept thinking sixteen, but didn't know for certain, Tor had never questioned his initial assumption on that score, and that was based on Karina's age more than anything.
Tor asked, which made her look at him nervously.
“Um, thirteen, I think. Maybe fourteen, I'm not really sure. I left home at eleven, I remember that. We just happened to be here then. I… I…Alissa isn't my real name.” The words came out afraid, almost a sob.
Tor looked at her and tilted his head just a bit.
“Oh? What is it?” Ali was as fine a name as any if she liked it, but this seemed important to her. A sound came from the back, Davie coming out with a tray of hand pies for the shop, the ones for Tor having been cooling for hours.
“Gretchen.” She said softly staring at the tall boy. “My real name is Gretchen Derring.”
Tor spun as the tray of hand pies David had been holding, a large flat metal sheet, tumbled to the floor with a loud clang. Hand pies, berry by the red smears nor all over the floor. A shame, they smelled really good, Tor noticed. The nearly seven foot tall Countier stared at her, not moving, not even breathing for a few moments.
“Gretchen? I… didn't recognize you. Do… do you remember me?” He spoke softly, his voice gentle and calm. As if she was deranged or something.
Ali, Gretchen, nodded.
“I remember it all. Everything. You're my brother Davie. I didn't recognize you either, until I heard the name, you got so tall. Way taller than… him. I knew Jerral when I saw him, which is why I wouldn't, you know, have sex with him. Didn't want to. He didn't know me though. Couldn't see past the breasts I think. I used to be so flat.” Her voice had gone shocky and toneless, her face pale and emotionless until that broke suddenly.
“I won't go back David. I can't. If you try to make me I'll…” She didn't say what she'd do, but it didn't matter.
David walked over slowly and picked her up into a brotherly hug.
“Damn straight you're not! You're going to be adopted by Tor and be Alissa Baker and anyone that says different can face me over it. I won't let him hurt you now! I was just a boy then, I should have stopped him, somehow, even if it meant dying, but he always locked me in that damn cage. If he tries that shit again, I'll kill him. If we can get Jerral away from him, then we're all free. Except Heidi, but I don't know if we can help her now.”
David’s eyes got moist, which didn't go with his new huge warrior look very well. Karina looked concerned, scared, and suddenly defiant. But she didn't speak. Box just started to clean up the mess the hand pies left on the floor, scraping them up onto the metal tray using another one as a broom. It worked, more or less.
That… the whole thing seemed way too coincidental to him. What were the odds? Was it a trick, or… It was possible that it had to do with magic of some kind. Maybe even his own, which was a scary thought. By nature he ordered reality around him a little, without even meaning too. Everyone did, of course, but as focused as he was most of the time, the results might just be a lot further reaching for him. Then again, did it matter? She was going to be his daughter, his family. His grandfather had said so, and he'd agreed. Terlee had accepted her based only on that. If someone, anyone, tried to hurt her, royal or not, they'd have to kill him first to do it. He said this quietly, making a point of looking her right in the eyes.
Tor didn't explain to Debbie, she'd been right there after all, but he did ask her and Box not to say anything, to anyone, about it. Then he loaded everyone into a carriage, and after changing it to look official, in cream and gold, shaped almost identically to a real one, headed to the palace. It was a risk, sure, but one he was willing to take, because if he was going to steal a Counts daughter and make it stick, he needed both the King and Queen on his side.
They all changed in the carriage, dressing in identical black clothing, mainly because no one had the time or energy to think of anything else. It was just plain black canvas and looked like the military uniform more or less. That was fine. They weren't going to win style points. They got in fast, Tor feeling edgy and angry, not knowing why, but he was. Like something was about to go very wrong.
Down each hallway, Karina in the lead, it being her house, Tor half expected to run into Count Derring, standing there, ready to take his daughter back to his country estate. If that happened Tor was going to challenge the man to a duel. Right then and there. For existing probably. He didn't know of any real reason, other than he was so mean to his own children that they preferred death to his punishments, or being under his power.
That was enough, wasn't it?
The King and Queen were alone, thankfully, and Tor nodded, and started speaking while the others bowed, Karina gave a bow too, but Tor was too busy. The discussion was hard, the royals thinking that the kids where telling tales to avoid an merely unpleasant parent, but not truly abused for some reason. Tor pulled the truth detector from around his neck and handed it to Davie turned on, the one from his hair went to Ali.
Richard spread his hands then and nodded, his face suddenly a lot more serious, “Please, continue.”
There were lies told by each, but when they dug, instead of finding mountains turned into mole hills, they found it was a lot worse than either one of them wanted to say. Ali was crying as hard as he'd ever seen anyone and David's face turned to stone or may as well have. Some of the things…
Tor almost had to flee the room.
But couldn't.
If he was standing with them, he had to be willing to know it all, didn't he? If it was just abuse, just rape, Tor could have let justice take its course and hidden Ali away, being content to protect her and let the King deal with the rest. This was so much worse his mind couldn't even find a shape to it.
Then it got worse than that. It took an act of will for Tor not to simply vomit on the cold stone floor.
Richard looked at them all and shook his head sadly, it clearly affected him.
“I… Legally there’s nothing I can do. He did all this on Derring soil? It makes it legal
there then, at the time he did it. A Count in his county has total power and right on his side. He can't even be chastised for it openly. Even as barbaric and evil as this is, if I took the Kings Army in to deal with it, every Count in the land would rise against me. It strikes at the most fundamental of their rights.” He sighed.
“Worse, as his child we're legally bound to return you now that we know who you are. Otherwise it could be construed as the crown taking hostages. I… I'm so sorry.”
The Queen cried and so did Karina, Davie looked down and didn't move. Ali had never stopped crying.
Right. Crap. What could he do?
Tor frantically searched for something, considered merely finding Count Derring and killing him, even if it meant his own death, then took a deep breath and… smiled.
The King winced.
Tor could see that. The look had to seem insane. Like Tor intended to go to war. He decided to keep that option as a backup plan though. Something else had come to mind first.
“I… see. Well then, I'll just go and um, take her back then, right? Um, I have an errand to run first, is that OK do you think? Kind of an outstanding thing, so I should really get to it. Rivers to put up in Afrak? You OK'd it and everything, so it's kind of… official, made me the Ambassador and all that, months ago even. Still, I've her brother with us to chaperon and I'm not really anyone important, so it can't be misconstrued as anything but a pleasure trip for her, can it? Just as soon as that's done, snap, right back she goes. Back to her father. Hey… question though… If she's of age and, um, married, then… she should stay with her husband right? I mean, that just makes sense, right? And the Queen could act as proxy for her mother? I mean if something were to come up? Her mom seemed nice the one time I met her. I'm sure she wouldn't mind. Not at all in fact.”
Tor was ready to fight his way out if he had to, and just wished that he'd gotten a shield on the girl first. He started to move everyone towards the door when Burks stepped forward from the back of the room. Tor hadn't even realized he was there at all. He was busily eating a sandwich.
“How old is she?” He asked, his voice calm and even. Then he took another bite as if to say this wasn't really a problem at all.
David grimaced.
“Fourteen on Aue twelfth. Until then…”
The King smiled slowly.
“Until then we haven't seen any of you. You weren't here. Sorry about the missing party invitation Tor, we actually did send one, but it didn't seem to make it to you for some strange reason. I do hope that after you're done being angry with us you'll come visit, on say, Aue thirteenth? Bring the new wife perhaps?”
Tor nodded and said nothing.
They needed to move now.
Chapter nine
They were half way to Tor’s house, flying fast when he realized something that they'd all forgotten for a bit. Maybe it was nothing, they didn't need Ali for the trial against Lilli did they? The answer that came was simple.
“Fucking hell!” Karina banged her fist angrily on the back of Tor’s seat.
“Damn it craping fuck shit… fuck!” It was a little scary and Tor wasn't sure she wasn't about to go into combat rage, that or have some kind of seizure. The pounding grew stronger and stronger, until finally Ali whimpered.
Panting filled the back seat, and everyone went silent for a while. David finally suggested they land before talking about it again. That seemed a reasonable and intelligent plan, one that Tor should have come up with on his own. Get out of the potentially dangerous situation before chatting about anything sensitive? Check. It made sense and further, prevented Tor from painfully splatting into the side of a mountain that wasn't even really there. That would just be embarrassing, crashing into a mountain that he’d built himself. They got down and in the building before anyone said anything or more than glanced at them. Tor didn't speak until they hit the top of the stairs.
They couldn't let Lilli go free, but someone had to be there with a back up complaint just in case the murder accusation fell through. That would take Jerral and Ali. Karina started to hit things again, causing Tor to put up his hand and ask for details as to how the whole thing would work. It got the Princess to stop and talk at least.
The process wasn't that hard, the Council of Counts would meet and Ali would be questioned. Normally that would be that. The only problem would be that Count Derring would be there, and if she was recognized, he could pull her out and back home faster than anyone would even notice. They weren't allowed to sit in, not even Karina. Rolph could, as the heir, but he had no reason to stand up for Ali in particular. Other than it might be her best hope. Other than the fact that Tor had no doubt that if he knew what was going on, his friend would fight to the death to protect the girl.
Prince or not.
Anyone thinking otherwise didn't really know the man at all.
So it all hinged on Ali not being identifiable as Gretchen Derring? Rolph had done a credible alteration using hair and skin dyes. But the face had still been his and Tor had recognized him the second he opened his mouth to laugh. No, that wouldn't work, unless he made a device that turned Alissa into someone else. That he could do, with work. At least enough to make her look and sound like someone else. But it would probably kill him to try right now. At least if he was going to do it well.
That wouldn't stop him if it was the only way. Not with what that monster had done, was still doing, to his other children. Tor had to kind of block it all out, what he'd heard, to stay sane. As it was, if he could have done it without just making the whole thing worse, he would have killed the man himself. Pop up and use an explosive device to rip him apart in the bath or something, to assure no shield would be in use. So there would be nightmares and ghosts? That would be for him to deal with, not Ali. Not David or Jerral. Tor would suffer that for them and count the cost low.
OK. So that wouldn't work. What else could he do?
“Karina? I need to know everything about this case and how it's going to be handled, can you find out for me? If I do it myself it will look funny. If you do it, well, you're involved, why shouldn't you?”
The words got him a nod, one that wasn't subdued, but was efficient and practical. She left immediately. For his part Tor took Alissa and David to his room. They could hide there. Until the trial Count Derring had no reason to think his runaway daughter was even alive, right? Even if he was briefed on the case, which seemed likely, all that would be said was a girl called Alissa was involved. It might even have her age as older than it actually was. So there was that.
Meals could be brought here while he arranged… something.
What, he had no clue. Stupid royal intrigue? A complex plot within a plot with something stupid wrapped in the middle? If he tried that Ali would be back in her father’s clutches before morning, he needed to stick to something far more clever.
Like the truth.
Tor sat on the bed, Alissa softly crying next to him, her brother holding her and rocking gently. Crossing his legs he dropped into the deepest state he could and maintain awareness and control. He didn't hand himself over to his deepest being this time, but stood balanced on a fine edge in the darkness of his mind, and tried to hold the whole situation in place. It squirmed to slip away, to ease into something else, something more pleasant, but he didn't let it. It was his mind, and this was too important to ignore, uncomfortable or not.
It came to him slowly then.
He had a plan, take Ali to Afrak for about a month. Tor had reason to go and really, he knew, if he wanted to take a few women or girls with him, no one in royal society would think twice. It turned his stomach a bit, but if Tor had been having sex with Ali, even knowing her real age, most of the high society people wouldn't have done more than twitter behind their hands. Thirteen was nearly legal after all and birth dates were easily enough misplaced at times… So the only obstacle was the trial of Lillith Degray.
Yardley needed justice.
No, that wasn't right.
&nb
sp; The thin, dun colored girl was dead. Justice didn't do her any good at all. Her people needed vengeance, not justice. It was the kingdom that needed justice, no one else. The trial was really about ensuring that, if he, or anyone else, was ever falsely accused of a crime, they could rest assured that a real effort would be made to uncover that fact. That was the ultimate point of justice, wasn't it? Reassuring people in general? It was a good point, but this case would already be done in secret, not in normal channels. That almost had to happen.
The Council of Counts wasn't called in for murder trials normally, Karina caused it to go to that level. Whatever her involvement turned out to be, it wouldn't be spread to the person in the street. If it had been her killing Yardley they would have let her walk. Heck, then it would have been legal and there wouldn't be a trial at all. The idea kind of terrified him for a moment. It was a bad plan to let any person or group have that kind of power over others. It led to people like Count Derring.
But…
If the Counts were involved, and there was an investigation, then Smythe of Westend should be in charge, or at least able to take charge? That was it, wasn't it? The key was there, if Tor could exploit it well enough. Smythe was a lot of things, Tor had learned.
Famous for not being corruptible. Willing to die to protect the kingdom… Felt carriages lent stateliness to events and proceedings.
Slow, slow carriages. Ah.
Tor opened his eyes, not dropping the state of mind he was in, but bobbing closer to his normal surface state anyway. It was a response to seeing, he knew. It increased the activity in the brain no matter how deep you were inside yourself. Tor looked at the other two and smiled.
“Alright. I need for Ali to hide here for a few days. David I need you to get with Kolb in secret and ready a protective detail for Afrak. People that can work and keep their mouths shut. So everyone you know. Um… See if you can get your younger brother enrolled to study with Kolb? Tell your dad it's a great honor and will turn him into a real man or whatever will work. Tell him that… Princess Karina is paying for it. I'll cover the real costs. Apprentice fees or whatever. She'll back it though. Family after all.” He nodded at the boy absently and tilted his head.
