Suddenly, the peace of the region with the native inhabitants made a lot of sense. The Lord-Mayor was one of the Kinadain, and her family had governed the largest town in the region for generations.
Her amber eyes focused on Rys and she curtsied. “You must be the lord of the manor. I am honored that you came out to greet me in person.” She hesitated and a gentle smile crossed her face. “I do apologize if I am mistaken. I have not had the chance to speak with Lady Vallis about her new business associate.”
Maria’s eyes bounce between Vallis and Rys.
“You’re correct,” Rys said. He withheld his name for the moment.
Another person stepped out from the carriage. His magical presence belied why Fara warned Rys about him.
The bodyguard towered over Maria and glared at Rys. Two bladed horns protruded from the bodyguard’s head and a long, bladed tail covered in scales remained close to the ground. Scales covered his cheek and chin. A large red coat swathed his entire body, but Rys saw a long scabbard sticking out from it.
This man exuded magic. And one that was far too familiar to Rys to ignore.
The Angelic Arts.
If the angels had supposedly vanished centuries ago, how did this random Kinadain in the middle of nowhere know them? Or at least give Rys an extremely similar magical impression?
Despite his concerns, Rys quickly checked his knowledge gift. Darus knew nothing about this. The last time the angels taught humans how to use their particular form of magic had been when the Infernal Empire had been around. They had been known as the Angelic Adepts, and Rys had personally killed countless numbers of them.
Had the bodyguard detected Rys’s infernal nature? Had the Kinadain in general, if there were more like this warrior?
Too many questions. Too much danger. Rys kept his cool but prepared for the worst. He might need to conquer this little mayor by force.
Chapter 11
“Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Lord-Mayor of Anceston, Lady Maria Jarsil. This is my fiance, Barul,” Maria said after she approached Rys and the others. Maria curtsied to Vallis and Fara, who returned the gesture.
Rys blinked. Fiance?
“I am the Lord-Mayor’s bodyguard,” Barul said, stressing Maria’s title. He spoke in a deep baritone, but with a sibilant edge. The scales weren’t just for show.
Of more interest was the fact that Barul’s speech was stilted. He seemed unfamiliar with the common language spoken here.
“A pleasure. I am Lord Talarys,” Rys said with a bow to Maria.
Barul squared his jaw and glared at Rys. He received a bland stare in return.
“Why don’t we step inside?” Vallis suggested, her eyebrows shooting up as she stared at Barul. “We can prepare some refreshments in one of the receiving rooms.”
Maria’s face flickered, but settled on a polite smile. She seemed practiced at hiding her emotions, but Rys had spent decades dealing with far better poker players. Most infernals quickly learned that it was hard to pretend to always be faintly amused or happy, unless their grip on reality was questionable.
Fara leaned over his shoulder and her tails masked her mouth from view of Barul and Maria. “Should I prepare something? I can probably make something better than the imps.”
“It’s fine. Our servants can prepare a simple spread this quickly,” Rys said loudly. Very loudly and with a stare full of intent at windows he couldn’t see through.
Maria paused outside the entrance and looked around. Her eyes took in the exterior of the manor house, her fingers picking at her dress.
“This is a very impressive home, Lord Talarys,” Maria said quietly.
“I’m used to bigger, actually,” Rys said. He stroked his chin. “I have considerably more impressive plans, but they’ll need to wait for some time. I don’t have everything I need yet.”
“Truly?” Maria’s tone was closer to wonder than disbelief. “This might be the largest manor I’ve seen on Kavolara. Larger than most I’ve seen on Dalyros, even.”
It was fairly big. While it was only two stories, it contained a small throne room, multiple bedrooms, a large hall, receiving and dining rooms, and countless empty rooms that Rys planned to convert into offices and dormitories in the future. The square footage was immense.
The building itself was built from a mixture of stone and wood. He’d carefully chosen both to match local rocks and trees. Rather than using gold or silver, he’d chosen brass to highlight trims and edges. It suited the more muted appearance of the estate, while still adding to its appearance and opulence.
Once inside, Maria marveled over the interior decorations as well. Rys accepted the excuse to take her on a long detour to the receiving room.
“I take it you like water features, Lord Talarys,” Maria said as she ran her hand through one of the fountains built into the wall. “I must admit that you have plenty of quiet, meditative spaces in here. I would love to install so many in my own home, but magitech is exceptionally expensive out here.”
Magitech. That was what they called the magical devices that powered everything that humanity built these days. Magitech provided an immense level of automated comfort for wealthy humans: carriages; heating; cooling; locks; lighting. Almost everything that Rys did using mechanical systems or traditional magic could be done with magitech.
According to his knowledge Gift, they had even started building magitech factories on Gauron. Automated production of high-quality steel and weaponry. The idea fascinated Rys. While Darus indicated that Dwarves still held a monopoly on the best quality steel, human mages were transforming the world.
But, like Maria said, getting that out here was next to impossible. He was in the middle of nowhere. Older inventions, such as magitech carriages, had become commonplace, but anything without economic value was slow to be shipped out here. Especially if nobody wanted to ship it to Pharos and drop off a few here during the journey.
These fountains were powered using mechanical mechanisms that drew on tiny amounts of the castle’s power. Not that Rys would tell Maria that. Why break the illusion of wealth?
Eventually, they entered the receiving room. A large platter of fruit, cheese, and cold cuts sat on a side table. Simple magitech kettles full of coffee and tea stood next to the platter.
Fara stared at the food in disbelief. Rys smirked.
Imps might not know how to cook, but they knew how to avoid angering their masters. Nothing here needed any real preparation. Except the coffee, but imps lived off the stuff, so it was usually pretty good.
“Where are your servants?” Maria asked. “I wanted to thank them for imposing on them so suddenly. It must have been difficult to prepare all of this so quickly.”
“They’re used to this sort of thing.” Rys eyed one of the false panels in the wall, aware that an imp lurked behind it as he spoke. “They prefer to stay out of the way. It’s a cultural thing.”
Maria frowned as she poured herself a cup of tea. Rys nearly her missed her muttered, “Damaged, maybe?”
Leaving the mayor to pick at the platter, Rys sat on one of the natural leather seats. His gaze wandered across the room while he enjoyed his coffee.
Fara and Vallis made small talk with Maria over the food. Over to one side, Barul glowered at everybody. His gaze darkened when he noticed Rys looking at him, then shot back over to the women.
Rys kept his face expressionless and made a show of turning away, but his eyes remained on Barul. The bodyguard’s gaze focused mostly on Fara. On one part of her, for that matter.
If Barul weren’t already engaged, Rys would suggest he was leering at Fara. The fox ignored him with practiced ease, but her tails shifted subtly to cover her breasts and rear from his view. The tiniest grimace rose on Barul’s face, but he didn’t move or redirect his attention.
Vallis walked over and tried to start a conversation with Barul. Rys doubted she saw what he was doing. But it didn’t matter. Barul grunted out one or two-word answers and refused t
o look at her.
While Barul’s attitude might be annoying, Rys ignored him for now. His behavior might prove useful in the coming negotiations.
Rys still didn’t know why Maria was here, or what Barul’s connection to the angels was. That strange magical connection remained. Neither had taken aggressive actions, if Rys ignored Barul’s glares.
“Shall we get down to business?” Rys asked Maria when she approached him. She held a cup in one hand and a plate in another.
“No pleasantries? Did I interrupt something?” Maria’s eyes shot to Fara and Vallis, and Rys didn’t need to imagine what her thoughts turned to.
He chuckled. “You didn’t. But I figured you’re here for something important if you didn’t have the time to let Vallis know with a sending.”
Maria’s expression didn’t shift, but she took a seat. She nibbled on some cheese.
Continuing, Rys said, “Vallis mentioned that your family has run for Anceston for generations and that it’s doing extremely well. Particularly when it comes to relations with the native people and the Kinadain. But I am surprised to see that you’re Kinadain yourself.”
Annoyance flickers across Maria’s face. Barul turned away from his full-time leering duties and glared at Rys.
Obviously, that had been the wrong thing to say. Vallis had said something about how she didn’t fully understand the cultural situation of the Kinadain. That might have been a polite way to say that she avoided it because it was troublesome.
“Thank you for your kind words regarding Anceston, Lord Talarys,” Maria said, her tone almost overly polite. “But I’m not Kinadain. My horns and ears do mark me as a demihuman, and I am originally descended from the Kinadain, but I am not actually part of a dain. That is a complicated process that I have not undertaken.”
Rys felt this lecture had only just begun. He searched for a way to cut her off before it was too late.
“Descended?” he asked.
Maria paused, then tilted her head. “Did Vallis not tell you? I’m used to everybody knowing about my family, given… my position.” Her tone grew irritable and she looked to one side.
“All I know is that your family has been the Lord-Mayor of Anceston for at least fifty years.”
After a sip of tea, Maria explained, “My great-great-grandfather was one of the sailors aboard the first ship that found the archipelago over a century ago. The ship was one of many traveling the new route between Pharos and Gauron. It became lost and landed where Port Mayfield is now. A common story, but one that ended happily for my family.”
“Yes. Sailing too far east tends to end in a swift death,” Rys said.
“Indeed. The wind that makes the oceans so dangerous and cut off Pharos and Gauron can be felt in the south-east of the archipelago,” Maria said.
Rys knew what caused that wind. One of the vestiges of the Cataclysm. When one of the continents had been destroyed, it had left a mark. Huge stretches of Harrium became uninhabitable, and it seemed that remained unchanged even now. In fact, it seemed worse. Nobody even knew why they shouldn’t try to circumnavigate the world, other than the fact they’d die.
“My ancestor took a liking to the island and settled down earlier than most. He met my great-great-grandmother, who was Kinadain.” Maria smiled, and it was her first genuine smile of the visit. “I have some pictures of them, stored in a memory crystal at home. They look very sweet together. Her horns are like mine, but slightly larger. Some of the older residents of the archipelago tell me that I take after her in a few ways.”
“It sounds like it was something special,” Rys said.
Maria laughed. “Wow, Lord Talarys, you almost make me think that you don’t believe in love with such a cliched line.” Her eyes lit up. “But yes, it was. In more ways than one. When the settlers arrived years later, their marriage helped him mediate.”
Sitting down next to them, Vallis leaned in, “Oh, I hadn’t heard about that. My grandfather told me when I was young that your family were the oldest ones in Anceston, but I didn’t realize you were that old.”
“You’re older than I am. Don’t say I’m old,” Maria said.
“That’s not what I meant,” Vallis said. The two women smiled at each other.
Rys waited for the tale to resume. In the corner of the room, Barul continued to glare at him.
“But yes, my family helped found Anceston. When the position for mayor came up, my great-grandfather took over. Then the position became Lord-Mayor due to some political interference from Gauron that doesn’t matter anymore.” Maria shook her head. “The position is hereditary, but also not.”
“If the only people who become Lord-Mayor are in your family, it sounds hereditary,” Rys said.
She frowned. “Perhaps, but times are changing. Anceston has always been the hub for trade between northern and southern Kavolara. But that is becoming less important every year, although that’s a topic for later. Then there’s the matter of my horns.”
The original topic. Before the long detour.
“Your physical appearance has something to do with your position?” Rys asked.
“Not officially.” Maria drained her tea and set it on the table, before folding her hands neatly in her lap. “But in truth, my father was ousted as Lord-Mayor because he was human. Only the female side of my family has inherited the demihuman traits recently. My aunts and female cousins have horns, but none of my uncles do.”
“And your mother was also human?” Rys asked, his interest piqued. He leaned forward. “Has anybody else in your family been demihuman other than your great-great-grandmother?”
“No. She is the only source of blood in my family. The size of my horns and”—Maria rolled her eyes—“other assets alleviated concerns briefly.”
“Because you look like your ancestor,” Rys said. “That’s really strange, actually. Normally, you’re either an elf or you’re not. There’s no such thing as half-elves or half-dragons. But demihumans are different.”
“And Kinadain are different again,” Maria said, bringing the conversation full circle. “All demihumans are originally descended from Kinadain. But if I want to be part of a dain, I need to undertake specific steps in order to regain the status that my ancestor had.”
Rys finished his coffee, although it had gone cold by now. Too interested in his current conversation to get up, he set the cup down.
“I think I get it. The simplest version is that demihumans are the race, and Kinadain is a specific culture,” Rys said, trying to unpick this. Maria mixed the two up for whatever reason, but it sounded a lot simpler to him.
A snarl sounded at his side. Turning, Rys saw Barul step forward, hand on his sword hilt. The Kinadain bodyguard glared at Rys.
“You don’t have even an ounce of the knowledge necessary to speak of our people, you foreign ass. Know your place!” Barul snarled.
“Barul! Language!” Maria snapped, her expression turning taut and eyes glaring at Barul.
Barul had changed languages in his anger. His eloquence had increased drastically in what was presumably the native tongue of the Kinadain.
Although Rys questioned the accuracy of his translation gift. “Foreign ass” was awfully literal, and Maria’s eyes had practically popped out of her head when Barul had said it. Rys had a feeling it was a slur against foreigners.
Evidently, the topic of the Kinadain was a sensitive one. But Barul had been angry from the moment they arrived. Something more was going on here.
Maria turned to Rys with a thin smile on her lips. “My apologies, Lord Talarys. Let’s move onto a different topic.”
No, Rys didn’t think he would. His mind raced as he worked out how to use this situation to his advantage.
The gap between Maria and Barul was the key. Maria had been unfailingly polite, almost to a fault. While Rys suspected she had told her family’s history many times, several of the details and the way she told it were far friendlier than it should have been for a random noble that
Maria had never met.
Maria wanted something from Rys. That much was obvious. But Barul hated Rys, possibly because he knew something that Maria didn’t. Or maybe Maria was like Vallis and didn’t care.
No, if she knew, then there’s no way she would have brought Barul here. He glared at Rys constantly. Maria had no leash on her dog to keep him under control. The moment he barked, she tried to calm him down by taking away what she felt upset him.
Rys knew how to make this work then. It was time to stop being a welcoming noble to Maria.
“I don’t appreciate being screamed at in my own home. Especially by an uninvited guest. While I could be more sensitive about the Kinadain, I don’t think that’s the problem.” Rys locked eyes with Barul. “Without an apology, there’s nothing more for us to discuss.”
Maria’s smile vanished and she frowned, her poker face shattered. “I am deeply sorry for Barul’s behavior, Lord Talarys. And the insult he said. He knows better than to speak like that.” Maria shot a glare at Barul. “Trust me when I say that I can more than repay you if you overlook his disrespect. You’ll understand once we talk business.”
“You don’t need to apologize to him,” Barul snarled, still speaking in his native tongue. The expression on Maria’s face made it clear that he’d managed to say some insulting words again, even though the translation Gift failed to pick them up.
“No, Lady Maria, I don’t want you to apologize.” Rys pointed at Barul. “I want him to apologize for everything he’s done since he arrived. Leering at Fara. Interrupting our conversation. Dismissing Vallis. And, of course, his incessant screaming. He’s your future husband, not some lowly henchman.”
Barul’s knuckles whitened on his sword. Realizing that this might escalate into a fight, Rys reached for his magic, preparing to cast a spell. Fara pulled Vallis away, but her tails weaved a spellcasting array in the air.
Maria stared at Rys. Slowly, her expression shifted from shock to anger, then to resignation as she realized what he was doing. Her eyes closed and she rubbed her forehead.
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