S01E18 - Breakfast

18th Day of the Bull

*****

The sun pushed around the heavy drapes and into the room, banishing darkness to lurk under the furniture. Ryllae and I had shifted positions during the night and now I was the big spoon, curled around her petite form. It was a good feeling and I smiled as the fog of sleep cleared from my brain.

Raising up on an elbow, I ran a finger along the smooth line of Ryllae’s jaw, down her neck and along her collarbone. She opened her eyes, pools of deep blue and golden flecks, and looked into mine.

Something in the back of my mind screamed wordlessly in anger and awkward frustration. I shoved it mercilessly into a dark hole and buried it with a large pile of ‘fuck you, let’s save the world and enjoy this’.

“G’morning,” I smiled.

“Good morning,” she said, catching my fingers and tangling them between hers. “Did you sleep well?”

“I did,” I replied. “And I’ve decided that I’m overthinking all of this. I’m going to enjoy whatever each day brings.”

“That is a very Elfish thing to do,” she said. “Tomorrow is not a promise, it is a reward for today.”

A loud knocking interrupted our pillow talk.

“Dad! Wake up and get dressed! It’s time for breakfast!” Tracy yelled through the door.

“Alright!” I yelled back. “Be there soon!”

“Guess it’s time to face her,” I groaned, rolling out of the bed.

Ryllae crawled out behind me and padded across the floor to a pile of clothing. “Your chest is gone,” she said.

“It returns at midnight if I don’t banish it,” I replied, pulling out the brass key and resummoning it. “I fell asleep and forgot.”

She refolded the clothing and put it away. Selecting a heather green dress from trunk, she slipped it over her head and pulled on white hose, tying them over her knees. A brown hard-leather vest tooled with scenes of a stag hunt laced over the dress, accentuating her slim figure and drawing the eye to her soft curves.

“Are you going to breakfast in your small clothes?” she asked, her eyes twinkling with amusement at my voyeurism.

“No,” I said, grabbing my breeches and pulling them on. “Just admiring the view.”

“Maybe you feel hesitant about seeing your daughter?” she asked, pulling on her boots and stamping them into place.

“Maybe a little,” I admitted.

“You have nothing to worry about,” Ryllae said. “I spoke with her and her friends for some time after you left yesterday. They are amused at the situation and your embarrassment. Your daughter also believes that since you and I are together you will not judge her harshly.”

I rolled that around in my mind, connecting dots, examining what was unsaid and drawing conclusions that I was not entirely comfortable with as a father.

“She is sleeping with Corporal Shaw, isn’t she?” I asked.

“It is not my place to give you such news,” Ryllae said, stepping close and helping me with the buttons on my shirt. “You should talk with her as a father would to his grown daughter.”

“She’s not grown,” I growled.

“She is here,” Ryllae said, her voice firm. “And even in your world she would be considered near adulthood. You must address these conflicts to make peace with her and yourself.”

“I’m not enjoying what this day has brought so far,” I grumbled, irritated at the irony of my new resolution being tested within minutes of awakening.

Ryllae laid a hand on my arm. “The day is new and many opportunities await,” she said. “Do not linger on the bitter and ignore the sweet.”

*****

Two nameless guards were standing outside the door and escorted us down the long hall to breakfast. I did my best to ignore them, reminding myself that they were paid to remain silent, unobtrusive, and lethal if necessary. They stopped outside the dining area, taking up position with two other guards on each side of the open door.

My resolve broke. “Have you eaten?” I asked. “Would you care to join us?”

Shocked faces and quickly stammered refusals drove it home that there was a clear division of class and they were actively participating members. I briefly wondered about Brice and Colin and how easily we fell into a simple camaraderie. I would ask them later, if I remembered.

Large windows in the south wall let in the early morning light and I could see the shrubbery on the terrace shiver under the caress of an occasional gust of wind. Tracy, Paige, Yvonne, and Dinah were gathered at one end of the table, each sitting next to a young man in uniform. I recognised Shaw sitting next to Tracy. He met my eyes and then found something interesting to poke at on his plate.

I paused in the doorway and took in the scene before me. Tracy was dressed in dark studded leather armour, similar to brigandine but with smaller plates that allowed greater flexibility. Paige sat across from her dressed in heavy plate covered in gold embellishments. Dinah was wearing brigandine and sported a facial tattoo under her left eye. Yvonne seemed to be wearing light plate under her white priestess robes. Each was seated next to a young man wearing an argent and azure gambeson over chainmail. Everyone at the table looked confident and capable, and I resigned myself to learning the names of the ‘chosen ones’.

Feeling awkward under the sly smiles of the girls I pulled out a seat for Ryllae and joined her at the table, deliberately sitting next to Corporal Shaw.

“New tattoo?” I asked Dinah, indicating the blue spiral under her left eye.

“Yup,” she said. “It allows me to see in the dark.”

“Never know when that’s going to come in handy,” I said, piling scrambled eggs and sausage onto my plate, then added buttered rolls and something that looked like orange slices.

Ryllae forked some eggs off of my plate and into her mouth.

“Did you just steal food off my plate?” I asked in disbelief.

“You did not offer me any when you had the dish in your hand,” she said, nodding. “So I assume that you mean for us to share a plate.”

“Is this an Elfish custom?” I asked, staring at the fork full of sausage she aimed towards my mouth.

“No,” she said. “It is mine. Have some sausage.”

I relented and accepted the tidbit from her fork.

“Anything New and Exciting?” Tracy asked with a big smile, leaning her elbows on the table and peering around Shaw.

“That’s my line,” I said in mock annoyance, giving her a wink. “And no, nothing really. I negotiated pay for us, so if you want spending money let me know. I also have some room in my magic trunk for other …lady things… that you may wish to keep stored safe and dry.”

Tracy held up her left wrist and exposed a leather band tooled with silver. “No need for lady things when you wear one of these,” she grinned. “But it’s nice to know you have room for stuff.”

I digested that bit of information along with some suddenly tasteless sausage. I was not expecting the clever menstruation-prevention bracelet that almost certainly doubles as birth control. I glanced at the other girls and noticed the bracelet was very en vogue.

Huh. Obvious bait is obvious. Let’s just ignore it, think happy thoughts, and move along.

“We get paid?” Dinah asked excitedly, looking around to the other girls. “That means shopping, right?”

“It does,” I said. “We’ll discuss the specifics of everything later, but you shouldn’t have to worry about money for as long as we’re here.”

“There’s a magic shop I want to visit,” Tracy said, getting caught up in the excitement. “The old man wouldn’t even give us the time of day last time we were there.”

“Because we’re girls,” Yvonne interrupted. “He was a misogynistic prick.”

“He told us we needed an appointment,” Tracy said.

“And he was a prick.” Yvonne reiterated. “A polite prick, but still a prick.”

“Language, Yvonne.” I chided, levelling a fork at her.

“Okay Mr. Carter,” she sighed, managing to keep her eyes from rolling completely out of their sockets.

I directed the flow of the conversation over breakfast and learned that the girls were very capable in defending themselves thanks to the constant training they had received. It seemed that they soaked up knowledge and training like sponges, requiring only minimal instruction before they grasped the new technique and were able to apply it. I also learned that the new couples were Dinah and Hayden, Paige and Jaden, and Yvonne and Owen. Corporal Shaw, with his chiseled jaw and roguish good looks, was paired up with my daughter.

“Corporal Shaw,” I said, addressing him formally.

“Sir?”

“Where are your other men eating?”

“In the company mess hall, Sir,”

“I’m pretty sure it’s bad for morale if half the company eats in the mess hall and the other half eats in the palace,” I said, indicating the half dozen empty chairs at the table. “I’d like everyone to eat together, if you don’t mind.”

A slow flush crept up his cheeks. “I’ll let them know Sir,” he said.

Brice and Colin walked in and sat down across from me and Ryllae.

“G’morning guys, grab some grub,” I said, indicating the spread. “I expected you here sooner, to be honest.”

“We ate in the mess hall,” Colin said, grabbing up some orange slices. “But it’s nice to have fresh fruit, thanks.”

“We’ll be eating together whenever possible,” I said. “Think of it as a family meal from now on.”

Brice smiled at my pronouncement and I could tell that the thought made him genuinely happy. I wondered what kind of life he had before he joined the royal guard.

I motioned for one of the servants waiting along the wall and requested a fresh pot of kaldi, the local equivalent of coffee.

There was a clatter outside the doorway as the guards banged fists on their breastplates. An older man in an argent and azure uniform jacket stepped in, flanked by two guards wearing similarly coloured gambesons over their armour. His once powerful form had softened over time leaving him with grey hair and a bit pudgy in the middle, but steel remained in his eyes and purpose in his step as he made his way to the table.

Corporal Shaw spotted the visitor and stiffened in his seat, barking “At Ease!” which caused the other members of his unit to freeze and look to see who entered the room.

I raised eyebrows at the scene and leaned forward to mock-whisper at Colin, “Who is that?”

“General Vassellard,” he whispered back. “Commander of the Royal Army.”

“Good morning,” General Vassellard said, pulling up a chair at the table and looking around. “Where are your other men, Corporal Shaw?”

“I asked these four to attend privately today,” I lied smoothly, stepping in before Corporal Shaw had a chance to respond. “I had questions to ask them.”

“What questions?” Vassellard said, fixing his steely gaze on me, his face unreadable.

“Mostly ones they couldn’t answer,” I said. “I was hoping to get some information regarding the situation in Mirador that wasn’t just rumours.”

“And what have you learned?” he asked.

“Absolutely nothing,” I admitted. “Corporal Shaw insisted that I wait until the briefing later this morning. I’m guessing you came to brief us in person, am I right?”

The general pulled a sealed packet of papers from his jacket and passed it to one of the guards standing behind his chair, who then walked it over to Shaw.

“Those are your orders, Corporal Shaw,” he said. “Gather your men and equipment, then report to the Sun Pacer tomorrow at three bells for passage to Mirador.”

“How long is the journey?” I interrupted.

“About three days, depending on the weather, Magus Samuel,” he said, dropping my name and title like it left a bad taste in his mouth.

“Why not just use the Alefin Ways?” I asked.

The general looked pointedly at Ryllae, who dropped her eyes and stared at her plate.

“Because the Way to Mirador is corrupt,” she said softly. “Travelling it in a group would involve great risk.”

“Any more questions?” General Vassellard said, his tone suggesting that he did not expect any more.

“What kind of support can we expect in Mirador?” I asked, not taking the hint. “I understand the two countries are not on the best of terms.”

“You’ll receive more information when you reach the embassy in Bodling,” he replied. “Until then, Corporal Shaw is in charge of the expeditionary force.”

“I’m glad someone is,” I muttered. “I’d make a terrible leader.”

The general snorted and rose from the table as a servant placed a steaming pot of kaldi in front of me. “Then I trust I’ll have no worries about you following his orders.” He said, heading towards the door.

“Just as long as they are lawful orders,” I said to his backside, unwilling to let him have the last word.

“You really are a thorn in his side,” Brice said after the General had exited. “He was probably going to go into more detail until you started asking questions.”

“I don’t even know the man,” I said, pouring a cup of kaldi for Ryllae and another for myself. “It sounds like he has a personal problem with me.”

“Exactly,” He explained, leaning forward in emphasis. “You’re a magus and beholden to no one except the Septumhate. You’ve declared no allegiance to Cerise and claimed the girls as your wards. Normally they would fall under the purview of the Army, but you’ve effectively circumvented that. You’ve ruffled feathers and garnered animosity.”

“I’m surprised they allowed him to go to Kaliana,” Colin said.

“They had no choice,” Brice replied. “Once Magus Indred got involved they had to allow him to be tested. They probably saw it as an opportunity to be rid of him for a while.”

I sipped the kaldi, enjoying the dark and slightly bitter-sweet brew as I considered Brice’s words.

“So as a mage I answer to no one?” I asked.

“Only the Septumhate of Kaliana,” Brice said.

“I wonder why I wasn’t told this until just now,” I said.

“Seriously?” he said, cocking an eyebrow at me. “You claimed to be a sage, who holds power equal to a king. The fact that you were given the title magus instead of sage means they are only a little less wary of you. You hold rank equivalent to the crown prince of a foreign nation.”

I glanced over at Shaw, who was busy reading his orders.

“And if I decide to fry Corporal Shaw with a fireball?” I asked, waggling my fingers in his general direction.

Shaw looked up from the paperwork, his eyes wide.

“Daddy…”

“Just joking, Punkin,” I said, giving Tracy a wink. “It’s a hypothetical question, mostly.”

“Then you would justify your reasons to Magus Indred or another ranking magus or sage, and if the king himself appealed their judgement, the Septumhate would judge you,” Brice answered. “You have diplomatic immunity in every nation and can only be banished if the Septumhate allows it.”

“That’s a stunning amount of power,” I said, shocked. “Why?”

Brice gestured around the room. “Because Kaliana powers nearly everything,” he said. “They could turn it all off. Enchanted items would stop working, Mages would be powerless. They could cripple a nation any time they wish.”

Simon’s enthusiasm for the quick and dirty enchantment I showed him made sense now. That knowledge must be kept strictly secret, allowing Kalinana to keep tight reins on their power. I resolved to speak with Indred about the matter soon.

“Corporal,” I said, turning to address the subject of my hypothetical fireball.

“Sir?”

“I understand that there are some bad relations between Mirador and Cerise, am I right?” I asked.

“Not necessarily bad,” he said. “Just… complicated.”

“Well, whatever,” I said. “Now that I’m aware of my rank and power, would that be beneficial to you in Mirador? Could you use it in some fashion to our advantage?”

“I’m not certain,” he said. “Possibly?”

“Give it some thought,” I smiled. “It appears that I have the power to command kings.”

“Oh no,” Brice interrupted. “Not at all. Don’t get the wrong idea. The Septumhate frowns on any magus who interferes in sovereign matters.”

“I thought I was the equivalent of a crown prince?” I said.

“You should talk to Magus Indred about the scope of your authority,” Brice said. “Before you discover its limits.”

“Well, that’s only slightly disappointing,” I sighed. “Still, Corporal, if you can think of some way to make use this political power, do so.”

“Yes Sir,” Shaw said.

“So what are the orders?” I asked Shaw, curious to know what was planned.

“Uh, I’ll fill you in later, if you don’t mind Sir,” he said, glancing at the servants standing patiently along the wall.

I intuited the meaning of his glance and chided myself for being so naive. Of course the servants would gossip about everything they heard and saw.

“Sounds good,” I said, clapping him on the shoulder. “Will the girls be accompanying you, to make preparations, or can I spend some time with my daughter today?”

“No Sir,” he said. “This will take some time. If Yeoman Brice and Colin will escort you to the docks tomorrow, I can prepare everything.”

I looked at Brice and Colin who nodded back at me. “You’ll be accompanying us?” I asked hopefully.

“We packed last night,” Brice said. “Corporal Shaw should be making arrangements for everything else.”

“Does this mean we can go shopping now?” Dianh asked, her voice filled with excitement.

*****

Author’s Note: Feeling much better the last couple of days. It’s amazing what some sunlight and vitamin D can do for your mood.

I’m really looking forward to the next few chapters and events.

Completion date: 16DEC2019

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