the table was a very pretty girl that looked to
be about sixteen or so. They'd met before, and she was taller now, but it was
the same woman.
Princess Veronica Cordes.
Countess Peterson, too, as far as that went. She stood and came around the
table, hugging Petra hard.
"There you are! I see that
you finally came to visit. Good. Are you staying? Or... No, you have your work,
I suppose. I have to admit, things have been a bit slow for me here for a
while. I read and sleep, with only a little work in the garden to pass the time.
Trust me, no one lets me actually dirty my hands either." She let the
embrace go and stood back, looking at Collette first, smiling. "Baronetta
Coltress! So good of you to come. Please, everyone, sit. I..." She looked
at him, her face fine, and at least as pretty as Collette, if not more so. A
bit like Tiera or even Tor, though Gerent would never have mentioned that
second part. The man was sensitive about his looks, being too pretty like he
was.
She didn't call out his name, and
also didn't ask. Her husband didn't offer the information either. After a
minute she shook her head, and seemed to be measuring something with her eye. His
face, to be exact.
"Gerent?"
He nodded. "That's right. I
didn't know if you'd remember me. Things were... different the last time
we met to talk to one another."
That had been a grand total of
three words, since that time she'd been whisked out of the room for something
the instant he got there. He'd also still been pretty small then, and lumpy in
places. She actually sighed and shook her head.
"Yes. I'd gotten some rather
dire news at the time. Plus some other changes. You look good. So, sit,
everyone. What would you like? I managed to get Queen Tiera to gift me one of
her incredible food devices. Not that it took begging, mind. I just mentioned
that it would be nice , and she packed me off with one. I feel badly that
the rest of the people here have to eat all those steaks and apples, but I'm
still not letting go of it. We do use it for spices and some other
things for the men, between meals."
That was actually nice of her,
wasn't it? He thought so, and no one mentioned otherwise. The food that came
was a lot more varied than what they'd had before, and the idea seemed to be
that they better eat. It wasn't hard for him, but he had to wonder about the
others. During the meal they actually talked about gardens, since that was
something that he knew a little bit about. Veronica smiled at him a lot. Finally,
Count Peterson cleared his throat, and explained why that was exactly.
They were subtly trying to get on
his good side.
"We... Hear that Tor left
his properties to you in his absence? We have a deal, using this base in
exchange for planting the Wildlands, but in the last months we've sort of run
out of things to plant. I don't suppose that you're here to collect those taxes
in arrears, are you?" There was a slow but steady tone to the words, as if
it would actually be the expected reason for just showing up like he had.
"No. There will be more need
to plant, later. That part isn't over yet at all. This is just a break in
things. Gardening, even on a big scale, is like that. There are seasons and
times when it's best to just wait, so it won't change anything, tax wise. We
actually came to see you about something else. Um, not to be rude, but it's a
bit, eh... Delicate?" He was trying to hint that Veronica leave, or that
they did, but while she stood, it was only to wave them all to follow her into
a room down the hall.
No one else seemed to think it
was odd even. As if the young girl leading them to the private conversation was
simply what had always been intended. Gerent didn't know if that was right or
not, but as soon as they were in place, Petra spoke, her face looking a little
miserable.
"We... Well, Gerent figured
out that I was... raped... by Will's men, when they took me. I hid it, for the
obvious reason, and now he and Collette feel that Marvin needs to
be about sixteen or so. They'd met before, and she was taller now, but it was
the same woman.
Princess Veronica Cordes.
Countess Peterson, too, as far as that went. She stood and came around the
table, hugging Petra hard.
"There you are! I see that
you finally came to visit. Good. Are you staying? Or... No, you have your work,
I suppose. I have to admit, things have been a bit slow for me here for a
while. I read and sleep, with only a little work in the garden to pass the time.
Trust me, no one lets me actually dirty my hands either." She let the
embrace go and stood back, looking at Collette first, smiling. "Baronetta
Coltress! So good of you to come. Please, everyone, sit. I..." She looked
at him, her face fine, and at least as pretty as Collette, if not more so. A
bit like Tiera or even Tor, though Gerent would never have mentioned that
second part. The man was sensitive about his looks, being too pretty like he
was.
She didn't call out his name, and
also didn't ask. Her husband didn't offer the information either. After a
minute she shook her head, and seemed to be measuring something with her eye. His
face, to be exact.
"Gerent?"
He nodded. "That's right. I
didn't know if you'd remember me. Things were... different the last time
we met to talk to one another."
That had been a grand total of
three words, since that time she'd been whisked out of the room for something
the instant he got there. He'd also still been pretty small then, and lumpy in
places. She actually sighed and shook her head.
"Yes. I'd gotten some rather
dire news at the time. Plus some other changes. You look good. So, sit,
everyone. What would you like? I managed to get Queen Tiera to gift me one of
her incredible food devices. Not that it took begging, mind. I just mentioned
that it would be nice , and she packed me off with one. I feel badly that
the rest of the people here have to eat all those steaks and apples, but I'm
still not letting go of it. We do use it for spices and some other
things for the men, between meals."
That was actually nice of her,
wasn't it? He thought so, and no one mentioned otherwise. The food that came
was a lot more varied than what they'd had before, and the idea seemed to be
that they better eat. It wasn't hard for him, but he had to wonder about the
others. During the meal they actually talked about gardens, since that was
something that he knew a little bit about. Veronica smiled at him a lot. Finally,
Count Peterson cleared his throat, and explained why that was exactly.
They were subtly trying to get on
his good side.
"We... Hear that Tor left
his properties to you in his absence? We have a deal, using this base in
exchange for planting the Wildlands, but in the last months we've sort of run
out of things to plant. I don't suppose that you're here to collect those taxes
in arrears, are you?" There was a slow but steady tone to the words, as if
it would actually be the expected reason for just showing up like he had.
"No. There will be more need
to plant, later. That part isn't over yet at all. This is just a break in
things. Gardening, even on a big scale, is like that. There are seasons and
times when it's best to just wait, so it won't change anything, tax wise. We
actually came to see you about something else. Um, not to be rude, but it's a
bit, eh... Delicate?" He was trying to hint that Veronica leave, or that
they did, but while she stood, it was only to wave them all to follow her into
a room down the hall.
No one else seemed to think it
was odd even. As if the young girl leading them to the private conversation was
simply what had always been intended. Gerent didn't know if that was right or
not, but as soon as they were in place, Petra spoke, her face looking a little
miserable.
"We... Well, Gerent figured
out that I was... raped... by Will's men, when they took me. I hid it, for the
obvious reason, and now he and Collette feel that Marvin needs to
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