A Simple Darkness (The Young Ancients: Tiera) Read online

  The anger she was used to didn't really come this time, even though she was clearly being rebuked. By a person that she'd just saved too. That hardly made it seem worthwhile, but she had to agree. It really had been too much, once it was laid out like that.

  "Maybe I should send the Baron some flowers or something? I'm not going to let those men off the hook. They hurt people that I knew. That can't be allowed either. I don't want to be a bully though."

  The Count sighed, but then smiled at her.

  "A note explaining that would do just as well I think. I have to agree with you, at this point you can't back away from your actions. It's too late and really, being used against their will for the pleasure of others is fair enough." He was clearly trying to make her feel better about the whole thing.

  She changed the topic.

  "Or... I think Timon has some cottages left. Rent one from him and set up your own place? It's better than an Inn and you can put word out that you need a staff. That will let the spies come to you in a controlled fashion. You'll have to grouse about the King a lot in front of them, but it might work. Even if they aren't spies, they might get offers to sell you out."

  They liked that idea better and about an hour later had that arrangement made, which allowed her to get back to the palace, since she needed to see if it was still there. Countier Ross was nowhere in sight and there was a rather sizeable hole in the side of the place, but there weren't a dozen corpses decorating the grounds, so it was a good sign, she hoped. If they hadn't just been taken away already.

  A half dozen Royal Guards surrounded her craft, but relaxed when they saw she was alone. George moved forward and leaned in closely, his lips nearly to her ear. It tickled slightly he was so near her.

  "Do they live?"

  Instead of hiding it she shrugged.

  "Bit of a mess, isn't it?" She made her voice loud enough that people a good way off could get what she said if they tried. "I got them out and healed, but they were going on against the King as if he'd kicked their dog. Wouldn't listen to reason at all. I got them a place out by the Fast Transport buildings, but... I don't know, they don't seem happy at all. Maria called me a bitch, when I suggested that King Richard might have merely misspoke. Can you believe that? Me? I'm sweetness and light all the time." She grinned about it, but then moved closer to the gray haired and fit man. "George, this... it isn't good. I don't know if it can be fixed easily."

  She was invited in, but she just passed the bag for Abbie over.

  "I need to get back to my own life. Being in this place is bad for the health, I think." She meant that at school, for all she wasn't popular, no giants had tried to go all rage beast on her, not yet. Sure she had to fight with some of them, but there was a lack of pure lethality to it all, she realized. A difference between practice and a real fight.

  The guards all stiffened as if it were an insult. She blew out some air, but didn't apologize. She'd told the truth and they were being over sensitive. Since that was clearly her job, she let it go and flew off a bit faster than was normal. It probably made her seem angry, but that wasn't her problem at the moment. She was just a bit bored and tired.

  It was late when she got back, or at least after dark, but she didn't have to go to dinner and didn't need to sleep yet. She snagged some dried fruit in her room and sat alone for a bit. Then grabbed a quick shower and went to her meditation class. She didn't really feel like she could do it, being too worked up, but it was her duty, so she had to do her best.

  Just as the class ended she started to get it, so just sat in place, trying to focus while everyone else left. Later she opened her eyes to find the Instructor looking at her with a small smile on her face. She didn't speak, or suggest that Tiera leave. She did though, since it was nearing nine and the woman didn't seem like she'd leave until the room was empty.

  There was no Karen in her room, but as a treat Regina knocked on the door moments after she got back.

  "There you are! I thought you might be dodging me. Is everything alright?" There was real concern, but Tiera nodded. Then, very carefully, she pulled the girl into the room, not saying anything at all, and held her close, just standing in front of the door.

  She smelled nice. Like home. Warm and soft. After a bit she pulled the girl to the bed, chuckling a bit, but didn't do anything except hold her close. Reggie let her, but after about half an hour of this she started to kiss her. That changed the tone of things and after a while, when that part was over, the other girl looked at her with those intense orange eyes.

  "You missed me then?"

  Tiera nodded, "just a bit. A smidge." She held her fingers apart, but then let the distance grow, as if reconsidering it all. "Well, a bit more than that. A lot."

  There was more kissing and holding then, and it was nice. When Reggie got up to leave Tiera couldn't help but feel a slight pang of loss, but she knew that the girl had to leave. The school rules said they had to sleep in their own rooms on school nights. It wasn't watched all that closely, but if you got caught it could make for some trouble and Tiera shared a room with an Instructor, so capture would be assured when the woman came back. If she did that night.

  At the door Regina stopped and spun though, her face looking just a little sly.

  "Hey... Alright, I know that I don't have a right to ask, but my father sent a letter and asked if I wanted to come back home in a few weeks. We have that four day break coming? Normally I couldn't make it at all, even flying, but..." She didn't ask, her eyes on the ground as if slightly embarrassed.

  "I can get you there. No problem. I should be done with my punishment for missing classes, as long as no one added anything for the last few days. That was Count Lairdgren's doing though. He had me running errands with him. We went all over the world and still didn't manage to meet with anyone interesting. Just relatives of mine."

  "Oh! Great, thank you! You can stay the whole time? Daddy asked to meet you. I've been writing him about you... Is that moving too fast? I don't want to pressure you or anything, but you'll love him. We're not rich or anything, but... I know that your brother is." The slight embarrassment was back then. Tiera got that idea.

  "I really wouldn't worry Reg. Tor's rich and my family is doing alright, now, but that's so new that we still all live in the same unpainted wooden house that my mother and father built themselves twenty-odd years ago. We can stop by there first if you want so that you'll know not to be concerned that way."

  She smiled about it but the other girl looked disbelieving.

  "But... don't you all live in separate magical palaces and cottages? Surrounded day and night with servants to see to your every need? I'm almost positive I heard that rumor more than once. The Wizard Tor is the richest person in Noram after all."

  Tiera blinked.

  "He is? I had no idea." She meant that too. He didn't spend a lot himself. It might make sense, but she wasn't letting her friend feel bad about her own situation based on rumors that didn't sound realistic at all.

  "Two Bends is a small village, and we don't have servants. The new school is a magical cottage though, and I think my mother is angling to get one of those large magical places, but no, that doesn't sound right at all. I'll show you. Now, Tor's place in the Capital is amazing. Even where my little brother lives is pretty nice, but I don't own those things." Timon would give her a cottage though and Tor would probably part with a palace if she asked. That or insist she learn to make her own. It was hard to tell with him sometimes.

  Regina smiled and kissed her cheek, bending down to do it, but letting her lips linger just a bit.

  "You're so sweet. When I first learned who you were I thought that you'd be really stuck up, but you were always nice to me. I mean, who am I? Sure, my father is a landless Baron, but that doesn't mean a lot in real terms. If he didn't have a bit of a head for business and some nice connections I wouldn't be here at all. You always treated me like we were exactly the same. I half expected to be ordered into being your servant, but yo
u were just my friend and now... I love you."

  "I love you too. I'd love to meet your father."

  There was no talk of a mother, but that was because the woman had died years before. It had only been mentioned once, in the first week of school. The pain it caused her new friend was so obvious that Tiera knew not to ask about it twice.

  Karen didn't come back at all and wasn't there in the morning to practice with her. Neither was Havar which was a shame. Instead she ended up trying to get Sir Kolbrin to work with her. It was harder than it had been before, since she had to focus constantly to keep her shield turned off. She slipped often enough that the man got what it meant. He didn't ask about it, but did call her on it when she slipped, even a little.

  It wasn't a secret, but when they finished he did something different and called everyone together. She used the healing amulet on the table out of habit, but still had blood on her face and hands. Sir Kolbrin waved at her anyway.

  "Two hours until lunch. I want two teams ready for flight practice. Who has their gear with them?" there was a soft chuckle and of the twenty-two people present, only four did.

  That was her, David Derring, Judith and a large boy that was always a little shy around her, named Johan.

  "You four are the first squad then. I want you to set up practice for the rest, who better have their rigs ready within ten minutes. Go!"

  He lifted one finger.

  "Johan, you're in charge of this. Tiera, I want you to give a report at the end, for all involved." That was hard to do in regards to flying, but she nodded. She could only do her best. It meant that she wasn't part of the exercise really, and she stood with Sir Kolbrin as David and Johan set up a plan that used Judy as a decoy, meaning to ambush the others the instant they came into view.

  Tiera wouldn't have waited herself, though it had to be easier on the school buildings using their plan.

  It was... almost humorous. Everyone was no better than average and a lot of the younger people were horrible fliers. It was so bad that she just waved them all down after about twenty minutes. Just screaming that they weren't any good wasn't going to help either.

  Rolling her eyes she looked at Sir Kolbrin, but he just gave her a blank stare in return.

  "Fine. Johan, David and Judy... You did decently enough. The rest of you... Here. We're going to run some drills. The same people on the attack. Everyone else, remember to work together." She explained how and let them go again, it wasn't good and actually gave her a headache to watch. Finally she felt like slapping a few of them, but refrained, just growling a bit.

  Then she had them try again.

  She finally had to leave for math class, having skipped lunch to try and get something halfway reasonable going. They all knew how to fly, but it was like they didn't realize they could move in three directions. That wasn't perfect, since you had some limitations, but they all just went up and down, straight and used some turns.

  "Alright, I'll have a class tomorrow. I mean if that's alright? It's an off day, but I'll be here anyway." She knew she sounded like a pretentious little bitch and half the people looked ready to kick her ass for it, but she got a nod and half smile from the head instructor and most of the older people seemed fine with it. Mitchell walked over to her though and stood right next to her, letting his shoulder touch hers.

  "Ohhh. Look at the little instructor now. Ordering everyone around like the Queen herself." He laughed and walked away, or started to.

  Tiera hit him in the back, right over the liver, stepping in to help use momentum to make up for her light body weight. He dropped like a rock, gasping.

  "You know Mitchell, I've met the Queen and she didn't order anyone around hardly at all. You should think twice before comparing someone as nice and polite as she is, to me, don't you think?"

  He growled.

  "Fucking bitch." There was a groan to it. One that sounded like he was trying very hard not to throw-up.

  Tiera helped him up and got the healing amulet.

  "Yeah. I know. Trust me, it's been a major topic of conversation lately. I've been lectured by two different Counts on the same topic in less than two days even. I wouldn't be shocked if the King and my mother don't chime in soon too. You should really have learned not to goad me by now, that being the case, don't you think? It isn't like you haven't been around me at all."

  Instead of trying to hit her in return the boy rubbed his back, even though the damage was healed already and made a face at her. It was very nearly funny. Then he started to walk away, stopping after about six steps.

  "You know, sometimes people tease you because they want you to pay attention to them, you understand that right?" After the last word he walked away without turning back.

  It actually didn't make sense to her. If you liked someone you should at least be polite to them, right? Sure, little kids acted like that, pulling the girl's hair and what not in class, but adults didn't do that. She was very nearly positive on that point.

  The rest of the day went better at least, no one either lecturing her or calling her names, with Sorenson even praising her in singing class, which Instructor Crane agreed with, if only a bit. It was nice to hear she was doing alright at least. It was clear that she wasn't exactly a wonderful singer, but she was going flat less often and managed to keep to the tune most of the time. True, when it came time to pick partners for the duet they were to do next, no one exactly wanted to work with her, but that could be due to her bad reputation, not just lack of skill.

  In the end no one picked her at all, and the boy she asked, another first year student, looked as if she'd hit him in the liver a few times. It wasn't exactly a great thing to see, but he nodded and mumbled something that she took to be positive in nature. After class he did walk up to her, and even gave his name, which was Roland. He had slightly reddish blond hair and dusty looking skin. He was tall enough that she'd guess him to have relatives that were nobles if nothing else. His clothing looked like silk and unless he was practicing to be a spy, it probably wasn't magical in nature. A lot of the upper classmen had them, but only a few of the younger kids did. Tor had handed them out the year before, since a lot of people had been hurting, coin wise. He was nice that way. Probably too much so, but no one complained about it overly. Not around her at least.

  The boy in front of her wasn't rude at any rate, bowing a bit as he looked down at her.

  "We should meet sometime to practice. I'm planning to go into town tomorrow evening, but I have the early part of the day free, is that good for you?" He sounded bored, but was doing his part, so she smiled and tried not to be ungracious.

  "Well, I have a class in the morning, it's a special thing, not a regular one. That should be done by noon though, is that early enough? Maybe we could meet in the commons at say, one? That way you won't have to miss luncheon." The larger people needed to eat a lot more than she did and got grumpy when they missed their meals. She did too, but it took longer.

  "That sounds fine. Do you have plans for after that? We could go to the tavern together. It's more fun when you bring your own girls, or so I hear. So far I haven't had a lot of luck with that."

  Tiera nearly blinked at the boy, not knowing if it was just a regular invitation, or one for a date. She didn't even know how to get at that information.

  The boy winced, "that's alright, you don't have to come if you don't want to. It was just an idea." He started to walk away then, which got her to reach out and touch him on the back of his right arm.

  "Actually, I was just wondering if I could bring a friend with me? Regina Helmsley? I... this is embarrassing, but where I come from we do thing pretty differently, so I don't know if you're asking me out on a date, or just as friends, or even just to be polite. Any of those is fine, but I have no clue what to do. Would it be alright?"

  The boy stopped for a second and then, instead of mocking her, he simply nodded.

  "Sure. I was suggesting it as fellow students, but having extra girls around never hurts.
Even if you don't want me for yourselves, talking me up to your friends will help. I've seen that work at least." Roland gave her a very strange look and then smiled at her. "Is that, things being different where you come from, why you were so rude to everyone the first week? You did a lot better this time. I'd fancy that meant I was better looking than the rest of those fellows, but that just isn't true."

  "It was pretty much that. I can explain it all, but the main idea is that I sort of misunderstood the ranking system and thought that if I was with anyone too far out of station, my family might be angry with them. It was never about those boys themselves. They were all fine looking and seemed most proper to me, I just... didn't know enough. Now a lot of people aren't that fond of me. I'm working to get past it, but that looks like it's going to take some time."

  That got a general agreement and they parted ways with a wave, but without saying anything in particular. It was nice that someone seemed willing to at least let her be friends now. Other than Regina that was. She was special though, so in a way that didn't count. It mattered more, but wasn't the same thing. A wonderful and unexpectedly different thing.

  Before she could get more than two bites of food down, Karen walked in.

  "We need to leave, now. We're due at a meeting in the palace in an hour. Secret. We need to get Kolb and Hardgrove first, since the point of us going is to give them a ride without it seeming too strange. If anyone asks you're in trouble and those two are meeting with the King about it. Count Lairdgren too."

  That bit of news got her to cross her arms and tap her foot at the larger woman.

  "Really? I mean, it has to be about me being in trouble? It can't be about my birthday coming up or anything positive, it has to be that I'm in trouble? I'm getting sick of this. Really, if they all think it's so funny, why don't they just do without me? You don't need me to give you a ride. I won't be needed at this meeting and pretending that I am is silly. If they have messages for me to take, then they can just pass them along, or tell me that I have a fare for Timon's business. In trouble? For what?"