Knight Esquire ya-2 Read online

  “Sorry, Sorlee here doesn’t speak standard very well yet. She can read it well enough, so I just put the information about what we need on the board there, which you obviously saw already. She’s a good girl, got brought in as a prostitute by mistake, seemed to think she’d hired on as a cleaning girl or something? No one can really understand her, so she ended up in here.” The man just shrugged and gave the girl a grin.

  Tor looked at her and pointed at the rolls. Speaking in a dialect that, if not exactly like hers was close enough to make her eyes go wide, he told her that the rolls needed to go in the oven as soon as the eggs were done.

  “Wow! Someone that can actually talk properly! Are you the new baker? I’ve just been coming in here and working every day for the last two weeks, hoping I wouldn’t be beaten into being a whore. I mean, I knew what I was being hired on for, but when I got here, all the men were so big… I kind of knew they would be, but their mainly that big all over, and it hurt, because I was a virgin when I got here, you know? I feel bad about going back on my word to work for them, leaving them a girl short like that, but until I get used to it I don’t think I can do what they want really. I guess if they’ve got you, I better start training up though. That bread really does smell good too. Better than what I’ve been making. Hey, do you need an assistant or something for a while?”

  Tor tilted his head, which made her face fall. It took him a second to realize that she thought he hadn’t understood her. That or that he was going to send her back to being a prostitute right away. She seemed a little young for the job to his mind, but if she needed the work, things were probably pretty dire back home.

  “I’m not the new baker, just helping out for a couple of days while I have time off. Not a lot else to do around here and it’s good to keep the skills up you know. Oh, I’m Tor Baker by the way.”

  “I’m Sara-lee Farmer. So you’re a for real baker?”

  “By birth, however, I can’t leave the job I’m doing for the military right now, making magic devices, what I can do, is help you learn baking well enough to get along here pretty easily and maybe understand standard well enough that no one will make you do anything you don’t want to. If you don’t want to work at the… ladies house here, you don’t have too. No one will force you to. I won’t let them.” He straightened and gave her a matter of fact nod. He was responsible for the women coming here in the first place, so it was his duty to make sure none of the girls were ever abused or made to do anything they didn’t want to. Obviously.

  The head cook just looked at him amazed, so Tor explained what they’d been talking about. The man’s eyes bulged a bit when he learned that Sara-lee, Tor corrected the name carefully, but told him that he’d been saying it correctly for her ear as Sorlee, seemed to be intent to continue on as a whore, just as soon as she could practice a bit and get used to it. It was, she told them, a matter of honor. She’d contracted to do it and even if it flew in the face of everything she’d been taught at home, it was what she’d do.

  For now though, she really was needed more as a baker, the cook told her which he confirmed with Tor, and offered to go make it right with the mistress of the bases little house.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll go later and deal with it. Probably closer to my job than yours anyway, since it was my idea to bring the ladies in the first place.”

  “You’re idea?” The man seemed skeptical again. Well at least he wasn’t calling him a child. The beard was really helping in that department.

  “Yeah, that and getting the cargo haulers for people so that the men can get into town. I haven’t seen one in operation yet, do they have them working do you know? I made enough plates for ten of them but I’ve been so busy on a project for a while…”

  The man gave him a pained look and suggested that he go and see Godfry about those, if he wanted to see one working. Tor had to get directions to the right place, and decided to go look in the afternoon, in the mean time they needed to get to work on the cookies. He decided on a crisp walnut with dried apple chunks in as well, for flavor. They turned out pretty well and Sorlee wrote down the recipe so that she could repeat it later, which Tor took as a compliment to his work. By ten they had all the rolls and cookies out and cooling, ready to be put to use for lunch and dinner.

  Since it was part of her normal duties Sorlee was given food to take to Tor’s house. Cook told Tor that no one else wanted the job, because the Prince was staying there and no one wanted to risk ticking him off, afraid he’d fly into a combat rage and kill them, or give them permanent kitchen duty for looking at one of the women there funny or something. No one had been able to explain to Sorlee who he was yet, so she didn’t mind running errands there at all. Before they got to the door she tidied her skirt, brushing out any flour or wrinkles and patted at her hair a little. It was cute the way she primped, her face very serious about the whole thing. The skirt she wore was a plain gray thing and her blouse a color that he’d probably describe as “blah”, one popular in the regions they both came from. It was clearly country village clothing, but worked well enough for her current position as kitchen help.

  The girl dimpled at him warmly.

  “I don’t understand much of what people around here are saying, but this is the important place, I know that. Most of the men are afraid to come here, even though the red haired giant boy is always nice to me when I make deliveries. The pretty blond woman is really nice too. I think there are some other people here too, because this is the place the magic comes from, unless the red giant is the magic fellow? I don’t think so though, because he always comes to the door right away when I call out. So maybe he’s the magic guys brother, or son, or something?”

  Tor debated keeping Rolph’s title from her, but figured that would be mean. It wasn’t a secret or anything. Not here.

  “No, the red haired giant boy is Prince Alphonse Cordes, heir to the throne of Noram. He’s a good guy though, so try not to hold that against him. He’s not here right now, off in the Capital. Some important people were poisoned and he has to help clear that up, I think. The blond woman is the daughter of a big merchant house called Debri. Her name’s Sara, like yours, but she pronounces it all funny. “Sah-ra” not correctly like you do. But she’s OK too. Nice enough. Both friends of mine, though I kind of had a fight with Sara, when one of her best friends said mean things about me which caused us to break off our engagement. Her friend, I mean, Trice. I wasn’t engaged to Sara. We seem to be getting along better now.”

  Sorlee stared at him.

  “Someone broke up with you? Why? Do you drink or something? Beat on her? You don’t seem like that type.” The girl eyed him suspiciously for a few seconds then smiled. “You’re good looking and can bake, so you have a good career and all. She must be silly if she thinks she’s going to do better.”

  Tor grinned.

  “Ah now, see, I should have gotten you to talk to her first then. She’s a royal though, Trice, so different standards for things I guess. That was months ago, so I need to move past it, right?”

  Tor walked in without stopping so Sorlee did the same her eyes going wide when they got inside.

  “Wow this place is… This must be the nicest place in the whole world!”

  A few months before, less than a year at least, he would have thought the very same thing himself. It was decorated pretty well, which had nothing to do with him, or if he had it right, Rolph either. Sara maybe? He’d have to ask.

  Both the women sat at the shiny black table, a dark red cloth had been put over the top, which made it warmer and a little less oppressive looking. The legs still showed and looked like highly polished stone. Ursala smiled at him when he walked in and Sara waved at Sorlee. That made sense, the entire compound having only a few women. Tor doubted that any of the rest of them were as short as the girl at his side making her easy to identify too.

  They put the food on the table carefully, unpacking the high sided tray things that the food was being carried in. Neithe
r of them had eaten in the kitchen, so Tor gestured for the girl to sit next to him. He gave her the small chair and took one of the large ones, because she was a guest. It was important to make guests feel comfortable, right? Even the Queen had gone out of her way when he was a guest and the difference in real position between him and a farm girl, who was also a baker and a prostitute in training, was a lot closer socially if you counted it up logically.

  Practically the same really.

  He made the introductions carefully, but honesty enough. Ursala seemed a little shocked that Tor asked her to sit with them, but Sara just smiled and offered the girl a plate, telling her to help herself to the food. Everyone had to eat after all. Sara was good like that. Accepting people of different classes easily. It probably came from being a born merchant. Anyone could be a potential costumer after all, so it made sense to get along with everyone, didn’t it?

  Tor largely translated while they ate, letting the others talk. He snagged one of the orange rolls for himself, the icing was still a little gooey and the rolls just warm enough to be perfect. Ursala was surprised when Sorlee told Tor how good they were. That went into the story of what he’d been doing that morning which turned into the tale of how Sorlee came to be at the compound.

  “Right,” she started the tale when it started, with her father getting hurt when a tree he’d been cutting down with her brothers fell the wrong way. “So, he was busted up pretty bad, and we had to call the doctor in, which costs a lot. That, plus losing his work and a less than great harvest and we were looking at a pretty lean winter. It snows where we live, up north a long ways. So I left home, which means one less person to feed and that way I could find some work to help pay things off so next winter won’t be so bad for everyone. I tried cleaning at first, but cleaning girls don’t get paid much, so I found the madam and made a deal with her. I couldn’t understand it all, but that I get twenty percent of what I bring in, plus room and board and that I get to keep any tips I get fair and full. It’s a lot more money than I’d make cleaning for sure. Only so far I haven’t been doing so well at it. She’s been nice enough, but then I’ve been avoiding her. Mr. Baker said he’d go and talk to her and let her know what’s going on, so’s I won’t be beaten into it and can start gradual like. Get used to it in a way that won’t leave me too sore to do anything for weeks on end.”

  The conversation after that went way differently that Tor had thought it would. Instead of shock and outrage at an innocent young girl having to sell herself like that, which Tor had to admit was kind of what he felt about the whole thing, or alternative suggestions as to how to make money, say telling her to have Tor just give it to her for instance, which was what he’d been expecting, the women gave her tips to make having sex easier.

  Ursala in particular.

  “Well, now that your hymen is broken, all you probably need is a bit of practice and to use lubrication. Some oil will work, cooking oil if you don’t have anything else though I’m sure that the madam has some just for that, it’s what prostitutes pretty much have to do. Too hard to get turned on for each man after all, no matter how wonderful they are. Just use it before you have a client, really, best to do that before they come into the room even. That will leave them with the illusion that they enthuse you personally which men like. Actually pretty much everyone likes to feel appreciated and desirable… Just rub it right inside yourself. You’ll have to clean up each time, but then I imagine you will anyway. Has anyone discussed how not to get pregnant?”

  That conversation, which Tor kind of had to stay for, being the translator, opened his eyes more than a little. Ursala certainly knew how to prevent pregnancy at least. Why she hadn’t, Tor didn’t get, but given everything didn’t ask either. He’d rather live without the information than cause her pain in the memory.

  Well, embarrassing or not, the girl needed to know things like that, and if the prostitutes couldn’t help her out because of the language barrier, he’d have to. Even if that did mean risking a stroke from all the blushing he was doing. No one teased him about it at least.

  What they did do, which he thought was pretty kind of them, considering that they’d just met Sorlee and all, was go with them to the back of the compound to where the… houses, were set up. It was just late enough in the day that the mistress was awake and they didn’t even have to wait long to see her. She came in, dressed well enough that it looked like she’d planned on guests, but not so well that she didn’t look a little embarrassed when she saw the two women waiting for her.

  “Ah! You must be the ladies with Prince Alphonse! Then you would be…” The woman, who looked to be in her mid forties, just slightly plump, enough to accentuate her curves rather than make her look heavy, regarded him baldly for a few seconds.

  “Master Tor?” Her voice sounded a little awed for some reason.

  “Just Tor, but yeah, that’s me.” He gave her his best polite grin.

  The woman curtsied and held it for an awfully long time, so finally he bowed back, not knowing if that was the right move of not, but at least she took it as a sign that she could stand up straight. Sorlee looked at him with a scowl.

  “Are you someone important? If I find out you’ve been fooling me all day I’ll…” She waved a fist at him which got everyone else to look at her in shock suddenly.

  “Not really, some people think so, but I haven’t been fooling you. I told you who I was and even that I make magical devices. I probably should have spelled everything out for you, but I kind of wanted you to just like me for me, you know? So, really, no hitting.” Tor said this with a chuckle, shying away from the proffered blow with hands raised and a playful smile.

  Saying all that meant that he had to explain to the ladies what had been said, which lead to an explanation of why he was working in the kitchen and what Sorlee had said earlier as well as the request from the cook that she stay on as the baker, since they didn’t have anyone else yet. The madam seemed satisfied with that arrangement as long as Sorlee took lessons in the evenings, learning the trade.

  Apparently they really did need the extra girl and being so small, Sorlee would be in demand. A lot of men preferred small women for sex, it seemed.

  Since the job was mainly one that could be learned by demonstration, Tor wouldn’t need to be around to translate at least, thank god, not for those parts. But Madame Clarissa wanted to make sure that Sorlee understood some of the broader points, such as using her mouth and hands on a man and the names for such acts in standard so that clients could make specific requests of her. That led to descriptions of things that Tor had never even heard of. Wasn’t sex just… sex? He said as much which had everyone but Sorlee laughing at him. She told them to stop rather forcefully, in fairly good standard, which got everyone’s attention.

  “It’s, he’s from near where I’m from and people don’t talk about things like this. It’s not funny, just… right, just proper, for a good man where we’re from. His wife would have told him about some of this, if she was interested in doing any of it. Making fun of him for not knowing it is… mean.”

  That got their attention and earned Tor some strange looks from all the older women when he finished translating. They probably thought he was incurably retarded. Maybe that was just the truth? He didn’t understand half of what they were talking about. Use your mouth on someone… Did that mean kissing? He asked out loud, knowing he’d sound dumb, but not wanting to be ignorant forever either. Sara grinned and looked away, but Ursala told him they’d talk about it later. This got a knowing look and a nod from the madam.

  “And of course… Tor, if you ever want a demonstration of anything, please remember that my girls and myself are here at your disposal twenty-four hours a day. For you we’ll even make house calls… obviously without charge. One of the privileges of ownership.”

  Tor had a strong feeling that the woman was trying to needle him about his lack of looks and skill with women. Well, she was right, he didn’t have those things, but that
didn’t mean that he deserved to be mocked about it, did he? Maybe it was just her way of being playful? Then again, maybe she was just being honest? Maybe the only women he could ever hope to have were those he hired for the purpose. The idea left him feeling a little sad, but what could he do about it? Tor knew he should just accept himself for what he was and get on with living. It was a hard thought, but the world, the universe, was what it was. It was too big to be concerned with someone like him anyway. That was true no matter who you were at least.

  King or baker, the universe didn’t notice.

  After that, with him still blushing fiercely he was sure, Ursala, Sara and Tor all walked over to the area that held the people moving cargo container things. They turned out to look a lot different than he’d thought they would. For one thing Tor had pictured boxes the whole time, big, but roughly square. Instead they were all rectangular, but only vaguely, the front rounded and the whole thing enclosed in back, with sturdy doors that folded out so that passengers could load and unload easily from the side. Inside were benches rather than chairs, big enough to hold four large people sitting side by side. The back held ten benches, meaning there was room for forty people, not including the driver. More if they were normal sized like him, fewer if they were royal giants like the King and Count Thomson.

  One of them would have held most of the compounds personnel when he’d come up with the idea, but now there were a lot more people. He counted six vehicles including the one that they looked at, which would mean that there was enough for, two-hundred and forty people to go places all at once? That should be enough, if they all took turns. That plus the women that had come to help out at the base should take a lot of the stress off the men working there.

  A voice came from behind him, male and vaguely familiar. Godfrey.

  “There’s two more stationed here and two that have been sent to the Capital full time. Their parked at the palace itself. Would you all like to go up? We don’t have any other trips scheduled for today, but it won’t hurt anything to let you see how well they work.”