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

  The shopping itself didn't take long, but she needed help finding the barber in town. She hadn't had a lot of haircuts in her life and kind of feared what the man might do to her. Especially once she realized what it would take to keep her hair from being pulled by her shield at all. She grabbed her head and let her eyes squint a bit.

  "I won't do it. That Kolbrin fellow wants me to be bald like him!"

  Karen smiled at her but didn't laugh, ruffling her own short hair, which was about an inch long all over.

  "Modern fighter's cut. It just has to be short enough so that the field will form around it no matter what. Really you can have a couple of inches, but if people are going to be coming for you, it would pay to not give them that handle on you. Besides that... you could do with a little something or other to dampen the looks. We'll tell everyone it was done as a penance for your mis-steps earlier and they'll probably be a lot more likely to cut you some slack. Most good looking girls are pretty vain and shallow." There was a tone to her voice, under the relaxed and matter of fact sweetness that irritated Tiera more than a bit, earning the larger woman a glare for a bit.

  She really liked her hair, and Karen was basically saying that it meant she was petty and into herself. Which, she knew, was probably true. That didn't mean she wanted to make herself look ugly, did it? Tiera nearly told the woman that it just wasn't happening, but then made a face and shook her head instead. It would look sour and unpleasant, but it was how she really felt. It was a stupid thing, but Timon had told her about how he'd been tricked by someone he thought was a friend and ended up being tortured. That was the Larval Assassins just trying to find a way to get at Tor. They really might just come for her too, right? Everyone back home too, but she'd been mentioned specifically, or so her little brother had said.

  She turned to the older man who had put an apron on her to keep hair off of her clothing, but then stood back, as if not certain about what to do with her at all. She couldn't blame him there, no matter what, she wasn't going to like how it looked was she?

  "Take it off. Like hers." Tiera used her head to indicate Karen who looked doubtful for some reason. Maybe she thought that it was a trick? It wasn't. Tiera planned to hate the hairdo already, but she would prove that she wasn't vain. Even if it meant ridicule and looking horrible for months. "I mean it, go ahead."

  Taking hair off in an even and short fashion was a skill, and it seemed and the man was an expert, so it didn't take him a long time. She had to fight tears back as her long tresses hit the floor, the black falling like silk, looking slightly blue in the light through the large front window of the place. After he was done the man smiled, looking a little sad about it, and held up a hand mirror for her to see the damage. She looked...

  Really, it wasn't that bad.

  "I feel funny, but... I don't think it will be easy to pull." She'd been left with even less than Karen had, by about a half an inch, but she had a full thick head of black left, if close to the scalp. It wasn't a great look, but she still looked like her, not a boy, as she feared. She was definitely a girl with short hair.

  Tiera tipped the man, since that was a thing in larger cities and Karen nudged her a little, to get her to do it. It was only a few coppers, but the haircut itself had been free, so it worked out. The school paid for it, but the man made most of his coin in gratuities. Karen didn't mention it until they left, and then did it casually.

  Tiera winced.

  "I didn't short him did I? I have some gold, but not a lot. I need to earn more soon or I'm going to be really struggling to keep myself fed." It was just the truth, since her parents hadn't sent her with a lot. Tor had gone to school with only the one gold per section that the King had provided him after all, and as far as her parents were concerned that was all she needed too. They were probably right, but it made it hard to keep up with everyone else, since most of them had parents that were far more concerned with how their children looked, rather than how much they learned.

  Karen shook her head firmly. "No, a few coppers is about right. One would have served normally, but you kind of worried him, having all your hair taken off like that. Good job there. I'd figured on crying and laments. You seem to have adapted already. Kolb will like it." She grinned and started walking back toward the school at a good clip. "I can guarantee you that he'd have made you suffer tomorrow if you'd come in with hair that was long enough to trap at all. This will show him you actually listen, which is important. He's the best fighting Instructor in the kingdom, but if you can't be bothered to try, he'll write you off almost instantly. You don't want that. Especially since he's in your potential marriage pool. I think so at least."

  Tiera kept walking but felt her breath catch in her throat.

  "What? Marriage pool?" She thought she had the idea, but it was so strange that she let Karen explain it anyway, since it was pretty clear that her lessons were really supposed to be in things other than just fighting.

  "Right. Nobles are supposed to marry within three social positions of their own. The three steps. Even the merchants generally follow that pattern. So as a Baron third he's within the set of men that are acceptable for that. He's a bit older, but that isn't a big issue. The only question would be how related you two are. Tor never mentioned it to me, so I'm not certain. Still, you don't want to tick him off too much, since he'd be a decent man to connect yourself with later. Not now of course, since he's your Instructor, but you get the idea." There was a slightly amused undertone to the words, as if she were playing, but she didn't laugh, so it might have been more to the fact that she was having to explain things to a girl that should have learned them all when she was a child. Her mother had mentioned a bit of it, in the last year, but she hadn't really thought about it in the form of an actual person before.

  "So I can only date people that are within three steps? Does that mean I was really right before? I..." She was confused. It was pretty clear that everyone was mad at her for sending the other boys away like she had.

  Karen snorted, a very unladylike sound.

  "No. You can date anyone you want. Really, like I said earlier, you probably should for at least a while. Better to have everyone think you're easy than a Doretta. You just have to marry within three steps. Worse, noble women tend to be more numerous than the men. So you have a lot of competition for the good ones. On top of that most of the available men in your rough age range right now are family members of yours. Petra told me that both Princess Karina and Judith Kerry have made moves on your brother. For the future, so you know, you don't have to challenge them to a duel over it."

  "Tor?"

  "No, Timon. That's what I meant by competition there. They're both lining him up for marriage years before it would be legal. Hard to beat a Princess too. Not impossible. Judy has a real shot, I think. She's not as pretty, but she's a Conserina first. Printer. The Countess doesn't have an heir yet and is widowed so for now there's none coming."

  That came as a shock, since Regina had told her that Judith was practically a commoner. You could tell by her strange accent, even though she was clearly learning to get around it. Tiera sighed and shook her head, not mentioning it. She really needed to chat with her old roommate and make certain they were good. They were friends after all, and the tradition was that you tried to keep your people close. Of course it was a lot easier in Two Bends. No one ever accidentally told you that the rules were so much different than they really were for one thing.

  It was still light out, but getting slightly late by the time they got back to the central commons. There was a flying carriage in the middle of it, and from the fact that it was a mirrored square, that meant it was Timon. You could make the things look however you wanted, but he always used that one. It was a signature or something.

  He stood next to a tall, nicely attractive woman, with evenly dark skin. Tiera recognized her from the ship, and put the name together with the face. This was Captain Petra, and that, clearly, meant that Karen was her friend. Well, the noble wo
rld wasn't that big, was it? Her mother had told her that it really only had a few thousand people in it, over all. They were just kind of thick on the ground here. For a half second Tiera felt almost jealous of the woman, her hair being a whole three or four inches long as it was. Such luxuriously long locks, it made her want to cover her head, but she held up her right hand in greeting instead.

  "Timon!" She had to be careful still to make certain she didn't fall into home tongue. It was a lot different and would make people think she was from the country. She was, but sounding cultured couldn't hurt. "I wasn't expecting you just yet."

  Her brother was younger than she was, but was clearly going to break hearts as he got older. All of her brothers were sharp looking, but Tim and Todd, who was a year older than she was, just hit the right balance between being perfectly formed and rugged looking enough for most women to really want. Tor was almost too pretty that way. Like a girl. Her brother wore a nice velvet outfit in stark black, with shiny leather shoes and a silver belt that shone almost like a mirror.

  Taking just a second he looked at her, his eyes searching, but not overly friendly. Then he nodded a few times.

  "I see. So, this is your new keeper? Karen Derring, isn't it?" He smiled at her, which was charming enough, but didn't quite reach his eyes. "I was in Two Bends, visiting, when Judith came and started asking us if we intended to come and destroy any suitors you might have that weren't perfect. Teral allowed that he might take offense, if they weren't proper about it, but ma said that I should tell you that she'll pull you home if she ever hears of anything like this again."

  Then, as if it just made sense, he walked over to her and gave Tiera a small hug.

  "Don't worry. Judy said you'd already started to work on fixing it. That's good, since if you don't, I promised her that I'd drop you off in Vagus for a year with Lyn."

  Tiera scowled at him.

  "She actually went to Two Bends? I'm... mortified. I can't believe that." Except that her brother wouldn't have known to show up if it hadn't happened, would he? It wasn't a trick, things were just that bad.

  Timon changed the subject then, looking at Karen closely. It wasn't a happy thing either, like he didn't really trust her for some reason. She was practically family though, so he must have known something. She needed to get him aside and ask, if she ever got the chance. There was a glance and a half nod directed toward Tiera, then gave a small head shake.

  "Anyway, we have dinner tonight in the Capital, with Terlee and Ali. I came to get you both. You can bring Karen as your date. It will mess up the seating arrangements, but that can't be helped." There was no question that she'd be going in his voice at all.

  Karen didn't get a choice either it seemed, which got her to make a bit of a face at him.

  "Oh? I wasn't aware that I was on tap for you to whisk away like this. Normally I get flowers first, before someone tries to start giving me orders like that."

  That got a small chuckle from Timon, even though Karen was still frowning.

  "I know. All kinds of heavy handed, but you'll want in on this, I think. It's with the Count and Countess Thomson and a few others. We should probably get Dean Hardgrove and Sir Kolbrin in on it too, if we can. If that's the case I need to call on Terlee so she can have some extra places set and get the food ready. Nine o'clock, of course, since it's in the Capital. You have a few hours to get ready. Petra, could you help Tiera? I'll go and see to the Dean and Kolbrin. Miss Derring, would you aid me in that?" There was a strange thing there that Tiera almost didn't pick up on. Tim was... setting her up for something. She could feel it, but she didn't know why.

  Hopefully it wasn't a beating, though she didn't doubt that Petra was capable of getting it done, the woman looked hard and was probably a fighter of some kind. She was, now that Tiera thought about it, probably also the Petra that did all the popular clothing designs. If that was the case it was pretty strange that the woman was hanging out with her little brother. Maybe she had marriage designs on him too? As long as she planned to wait, that was fine, otherwise she'd have to deal with Tiera.

  Timon held his arm out to Karen, who was still dressed in fighting leathers and she took it, as if a proper lady at court, her face serene and delicate in expression suddenly. She led them away, leaving the craft, but Timon stopped her and took it down with a few quick movements.

  "To prevent theft." He didn't explain who might try to steal such a thing, but Tiera didn't question it either. He was smart enough not to waste time with things that weren't needed.

  That left her standing with Petra, who stood watching them for a while as they walked away, towards the Headmasters office.

  "So, Tiera. How are you doing? Current difficulties aside?"

  It was a good question and she touched her head, short hair bristling in an unfamiliar pattern.

  "Well, I feel lighter. As for everything else? Horrible. My life is pretty much ruined already and I'm only fourteen. It's all my own fault, but, I don't think I can fix it. I should probably transfer to a different school, or go home, but I... I've destroyed it all, haven't I?"

  Instead of reassuring her, Petra nodded, which wasn't helpful at all.

  "Pretty much. Oh, you'll get past it, but it's going to be hard for a while. You need to get used to your new nickname I'd guess. Doretta, is it? Well, it could be worse. No one thinks you're a traitor just because your older brother and his bitch of a wife declared war on the kingdom." She grinned and patted the smaller girl on the back gently. "Though Maria and I have kind of made up now, so calling her a bitch is a bit mean, but for a few years there... Well, you understand, you aren't the first girl to have to deal with the fallout of things like this. At least you were supposedly trying to protect the boys you hurt? No one will believe that, even after hearing it was Truth verified, but at least you can hold on to the fact that you aren't just evil..." There was no hint of teasing to the tone, and no smile came, but the woman didn't seem like she was being mean or anything. "On the good side you can hang out with the fighters now, since you have a good teacher for it and the right haircut. They're a lot more likely to cut you slack, as far as rumors go, as long as you try hard and learn fast."

  Tiera started walking to her room, Petra following her. She noticed that far fewer people were staring at her, which was either her haircut throwing them off, or the news of her humbling apologies having gotten around. Probably the hair. Honestly, if they knew it was her the whole groveling in public thing would make her more of an object of interest, not less, if not in a good way.

  In the room Petra had her stand in the small open space near the desk and turn around a few times, examining her as if thinking of abstract and brilliant things. Then, slowly, she reached out and placed a single hand on her shoulder, There was the faintest hint of movement from her clothing, and when she looked down she was in a dress, one that nearly glowed, her shoulders bare and her bust line looking a lot larger suddenly.

  "Padding?" It wasn't horrible, but not something she would have normally bothered with herself. It made her look a lot bigger though.

  Petra nodded, but didn't speak for a while, the whole thing taking on the very slightest hint of a silvery blue glow. The shoes had turned from a sturdy brown look to light slippers that seemed to be made of silver metal. Then, a little rudely, the woman picked up her heavy and multiple layered skirt and looked at her legs, which got pale white hose to appear.

  Dropping her handful of material she smoothed the material a bit.

  "That should do it. Much more and it will look out of place, since you aren't anyone of high status. Not enough to put on airs in the Capital with a full Count and his Countess there. Plus, this isn't a party, so this is about the right level of dress I think. Can you remember the pattern? We have hours and there really isn't a good reason to lounge dressed like this."

  Tiera went back to Browns, then her new dress a few times. It was good to practice things like that, since it meant she had a new outfit now. It wasn't hard to
work the amulet, but good new designs were difficult to come by. Common clothing was easier, but anyone could do that. Plus it was a Petra design. That was kind of a big deal.

  Then the woman surprised her.

  "Will you work up something for me? I'm thinking a nice practical brown for tonight. Something that isn't quite as nice as what you have. I want to blend into the background a bit more, I think."

  Tiera smirked, trying not to seem put upon. She felt that way, since it was out of her comfort zone, doing clothing designs, but it was also a companionable thing to do, letting her play too. It was a friendly gesture she understood, not a demand for perfection.

  That was good, because the first three things she tried made the woman look like she was getting ready to go work in a tavern. Finally Tiera focused and put her in a nice pink gown instead, that was a slight variation of something that she'd seen in the Capital, on the Queen. Then carefully, she made it look like brown silk. It was still nice, but not perfect at all.

  Petra made a face, looking at it, but not a disgusted one, it was more like she was considering something.

  "Not bad. I need a mirror though. Do you have a disguise amulet on?" The words were sudden, and a little abrupt.

  "No... I, Tor never gave me one." It was the only way she could have one, unless she learned to make her own and they were pretty hard to even copy, she thought. No one had them for sale yet at least, not that she knew of.

  Petra rubbed at her face then and wet her finger to try again, which got Tiera to step back, forcing a chuckle.

  "Um... Say, strange person that I hardly know... what are you doing? If this is some kind of sex thing you've nicely gone well outside what I know about." It was possible that it was, that or she'd had a smudge on her face and Petra thought she was a tiny child.

  "Nothing like that, I was checking for make-up. You don't have anything on at all? Your skin... It's perfect. I was expecting to spend fifteen minutes fixing your face, but it just doesn't need it. Not for this. For something at the King's palace maybe, but for a meeting like this you're naturally ready. I'm jealous." Except that it didn't sound like she really was.