Chapter 10: Royal Commission, Get! (I Accidentally Telephone)

Chapter 10: Royal Commission, Get! (I Accidentally Telephone)

"Since lord Ambercrombe had been an offending party and offered no wager, it is up to lady Gillespie to determine what his penance should be." - the king announces, back in the audience hall. The ponce is back, though his face is still grey and his mouth is still twitching each time he accidentally looks in my direction. He looks like a baby who's been spanked for the first time ever. Maybe that's actually so, in his case. His pants, at least, are replaced with dry pair.

"I will be satisfied with an oath not to approach me." - I offer back blandly. King's brow raises.

"An oath not to approach you?" - he repeats, his expression confused. Oh dear. I think I am going to invent a restraining order today.

"Your highness, as we had witnessed, lord Ambercrombe is willing to claim falsitudes to secure gains. As such, I would be a fool to extend any trust to him for the second time." - I offer as an explanation - "Therefore, I ask that lord Ambercrombe swears an oath in front of king and witnesses that he will not speak to me first, nor seek my company, knowledge or business forevermore. So long as I'm spared of his further attention, I deem the matter to be sufficiently closed. And should he violate the oath, well then I ask that he be stripped of nobility for that affront."

King chews on his lip thoughtfully. "The stripping of nobility is a heavy punishment..." - he begins thoughtfully - "But appropriate for an oathbreaker. But what do you mean by business?"

"Any and all endeavors, your highness. Making sugar, for example? It's business. Laying down roads? It's business. Importing steel? Business. Anything that involves profit, be it profit for the hold or profit for the person, is business." - I explain, catching the ponce wince and shiver at the mention of sugar. Roads fail to evoke much of reaction, but he flinches again as the steel is mentioned. Superficial idiot.

"Very well!" - Abraham booms authoritatively - "Lord Ambercrombe, you are hereby ordered by your sovereign to give an oath that you shall not speak to, nor seek company, profit or wisdom of lady Gillespie forevermore. Should you break this oath, then you shall be commoner henceforth."

A little bit of bargainous and self-important braying from Ambercrombe later, the oath is given (through clenched teeth) and ponce vacates the premises with haste. Back to... sugar?T/his chapter is updated by nov(ê(l)biin.co/m

Abraham straightens up. Groans. Goes to say something, but then reconsiders and switches topic visibly. "Ah, yes. The Academy." - he agrees - "I would wish you best of luck for that, lady Gillespie, but I have a premonition you won't find any scholarly difficulty there. Do know, however, that you have our full royal support, as your new inventions are of great interest and use to us as a nation. Should it be needed, I ask you to call upon me on any matter. I trust your discretion and common sense." He pauses, glances out of the window and blanches - "For now, however, I believe I shall let you retire and enjoy your badly deferred dinner. As well as find mine. Until we meet again."

___

"Alyssa." - father quips as we ride back from the palace in our carriage - "Do you know how many nobles ever earn a royal commission before even entering the Academy?" All I can do for an answer is a shrug. "None. You are literally the first person ever to achieve this." - he continues merrily - "The very idea that someone could be so accomplished before Academy was considered preposterous until now. On one hand, I have to congratulate you. On the other, be on your guard. When you enter the Academy, every single person there will want to be your friend or to have your skin peeled off."

"Speaking of friends." - I toss back - "What's the matter with Edward? I believe I was supposed to meet him at some point, instead he ran off as soon as that irritating duel was over. Is he trying to get out of engagement?"

Sighing, Gerard stroked his beard. He was clearly mulling the answer over. "To be fair, Alyssa, I don't know." - he finally responds - "His highness did not mention anything about engagement at all. It might be because he expects no change there, or it might be because Edward had persuaded him to break it off, but upon seeing our new contributions, his highness decided that Edward's decision was overly hasty. I do agree, though. Prince Edward's behavior towards you was rather rude."

"Honestly speaking? I don't really mind if the engagement is broken off, he is not my type, but... You know. I don't really want to be presented as 'the reason this engagement fell through', it is all on him. I wish he had the testicular fortitude to tell me what the problem is to my face, instead of playing the evasion game." - I grouse, only to hear father burst into confused laughter.

"..Testicular fortitude?... Goodness. Only you could say "have the balls to" and still sound like a scholar." - he finally manages - "For what it is worth, I agree. Still, he just might be having nerves or something equally trivial. You will see a lot of him in the Academy, try and give him a chance to fulfill his obligations? Should that prove to be untenable, however, be sure to notify me as quickly as possible and I will handle the legalities of engagement annulment. Try and make sure you don't end up being accused of something unsavory to make it happen though, alright? Rising against the rightful king is expensive."

Well, heh. Thanks. It was a little awkward, but it is pleasing to know father would consider an open rebellion to save me if needs be. Not that he'll really need to, of course, but the thought really counts.