Chapter 17: All Sorts Of Spying

Chapter 17: All Sorts Of Spying

I am deeply thankful Moon Unit is kind and merciful and did NOT make me do something I'd have great difficulty in explaining to every single traumatized student and professor. I'm LESS thankful for her being an incorrigible TEASE! (Note to self - invent the cold shower. Because I'm fucking gonna need it. A lot.) I AM slightly thankful that she did hint at teasing being complemented with pleasing at some convenient point soon. Not exactly sure when, though. Probably after the academy starts, because right now everything is pretty frantic. I have had finished with the second king's order, bringing my earnings from that alone to a nice round hundred gold. He sent a note with the four guys coming to pick it up about holding off from further orders until the existing receivers are distributed as necessary. Apparently, the sudden glut of communication ability had caused something of an upending in the court. On a less pleasant note, I am short on paper and had to send Bridgit out for more. But on the upside, she did mean to pop back to our residence today to stash back what was unneeded anyway, so...

I keep spying on the people in the meanwhile. Hiram finally made an appearance. As in, he's now at his dorm room. His manservant is still turning away assorted visitors, so I am guessing he is not "officially in" just yet. Lemand is being his geeky self, failing to notice people around him. I have had surreptitiously swapped several books around, making sure he would get something other than dimensional theory. Admittedly, I did not plan on getting him stuck in a huge omnibus on enchantments, but this is much safer than the alternative he would get into without "assistance". (Note to self - try and steer Lemand into becoming a more conventional mage. Maybe get him into researching. By the time he graduates I should be able to afford him a very generous stipend - and he in turn should be a decent option to dump all the piddly research on while I'm concentrating on unexplored concepts.)

Oho, what's that? Ed and Alistair are having a serious conversation? Don't mind if I do.

"'...What is it going on with you, Al? Your face could sour the milk." - hm, Ed sounds pretty carefree there. Curious.

"Your behavior worries me, my prince." - aand here's serious Al. Way serious. "People are starting to talk..."

"When they are not talking about me, Al? Tell me something new for a change. And stop with 'my prince' already. I thought we've agreed it's silly to use in private." - Ed tosses back. Hm. Just clueless, or intentionally avoiding thinking about it? Because even I can guess WHAT people are talking about. He had been seen with Selene a bunch of times already, but not with me. Add to that that I live in the different dorm building, and people are wagging their tongues something fierce. Only a matter of time now before ol' Abe summons Ed to the castle to read him the riot act.

"As you wish, my prince." - Alistair retorts. OOh, he must be annoyed at Ed to needle him like this - "And people are talking about your fiance. And how you don't seem to be in any hurry to meet her. And how you've been seen in the company of a maiden who is clearly not her several times already. At this rate, you're going to give lady Gillespie a reason to demand satisfaction."

"What of it? What is she going to do? Whine to father?" - Ed grumbles back, his mood clearly taking a nosedive - "Al, why are we talking about her again? Petty shrew never liked me, the less we see of each other the better. Let her spread the rumors if she wants to. The more of a harridan she seems, the easier it will be to make her go back to the boonies."

"Well, that's the problem, Ed." - Alistair finally dispenses with formalities - "Because she's not. In fact, so far common opinion is on HER side. Everyone thinks you are a bonvivant who couldn't be bothered to attend to your rightful fiance and instead elects to spend time with jumped-up commoners. No, don't look at me like this, I don't set the tone for the public. I know lady Selene had earned her title, but the majority of students? Yeah, well, the most flattering opinion is "she lucked out being born into power". The rest are even less charitable."

"Did Gillespie put you up to this, Al?" - Ed demands angrily - "I know you've been talking to her. What's next, you'd be taking her side against me too?"

"I don't think she even knows she has a side, Ed. Much less that her side is going against yours." - reasonable Alistair is reasonable. Go Al, go. Rooting for you here.

There is a curious slam. I'm not quite sure what it is, but my best guess is that Ed slammed his book close or thwapped it on the table. You mad, Ed? You totes mad. And I don't even know why.T/his chapter is updated by nov(ê(l)biin.co/m

"This again!? Al, we discussed that before. She hates me, she made it pretty obvious and I don't see any reason why she would change her opinion." - Ed raises his voice - "She cried every time I was near when we were little, she avoided talking to me as much as she could when we were older, and she outright refused to spend time with me when we were of age to attend parties by ourselves. I do not know why she is still clinging to that sorry charade of an engagement and I wish she'd finally grow enough of a conscience to break it off."

Hm. That's interesting. Let's... recall. Crying... Ah, yes. Our first ever meeting. When I was three and Ed was four, and he ran into me and knocked me over, then run away when three year old me naturally decided to bawl about scraped knees and palms. Then tried again two days later, which made three year old me start crying again. And run away again without explaining anything. That was IT as far as meeting while little went. The next time we met was when I was eight and he was nine, respectively, and I have been instructed up to wazoo on the proper etiquette and eager to show off just how well I learned it. There have been two months of on and off meetings while parents handled all sorts of things in capital, and I left under an impression he was well satisfied with a properly mannered fiance. Which he apparently misinterpreted as "avoided talking", because I vaguely remember him fucking up protocol about several times per meeting. Was that him trying to get "informal"? Well, he sure did a shoddy job out of it, then. Because I came out of it with "woo-hoo, passed all the tests" impression.

I have absolutely no clue what he means by "refused to spend time with me when we were of age". I had spent all of my teens until now in our county, I could hardly refuse or consent to meeting with him while living two provinces over to the north, now could I? The last nugget takes the freaking cake, however. Because count's daughter just breaking an engagement with prince without a good cause? Yeah, well. It wouldn't fly well. At all. In fact, that would be pretty much taken as tacit admission I've been critically unfaithful and pretty thoroughly damage the reputation of Gillespie family. So either Ed is stupid enough to fail this consideration - or he believes I should value his convenience over the safety and prosperity of my own family. Which, for someone he believes to be hating him is pretty weird. So... Ed, why you so stupid?

"Have you considered the fact that between your father and her father wanting that engagement to happen, lady Gillespie herself might have no say on it?" - thank you for pointing out obvious, Alistair. Yes, I actually lucked out to have a father with conscience, but it would NOT be out of ordinary for your average noble dad to ignore their daughters having ideas on engagements. In fact, it's usually how it happens - daughters are usually simply informed about their impending marriages. Actually marrying for love is something that happens to commoners and eloping romantics.

"Pff, she has her father wrapped around her little finger. If Gillespie wanted out, he would've easily given up half his county to give her what she wants." - Ed retorts dismissively. But have you considered I might actually NOT want to pauper dad? Right. Sorry, Ed, but I'm NOT going to sacrifice my family because you're too chickenshit. This engagement is going to be broken on your fault. It may be a fault to remain faithful, a fault to see it through, or a fault to live. Depending on how stupid are you going to get about it.

Well, that was an interesting conversation to eavesdrop on. Gives me more ammo on Ed. Actually, now that I think about it, I am going to start coopting Selene to my side. Academy allows students to volunteer for certain tasks once the schoolyear starts. Participating in knight training is most popular, but there is an option to volunteer at the local temple if you are decent with light magic. So, my plan is to grab Moon Unit and make a public offer to Selene to volunteer at the temple as healers for all three of us. She can't refuse it, both on her logic (What if that horrible villainess curses people instead of healing?) and on her reputation (Because having a title for being good at light magic and refusing the offer to do healing? Even she should be cognizant it would ruin her reputation to tatters.).

But... I am worried for unrelated reasons right now. It's evening, and Bridgit is not here. She should have been here hours ago. Which is why I'm currently walking towards my family's capital residence.

___

"Yes." - I offer simply - "Not that I wanted you to find out like this."

She gives a tired chuckle. "I think I, ah... always knew." - she offers - "You've always been odd, mistress. I just didn't... didn't realize it's not just in mind but in body too."

I ruffle her hair. "Well, I am. Do you mind?" - I have to know, come on. If she does, well, I'll just send her back to the county.

She leans closer and mutters - "I guess I don't."

Setting her to bed is much easier than usual. While I don't like the fact itself, she is much more accepting of being fussed over after being beaten. So there is almost no argument when I make her drink a nice tall glass of milk "for strength" and tuck her in. Time to have a chat with Hiram.

___

"Milady, this is far too late for visitations, and prince Hohenzollern is not..." - I cut the manservant off mid-sentence.

"Hiram! I want to talk about certain Klaus!" - I shout into his door. Not TOO loud, I don't want any eavesdroppers, but sufficiently so that he immediately shouts at the manservant to shut up and invite me in pronto.

"Lady Gillespie." - he offers warily, standing up from the table. He was doing something paperworky, if the inkstained fingers and dripping quill are of any indication.

"Kronprinz Hohenzollern." - I offer back without much ado, plunking the bag with the head on the table. He looks at it questioningly. I nod towards the manservant. Hiram nods back, sighs, then commands his manservant - "Yekb, vart mkhuts der tir. Farmakhn es gezunt, aun lozn keyn eyner arayn.1 [Jacob, wait outside the door. Close it well, and let no one enter.] "

I wait for the door to close. Then, I pull the head out of the sack and plunk it on the table. Hiram draws a surprised hiss. I set down the remains of the slave collar next to it. "Interesting pair, don't you think?" - I offer to him - "Care to explain their appearance at my capital house, prince?"

"A lokh in zayn kop!2 [A hole in his head!] " - he swears. Oh. Wow. Hiram, mister purity himself, swearing? Once in a lifetime situation. He growls and looks at me - "What do you want, lady Gillespie?"

"Well..." - I drawl - "Some guarantees this is an isolated incident, to begin with."

"Granted. Might you explain to me the details of this... unfortunate meeting, so that I know whom I need to yell at and how much?" - he inquires.

"Well, Klaus and his two accomplices had invaded my capital family house, knocked my housekeeper unconscious, beaten my maid and forced a slave collar on her, then laid in ambush for me and tried to force one on me too." - I sum up for him - "As far as Klaus was able to reveal before I fucked them up? He was after the technology behind ripple steel, the cure for cold and other assorted sundries. Oh, and he espoused his intent to use the slave collars to make us spy on students here in Academy. I was more than a little furious with his behavior, as you can tell from the evidence. The rest of them is currently cinders."

I lean forward. looking at Hiram intently - "Please understand me right. I want to be friends. But I can not and will NOT tolerate such... ahem, less than friendly overtures from a supposed ally." I pause to let it sink in, then continue - "I am willing to keep this incident between us. But only if you are willing to give me your word you will knock enough of tangentially responsible heads together to ensure this situation is not repeated."

He pinches the bridge of his nose. "Klaus. At least I can take solace in the fact this is the last time you give me a headache." - he mutters, giving a hard glare to the severed head - "I thank you for your forbearance, lady Gillespie. Most others would have demanded gifts to soothe the affront."

"Heh. I could, ostensibly speaking. I imagine Kraut kingdom would have to fork over quite a bit to smooth over an attempt to enslave prince's fiance." - I quip, making Hiram groan again - "But, well. I happen to respect you. Not the kingdom, but you personally. If it was anyone else, well. But you do have the reputation for holding strong to your word."

"My thanks for the compliment." - he smiles thinly - "It's a cold comfort, knowing your personal honor is the only thing that shelters your country from the consequences of foolish spymaster's blunders, but I take my comforts where I can. You have my word, lady Gillespie, I will personally attend to the situation and thoroughly impress on the responsible parties just how foolish of an attempt it was."

Nodding, I pull out a third thing I have taken along to the meeting. It's a bottle of 'knight mead'. "If you pardon the presumption, I have made a guess that after such news you would want a stiff drink." - I offer to him, setting the bottle down on the table - "It's one of the new products our county offers now. Knight mead. Please enjoy."

He barks a laugh and stands up to kiss my hand. "My thanks, lady Gillespie." - he proffers - "I believe I shall indeed. Have a good night."