After that, Lord Fredar instructed Daniel to hold a shied while his troop took turns pounding attacks into it. They often missed. After the sixth blow smashing into Daniel's exposed shin, Daniel remarked that they needed to practice their aim as well. Lord Fredar also explicitly forbidden Daniel to retreat. The Sky Court's youngest heir knew how to play the game, if he put his mind to it.

But there were limits to the direct abuse one could order a bounded servant. Lord Fredar eventually had to release Daniel or risk weakening the binding that compelled Daniel to obey. Instead, he was ordered to fetch drinks for them. "Branch, bring up something to ease our thirst. Each person you 'sparred' must drink."

"As you say." Daniel said, arms feeling numb and glad to be allowed to put down the shield. He started to a table set up for that purpose.

"Not those. We are in the mood for hot tea."

Daniel sighed. Tea was not in season, as the days of summer turned hot and it was still before two in the afternoon. Unsurprisingly, there was no tea. "Should this Branch acquire some at the market, good Lord Fredar?"

"Do not be ridiculous. There is some in the kitchen on the first floor. Prepare it there and bring it up for our pleasure. You only have...an hour of time left with us? I hope you can complete this duty before you have to depart to your other duties. It would be a shame if you fail on your first day."

No doubt there were kitchens in floors nearer, and just as assuredly he was forbidden to make use of them. "I will prepare a pot."

"I prefer each cup made individually."

"I will bring the teacups up then."

"No tray. Trays make servants lazy."

Daniel straightened. He still felt sweat streaming down his face from his time shouldering the attacks of the midlings and lowlings. "Idleness is a danger, my Lord Knight Commander. If I am to understand your orders, I am to retrieve tea from the kitchen on the bottom floor. I am to make each cup individually, and I am to bring them back up without a tray. I must attempt to complete this duty within the time limit as well." The Law of Fae danced in Daniel's word. What Fredar said next, they both must abide by. "And all who sparred with this servant Branch, must drink their own individual cup?"

"Without a drop spilled, without a drop lost, Branch of the Sky Court must comply, and within the time. Each cup, single and done, ferried up and down by the Servant's arms. And until all who did attack thirst is slacken by the drink of tea, let there be no rest. As ordered by Lord Fredar, Knight Commander of the Sky Court's Enforcers, blessed be the might of our king. That is what I instruct thee do. Toil for thine betters."

Daniel bowed, face solemn. "This servant Branch hears, and obeys. Each command must be kept, lest there be shame."

The Law of Fae danced in the air. It was possible. The Law of Fae never sealed any command if it be impossible.

After all, if Branch was a squire...then fetching refreshments was par for the course.

There were over thirty people he had ‘sparred with’, who needed tea.

And there were the countless flights of stairs, first down, and then up.

Without delays, he started his journey. Down the first flight of stairs, then he was halted. "Name, and mission?" the guard said.

"This squire Branch is ordered to retrieve refreshments." he said.

The guard grunted. "I thought you were a page."

"Lord Fredar just ordered me to drill with his troop. Would a page ever be instructed to participate in an armed drill?"

The guard grunted, and shrugged. "I've been a guard at this post for fifty years. I have no idea. Just don't cause trouble for me, please. I am up for a promotion in another twenty years. I may finally get stationed near a window next time."

Daniel nodded "I will give a recommendation for the others attempting for the position. Lord Fredar may give it to you out of spite."

"What a kind thing to do. I owe you, Branch." The guard said, gifting Daniel with a small wisp of Favor. Not Authority, but Favor was enough. "Go ahead now."

Daniel did so, moving down the shadowed stairs. As he moved, he watched the cycle of servants move up and down the stairs in shifts, and he was beginning to understand their patterns. The danger would come when it was crowded, but there would not be enough time to ascend multiple flights of stairs without being halted at each level if he waited for the stairs to be mostly empty. Balance would be key. When he was stopped by the guards after the next flight of stairs, he used the time to count the flow of servants.

He decided he needed three trips to practice, and understand what he could do. On the final attempt, he would ascend all the stairs without pausing. The size of the teacup had not been specified either...

Down the stairs, identity checked multiple times, build rapport with each guard while he waited. Finally he was on the lowest level kitchen, found the tea and the cups. He was blessed with a pot of water already boiling for the washing. The washing girl was happy to let him use the water there, for a feather. He traded her, and his hot water was secured.

Then back up the stairs Daniel went, tea in two dainty teacups. Dainty, but with wide bases. His muscles ached, but he was determined, and like his old training, he established that his head never bobbled, and his arms remained balanced. Up the stairs meant his identity checked again, but the guards were already feeling bored.

Daniel came and gave the first two tea cups away. He memorized who he had given tea to, and watched as they drank the first gulp.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

The trip had taken twenty minutes. He had forty minutes left by the large clock he could see from the Time Court.

And down he went. He repeated much of the same things, but the guards started letting him pass without question. He brought four more cups of tea, under-filling them by a wide margin, but this time he had selected two tall narrow champagne glasses and two tiny cups, one the size of his thumb. Daniel timed his integration with the throng of servants ascending. He timed it wrong, and was held up for several minutes. While he waited Daniel experimented with how he could hold probably three of the champagne glasses in each hand, though the hot china would scald his hand. This trip had only taken thirteen minutes.

The lowlings laughed when Marrin was handed a tinny tiny teacup no bigger than his own thumb. "That's not enough to slacken anyone's thirst." the giant muttered.

Lord Fredar snorted, "Deal with it." he told the green hatted Midling before returning his attention to Daniel. "Better hurry up. You only have twenty-seven minutes left."

Now, an impatient Lordling would have have then and there brought up twelve little thimble cups. But then an impatient Lordling would have missed an opportunity for pay back. Lord Fredar had not disapproved of the different sized cups, but he had yet to approve it. And Daniel had another condition he wanted to be put in place before his final trip.

"Of course, My good Knight Commander." As a Squire, he reasoned to the Law of Fae, he should obey his captain.

The third time he made it all the way down without being held up once, either by servants coming up or the guard's interference.

After readying everything in the kitchen, Daniel then ascended, his pace steady and quick, never pausing, testing his balance and his ability to keep the tea in the 'cups' from sloshing over their rims. He swore there were more flights of stairs than before, but he never slowed his pace. This time, he felt the flow of the servants flowing up the stairs. Most knew of his plight by now and even seemed...sympathetic.

Once he finally made it to the open roof, seven minutes had passed. He displayed four differently sized cups in which he had brewed the tea. He could have brought six, but he needed to establish that the different sized cups were acceptable. One was normal sized, one was a champagne glass, one was tinny tinny tiny, the size of a pinky finger. And one was basically a punch bowls rather than a cup. He presented the large punch bowl to the first lowling he had sparred with.

"Eh, Branch. What is the meaning of this?" Lord Fredar asked, idly. "First too small, now too big? Do you not know what a tea cup is?"

"This Lowly Servant found that any cup is capable of holding tea, Lord Knight Commander. And even the ones who have disfavor with you must drink. Perhaps enough tea will increase his strength."

"I cannot drink all that tea." The lowling said, looking miserable.

Lord Fredar said, his disfavor of the lowling stronger than his common sense. "I see no reason why not. Remember not to spill, even a single drop. Drink it. Drink it all." Because the Law of Fae heard his words, and the statement was mended. Daniel spied several lowlings sigh as they had to finish their own tea. "You only have 20 minutes, Branch." Lord Fredar said, offhandedly. "Best you hurry."

Then Daniel bowed his head, and prepared his final trip. Three was a magic number, but four was the number of trials and mischief, after all.

Servant Branch had a terrible plan.

Daniel prepared his final trip, his helper in the kitchen in stitches as she helped him place long neck champagne glasses filled with tea between his fingers, tiny thimbles of tea balanced on his flat palm, broad base ale mugs full of tea all held together by his forearms and chest. And finally, one old forgotten dainty teacup placed on his head. Twenty one cups.

And Daniel ascended the stairs upstairs for the final time. He timed it perfectly, the ebb of servants ascending like a buffer, the servants waiting to descend holding back. The guards laughed as he went. No doubt he looked comical, ash blond hair adorned with a dainty old tea cup balanced perfectly on his head, arms beholden with variety of cups.

The lowlings and the midlings froze when Daniel entered the yard for the final time, the clock tower proclaiming that he had five minutes left. With determined steps he approached each person and handed them their cups. Starting with the champagne glasses, then the thimble tea cups, then the ale mugs of tea.

Finally he stood before Lord Fredar, taking down the last dainty cup from his head. Lord Fredar looked annoyed when Daniel presented the old little cup.

“What is that for?”

“You ordered me to bring tea to every enforcer I sparred with. Then you ordered them to drink it. Regardless the cup. I sparred with you. Unless you actually meant to attack this obedient servant earlier?” Daniel pointed at where Fredar had hit him.

“No. That was obviously to test your reflexives.” The Lord Knight Captain spoke, sounding stuffy.

“That is as I thought. So here is your tea.” And he held out the cup. “Drink, good Lord.”

The Law of Fae purred around them, considering the words before it deemed them true.

Lord Fredar must have been feeling the same thing, as he took the glass from Daniel and looked at it, frowning. “Did you spit in it?” the Lord muttered.

“No. This page wouldn’t dare.”

The smell coming from the dainty tea cup reached Lord Fredar's nose.

“Then what did you to it?”

“Nothing at all.” And he hadn’t. When he had taken a dirty cup from the kitchen, he hadn’t done a single thing to it. A dirty teacup Daniel had spied during one of his visits to the kitchens. He had only seen it as he had pressed his body against the wall as the servants from higher floors had descended and he had waited for the throng of attendants to pass. It had been behind a cabinet that a mouse had converted into a little nest. But other than placing the mouse into a new larger cup with soft cloth napkins upon which to slumber, he was free to use the nest as a tea bag, and added hot water.

And under the scrutiny of the Law of Fae, lord Fredar drank from the cup. Then he sputtered out the mouthful of nasty hot water.

"How dare you! How could a servant be so spiteful?"

A servant could be so willful, when he was not treated as a servant should be.

"I did exactly as I was told. I fulfilled the orders. Law of Fae be my witness."

"You go too far."

"The Servant follows as his Master does." Daniel bowed, showing his bruised arms and legs from where the midlings and lowlings had 'accidentally' missed the shield and struck Daniel instead. as the clock tower rang in the new hour. "Fare well." He had timed everything for this moment.

"Get back here!" Lord Fredar ordered, face turning red with anger.

"My apologies, Lord Fredar. This servant now belongs to the O'Tells. If you have a need, please make a formal inquiry with the Surmount Butler." Daniel neared the staircase, back straight.

"You are mine tomorrow. I will make you pay for this!" he grimaced, holding the dainty tea cup up as if to smash it.

"Yes, dear Lord Commander." And the more Lord Fredar misused Branch, the looser the Sky Clan binding would become.

The worst thing Lord Fredar could do to Daniel, would be nothing. Treat him as a servant and nothing more.

As the clock struck the final bell of 12, Daniel paused. "My Lord, I remembered that you ordered all of your troop to drink all their tea. Every. Last. Drop." Daniel made eye contact with the lowling still drinking the punch bowl of tea.

Lord Fredar held the cup of offending tea, as if it might bite him.

Daniel bowed again. “Good day, Knight Captain. I have duties elsewhere.” And he bowed, politely, and left.

Daniel knew every step now along these stairs, and his feet danced along. Not too bad for the first part of the day. The Game was stirring, but the Match seemed far away. Three Matches, to be completed at his opponents’ discretion.

Not a bad day at all.

“New Servant, pause a moment.” A different voice called.

Daniel stiffened. Through the corridor, outside the staircase, was someone he didn’t want to see.

Kane.

The fae girl he loved once.

The one who betrayed him and laid him low.

The one who gained power from his removal of power.

The one who literally stabbed him through as the terrible truth of Daniel's heritage was displayed for the High Fae in the Senate.

Why was so she beautiful?