Chapter Eleven
The large tub was exquisite, magic kept the temperature constantly pleasantly warm, meaning any hiccups from [Cold Touch] wouldn’t make the water turn frigid. While cold no longer bothered her as much as it used to, the sudden lack of warmth was damn annoying when her skill misbehaved.
“Scoot over.”
Harmony’s eyes opened, pulling her out of her relaxed state to watch Ambrosia, already naked, step into the tub.
“Hey!”
“You’ve got plenty of space in that water-bearing monstrosity. My official shift ended five minutes ago and I’ve yet to get a break since arriving in this damned city. You try organizing a cacophony of evolved musical classes and professions, they literally have diva as a profession.”
Rather than lash out, Harmony slipped her head halfway under the water and blew bubbles. Ambrosia did look exhausted, even as she relaxed on the other side of the tub. As much as Harmony could debate the hard choices her friend had made on her behalf, she had made them quickly and executed them well. [Restore Spirit] synergized with the healing aspects of [Mend] as the necromancer pushed her skill out to help her maid.
The blonde visibly released even more. “Thanks, Harm.”
Harmony popped her head back out of the water. “So, what’s the deal with this place?” The tub, the room, and the inn had been unexpected. Adric had never visited the young lordling housing but had heard of it, and that was what they’d planned for.
“The Cellar, because they age lords like wine, was a shit show. A fixed staff who is more interested in backstabbing and trading favors than work. No outside employment contracts in the tower, Bates and I would have found ourselves cut off from you. No space for Hyacinth or Bowe. Adric’s status wasn’t even going to be touched, like he was rising fire nettle, at best he’d be your pet in your single bedroom because all housing had to do with temporal seniority. If it were about the amount of authority, I’d have thought you could have gotten a decent room.”
“And so you got us this palace?”
“Damn right, I did. I leveraged every connection I had. Enough people were wondering when they’d meet this lady necromancer appearing in the back pages of some of the news sheets and showing up in a song or two. And whatever issue the royals are having with Adric’s return, the people are curious. Ma Bell, who owns this place was interested enough to offer up rooms, meals, their training space, and companion care for the pets and familiars. I only needed a grand entry and some, um, concessions.”
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
The hesitation and embarrassment at that last word made Harmony more annoyed at Ambrosia’s lack of social skills than any potential concessions. As good as she was, without a skill to back it up, it was like running into battle without armor.
The necromancer playfully splashed water at Ambrosia, chilling it with [Cold Touch] as she sent it her way. “Concessions? Splash. “Concessions?” Splash. “What do we have to do for all this?” Splash.
“Eeep! Stop it, Harm. I may not have my birds on me, but I can still pin you down with my leverage, short stuff.”
Beast Tamers aren’t known for physical combat, so unless Ambrosia had picked up some fancy skill stones, Between the combat of [High Kick] and twisty defense of [Small Amor] Harmony was pretty sure she could take her larger friend. Reaching under the water she grabbed Ambrosia’s ankle, “Tell me.”
“Adric is to be available most evenings in the social lounge. Kind words, empty small-talk, gushing about the accommodations. You both will show up and sit at Ma Bell’s table for nightly formal dinners. I’m to open for two musical performances a week at the inn’s small stage. That is the cost of the room and board. We’re the summer’s hot commodity. We’ll only get more interest as news of the Hazeldown Ascendant Games spreads when it is announced.”
A kind way of saying the summer’s freakshow. Hazeldown’s joyous reaction to their first locally-raised lady was one thing. The Capital has other reasons interest will be drawn to them. In the back of her head, Hyacinth fitfully tried to sleep at this unfamiliar location. Any tool offered to ease their burden was worthy of being used. “That’s good.”
“Don’t be too sour. I played into the long trip so you have off until dinner, where you’ll meet Ma Bell. In the meantime, I brought your favorite thing. Books! Mostly recent guides for Nae’s Garden, Progressing 30 levels in 3000 Days, by Caros, and The Evolved Maid’s Handbook 7th edition."
Did books make up for all the shenanigans to get this place? A little. Harmony stood up and let the water runoff of her before stepping out of the tub.
"The books are in the corner by the dragonfly resting on a lily painting," Ambrosia added as she fully stretched out in the tub.
[Stride Before the Fall]. It was time to see how quickly two of her could work through the pile. The newest Harmony, dry and free of any lingering dampness, tossed a book to herself.
Reading two different books was doable, but gave Harmony a headache. She could only get through a couple of pages before the skill ended. Settling on The Evolved Maid's Handbook, she thumbed toward the section on dinner parties. Even with [Recall], it never hurts to read up on current expectations. This time she was a guest and not a servant, but there was a lot you could pick up if you read between the lines.
Ambrosia's half-dozed humming from the tub supplied background music for her reading. The beast tamer was going to be all wrinkly by the time she got out of the still-steaming tub. Maybe this place wasn't that bad at all.