Chapter Thirty Four
Assuming Ambrosia’s statement was correct [Stride Before the Fall] lasted close to the max she could use after leveling up. Having tested it until the force to choose hurt. The body would probably continue until that time was up if a gruesome thing like dying happened. While there was no desire for that to happen Harmony marked down several ways it could be useful. Bait, Self-sacrifice, a way to leave a particularly excruciating social event.
After her friend's reaction to the skill-damaging strike, the notes were kept slim for that technique.
The late, but polite knock on the door caused her to put her musings away. A familiar knock.
“Come in, Bates.”
The older butler entered with a bow. “Lady White, four letters from the royals have just arrived. One from Prince Adric, one from Rose, one from the countess, and one from the queen.”
Was the queen supposed to mean something to her? That royal has never visited Hazeldown. No direct contact since becoming a lady. The helping hand's behavior at that first dinner was the epitome of rudeness. Mother playing the woman a few times didn't help, while that had been an act. Kelly White could expertly play a stuck-up snob.
There was no way she'd go to bed without reading them. “Give them over.” Bates handed her the letters and waited. “You're dismissed.”
All the letters had the same gilded purple envelopes as though the royal family only shopped at one stationery store.
She tore into the most important one first, Adrics. The handwriting was his. Blocky unsophisticated letters of the man who eschewed penmanship lessons and slept through or skipped etiquette tutors.
Harm, I did it! I got permission for you to visit me. The fact that you want to be there when the charter checks me makes things so much easier, as they need you by my side. Sadly, they don't feel the same about Bowe. Give him hugs for me. But it should only be a day or two. They'll send runners to fetch you when it is time.
Harmony wouldn’t skip such a thing. She had some rights to things she raised. That was one of the basis for her raising an undead pet in the first place. It was not absolute since some creatures were forbidden to be created. Those were specifically spelled out in the law, no vampires, no liches, no ugloths. Not that there has been a necromancer powerful or specialized enough to do that, and certainly not something an unevolved necromancer could accomplish.
As for him being her pet. If that involved pet law. She wasn't looking forward to that. Could there be one that would represent her for free? Toss that question to Ambrosia, if anyone will know she will. Need, however, that was a bit too absolute for her tastes. That sounded too much like they'd force her to be there against her will or rights.
Countess Maye was next. Irritating woman. Absolutely smothering Adric, as though she owned him.
Lady White, my apologies that you were distressed by my short visit. Family is so important to me that little did I know of your strained relationship with your mother. The news-sheets small print constantly quoted how proud Kelly was of you. It is in the name of those true bonds that I ask you to take a tiny step back from my nephew Adric. This is a family matter, and we’d like to handle it privately. While the queen may send a runner for you, we know how good you are at abandoning such calls. Just make haste and leave it be. The charter agent won't mind.
Stolen story; please report.
With no disrespect, Countess Maye
Frost crawled up the letter in her hand. A heaping amount of disrespect that was. Was that really meant to convince her to not support Adric? All it was missing was fifty iron bits to attempt to bribe her compliance. The twist was that even if it was designed to drive her to go and support her pet, it was still equally insulting in its hamfisted nature or implying she wouldn’t show up without such motivation. She hadn’t been the best pet bonded the days after acquiring Adric, but it had been a shocking occurrence. At this point, he’d lived with her for months, and she damn well treated him better than his family has since his revival.
Two left. They can’t be more infuriating than that one. Maybe Rose would be better?
Harmony, I write this to warn you. I know I haven't been there for you as a friend, but that was to protect you. The Charter is dangerous. The high royals are dangerous. Avoid anything related to them. Don't accept any invitations or open any letters. Adric will survive or not without you. Be safe.
Graciously, Princess Rosaline
Dangerous? As though, climbing Nae’s Garden without a team wasn’t dangerous. No one murdered anyone in broad daylight. Society and those in power might be indifferent or cruel at times, but there hasn’t been any substantiated news about high royals killing anyone. There would be a trial if they were to attempt to put her to death for some odd necromancy offense. Even pets have lawyers these days.
Not to say someone as powerful as the queen or this mysterious Charter managing the kingdom couldn’t make her day bad. But at this point bad wasn’t cold streets and spoiled food. For Adric, she’d suffer both those things again. Princess Rosaline had a poor choice of words.
Harmony opened the letter from the queen.
Compulsion hit. Maybe listening to Rose was a good idea?
Worse than when Hemlock’s casual words forced her back into her seat when they first met. Harmony’s eyes forced themselves to the letter, and the words written inside. [Stride Before the Fall] shunted herself off to the side. Freed and trapped at the same time. One to read, unable not to and the other to watch.
I acknowledge you, Lady Harmony White.
Authority is a funny thing. Granted. Shared. Gained through attention, notoriety, expectations, and acknowledgments. Harmony had learned to see it coming when she performed at concerts, gained the approval of guests at Ma Bell's table, and the ebb and flow as news about her spread. Connections was useful that way, that stat granting increased awareness. For example, getting up before the roaring crowd to dance for Ambrosia’s band. When the pulse of it came as the masses chanted your name, it went off like a flash of light or sound.
The queen’s attention was not a flash, it was an explosion. Chronostasis had to kick in to help manage. Rather than try to spread the authority incoming between the two Harmonies, she played fast and loose with two bits of existence. The letter already decided who was getting the burden. Not that she could stop some of it from overflowing. Clearly, the queen had made this decision in writing a while ago, yet the letter was the trigger. Somewhere she thought of and had an opinion on who or what Lady Harmony White was. The letter clearly was special.
One Harmony took in most of the Authority and the other watched. An experiment in outcomes. There was a lot to learn, and all that work figuring out how to damage skills helped. She wasn’t made to handle this much authority. Initially, she could see how authority strengthened her like it hardened who she was or was expected to be. It explained all those concerts helped when she was struggling. This was an accelerated lesson in what would happen to her if she didn’t advance.
[Small Armor] broke first instinctively working to block the damage. Night, paired with it winked into existence, bioluminescent stars dark, armor cracked, and slick black coat oozing. [Cold Touch] Tried to halt it and similarly shattered, her flesh freezing and turning blue. All the skills started to break. Physical skills brought her to her knees. Mental skills set her brain on fire. The pain was maddening, yet able to be witnessed with a calm separate mind. It was peaceful when the nerves, overwhelmed, burst. The cells were next to go.
Only one Harmony was left standing, the other a smear across the floor looking like jam on toast. Both dead and alive. The minute couldn’t come soon enough, as she waited for that stain to disappear. All evidence of the attack faded away. The only thing that was left was an innocent-looking letter on the floor. Twice. She’d died twice since coming to this city.
That authority that did this, that acknowledgment's power was still coming in, but not all at once. Advance or die. There was no peaceful sleep that night.