Chapter Thirty- Seven

“Len, please pass me the butter,” Harmony asked.

A show of normalcy, perhaps was the way to dig out of this socially awkward dinner filled with anxiety monsters, spikes of annoyance, and angry eaters. [Keen Investigative Awareness] was at a loss for supplying hints on how to unravel this problem. It needed to be leveled for such a challenge.

“I bet Len is giving you all the butter you want!” Lord Tyler snapped testily.

Len ignored Tyler as he had all evening. Not that he was talking to anyone much. He had the withdrawn look of a hostage forced to be here tonight. With jerky movements, he passed the butter harmony’s way. Clearly, he and Tyler had a recent falling out. Probably related to her contact with the wizard.

“As Lady White’s sworn knight, Len does not need to take up such a burden, as I will help her with all her butter wants.” Sir Maxwell interjected toward his cousin.

Max is the only one having fun tonight. Kind of. He wasn't happy to be here, but he enjoyed sharing his misery with others. Harmony had expected him to be happy when she informed him of her suspicions. He wasn’t.

“Guid mistress Thorne, may I be excused?” Rose asked.

This was the fourth time she’d asked, and the most blunt. There had been implications she needed to be elsewhere, hints that she was stuffed and couldn’t eat another bite after the first course, and even her maid brought her a letter that she said was important. An old trick to get out of dates and dinner parties.

The princess refused to look Harmony in the eye and got even more uncomfortable when Harmony let it slip that she had gained permission to see Adric at the palace tower when Ma Bell mentioned how much she missed that boy.

The warning letter received the other night went from ridiculous to appreciated after Harmony opened the queen's envelope. But there were many questions about that whole situation that she couldn’t bring up at the table. This refusal to interact only muddied the waters.

“Oh, no. We’ll conduct business after dessert. I’m sure Ma Bell has some scrumptious offerings for us tonight.” Thorne responded.

“Only the best desserts.” The innkeeper responded nervously. The woman was pale and shaking when she approached the table with Thorne at the start of dinner. Harmony knew this hadn’t been the planned guest list. Some pressure was being applied tonight.

Worse was the normal calming relaxing effect Ma Bell produced was flipped on its head. It pumped out an energy that made everyone paranoid and fearful. Like it was being shoved through a dirty mirror, reversing the effect. Thorne’s skill? It was exhausting combating it. [Recall], [Poise and Bearing], [Style and Grace], and [Keen Investigative Awareness] all bolstered Harmony’s already extensive guards against mind and mood-altering effects. [Renew Spirit] had also been cast several times.

Thorne merely watched the show and prodded it along all night as everyone snapped at each other for little things. Max at Rose for her princess deception. Rose brought up some unhinged letter from Len about cabals she’d received. Tyler’s sulky self prodded at everyone.

Enough.

“While I do love The Dragonfly Inn’s desserts, why don’t you get on with telling everyone else how they’ve been selected for the Ascendent Games, and whatever other little bits of info trickled out by Hemlock towards you.”

Len started choking on a bit of bread he’d been chewing.

The color drained out of Rose’s face, and now of all times, Harmony found the princess staring into her eyes in shock.

“Oh, gods above and below, no.” Lord Tyler moaned.

Max grunted and started to pound on Len’s back to help him clear the blockage. He wasn’t shocked because Harmony had told him her suspicions.

“So you did know?” Thorne asked accusingly.

Was that the reason for this game? To get back at her? She called on her authority and let it blend into her words. The touch of stability it might cost her was worth the emphasis provided.

Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

“No. Hemlock implied some odd choices, but I didn’t ask questions. A mistake I won’t repeat. Please, give us all the information he provided. And quit whatever you’re doing to the atmosphere. I’m sure we will all want clear heads for this.” As the words left her mouth she could taste the emotions transferred into the words, that confidence and hope placed in her, that outrage at her existence. It tickled a little, so she had to fight sneezing.

The ripple outside was mirrored within, and the work she’d done held. This wasn’t something she could have considered before adding her latest skill.

The guild mistress flinched like she’d gotten slapped. It was a break in etiquette. The woman’s position made her one of the higher-ranked people in the city, well above a new lady. But after the dinner she'd fought through, Harmony felt justified.

The twisting of Ma Bell’s skill ended. Relaxing, jovial, and calming energy bathed everyone. Harmony would have preferred if it had simply stopped altogether, so nothing would influence them as they listened. But it was a nice way to take the edge off some of the damage accrued.

“We always like to test our younglings against such influences. Fighting pressures is a practice sadly ignored in these parts, but you’ll see nudging widespread in the greater world. It also allows me to get a handle on who I’m getting involved with. I’m sorry if I offended you, Lady White. You’re also right. “ With that, Thorne turned her attention to the whole group. “Each of you has been invited to participate to represent this region in the Ascendant Games. As a guild-sponsored event, you are required to try your best to meet the requirements of the invitation, lest be subject to guild sanctions.“

“Sanctions?” Tyler asked.

“Suspension of guild membership and dungeon access for three years. Public repudiation through official public relations channels. Rejection of travel permits. Fees and Fines, not to exceed ten thousand gold. That’s the stick. The carrot is that you’ll have the guild’s full support in reaching the requirements of this trial, and will be celebrated as heroes for the public to look up to.”

“You’ll also pay for a lovely funeral service when we don’t return?” Max asked bitterly.

“Of course. Your named beneficiaries will get a lovely payout as well.” Thorne answered, not missing a beat.

Len just shrunk into himself.

“Royalty can’t be held to such standards.” Rose started.

“As the current representative of the guild in the charter. I can tell you there are no exemptions for this royal family. I’ve also been adjudicated as the neutral party for this little country.” That she said with a tinge of her personal annoyance. “Think of me as your temporary team captain. Helping inform you and whipping you into shape.”

“That sounds like a big task. Surely you can’t expect them all to evolve before the Ascendant Games start?” Harmony asked.

Thorne waved her hand lazily. “You’re the one with the hardest task, Lady White. And you’ve been tackling it with the right kind of dedication. These four are only a level or two away from evolving, if not at the cusp. These fine folks lack discipline, teamwork, and training. While it looks like the Ascendant Games will be individually based, many countries will have their participants work together to excel.”

That doesn’t make sense. They’d all been running Old Bones at the end of winter. Full teams, at level fifteen, ran it a few times before going to Naewauld to advance. Sometimes you’d get an over-level person on a team. They’ve all only had a few months back in the capital to advance. None should be that high unless they’ve been attempting near-solo runs. Thorne had a smug little look on her face. The others showed signs of guilt. [Keen Investigative Awareness] made reading people so much easier

Chill spread out. “What levels are you? What levels were you when you took me into that dungeon?” Authority this time less controlled boosted her words.

Sir Maxwell was affected the strongest. That oath he’d made flared up and Harmony could feel the compulsion activate. It might be his fault for sticking his head in that bear trap of making the oath in the first place, but she winced for him.

With a straight spine, he turned to her, face serious and chivalric. “I’m level twenty-four in class and profession and ready to shape my future before evolution. I was only twenty-two when we braved Old Bones and thought we’d lost you.”

“I was only in Hazeldown to keep an eye on Adric’s body after he’d died. Of course, I was in my twenties.” Rose grumbled.

“Twenty-Four, and still am. I needed to form my own skill before evolving. That’s how I knew we could protect you for the dungeon runs.” Tyler pleaded.

“I was level twenty-one when we took you down the dungeon. My contract with the university kept me in Hazeldown longer than I wanted. Professors needed their editor. We figured it was our excessive levels that made the dungeon so dangerous that time.” Len said softly.

At level ten she’d entered Old Bones with a bunch of adventurers in their twenties!? It would be so easy to lie to herself and blame them for all the problems of that run. Clearly, some of them had done that. Here she was a fool for not knowing. Not just that, [Recall] tickled her, some had lied about being level fourteen.

Harmony detached herself from the group, standing up and moving away from the table. “I’d like my dessert delivered to my room. My sworn knight can fill me in on any important matters from the rest of this meeting. Guild mistress Thorne, best of luck coaching this crew up. Ma Bell, a wonderful meal as always.”

With that, she made her retreat.