The door to Lord Cosgrave’s office opened and Lord Hector Salvatore walked in. He was 6’ tall and walked with confidence. His thin black hair was cut short and styled with product. He had a thin goatee, with impeccable grooming. He walked to the center of the room and offered an elegant bow.
“You wished to see me city lord?” He asked in a silky voice.
Lord Cosgrave tapped her fingers on the desk as she appraised him. “What can you tell me about your brother and his wife?” She asked.
Confused, he asked, “Which brother, m’lord?”
Raising an eyebrow, she said, “After today’s meeting in the council chamber, you can’t guess the topic of conversation?”
Taking a second to think, Hector furrowed his brow and went over what he knew. Looking back to Lord Cosgrave, he said, “I’m sorry, m’lord. I can’t think of what connection anyone in my house has to last nights events or anything covered in the council meeting. I assure you, as far as I know, my house had no connection to the former Lord Dorchen’s machinations.”
Shaking her head, Cosgrave replied, “No Lord Salvatore, this isn’t about the Dorchens. This is about the new noble.”
“I’m even more confused. We don’t have anyone in our house in lower 7, how did he …. You mean the boy has some connection to Nicholas and Vera?” He asked, eyes wide in shock.
Lord Cosgrave chuckled. “Yes, Nicholas is the boy’s advisor. His wife did the boy’s initial intake when he entered the city. Apparently, they are thick as thieves. In fact, when I sent for the boy, Vera Salvatore got an invite to tonight’s dinner through her connections with the general’s staff. She managed to do it without the general even being aware. What I want to know is, what kind of people are they? I don’t know much about your brother, I don’t think I’ve ever met him,” she said.
Attempting to cover his shock. Lord Salvatore coughed into his hand, and said, “Yes, you probably never interacted. Nicholas left the noble court and the house almost 50 years ago, when he married his wife in fact. He always avoided the political aspects of being a Salvatore. His only concern was scientific advancement. He made our father both proud and annoyed in equal measure. His rapid rise through the research center is a testament to his dedication to his craft. With respect, Vera is the one to watch out for.”
“How so?” Lord Cosgrave asked intently.
“Her maiden name is Pendleton,” he said.
Lord Cosgrave leaned back as if struck. “She’s related to the Pendletons. The Grand house Pendletons?” She asked for clarification.
Shaking his head. “Not really. Well, kind of. Her grandmother was Natasha Pendelton, but her mother left the family to start a new house. I believe they are best categorized as a branch house, but haven’t formally completed the noble trials. I believe the mother is only waiting to find the right husband, she had five or six consorts if I remember correctly. She has also completed the other trials, and hasn’t appeared to be in a hurry to marry.
“In any case, Vera was raised in Hennings and moved here to work in the Center almost 75 years ago. She met Nicholas and he left our family for her. She is a formidable woman. Do not take her lightly, as she grew up playing the game in the capital. From what we learned when we checked up on her history, she spent a great deal of time destroying people who crossed her. She prefers to eliminate escape routes and then cause her opponents to make a mistake. I’ve personally seen two of her duels, she is a devious fighter and relies on subtle essence manipulation. If she wanted Nicholas to be the Lord of the house, I would have stepped down rather than deal with her. Does that answer your question?” he said.
Nodding, she replied, “Yes. You have succeeded in conveying how dangerous she is. But I need to know what drives her. What does she want? You make it sound like she decided she wanted Nicholas, so she took him. Is he really that browbeaten? Can that avenue be explored?”
Shaking his head vehemently, he replied, “No, No, No, you misunderstand. I’m sorry I wasn’t more clear. She met Nicholas, and found a fellow purist in the pursuit of perfection. Let me put it this way, she has the ‘efficiency’ pillar. She is exacting, always has been. She likes watching people grow, that’s why she got into the Center. Within a few years, she was leading a team. I believe she is currently the head of intake for all of lower 7. I guarantee you that she knows everyone there. She treats people like projects. When she met Nicholas, she just helped him focus on what he thought was important. She saw greatness in him. He was always a scientist, but his successes were a byproduct of his skill. When he met her, he became a force of nature in the scientific community. She is his rudder. They are actually perfect for each other. Trying to get between them, would result in disaster.
“In fact, you remember my late sister? About 20 years ago, she tried to bring Nicholas back into the fold by impeding his work through political maneuvering. Vera noticed immediately. Rather than fighting back, she systematically destroyed my sister’s interests. Her friends distanced themselves, her business contacts dried up, and rumors hounded her. It took six months for her to figure out that it was Vera. I believe that Vera somehow let my sister find out in a way that made her too furious to think straight. She challenged Vera to a duel without thinking it through. Vera accepted, then took my sister’s hands followed by her head within an hour. No one in the family even knew it was happening until it was over.
“I personally went to Nicholas to ask for an accounting of what happened. He hadn’t heard anything about it. When I told him that our sister was dead, he just asked, ‘What did she do to piss off Vera? Was she insane?’ As a result, the house of Salvatore doesn’t currently have any dealing in lower 7. I hope that clarifies things,” he finished.
The door to her office slammed open, and Lord Cosgrave’s aid rushed in. “M’lord, we’ve just received word that the head of the mage council in Hennings has registered a flight plan to Dorchester. The flight plan states that he is already en route. He’ll be here within the hour.”
Both Lord’s Cosgrave and Salvatore were stunned. “Why is he coming?” Lord Cosgrave asked.
“I think you’ll need to read his reason for visiting personally,” the aide said and sent it to Lord Cosgrave through the link.
Opening her link, Lord Cosgrave skimmed the flight plan. Finding the section on ‘reason for visit’, she read:
“That little bastard Cranston is going to be dead soon, and Dorchester needs a new court mage. I’m it.”
With her face paling, Lord Cosgrave looked to her aide and asked, “Does Mage Adept Cranston know?”
Shaking her head, the aide replied, “Not that I know of. Should he be alerted?”
Lord Cosgrave replied, “No, never stand between an arch-mage and his target. It won’t save the target, all it will do is get you killed as well.”
Turning to Lord Salvatore, she continued, “A place just opened up for dinner at the keep tonight, would you like to join us?”
-----
Nero looked at the dark wood walls, fancy floating lights, and artwork on the walls. ‘They’re really leaning into the aristocratic theme here. Oh look, suits of armor, how original,’ he thought.
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The butler was wearing tight gray robes and walking with his chin so high Nero wondered if the man could see where he was going. Checking on the captain and the Salvatores, Nero realized that the display of wealth didn’t faze them at all. He’d have to make sure that he didn’t stare like a commoner, or whatever they call the peasants here.
Eventually they were led into a dining hall, Nero couldn’t bring himself to call it a room. The table was massive, and the place was larger than most bars he used to frequent. The chandelier was a rotating series of lights that kept the room’s lighting even and pleasing. The entire room screamed sophistication and class.
Lord Cosgrave stood up at the head of the table and gestured for them to sit. She said, “Welcome, and thank you for joining us. We have a lot to cover and I’m glad that we can do so while enjoying a meal. Let me introduce everyone.”
Nero took his assigned seat between Nick and Vera. He noticed that Mrs. Salvatore looked at the seats like the placement implied something. Captain Angelton was on the other side of the table next to some guy in a blue tabard with gold trim. The silverware was shiny, and everything looked like the cover of a magazine. The whole situation made Nero hesitant to touch anything.
Lord Cosgrave remained standing, and gestured to her right. “This is Arch-Mage Felix Jennings, the new court mage. He is here representing the Tower of Mages.”
Gesturing to her left, she said, “Here we have Lord Michael York. He is the newly appointed head of the Tower of Logic.”
Going back to the right, “This is Lord Sarah Bennings. She is the director of the Tower of Law.”
Continuing on the right, “And here is General Branson, currently in command of the army central command in Dorchester.”
Finally, she gestured to the man sitting in the second seat on her left, right next to Nick. “This is Lord Salvatore, Nicholas’s brother. When I heard that your advisor and his wife were joining us, I took the opportunity to invite him,” she finished with a smile, and sat down.
As if that were a hidden signal, servants descended on the table like a swarm. They placed glasses of wine and water, followed by a salad of some kind. In less than 30 seconds, everything was in place and they vanished like smoke. ‘Do servants gain abilities that make them awesome at this crap or something, that was nuts,’ Nero thought.
Lord Cosgrave spoke up again, “Before we eat, let us give thanks,” she said and bowed her head.
Everyone bowed their head in turn, and put their hands in their laps. Nero followed suit, while side-eyeing everyone, to see what was happening.
“We thank you for your bounty, and will endeavor to grow in recompense for that which we’ve culled,” she said, then opened her eyes with a smile.
“Please enjoy,” she said and picked up her fork.
Nero almost wanted to clap, the lady really knew how to do an introduction. Before anyone could even touch their food, Vera spoke up.
“M’lord, I’d like to thank you for this wonderful meal. Too often when dealing with subjects of this magnitude, we confine them to conference rooms and places commensurate with the severity of the issues at hand. Having Mr. Walker for a meal before he even gives the pledge of nobility is truly touching,” She said while offering a toast to the city lord.
Judging by the smile on the Arch-Mage Jennings face, and the looks the other dinner guests shared, Nero was sure he was missing something. He reminded himself that he couldn’t know everything, and whatever happens will happen. Digging into his food, he ignored everything else. ‘Is this a beet? I don’t remember what beets taste like. I’m calling it a beet,’ he decided with a nod.
Lord Cosgrave sipped her wine, and replied to Vera, “Mrs. Salvatore, you’re welcome of course. I just thought that since Mr. Walker was so new to this world, some of the rigid doctrines we nobles have to endure should be eased into. There is no reason to force him to follow the letter of the law.”
While chewing on what he thought was a carrot, Nero muttered, “The devil is in the details, ignore him at your peril.” And then washed it down with some water while never raising his eyes from his plate.
“Yes!” Jennings shouted. Everyone at the table jumped, when Arch-Mage Jennings slammed his palm down on the table.
With a wide smile, he continued, “That is a wonderful thought form. A demon waiting to trick you, while you gloss over the details while focusing on the bigger picture. A threat right in front of you, that you ignored to your destruction. Did you just make that up? That’s fantastic.”
The arch-mage was nearly bouncing in his seat. Everyone’s attention turned to Nero.
With some salad dressing on his lip, and his fork paused in front of his face, Nero looked around at everyone watching him. Delicately setting down his fork, he wiped his mouth with his napkin, and said, “I’m sorry for my outburst. I was just reminding myself not to let the surroundings dictate my mindset. Just because I’m at dinner, doesn’t mean this ‘is’ a dinner, you know?”
“Right you are, my boy. Keep your eyes on your opponent at all times. I’d like to show you the game. I’m very interested in watching you play,” Jennings said with a smirk.
Nero could sense a kindred spirit in the man. Although he looked about 45 years old and was dressed like a suit, he obviously had the soul of a troll.
“I’d love to see it. But I think Mrs. Salvatore would skin me alive if I were to agree to anything without first asking her opinion. I’ve decided to appoint her my proxy for all my noble-type stuff,” he said, and then returned to his salad.
It took a few seconds of silence for Nero to realize that no one was moving. He looked up and saw that everyone had frozen. Even Lord Cosgrave was wearing a repressed frown. Looking over at Mrs. Salvatore, he saw her smiling ear to ear. Nick, however, seemed like he was trying not to laugh.
Breaking the silence, Vera addressed everyone in a loud voice, “I humbly accept the appointment as House Walker’s proxy and will do my best to serve its interests. May our house grow to the sky, and cast a long shadow.”
She then leaned into Nero’s personal space and said, “I know you have no idea what you’ve just done, but I won’t betray the trust you’ve shown me. Now don’t say anything else, and just eat your meal.”
Nero nodded in confusion, then looked at Nick. Nick had started a small quiet conversation with the man who was sitting next to him. Apparently, the man was his brother. ‘Small world,’ thought Nero.
Small talk took over the dinner, as everyone brought up topics pertaining to the city as a whole. The recent Noble War was mentioned only in that Lord York had taken over one of Lord Dorchen’s responsibilities. Lord York was the new head of the logicians, in the aptly named Tower of Logic. General Branson praised his men for their foiling of the plot, while Angelton tried to turn away any praise. Lord Benning went into a long boring rendition of laws and how cleverly the Dorchens maneuvered the situation to their advantage, while highlighting the ‘brilliant’ countermeasures the city lord used to win the day.
Nero kept his head down, and focused on the courses that were presented. Succulent meats, and tasty soups came in waves. All of the portions were small, but they just kept coming. Eventually he got bored, and started playing with the ambient essence. He was careful not to actually do anything, but just shaping it a little shouldn’t cause any issues.
While Lord’s Benning and York were arguing with Nick about ‘psychic filtering’ in regards to something or another, Nero was leaning back in his chair patting his belly. Meanwhile, he was staring at the essence above his plate, playing with a simple spell form for cleaning things. Nero thought he figured out the part of the spell form that was for targeting. If he changed the essence input from ‘purge’ to ‘heat’, wouldn’t he have a way to melt stuff?
‘Purge’ was the essence associated with returning something to its intended identity. Nero figured that when he delved something, that was it’s base identity. So ‘purge’ just removed, or more accurately, separated the stuff that wasn’t part of that identity.
Unbeknownst to Nero, Arch-Mage Jennings was watching the essence forms that Nero was making, while grinning from ear to ear. ‘The boy is sitting at a table of some of the most powerful people in the city, and is picking apart spell forms like an adept. What is he trying to form? Why is he… uh oh,’ he thought.
The entire table’s attention snapped to Nero as he targeted his glass with his brand new ‘heat inversion spell’, patent pending.
The glass in question iced over and the liquid froze solid. Nero frowned, and muttered, “Too much heat was pulled. There has to be a better way than manually throttling the input. Maybe if I use the input section of the water condensation spell, I’ll be able to adjust it like a faucet.”
The table sat in silence as Nero muttered to himself and manipulated a spell form at the table.
‘I just flip the essence flow, change the input, use the targeting form, and boom a temperature spell,’ Nero thought.
While he was playing with his new spell, which he now called ‘the hotter/colder spell’, the table was watching his glass go from solid ice, to melting, then boiling, then back to solid ice. Finally after the 7th cycle, Nero noticed everyone watching him and his glass.
He said, “Uh… don’t mind me, keep talking about… what you were talking about. It was really interesting. That part about the proper way to do it, I totally agree with. And the other thing about the wrong way to do it, that was absolutely true too.”
Nick dropped his head into his hands, and everyone else just sat in shock. Arch-Mage Jennings started clapping.
“Brilliant! My boy, that is the most crude variable temperature spell I’ve ever seen. You used parts of at least three separate spell forms, but it worked! Why were you using ambient essence like that? How did you do that?” he asked excitedly.
Looking around the table, Nero decided to play his trump card. In a voice full of sincerity, he said, “I’m sorry, but all research related questions will have to be addressed to my advisor. And, on the advice of my counsel, I’m going to shut up now.”