Still carrying Marne, Teine followed the magician and his groom through the stables and into the base of the Tower itself, while other humans came to take care of the team. Unlike the Demesne at Solmurry, the Tower was designed not to be pretty, but to be functional.
In keeping with the more egalitarian leanings of the time, there was no such thing as a "guest entrance." All comers and goers to the main floor of the Tower would enter or exit through any number of practically designed portals, each equipped with some type of storage or coat alcove. The Krunal talent for design gave the rooms a warm, homey feel, even though most of the walls were bare stone with iron lighting fixtures, Teine noted.
As they made their way to an open workroom outfitted as a kitchen, Madric held his arms out, beckoning Teine to come closer. "I'll take him now. You go on here with Kenneth." The groom with the blankets and towels transferred his burden to one arm and tipped his cap, with respect, at Teine. Feeling pleased and slightly embarrassed, Teine found himself grinning as he handed Marne over to his Uncle.
"There, now," Madric muttered. "And on down to your room. We'll get you all settled in and comfortable in just a moment." Inside the bag, Marne made a noise that could have been interpreted as an affirmative. Then Madric turned his attention back to the Humans. "I think we should all take a spot of tea before bed," he told the groom. "Have Hamoni put on the kettle for us. Teine and I have many things to discuss after I put my favorite nephew to bed."
"I'm your only nephew," Marne pointed out, as Madric carried him into the open pantry. As they passed, Teine noted the shelves stacked high with glass jars of canned vegetables and other tinned goods, crates of wine, and a stairway that led down.
"Then you're well ahead of the competition." Madric chuckled.
"There is no competition..." Teine heard Marne retort, before they were out of range.
The next thing he knew, a blanket was being draped over his shoulders. "Here you go," Kenneth said, clapping Teine on the shoulder, an amused expression on his craggy face. "You look like you've had an exciting day."
"You have no idea." Teine breathed, once they were alone. He was surprised at the depth of his relief he felt with the Aoife out of the room. With the other Humans he could more or less speak his mind without any fear of reprisal. Grinning ruefully, he shifted his weight from one foot to the other, trying to maintain some sense of dignity. "Now, where is your chamber?"
"Oh, right this way, young man." Kenneth gestured toward a room where Teine spotted a very welcome sight: a watercloset, complete with the overhead watertank and the chain to pull for the flush. Apparently the plumbing at the Tower was as good as that at Solmurry proper.
As Teine was taking care of business, he heard the light patter of a second set of feet followed by the unmistakable clank of the kettle being set on the stove. "Hamoni, perhaps?" Teine wondered, unable to stop himself from wondering what sort of person she'd be, and horrified at possibility that she could hear him.
"So, did he drain it completely this time?" The woman's voice was surprisingly sultry, and Teine found himself listening more intently. "Or could you tell?"
Teine paused midstream, then realized she wasn't talking about him. "Give me a minute." he muttered under his breath, resuming the task at hand.
"No, I couldn't tell." Kenneth confirmed. "But they were using the bag, and that seemed to be working well enough to keep them from being harassed much by any of the free elementals on the way here. The carriage was in one piece this time."
There was the sound of running water, and then the sound of ceramic plates stacking. "Well, at least that's something. It's a shame the child can't just live in the bag."
"Hmm," agreed Kenneth. "That would be... less complicated. And speaking of complicated, Marne brought his new birthday present along." Teine reached up and pulled the chain to flush, shaking his head ruefully. He hadn't wanted his entrance to be an exercise in comic relief, but apparently it wasn't his scene to write. To take the sting of embarrassment away, he quickly dampened hands in the sink, lathering them with fragrant soap and rinsing.
"Oh!" chirped the woman, obviously surprised. To Teine's ears, she sounded young and probably pretty. "Did he get the one he wanted?"
Teine quickly blotted his hands on a hanging towel, and stepped back out into the kitchen just in time to see Kenneth's shrug. "I don't know, are you the one Marne wanted?" The groom had settled himself onto a practical wooden bench and was leaning back on the wall with a genial smile. "We didn't get to that part of the introduction."
"I'm Teine of Solmurry." Teine replied, leaning forward to shake Kenneth's strong, calloused hand. "And I assume I'm the one he wanted. It seems to me that it's unlikely Marne's will is often thwarted."
"A clever answer, Teine of Solmurry." the woman replied, her musical voice coming from the kitchen area. When he turned to introduce himself, Teine jumped visibly, startled by her appearance.
She was an Aoife, yet she was dressed simply and humbly in the stained, practical clothes of a house servant. In all his years at Solmurry, Teine had never seen an Aoife in a servile role. It was jarring to see one as lovely and ageless as any nobles drying and stacking freshly washed dishes. Uncertain of the ettiquite for the situation, Teine stammered, then lapsed into silence. He could feel his face redden.
Thankfully she'd continued speaking, and didn't seem to notice. "Betraying nothing, yet still complimentary to your young Master. You have good instincts, I think." Bemused, he realized she'd taken his hand in both of her slender ones, and was pumping it up and down, soundly, as if she were another man. "You'll do well. And, I have to say," she continued, eyeing him up and down playfully. "You're a lot easier on the eyes, and nose, than his usual companion!"
"And his breath is pure hell," she giggled. "I'm Hamoni, but please, just call me Moni if you feel like it. Now, pull up a bench." Bustling around the kitchen, she set a tray with cheese and crackers, a bowl of fresh fruit, and a pitcher of water on the table. "You're among friends and the rest of your day is certain to be comfortable and relaxing."
"Promise?" Madric asked, climbing up the stairs from the basement. As Teine was just about to sit, he straightened himself and waited for Madric. The Aoife magician looked exhausted but seemed to be of good cheer. "I think the poor lad nearly fell asleep in the water closet." Without any formalities, Madric casually tossed a heavy golden bracelet out onto the table, then slumped down on the bench next to Kenneth and began prying off his boots. Hamoni reached hungrily for the bracelet, but a stern look from Madric sent her scrambling toward the cupboard to get earthenware mugs and the teapot. Teine hesitated to sit, standing awkwardly in place. What had just happened?
"What, are you waiting for a personal invitation?" Madric asked.
"Should I be?" Teine asked, swallowing hard and feeling like a complete dolt.
All three of the others laughed heartily, and Teine felt somewhat relieved when Madric gestured for him to take a seat. "You'll discover a few things, once you've been here a while," the magician offered, dropping his first boot to the floor with a sloppy wet splash. "I'm much less concerned with formality and appearances than my brother is. I'm not quick to take offense, and I don't make idle threats. If you've offended me, I'll say so. And I'll give you plain suggestions on how to amend your behavior so it doesn't happen again. Thanks, love," he told Hamoni, when she offered to help him off with the other boot. As she tugged, Madric continued "I keep company with whom I please and how I please. And what I please right now is to have a nice bit of tea and talk about your future."
The boot released, and Hamoni nearly sat down from the force. Teine caught her arm to keep her from falling over. "My future?" he asked, as it suddenly dawned on him what Madric had just said.
Hamoni picked up both Madric's dripping boots, and, holding them at arms length, walked them out to the mudroom.
"Yes." Madric replied. "Hand me one of those blankets, eh Kenneth? Thanks." The magician pulled off his outer cloak and green festival garb, draping them both over the edge of the bench. Then he wrapped himself in one of the warm blankets with a contented sigh. "Much better. The first thing we'll need to do is test you for any latent magic ability. Then we can see where to go from there."
Teien blinked. "Magic? Could I really be magic?"
Hamoni walked past, heading for the whistling kettle. "It's a possiblity. It can happen to anyone."
Madric nodded. "It's becoming more and more common, to be sure. I think we're on the brink of the next Age, and some of the events in the last few years have proven it. Awakening artifacts and animals, strengthening storms," he listed, gesturing to the rattling glass in the window frame. "Not to mention the incredible growth and diversity in the variety of available magics."
"Not just conjuration and summoning any more," Hamoni added. "Illusion, charm, and enchantment spells are becoming much more common." She dropped the tea ball into the pot and began to pour steaming water over it. "Not to mention more reliable and harder to detect. I heard that there's a cadre of rogue wizards beginning to study the possibility of creating spells that can teleport people and items from one place to-"
Teine stared frankly at the Aoife girl's dissertation, until Madric cleared his throat. "Hamoni, mind your place."
"Yes, M'Lord," she replied, bowing her head and looking genuinely contrite. "Tea's up. Are any of you hungry? Or hungrier than cheese, crackers, and fruit can satisfy?"
"I can always eat," Kenneth volunteered. "But I'm not expiring from hunger. What about you?" he asked Madric.
"I had my fill and then some at my brother's table." He grinned, roguishly, then reached for the bowl of fruit to push it toward Teine. "It's true he's a sycophantic little weasel, but he sure sets a good spread."
Teine nearly choked on his bite of pear. Once he was done sputtering, he supressed a grin. "Thank you, by the way. Thank you, M'Lord," he said, looking directly at Madric. "I really appreciate what you did for me in there."
Madric raised his eyebrows. "What I did?" he asked, tilting his head as though he were trying to remember. "Oh, yes. Well, teasing him is rather second nature."
"I've..." Teine began, trying to decide if this conversation was in any way appropriate. "... I've never been on the receiving end of a dressing down like that."
"Was the Lord mean to you?" Hamoni asked, pausing with the teapot in her hand.
"And then some," Madric confirmed. To Teine, he said, "I'm about to give you a piece of advice that I hope will serve you well in your life. I learned it myself the hard way, and I would spare you that pain if I could."
"I'm all ears," Teine replied, sincerely. Whenever one of the elders, like his Amagorra, had offered advice, he'd always been quick to listen. Now that he was about to get advice from someone with several lifetimes of experience he couldn't ignore it if he tried.
To read the next installment of Chapter 7 "A Short Reign with a Violent End" (part b), click HERE!
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The Gilded Shackle is the first book in The Evermancer Saga, a series of online serial novels. Go go right to the most recent chapter, go to www.evermancer.com.
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