Ch. 13: the Ipet-Mau

This is a rewrite of a previously published work. There is a lot of new content in it, but it is not wholly new content. There will be new chapters coming.

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Meryl and I stumbled home, hanging off each other.

We were both a little drunk. After the dance at the bonfire, we'd done what any self-respecting commoners would. We found some liquor and drank it all. She guided me all the way back to my room. I pulled her into a kiss. She was soft and warm and smelled heavenly. But after a moment, she broke it off and pushed me away. I groaned and pulled her back in. Giggling, she pushed me back. "No, Johann. Not tonight. I have an early meeting. I'd like to be conscious for it."

"A meeting with who?" I asked, searching her face. She didn't look happy about it.

"Some merchants from Kordku." She adjusted my tunic a little, still leaning against me. "One of the governors of Babrycg is trying to push down tensions out there, but it sounds like Lord Damien has a little more sway than she does. So, I need to reroute where we get a lot of our weapons. Especially if it does break out into a proper war." She paused for a moment, her mouth twitching. "I don't know if you heard, but there was an attack in the city. No proof that they're directly tied to Sharcaol, but they're definitely from Babrycg."

"Oh," was all I could manage, looking down at our feet. I almost wanted to offer my neck again. Anything to keep Bayfield in one piece. She put a finger under my chin and raised it until I was gazing into her eyes again.

"We're going to handle it," she muttered so softly I had to lean in to hear her. "I'm sending Governess Morgana a team. Some people who can help out."

"Who?" I asked, resuming my search of her face.

"Some adventurers," she replied, then hedged. "They seem competent and hopefully their skills are varied enough to get some information back. In the meantime, the City of Labyrinths can provide us with some weapons. Different. But they're closer to the continent, and if we need to, we'll find a way to start importing them. This is just about setting up the details."

"Do you want me there?" I asked, recalling the dinner I skipped out on. She shook her head.

"This is a little more than a dinner and I need you to do a little more studying before we include you on major matters of state. But I expect you to study hard so that you can be there with me soon." I nodded, jaw tight, and she kissed me again, then excused herself. I watched her go, frowning, trying desperately to ignore the guilt that was spreading out in my stomach.

I opened the door to my gigantic room that felt so much larger with no one but me in it. But I wasn't quite as alone as I thought I was. The white cat was laying on my pillow, watching me. "Got in again? You're gonna have to teach me how you do that." I sat on the side of the bed and she tentatively approached me. I stroked behind her ears and she closed her eyes. "You hungry, girl?"

The cat padded out of the bed and brushed against me, purring loudly. Before getting to bed, I'll just raid the kitchen quickly. A snack for myself and my apparent new feline friend. She trailed slightly behind me as I made my way there. There were still a few workers there. One of them looked up at me and then down at the cat.

"Good evening, m'lord. Can we help you with something?" One of the cooks asked. I smiled at them. She was an older woman with steel gray hair and dark, leathery skin. But she returned my smile readily.

"Sorry to disturb you so late, Mrs. Johnson. I was wondering if there were any leftovers for me and my friend here." The elderly woman looked at the cat and then at me.

"Sire, we can't serve you leftovers. You're the Queen's..." She paused and leaned in and asked in a confiding tone, "What are you to the queen again, exactly?"

"Oh," I whispered, leaning in, matching her inflection. "I'm just a blacksmith she had brought to the castle to take care of all these swords."

She frowned at my words, considering. "You expect me to believe she lets you wander the halls and stand next to her, have dinner with her, the queen of the land so that you can take care of her swords."

"She does have a lot of swords," I replied, smiling as innocently as I could manage. "Why? What did you think I was doing here? Did you think I was her lover or something?"

"Oh, no, m'lord," she blustered, waving her hand. "I'd never be so presumptuous as to think that our queen would ever..." She trailed off, obviously trying to find some way to broach the subject. Ultimately, she shook her head and changed the subject. "So, some leftovers for you and your cat."

"I don't know that she's my cat, but yes," I replied. It was obvious that the rumors spreading throughout the castle were precisely that. People would find out that I was her lover sooner or later. And with the way I had been flitting about between Carmella and Emilia, I imagined the rumors would not be limited to just Meryl. I might cause them trouble if we're not more careful. Truth be told, I didn't want to be more cautious. I wanted the world to know.

But that seems unwise for the moment. There were many political elements that I needed to be better equipped to understand to not embarrass all of the women in my life. I thought back to the pile of books I had waiting for me in the library and frowned. My head was still a little foggy from the drink and I didn't really want to read. Mrs. Johnson handed me two plates, one with some loose meat and the other with a small sandwich. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, dearie. Don't get into any more sword fights now. I'm sure the Queen, Lady First Knight, and Miss Emilia, not to mention your poor puss here, would be very upset." I stiffened at the older woman's eyes. "After all, you have lots of swords to take care of."

"O-of course." I made my way quickly away, heading back to my room. I passed Lady Carmella on the way there and she stopped me.

"Blacksmith, it was fun patrolling with you. You might consider joining the guard more often. It'd teach you valuable discipline." She muttered a little stiffly. The cat sniffed at her ankle, and she leaned down to pet it. It sniffed her fingers, then let her pet it.

"I'll consider it," I said, knowing I wasn't going to. "But I was wondering, would you want to go out on a non-work related outing? Just the two of us. Maybe dinner or a play or something?"

"What's her name?" Carmella asked, changing the subject. Her shoulders were stiff and she didn't meet my eye, which was rare for her. I doubt I've ever met a more direct woman than her.

"She hasn't told me yet. Not a big talker, this one," I said, smiling at her, reverting the subject back. "So, what about a date?"

"I'm afraid I have little time for non-work related events, blacksmith." She looked up at me from her knees. "Why?"

"Because... I don't know. I want to get to know you more. Test out my feelings a little bit more." This was a lie. Well, half a lie. I did want to spend more time with her, but I didn't need to test out my feelings. I adored her. And it would take a miracle to change that. Literally, divine intervention on a grand scale. I could've never predicted that, all that time ago, when she dragged me from my village and beat me up every day on the way to the capital. I resented her so much at first. Now I was grateful to have her in my life.

"Mm." She responded cryptically. "Well, I fear I still don't have all that much time for recreation."

"Meaning you purposefully won't take time off for it," I retorted without heat. I knew she took her duties seriously.

"Meryl and Bayfield need me, blacksmith," she shot back. "I can't laze about reading and flirting with the maids all day like you can."

"That's... fair." I frowned, shifting away from her gaze now. "I've not had so much time to relax before, and I've been too willing to take it."

"I didn't mean it like that, Johann." She hesitated for a moment, starting to reach out. "Just that..."

"No, no, you're right." I waved her hand away. "Big things are happening. But you also need some off-time. More than just fooling around. What if I join you on patrol and we bring along lunch. Just us. I'll make it myself."

"Can you even cook?" She quipped. "You burnt just about everything the way here. Fortunately, all these years as a soldier gave me an iron stomach."

"I can absolutely cook," I replied defensively. "There's just not much I can do with meat sticks and grain that's been in your pack for three months." She smirked at me.

"Alright, blacksmith. We'll see what you got." She reached out and squeezed my shoulder. Then her face resumed her normal stoniness and her hand dropped. "But just because you're bringing along food doesn't mean we'll go easy on you. You'll be expected to actually patrol. Not just dick around."

"After you taste my food, I think you'll want to dick around with me. At least a little," I said. Then hesitated, adding, "First Knight Lady Carmella."

"I'll know if you try to pass off the castle staff's food as your own, blacksmith," she replied, easily. I think I'd finally gotten a handle on her humor. It was drier than the rations she forced upon us, but it was present.

"It's amazing that you can stab at my heart even when you don't have your sword." She stood straight and revealed that she did, in fact, have her sword tied into her nightgown.

"You'll learn to never leave your weapons around, Johann. If you learn nothing else from me, you'll never forget. Get some rest. I expect this meal tomorrow." I nodded and made my way back to my room. It was still empty. Emilia has been a little more standoffish than usual. I wonder if I did something to offend her. I set down the cat's meal and ate my own, finishing it quickly, mulling over my wonderings. I should take her out too.

I got up a little before dawn the next day and returned to the kitchen, leaving the cat behind to snooze. When I got to the kitchen, Mrs. Johnson was already there, walking around stiffly, already prepping food. A lot of the same kitchen staff from the night before were. "Oh, m'lord. Do you and your puss need another snack?"

I ignored the snickers from the kitchen staff. It's all in good fun, I thought, but that didn't stop the blush from creeping up on my face. "No, actually, I was wondering if you had any extra fixings. I'm going to help out the First Knight on patrol today or try to, and I kind of talked up my cooking skills. So, she's expecting something. I don't need much in the way of space. Just some stuff and maybe a stovetop for a little while."

"Oh, honey. We can make you food. You don't need to bother your soft hands with any of that." I blinked and looked down at my hands. There were knicks and cuts that scarred both of them. But the calluses were starting to fade. I shook my head, trying to dispel my self-doubt and the loathing that had built up from my apparent laziness.

"What if I give you all a few gold for the trouble? I'll stay out of your way and prepare something quick and easy." The women looked at each other, then nodded. I took out some gold and gave them each three a piece. A little expensive, but worth it. Mrs. Johnson shook her head and pocketed it, muttering something I couldn't quite catch under her breath. I took some eggs, cheese, sausage, and a little flour and forged some simple sandwiches. The women all watched me. I took off one of the knives, cut through some lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers, and grilled a little chicken. I frowned at their knife and then started examining it. I looked through the rest of their blades, scowling at them. All of them were dull. A few of them had knicks in them. They'd obviously been in use for years and were suffering from the overwork.

"Something wrong, sweetie?" Mrs. Johnson asked over my shoulder. I shrugged and returned to my salads, packing some dressing on the side.

"You should ask for some new knives," I muttered absently.

"These work fine, hon," she said simply.

"O-of course." I hesitated.

"M'lord, if you have a thought, you need not hold it here," Mrs. Johnson chided. "But I can't imagine with your skills, you know what you're talking about."

"These were once a fine set, but they're dull, and the metal is fragile." I held the blade up to the light and pointed to some of the weaknesses I was seeing. "A dull knife is dangerous. A brittle blade can cost a finger. That could lead to an infection. Seen a few good people go that way. I'd prefer that not happen to you."

"And you think you know knives better than us?" She said, hands on her hips. It was the first time that I'd heard her be anything less than cordial. Makes sense. I'm coming in here, telling her about her own business. I looked at the knife in my hands. But it's also my business. I've made more knives than most people will ever touch.

"Maybe not, but I know metal better than you," I responded, meeting her eye.

"An' how do you figure that?" She didn't avert her eyes. So much for me being a lord. She knows better than all that. I sighed. I hate these games.

"Because I'm a blacksmith," I replied, deflating.

"You're a lord. Can't have been much of a blacksmith." I felt my eye twitch. This was going beyond good-natured ribbing. Even if it's understandable. I set my jaw.

"I'm not a lord," I muttered before taking a deep breath and standing before her. "I'm just a pet blacksmith to the Queen and her circle. That's it."

"You've had dinner with the Queen." Some of the deference made its way back into her tone. "I don't know any blacksmith that's done that."

"I guess that's true," I conceded, sighing. I packed up the two meals and headed out. "I'm sorry. I do not doubt your capability. But I do know knives. I spent a decade and a half making them. Please be careful."

"Thought you made swords," one of the women in the back said. Her tone didn't have the deference that Mrs. Johnson normally did. I imagine that's why she does most of the talking. She's used to playing against the fragile noble ego.

"It's... That's a more recent development." I shrugged half-heartedly. "Mostly I used to do household items. Knives, axes, horseshoes, things like that. Whitesmithing more than blacksmithing."

"Don't worry about us, m'lord," Mrs. Johnson emphasized her title for me. "You just stay safe out there."

I went out and met Carmella. She already had her armor on and was walking out of her room. Emilia quietly passed behind her and smiled at me softly before rushing off. I offered the First Knight one of the biscuit sandwiches I had made. A simple meal that was quick and easy. A little sweet, with the syrup, poured into the dough. She looked at it and at me. I was wearing my sword and dagger but not my armor. I hate that armor so much. She took the sandwich and started on her way. I followed her. She made quick work of it but didn't say anything after it had disappeared.

We gathered up some horses and rode out to the city. It was huge, especially compared to the small village I was used to working in. We stopped by the guard station. They saluted at the First Knight as we walked through. Their eyes fell on me and then passed over quickly. They didn't even really fully register I was here. At least not until I got to the captain, almost bumping into Carmella. She motioned for me to stand by her side, and I did so. "Captain, how're things?"

"Simply hell, ma'am," a gruff, gray-haired woman said. She eyed me. "Ever since that fool boy Meryl took in riled up the Babryckians, we've been struggling to keep things under lock and key. They're getting bolder. Who's the fish?"

"This is Johann, that fool boy Meryl took in," Lady Carmella said, nodding to me. The woman blanched and cleared her throat.

"I'm sorry, my lor-" the captain began, but I cut her off.

"It's fine," I said, offering a placating hand. "I know I've made your life harder, and I'm sorry for that. Is there anything I can do to help?"

She eyed me for a long time. "You're not exactly what I expected. You beat a blademaster?"

"Beat is relative," I added, my gaze faltering. "He was angry. I was less angry. He got clouded and made a few mistakes, and I got lucky."

"You're here, and he isn't," the captain offered. "But they don't make blademasters like they used to."

"He's quite skilled, considering." The First Knight cut in. I sank down a little lower. Considering. I never thought I would have to wield a sword, but now I'm disappointed that I'm not better at it. She put her hand on my shoulder, and I looked up at her. "He did absolutely get lucky against the blademaster, but as you stated, he's still here."

"Well, if you're here, there have been some suspicious reports downtown. People moving things. My men were wrapped up in the celebrations and haven't had the chance to look." The captain looked to the First Knight and asked, "Think you could look into it?"

"Of course, captain. We're on it." Carmella guided me away, and we got back on our horses and rode downtown. I was silent the way there. We circled the entire area several times but didn't see anything suspicious. But we were obviously pretty conspicuous. Carmella in her full plate armor, freshly polished. All the scratches and dents had been buffed out, and it looked new.

It was a peaceful little jaunt, and we took breaks and got the horses water. There were plenty of fountains and wells to get the water from. It reminded me of Sofen. At least a little bit. The people here are happy and know each other. It wasn't like most of the stories of cities. Not like I'd heard from Ahmed and other merchants. They always make cities sound so alien. Crime-ridden places where kings and queens crack down on everyone over any little offense. I thought about Queen Meryl for a moment. I'd watch her pass some harsh judgments occasionally, but I never thought they were unfair. Everybody's just trying to carve out a life for themselves. Even the nobles.

Carmella actually cooed over her horse, petting it. I watched the tall, strong woman melt over the horse, leaning into her touch. I couldn't help but smile at that. At around midday, I broke out our salads and forks. She took it and ate it quietly, watching me. We found a small park somewhere. No one else was really around, so I sat a little closer to her and leaned against her. Given her armor, it wasn't incredibly comfortable, but she pressed back into me.

"Your meal wasn't as astounding as you made it out to be," she muttered softly. "Certainly not enough to get me to want to dick around with you."

"Yeah, I didn't know what to make so that it could travel well," I replied, laughing. "So, I went very simple. Should've known better than to try and compete with the kitchen staff."

"I didn't say it was bad," she said in between bites. "Simple is good. It's what I should be more used to."

"Why should you be more used to that than the regular meals at the palace?" I asked, frowning.

"I'm not from that world," she replied, staring into her mostly empty bowl. "Not really."

"More so than I am," I countered. She looked at me. "You're the First Knight. Lady Carmella. The Queen's first in so many ways. You belong there more than anyone."

"It doesn't feel like it sometimes. I love Meryl. And Emilia. But I am not always comfortable around all of those pillows and soft people. The soldiers, the guards, the knights. I understand them. I struggle with politics." I nodded solemnly, trying not to dwell on all my fuck ups that had made their lives so much harder. "Sometimes, I feel more at home on the road. Or on campaign."

"I may not be a soldier or a knight, but I get what you mean," I replied, setting my bowl down. "All of the books that Meryl... Queen Meryl and Emilia are having me read... " I stared out at the people chatting, laughing, falling in love and out of it, just like any other part of the world. I sighed. "They talk about the way people hide their intentions. It's not like that in Sofen. I'm not made for it. But you are. You and the queen make for a hell of a combination. An alloy that covers for the other's weaknesses and strengthens each other."