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 ay monsters, spikes of annoyance, and angry eaters. [Keen Iigative Awareness] was at a loss for supplying hints on how to uhis problem. It o be leveled for such a challenge.

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

  Len igyler 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 He had the withdrawn look of a hostage forced to be here tonight.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 ret falling out. Probably reted to her tact with the wizard.

  “As Lady White’s sworn knight, Len does not o 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 suspis. 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 o be elsewhere, hints that she was stuffed and could 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 unfortable when Harmo slip that she had gained permission to see Adric at the pace tower when Ma Bell mentioned how much she missed that boy.

  The warnier received the ht went from ridiculous to appreciated after Harmony opehe queen's envelope. But there were many questions about that whole situation that she couldn’t bring up at the table. This refusal to i only muddied the waters.

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

  “Only the best desserts.” The innkeeper responded nervously. The woman ale and shaking when she approached the table with Thor the start of dinner. Harmony khis hadn’t been the pnned guest list. Some pressure was being applied tonight.

  Worse was the normal calming rexing 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 bating it. [Recall], [Poise and Bearing], [Style and Grace], and [Keen Iigative 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 shorodded it along all night as everyone s 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 beeed for the Asdent 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 shobsp;

  “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 suspis.

  “So you did know?” Thorne asked acgly.

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

  “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 fidend hope pced ihat e at her existe 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 sidered before addiest skill.

  The guild mistress flinched like she’d gotten spped. It was a break iiquette. The woman’s position made her one of the higher-ranked people iy, well above a new dy. But after the dinner she'd fought through, Harmo justified.

  The twisting of Ma Bell’s skill ended. Rexing, jovial, and calming energy bathed everyone. Harmony would have preferred if it had simply stopped altogether, so nothing would influehem 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 sufluences. 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 alsht. “ With that, Thorurned her attention to the whole group. “Each of you has been io participate to represent this region in the Asdant Games. As a guild-sponsored event, you are required to try your best to meet the requirements of the invitatio be subject to guild sans.“

  “Sans?” Tyler asked.

  “Suspension of guild membership and dungeon access for three years. Public repudiation through official public retions els. Reje 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 reag 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 ’t be held to such standards.” Rose started.

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

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

  Thorne waved her hand zily. “You’re the oh the hardest task, Lady White. And you’ve been tag 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 ck disciplieamwork, and training. While it looks like the Asdant Games will be individually based, many tries will have their partits work together to excel.”

  That doesn’t make sehey’d all been running Old Bo the end of winter. Full teams, at level fifteen, ran it a few times befoing to Naewauld to advance. Sometimes you’d get an over-level person on a team. They’ve all only had a few months ba the capital to advanone should be that high uhey’ve been attempting near-solo runs. Thorne had a smug little look on her face. The others showed signs of guilt. [Keen Iigative 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 trolled boosted her words.

  Sir Maxwell was affected the stro. That oath he’d made fred up and Harmony could feel the pulsion activate. It might be his fault for stig his head in that bear trap of making the oath in the first pce, but she winced for him.

  With a straight spine, he turo her, face serious and chivalric. “I’m level twenty-four in css 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 o 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 wheook you down the dungeon. My tract with the uy kept me in Hazeldown lohan I wanted. Professors heir 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 iwenties!? It would be so easy to lie to herself and bme them for all the problems of that run. Clearly, some of them had dohat. Here she was a fool for not knowing. Not just that, [Recall] tickled her, some had lied about being level fourteen.

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

  With that, she made her retreat.