AO 4 Ch 19 (Patreon)

Chapter 19

Sienna had on a dress in Aldis blue with matching high heels that she must have weaseled out of Berni before we had left, because I hadn’t seen them before.

The drop necklace that settled where her breasts were pressed together was very eye-catching as we walked back to the Aldis Estate.

“I need to get dressed too.” Emlyn caught me staring. “Hopefully I can find something that’s not completely wrinkled from the travel.”

“Don’t you have some things you left here?” I asked.

“They aren’t the current style, Ard. Styles change so fast.” She shook her head in exasperation with me.

The estate entrance was busy. A steady stream of people were waiting at the gates, and the guards were busy checking them.

“Ah.” One snapped to attention at my approach. “Please come in, Arden Aldis.” He recognized me from earlier, or perhaps he recognized Emlyn when she’d been waiting outside before.

“That’s Arden Aldis? Younger than I thought.”

“Four ladies already? Those are his anchors.”

“That’s Sienna Graystone. I hear they are courting. One of them is probably hers.”

“The Trevis is Zuri. She’s his anchor I believe.”

People in line gossiped about me as we passed through.

I waited a polite amount of time before opening my mouth. “Who the fuck were they?”

“Tonight, anyone who’s related to House Aldis gets to come.” Zuri explained. “Anyone who has an Aldis anchor or if an Aldis married into another house can bring their spouse. That so many are showing up means just about anyone who’s invited will probably be here.”

Ah. Another reason it was beneficial for the nobility to intermingle their houses with mages, anchors and marriage.

“Do these happen often?” I asked.

“Usually it’s a celebration of something.” Zuri continued. “Or maybe you’d say it’s a chance for the house to brag. So, the more attendees…”

“The more people care to hear about it and get in their good graces.” I realized the subtle importance of the dinner. “That means with everyone coming that the tides of the falling House Aldis have shifted?”

“At the very least.” Sienna nodded. “My—former— matriarch was very interested in the growth of House Aldis that I could report. You are being watched very closely, Ard.”

“As I should be.” I straightened my jacket. “Oh! We should get the manticore coats! Those are done now.” If we were in the limelight, then we should be flashy.

“No time.” Emlyn put her hand on the center of my back, keeping me from stopping and turning towards the shop. “We need to get ready now before the festivities kick off. If your grandfather has any ideals of using you during this, you need to be there and look your best.”

“After I check on Aurelia.” I insisted and started marching into the manor proper.

Those that had been let in the front gate loitered around the garden, waiting for dinner to start. Tall standing tables freshly made from smooth stone and given decorative tablecloths ringed the garden for the guests to linger at and talk amongst themselves.

My grandfather had just started laughing at something before he spotted me and gave me an urgent glare.

I got the message. Hurry up.

“Oh. Who’s late to their own dinner?” A mage smiled at me and my group, but there was nothing friendly about the look. He squinted at Sienna. “A Graystone? Must have taken too long to clean off that muck.”

“Name.” I stopped dead and turned slowly.

“What?”

“I said, what is your name?” The mage wore colors that I didn’t recognize.

“Thomas Stoham.” The mage puffed himself up.

“Never heard of them.” I rolled my eyes. “But judging by your manner, you seem to feel superior. So, what do you say? We’ll settle this real quick.”

“… He doesn’t know House Stoham?”

“They are up and coming. He’s probably blowing hot air.”

The crowd around me swirled with gossip, and I easily picked out the salient points. Apparently, I should have known his house name. Though it didn’t really matter.

I was already going to pick a fight with him after what he said about Sienna.

“Ard.” Sienna pulled at my arm. “We should get you ready.”

“Yeah. Ard, why don’t you let your women lead you away.” Thomas sneered.

Emlyn sighed. “You really don’t want to do this. Ard has a streak of petty vengeance a mild wide.”

“I do not.”

Emlyn waffled her hand. “You kind of do.”

“… Did they say Ard? As in Arden?” The gossip in the party around us picked up.

“The four sphere… he’s supposed to be a young Aldis. He was raised in the countryside.”

“He certainly has a peasant’s temper.”

Thomas clearly heard the whispering around us; they weren’t trying to keep their voices down too hard. Beads of sweat started on Thomas’ brow.

That’s right. Be afraid, be very afraid. I’m the big bad four sphere.

“Arden Aldis.” My mother’s voice cut through the din and chatter. “Get ready for dinner.”

I really didn’t want to go running at my mother’s words. “As you can see, this one’s trying to pick a fight. I’m happy to oblige.”

She glowered at me and snapped her fingers. An icy muzzle wrapped around Thomas’ face. “There. Hopefully you can ignore the dogs. You’d get a bad reputation if you went around kicking dogs all day.”

“Ah. I see. Be a good doggie.” I told Thomas and turned to walk away, satisfied that he’d been properly taught a lesson. “Some of us have to get ready and can’t play in the mud.”

The feeling of his anger boiling over was just so crisp.

Gossip around us began to pick up.

“… what an arrogant child.”

“I wonder if he has the magic to back it up?”

“Unlikely. He just started learning this autumn.”

I’d just have to prove myself later. But I wasn’t walking away from that conversation with a loss. I was sure to play some role in the Aldis dinner.

“Great. We probably need to increase guard shifts again.” Emlyn grumbled as we walked into the manor.

“It’s not that bad.” I wasn’t making enemies everywhere… oh wait. “I’m just too popular. People want to cling to my coattails.”

“Uh huh.” Emlyn was unamused. “I’m dropping you off with Aurelia and then getting ready. Sienna, can you help me with my hair?”

“It would be my pleasure.” Sienna was completely ready for the dinner, but she still  walked with us rather than lingering in the garden to socialize. “We’ll send Maribelle after Ard to get him ready.”

“She’ll make him look sharp.” Emlyn agreed.

They stopped at Aurelia’s door.

I rolled my eyes and stepped in. “My manticore.” I threw the door open.

Aurelia jumped and covered herself with a towel. She’d been about to step into a basin. “Ard!”

“Aww. Are you shy?”

“No. We aren’t courting. You can’t come into my room.” She puffed out her cheeks when I didn’t step back.

Instead, I bowed. “Thanks for putting me first today. I wanted to let you know that I appreciate it and my hope was that you’d let me take care of you a little.” Glancing up, I saw Aurelia’s face as red as her hair and she was unable to meet my eyes.

“I need to take a bath before the dinner.” She frowned.

“Dinner has already started.” I informed her. “Let me help you speed this up. Emlyn, make sure Maribelle comes here and keeps me from doing anything untoward to Aurelia. Would that be okay? If we have a minder, can I help you bathe? You’re my anchor and I want to take care of you.”

My anchor wiggled her nose in indecision. “Fine. No touching. You can use the brush.” She pointed to a long handled brush in her room.

“Hear that Ard? No touching.” Emlyn snickered. “I’ll make sure Maribelle comes here as quickly as possible.”

“You could tell her that she’ll lose a night to Aurelia if she doesn’t hurry.” Zuri commented as the door closed behind me, leaving me with my half naked anchor.

Aurelia was awkward for a moment, unsure how to start.

I rolled up my sleeves and grabbed the brush before stepping over to the basin and touching the tepid water with disgust. “My anchor deserves more than this.” I waved my hand and a stone basin rose from the floor. A moment later ice filled it and fire swirled around the whole thing. “We can’t take too long, but it should be comfortable, no?”

Aurelia nodded. “What happened, at the end?”

“You bashed your father out of the arena. I froze your mothers spell and took you home.” I stepped up to her while my magic worked to the side. Taking her hand, I laid a kiss on it and poured magic into her.

She let out a sigh. “I was running low.”

“Thought so. Now, I am going to pamper you.” I told her.

“Because I defied my parents for you?” She asked.

“No. Because I always want to pamper my anchors. The thing is, I’m not as fierce as you. When your family members died and you got over it in a few days? I wish I had that strength. The reality is that I was raised by strangers who I grew to love like parents only to have them stripped from me.”

“I know.” Aurelia picked through her things with one hand while holding her towel around her. She came up with a pink bar of soap. “Emlyn has told us, although her comments usually were quickly followed by subtle death threats should we hurt you.”

“You know the story, but not what it’d done to me. The Ard’s Oath is necessary to protect me. I can’t lose anyone else.” I opened myself up to my manticore.

She nodded. “Right.”

“So, I needed to know that even if your family pushed you, you wouldn’t choose to run off. I need to protect myself.”My voice dropped at the last half of my statement. I reached out and took the soap from her and turned away. The bath was ready. “Get in the bath.”

“Y-you can look, but no touching.” She stuttered.

“I’ve seen you in nothing but your chest wrap and shorts. This is for your own privacy.” I told her.

Water splashed behind me, and I heard Aurelia sigh into the warm water. “This is very hot.”

“I suspect I couldn’t get the water hot enough to bother you while you are full of fire magic.” Turning back around, I picked up the soap from the basin and dipped it in the water before scrubbing it on the brush. The bristles were soft but sturdy, probably some monster hair. “Now, just relax and let me take care of you.”

She closed her eyes and I started working with the brush working on her, lifting her arm out of the water to get the underside and every nook and cranny of her body.

I brushed along her side and she squirmed. “Ah. Is someone ticklish?” There’s absolutely no way I could let this opportunity go and used my new secret weapon to tickle her side.

“Ard!” She cried out giggling. “Stop that.” She grabbed the brush and jerked far harder than I expected.

I was pulled off my feet and splashed into the bath on top of her. “You didn’t have to pull so hard.” I grumbled, and tried to push up, only to get a fistfull of soft flesh. “Uhhh…” I fumbled stupidly, realizing I was grabbing her breast and on top of her in the bath.

The door banged open and Maribelle shot in, hoisting me out of the bath. “Really?”

“It was an accident!” I pleaded my innocence. “It wasn’t what it looked like!”

“Ard!” Aurelia’s face was bright red.

Maribelle gave me a look of disappointment.

“I found a ticklish spot while brushing her and then she jerked the brush and I fell in.” It was important to clear my name before this made its way back to Emlyn. She would never let me live this down.

“He’s right.” Aurelia had enough sense to help me. “I pulled him in by accident.”

“Oh.” Maribelle set me back down. “That changes things. I’ll take Ard to the other room and help him out of his wet clothes and into the one’s I’ve prepared. You can change here.” Maribelle put a dress over a chair in the corner and shooed me out.

“See. Why do you have to assume the worst?” I asked as we walked into Aurelia’s bedroom, where Maribelle had an outfit nicely laid out for me.

“You were on top of her in the tub.” Maribelle glared at me. “You wouldn’t have proclaimed your innocence as quickly if you thought it was anything less than compromising.”

“Fair point.” I got the wet clothes off. “Sometimes it’s about preparing for the worst.”

“You should stop expecting the worst or you’ll be unhappy.” Maribelle chided me and pulled out a towel to start drying me off.

I raised an eyebrow at the gesture, but I let her rub me down with the towel. “It’s not that I plan for the worst.”

“You absolutely plan for the worst. In fact, you expect it.” Aurelia came into the room with a towel around her. “I need my brush.”

Maribelle stated the information about me so casually that it hit me harder. “Really? I’m that bad? Then why do you stick around?”

“Because, despite that tendency, you seem to always come out ahead.” Aurelia started brushing out her frizzy hair and it fell into red ringlets as she worked. “You’re a four sphere. Somehow you’ve turned the falling House Aldis around and survived several disasters and attempts on your life.”

“See? Then I’m doing it right.” I smirked.

Maribelle tapped my temple. “I don’t think up here is quite as confident as down here.” She brushed my lips with a finger. “Otherwise you’d be preparing for the worst, but planning for the best.”

“Not planning for the worst too.” Aurelia piled on.

I did not like the direction this conversation was going.

Yet, there were certainly several instances that came to mind immediately.

“Alright, I’ll try and plan for the better.” I said. “But don’t tell Emlyn about this conversation.”

“On my oath.” Aurelia said.

“You don’t have to worry about me.” Maribelle held out my pants for me to step into. “Tonight is about making you look good.”

“Who’s night is tonight?” I suddenly asked the two anchors. Honestly, I had let things happen fairly organically from my perspective. Yet, I knew the anchors were making plans constantly in the background.

“No one’s.” Maribelle twitched.

I suspected that she had planned to take the night.

“We put it in as a buffer. Emlyn thought for sure you’d be neck deep in something on your first day back.” Aurelia shrugged and stepped into her closet with her dress.

“What? Me? Never.” I shook my head. “Alright. Thanks. I will do my best to plan for the best. At least for the short term.” I tapped my head and stuck my tongue out. “People always seem to go back to their roots.”

“We’ll be there for you.” Maribelle tightened my belt and handed me the jacket that was less military styled than last time I was in The Capital. It now sported poofy shoulders.

“What the hell is that?” I stared at the ribbed jacket that looked like puckered wounds on the shoulders.

“The latest fashion.” Maribelle held it out again. “Your grandfather prepared it.”

I stared at it for a long moment before taking a deep breath and holding out my arms. “Whatever, it’s just a jacket.” I told myself. If I showed up without it, Gwen would murder me.

“That’s the spirit.” Aurelia fluffed her hair and twirled around in a ball gown that also had puffy sleeves. It was a lovely Aldis blue that went well with her eyes. It also had lovely white accents that made the blue even brighter. “You’re staring.”

“I like what I see.” Taking her hand, I pulled her closer. “Would you like to come to dinner with me?”

Something about the moment was charged, and she knew it too as she blushed. “Yes.”

“Wonderful.” I glanced at Maribelle. She was in a non-magical maid outfit. “Are you putting on a dress?”

“For this? No. I’ll be performing my role as your maid primarily tonight. It’s always best to have one hidden card.” She curtsied.

I frowned. “You should be at my side as my anchor.”

“The next ball?” Her eyes sparkled with the question. No doubt she was asking if there was a gift to present then.

“I would hope so. Otherwise I’m going to look really awkward giving a collar to my maid at the ball. That comes with its own strange set of baggage and judgment.” I huffed.

“It’s still a little tacky to give her a collar.” Aurelia hesitated. “My gift isn’t a collar, is it?”

“No. Though that does give me some ideas…” I teased her and made her pout. “Maribelle has already seen her collar though. It’s pure bluesteel and enchanted to protect her. I asked Missy for it as a reward when she said I was owed one for all the soul juice I gave her.”

Aurelia bit her lip. “Are you sure you can’t give me a hint?”

“Missy also made your gift. So it doesn’t lose out to the collar at all. Only yours heals rather than protects.” I didn’t want her to think that I was only giving Maribelle the good stuff. “The next ball.”

Now I only needed to figure out how to sneak a battle axe under someone’s dress so we could get it into the ball for a grand reveal.

Oh, I could just imagine Aurelia’s eyes when she saw it for the first time.

I was going to spoil the crap out of my manticore for picking me.

“Alright, enough of that. Tonight we focus on dinner and House Aldis. Let’s get the rest of them and go make an entrance.” I marched out of Aurelia’s room with the other two in tow.

Ideas started to swirl in my head on how I could make the best entrance to the dinner.