Royal Blood: Chapter 2 (Patreon)

I’m starting a new story called Royal Blood! Here are the first Patreon chapters! If you enjoy it, swing by the story page on Royal Road and drop a rating? It helps a lot!

Chapter 2: A Royal Appointment

“Do you really think no one else would have figured it out?” Elysia asked. “You think you’re the only one who would think that experience gain from increasing your stats doubles each level instead of simply going up by one?”

We were in one of the libraries, sprawled out in two richly-appointed chairs next to the fireplace. Elysia had one strand of gold blonde hair wound around a single graceful finger as she thought about my most recent argument.

“That’s the thing.” I waved the most recent book I’d found. God, never thought I’d miss librarians, but digging through the stacks myself was a royal pain. “It seems like most people wouldn’t have the chance to figure it out even if they wanted to. Royals and other people with tier one classes blaze through the first five levels practically before they can walk.”

Elysia laughed. “Perhaps not that fast.”

I shrugged. “Velari was level 3 before she said her first word.”

“And you would take her word for it.” Elysia raised an eyebrow.

I snorted. “Of course not. I asked the maids. Selyn was my dear sister’s wet nurse.”

Elysia laughed. “Only you.”

I cleared my throat, trying to ignore the way her eyes lit up as she giggled. “So I see the staff as people,” I managed. “Sue me.”

Elysia was nearly a decade older than me, which means she was almost exactly the same age I’d been when I’d…well, I’d died. Yes, my sister was beautiful, no my ten-year-old self had no idea what to do with that information. Stupid fucking hormones.

“Anyway, by the time you’re like, level four or five, you’ve assigned a bunch of points to all your stats already even if your parents have to walk you through it. No one wants their kid with a dexterity or intelligence stuck at one for years.” I spread my arms. “After that, Valmark’s treatise on status points notes that it quickly becomes exponentially harder to gain stat ups after you’ve put a few points in. Because it’s the system that’s giving you the stats.”

“That is true.” Elysia hummed. “I myself have never had a single stat up, though, given that the experience cap from a stat up is less than 1% of the experience I’d need to level up, I’ve never bothered trying.” She drummed her fingers against the arm of her chair. “Something that you don’t have to worry about, with your Blessing, but that would ensure that most people don’t both trying to get stat ups through hard work, instead of just taking quests and putting points into their stats.”

“Exactly!” I tapped the book again. “And this one confirms what I’d suspected all along. At the other end of the spectrum, common classes don’t get any experience from stat ups at all. So the part of the population that’s most likely to get stat ups because they level so slowly, are the people who can’t benefit from it. Which is kind of a shit deal, but so is everything else when your class is serf. ”

“Language, Alex.”

I gave an unrepentant grin. “Sorry, sister mine.”

She sighed fondly, ruffling my hair again. “What am I going to do with you.” She shook her head. “Still, that does follow. Those of us who gain experience from stat ups are also the ones who level up most quickly anyway, and then stat ups are out of reach.”

“And people who level up slowly because their class has poor advancement don’t get experience from stat ups.” I shrugged. “Sure, maybe I’m just wrong, but I think there’s a chance that stat experience increases scale exponentially, at least until level ten like advancement exp requirements do.”

She laughed again. “Look at you, my little prince, so diligent in his studies.”

I looked away, fighting a blush. “It’s not hard.” Really, I was going to college for applied math; a little bit of basic calculus was easy. “And sure, maybe a few people in the middle figure it out, but even then, do you think they’d care that they got 4 exp at level 3, or 8 exp at level 4? It’s barely a drop, and the exp cap still makes it meaningless. They probably wouldn’t even share it if they did figure out what was going on.”

She hummed, tapping her chin. “‘Tis an interesting theory, Alex. And certainly possible.” She gave a rueful smile. “I know that even should my experience cap be miraculously filled, I would scarcely pay it any mind at this point.”

“Or any point in the last forty levels,” I pointed out. She nodded, conceding the point.

“So what will you do if it’s true?”

I shrugged. “The same thing I’ve been doing this whole time. Grinding.”

“Grinding.” She tasted the word. “What an evocative description. Like holding a blade to the grindstone to slowly sharpen it.”

I grinned. “Or my nose, in this case.”

“Your nose?” Elysia jolted in her chair. “Why would you ever press your nose against a grindstone?”

I laughed. Sometimes idioms from English lined up in this new language, but usually I just got weird looks. “To spite my face, I guess.”

Elysia huffed, shaking her head in amusement. “Please do not.” She patted me on the cheek. “I quite like your face, Alex.”

I look away, blushing for real this time. Her laughter echoed through the room like bells.

“Lysa!” I couldn’t stop the plaintive whine in my voice. “Don’t make fun of me too.”

“I know, I’m sorry.” She bowed her head, even though it didn’t hide the smile on her lips. “Speaking with you is too much fun, Alex. It feels like there’s no one else I can let my guard down around.”

I paused at that, before reaching out and patting her hand. “Don’t worry, Lysa. I’m here whenever you need a break from the politics.”

Her smile grew a bit wider. She pressed a hand to her massive, sculpted breasts, and I had to look away again. Look, body, I get it, she’s more beautiful than any girl I’d seen in my last life with her stupid high charisma score, but I was an adult (if only barely). I could control myself.

Right?

“Sometimes I wonder why I still see so much potential in you,” Elysia said. “When already you’re such a splendid young man.”

I blinked in confusion. “What are you talking about?” I curled my noodly arm. “I’m so weak right now, I’m barely good for anything at all.”

She gave a sigh. “Though, I guess that part never changes.” At my confused look, Elysia just smiled. “It’s part of your charm.”

“…Uh?”

Elysia stood, drawing me into a hug. “I wish I could stay longer, but I have an appointment with the Minister of Harbors soon.”

I hugged back, squeezing as hard as I could because I knew it wouldn’t bother her. “‘Kay. See you later, Lysa.”

She hugged me for a moment longer before finally stepping back. “Don’t grow up too quickly, my little Alex.”

I snorted. “I promise I’ll be the same in ten years as I am right now.”

Elysia laughed again before giving me a wave and departing the library. I sank back into the chair, letting out a breath. I checked my stats again.

Experience: 44/50

I sighed. Really, I should be glad that my class had just a low experience threshold to start. I was just musing about what to do to get those last three stat ups—pushups until my arms felt like they were going to fall off was always a good start—when I heard the sound of heels clicking across the dark wooden floors of the library.

I glanced up just in time to see Velari come around the side of the nearest bookshelf. Her face broke into a smile. “Brother, how fortunate! We did not manage to finish our conversation from earlier.”

I stood, my answering smile just as sharp. “It will have to wait, dear sister. I have an appointment with the Crown Princess.”

“No you don’t.” She waved a hand. “Princess Elysia will be in a meeting until supper is served in the great hall, as you well know.”

I blinked, then forced a light chuckle. “Ah, is it not yet the evening bell? I must have lost track of the time.”

Her lip quirked into a smile. “How unfortunate, that even your wits seem to be abandoning you.”

“How unfortunate that your lackies abandon you,” I countered. “Or did Ambrose get lost on his way to the whore house again?”

She sniffed, golden eyes flashing. “Come, let us…take a walk through the gardens.” She slid her hand through my arm, and I fell in step beside her to avoid being dragged along. She would do it too, drag me through the halls for the staff to stare at awkwardly. Even my mother would rule in favor of Velari over her ‘useless’ son.

I’d learned not to go to her for birthday presents either.

The sun—the one in the sky that is—was just beginning to set as we made our way into the outer gardens. The palace was a massive complex, most of it not even walled. The Royal Gardens bordered our own personal stretch of the Kandrel River, and was replete with more types of flowers than I’d ever care to name.

At Velari’s insistence, we meandered our way down to the banks, standing on a terrace overlooking the Kandrel as it wound its way out through the city.

“Here to push me in, Velari?”

She tilted her head, relinquishing her grip to sit daintily on one of the artfully-carved stone benches. We were bordered on three sides by lush hedge mazes woven with flowers, and on the last was the river. Beyond that lay the Imperial City. I could only see to the closest wall, but I knew that it was a series of rings radiating out from the palace like ripples in a pond. The closest buildings were the most opulent, city manors for visiting nobles and their retainers.

Velari snapped her fingers.

“My apologies, sweet sister. I was lost in thought.”

She flicked her fan shut in annoyance. “I said, I have no idea why you hold such a poor opinion of me, brother dear.”

I raised an eyebrow. “The act is fun, but you didn’t bring me out here to play sticks and stones.”

“Sticks and stones?” she mouthed, then she shook her head. “Fine, if you wish to dispense with the pleasantries, we may do so.” She stared at me dead on. “This is about your position in the line of succession.”

I snorted, turning back to the river. There was even a nice stone railing to lean on. “Take it up with the Empress.”

“You will petition her with me, of course.”

“You think I haven’t?” I looked over my shoulder in time to see Velari blink in surprise. “Come on, Velari. Do you really think I’m blind to my position? I’ve asked her more than once to let me renounce my claim. She won’t speak of it.”

“What? Why not!” Velari rose, stamping her foot. “It is an insult to think that you are still ranked higher than me, after all these years.”

I laughed. She really was just a thirteen year-old kid in the end, even if she was a snot-nosed little brat. “Use that brain of yours. Why wouldn’t the Empress see me removed from the royal family? Really, think about it.”

She huffed, looking away. “You befriended the Crown Princess.”

“To be fair, Elysia decided to become my friend.”

She worked her lip. It was strange to see her so unguarded like this, but I guess it made sense. She must have been really frustrated to approach me so directly. “Yet you are closest to her…because everyone knows you’re not a threat.”

“I would never betray Elysia.” I gave her a sharp look. “So you can forget about trying to flip me.”

She closed her mouth.

I sighed, turning back to the river. “That’s the problem, Velari. You see all the rest of us as pieces on your little board, not realizing that the pieces have desires of their own.” I chuckled. “And that they won’t forget a decade of abuse just because you smiled prettily.”

“You’re only ten years old.” She huffed.

“Even at three, you were awful.”

“You cannot possibly remember that.”

“Suit yourself.” I turned, spreading my arms. “So, are you going to push me off and drown me now?”

She blinked, taking a half step back. “W-what? Do not be absurd.”

I chuckled. “Yeah, I didn’t figure you for a killer. Still, that’s about the size of it. I’ve tried to abdicate, Velari. Mother won’t stand for the disgrace of it, or stand to give up her leverage over Elysia.”

“And Elysia is untouchable.” She frowned.

I nodded. “Father dotes on her.”

She huffed, before turning her glare on me. “Fine, I accept that reasoning, but this isn’t over, Alexander.”

For persuading a recalcitrant foe you gain +1 Int

+2 exp

I snorted. “Sure. Tell you what, why don’t you come back after you have a plan to take care of Dante and—” My eyes widened as a figure stepped out from behind the nearest hedge. “Look out!”

I tackled Velari, getting a squawk of outrage. There was a hiss of steel as the garrote snipped through the space above our heads.

For dodging an unexpected attack you have gained +1 Dex

+2 exp

It was all I could do to push Vel away and scramble upright. The cloaked man had paused in surprise, even as two more hauled themselves up to the balcony. All of their boots were wet; they must have come along the river and dodged the guard shift.

Velari got to her feet at my right.

“Get out of here,” I hissed.

She shot an incredulous look at me as the three men started to close in. The first man moved to block off the only entrance to the hedge maze.

“You were thinking about taking Zephyr Knight, weren’t you?” I dragged Velari behind me, backing up as the noose tightened. “Get out of here. I’ll only be able to distract them for a second.”

“Why?” she hissed.

Fuck it, fine. I shoved her backwards and charged. “Come get some, bitches!”

And really, she was right. Why would I sacrifice myself for a girl who had bullied me for my entire life? It didn’t make much sense, huh?

But I was an adult and Velari was a child. I’d lived a life, albeit a short one, and even if Velari was a little piece of shit, I’d die again before I let a child get killed in front of me.

I managed to roll underneath a surprised dagger stroke, crashing into the man’s knees just as he went to take a step. I caught his leg, and even with my momentum it felt like my arm was going to be wrenched from its socket with our difference in strength.

But he must’ve had a dex build, because it worked, he toppled, hitting the ground with a grunt.

Then another man kicked me hard in the side, and I crashed into the stone balustrade, groaning.

One kicked me hard in the side, and I crashed into the stone balustrade, groaning.

For taking a debilitating blow you gain +1 endurance

+2 exp

Level up! You have reached level 3

10 stat points awarded

Then there was a rush of wind, and Velari shot up into the air.

“Shit!”

“Brance, get her!”

But it was too late. Velari easily dodged a pair of throwing knives with her high dexterity. I knew that was the reason she’d even considered Zephyr Knight as her subclass: high dex scaling. Then she was gone, darting towards the palace.

A second later, the alarm bells began to ring.

For convincing a reluctant ally you have gained +1 Char

+4 exp!

I froze as I looked at the system message. Four exp, not three. Four! Stat experience was exponential, just like I’d hoped.

I laughed. I’d solved it. I’d been right all along.

“Shit, and this one’s gone crazy,” I heard one of the men say.

God, just my shitty-ass luck, right? I’d finally figured out how to unlock the potential Elysia had always said I had, and I was going to die instead.

“Should we shut him up, boss?”

The leader shook his head. “Knock him out. We need something to show for this failure.”

I had just enough time to blink in surprise before the garrote slipped tight around my neck.

I struggled for a few frantic, panicked seconds, and then—