Shield of Spheros Chapter 5

Dinner Party

Terence was glad, he knew that once they got home, that he would receive a tongue lashing from Emrys. But he didn't mind, and to be fair, he was not spying on his younger brother. He was just keeping an eye on Audery. Ready to help her if she needed him, but she didn't need his help after all. She was in the beginning a bit rusty, but he already had suspected that part, one of the reasons why he followed her. The door of the Mildenhall Manor closed behind him and his brother.
"Well, brother, that was a nice adventure," Emrys said. "But for real, brother, I know what you are doing, and I feel obligated to warn you. She is not like me, she those not need your help. But like me, she will not like it, if she ever finds out that you have being following her." Not the kind of tongue lashing that he was expecting, but a simple warning. One that he would take to heart. Audery had a shiny reputation, after all, if he was going to believe the reviews. But she had being on Hiubin, deaths, doorstep, only a couple of months ago. And he didn't want to risk it, happening again in a very short timeframe. "I am however thinking of asking her to be in my little Adventure group. Or rather, I am going to join her. She is a skilled fighter, and I could learn a lot from her."
"Good luck with that, Emrys. She has refused many team ups during her time here, according to Lydia. And I am going to say that I do not blame her for that, not one bit. Her last partner, rob her from everything, except her clothing. That was the whole reason why she fell into the snow, which you so gracefully pointed out to her," Terence said. "O, Emrys. Do not even think about taking another job, until the end of the week. Your presence is required here, as a son of the Mildenhall family. Lord Posner is coming tomorrow for dinner, and he will be staying with us, until the end of the week." Something he himself was not looking forward to. The Posner family was one of the richest families inside the kingdom, and they have even ties to the Royal family. The same Royal family who saw the Mildenhall family as a treat to their rule, only because they had allowed a city on their land. In other words, Lord Posner and the rest of his party were just spies. Spies that had manners and were wearing the most expensive fabric's, but they were spies nonetheless. And he didn't need to tell Emrys this, he knows this as well as Terence did.
"Do not worry, brother. I will be there, no matter what," Emrys said, and he left his brother alone.
Terence sighed, he hadn't slept well at all. His dreams were plagued with nightmares, nightmares he didn't have for years. He was sitting in his office, that was close to the front door. Emrys walked past it, towards the door. He had his backpack with him, was he going to leave him hanging. He knew that those good dressed wolves were almost at their doorstep. But Emrys looked at him and hissed.
"Well, you look like crap. I heard you scream, during the night. So I am going to assume that those nightmares are back," Emrys said. Terence nodded, slowly. Emrys hissed again, but sighed. "I am not going to leave you hanging, I am only going to train with Audery, and maybe I am going to ask her the question." Terence wouldn't say that he was relieved, but he was. "Brother, I know that my words become void. Especially, now that those nightmares are back. But Audery, is not Sophia. Audery knows how to protect herself. And she will kick your ass, when she catches you sneaking after us." He knew that Emrys was right about that. He didn't have one doubt about it.
"I know, I will see you in the afternoon."
********
Audery was standing on the training ground, this time breaking her bow in. The target was already filled to the brim with arrows, and she needed quickly to clear it out, or to pick a new target. Next to her feet, there were quivers filled with arrows. The string became more and more flexible, with each shot. Another shot hit the target.
"What a perfect shot. It would have helped you a great deal if you had shot like that yesterday," Emrys stepped on to the training field, he had his great sword inside his hand. "Of course, you can blame that poor shot on the new bow and the not yet flexible string." He smiled at her, and all she wanted to do right now was to punch him. Or shoot an arrow at him, that would shut him up. But she didn't want to deal with the aftermath, so she ignored him. "I actually came here, because I wanted to train with you." She let her bow drop slightly.
"Why in the Gods names, do you want to that?" She asked, but on a second thought, she really didn't want to know the answer. "Go ask your brother, or someone else from the guild. I work alone." But Emrys didn't turn around, he didn't go. Instead, he threw her short sword towards her. It fell on the ground in front of her. He had broken in to her room, which she had locked. After what happened with Anthony, she wouldn't be as stupid to leave all her valuables in an unlocked room.
"Don't worry, I locked it up again after I got your sword," he said. "But except for your skills, and the ability to learn from you. There is nothing you own, that I want. If I want something, I buy or work for it." Strangely enough, she was able to believed him, but that those not mean that she would let it slide. She placed her bow inside a rack and picked up the sword. He motioned for to place an attack first and she happily took his offer. They danced around each other, getting in a few good blows. At want point, he was able to let her trip over his feet. But she grabbed him, taking him to the ground with her. In the meantime, she saw a dagger pointing out of his belt. Without a second thought, she grabbed it and placed it against his throat. "I can say that this is unfair, but well played," she smiled, got up and helped him stand up.
"Thank you," he brushed his clothes off with his hands. "There is a lot I can learn from you. And I know that you have rejected other groups, before. But I still am willing to ask you, to take me along with your next quest." She looked at him, surprised. He didn't ask her to join him, no, he asked her to take him along with her. She was not sure how to react to that.
"I thank you for this fight, and for the compliment. But I do not know," she said. And he was not visible, taking it back by it.
"That is perfectly fine. I was not expecting an answer right away," he replied. "So we are going to let this rest for now. I however, need your help with something else. I am going to pay you for it, if you want." She narrowed her eyes, she was an Adventure. That means that she was willing to take on some odd jobs. The most odd on was to accompany a painter through a very dangerous forest, so that he could paint a rare, but dangerous creature. For a brief moment, she wondered how that man was doing. But there were still jobs, that in her mind crosses the line, and she wondered that he was talking about one of those jobs. "Do not look at me like that, it is just a dinner with my brother and me. See it as a proper thank you, for saving my ass." She kept her eyes narrowed, there was something he was not telling her. Why was he talking before that 'it is just a simple meal' about hiring her for a job. "I have placed a bag inside your room, it contains a dress and jewellery." Alright, she needed to dress up for this meal, so this was not just a simple meal.
"What are you not telling me?" She asked, him and he tried to look sheepish, it was not working.
"Bring your sword, just in case," he said, and he left the training grounds. She looked at him leaving, and shook her head. Those brothers, they were something else. She cleaned up her bow and arrows, and went inside. Her room was indeed locked and there was indeed a bag waiting for her on the bed. It was still the same room ad the end of the green painted hallway, the door was no longer creaking in protest every time she opens it. The room was also painted green, there was the bed, a night stand, simple chair and desk and a simple chest where she could keep her clothing in. On the wall next to the desk, there were mounts to hang her weapons. She placed her sword and bow on their mounts, opened the bag and got out a long sapphire blue dress. Emrys had picked this? Well, that was a surprise. The jewellery were some earnings, neckless and a bracelet. Made from gold, and with sapphires. She sighed, lay the dress on the chair and the jewellery on the desk. A bath would be in order here, she didn't want to go to dinner all smelly and stuff. She was raised to be a gentle lady, after all.
********
Terence stood inside his own room, nervous about tonight was an understatement of the century. He didn't know what to expect, or what was going to happen. A few things he knew for sure, was that there would be some threats aimed at Spheros, laced in honey, to be covered up.
"Oh, Hiubin to the no brother. That black overcoat is not going to cut it," Emrys entered the room, he was dressed in a black overcoat. So Terence was not able to see what the problem was. "Wear your dark blue one," the blue one? He never wore that one, not after Sophia. Although, now that he thought about it. He didn't wear it when she was alive either, she didn't like blue. And made that loud and clear when ever Emrys of he wore it. "Trust me on this," that was a hard ask, but he still put the black one away and put the blue one on instead. "Perfect,". One of the footmen, knocked on the door.
"The first guest has arrived, my lords," the man said in a very low voice. Terence frowned, guest, just one? He received word that Lord Posner's party existed out of three noblemen.
"A perfect. We will be there shortly," Emrys said. "Brother, put on your sapphire cuff links and hurry, up. We do not want to be rude," Emrys dashed out of the room. Terence wondered what his little brother was up to. So he went after him, putting the cuff links in as he walked. He entered the dinner hall, and there was Audery. He was stunned, Audery was wearing a beautiful sapphire blue dress. The sapphires that she wore as jewellry were shimmering in the firelight. Her honey colored hair was hanging loss on her back. On her hip was her short sword, which seemed a bit out of place. But she was ... "Brother, your mouth is open," Emrys had appeared besides him, he quickly closed his mouth. "Mother bought that dress for Sophia, but as you know Sophia hated every thing blue. So she never wore it, but it really looks wonderful on Audery, don't you think?" Terence nodded, slowly. She indeed looked wonderful in it.
"My lady Treloar, you look different. Not in a bad way, but it is a far cry from your normal clothes." Terence said, and Emrys looked at him strangely. He apperently didn't know that Audery was a noble woman.
"Your brother was the one who supplied me with the dress. My lord," she replied. With a soft smile, which made his heart skip a beat. "But my lord, the footman just told me that I am not the only guest. May I ask who else is comming?" The doors on the oposite side flew open, and the three nobles stepped in. The front man, he looked at Audery in surprise. "Ohh, never mind. Nice to see you to Duncan."
The surprised look on Duncan's face, changed into a smock grin. This told her that he hadn't changed, at all. His short cropped brown hair, didn't show any signs of gray and his green eyes were as sharp as ever. She had always hated the Posner's family, and her forced engagement with Duncan's old man didn't change the fact, either. She moved closer to Terence and Emrys, she was not afraid of Duncan, but she hoped that those two would back her up.
"Audery Treloar, as I live and breath. This was a surprise that I would never expect to behold, still as beautiful as the first dawn. My father would have been a lucky man, if you didn't leave him at the altar," Duncan spewed. She rolled with her eyes, it was hardly at the altar. There was still a half year to go, before she ran away from home. Away from her own mother and the Posner's family. 
"Duncan Posner, you are still the same honeyed snake. I am going to say right now that our past is grounds enough to speak frankly. How is that old man?" she said. Duncan's smile was whipped off his face. Had he forgotten that those honeyed words didn't affect her, or has he forgotten that she was very blunt?
"He is dead, he passed away a month after the supposed wedding." Duncan said, through teeth. "And do not call him an old man." 
"We know each other well enough, that you know that I am not going to make that promise. The man wanted to marry someone two summers younger than his oldest son, meaning you. He was willing to marry someone that young, while having three other wives, one was pregnant at the time. All of his own sons were married, oh, and he had one foot in the grave." She replied, she looked at Terence. "I am sorry about this little hick-up, my lord. I was invited to share a meal with your brother and you."
"Wait, what? You were invited. So that means that you are not married, what the in Hiubin's name have you being doing?" Duncan spat out.
"I am an Adventure. I always wanted to see more of the kingdom and the world, and now I can. Through my profession." Audery said.
"As mayor and head of the Mildenhall family, I want to welcome Duncan Posner and his companions to my humble city. As you will see in the days to come, my city is paying their taxes to the king and so am I. I am Terence Mildenhall, and like Audery Treloar here, you are my guests. This next to me is my brother, Emrys Mildenhall, Adventure by profession." Terence stepped forward. "I see that my footman has arrived in this hall to tell us all that diner is being ready. So let us all sit and eat," Audery nodded in agreement. Emrys offered his arm, and she took it. He leaned into her.
"I am so sorry that I put you inside this situation, to be fair I didn't know about it. But I am so sorry that you went through that." Emrys said, she nodded. He was right about the not knowing part, he indeed didn't know. But the tension inside the room was so tense that someone could cut it with a knife. But that was not Emrys's fault. He let go of her arm, moved her chair back, and shoved it back to the table once she sat down. She looked around the dinning room, it was a large room. There was a huge table standing in the middle of this all. The table had a lot of chairs, there were only six places, were set with the finest silverware and the finest plates. The huge fireplace was burning and filled the air with warmth. Warmth that got sucked out of the air whenever Duncan and she made eye contact. So she didn't look at him, instead she made eye contact with Terence, and he did the same to her. Who was wearing a deep blue overcoat, which went well with the colour of his eyes. The servants were placed huge plates, with vegetables, pork, lamb and venison. It was clear to Audery that Madam Ward had prepared those dishes. The best food inside the city, for those royal pains in the asses. She was sitting next to Emrys and another noble from Duncan's group, she didn't know his name. But he looked as arrogant as Duncan, so she doubted that she would like him.
"So, miss Treloar, you have been an Adventure all this time. What may I ask is the appeal?" one of the nobles asked. Not the one next to her, but the one next to Duncan. "It can't only be the fact that you are able to see the kingdom? And escaping a marriage that you clearly didn't want."
"May I ask you, my lord ..." she said. 
"Lord Pinnick, the gentleman next to you is Lord Trethewey." Lord Pinnick said, she nodded briefly towards Tretheway.
"Lord Pinnick, you already know that I can be blunt. So I am not going to change that now," she said, and he nodded in agreement. "After I fled the engagement, I didn't know where to go. I stayed in a tavern, just a town over. There was an Adventure group in there and they asked me to tag along. We landed in a goblin skirmish, and that was my first taste of battle and my first taste of me doing something right for someone else. Instead of only doing something for me." Lord Pinnick nodded. 
"I think I am getting the full picture. So, what kind of weapons do you us?" he asked.
"Short sword and longbow," she said. He smiled and laughed. "I am also versed in a spell or two, but I use those rarely," he nodded, and then looked at Duncan. 
"Well, that girl will make everything a bit more difficult." He said. She frowned, what was he hinting at. That was when the windows burst inwards, and assassins entered the dinning room.

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