The weekend ball was a simple event. All the barons visited briefly from their respective territories to greet their lord, and the Knights put away their swords and armor for suits.
Percy liked this grand hall with its pale walls with gold accents. All the tables were long rows covered in white sheets. So much space to sit, so many people to meet.
ButHe was forced to sit on his mother's lap at the head table. Percy internally groaned and eyed the people there.
It was meant to be a simple gathering with food and some light music. But seeing as for the first time in years the retainers were meeting House Amphene and not Eurides, most of the knights and lords showed up
The barons at the head table quietly watched their plates while the music played, the knights engaged in stiff conversation but eyed their food warily.
Everyone was feeling somewhat naked, stripped of their weapons in a place where vipers may lay nesting.
Percy wished they would just get at each other instead of wasting time. But everyone was unsure of how to start.
Hecate didn't seem to care though.
"Sir Rickard, how are your horses?"
Sir Rickard was a tall, somewhat lanky man with wild brown hair and a beard. He wasn't a part of any orders and only received his commendation for heroism displayed during a wildfire.
So he wasn't one of the most highly respected knights at the table, and was not supposed to sit this high up the table. The others raised eyebrows and mulled over the fact that they weren't spoken to first.
Rickard swallowed, but managed to pull up a smile.
"We were pleased to have twins, Viscount Hecate. The foals we got from our best mare look very promising. We were considering using them as geldings before but now they might be prize horses."
He spoke in a way that was both hard and simple to understand. Foals were probably baby horses, mares being their mothers. But Percy had no idea what a gelding was.
Prize horses were obviously something you treated very well. Or it could be something you eat… you never know with weirdos.
Hecate seemed to understand everything he said though.
"They must be quite strong knowing your standards. When did they start running?"
"Mere hours after they were born!" Rickard exclaimed. "Their chests and bones already look very promising too. I'll name them soon. Then I don't mind parting with one after they are weaned."
"That's rather smart of you," Hecate replied. "And the wife and children? How are they?"
Rickard looked a bit unwilling to answer.
"My wife is very excited about the foals. She wanted to come of course, she means you no disrespect, but they need care."
"None taken. But I would have liked your kids to meet my Perseus."
Hecate raised him from her lap with a gentle smile. Percy could sit on his own, but Hecate wouldn't let him. But he was glad to not have to sit with the children.
Sir Rickard laughed heartily.
"I feel even my oldest boy would be put to shame by Perseus' talent. My son only uses books as goalposts for when he and his brothers play handball in the house." Read complete version only at novel_fіre.net
Percy frowned. You could afford to gas up your kids a bit more, you know? I don't take pleasure in being smarter than a ten-year-old.
Hecate dropped him back onto her lap, smiling proudly.
"Ah, but with such talent comes their desire to do everything faster. I've been pleading with the boy to wait till his tenth birthday before learning Spiritmancy."
"I can't blame him," Rickard answered. "He's been able to sense spirits for years now. I leave my kids to do almost anything. When you're an adult, you can worry about decisions."
The table grew quiet for a moment. The clink of glasses and side talk faded. All the barons and knights turned to Hecate.
She wore a stiff smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Yes. We adults often have the burden of responsibility. We have to draw our line in the sand and choose a side."
Percy could feel the anxiety of the retainers grow as soon as those words left Hecate's mouth. Many people suddenly found the floor very interesting.
But one man maintained his gaze on Hecate. He was a scholarly-looking man with well-kept black hair quite unlike Sir Rickard. His black coat and the golden chain adorning it were also more expensive.
Baron Nikos was more handsome when his face didn't look like he stepped on a pile of shit. Was what other people would think, but Percy personally thought the man looked rather slimy and pompous.
It didn't help that the Baron was looking at his mother like that, of course. Hecate noticed this, she wore a wry smile.
"Something wrong with your food, Baron Nikos?"
The baron at least seemed to realize his feelings were showing on his face and quickly composed himself, but his slimy tongue couldn't be hidden.
"It's just not to my liking, Lady Hecate."
The phrase rang through the hall like a gunshot. The way some of the retainers reacted you'd think Nikos made a yo mama joke out of nowhere. Percy was watching food literally fall from gaping mouths.
Hecate's smile grew even wider.
"I guess it was better when Sion Eurides sat where I sit now."
"I would say no such thing," Nikos answered. "As a woman, you must understand the culinary value of this meal more than I do. I'm just more… fond of traditional meals."
Why do people with such punchable faces say the dumbest shit? Percy couldn't believe this guy was this stupid and adversarial for no reason.
His attention was drawn to Thalos who sat on Hecate's right-hand side. The air seemed to grow colder under the gaze he sent at Nikos. His face was a mask of barely held-back fury.
Hecate raised a hand, signaling to Thalos to let her deal with it, all while maintaining her smile and playful gaze with Nikos.
"The cuisine of your barony does seem to skew more traditional. Feta and Myarana stew, right?" Hecate cut a piece of her steak and took a satisfied bite, then she cut a piece and fed Percy.
He took the bite a bit unwillingly. But Hecate was on a roll right now, he would definitely not be killing her vibe.
All the people at the table seemed confused by the sudden mention of his barony, but Nikos seemed to fully understand what she was talking about.
"You don't tax cheese in your barony so I didn't think anything was off. But you also don't seem to collect any other taxes. Well, at least you haven't in a month."
Nikos cleared his throat.
"This year has been hard on our people. Expecting them to make less this year, I suspended all our taxes for the month. You'll find I already sent letters to Viscount Sion, who forwarded them to the king."
"Letters that haven't come back," Hecate said slowly. "And I think it's poor judgment to say your constituents earned less recently. Especially with how many horses you've been buying from Sir Rickard. Before he starts lying to me, Sir Rickard, weren't all those horses paid in full?"
The sudden spotlight made Rickard sweat. Percy thought he looked a lot like a bear that just did a line of cocaine with his bushy beard and wide eyes.
"I… um, the horses." Rickard looked between his wealthy buyer Nikos and his Viscount, Hecate, who was growing more terrifying by the second. He put his head down. "Yes, he bought them at my preferred price."
Nikos curled his lips in disgust. Percy had the urge to tell him he looked like a constipated pufferfish, but that wouldn't make sense to them, or anyone back on Earth, actually.
"My savings aren't much proof of earnings, Lady Hecate."
"Of course, I can't just say your people did make that money."
Percy had no idea what Hecate would say next but he had a few things to add that had been on his mind.
"In the first place, it was unreasonable to expect the Nikos' barony to earn this month. There was less rain this month, and both his cheese and olives require processing that'll slow down production."
Percy had briefly forgotten that he was an eight-year-old before speaking.