Chapter 59: Pies!

My irritation with the prince and his inflexibility coupled with his daughter's dumping me left me in a mood. His actions confused me enough that I had no clue what he was really mad at.

Fuck both of them.

I hoped that food would cheer me up. I needed to be in a decent mood for our mock duel later. It wouldn't be fair to everyone if I wasn't. That still didn't prevent me from wanting to hit something and hit it hard.

Tara was waiting for me in my room. It wouldn't be right to take out my aggravation on her so I didn't.

"Would Master like a massage?"

Maybe that would help. "Sure." I removed my shirt and my sword and lay on my bed. It was the first time in far too long that I had received a massage from a willing young lady. The lime oil and her persistent efforts made it hard to keep my irritation. I was pleasantly surprised; she was skilled for one so young. I easily could take an hour of this every day. I would have to have Chandra find me a skilled masseuse when we returned.

After my massage, I asked Tara to have our meals brought here. I continued my readings from earlier. I wanted to know more of their level of technology and figured that mining would be a good start. Visiting the shipyards and the tradesmen's quarter would also help with that.

I knew that delving into the books was a form of escapism, so was skipping lunch and dinner with their family. I would see them later tonight. It was also nice to sit quietly for a day, well, for a few hours at least and read without having to worry about anything. Hell, tonight could be fun if I let it be.

Tara returned with a five-course meal for me and a bowl of stew with a single piece of fruit for her. We shared my meal and her fruit. There was more here than I could eat anyway. I tasted her stew to see what it was like and found that it was actually good. I need not have worried.

During dinner I asked Tara about herself. She was reluctant to talk about her history but did so at my prompting. To say that I was appalled would be an understatement. After a few sentences about her training I had her stop, I couldn't take it any more. She was trained from an early age to be a pleasure slave for anyone that she was given to. The prince had been her owner since she finished her training a few years ago. She is skilled in the bedroom arts and that was it. There was nothing for her or of her outside of that. Her whole life was spent inside the palace catering to the prince's guests.

I despised slavery and the only thing that I could do for her was to treat her as a person. Even I could not stop an institution as large as slavery in a city this large. She didn't understand my sadness on her behalf. She felt that she had a good life, much better than most people. Maybe she did, but that did not change the fact that she was a slave.

I arrived at the duel completely strung out. The gamut of emotions that I had gone through today sucked. I could use a day of rest from my day of rest.

The ladies and Morgan were already there. Chandra was talking animatedly with Yolanda, while Megan stood to the side reservedly keeping up with her side of the conversation. Morgan was standing next to the four pies on a two-wheeled wooden cart.

I took a deep breath and looked them over, fun was the reason behind this. I wasn't about to let Morgan or Chandra down by backing out. Yolanda and Megan would understand, but damn it, I needed to have fun.

Clearing my throat, I approached Morgan. "Evening, Morgan. Have those villainous women repented from their slanderous accusations yet or shall we prove their folly upon their persons?" I said loudly. I made a funny face at Morgan, making him laugh. He might not have understood what I said, but the intent was loud and clear.

Yolanda, as if on cue, responded, "A storyteller is all that you are, and a loud one at that." Her melodious voice was full of mirth and spoken with an orator's control. "I would wager that yonder rapscallion wouldn't know a wizard from a muleskinner. What say you Megan? Do you believe that that troubadour would accept a copper for a decent sonnet? Or does his imagination lack for anything besides a velitation?"

"Bravo, My Lady, that was a most telling strike." I staged-whispered to Morgan, "what does velitation mean?" He shrugged, he didn't know either. "I think that she's stalling, what do you think?"

Grin, this was not a battle that I could win.

"Megan, you brought me an unlearned prevaricator. Look at him, his repertoire is so limited that he falters after the first volley." Chandra, the traitor, was laughing so hard at me that tears were streaming down her face. Even Megan was not immune to Yolanda's wit and responded with a tight laugh.

"When you are grown man lad, be heedful that you avoid harridans who have the power to flay the skin from the mightiest warrior with the sound of their voices alone."

Damn this is hard.

Yolanda was smiling broadly. Both Megan and Chandra did not like my counter but were still laughing. At me.

"Since words shall not suffice to resolve our differences, shall we begin, Lady Yolanda?"

"If we must." She looked at her hand and then mock disgust at the pies. "Megan would you please choose for me an appropriate weapon."

"Of course, Yolanda. Is this really necessary?" Asked Megan on her way over to choose a pie from the cart.

"Oh, yes. We must at least give the failed fabricator a chance to redeem what smidgen of honor he might possess."

Ow!

I had to restrain a giggle. She was good.

"She's good isn't she?" I whispered to the giggling Morgan. He just nodded and laughed at me too.

"Some help you are. Choose a pie for me, young lord."

He pointed at one of the remaining ones and I picked it up.

I had already lost this battle. Regardless of what I did, I just hoped that I could get her back a bit.

Yolanda stood about ten paces from the center of the garden. Morgan moved the cart out of our way once I had my pie in hand.

Chandra strode into the middle and acted as arbiter. Once we replied that we were ready she briskly walked over to Morgan.

Yolanda sidestepped to her right. I had the advantage here so I planned on letting her make the first move. She started taunting me as she tried to maneuver for position. My replies were definitely lacking in the punch that she so eloquently delivered. She feinted to her right and I heard Morgan and Chandra move to get a better view since they were behind me.

She took a bold step forward and I laughingly stepped back. That was when I felt the first pie splat against the back of my neck! The second careened off of my shoulder and the third was delivered by a running Morgan that I partially avoided.

Five pies, where did the other one come from?

They were all laughing at their sneak attacks. Yolanda seeing that I was distracted ran forward and launched her own.

I cheated, I admit it. I boosted my speed enough that the cream pie was moving in slow motion through the air. Two could play this game. I flowed through the air delivering my pie square into her face, her hands all too slowly moved up trying and failing to protect her head. Her mouth was still open from laughing when she launched what she thought was a sure hit.