ailaaurie
patreon
Chapter 190: Take Them to Holding
🕑 Added 2022-11-29 06:00:04 +0000 UTCHe jerked back his head and from the wide-eyed, speechless look on his face, he didn’t expect such a rebuttal from her.
Tori didn’t know what he expected. She wasn’t a life coach. She was a forty-year-old woman in a teenager’s body just trying not to meet a tragic ending for her and her family. And even if she wasn’t, they were the same physical age.
She helped the love interests not to be altruistic, but because she had an opportunity to divert them from her death flag path. Sure, Tori legitimately cared for Constantine and wanted him to follow his passion. Yes, Gideon was Piers’ idiot little brother and she wanted them to be on good terms so it wouldn’t appear as if there would be a struggle for power and Piers wouldn’t have to exert too much energy to compete.
But Fabian really was loyal to Gideon and if he lost that, he would cement himself at Alessa’s side, destined to become a dagger hanging over Tori’s head. Montan was simply a pitiful young man who needed familial support and if he didn’t get familial love, he’d take whatever kindness Alessa showed him and become yet another weapon in her Tori-destroying arsenal.
But Dimitri’s power lay with his parents, and his parents not only liked her, but owed her family for saving his life. She didn’t need to deal with Dimitri; however, it looked like she was dealing with him anyway.
Tori looked at the young man seated across from her. “I’m not yet seventeen years old and am still in Lycée. Why would I know what you should do with your life?”
In her original world, she wouldn’t expect someone their age to have such a set life plan. If they did, great. If they didn’t, it wasn’t a big deal. There was still time to figure it out. She was also aware that many people figured it out much later than they expected, thus changing careers. She knew several people, including her former lawyer who, upon retirement, decided his true calling was to become a writer.
Dimitri didn’t seem to know what to reply. He stared at her, clearly having expected something else. Perhaps a pep talk or other words of encouragement. Maybe even a brand-new life plan. If that’s what he wanted, he came to the wrong tent.
“I thought you would know....” He trailed off and knit his brows, confused. “You always seem to know what to do.”
“Perhaps for me, but not for everyone else,” Tori replied. “I can’t tell other people how to live their lives even if I want to. I can make all the suggestions that I want, but that doesn’t mean they will listen to me. If they have a passion or goal, I will of course encourage them, but, for instance, if Ewan didn’t want to become a knight, I wouldn’t have dragged him to Sur to train or sent him to Axton and my brother. Do you understand?”
Dimitri nodded his head slowly. “My goal was to become Prime Minister one day.”
“That’s not going to happen,” Tori told him, not caring if she crushed his hopes. “Even if you learned from your mistakes as a teenager, your past mistakes will be used against you. This wasn’t a small incident, either. It was a miracle no one was killed.”
Her words seemed to stab at him, and Dimitri shrank further in his seat. “I...I saw your...nephew, is it?”
“Robert Benedict de Guevera,” Tori told him. “What about him?”
“He’s the one who lost his leg, isn’t he?”
Tori nodded. “He’s using a prosthetic leg now.” She paused. “Do you feel guilty when you look at him?” Dimitri closed his eyes. He didn’t speak, but his answer was clear. “Well...I suppose that’s a good sign in a way. At least you know you did something wrong.”
“I should apologize to him.”
“Okay. I’m not going to stop you,” Tori said. “But don’t expect forgiveness simply because you apologized. He doesn’t owe you forgiveness.”
“I know.”
“Do better, Guthry,” Tori said. She returned to her work and Dimitri sat for a bit longer. As if knowing there was nothing else to say, he pushed himself up. “By the way, there is nothing stopping you from public service work and I’m not talking about your punishment.” She caught a quizzical look from him, and she continued to speak as she stamped some more documents. “There is always a need for those who work on public policy for the benefit of the citizens. It isn’t as glamorous as being a politician, but it is honest work that helps the people. If your goal was to become Prime Minister for your family’s prestige, then I advise you to forget such a path. But if helping the people of Soleil as Prime Minister is what your goal was, then nothing is stopping you from helping the people of Soleil outside of politics. In a way, I find that just as honorable, if not more so.” She slammed her stamp onto a sheet and looked up. “You have to know what you want to have even a remote idea of how to get it.”
She gave him a curt nod, officially dismissing him from her tent. Tori heard the shuffle of fabric as Dimitri left.
“For someone who does not give life advice, you give it quite freely.”
Piers peered from the entrance into the backroom, where he had been napping. Tori took out another folder to review. “Seeing others listless bothers me. It depresses my mood.” She paused and lifted her head, her eyes squinted. “Now that I think about it, why does everyone come to me?”
“You are dependable.”
“Ugh.” Tori returned to her work. “How dependable can a workaholic teenager be?”
“There are times when you appear older than you are.”
Tori stopped reading. Her eyes remained fixed on the papers. She wasn’t trying to hide her mental age. In fact, aside from being much calmer, more experienced, and more confident than when she was sixteen in her original world, Tori thought her general personality was still the same.
She relied on the knowledge, mannerisms, and linguistic ability of Victoria’s body to help her blend in. Luckily, nothing was too jarring. As long as she wasn’t too excited about the newness of the environment, no one seemed to notice anything too out of the ordinary. If she stood out, she didn’t think it was because of transmigration, but simply because of her family and pre-existing reputation.
“How much older?” She looked up at him curiously.
Piers seemed to think for a moment. “Simply older. It is normal for a noble child to mature quickly. The demands of being in such a position shape children into adults so as to train them for future responsibilities.”
She pursed her lips. “When my brother, Kasey, was my age, did he appear older than he was?”
Piers was quiet for a bit. “Senior Kasen was an excellent student. He always ranked first.”
“I know that, but what about outside of school?” Piers hesitated and Tori squinted. “Piers...did Kasey get into many fights?”
“Senior has told me not to tell you.” Piers immediately put the responsibility on her brother.
Tori’s brows rose. “If it’s about him fighting, I already know.”
“Senior also drank a lot, accompanied rough individuals, and was often followed by many girls. He was out late often, including sneaking out of the dorms-”
“Kasey did what-”
“Master was also quite reckless in his youth. He was well known in the red quarter.”
“Wait, Sebastian frequented the red quarter?” The red quarter of Horizon wasn’t exactly a redlight district, but it came close. There were also plenty of what she’d consider underground clubs there. The only reason she knew was because she looked up the reputations of prospective business locations and Henrik filled her in.
“It was after Master was dumped by Lady Idunn. He did not take it well. Senior Benedict is very knowledgeable on their goings-on during their time at Lycée and Université. You can confirm with him. He was there. He knows everything.”
Tori stared at Piers, dumbfounded. She knew her brothers couldn’t possibly be as squeaky clean as they presented themselves to her. She supposed she should expect young nobles with money and time to at least experiment with some vices. It wasn’t as if that was strange in her original world, let alone this one.
She was a bit curious about her brothers’ youths. In this world, Tori had no urge to indulge in going out and partying. Been there, done that. In addition, to some extent, she doubted that she’d be impressed by what was offered in Soleil after what she’d done and been to in her original world.
She blinked and shook her head. “I thought my brother told you not to tell me.”
“He did.”
“Then why did you tell me?”
“You asked.” She should’ve expected that. Tori furrowed her brows for a moment.
“Will my brothers be upset if they knew you told me?”
The corners of his lips pulled up a bit. “You will protect me.”
She rolled her eyes. She caught the light on her comcry glow and reached for it. The watch tower at the entrance of the bay was calling. “Hello?”
“My lady, a ship registered in Tres Arcos has requested entry into the delta. It is a passenger ship and has a letter of entry to drop off passengers.”
Tori furrowed her brows. “Proceed with the usual entry protocol.”
“Yes, my lady. We were also asked to inform you that Dominico de Sophos and family are on this ship. His name was on the list of expected guests and had provided the letter of entry.”
“Wonderful. Thank you for informing me. I will await them on the embarkation island.” Tori ended the call and slid her finger across the crystal to call her mother.
“Then I will join you on the embarkation island.”
“I will arrange for their things to be taken to their resort tents,” Tori said. After finishing the call with her mother, she looked towards Piers. “Want to come?”
He nodded once, but it would take some time for the passenger ship to enter the delta and make it to the embarkation island.
Passenger ships were private vessels that went along the coast of Soleil to transport people from port to port. If one wasn’t privileged enough to have a private ship at their disposal, or knew someone who did, then most Soleil citizens who traveled along the coastal areas of the empire’s mainland used passenger ships.
Different ships catered to different groups: some were for single individuals where the accommodations were shared rooms with multiple bunk beds in a cramped room. Others were for families, where a family could rent a private room. Private rooms varied in size and amenities depending on the ship and the cost.
It was a regulated transport business, and each port had a schedule of ships coming and going, their capacity, and where they were stopping.
Viclya wasn’t an open port. The delta was still a closed settlement, so in order to enter its coastal waters and come to port, the ship needed a letter of entry. Letters of entry were in the possession of the individual traveling that needed transport to the closed settlement. In this case, it was Tori’s uncle.
The letter of entry would include the name of all individuals who would be dropped off in the port. The names were logged in a guest book at each of the watchtowers at the mount of the delta. Upon entrance and arrival at the embarkation area, only those passengers on the list would be allowed off the ship.
All other passengers could only watch from the deck. If the ship itself needed supplies, the captain or first mate could submit a written request and the transaction would be done on the embarkation island. Only the approved passengers and crew would be able to leave the embarkation island.
Those who were resettling in the delta were met by the family members who filed for them to resettle. The head of each resettlement party received a booklet with information on the delta, services offered such as the post office, market schedules, education and health, and a map. They were also required to attend a two-day long resettlement seminar which included a tour.
As for the passenger ship they came on, each passenger ship could only stay for a maximum of one day in the delta. It would need to leave the bay by that time the next day or be escorted out by Guevera naval unit stationed in delta in preparation for the base at the entrance. It was just one ship, but it was enough. In addition, Viclya had many imperial knights.
There were plenty of basic amenities on the embarkation island to cater to crew who could not leave the island, including some shops, restaurants, and billiard room. There was an office building and a detainment area Tori called ‘holding’. It was a small building next to the office with a half dozen rooms that were designed to hold four people each. It was for people who arrived without proper paperwork or tried to sneak in.
According to reports, it had only been used twice so far. The two individuals had tried to leave the ship to go directly to Horizon from Viclya, but claimed not to know it was a closed settlement. They stayed for two days as their paperwork was processed, their identities confirmed, and then they were escorted directly to the border of Cosora.
It was up to them to find their own transportation back to Horizon, but they were permanently banned from the county. Their names were also reported to the gates of Horizon. Tori didn’t know if those two individuals made it to the city.
Tori led Piers to the resort tents to check on her uncle and his family’s tents. One was for Uncle Dominico and his wife, and the second one was for Artemisia. It was a partial working trip for them, as her uncle and cousin were meeting with colleagues from Université and were going to look over the construction areas of the village.
Discussion in Presidio brought to light that her cousin was looking for a job, though Artemisia was hesitant to leave Tres Arcos. It was her hometown and she lived there her entire life. Still, she had agreed to come to Viclya and talk to the architecture and civil planning team on site. There were positions available and, looking at it like a manager, Tori had felt her cousin was a good fit as she had an education.
Tori then had Piers follow her around to confirm dinner reservations. She stopped to tell her friends when she passed them.
There was plenty of time before sunset by the time Tori and Piers landed on the embarkation island. Her mother, surrounded by Guevera knights, was seated in the waiting building. The passenger ship was still on its way and flags were raised over the pier where it was to anchor. The crew was ready to assist and take care of the necessary paperwork.
The Marquess narrowed her eyes as she saw Piers. “He came with you?”
“I should not leave Tori unescorted,” Piers replied with a polite nod.
“He has nothing better to do right now,” Tori said. She gave a nod at the villagers working on the island in greeting.
“He is the first prince of Soleil,” her mother said with a raised brow. “Should he not be working?”
“I have completed my work for this week, my lady,” Piers replied.
“Then begin the work for next week.”
“Mama....” Tori gave her mother a tired look. “Let Piers rest.” She patted Piers' arm, and he gave her a small nod. Her mother sighed and looked back towards the water.
The passenger ship had many people on deck looking around. It seemed that this was the first time many had come to Viclya and since they couldn’t leave the ship, going out on the deck was the best they could do to see the town.
Antonia stood up with Tori and watched as the side of the ship was open and a walkway was lowered and connected to a secure boarding ramp. The ramp was locked in place and one of the village officials went to the top of the ramp with a clipboard in hand.
Three people began down the gangway from the ship with bags and Tori waved as Artemisia saw her and smiled. The family of three checked in with the official and we led down the ramp.
“Dom.” Antonia greeted her brother with a regal nod of her head.
Tori kept her back straight as she stepped forward. “Uncle Dominico, Auntie Anita, Cousin Artemisia, welcome to Viclya, the county capital of Cosora.”
Her uncle’s eyes were wide as he looked around. Construction on various islands and on the mainline were visible from the embarkation island and he nodded his head. “All of this in just three years?”
“Technically, two and a half, but yes,” Tori said with a grin. She lifted her arm towards Piers to explain his unexpected presence. “His Highness Prince Piers is accompanying me today.”
The three visitors didn’t seem to know what to say and bowed their heads to greet him. Piers gave them a nod. “Tori has worked very hard on her delta. May you enjoy your stay here.”
Tori gave him a sidelong glance. She was the hostess, not him. “Uncle, Auntie, Cousin, if you’ll follow me, a boat will take us to the mainland, and I’ll show you to your resort tent-”
“Antonia!” A voice cut through the embarkation island and Tori and the others turned their attention back to the ship. The gate was still open, but it looked like a member of the crew was trying to stop them from getting off the ship.
Tori’s mouth dropped as her mother’s face darkened.
“Fabiana?” Uncle Dominico nearly dropped his bag. “She said she was getting off at Mezzaluna!”
Antonia took a deep breath and clenched her jaw. “Why did you not tell me that she was on your ship?”
“I didn’t see her until we left port,” Uncle Dominico said.
“She told us she and her goddaughter were taking the ship to Mezzaluna for sightseeing,” Auntie Anita added with a pale face. She looked at Tori. “Tori, believe us, we didn’t know. We hadn’t seen her since we docked at Mezzaluna. I thought they disembarked.”
“And her goddaughter?” Tori focused on one piece of information and crinkled her eyes. She could see behind her struggling aunt the familiar golden hair of the heroine.
“Tell them to set sail at once,” her mother said in a low voice.
Tori snapped her head towards mother. “What?”
“Tell them to set sail!”
“Countess Guevera!” Alessa waved her arms in the air and looked desperate to be seen. “Countess!”
Tori tilted her head back and looked at the sky. Why are you doing this to me? She took a deep breath. “Where is this ship going next?”
“Stone Point and then Ostgrat Port, my lady,” one of the island staff reported. Both were over a day away from each other and were in Osten territory. Without a letter of entry, the passenger ship would likely not come back to Viclya on its return voyage.
Tori didn’t need to be told what her aunt and Alessa were doing there. Her aunt knew that her uncle’s family was visiting, so she followed, likely thinking that Tori would allow her to disembark in Viclya. From there, she could travel a day to Horizon, but also get a chance to look around.
Tori did not invite them, and they did not have letters of entry into her county.
“I am the Countess of Cosora’s aunt!” Fabiana was screeching. If Tori weren’t so annoyed, she’d be embarrassed. “Release me at once! My niece will let us disembark! Tori!”
“What are you waiting for?” Antonia asked in a sharp voice. “Tell the captain to set sail at once. There are other ships that need this pier!”
“My lady, what are your orders?” The staff looked at her.
Tori stared at the ship with cold eyes. “Set sail-”
“My lady!” A uniformed officer from the ship rushed down the ramp. Before he could reach them, several imperial knights moved in front of Tori with hands over the hilts at their sides. The officer stumbled to a stop and shrank back.
“Let him speak,” Tori said in a firm voice. Sir Lloyd took a step back to allow the officer to be visible.
The thin, trembling man bowed low. “My lady, the two passengers demanding to be let off the ship did not pay for the journey to Stone Point or Ostgrat. We cannot take them any further.”
“So, you’re going to abandon them here?” Tori asked in a sharp voice.
Uncle Dominico grit his teeth and ran his hand down his face. “Then I will pay for her ticket to Stone Point!”
“Uncle, it’s fine,” Tori said, lifting a hand. “They just want to disembark, don’t they?”
“Tori, I know my sister,” her uncle told her with a gaunt face. “She’ll want to stay and take advantage of you.”
Tori raised a brow. She looked past her uncle, back at the ship. “Well...it’s only being taken advantage of if I don’t enjoy what I’m going to do.” She walked around her uncle to speak to the staff. “Call the embarkation guard. Mr. Farkas, please prepare disembarkation paperwork for zeta status.”
Mr. Farkas, the man who went up the ramp to check her uncle’s paperwork, nodded and rushed off.
“Tori.” Antonia was frowning. “Why are you letting her have her way? This is a closed settlement, and she was not approved for entry.”
“I know,” Tori said with a nod. “And she will know that in a bit.” Tori waited for Mr. Farkas to return with an assistant and a half dozen strong young men and women wearing red vests. Mr. Farkas brought out some paper, ink pads, and pens and set them up on a counter in the waiting building. Tori looked towards the guard and gave them a nod. “Escort those who wish to get off here down from the ship.”
The guard nodded and with practiced precision, as imperial knights trained them, four waited at the base of the ramp while two marched to the top.
A haughty look filled Fabiana’s face as the seaman stopping her from leaving the ship reluctantly stepped to the side and let her and Alessa go. The duo was escorted down and as soon as they were on the pier, the officer who’d come to tell Tori about the payment issue returned to the ship.
“Your village is so strict!” Fabiana said with an exasperated frown. “Is this how guests are treated? We weren’t even let off the ship without paperwork. What paperwork is needed?”
Antonia was seething, and Tori moved in front of her. She motioned for the guard to escort her aunt and Alessa into the waiting building.
“Auntie Fabiana, Baroness Hart, please first fill out these forms, sign, and press two thumb prints on each page,” Tori said. “Mr. Farkas and Miss Kuzcar will guide you through the paperwork. The Cosora Delta is a closed settlement, and we are strict with who comes in and out.”
“Even for your aunt?” Fabiana choked. Alessa didn’t say much, but followed directions. She put her bags at her feet to begin filling out the paperwork. “Is this really necessary, Tori?”
“Of course, it is,” Antonia snapped. “You came without warning! Do you think you can just walk into Viclya as if you own it?”
“I am the Countess’ aunt! Shouldn’t I have such a privilege?”
“Fabiana!” Uncle Dominico was flushed. “If you know that this is your niece’s territory, you should abide by the rules.”
“You didn’t have to fill out...paperwork...upon arriving!” her aunt sneered.
“Uncle Dominico and his family had a different set of paperwork that had already been approved,” Tori said in a dull voice. “We were prepared for their arrival. You are an unexpected arrival. As is policy, you must fill out these papers and confirm your identity before you leave the island.”
Her aunt had been signing her name when she heard that she couldn’t leave the island. “What? Are you saying I’m trapped here?” Her face reddened.
“Only until your identity is confirmed and your purpose is approved,” Tori said. “I advise you to answer honestly.”
Her Auntie looked disgusted, but snorted. “I don’t know how your mother raised you...so rude-”
“My daughter isn’t the one trespassing on a closed settlement,” Antonia said in a dangerous voice. “She has been merciful.”
“Merciful-”
“Trespassing on a closed settlement involves arrest, fine, and punishment,” Piers cut off Fabiana. “The Baroness should already know this.”
Tori saw Alessa tense up. She lowered her head and pressed her thumbs into the ink pad to then press on the papers.
Fabiana scoffed. She pressed her thumbs into the ink. “Such a heavy punishment for such a minor thing. What does this place need to protect that it’s a closed settlement?”
Tori kept her eyes on her aunt. As soon as her thumbprints were pressed, Mr. Farka reviewed the documents. “Are they complete?”
“Yes, my lady.”
Tori nodded. “Take them to holding.”
She turned around and began walking to the transport hub dock across the island.
“Victoria!” She heard her aunt’s voice scream behind her. “What is going on? Let go of my things-let go of my arm!”
“Countess!” Alessa gasped. “What’s going on?”
Tori stopped. “The Cosora Delta is a closed settlement in order to regulate growth and resource usage. Any individual attempting to enter without proper paperwork must be identified and their purpose for entering must be approved. The process takes two to three days-”
“Two to three days!?”
“Business days,” Tori said in a smooth voice. “Once their identities are confirmed and they are not a threat to the delta, they will be allowed off the island. Until then, they will stay in the holding building. Three meals will be delivered daily until the paperwork is approved.”
“Victoria, I am your aunt! How can you do this to me?”
Tori pursed her lips and turned around to face her. Fabiana was held back by two guards while Alessa was clutching her bag and flanked by another two.
“I can do this because I am the Countess of Cosora, and I will not break the rules of my county for the sake of nepotism. Uncle and his family, my mother, and all my friends are approved visitors. You and the Baroness are not. All their paperwork is in place. You tried to sneak into my county. You will go through the proper channels, and it is my grace that I am allowing this as opposed to sending you back immediately,” Tori said. She gave the guards a firm nod. “Take them to holding.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Wait!” Alessa gasped. “Countess, are you arresting us?”
“No, you’ll just be held until your identities and purposes are confirmed.”
“Held? You’re going to lock us up for days?” her aunt gasped. “Victoria de Guevera, how dare you-”
“Countess Victoria de Guevera,” Piers cut her off with a sharp glare.
“She is your niece, Fabiana, but she is still the Countess of Cosora,” Antonia said, glowering.
“This is ridiculous! What confirmation of identity? You know who we are!”
“Not according to a paper trail,” Tori said with a slight shrug. “Don’t worry so much, Auntie. It’ll only take a few days.”
“Countess, can you not approve of our paperwork now?” Alessa asked with a pleading look.
“Baroness Hart,” Tori said. “No.”
She turned back around and continued walking. The cold look on her face turned into one of annoyance. She ignored her aunt’s yelling as she was dragged away.
Mr. Farkas knew her well enough to know that he and his staff should not give any preference to her aunt or Alessa.
“Tori, will it really take two to three days?” Artemisia asked as she caught up with her.
Tori nodded. “Yes, the paperwork has to be reviewed by the embarkation office, then sent to the main office for approval. Though we are a closed settlement, we have started following standard port authority guidelines to record who comes and goes from Viclya’s port. Calls must be made to properly identify the individuals, then the port authority must confirm, then review and approve their purpose of arrival in a closed settlement. If they find it acceptable, then I or my legal administrator will approve.”
“If they don’t find it acceptable?” Uncle Dominico asked.
“Our choices are to send them back on a passenger ship to the next destination or take them out of the county lines,” Tori said.
Auntie Anita scowled. “Then Fabiana will get what she wanted! She’ll get to visit Viclya! Tori, you can’t allow her. She’ll cause trouble and bother your people.”
Tori smirked. “No, she won’t. Upon leaving the island, a boat will take her and the Baroness upriver, past the village, to the border between Cosora and the Fekete Duchy. They will be made to get off the boat in Fekete. How they get back to Horizon from there is up to them. The boat will bypass Viclya completely.”
“Fabiana and the Baroness will also be blacklisted from entering the county in the future,” Antonia said with a wry smile.
“She brought this on herself,” Uncle Dominico said with a dark look. “She didn’t mention coming here at all when we saw her on the ship! She kept talking about shopping and sightseeing in Mezzaluna with her goddaughter!” He raged on until the boat took them to the mainland. It went from complaints about what his sister had done recently to some childhood trauma Uncle Dominico clearly still harbored resentment about.
“Uncle, calm down,” Tori said with a raise of her hands. “She can’t go anywhere right now, and she’ll have to spend the next five days in the holding cell.”
“Five days?” Auntie Anita asked as she drew her head back. “I thought it only took two to three.”
“Business days,” Tori said. “I don’t count the two days of the weekend...and tomorrow is my birthday, which is a holiday here in the county, so many people will not be working. County administrative workers will have three days off.” She gave them a bright smile. Antonia nodded approvingly.
“My lady!” Several valets met them at the dock and Tori instructed them on what to carry.
“Uncle, Auntie, Cousin, these are valets from our resort. They will take you to the resort tents then take you on a brief tour of the area. Dinner will be later this evening and I will have someone escort you to the restaurant,” Tori said. She gave them a small nod. “Please take some time to rest, as well.”
Her mother accompanied her uncle and their relatives, and Tori remained on the Promenade with a gentle smile, as if she hadn’t locked up her aunt for trespassing just minutes earlier.
“I would’ve sent them to Osten,” Piers said behind her.
“That still gives them freedom to travel,” Tori replied. “I want to confine them, so they know that their goal is within reach, but unattainable.”
Piers thought for a moment and nodded. “Break the mental stability of your enemy?”
“Ah...speaking of the enemy.” Tori dug around her pocket and took out her comcry. She slid her finger across and held the comcry up. “Call Montan Alvere.”
It took a few pulses for him to answer. “My lady?”
“Do you have the negation charm for Hart’s illegal charm on your person?” Tori asked. “If you don’t, have my brother assist with a new one.”
“I...yes, my lady, I have it with me.” Montan sounded confused.
“Good,” Tori said. “How would you like to use it sooner rather than later?”
Comments
Cyclic Addict Recovering
2-3 business days means 5-6 actual days :) Can’t wait for the next chapter
Siyanax
Also, consider the fact that if people realise that "hey, people can make charms that make other people like me?" as a real possibility in life, then maybe more people will do it. Until a real counter for such a thing is created theres no point in announcing such a thing exists to more people than neccersary. Especially if you consider that enemy contries could provide such charms to spies and make infiltration much easier. Following that line of thought it could be used as a genuine weapon by Soleil spies. Again, the less people that know about the existence of this charm the better. This is why the solution to disable the charm is also so discrete. Although, why they are waiting so long to disable it very odd, I figured something like this would be a fairly big prority. Given that its almost lead to other peoples (childrens) death, also given that its existence may have been found out a potential enemy spy (i.e. Creey Cow) Its not like they dont have people who can sneak around without other people knowledge. To re-iterate earlier replies, if it is known that the second prince was affected by a mental charm, and was affected by someone so close to him, someone who may have become a real empress at the time (alter/game timeline proves this) that severly weakens the royal famalies image to the nobles, reduces faith in the royal family to the general public and overall reduces the stability of the country itself.
Mack
I think this was somewhat explained in the story earlier. The charm was illegal. Making a bigger deal about it would get Montan in trouble. Tori is protecting him for Axton's sake. If a bigger deal is made peopke like Guthrys parents might make problems for him etc.
Thorlol
To be honest, I also dont understand how they could treat the threat of the charm in such a low-key manner. Some might have not been influenced as much as others but if I remember back, even Gideon took actions that had a severe impact on Tori and the delta. It could have become a diplomatic nightmare between the royal family and the march. I mean the policy wich only targeted Tori and would have probably led to the starvation of the refugees. Just because Gideon thought he could help Alessa that way. What happend with the orphanage was worse because it actually happend but Dimitry was also the one who was the most influenced. At first he was diligent and conscientious, placed in the top ten of Lycee. And he became worse with every moment Alessa influenced him. It even got so bad that he got splitting migraines when his logical and sane part of his mind fought against the influence. I also dont agree how Tori understated the impact of the charm on him. Of course he shouldnt put the whole blame on the charm but her telling him that he was basicially the only one at fault is just a not true. It was a series of events, fueled by the charm, that led to the disaster. I cant comprehend why they didnt just went to Alessa and confiscated the charms and neutralized them. Explaining to her that they were illegal. Why doing it in such a roundabout way, weeks or month later?
Nikola
I think it really depends on the individual people honestly. Like Gideon was able to walk away because of his brother and sense of responsibility to the empire. Fabian was effected but still had at least one working brain cell to take Tori's advice and once he found out skipped out on Hart as much as possible. Dimitri was a worse case scenario he hit every branch on the way down. My guess is that he is just more susceptible to charms that another love interest. There's is also the fact the Montan had no malicious intent and was just poorly educated. So the charm does have an influence but it doesn't strip you of your free will you still have a choice, it's just that some people have either a better resistance to the charm or have a strong sense of personal honor I guess to do the right thing.
Saaski
Part of me wonders if the fact that the second Prince might’ve been affected is actually one of the reasons that they’re keeping it so low-key. Just going off of how they reacted to Tori being kidnapped as a baby. Most people don’t have any clue that that even happened. Tori didn’t even know that that happened. So it stands to reason to me that they wouldn’t want to publicly declare that one of the Royal family, someone who is still technically in line for the throne, might’ve been affected by such a charm. For now they have identified that Montan, the person who wrote the charm, isn’t a terrorist and most likely didn’t know what they were making. So the best solution is to make sure that he gets an education, and that the original charm is dealt with. I think their reactions would be much more extreme if it wasn’t a couple of high school kids who had made the charm. Also, evidently they don’t really trust that Alyssa is entirely harmless. Because they’re not telling her about the effects of the charm. I’m pretty sure their reactions right now are wait and observe. Once they make up their minds about the kind of person they believe Alyssa to be, then we will probably see a more real reaction.
Legend7nite
Maybe im stuck on the charm plot point to much but the charm needs to be described in more detail what the effects are, cause i get the point that they are still responsible for their actions but if an item has an aura which makes you biased towards the person for every action they take i feel like more people should be concerned about to what extent were their actions truly theirs. The idea that teenagers who are already prone to make poor descisions have something affecting them mentally and causes bias towards an individual and peoples reactions are pretty tame overall cause they dont want to cause panic is kinda crazy to me especially since one of the effected party is a 2nd prince. I dont know maybe im just stuck on this plot point and it isnt that deep who knows im still enjoying the story so keep up the good work
Nikola
I do like the oh its a 3 day weekend so it's 5 business days 😈
Simon Hoerder
Ah, sometimes sluggish bureaucracy has its advantages. 😂
Lya
Perfection 🍿
Mack
Hahahaha so cathartic! Rock on Tori. And Piers having her back! Perfect.
CentaureHeart
That was fun. PS : How big is the ship if it can approach an island that close?
Summercat
Well Well. ... Well.
