Free Ancient Kings (The Young Ancients) by P.S. Power Page B

didn't ask for more at least. She could be demanding at times, but for once she just acted as if she were... Normal. Like a real person, instead of her.
    He grinned and decided to try and have all of their important conversations in public from then on. It wouldn't happen, but the idea was a good one.
    The rest of the party went fine. It was, in fact, the very best noble one he'd ever been to. There wasn't any fighting at all, and when they left, everyone was smiling, even if they looked a little tired.

Chapter three
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Tor knew that the trip back was likely to be a little awkward, given that he was driving his own craft, having collected it from Terry. His younger sister was sitting in the passenger's seat, but Rolph and Karen were in the back, chatting softly. As far as he knew Tiera didn't feel things like shame or embarrassment overly, so whatever it was that she felt she had to share was probably going to be worse for him than it actually was for her.
    Really, those weren't bad traits. If she was just a little calmer and less bossy Tor would have felt envious of how she was. It beat his old way of thinking and acting, which was, now that he had a bit of perspective, so restrictive as to be smothering. He'd always felt bad about something or other before. True, he did now too, but finding out that most of the women you'd ever had sex with were relatives was enough to make anyone feel a bit off, wasn't it?
    Steeling himself he waited for her to drop whatever it was on him. Hopefully it wouldn't be enough to make him crash.
    She didn't wait long to start speaking, even with the others in the back listening as soon as she did.
    "As I mentioned, a bit embarrassing, but I need to borrow some gold. I still can't bring myself to eat in the student dining hall and my coin is going to run out if I wait too much longer. I should be able to repay it in a week or so, after the big Soam trip." She seemed sad again. Dark and moody.
    Who could blame her?
    "Um... sure. How much do you need?" This would be the telltale, no doubt. If she asked for tens of thousands it was a sure sign that she was planning to hire some assassins, wasn't it? He nearly held his breath, trying to force himself to stay relaxed and wondering what he should say if the request really did come.
    "A gold should cover it. I spent most of my coin on wine the other day. Did you know that I can't get drunk? I finished four bottles of the strong stuff and it didn't do anything for me." There was a glance out the window and a head shake. "Dumb of me. I just wasted a bunch of coin trying to forget and nothing happened at all."
    That... Tor had never tried to get drunk himself. It just hadn't come up. In fact he always avoided strong drink, so that it wouldn't muddle his head. All the best builders did after all, and in Two Bends he'd been too young to have more than sips here and there before he'd left home.
    "It makes sense, doesn't it? We're probably not able to really be too influenced by any drugs. I know that on the few occasions I tried anything they wore of a lot faster than anyone thought they would."
    There was an interested grunt from the back and Alphonse shifted forward a bit, smiling.
    "Lesson learned then? If it does nothing for you, no reason to send your coin to the Tavern keep, is there?"
    That got Tiera to make a face and spin in place a bit. She looked angry, but it was just a flash and by the time she turned around all the way it was gone.
    " No , Tor gets to pay for that. Put me through a wall while I was trying to apprehend a bunch of evil monsters. I'm trying to let that go. The stopping me part. I'm not paying for the wall though. Throw a rock through a window and you have to pay for it. A sister through a wall should be the same thing. Besides, I'm close to broke. I doubt the two silver I have left will cover it." There was a bit of a harrumph at the end of the statement, and some crossed arms, but Tor didn't bother to