Lora of Two Worlds

In a private chamber of the The Gilded Lily, two men were drinking with women in their laps. A maid knelt before them, one hand to her cheek, sobbing:

”There was nobody when I left, I don’t know when they picked up my trail... Master Venn, you promised, if I told you every move the young lady made, you would free my brother and give us money to leave Lohenheim. And now she’s starting to remember, in her sleep she was calling out that it was Lady Venn, Grace Venn, she killed her...”

”What rubbish! When did my sister kill anyone? You’ve got a death wish, you still want money?”

Theodore Venn snarled and drew back his foot to kick her, but Cedric Salt blocked him: ”Come, Master Venn, no need to get worked up over a servant girl. If she’s useful, keep her. If not, find a quiet spot and put a blade in her. That’s all.”

Aprille shrieked: ”I’ll be good, I’ll be good! I don’t want the money, just my brother, please.”

A footman came over and whispered in Cedric’s ear. Cedric said flatly:

”I see. Take her away, and see her safely to her brother.”

Aprille didn’t dare fight back. She hated her brother for his gambling, he had tracked her to the riverbank just yesterday, demanding money. And when she had got on the barge and seen Lady Venn shove the young lady into the river, the moment she opened her mouth to scream, her brother down below had called her name. That was when Lady Venn spotted her.

Lady Venn’s brother had gone down to the bank, lured her brother aside, and what courage did she have left to tell the truth?

The young lady had been pulled out alive, thank God, and then come down with the forgetting sickness on top of it. Grace Venn told Aprille to keep watch on Lora Odenheim, the instant Lora showed any sign of remembering, Aprille was to report here.

Theodore Venn was afraid Lora’s amnesia was a bluff. He was terrified she would tell the Count of Odenheim the vicious thing he had said to soothe his sister:

Who cares about Dorothy Dunbar? You don’t need to suck up to her. In a few more days, after our Yorvik troops sack the Crown Granary, do you think Lord Dunbar can hold on to his post as Royal Commissioner of Transport?

From around the corner, Lora stuck her head out and pointed at them, hardly able to believe her ears: ”Your Yorvik troops... are going to sack the Crown Granary?”

Everything was ready. They were only waiting for the left-wing captain to return from Augustburg.

They couldn’t let one girl ruin this.

Leon didn’t know the whole truth, but he had already guessed nine parts in ten. He and Roland had been chasing after Lora, but Roland had to stop at every crossing to find the marks Shawn was leaving for him. Even in a carriage, they were a step slow.

Still, the moment they rolled into the Stews, they saw a madam with a pack of doves closing in on Lora. Norton was fending off one while another slipped past him. He finally lost his temper and kicked the Countess clean across the street. The doves were shrieking for the pimps, and a gang of thick-necked bawd’s bullies began to circle Lora and Norton.

”Hold!”

Roland jumped from the carriage, roaring: ”Anybody lays another finger on her, I’ll break your bones for kindling!”

”Roland, get Shawn, quick! They chased him into the rear courtyard!” Lora was frantic.

She had cursed them out a moment ago, but a madam who had seen every trick in the book wasn’t about to be cowed by a girl’s sharp tongue. Lord Salt had told them to treat her like any other mark, the doves swarmed around, and in the confusion they could spirit a girl inside without a soul the wiser.

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Shawn saw things going wrong and was about to come down and rescue her, but a gang of house guards cut him off. They fought him from the rooftop all the way to the rear courtyard of the The Gilded Lily.

A handful of retainers from the Grand Princess’s mansion charged in. In a heartbeat the whole brothel was a riot of screams and overturned tables.

Men who were still in a stewhouse at this hour weren’t the meek sort. Drunk and bold, they were shouting and smashing cups, the din rising and falling like waves.

On the stairs, two men stood watching. Theodore Venn had meant to slip out the back, but the brawl had cut off his escape. He gave up and followed Cedric Salt down the stairs.

Cedric stepped out the front door with a smile:

”Well, well, Master Roland. A rare pleasure. And this is your sister? A misunderstanding, I’m sure. Madam Xue, this is the Count of Odenheim’s daughter. Apologize to the lady. Now.”

Cedric Salt came out to greet them at the door:

”Oh, I thought she was some chit looking for work. This time of night, who’d have thought a young lady of the Count’s house would stoop to standing outside our door looking so pale and pitiful? Unless... she’s here to catch a lover?” Madam Xue, still smarting from Norton’s kick, drew the words out with sly pleasure. ”A guest’s secrets, I’m afraid we can’t give those away.”

The doves around her laughed, some at Lady Odenheim, but others were sizing up the young lord who had just arrived, their eyes shameless and bold.

Then a cold voice spoke behind him. A youth in a white houppelande, seated in a wheelchair, appeared before the crowd:

”Linn, slap her mouth.”

Linn wasn’t even close to her yet, but he moved too fast to follow. No one saw what weapon he used before a crack rang out, and a line of blood bloomed across Madam Xue’s face.

”A cripple? Hitting me?”

The madam was burning inside. She had never seen this boy before, and she knew every cripple in Lohenheim’s high circles. Goaded past caution, she rolled up her sleeves and charged.

”Again.”

Leon didn’t even glance at her. His face was a mask.

”Hit her again!”

This time everyone saw it: Linn wore a thin steel whip-blade around his waist. With a flick of his wrist the blade snapped across the Countess’s face again, and this time he put more force behind it. Two welts split open, welling blood, turning her face into a horror.

The doves shrieked and dragged the Countess back. The drunker patrons who had been about to raise a stink sobered fast. Those who knew the Salt house stayed behind Cedric; the rest backed away.

Lora turned her head to look too. That presence, and he was a cripple. The youth had a fine, pale face, and his brows and eyes were sharp, but the distance in them, cold and remote, didn’t fit a boy his age.

Just then, a retainer came out of the rear courtyard, helping Shawn along. The attackers had been many and skilled; Shawn’s left arm was cut, but against his black clothes you couldn’t see the blood.

He saw Roland and his face flooded with shame. He was about to bow, but Roland stopped him.

Cedric Salt had no idea who this youth was either. He could only step forward with an oily smile:

”Misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding. If I had known it was the Odenheim young lady, would I not have come out to receive her myself? Only yesterday I heard my younger brother go on and on about you, what courage, what quick wits at so young an age. And we owe you thanks besides, you kept a bad business from turning worse. A guest like you, we can only beg you to do us the honor. I must ask, to what do my lady and my lord owe this visit, so late at night?”

Lora answered, dead serious: ”A maid stole something from our house. We tracked her here, and she vanished. I was standing outside waiting for men to arrive and search. Your people came out and made a scene. I suspect you’re harboring her.”

”Hahahaha, my lady, you’re as pretty as you’re witty, but I confess I can’t follow. Does House Salt lack for treasure so badly that I’d have to bribe some serving girl to steal for me?”

Cedric Salt was in his early thirties. Five generations of merchants, a hundred years of wealth, had made his family the richest in the realm. His father had long since moved to Augustburg to do the respectable work, and the true reins of House Salt had passed to the eldest son.

”If you’ve nothing to hide, do you dare let us search?” Lora’s tone was light, and a guileless smile played on her face, as if to say: I’ve got a game, want to play?

She had watched five or six retainers charge in, and only one come out supporting Shawn. She guessed the rest had already blocked the back.

”Dare? Why wouldn’t I? Though if you find nothing, I trust House Odenheim will owe me a favor?” Cedric was humoring her, as one does a child. These two, plus a cripple nobody knew, in his eyes they were children indeed.

Cedric Salt was bantering with them as one humors children. These two, plus a disabled youth he didn’t recognize, were, in his eyes, just children.

It wasn’t that he thought the Count’s men wouldn’t dare search his stewhouse. But if he teased them a little and let them poke around, the whole thing would pass, would it not? So much the better.

”No need. House Odenheim has already reported this to the sheriff. I’m the Sheriff, and I will search.”