OK, I typed two whole pages less this chapter than the last chapter and still did not make the cutoff. This is going to get frustrating. Anyway, here is the rest of "Keys".
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Kero's eye twitched. "I don't want to know."
"I think it's the mysticism of the Shin'a'in," Te said, coming to table and pulling out the chair next to Kero. "Her exotic looks give her a head start on me."
"You're as Shin'a'in as she is," Kero said, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair. "You're all adopted Tale'sedrin."
"Aiko actually looks Shin'a'in," Dami said around a chunk of meat. "How many redheaded Shin'a'ins have you seen in the Clans?"
"Two, so far," Kero replied tartly.
Dami rolled her eyes. "You know, Te, in all fairness to Aiko, your Firestarting cancels out Aiko's exoticness."
"Nonsense." Aiko stepped through the door and hung up her own cold weather gear. She opted out of the stew, since she had eaten at the Collegium and went for a mug of hot cider instead. "Te's Firestarting cancels out my actually looking Shin'a'in, but I have far more going for my exoticness than that." Today, Aiko's braids were a stark white, which meant she had something to do at the Court earlier. Aiko had discovered early that the same chemicals that were used on Whites to keep them white also took the color out of her hair. Ever since, she had bleached out locks of her hair and used the bright dyes she got from the Clans to turn those same locks into startling streaks of color. She only left them white when she was forced to look somewhat conservative. "Well, word has been officially released."
"Is that why you actually almost look like a Herald this evening?" Te's words were sharp. Kero raised an eyebrow, prepared to step in and end the fight before it could start, but Aiko mimed being struck in the chest by a dagger.
"Ouch, sister-mine! So sharp! What happened?"
Te grumbled and ran a hand through her sleek hair, bracing an elbow on the table. "Nothing. You were saying?"
It was Aiko's turn to raise an eyebrow.
We'll have to dig into that later, Acacia thought and turned to pester Aiko as well.
"Come on, Aiko, don't leave us hanging."
"The Ice Festival Ball will be in two nights. Start choosing your escorts, ladies, because the competition is already fierce."
"Tell me about it," Te grumbled, concentrating on her stew.
Aiko abruptly sat straight. "Don't tell me that Geryl…"
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Well," Adelie said briskly, breaking the silence that fell after Te's comment. "Cacie, we need to get you a dress worthy of catching a Herald."
"I don't need a dress."
"You'll just shine up your armor and do your best to look like a seductress?"
Dami perked up at Adelie's words. "I could add some brightwork to your armor, Cacie, something really fanciful."
"I was being sarcastic, Dami," Adelie replied.
"Oh." Dami turned back to her bowl, twiddling with her spoon.
"Very smooth, Adie," Acacia shot back while Andreya frowned at Adelie, thoughts obviously clicking along behind opaque eyes.
"Sorry, Dami," Adelie tossed out and rode over Dami's muttered forgiveness. "Cacie, we're going to the dressmaker tomorrow, and that's that."
"Speaking of fierce competition," Kero said, drawing everyone's attention. "We all know what Herald Derrick's job is." Her eyes fixed on Acacia until Acacia nodded. "It would be an understatement to say that if Derrick is connected to Acacia and Acacia is connected to me, things could go badly. Therefore, I would like a minimum of gossip about their relationship. And don't any of you look innocently at me like that. The five of you," Kero's gaze took in Dami, Aiko, Te, Acacia and Adelie, "are some of the worst gossips at Court."
"Yes, Auntie Kero," they chorused obediently.
"Cacie, I do not want you to go out in public with Derrick ever again. I trust you to use your discretion on where and when you can meet."
Acacia was temped to argue, but knew there was nothing behind Kero's reasons other than Derrick's safety. "Yes, Auntie Kero."
"Good. Now," Kero said, turning to Te. "Who is Geryl, and what did he do?"
Te sat back in her chair and crossed her arms across her stomach, avoiding Kero's eyes. Aiko sat forward.
"Geryl is a courtier, some lord's younger son. He was trying to get into my breeches all last winter, but, fortunately for me, I got sent on Circuit."
"I take it he is not up to your standards, Aiko?" Kero's voice was calm.
"Hardly. He gave me a bad feeling, so I avoided him. I didn't get a chance to warn Te before I left. Cacie and I got home to find out that Te and Geryl were giving her mattress a workout. I talked to Te about it, but she told me I was wrong, because she had never had a man treat her better. I put my bad feelings off to my overactive imagination. Now, here we sit."
"Te?" Kero's voice was soft.
"I…" Te's voice was suspiciously choked. "I thought he might have been The One. You know, like you and Uncle Eldan?" Kero nodded. "Before, I only passed some time with Heralds, just friendly companionship. Geryl…he paid attention to me. He listened to what I said, he was smart and nice. I didn't understand why Merlyn disliked him so much." Kero swore and closed her eyes. "I came back from the party last night. We were all a little tipsy last night," she said with a shaky laugh. "I thought, too bad for Geryl, I'm going to be sleeping very hard tonight. So, I stopped by his rooms to tell him so. I didn't think about it, just opened the door and stepped in, like usual. And there he was. With Maya."
"Oh, my." Aiko covered her mouth with one hand.
"Geryl tried to put it off, like it was nothing. Of course, there aren't too many explanations for having a naked woman in your arms. Especially when the naked woman was a Herald, who promptly stood up and punched him. I think she broke his nose."
"Good," Kero muttered darkly.
"I left and Maya followed me. She told me she had no idea that I had been with him, which she wouldn't because I kept the gossip about it down. She apologized and left. He came to my door about a candlemark later."
"Did he try something, Te?" Kero's voice was sharp.
"He tried to tell me it was my fault, for expecting him to be with only one woman. After all, he was surrounded by temptation. I found out this morning that he had entered into marriage negotiations last night as well. That just put the top on it. I was the woman he cheated with! The other woman! I used to tell myself that, while I may enjoy men quite frequently, I had good taste and I never tried to tempt men that were with another woman. Then I turn around, and I'm the Other Woman."
Te stood, pushing her chair back, the legs gouging against the wood floor, and instinctively began walking in the direction of her old room, only to remember it was now occupied. She turned to Kero, eyes begging, and Kero pointed to the room she shared with Eldan. Te made good on her escape, gently closing the door behind her.
When she was safely behind closed doors, Kero turned back to favorite gossips.
"Info?"
"A real bad boy," Aiko put in. "The woman he entered into marriage negotiations with last night was none other than Lady Emilia," she went on, naming the daughter of a prominent nobleman. "If we really want to get some revenge, we should screw up the negotiations."
Acacia shook her head. "Too extreme. He hurt our sister, but arranging for the negotiations to fail could have political effects."
Dami was sitting in her corner looking suspiciously innocent. Kero knew that look. "Dami? Do you have anything to add?"
"Depends on how much you want to embarrass him."
Kero grinned. "Humiliations galore."
"It seems that dear Geryl is quite the playboy. In fact, he tells every woman he loves her, and to prove it, gives her a key to his suite."
Aiko's jaw dropped. "That's it. I'm becoming a Smith-Mage. You get all the good gossip!"
Adelie was lost. "How does that help us?"
Kero grinned and leaned back in her chair. "None, unless we happen to know his schedule."
"Usual Court schedule, except he takes a two candlemark break every afternoon to 'wander the Market'," Aiko supplied.
"Perfect. Andreya, how good are you at forgery?"
Andreya smirked. "I wouldn't be much of a professional if I couldn't do it."
"Good. Here's what we'll do…"