In Which Lorn Has a New Dilemma

April 12, 1177

"Your letter said you wouldn't be here for a couple of months."

As Lorn could have predicted, Searle dismissed the claim with a sniff. Typical. "My letter said that I would be here within a couple of months, a stretch of time which--unless you somehow received the letter long before it was even drafted--does include today."

Lorn stared for a minute, then grimaced. He wasn't sure whether it was because Searle was here already or because he was apparently supposed to be drafting his letters. "Right. Anyway, why are you here?" And how did the answer to that question not make it onto any of your drafts?

"Paying my respects to my sister, mainly." Searle closed his eyes and sighed. Lorn let him have the moment; he'd lost a sibling once too. "And then leaving before my mother learns I'm here."

"Yes, well... I won't tell her I saw you until you're halfway back?"

"Give me three quarters, at least." Was that a joke? Did Searle joke? Lorn decided not to risk it. "Anyway. I figured I'd better stop by while I'm here, seeing as you no doubt have some decision to make that you've somehow confused with a problem."

Oh dear God. Had someone told him about Remiel? "Thank you, but I've guided the situation to the most stable stalemate while making progress on the permanent solution."

"I somehow doubt that, but I'm not sure I want to waste time arguing." Then for God's sake, leave!

Not that thinking that ever worked. "You must have something else, though. Still short on knights, I take it?"

Lorn groaned. Searle never forgot a damn thing and as always Lorn was damned for forgetting that. "Perpetually."

"And you still haven't found a husband for your sister?"

"Not any she'd be happy about, anyway."

"Oh?" Searle raised an eyebrow. That was both always and never a good sign and Lorn didn't know what to make of it. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but her only real requirement is a local man, correct?"

Lord sighed. "Yes, but--"

...well I'll be damned.

So much for figuring he'd never see Searle laugh if they both lived to be a thousand and twelve. "Uh... mind letting me in on whatever you find so amusing?"

"My apologies." He allowed himself a few more chuckles, then recomposed, though a smug sort of smile remained. It was probably the closest Searle ever came to looking friendly. "I always manage to forget your lack of mental agility. Anyway... I take it it hasn't occurred to you that there's a simple way to solve both these problems at once?"

Leave it to Searle to point that out. "What gave it away?"

"A rather snide tone to take with the man who just solved both your problems, don't you think?" He gave a funny sort of wink, one that was enough to make Lorn consider leaping forward and clawing those cocky blue eyes out. "Just host a tournament."

"...what?"

"A tournament. Late spring, early summer... whenever the weather is optimal over here."

A tournament. Now it was Lorn's turn to raise the eyebrow. "And how will that solve my problems?"

"Simple. Offer a knighthood to the top however many."

He blinked--more than once. That actually sounded like a decent idea. But what about...? "And how would this involve my sister?"

"Well." That smug face was lit with a smirk that put greedy cats everywhere to shame. "There ought to be a nice bonus for the winner, correct?"

...

"You want me to offer my sister as a tournament trophy?"

"What? No!" Searle's hand waved with all the carefree slack of a mispronounced name or slightly strong tea. Lorn had half a mind to rip it right off of him. "You are showing Rona that you refuse to give her anything less than the man who proves his worth."

"No, I'm pretty sure I'm offering her as a tournament trophy!"

Searle rolled his eyes. God, that strange blue was going to be haunting his nightmares for weeks. "Look. Lorn. Rona told you her only preference was a man in Naroni, correct? Nothing else? She'll be perfectly fine with whoever you choose as long as she gets to stay in Naroni?"

Well... "Yes..."

"Then you're doing her one better." Searle's mouth twitched, probably unused to holding that smile for so long. At least he was trying, Lorn supposed. "Since the winner will be named a Knight of Naroni, he'll have to live in Naroni, so that fulfills Rona's condition. Additionally, he's enough of a man to win a competitive tournament for the hand of a fair lady, meaning that he's both a worthy knight and that he cared enough about winning--and by extension, obtaining the offer of her hand--to do so. Where exactly do you see a problem here?"

Oh dear God. There was nothing he could say. Where oh where was his mother when he needed her?

"You're welcome. There, now you have both those dilemmas resolved and now you can concentrate on your... 'stalemate', was it?" He snickered, like no one had ever been in a tight spot before. "Now, make sure you save me and mine some of the best seats for the tournament, all right? Lord knows it's been far too long since I've witnessed a good bludgeoning."

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