Chapter (13) XIII: The Ipet-Mau

We got home late, and unfortunately, we couldn't fool around. Meryl had an early meeting with more diplomats from Kordku, shoring up our defenses. Babrycg supplied many of our weapons, and with them seceding, we were left to the City of Labyrinths to provide replacements for us. When I got back to my bed, the white cat was waiting for me in my bed. She watched me cross the room unblinkingly. "You hungry?"

The cat padded out of the bed and brushed against me, purring loudly. Before getting to bed, I'd just raid the kitchen quickly. A snack for myself and my apparent new feline friend. She trailed slightly behind me as I made my way there. There were still a few workers there. One of them looked up at me and then down at the cat.

"Good evening, m'lord. Can we help you with something?" One of the cooks asked. I smiled at them.

"Sorry to disturb you so late, Mrs. Johnson. I was wondering if there were any leftovers for me and my friend here." The elderly woman looked at the cat and then at me.

"Sire, we can't serve you leftovers. You're the Queen's..." She paused and leaned in, "What are you to the queen again, exactly?"

"Oh," I whispered, leaning in confidingly. "I'm just a blacksmith she had brought to the castle to take care of all these swords."

She frowned at my words, considering. "You expect me to believe she lets you wander the halls and stand next to her, have dinner with her, the queen of the land so that you can take care of her swords."

"She does have a lot of swords," I replied, smiling. "Why? What did you think I was doing here? Did you think I was her lover or something?"

"Oh, no, lord," she blustered, waving her hand. "I'd never be so presumptuous as to think that our queen would ever... So, some leftovers for you and your cat."

"I don't know that she's my cat, but yes," I replied. It was obvious that the rumors spreading throughout the castle were precisely that. People would find out that I was her lover sooner or later. And with the way I had been flitting about between Carmella and Emilia, I imagined the rumors would not be limited to just Meryl. I might cause them trouble if we're not more careful. Truth be told, I didn't want to be more cautious. I wanted the world to know. But that seemed unwise for the moment. There were many political elements that I needed to be equipped to understand to not embarrass all of the women in my life. Mrs. Johnson handed me two plates, one with some loose meat and the other with a small sandwich. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, dearie. Don't get into any more sword fights now. I'm sure the Queen, Lady First Knight, and Miss Emilia, not to mention your poor puss here, would be very upset." I stiffened at the older woman's eyes. "After all, you have lots of swords to take care of."

"O-of course." I made my way quickly away, heading back to my room. I passed Lady Carmella on the way there and she stopped me.

"Blacksmith, it was fun patrolling with you. You might consider joining the guard more often. It'd teach you valuable discipline." She muttered a little stiffly. The cat sniffed at her ankle, and she leaned down to pet it. It sniffed her fingers, then let her pet it.

"I'll consider it," I said, knowing I wasn't going to. "But I was wondering, would you want to go out on a non-work related outing? Just the two of us. Maybe dinner or a play or something?"

"What's her name?" Carmella asked, changing the subject.

"She hasn't told me yet. Not a big talker, this one," I said, smiling at her. "So, what about a date?"

"I'm afraid I have little time for non-work related events, blacksmith." She looked up at me from her knees. "Why?"

"Because... I don't know. I want to get to know you more. Test out my feelings a little bit more." This was a lie. Well, half a lie. I did want to spend more time with her, but I didn't need to test out my feelings. I adored her. And it would take a miracle to change that. Literally, divine intervention on a grand scale. I would've never predicted that, all that time ago, when she dragged me from my village and beat me up every day on the way to the capital. I resented her so much at first. Now I was grateful to have her in my life.

"Mm." She responded cryptically. "Well, I fear I don't have all that much time for recreation."

"Meaning you purposefully won't take time off for it."

"Meryl and Bayfield need me, blacksmith. I can't laze about reading and flirting with the maids all day like you can," she shot back.

"That's... fair. I've not had so much time to relax before, and I've been too willing to take it."

"I didn't mean it like that, Johann. Just that..."

"No, no, you're right. But you also need some off-time. More than just fooling around. What if I join you on patrol and we bring along a lunch. Just us. I'll make it myself."

"Can you even cook? You could barely do anything when we were traveling here."

"I can absolutely cook. There's just not much I can do with meat sticks and grain that's been in your pack for six months." She smirked at me.

"Alright, blacksmith. We'll see what you got. But just because you're bringing along food doesn't mean we'll go easy on you. You'll be expected to actually patrol. Not just dick around."

"After you taste my food, I think you'll want to dick around with me. At least a little," I said. Then hesitated, adding, "First Knight Lady Carmella."

"I'll know if you try to pass off the castle staff's food as your own, blacksmith," she replied, grinning.

"It's amazing that you can stab at my heart even when you don't have your sword." She stood straight and revealed that she did, in fact, have her sword tied into her nightgown.

"You'll learn to never leave your weapons around, Johann. If you learn nothing else from me, you'll never forget. Get some rest. I expect this meal tomorrow." I nodded and made my way back to my room. It was still empty. Emilia has been a little more standoffish than usual. I wonder if I did something to offend her. I set down the cat's meal and ate my own, finishing it quickly, mulling over my wonderings. I should take her out too.

I got up before dawn the next day and returned to the kitchen, leaving the cat behind to snooze. When I got to the kitchen, Mrs. Johnson was already there, walking around stiffly, already prepping food. A lot of the same kitchen staff from the night before were. "Oh, m'lord. Do you and your puss need another snack?"

I ignored the snickers from the kitchen staff. It's all in good fun, I thought, but that didn't stop the blush from creeping up on my face. "No, actually, I was wondering if you had any extra fixings. I'm going to help out the First Knight on patrol today or try to, and I kind of talked up my cooking skills. So, she's expecting something. I don't need much in the way of space. Just some stuff and maybe a stovetop for a little while."

"Oh, honey. We can make you food. You don't need to bother your soft hands with any of that." I blinked and looked down at my hands. There were knicks and cuts that scarred both of them. But the calluses were starting to fade. I shook my head, trying to dispel my self-doubt and the loathing that had built up from my apparent laziness.

"What if I give you all a few gold for the trouble? I'll stay out of your way and prep something quick and easy." The women looked at each other, then nodded. I took out some gold and gave them each three a piece. A little expensive, but worth it. Mrs. Johnson shook her head and pocketed it, muttering something I couldn't quite catch under her breath. I took some eggs, cheese, sausage, and a little flour and forged some simple sandwiches. The women all watched me. I took off one of the knives, cut through some lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers, and grilled a little chicken. I frowned at their knife and then started examining it. I looked through the rest of their blades, scowling at them.

"Something wrong, sweetie?" Mrs. Johnson asked over my shoulder. I shrugged and returned to my salads, packing some dressing on the side.

"You should ask for some new knives."

"These work fine, hon," she said simply.

"O-of course."

"M'lord, if you have a thought, you need not hold it here. But I can't imagine with your skills, you know what you're talking about."

"These were once a fine set, but they're dull, and the metal is fragile. A dull knife is dangerous. A brittle knife can cost a finger. That could lead to an infection. Seen a few good people go that way. I'd prefer that not happen to you."

"And you think you know knives better than us?" She said, hands on her hips.

"Maybe not, but I know metal better than you," I responded, meeting her eye.

"An' how do you figure that?"

"Because I'm a blacksmith."

"You're a lord. Can't have been much of a blacksmith."

"I'm not a lord. I'm just a pet blacksmith to the Queen and her circle. That's it." I replied, deflating.

"You've had dinner with the Queen. I don't know any blacksmith that's done that."

"I guess that's true," I conceded, sighing. I packed up the two meals and headed out. "I'm sorry. I do not doubt your capability. But I do know knives. I spent a decade and a half making them. Please be careful."

"Thought you made swords," one of the women in the back said.

"It's... That's a more recent development. Mostly I used to do household items. Knives, axes, horseshoes, things like that."

"Don't worry about us, m'lord," Mrs. Johnson emphasized her title for me. "You just stay safe out there."

I went out and met Carmella. She already had her armor on and was walking out of her room. Emilia quietly passed behind her and smiled at me softly before rushing off. I offered her one of the biscuit sandwiches I had made. A simple meal that was quick and easy. A little sweet, with the syrup, poured into the biscuit. She looked at it and at me. I was wearing my sword and dagger but not my armor. I hate that armor so much. She took the sandwich and started on her way. I followed her. She made quick work of it but didn't say anything after it had disappeared.

We gathered up some horses and rode out to the city. It was huge, especially compared to the small village I was used to working in. We stopped by the guard station. They saluted at the First Knight as we walked through. Their eyes fell on me and then passed over quickly. They didn't even really fully register I was here. At least not until I got to the captain, almost bumping into Carmella. She motioned for me to stand by her side, and I did so. "Captain, how're things?"

"Simply hell, ma'am," a gruff, gray-haired woman said. She eyed me. "Ever since that fool boy Meryl took in riled up the Babryckians, we've been struggling to keep things under lock and key. They're getting bolder. Who's the fish?"

"This is Johann, That fool boy Meryl took in," Lady Carmella said, grinning at me. The woman blanched and cleared her throat.

"I'm sorry, my lor-"

"It's fine," I said, offering a placating hand. "I know I've made your life harder, and I'm sorry for that. Is there anything I can do to help?"

She eyed me for a long time. "You're not exactly what I expected. You beat a blademaster?"

"Beat is relative," I added, my gaze faltering. "He was angry. I was less angry. He got clouded and made a few mistakes, and I got lucky."

"You're here, and he isn't," the captain offered. "But they don't make blademasters like they used to."

"He's quite skilled, considering." The First Knight cut in. I sank down a little lower. Considering. I never thought I would have to wield a sword, but now I'm disappointed that I'm not better at it. She put her hand on my shoulder, and I looked up at her. "He did absolutely get lucky against the blademaster, but as you stated, he's still here."

"Well, if you're here, there have been some suspicious reports downtown. People moving things. My men were wrapped up in the celebrations and haven't had the chance to look." The captain looked to the First Knight and asked, "Think you could look into it?"

"Of course, captain. We're on it." Carmella guided me away, and we got back on our horses and rode downtown. I was silent the way there. We circled the entire area several times but didn't see anything suspicious. But we were obviously pretty conspicuous. Carmella in her full plate armor, freshly polished. All the scratches and dents had been buffed out, and it looked new.

It was a peaceful little jaunt, and we took breaks and got the horses water. Carmella actually cooed over her horse, petting it. I watched the tall, strong woman melt over the horse, leaning into her touch. I couldn't help but smile at that. At around midday, I broke out our salads and forks. She took it and ate it quietly, watching me. We found a small park somewhere. No one else was really around, so I sat a little closer to her and leaned against her. Given her armor, it wasn't incredibly comfortable, but she pressed back into me.

"Your meal wasn't as astounding as you made it out to be," she muttered softly. "Certainly not enough to get me to want to dick around with you."

"Yeah, I didn't know what to make so that it could travel well," I replied, laughing. "So, I went very simple. Should've known better than to try and compete with the kitchen staff."

"I didn't say it was bad. Simple is good. It's what I should be more used to."

"Why should you be more used to that than the regular meals at the palace?"

"I'm not from that world."

"More so than I am," I countered. She looked at me. "You're the First Knight. Lady Carmella. The Queen's first in so many ways. You belong there more than anyone."

She wrapped an arm around me. "You belong there, too, Johann. She wants you there. So does Em."

"What about you?"

"I'm getting used to the idea," she said, cracking a smirk. "Maybe after a few more simple meals, I'll be putty in your hands, just like Meryl."

I tried to picture it and started laughing. "No. Let's not have that."

"You don't want to control me?" She asked, sobering some.

"No. Why would I want to control you? You're amazing."

"I thought all men wanted a waifish wife that would listen to everything he said." I laughed, pressing my face into her armor and patting the hard metal. She watched me, a small smile transforming her face. She was beautiful when she smiled. She was always gorgeous, but this was my favorite. I smiled up at her.

"No, not at all. At least not me. I'm sure some men are dumb enough to want that. But I just want the people I lo-... The people I care about to be around and to be happy. I want them to love me, but I feel like loving me and listening to me aren't the same thing. Hell, they may be diametrically opposed."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, if y'all had listened to me, I wouldn't be here. I'd be home, wondering what could've been. Or maybe dead, as I tried to fight my way back. Home."

"That would be a shame," she said, staring out. "That's the second time you've almost said it. Maybe the third. Is it that important that I know?"

"It's important that all of you know. Mainly because I didn't think it was possible anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"In my old age," I began. She snorted, shaking her head. "I had gotten cynical. I just assumed that I'd remain single. None of the girls in the village or those passing through could hold my interest for more than a few nights."

"And now you have four women insisting on your presence."

"Four? You, Meryl, and Emilia."

"And the cat." I frowned at that.

"But... It's a cat. She's a nice cat. Really friendly. But I fed her. That's just how cats are."

"Mm," was her entire response. She got up. "I think it's time we got back."

We rode back to the castle and put up the horses. Carmella spent some extra time brushing out the horse, and after that, she dragged me to the training grounds to run through every form she'd taught me up to that point. She was relentless, pushing my defenses when we sparred after the practice. I could keep up with her out of the armor. And I was thankful I didn't have to wear it right now. Well, I thought I could keep up with her. When I had blocked her and riposted a few times, she sped up, struck faster, and slammed me into the ground with the blunt of her sword. I frowned, picking myself up off the dirt floor and dusting myself off. Emilia and Meryl entered the courtyard, and I greeted them, wiping sweat from my brow. They looked at me somberly. "Johann. We need to talk."

"Talk? Okay. What's going on? Is everything okay?" I asked, closing the distance.

"Why did you knowingly bring a spy into the kingdom?"

"A-a spy? What are you talking about?"

"The Ipet-Mau. Why did you bring her into the castle?"

"What in the hells is an Ipet-Mau!?" I demanded. They both straightened and looked at each other. I waited for an answer.

"Follow us." I did so, Carmella in tow. She still had her sword in her hand and didn't put it away until I got to my room. When we got there, the cat was lying on my bed, sleeping softly.

"What's happening? I thought you said that I had le-" The cat bounded off of the bed and tried to escape, but Emilia spoke in that same strange language she had when we were in her room, gesturing to the cat. Her eyes glowed brightly for a moment, and the cat froze in place. I panicked and dashed to the cat, looking back at both of them. "What did you do?"

"Hold Person," Emilia responded simply. I frowned at her.

"But she's a cat. How can Hold Person stop a cat?" I demanded.

"Because, Johann, she's not just a cat. She's an Ipet-Mau."

"I don't know what an Ipet-Mau is!" I exclaimed, anger burning in my voice. "What is happening?"

I met the cat's eyes; she looked scared and like she wanted to run. Meryl closed the distance between us, leaning over. "The Ipet-Mau are cat people from the main continent."

"I've met Tabaxi. She's big for a house cat, but she's not a Tabaxi. They always try to drink me under the table and make deals with me."

"She's not a Tabaxi," Emilia agreed. Then she directed her attention to the cat, speaking to it like it was a person, "But she's also not a cat. I'm going to let you go. Just transform and explain yourself. Explain what you want. You can't escape. Not with the four of us here."

"What are you tal-" I started, but I saw the cat begin to change out of the corner of my eye. I turned to her and watched her grow. Her fur faded to just around her head, leaving a long braid of white hair resting easily on her back. Her paws grew into long, delicate fingers that still ended in sharp, lacquered nails. Under the fading fur was tan skin, maybe a shade or two darker than Emilia's. She was wearing strange armor, a shirt that revealed her shoulders and ended just below her navel, with metal plates sewn onto the tunic and an unarmored skirt split to show her muscular thighs. I saw several daggers, a shortsword, and a rapier at her waist. I backed up from her, grasping for my own weapons. She glanced up and had the same bright, blue eyes with no whites at all. Just sky blue split in two by her thin slit of a pupil. Her eyelids were made up in thick eyeliner pointing at an angle as sharp as any dagger she carried, and her lips were marked with dark red lipstick. She looked hurt by my pulling out a weapon. And even more so when I yelled, "What the fuck is happening?"