This just made Tor laugh more.
Pel made a disgruntled noise, but he said, “We were lucky you were here.”
“The embankment was nearly enough,” Tor pointed out.
Pel shot him a scathing look. “I don’t think ‘nearly’ counts when it comes to flooding.”
“It sounded better in my head,” Tor agreed.
Pel’s face softened, and he laughed. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to snap. I’ve been asking the King for several years to invest in the embankments, but he hasn’t been listening.”
“I’d be happy to explain what happened today,” Tor offered.
Pel’s smile stiffened. “He would probably listen better if it came from you.”
Tor made a face. “Oh, I didn’t mean—”
Grimacing, Pel said, “No. Sorry. Again. That was particularly ungracious of me, and I know it’s not what you meant. The truth is that itwouldbe better coming from you—not a recommendation, mind, because he doesn’t like those, but something that lets him think that it’s his idea. I mean—”
Tor shook his head, cutting him off. “Nope, I totally get it. I have a brother who thinks he’s never wrong. He is, in fact, right most of the time. But that makes it extra hard to try to prove him wrong. Sometimes you have to present things in just the right way, right?”
Pel laughed. “Yes, something like that.”
They arrived back at the castle, soaked and dirty. The stable hands gaped at them.
“What happened to you?” one of them wanted to know.
“Embankment burst,” Tor said.
The young woman’s eyes widened with alarm.
“It’s all right,” Pel hastened to add. “The High Prince was able to catch the water in a shield and push it back to its course until the rest of us could brace the embankment. Should be stronger than ever, and I think the rain is actually lessening, finally.”
Tor hadn’t really noticed, being so wet already, but now that Pel mentioned it, it was more of a drizzle than a downpour, and the clouds seemed a little bit lighter and not quite so ominous.
The stable hand insisted on being the one to take care of the horses, and Tor was really too unpleasantly wet to put up much of a fight. Pel seemed equally unwilling to argue, and they made their way inside, Tor now horribly aware of just how much he was squelching.
They headed first for the barracks, where Pel shared the news about the embankment and asked for two dozen volunteers to patrol and stay down there, working with the farmers and villagers to inspect and be ready to brace any other areas of the embankment quickly.
“Those of you who are Illustrious would be especially useful if you think you can Mantle the embankment if needed.”
The request was made without tone of any kind, and Tor was glad to see that no matter what Pel felt about magic and how he was treated, when it counted, he was willing to use every advantage.
“Don’t overextend yourselves,” Tor added. “It was a tremendous amount of water when the embankment burst. But if you’re willing to Mantle a section of the embankment even for a few minutes at a time, that will give it a bit of a break. Or if there’s an area that needs repair, it could give the workers precious minutes to finish. But make sure there’s a runner who can get back to me quickly if needed.”
They gave nods of understanding, looking at him with even more awe and respect in their eyes than they usually showed, and then they bundled up before heading out into the rain.
Just inside the doors, someone was waiting for them. They had a long scar down the side of their face, but they weren’t dressed like a guard.
“Tramili,” Pel said, sounding relieved. “Make sure everyone knows no one was hurt.”
He went on to explain about the embankment and ask for baths, as well as give permission for anyone who lived near the river to go home to check on family or friends.
“Certainly, Your Highness.” Tramili sounded completely unruffled by the near disaster.
Tor realized, suddenly, that almost no one called Pel by his title here.
They continued, “I’ll ensure that there’s a schedule. Thank you for the update.”
