Chapter 36: On Bended Knee
“Lady Ren, your cousin is outside your door. She’d like to speak with you.”
Amy opened the curtains, and I rubbed my eyes, “I’m awake. Let her in.”
“You aren’t dressed Lady Ren.”
“Lynn has seen me wearing less.”
Amy nodded and walked back to the door to let Lynn into my room. Lynn stepped inside and Amy closed the door behind her.
“Ren, you aren’t even up.”
“You don’t call on my room often. So I assumed it must be important.”
“It is. Amy? I apologize, but can you give us some privacy?” Lynn said.
“Yes, Lady Carolynn. I will wait outside the door.”
I lowered my voice as I shuffled off the bed, “Game talk then?”
She nodded, “Game talk. Wulfric has requested an audience.”
“Okay? Why is that notable?”
I didn’t like where this was going. A feeling of dread crept across me, and my chest tightened.
“We’re in the end game phase now. Remember how he tends to show up without warning? He starts requesting an audience based on the score. He only starts when the player has gained certain scores. You need more than seventy respect with him, and more than one hundred in interest.”
“Weren’t you at fifty respect?”
“Not necessarily. The garden cutscene triggers when you pass fifty points of respect. But it's possible to earn up to twenty-five points at a single event in either interest or respect. I must have been sitting at forty-nine before the cutscene. And then I earned twenty-five in a single move and didn’t notice.”
“Ok. So now what?”
“Now I need to refuse him an audience.”
“Is that a good idea? He doesn’t take rejection well.”
“He doesn’t, but it’s the right move. Each refusal costs me a point of interest but gives me ten points of respect. He sent flowers. I’ll accept the flowers and write a thank you letter for the flowers. This will gain me back five points of interest and one point of respect. That should offset the interest loss from refusing him an audience.”
“Ok. So, not meaning any offense, but why are you waking me up to tell me this? How can I help?”
“The refusal works three times. But I’m already scared to do it. Because you’re right. He doesn’t take rejection well. But this is the move. And I need back up. I need somebody to push me to reject him each time. Otherwise, I’m afraid I will lose my nerve.”
“You realize that you’re asking for the help of the person who is most opposed to you marrying Wulfric?” I asked.
“I know. But you’re the only one who understands the video game logic I’m using. And you’re also my best friend. And that’s why I’m asking you.”
‘And you’re also my best friend.’ Achilles had his heel. Superman had kryptonite. We all have our weaknesses. Mine was Lynn calling me her best friend. I resisted, but there was no escape. I could feel my arm breaking.
I nodded, “I’ll help.”
“Thank you!” Lynn moved to give me a hug and then stopped. She put a finger to her lips. I realized she was staring at my chest.
“Um, Lynn. You haven’t started playing for both teams, have you?” I asked.
“Sorry Ren. Your nightgown doesn’t leave much to the imagination.”
“You wear the same one.” I answered.
“How do you know that?” she stepped back.
“I had a vision of Wulfric breaking into your room, remember? I got an eyeful too.”
“So, you’re flaunting that new body of yours as a way of evening the score, so to speak?” Lynn whispered.
“No, I didn't particularly worry about it. We’ve undressed together so many times. Besides, I’m not the only one with a new body.”
“Mine isn’t new,” Lynn countered, “It’s more like I got an overhaul and a tune up.”
“Okay, fair.” I answered, “I’m glad you’re letting Leon give it a test drive before you sell it to Wulfric at least.”
“Ren, that’s terrible!”
“You started on the car metaphors,” I objected, “In any event. I’ve got your back. Was there anything else? If not, could you send Amy in to help me dress?”
“You mean undress, don’t you?” Lynn grinned.
“Let’s be fair,” I said, “You’ve worn this thing. I don’t need help to undress in this. A strong breeze would steal my modesty.”
“Modesty?”
“As much modesty as this affords, anyway.”
Lynn smiled and exited the room. Amy returned. She closed the door as I sat back down on the bed.
“How are you feeling Ren?”
“Weak. But less weak than previous days.”
"Strong enough for some strenuous exercise?"
"I could be persuaded."
* * *
And so, I provided moral support for Lynn. I reminded her to refuse his requests for an audience. I reminded her to send thank you letters for the flowers. The flowers came more often than the requests for an audience, I noticed.
I had the sense that everything was building to something. Hyperborean sailors on the docks of Myrddhin CIty were getting into fights. There had been several deaths. Fiona had her hands full dealing with the fallout from the fights and the deaths. People were coming and going from father’s study. They dressed well, but their skin was worn and salt scarred and they stank of seal oil. Vincent was helping Fiona. Amy was busier than usual, as the house prepared for Wulfric’s courtship of Lynn to move to the final stage. And I was alone.
Finally, the third request came and went.
“Okay, the next time he requests an audience, you say yes.”
Lynn nodded, “I am so close to winning this.”
I held my tongue. My heart ached. I wanted to cry. But I held my tongue.
It took roughly another week before the fourth request arrived. And this time, as per the plan, Lynn granted Wulfric’s request. Lynn waited for him outside the front door. I waited in my bed chambers, watching from the window. Wulfric arrived by carriage. Lynn waiting outside was unusual, and I suspected that she had something planned.
Wulfric stepped down and exited the carriage. Lynn ran to him. He embraced her as she reached him. This all felt surreal. But, trusting Lynn’s calculations, Wulfric was at one hundred or more points in interest. And Lynn was leaning into her role as the smitten lady. It rankled me to watch. But I didn’t trust Wulfric enough to stop watching. And unlike Lynn, I didn’t trust things to play out like the game. There were too many variables now. Life is like that.
Wulfric ended the embrace and began speaking to Lynn. He paced and made grand gestures. What was he up to? And then he dropped to one knee, and I knew. She had done it. Lynn had reached one hundred points in both interest and respect.
Wulfric had proposed to her.
Lynn clapped her hands and nodded. Wulfric stood and then kissed her. I turned away.
* * *
Lynn didn’t have time to talk to me after that. She advised her father and mother, and then events began to take on lives of their own. The household flew into motion. Lynn’s father made a formal announcement of their betrothal in his role as Baron. My aunt Theresa welcomed Wulfric as a member of the family. Her smile looked forced to me, but she maintained that smile without wavering. Servants ran everywhere.
I did not speak with Lynn until late in the evening. After dinner, she approached me.
“Thank you, Ren. We did it.” Lynn said, wrapping me in a big hug.
“We did,” I said. “Now what?”
“Now I'm getting married. And then I spend my life used and neglected. If I’m lucky, he’ll move on. If he ignores me, I’ll be free to carve out a small life in my new household.”
“What will you do when Hyperborea invades Ys?”
“Ren, this stops that. That’s the point.”
“I hope it does Lynn. But what if it doesn’t. What if your move only delays it? What if, in a month or a year or five years, Hyperborea invades? What will you do?”
Lynn paused and considered, “I will do what I can then as well, I suppose.”
“What if it isn’t even a month from now? I’ve seen evidence of the smuggling that Leon mentioned. And I’ve seen it in our catacombs. Hyperborean soldiers are hiding right under our feet. Waiting for the command. Do you think a royal wedding can stop that?”
“What do you mean, enemy soldiers in the catacombs?”
“I’ve seen them. I’ve seen them in person. And I’ve seen them in my visions.”
“Ren, I’ve watched you lie about your visions to explain your game knowledge so many times already. Don’t try to lie about visions to me. I know where you get your knowledge.”
I scowled, “I do actually get visions you know. I only use my visions as an excuse when I have knowledge from our world that would keep people safe.”
“If you do get visions, then the weakness is real, yes?”
“Yes,” I said. “It is.”
“So how did you make it down and through the catacombs with that weakness?”
“With help from Fiona, Amy, and Vincent, and a lot of near falls.”
“No Ren, one part of that has to be a lie. If you’d had visions, then the weakness should be real, and you shouldn’t be able to make your way into the catacombs. If you made it into catacombs, then you must be lying about the visions.”
“No, you don’t like the implications of what I’m telling you.”
“That’s because you keep telling me the same thing, and it isn’t true. We know that it isn’t, because we’ve beaten the game.”
“Are you expecting that winning the game will take you back to our world? Is that it?” I asked.
“I don’t care about going back to our world. People here would get hurt without me here to do this.”
“Forget that Lynn,” I said, “Get out of here while you still can. Book passage to Agartha or another island. Get away from Wulfric, he’ll kill you. And then he’ll get somebody else. He’s already done it once.”
“No. And you need to stop suggesting that course of action.”
“I can’t.” I said.
“Then I can’t speak with you again until you are willing to do that.”
“Lynn!”
“No. No more. This is my path. I am not turning away at the finishing line. Go away Ren. Don’t talk to me until you’ve purged this topic from your throat.”
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I think it'd be good for Lynn to see Wulfric more often, actually. Ideally as a variety of smears around the city, but slightly larger chunks would work too.
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