Chapter 41: Having Friends in High Places Was Very Beneficial

“Signs for Lycée?” Tori raised a brow as she stood outside the doors of Lions Gate High Street, speaking to Headmaster Laurent, who just finished putting in his order for an Axton Spring Trench.

The man nodded, enthusiastically. “Yes, where did you have them made? It would be good to have some that say ‘Lycée du Soleil’ for next year's competition.”

“There really isn’t a specific store that makes them,” Tori said. “We arranged for our usual workshop to sew letters onto fabric. It was a commissioned order.”

Headmaster Laurent pursed his lips. “Was there anything specific that was needed?”

“The banner cloth should be relatively stiff, otherwise the center will fall over easily unless someone is holding it up behind it. I suggest a sturdy canvas,” Tori told him. “Of course, the thicker the material, the heavier it is. That is something to think about since one would carry it. I also suggest that at least two people hold it up.”

“I see....” Headmaster Laurent rubbed his bearded chin. “After seeing your signs the last few days, I have no doubt that the other schools will make their own when the time comes. I want to be prepared.”

“We also have to consider that when the signs are held, the people in the row behind it won’t be able to see the field,” Tori said. “The larger the sign, the more people it will block.” That was a major reason she and Ilyana bought out the row behind them. She'd been to games and events in her original world where the people in front of her had signs that blocked her view half the time. For her, it was not worth being there if she couldn't enjoy actually being there.

“I still would like to have some sort of sign next year. This will give me something to think about. Thank you, Miss Guevera.” The headmaster chuckled as his eyes crinkled up. “The other schools were quite envious of the signs, you know. What gave you the idea to make them?”

Tori looked past him, towards a wooden table under the awning of neighboring La Lumiere, where Sonia was leaning back against her chair while drinking coffee and JP ate a pastry while talking to their friends.

“I just wanted to let my friends know that I support them,” Tori said. Headmaster Laurent turned to follow her gaze and mirrored her proud smile.

“To make it into the top three her first year and for Mr. Vissage to make it into the top ten; they far exceeded everyone’s expectations. We are incredibly lucky to have them at Lycée du Soleil.”

Tori nodded in agreement. The twins dominated the target run. A thousand points were possible each round, provided all twenty arrows were used and all on fifty-point targets, which were moving. JP’s best of three was 882 and Sonia got the highest score of 958. The third best was only in the 700’s.

Tori and the others had been on the edge of their seats, their eyes glued on the figures of their friends as their horses seemed to run around the ring on their own, leaving the twins to fire arrows into the targets at will. At one point, Sonia stunned the crowd by almost hanging off her saddle to get far enough back to take a shot at a moving target. To make it even more impressive, her hat didn't fall off.

When her arrow hit it, Tori and Ilyana started screaming at the top of their lungs, nearly dropping Sonia’s sign in the process. When her score was announced, they saw Sonia let out a yell and raise her arms in the air.

After the awards ceremony at the end of the event, Sonia and JP joined the other participants for a large gala dinner, so Tori and the others couldn’t see them until this morning, when the sleepy twins arrived. Tori had them sit at one of the reserved tables in front of La Lumiere, which she rented out for the day again to provide guests select drinks and pastries for their spring and summer release.

There were more people than when they had the grand opening and Tori saw many new faces, and some she’d seen at the evening party and the luncheon. She had strategically set up Piers at one of the reserved tables between Lions Gate and La Lumiere, and sent various people in his direction.

However, she did pay attention to the crowd around him and told Axton that if Piers began to grow overwhelmed, to take him around the back alley and into the back room of the store to rest. Surprisingly, Axton didn’t seem to need to do so.

The two square tables pushed together could seat eight people, at most, and since they opened in the morning, there had been a steady stream of older men and women coming to greet Piers and listen to him talk. The first prince looked to be in his element discussing the recent ordinances passed with a small crowd. Tori also stuffed her calming energy emitting amethyst in Piers’ pocket.

She, Henrik, and Ilyana had been playing hosts all day; taking turns welcoming people into the store and sometimes leading them around to show them the latest items. All of them were wearing some version of one of the garments to help attract attention and so far, the interest was great, and the orders were coming in.

The trio also took turns having lunch outside, at the table where the twins, Ewan, and Albert were seated. While they were lingering around the shop for the entire day, they were all going to go out to eat for dinner at a restaurant overlooking the plaza, both celebrating Sonia and JP’s success at the competition and the Lions Gate release.

Tori’s eyes moved towards the clock tower across the plaza and sighed. There were a few more hours to go until they closed. She turned back to the store. The guards were letting people in only when people left, so as not to make the inside crowded and difficult to move through.

The line was manageable and servers from La Lumiere came by to offer small bowls of frozen coffee custard or strawberry gelato. As the sunlight got closer and closer to the line, Tori could see those guests, mostly well-to-do women, and their maids, trying to get under the shade of the awning. She was worried this would happen.

Tori quietly slipped away and went around the alley. Another guard was on duty by the back door and let her in. Once inside, Tori went to find Ilyana.

“Where are the parasols?” she asked.

“Is the sun hitting the front?” Ilyana craned her neck to look through the windows. “Oh dear.”

“It’s getting quite warm, too,” Tori said. “We should bring them out and offer it to them.”

Ilyana nodded and she led Tori towards the back room to gather a half dozen white parasols with colorful flower embroidery along the edges and from the end tip. They went back around the alley to get to the front of the building.

“Hello, thank you for coming today,” Tori said as she reached the end of the line, where the sun hit hardest. “I apologize for the wait. Would you like to borrow one of our parasols?”

The guests immediately broke out with a smile and nodded. Tori opened a parasol and handed it to a guest or their servant to hold. Several guests complimented the embroidery and Tori nudged Ilyana.

“The embroidery is done in the delta by villagers from the eastern border,” Ilyana said, launching into a sales pitch she and Tori practiced. “Their embroidery is unique to their region and quite elaborate. The edges of this parasol are accented with lacework from their region. We plan to sell parasols, shawls, fans, and handkerchiefs with embroidery and lacework of the villagers here in the coming months.”

Tori watched the reaction of the guests as a few took closer looks at the embroidery and lace work. Ilyana had purchased raw materials and plain parasols to test out embroidery at the delta and see what items would look good to sell. Knowing that there would be many people coming to the release, she and Tori gathered a few select items to try to show off and attract attention.

Ilyana kept the lace-edged parasol to show potential customers as Tori lent out the remaining ones. She then rushed back inside to get another and a few more sample items.

“To be honest, Madam Galanos, I always like to match accessories,” Tori said, holding up the samples. “So, if it were me, I would get matching embroidery patterns on both a shawl and a handkerchief or fan.”

“The parasol’s embroidery floss is cotton, which is more durable, but for more delicate items, such as handkerchiefs, they will be using spider silk,” Ilyana told another woman. “It will, of course, be dyed to match.”

The two roommates could feel the heat of the sun against them as they showed off the items. Tori glanced at Ilyana and saw her friend with sweat starting to glisten at her temples.

“We can tell you more inside,” Tori said, suddenly. “We’ll lay out some samples by the counter and once you’re ready, please come and take a look.”

She quietly took Ilyana’s arm and led her away, using the last parasol with the lace edge to put shade over herself and Ilyana as they walked to the table with their friends. Albert rose to pull over two extra chairs, but Tori waved her hand.

“I’ll be back later. I’m going to bring these back inside and find a place on the counter,” she said. She motioned for Ilyana to sit. “Take a rest. Ewan, get her something to drink.”

“Okay.” He dutifully rose to put in an order.

“You’re not going to rest?” Sonia asked as she looked up.

“I need to put the embroidery work on display inside,” Tori said. She frowned. “We should’ve done that earlier. Once it’s set, I’ll come out. Ewan! Order me a coffee with milk!”

He nodded from the doorway of the cafe before entering. Tori circled around the side of the building and once she was inside the store, she went to the counter and began to set out a few sample pieces. Ilyana had already told Manager Dolores about the embroidery and the items they had out were just samples and should not be sold.

She walked back out and stopped by Piers’ table, noting his empty bowl. “Did you want another one?” she asked as she stood beside him. She glanced at Axton, who sat at Pier’s side. “Axton?”

“What’s the pink one?” Axton asked as he looked towards the line, where few guests were eating something pink from the small bowls.

“A sort of strawberry flavored frozen milk. Want to try?”

He gave her a nod and Tori looked back at Piers. He gently pushed his little bowl forward. “I want another custard.”

“All right,” Tori said. She went to the cafe to let a server know before going to sit with her friends. She reached into her pocket and took out a small slip of paper. With her hot cup of coffee in front of her, Tori carefully charged the charm and slapped it against the cup. Her friends watched as soft crackling came from inside.

Tori took her spoon and quickly began to stab at the freezing drink to break up the ice before the entire thing solidified. She made sure not to overcharge the charm in order to keep from freezing her drink solid upon impact. In the end, she had a slushie consistency and removed the charm.

She took a sip and relished the partially frozen treat. Ewan looked down at his cup and quietly pushed it forward. “Tori....”

She looked over the rim of her mug. She raised a brow. “Who else wants to try?” Four more hands rose, and Tori sighed. “Let’s get new cups....”

Tori continued to enjoy her frozen coffee as she watched her friends fight the freezing charm and break up the coffee by stabbing at the drink with their spoons. The table shook and several people watched with curiosity and confusion as five teenagers mixed their drinks with single-minded focus.

“Oh...that’s nice when it’s warm out,” JP said as he leaned back and grinned. “It’s more of a dessert now.”

“I’m not complaining,” Sonia said. “Thanks, Tori.”

“Thanks, Tori!” the others chorused.

“Welcome.” Tori grinned. She finished off her drink and stood up to go back to the store. She wandered around the narrow shop, greeting people, and answering questions. She saw another familiar face looking over the embroidery work by the counter and approached her with a smile. “Good afternoon, Madam Guthry.”

“Lady Tori!” The woman’s face lit up as she saw her. “How is the release going?”

“Very well, at least I like to think so,” Tori said. “Have you picked up your orders already?”

“I have,” Madam Guthry told her. “We’ve already had them brought back to our carriage, but I couldn’t help but take another look around.”

“Did the Prime Minister join you today?” Tori asked.

The woman chuckled and looked towards the window. “He did, but he saw His Highness Prince Piers outside discussing something and went to take a look.”

Tori’s smile widened. “I hope he was able to find a seat. His Highness has been out there all day and whenever I look over, all the seats are taken,” she said. “Since you are here, have you had a chance to look at the embroidery?”

“I have.” Madam Guthry looked back at the samples Manager Dolores gave her. “I was told that these were done by the villagers at the delta. Are they the refugees you were assigned to resettle?”

Tori inwardly cringed. “I take it Madam has heard about my Lycée project.”

Madam Guthry looked at her with some pity. “It seems to be the topic in most circles recently: a first-year student was given the task of resettling refugees from the war front. I didn’t know it was you until my husband told me.” She gave Tori a worried expression. “How are you handling it? It is a large task for anyone, let alone someone your age with no prior experience.”

Tori forced a small smile. “I am doing what I can, Madam Guthry. I didn’t want this project at first, for the reasons you mentioned: it is a large, complicated task and I’m so young and inexperienced, but I don’t feel I can ignore so many lives in need of help. I am learning as I go and thankfully, I am receiving a lot of guidance.”

“That’s good to hear,” Madam Guthry said. “I feel like many students wish to do everything by themselves, but the more complex the task, the more assistance is often needed.”

Tori narrowed her eyes a bit. “Is Mr. Guthry insistent on managing his project on his own?” She thought it was quite do-able, to an extent, but he’d still need to source instructors and trainers. She doubted Dimitri would be able to teach others how to do jobs he himself has never done before.

The older woman let out a heavy sigh. “He wishes to do all the hiring himself. That is, find qualified individuals to teach at the vocational school. He is trying to hire masons and carpenters.”

The corner of Tori’s eye twitched. “Masons and carpenters....Those are very good skill sets to have,” Tori said. “I know we are in need of them at the delta.”

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“Yes, it’s a promising idea. I only wish Dimitri would take time to carefully review the individuals he hires and make sure that they have a significant amount of experience and an apprenticeship before hiring them. He has three more years to establish the school, but he seems to be in quite a rush.”

Tori furrowed her brows. It was well known that most students took almost a year to plan and start their projects. Henrik was on this path. Ilyana was also still in the planning and testing stages. Even then, Ilyana’s project was going to be slow to build up momentum as she wanted to find out what markets were open for the embroidery in the delta, as well as make sure the women who would be working for her, and training others had the time and space to do so.

Tori’s project was an exception for obvious reasons. Dimitri should’ve still been looking into a location for the vocational school and interviewing masonry and carpentry masters for teaching positions. These were important jobs that, if done incorrectly, could result in injury or death.

“Has he found a location in...Fosse Village, I believe it’s in?” Tori asked.

Madam Guthry let out a low breath. “He has and it’s a rather expensive piece of land, but it already had an old carpentry workshop on the property. It needs to be renovated to have places for training. We agreed on a budget for Dimitri’s project, but he’s been spending so much, I worry he’ll run out of funds before it can be set up.”

Tori nodded, fully understanding that. “Then, I hope Mr. Guthry is able to find suitable instructors for the school.”

“I do, too.”

“Miriam,” a voice called from behind the woman. Tori looked past her and saw the Prime Minister walk in with a pleased look on his face. He looked at his wife with some amusement. “Did you find something new?”

“I did, but I will wait,” Madam Guthry said. She extended her arm forward to beckon her husband over. “Come and see this embroidery from the delta refugees.”

Prime Minister Guthry furrowed his brows and walked forward, joining his wife at the counter. “Did you bring these, Lady Tori?”

“No, Prime Minister. These were brought over by my roommate and Lions Gate partner, Ilyana Agafonova. Her Lycée project is to help establish a business that she will oversee until she graduates,” Tori said, smiling a bit. “She has been kind enough to focus her project on the delta, where villagers are in desperate need of a source of income. What Ilyana hopes to do is open an embroidery workshop that will employ and train artisans of the delta on their traditional embroidery styles, which will then be sold through Lions Gate. At least for the time being.”

“That’s an excellent idea. I’ve never seen embroidery of this style before. It is unique to the eastern front?” the Prime Minister asked.

“Yes, sir. We are taking today’s release as a chance to display the style and build interest for it.”

The Prime Minister nodded and looked over at her. “I’ve heard much about your project, Lady Tori.”

She had a wry smile. It was like trying to draw and having someone looming over your shoulder, watching your every line. It made her both uncomfortable and made concentrating difficult. “I’ve heard it’s been quite the topic lately.”

“Indeed. Something of this scale has never been done before and from what I’ve heard, you’re progressing with both managing the refugees and building a village on the islands on the delta at quite a speed.”

“People need permanent homes,” Tori said. “This may take years, but at the very least, I can try to provide a good foundation for them.”

The Prime Minister agreed and gave her an encouraging smile. “I wish for you to keep up your amazing work, Lady Tori. If your plans succeed, it can be used as an outline in the future. I look forward to reading the full project report upon completion when you graduate.”

If I’m able to, sure. Tori nodded. “I will of course continue to work hard, Prime Minister. I hope that when the time comes, I will be able to invite you to see the outcome of my work.”

She chatted with the couple for a bit longer before drifting off to greet another guest. Madam Guthry’s concern over Dimitri’s project caught Tori’s interest. It was obvious that the reason he was trying to hire masons and carpenters was because Alessa needed help rebuilding a church, orphanage, and their educational facilities.

That meant Alessa had not only Adrien’s help for the materials and Gideon’s help securing some assistance from the Church of Belcoy, at least at the local level, but she’d also have Dimitri’s help with labor. Tori didn’t know what roles Fabian and Montan would have, but they would likely get involved.

Montan would probably involve money. Unlike her and Instructor Ignatius, who were making plans for future tests based on what crystals they could utilize to make the lives of the refugees better, she couldn’t think of something that Montan would be able to do with his magic. To her knowledge, he focused on charms, not crystals.

She was sure that even his financial aid would be limited since the Alvere Duchy was currently the poorest of the duchies and many vassals were not pleased. Though Duke Alvere was still alive, there had been a long growing movement to dispose of him and bring back Axton, who had Alvere blood.

The age of majority was sixteen in Soleil, but that would only allow them to enlist in the military, get engaged, and inherit property. In theory, Axton could’ve contested for the position when he was sixteen, but the reason he hadn’t was because he had other things to deal with at the moment and, apparently, enjoyed watching his biological father be a laughingstock amongst the nobility.

At any point and time, Axton could contest for the title of Duke Alvere and, considering his bloodline, the will of his mother, and his backing from the imperial family, he could get it.

It was as if everyone knew Duke Alvere was a fake duke with no actual claim and that his second son, Montan, who he claimed as his heir, was heir to nothing. In a way, Duke Alvere being a laughingstock bled over into Montan being a laughingstock, and thus fueling his hatred for the nobility.

And while Tori thought it wasn’t fair that he was in that position because of his father, she couldn’t bring herself to feel bad for him. It wasn’t as if he was trying to distance himself from his father and he was spending money as if he were the rightful heir to a fortune that wasn’t his to begin with.

He was also a jerk on a personal level. Tori made a mental note to find out what Montan’s Lycée project was and if he’d try to tie it into Alessa’s.

The rest of the afternoon went smoothly and after Lions Gate closed, she and her friends went across the plaza to a restaurant called The Three Queens. It served fancy versions of food from all over the empire and the dress code was a bit more formal. Ilyana had checked when she made the reservations and their uniforms were accepted under the dress code, so they all changed into their uniforms.

“No one finds it strange that the most expensive restaurant on this plaza has a formal dress code, but accepts Lycée du Soleil uniforms?” JP asked as they walked out of the store.

“I can answer that,” Axton said. He and Piers were invited along with the group. Tori thought they’d be too embarrassed to join a bunch of fourteen and fifteen-year-olds, but Piers had agreed. The two were already well dressed and while not formal, Tori was sure the restaurant wasn’t going to turn away the first prince of the empire. “The Three Queens’ founder went to Lycée du Soleil.”

“It’s still a bit much. Won’t we stand out too much?” Sonia looked at her friends, concerned. For most of them, this would be the first time in such an establishment.

“I asked for a private seating area,” Ilyana said, somewhat nervous. “But they said they couldn’t assure one. It’s supposedly terribly busy at this time.”

“It’s fine,” Axton said. “We’ve come here before. I’ll take care of it.”

Tori let out a low breath of relief. Having friends in high places was very beneficial, even if it was just for food. They walked across the plaza and to a three-story structure with a lovely baroque facade. There were two entrances: one that faced the plaza, and the main entrance that faced the street adjacent to the plaza.

However, even the smaller plaza entrance was elaborate with three marble caryatids one each side of the entrance. They walked up the three short steps and were let in by one of the uniformed men standing at the door. The plaza entrance foyer opened up to a sunken courtyard with a fountain in the center, with a statue of three women with their backs to each other and pouring water from jugs.

The ground floor surrounding the courtyard had various tables and chairs. The second floor and third floors opened to the inner courtyard, but the third floor was made up of private rooms. Above the courtyard were two narrow skylights at either end, and in the center, a row of three crystal chandeliers. The restaurant was dimly lit with yellow light crystals, making it feel romantic and intimate.

As Tori and her friends were admiring the restaurant, Axton was speaking to someone in a black and white suit. Ilyana seemed to snap out of her daze and turned to the host station. She opened her mouth, but Axton held up his hand.

“Give him a few minutes and our floor will be prepared.”

“Oh, wonderful-” Ilyana froze and Tori narrowed her eyes.

“Did you say floor?” she asked. Axton nodded. She had a suspicion. “Axton...do you...?”

He nodded once more, this time, looking amused. “Yes.”

“He’s very useful,” Piers said. Axton sent him a glare, but Piers ignored him. He moved forward and pointed to the fountain in the courtyard. “They are the ‘three queens’. The one that’s facing across from us has a diamond pattern on her robes. The Queen of Diamonds - Duchess Alvere. The one facing to our right, with a lance in her hand is the Queen of Spades; my mother, who is a marquis’ daughter. And the last one with a garland of clovers is the Queen of Clubs.”

Tori’s eyes widened. “Mama?”

“Your mom?” Albert asked, surprised.

“Clovers represent achievement through hard work. Mama was an academic,” Tori said. “She was also born aristocratic, but not noble.”

“Our mothers were best friends when they were in Lycée,” Axton said with a soft smile. “But, of course, time and life happened. They grew distant, but even in her last days, my mother thought of them.”

Ilyana’s eyes reddened. She reached for Tori and squeezed her arm. “I’m going to build us a restaurant, too.”

Tori let out a chuckle and leaned her head against Ilyana’s. “Sure. I look forward to it.”

“You’re just going to forget about us, huh?” Henrik said in a dull voice. “We exist, too.” The others laughed and soon the uniformed man arrived. He introduced himself to the rest of the party as the restaurant master, the manager.

“Your floor is ready, Your Highness, my lord,” he said, as he gave Axton and Piers a bow. They were led up three flights of stairs and when they passed the third floor, Tori and her friends gave each other confused looks.

A wooden door carved with an image similar to the fountain in the courtyard was opened. Axton and Piers walked in and didn’t seem to have any reaction. Tori followed after them and made it a few steps before coming to a halt.

“Holy shit....” She whispered as she stood before a narrow room with curved floor to ceiling windows and a high ceiling with small crystal chandeliers illuminating the rooftop dining room. Unlike the lower floors, the room was brightly lit, and a long table had been prepared in the center of the room. To one side, a small trio of strings was playing music. There was a small, wooden dance floor, and on either end of the room were two French doors that opened up to balconies that overlooked the plaza on one end and the thoroughfare on the other.

“I...I don’t think I can afford to be here,” Henrik said in a tight voice.

“What are you kids waiting for?” Axton called from the table with a laugh. “Take a seat. Menus are on the table. Order whatever you like.”

Tori had been to expensive, fancy, Michelin-starred restaurants in her original world, but this was a bit much even for her. She’d never had an entire floor for a such a small party before. She quietly approached the table with her friends following cautiously behind her. Piers motioned for her to take a seat and she mechanically went and sat down on the chair he pointed out.

He then helped her push it in and took a seat at the head of the table on her left. Axton sat across from her, and her friends took what seats they could, all still looking around as if in another world. Tori reached for the menu.

No prices. She pursed her lips. Ilyana was planning to pay and now Tori wasn’t sure she felt comfortable with Ilyana paying for it all. She glanced at her friends and noticed that they all had somewhat hesitant looks on their faces. Two servers were already present and pouring them wine.

“As congratulations to the twins for their achievements at the three-day competition, and to Tori, Ilyana, and Henrik for their successful spring and summer release, I will cover tonight’s dinner,” Axton said, confidently.

Tori still couldn't help but be concerned. “Axton, are you sure-”

“The owner’s party eats for free,” Piers said as he lifted his wine glass and took a sip. “It’s fine.”

This put their minds at ease and they seriously looked over the menu. Once everyone ordered, they started talking about who they saw that day at the release and various gossip they’d heard.

JP was filling them in on what he heard of Tori and Ilyana’s homeroom class and the baking club when muffled noises came from the main entrance. The group quieted down and looked towards the door with confusion.

There was another entrance next to a dumbwaiter shaft hidden behind a dry bar, but that was on the other side of the room. They weren’t expecting anyone else.

Tori vaguely heard someone saying ‘no, you can’t enter’ just before the door was pushed open. A tall man with curly black hair, pale skin, silver eyes, and a goatee stood at the doorway, red-faced and seething.

Tori had never seen the man before, but she knew exactly who he was. Her eyes darted to Axton, who remained seated and sipping his white wine casually.

“You!” the middle-aged man at the door pointed to Axton condescendingly. “What are you doing here?”

Axton’s silver eyes drifted lazily back to his father and, with an air of sheer arrogance Tori had never seen on him, spoke. “I think the question is: what are you doing in my restaurant...Mr. Alvere?”

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