Royal Archer (level 40):
Lord Robert Grey nodded to the Pooka who served as his butler. “Thank you, Machias, I believe I will not need your services for a little while.”
“Very good, sir,” said the pooka, bowing his jackal head and heading to the kitchen.
Lord Grey pulled down his vest, took a deep breath, and threw open the double doors of his study. A blond man, a tiny fairy, and a huge troll stood around his study. They had taken strategic points, so they all could see the massive doors when they opened. The blond man had a sword at his hip; the fairy and the troll had nothing.
Lord Gray frowned. Machias should have disarmed the young man. “You come armed into my home?”
The young man unbuckled his sword and presented it formally to Lord Grey. He took it, holding it loosely in his hand. “What brings you here?”
“We are of House Grimmshire,” said the young man. “We’re the only ones left.”
“That is indeed sad to hear,” said Lord Grey, walking over to his desk. “I fail to see what–”
“We have lost our patron.”
“You need a patron? Why come to me?”
“You have money. And influence in court. It’s said that you know the princesses quite well.”
Lord Grey inclined his head. “True. But I don’t have unlimited funds. I don’t think I can–”
“C’mon,” said the fairy in a gruff voice. “I toldja he’d be just like all those other Seelie.”
“Give us a chance,” said the young man. “We will be your knights.”
It was true that he was a lord in name, that he had no knights and very little feudal land to hold. Other Seelie lords had already laid claim to the bigger cities, while he had free reign in the suburbs, and even that was starting to shrink. Gangs were beginning to hold sway here, and he could not keep the Grumps from encroaching on his land. Gardens and glamour were few and far between now.
Said Lord Grey, “I do not wish to take over your house.”
The young man smiled, “That’s why we picked you.”
Lord Grey held out the sword to the young man. “Let me think on this.”
“You can find us on Facebook,” said the fairy.
Lord Grey laughed, “Oh, really? I’ll be sure to look there.” He watched as the young man buckled the sword onto his hip. “Come back in a week. I will give you my answer then.”
In the meantime, Lord Grey has his slaugh friends do some snooping. House Grimmshire was indeed on Facebook and MySpace. They were a group that were involved in the Society for Creative Anachronism, a medieval re-enactment group. Grey smiled at that report from the whispering slaugh, They could practice their swordplay in full view of people, and reap glamour from the people who watched. The young man was called Zephyr, the fairy was an archer and dual-bladed fighter, while the troll – aptly named Bear – was a walking wall.
When Zephyr returned with his two men in tow, Lord Grey showed them in himself. “I have decided that I will be happy to be your patron, on one condition.”
Zephyr nodded, while the fairy muttered something dark. Bear did nothing but watched the exchange.
“How do I get into this Society for Creative Anachronism?”