Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 4)

Tomhas found a servant and delivered the instructions, then headed hack toward the sitting room only to run into Harold.
"Ah, hello Lord Loquitur!" Harold grinned. "Where are you off to?"
"Your Majesty!" Tomhas bowed. "Good morning. I was just coming hack from having Ky's uncle's luggage sent up."
"Her uncle?" His eyebrows shot up. "Who's he?"
"Zander. Want to meet him?"
"I certainly would!"

(Do you think Zander and Harold might have briefly met before? Like, not know-know each other but recognize each other in a professional sort of sense? I could see Zander as having been useful once or twice in the past but we don't have to if you're not feeling it!)

"You don't have to do that," Tadaaki murmured.

"I know." Ky grinned at him. "But Aleth can't tell us we can't anymore. I feel like it'd be a final 'screw you'."

Tadaaki laughed. "You know what? You're right. Let's do it."

Zander watched the interaction, wondering what exactly this Aleth had done to the two of them. Why would he have been opposed to Ky teaching Tadaaki how to read? It didn't make sense. Yet. But he'd figure it out. He always figured things out.

Now that Ky was up, her body remembered it was anxious. Her grounding touch with Zander had broken and now all the nerves from earlier paired with the overwhelming emotions that Zander's arrival had brought -- it was too much. She was so happy to have Zander and Tadaaki meet and had absolutely no capacity whatsoever to make it a smooth interaction just then. She started pacing again.

(Yeah I think so!)

They headed to the sitting room together, and Tomhas opened the door. "Hey, I'm back! All taken cafe of, Zander. And I've got another gentleman who'd like to meet you." He stepped aside and Harold entered.

"Harold!" Zander popped to his feet, grinning broadly. He strode toward him with his hand extended. "So nice to see you again, sir!"

Ky gaped. Zander knew the king? Tadaaki and Aashi didn't quite gape, but they also stared with wide eyes. Apparently Ky's uncle was a lot scarier than they both let on, if he was on first-name basis with the king. At least, if he had the complete insanity to call a king by his first name.

Tomhas blinked rapidly, bemused. "Wait, what?"
Harold shook his hand heartily. "Zander! That Zander? I should have known when I saw your niece. Wonderful to see you as well! How are you?"

"Never better! Delighted to be reunited with Ky, I must say." Zander stepped to the side so he wouldn't be blocking their path. "How are you?"

Ky managed to close her mouth, but she was still shocked. She looked at Tomhas to see if he was as surprised as she was.

"I'm well, I'm well! Here to sign the contract for the rites. What have you been up to?"
Tomhas, still behind Ky, shrugged at her and mouthed "I had no idea!" soundlessly.

"Oh, you know, been getting around. You know how it is." Zander gestured towards the seats, taking a step back toward them himself. "Honored you're here to give Ky -- and Tomhas -- your blessing. I'm so pleased at this whole turn of events."

"As am I! It's been a very long time since the rites were performed. I simply had to come and witness it for myself."
Tomhas shook his head in disbelief. Zander must have a lot of connections if he was on a first name basis with Mr. Titles-Come-First.

(lmao)

Zander took a quick look around the room and smirked as he saw all the expressions that ranged from disbelief to shock to perhaps a bit of horror wrapped up in Ky's face. Tasia was the only one who seemed not to care even a little.

Until she did. She sidled up to the couch and looked up at Harold suspiciously. "Who are you?"

Harold looked down at Tasia. "Hello! I'm King Harold; who are you?"
Tomhas had forgotten they hadn't net yet; Harold had taken his dinner in private yesterday, he was a man who didn't like others to watch him eat, apparently.

“Tasia!” She said boldly, sticking out her hand. She’d been given lots of coaching by now. “How do you do, your lordship?”

“King,” Aashi whispered.

“What’s a king?” She asked Aashi, but then looked back at Harold, hand still extended.

Harold shook her hand. "A king is a person who rules over a very large place. I make the rules for the Northern Realm, and Lord Loquitur and Lord Ash amd the other Lords help advise me."

Tasia thought about it for a moment. “That sounds boring.”

“Tasia!” Aashi and Tadaaki said in unison, eyes going wide.

“What? It does. It’s better to be a carpentenderer like Papa.”

“No it’s not. Stop,” Tadaaki said.

“I bet he can’t even make one plate as good as you can, Papa!”

Tadaaki and Aashi were both blushing profusely.

“Tasia, stop talking,” Aashi ordered.

“I’m so sorry, sir,” Tadaaki said earnestly. This was exactly what he’d feared when he apologized in advance yesterday. “So sorry.”

"No, not at all!" Harold held up his hands to placate them. "I've got three children of my own and one is as bout her age. Believe me, I understand." He looked back down at Tasia. "I bet I couldn't make a player as good as your Papa, you're right. I've never been trained as a carpenter. And it does get boring sometimes. It's a lot of paper and reading. Can you read?"