Page 1 of Quest of Fools

Victor

Seventeen earls.Thousands of people eliminated in the first two days.Warf had gone against one hundred other people for just one of seventeen coveted chances at a better life.That seemed like a lot, especially compared to just six dukes and one prince…

Warf smiled briefly, recalling Rath's victory, his face when he'd won the pinnacle of the tournament.Rath was going to be royalty.The Fates were full of wonder and surprise.He could think of no one who deserved to be a prince more than Rath.

He sat with relief in the tent that someone in royal livery had escorted him to, anxious to find his children but happy to give it a few more minutes.He needed to catch his breath and speak properly with the man whose hand he'd held on stage, who'd kissed his cheek and told him congratulations before they were herded off stage so the winners marrying dukes could be announced.

His new betrothed… Marian?The name had come so quickly, and Warf had been so overwhelmed, that he wasn't certain he recalled it correctly.Anyway, he'd been dragged away and said he'd catch up to Warf.They'd have a few minutes to rest, clean up, and then there was to be an enormous banquet.

Tomorrow… tomorrow he would be in a fancy new house in High City.Him.Hischildren.Who now would never have to work the docks or the whorehouses or any of the other miserable jobs that broke the inhabitants of Low City long before age got to them.

Warf wasn't much for crying, not these days.It wasn't that he thought he shouldn't cry, only that hecouldn't.Crying had never helped anything, and over the years he'd simply stopped doing it.

Until the night his wife, Karla, had died, taken by a wasting illness no one survived.He'd smiled and sung lullabies and talked about the children and kept her smiling until she simply wasn't there anymore.Then he'd held her body close and sobbed his eyes out, until they were so red and raw he couldn't keep them open.When he was done he'd cleaned his face and gone to tell his children their mother was dead and kept his eyes dry while they cried.

That was a little more than two years ago.He hadn't cried once since, not even at her funeral.By then, he'd been too wrung out by the grief and too terrified of the future.

He had definitely cried when his name rang out across the pavilion and people screamed and cheered and whistled for him.As the crier announced that he was a champion of the tournament and would be marrying not just a noble, but an earl.There were just seventeen of them in the entire kingdom, and now Warf's children belonged to one of those esteemed families.

He cried because he would never again have to worry about his children going hungry.Because his beautiful wife, Fates grant her a glorious new life, could rest in peace and be reborn content, knowing her children would be well.Cried because his children would have proper schooling, would know how to read, would learn a hundred things that would put them leagues beyond their humble father, lead them into lives where they didn't have to worry about where their next meal would come from.

Footsteps, voices, the rustling of the tent flaps drew his attention, and Warf rose as a familiar figure stepped inside.Lord Marian was so short, Wart felt like a lumbering giant next to him.His hair was unfashionably short, but just long enough to show the red-gold color of it, with gold-toned brown skin, sharp, elegant features.There was a smudge of what might have been ink on the left side of his jaw, like he'd rested his fingers there briefly while pondering something.Warf felt huge and looming and ugly beside him, but there was nothing he could do about that.Hopefully Marian wouldn't be completely repulsed by him—or at least would be polite about it and not punish his children for their father's failings.

"It's an honor to properly meet you," Marian said softly, taking both of Warf's hands—his big, calloused, scarred, overworked and knobby hands—in his small, soft beautiful ones."I hope we will get on well together."His smile seemed sincere, but something was off in his eyes, like he was sad, or troubled, or both.Why would this beautiful, kind man be so troubled on such a happy day?Maybe it wasn't so happy for him, despite what he had said about it being an honor?

Warf had heard more than a little talk from the others about how some nobles were displeased with the whole affair, how it was a tradition that should be abolished.Marian really didn't seem to share that sentiment, but what about his family?

Not exactly the kinds of questions he could ask right then, or even wanted to.No, right now he wanted to relax and enjoy the celebration, and see his children happy.So he only smiled shyly in return, heart pounding in his ears and throat as he said, "I hope so too, my lord."

Marian scoffed."I am your tourney prize, and we're to be married, no need of formality.My name is Marian, and I would be honored to have you call me so."That sweet, sad smile again, this time with a hint of shyness that Warf never would have expected from such a beautiful, confident man."I have a minor gift for you."He laughed, more of that shyness coming forward."Well, I have many gifts, actually, but the majority of them are for your children.This one is for you."He pulled a small velvet box from a pocket of his jacket and presented it.

Warf hated that his hands trembled slightly as he took the box and opened it—and nearly dropped the beautiful ring inside.It was made of gleaming gold, set with three blue stones, two slightly smaller than the one in the middle, and achingly lovely.Far too fine for his fat, ugly fingers.The stones were the color of an early spring sky, or a robin's egg he'd seen once on a rare trip out of the city as a boy, before his parents died and everything went so wrong.Warf swallowed."It's stunning.What— What are the stones?I'm ashamed I don't know."

"Why be ashamed?I doubt the fancy jeweler who made this knows even half the things you know, and I didn't know what it was until I went in a jewelry shop for the first time.It's called blue topaz; they represent love and affection.I do not presume, but… well, several of my ancestors come from the tournament, and it's an honor to be able to continue the tradition.I would like us to be happy together, to be a family and do our best to serve the kingdom."He frowned at where Warf still held the ring."Does it not fit?"

Warf fumbled with the delicate little ring, bracing for the moment when it wouldn't fit—but it slid on perfectly, resting on his finger like it had been made just for him.It looked horribly out of place, a delicate bit of jewelry on his ugly laborer's finger, but he would be damned if ever took it off.He looked up and smiled."Thank you.I wish I had a suitable gift to match."

Marian scoffed and moved to stand beside Warf, looping his arm through Warf's and shyly smiling again."I am hoping we will all five of us be a family.What could possibly be better than that?Certainly not a trifling ring."

If the man was, for reasons beyond Warf's comprehension, seeking to win his approval and affection, putting his children first and showing such a sincere-seeming interest in them was the best possible way to go about it."They are beyond excited, my—" Warf stopped, shook his head."I cannot imagine they will do anything but adore you.And your house, and food, and whatever toys they can wheedle out of you."He winked.

Laughing, Marian tugged lightly on his arm."Come, shall we go find your children and then join the banquet that's about to begin?Where are they?"

"The children?The woman who lives next door agreed to watch them for the day and to bring them to see me win.I'm sure they're waiting most impatiently for me to fetch them."

"Then we shall go fetch them at once, and hie off to the banquet.From what I know of children, they'll be far more excited by that."

"Yes, yes they will," Warf said."It's been a long time since they've seen a proper full meal, and certainly never this amount of food."

Marian winced slightly."Of course, I'm sorry, that was careless of me."

"Not at all.I don't mean to keep making you feel bad."

Marian held up his hands, smiling."No, please.We come from very different worlds, you and me.That is the point of this tournament: to remind us snobs in High City that we're not so different from the people in Low City.That we are all capable of rising and falling.I spend most of my time securing works of art to be hung up in fancy houses.It's good to be reminded that some people fight simply to have food.Now, come, let's get your children.I admit I'm eager to meet them."He hesitated, then his smile turned shy."I've always wanted a large, happy family."

How the man knew all the right things to say, Warf didn't know, but he certainly wasn't going to question or complain."Well, lucky for you I have that covered."He led the way out of the tent and through the crowds, which predictably made space for him.Many clapped him on the back, congratulated him, still more speaking to Marian, slowing them both down a good deal.

Finally, though, they reached the edge of the chaos, near the road that led to the field where the tournament had taken place.Three faces immediately lit up upon seeing him, and with a scream of "Daddy!"charged him.Warf knelt and scooped them all up, laughing when Pika predictably managed to climb onto his shoulders."Daddy, you won!You won!"

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