Chapter 2 #2
Fortunately, whatever her reasons were, Electra had agreed that they would not seek to arrange marriages for either Tiberius or their daughter Minerva.
Though in Minerva’s case, she was only just ten and a half.
They were currently more concerned about her tutoring school and presumably her time at Schola to follow.
Of course, he didn’t rush his answer. That wouldn’t do.
“As you remember, Mother, our marriage contract agreed that in such matters, she’d defer to the Warren side.
That was restated in the divorce agreement.
” That was the first piece. Then he went on.
“I have discussed it with her, and more relevantly with Tiberius. We do not intend to arrange a marriage for him. Assist in a negotiation if he’d like, but not arrange a match.
I’ve told him he should focus on his apprenticeship, though of course he’s attending a range of the apprentice gatherings and parties, and those of his larger social circle.
” Tiberius was not a social butterfly, but he got along well with a range of people.
“Ah.” It was Mother’s most unreadable mode, even though Claudio had extensive experience with her.
“If that is what you and Electra agreed.” She considered her options.
“May I speak with Tiberius about some specific gatherings he might consider, then? Or whether he’d like an invitation to certain social events through the spring? ”
Claudio had at least managed to have that awkward conversation with his son, because he’d been fairly sure Mother would suggest something of the kind around this point. “He’s aware you’d likely take an interest, and he’s glad to consider specific events. But he’s giving priority to his training.”
“I suppose that is difficult to argue with. I’ll see about a meal with him sometime, then, to discuss the spring calendar.
There are a couple of galas where if he could escort me, we could spare you for the evening.
” That was an unfair tack, honestly, because there was no good way for Claudio to argue against it.
Those evenings were not his idea of a good time.
Tiberius would find them somewhat less grating, at least if Mother weren’t actively matchmaking.
“Let him know the specifics then. And me, if you want me to potentially keep the evening clear.” Gabe would help him figure out which really were priorities.
Or rather, Gabe’s mother, who was just as gifted with the mechanics of social warfare as Mother was.
And much kinder about it, honestly. Or at least, they had the sort of goals Claudio found easier to work with. Then he waited.
Fortunately, Mother let it drop. She began a conversation about one of the estates that had recently come on the market, a more academic interest in the landscape.
It wasn’t one of the demesne estates, of course.
But it had been in the holdings of one of the cadet lines of a landed family, and it had an unusual renovation history.
Mother was apparently considering a bit more work in some of the estate buildings here.
She was contemplating a wide range of workspaces, perhaps including looking for leases for skilled crafters who did magical work.
That was certainly an intriguing proposition, and possibly a benefit for everyone in the equation.
And he noted they might keep an eye on a space to be refitted for Tiberius, eventually.
Though he was nowhere near the point of doing independent work yet, and wouldn’t be for some years.
They finished the meal, and Claudio retreated to his rooms. They’d previously been his father’s.
When he’d first come back from the war, every time he opened the door, he’d felt as if he was trespassing.
Now, four years later, they did truly feel like home, with very little of Father’s choices visible other than the sheer location of the walls.
And of course, he’d never been invited up as a child, not more than once or twice.
He had a long bath, soaking out the day’s strains, put on a dressing gown, and went across to his private office.
He had several hours to work through notes on a treatise on illusion work he’d been puzzling through.
It was not remotely a form of magic he felt competent in, but most people weren’t.
It did, however, come up enough in Penelope work he’d been trying to get a better grasp on the theory of the field as a whole.
Close to eleven, there were the sounds of steps on the stairs, and then a knock on the door.
He’d left it open for a reason, and he called out, “Come in, Tiberius.” The warding would have alerted him if it had been anyone else, including Mother.
Even Mrs Moore and the maid only came up after checking first.
His son edged into the door, looking well-turned out.
He was filling out now, no longer as gangly as he had been a couple of years ago, and he looked quite sharp in a suit and tie.
“Father.” It came with a smile. “Just wanted to check in. Grandmother caught me on the way in. She’s in the library still. ”
‘“Ah, sorry. I thought about writing a note, but you’d already had warning of this and I wasn’t sure if you’d see it in time.” Claudio spread his hands out. “Do tell her no if she has ideas for your social schedule that you don’t like. I’ll figure out escorting her as needed.”
“I left my journal here. It would have been rude to have it at supper.” Tiberius shrugged. “No, it’s fine. I was more—” He hesitated for a second. “I was worried it had been a difficult conversation for you.”
It had been, but that didn’t matter. “That’s not yours to worry about. I know I’ve said that. Let Mother be difficult at me. I’m more than used to it. No reason you should have to deal with it.”
“Grandmother’s had decades longer to be difficult at you,” Tiberius pointed out, with impeccable logic.
“And she’s not nearly as awful with me. Maybe because she knows I have other options.
” He did, too. There was no reason he couldn’t take a room in Schola village, for example, or a flat in Trellech.
He was living at Auctoritas, the family estate, for decent reasons, but that wasn’t binding.
Even if Claudio enjoyed having him about the place, and not just because Mother was in fact easier to live with when Tiberius was here.
Claudio refused to argue further. Tiberius had a point after all, and he was also just as well-trained in rhetoric as Claudio, even though he had less experience with it.
Instead, Claudio took a breath, deliberately chose what kind of father he wanted to be, and said, “Thank you for checking on me. It went better than it might have. Duel sometime to get it out of my system a bit? Tuesday, at the earliest, my tomorrow’s endless.
” His Monday had, in fact, filled up, as he’d more or less expected it might.
“Tuesday would be grand. I should be home for supper. We could do it before or after. Let me know?” Tiberius looked eager for it.
He was not, in point of fact, as good a duellist as Claudio was now, or even as good as Claudio had been at that age.
But he hadn’t focused on it the way Claudio had.
And he hadn’t had the years since to learn a number of tricks from Orion and Isembard and then Gabe and others.
He was still good enough for it to be interesting for Claudio, and it was educational for Tiberius, in a way they both enjoyed.