Chapter 44

“The Vetter family isn’t that important, globally speaking,” Sammy said. “Mostly, I’m just concerned you don’t know the name. It means you didn’t do your homework.”

“Homework?”

“I’m not from a noble house, either, you know,” Sammy pointed out. “So your situation isn’t that rare. Maybe not from down south like you, the middle of nowhere, but what’s that matter? I didn’t brush shoulders with nobility growing up, so I didn’t know their names because I had play dates with them. Had to learn. But I did, because I knew it’d be important, coming to Tenet.”

“Right.” Natalie recognized the mild scolding.

But, Natalie figured, she had Jordan for that sort of thing. And, unfortunately, Sofia, who probably knew more about the political situation in Tenet than even Jordan. Y’know, seeing how she pretended to be one of them, all the time.

But, explaining that to Sammy probably wouldn’t fly. Make her sound dependent, even. Which was ... kind of true. She was dependent on Jordan. Maybe Natalie should put more effort into this sort of thing.

“Anyway,” Sammy said pointedly, raising her eyebrows in minor chastisement. Natalie took it for the good-hearted concern it was. “Gabriel Vetter—or House Vetter—is one of the most influential houses aligned under House Ainsworth. You know who they are, I’m assuming.”

The words were sarcastic, but at Natalie’s blank look, Sammy gaped at her.

“House Ainsworth,” she repeated. “Nat. They own half the city.”

“Right...” Natalie said. It was starting to come back. “They’re one of the five major houses.”

Sammy stared at her, baffled that it had even taken a second for Natalie to remember. Maybe she was a little more than ‘behind’ on this. Maybe she’d been willfully ignorant, even.

Just, really. Who cared? Politics. What everyone should be worried about was their class, their skills, and the dungeon.

“Yes,” Sammy said flatly. “One of the major houses. You know those, at least?”

“The Beaumons. Parda-Halt. Valeria. Uh...” What was the last one? “The nerd house.”

“The nerd house?”

“The tinkers and mages.”

“House Gylver?”

“That’s the one.”

Sammy seemed torn between amused and incredulous. “Well, you know them at least. That’s a low bar to clear, but it’s a bar.”

“I’ve got the big picture,” Natalie said dismissively. She took another drink.

“Do you? The current landscape?”

“Who’s friends with who?” Maybe. Again, she knew the broad strokes, because she hadn’t lived under a literal rock, just the metaphorical kind. “The Beaumons and Valeria stay together. They don’t like Parda-Halt.” A hang-over from the whole, ‘tried to overthrow the monarchy’ deal. That’d been a while ago, but old grudges lingered. “Ainsworth only cares about money,” the merchant House, “and Gylver only cares about magic and technology. So they stick together.” Profit and advancement—hand in hand.

Sammy narrowed her eyes. “That is the general idea. You’re not as clueless as you’re pretending.”

“Nah. I am. That’s all I know. Never heard of ‘Vetter’.”

“Still, you’re not catastrophically uninformed. Just not nearly where you should be.” She pursed her lips. “Like I said, Vetter’s one of House Ainsworth’s major allies. Not one of the five major Houses, but important.”

“Rich as sin, I’m taking it.” Natalie had gotten that impression from Evie.

“Anyone allied to Ainsworth is, usually.”

She nodded.

A brief lull.

“There’s a Beaumon in my class, you know,” Natalie said. “Liz. We might go on a delve together.”

A sentence like that would’ve had someone back home gaping at her, but Sammy just raised her eyebrows. Big names didn’t mean much at Tenet—not even the royal family.

“And you know what that’ll say, if you do?” Sammy asked.

“It’d be throwing my lot in with them?”

Sammy seemed satisfied Natalie had at least considered the idea. “Maybe not instantly. Not this early in the semester, and just a test delve. It won’t close any doors outright, but maybe ... inch them toward being closed.”