Blood of Liscor: Book 8, page 4
part #8 of Wandering Inn Series
And that’s the point. I didn’t need for Lady Rie to explain that. I think she’s a bit intimidated at how easy it is for me, actually. But this is easy, in some respects. Flattery and using people against each other isn’t hard. Not like laying out a village is.
One of the final [Lords] I have to talk to is Lord Melbore. I clap my arm around his shoulders and sense him tense up, but I’m jovial, welcoming. And I forestall whatever he wants with a simple question.
“Tell me, Lord Melbore, where do you see your estates in a year’s time? In five years?”
“Me, Your Majesty? Well, I—I would be quite interested in a deal with your empire. I’m told you’re generous to your friends, and between you and me, the market can be a cruel mistress. If I could persuade you to buy from me exclusively, I could see my estate booming in five years. I could double production as well if I had—”
I cut the man off as I shake my head.
“No, no. Grander.”
“Excuse me, Your Majesty?”
I sigh.
“Think grander, Lord Melbore. I’m told your lands produce high-quality goods! Food, lumber, a modest business in fletching—but is that all you want to see out of your lands?”
“Well, I suppose I could see myself expanding—”
I cut him off again.
“Lord Melbore, I am an [Emperor]. When I came to Riverfarm, it was a small village. It still is, for all that it’s tripled in size. I look at your lands and see—well, I don’t see—unused potential. Don’t dream of doubling your profits in ten years. Dream of cornering the market, of becoming a byword, a staple in cities like Invrisil. How much money can you make? What do you have to offer? What could you do with an investment? Tell me, what could you do with an ally? A…patron?”
Perhaps I lay it on too thick. Perhaps some of them are intelligent enough to see that I’m offering them a cloud with nothing to back it up. But I can hear the gears whirring away in Melbore’s head, and by the time he hurries out of my throne room promising me that he would be far better than Lord Tourant at getting me what I need, I know that my job is done. But I keep my guard up, because vague promises are easy to combat. It’s people who know exactly what they have and what they want that become trouble.
“Four thousand gold pieces for a trebuchet.”
“I can’t offer you one just yet, Lady Bethal.”
“Eight thousand.”
“It’s not a matter of gold.”
“Mm. Sixteen—”
“Lady Magnolia has an interest in them.”
“Oh! Magnolia wants them? Why didn’t you say so to begin with? I’m hardly going to bother starting a bidding war with her—why don’t I order the ones after hers? I’d like ten—”
“Lady Bethal, I don’t know when they’ll be ready or what the cost may be—”
“I could offer you horses too, if you want. How does a hundred head of horse sound? Six hundred? I have so many! It’s quite interesting you know—if you have the right Skills, it’s quite hard to fail at a business venture. Harder if you have a husband like Thomast. He’s very good with numbers.”
“Lady Bethal, please. I’d be happy to work out a deal, but not at this time.”
The lady peers at me.
“Are you sure? I’d hate to think I was missing out on the opportunity ahead of time. Couldn’t I reserve just a teensy trebuchet?”
“I assure you, when I am at liberty to sell them, yours will be the first name I think of Lady Bethal. I promise you, I am simply not able to accept your money—”
I glance over at Lady Rie, who’s giving me complex signals to take the money now!, and sigh louder.
“—at this time. I’m sure I will send you a [Message] spell shortly. Very shortly, if Lady Rie has anything to do with it.”
“Well…I suppose I have no choice. In that case, I would simply like to extend you my warmest gratitude for your hospitality, Emperor Laken. You see, Thomast and I will be departing within the hour, and while we would love to stay another night in your lovely, restful beds…we simply must go.”
The sudden change of topic nearly gives me whiplash.
“You’re going? So soon? I was under the impression you were travelling with the other nobles, Lady Bethal.”
She laughs lightly.
“I was! But Thomast convinced me it might not be in my best interests, so we will take our leave before they do. Honestly, he fusses so much about the company we keep…but yes, we will be going.”
“I see. May I send you an escort to my borders, at least?”
Another laugh. I just cannot read Lady Bethal’s voice or her posture—but for an instant I sense the thorny aura around her grow stronger. Caution?
“I fear I must decline. We’ll be moving swiftly, Emperor Laken. And I have two of my Knights of the Petal with me, and Thomast. No [Brigand] has ever troubled me.”
I consider this. It could be bad if she goes now. I have to ask.
“Then may I at least know the direction you intend to travel? As a precaution, you understand. I would hate for you to come to any injury on my lands and my patrols could at least ride ahead of you.”
Bethal considers my request and shrugs slightly.
“Mm. Very well. We’re headed west, I believe. We’ll be travelling by way of Yaist, perhaps staying the night there. After that…? Who can say?”
I think about that. West? Well then…I nod and smile politely.
“In that case, I can only give you my sincerest regrets for the dangers posed to your person while you stayed in my domain, Lady Bethal. And to you, Sir Thomast. I hope that you will remember me with fondness and that we may speak more in the future.”
Bethal laughs lightly.
“Oh, you are so polite for an [Emperor]! I am truly honored, Your Majesty. Neither Thomast nor I take any offense. Although…would you consider selling us the tiny trebuchet? As a souvenir?”
“No.”
——
Last but not least is Lady Bevia, and here I have to deviate from my meaningless platitudes because she has something I need.
“Lady Bevia? Might I trouble you for a small favor?”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
I smile and lean over the edge of my throne towards Lady Bevia as she sips some tea. Lord Rael is not with her; he’s getting in more practice shots with the trebuchet. I understand it’s a competition now, and there’s over two hundred gold pieces riding on whomever can hit the targets placed first. At least the nobles are enjoying themselves.
“I understand you have a [Mage] among your escort that is capable of sending and receiving [Message] spells, Lady Bevia. Might I trouble you to borrow her for a small task?”
The old woman pauses and takes another sip from her teacup.
“That is a rather simple request, Your Majesty. May I ask what this little errand might be?”
I smile.
“Of course, Lady Bevia. And I would be delighted to tell you—afterwards, that is. I trust your discretion of course, but I fear I cannot tell you ahead of time what I am planning.”
“Really?”
Bevia knows I’m blind, so her eyes narrow just a fraction before she stops herself. She taps her ring finger gently against her cup.
“How long would I need to place my [Mage] in your care, Emperor Laken?”
“Two days at most. I would consider myself in your debt, Lady Bevia.”
“Hmm.”
She ponders my request for a moment and then nods.
“So be it. Take my [Mage], by all means. But will I receive a token of trust in the same vein, Emperor Laken?”
I lean back, relieved. That was essential. I nod at Lady Rie, and she hurries out, frowning. She doesn’t know what the [Mage] is for, but Wiskeria does. I smile at Lady Bevia, ready to pay for my favor.
“What would you like, Lady Bevia?”
“Nothing taxing. Perhaps a few facts, Emperor Laken. How did you learn to make those trebuchets, for instance? How do they work, exactly? Could anyone make them?”
Again, I feel a push at my mind, but this time I’m forewarned by Lady Rie and push back. I smile at the old woman as the charm effect fades from my mind.
“I can hardly give away the secrets of trebuchets like party favors, Lady Bevia. But I do have some intriguing treats that may be of interest to you.”
“Oh? What new delights will you tempt with today, Your Majesty?”
I laugh.
“Nothing so scandalous. But there are a number of treats from my homeland that I have succeeded in recreating here. Many more I’d like to attempt, but my [Cooks] and [Bakers] can only do so much with my poor understanding. Still, I consider these quite passable. Tell me, have you ever had a Franzbrötchen? Don’t be alarmed. How should I put this—a cinnamon roll?”
I clap my hands, and I see Lady Bevia’s eyes go wide with interest. Gamel walks forwards, the sweet treat on one of Lady Rie’s ornamental plates. I knew I could find a good use for those fancy things. And of course, there’s nothing quite like sweets for a bit of diplomacy. Especially if you know how to make cookies and no one else does. I smile and lean back in my chair.
It turns out Lady Bevia has a sweet tooth.
——
“You have the mage?”
“She’s ready. So is Beniar. I’m about to head out myself.”
Wiskeria nods to me. She’s saddling her horse, and all we’re waiting on are a few other riders loading their horses. Their saddlebags are stuffed, and Wiskeria’s own mount is similarly laden.
“You got everything you needed? Already?”
The [Witch] smiles and pats her restless mare on the sides.
“There’s enough hellebore if you know where to look. Your Majesty’s unique Skills also help greatly in that respect. We can send out pack horses and a small team to gather what’s needed. We should be able to collect all of my ingredients within the day and be ready by sunset.”
“You don’t need me to find any more?”
“No, Your Majesty. We’ll be ready tomorrow at any time.”
I sigh in relief.
“Gott sei Dank.”
“What?”
“Nothing. Sorry, Wiskeria. If I had to scan every single plant within ten miles of here and check if it was the exact one you needed one more time…”
She smiles at me and adjusts her hat.
“I apologize. But it was an emergency and your…talents are extraordinarily useful.”
“Don’t I know it. Well then, I’ll send word the instant something changes. But if not, contact me as soon as you’re ready, and I’ll coordinate the rest with you tomorrow.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Wiskeria nods to me and climbs onto her horse. She gently kicks her mount, and the other riders stream out of the village after her. I watch her go, feeling anxious, practically trembling with excitement and nerves, but sure, sure that there’s nothing I can do. I’m too far away, and everything is in motion now. All I can do is wait and watch.
For the right moment.
Day 100
I think the nobles are wearing out their welcome. They’re certainly running out of things to do as three straight days of trebuchet testing is enough for the most enthusiastic of them. Well, maybe not Lady Bethal. And I’m certain that if I actually let the young men throw themselves there’d be a lot more interest. But after eating all of my confectionaries that my hard-working [Bakers] struggled to make, the nobles are finally suggesting returning to their estates.
Lady Bethal’s departure prompted the idea, but no one’s quite ready to pack up just yet. The nobles seem fascinated by the speed at which Riverfarm is developing—I think I saw some of the nobles placing bets on how many houses my people could put up by sunset. And they also seem anxious to get a better deal than everyone else, so they’re hanging about for at least one more day. Which is good, because everything is happening today.
Entertain nobles at breakfast, endure meetings and private audiences until midday, lunch with Durene in private…everyone can tell something is up. At least, Prost, Durene, Gamel, and Lady Rie can. They know me too well. But they’re all too loyal to ask, except for Lady Rie, who keeps hinting that she might need to know if something’s afoot. She’d noticed Wiskeria and Beniar are both gone with part of the army, but she doesn’t know why.
I intend to keep it that way. And I do manage to distract myself with a moment of inspiration just past lunch. I was mulling over Magnolia’s proposal, thinking about what I’ll tell Sacra. I can sign her stupid parchment at any time—that just takes a second. But will I? I’m on the verge of tossing a coin and asking Durene which side landed face up.
And that’s when I had my brilliant idea. It came while I was watching Tessia try to explain to a group of new volunteers for the engineering team how the trebuchets worked. She was trying to explain the idea of gravity to her audience, something I’d had to patiently explain to her. And that was when it hit me.
Of course!
It’s all so clear. All my tentative trade agreements and the proposals crystalize around my new idea, my new understanding of what the Unseen Empire should be. I lean over and poke the young woman snoozing next to me. Durene yelps and sits up with a start. She and I were sitting under a tree in the shade, and she was resting after hauling trees around all morning.
“Durene! I figured it out!”
“Wha? What? What’s happening, Laken?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m awake, see? What did you figure out? Tell me?”
“It was an idea I had. Remember how we’re trying to figure out what we can offer all these nobles? Aside from the trebuchets Magnolia Reinhart doesn’t want us to sell, that is?”
“Yeah. You and Prost and Rie talked about it all day yesterday.”
“I know. You didn’t have to listen, you know. I kept telling you that you could sleep.”
“I wanted to be with you. What did you figure out?”
“Well…I think I’ve got it.”
“Okay. Tell me.”
“Just a second! I want to see if you get it.”
I grin teasingly and hear Durene groan.
“Just tell me, Laken! I can’t guess—I’m not smart like you!”
“You’re very smart, Durene. You just don’t like to admit it. Come on. Humor me.”
“Fine. What do I have to do?”
“Just think. What does Riverfarm have that we can sell, Durene? I’m not talking about basic trade goods like pigs, normal crops, and so on. That earns most villages and towns enough to survive. What I’m talking about is how Riverfarm, how this entire empire can make a profit. What do we have? Any ideas?”
Durene scrunches up her face, sighing and picking at the crumbs in the basket, muttering to herself.
“I don’t know. Crops? You were talking with Wiskeria about poisonous plants and all kinds of alchemical stuff you could sell just the other day. We could grow fields of that. Not that I want to pick poisonous plants by hand. You know she thinks nettles will sell really well? Nettles!”
I cover a smile. A [Witch]’s sense of value is definitely different than a farm girl’s.
“That’s true. We’re trying to cultivate some crops that [Alchemists] will buy up, but we have to feed ourselves first, Durene. Mister Prost will expand the fields as fast as he can, but that’s a long-term investment. What else do we have?”
She scratches at her head.
“Um…land?”
I laugh. Durene fidgets, embarrassed.
“I told you I don’t know!”
“No, no! I’m laughing because you’re right, Durene! That’s true! The surrounding area isn’t nearly as developed as some places further north. But Izril is vast, Durene. And unused land is cheap, so long as you can protect it.”
“So it wasn’t right.”
“But it was a good idea. Come on, you can do it. What else do we have?”
“A…military? You can protect roads and charge people money because it’s so safe!”
I nod seriously. Durene is going through all the ideas I had. She’s not slow at all, and I’m not as smart as people think I am, not by half. But I do have an advantage…
“That’s right. Assuming we could protect all our land, we would see more trade and people headed towards us. But that relies on us having a truly powerful army, and ours is growing—”
I break off and grimace. I have the ability to levy soldiers, but the core of my army, my people, is a few dozen [Riders] and a group of infantry who have seen only a handful of battles. My adventurers make up the best part of that force, and they’re few in number. And yet—I turn my thoughts northwards.
I can levy a force. I can call on towns and cities and have them send me a few [Riders] each, a handful of [Archers], maybe some [Warriors], and that’s without there being a crisis. I can form an army—but I will need a bigger one. But perhaps for now…
“Laken?”
“Huh? Oh, sorry, Durene.”
I realize I’ve stopped talking and clear my throat.
“You’re really close. But what’s the last thing we have, Durene? The last big thing?”
“Trebuchets?”
“No…but you’re really close. It’s related to them.”
“Um—um—is it—oh! Our [Engineers]! You can get Tessia and the others to build bridges and mills and all kinds of things!”
Durene’s face lights up, and I give her a small hug.
“Almost right!”
“What? I got it wrong?”
“Not wrong…but I don’t just mean the [Engineers], Durene. I mean what they do. Engineering.”
There are some crackers at the bottom of the lunch basket. Durene slowly reaches down and takes one. She crunches it down.
“Okay. You—I mean, we have [Engineers]. But our big secret is engineering.”
“That’s right.”
I wait, triumphant and hear a munching sound as Durene cautiously eats another cracker. She thinks for a while longer.
