Tall, arid grass rose along the banks of the Sko River, brown and blurry and full of whistling insects. It hid the village of Squora from view until Lerran, Eseveer, Isar, and their guards were almost upon it. About an hour ago, faint trails of smoke had become noticeable over the brown fields in this, the most comfortable portion of the Barren Road.
Lerran had seen them first, for Ash carried him in the lead of their group. He was sweating and tired. He hadn’t told any of his travelling companions about Tassina’s news. Instead, he lay awake each night wishing he was with her, or wondering what his child would look like. Would it be a boy or a girl? Would it arrive on time, early, or late? Would it look more like him or her?
Squora soon appeared when a nook in the road curved around a young peanut tree surrounded by chirping grass. The village was composed two dozen mud or wood buildings. Only one, the town hall, was built of stone imported from the mines in Sheld and Tieko’s Ridge. Two dozen horses were corralled around a tall oil palm on the other side of camp, guarded by men in stiff leather armour with cloth veils across their mouths. A banner was hanging above a white silk pavilion on that side of town, two spears crossed with a sun above and a moon below. The oldest sigil in Radregar, many claimed, it was the coat-of-arms for House Valakono. Lady Valakono was one of the Three Matriarchs now, though she was directly descended from an Emperor of ancient days. Days before a meteor had reduced these lands to dirt, vain trees, and bone grass.
“They’ll receive us in the Town Hall,” Eseveer said, quietly. Her brother and she dismounted on the east side of the village.
“Isar, you’ll come with us,” Lerran said, handing his reigns to a nearby guard. “Five guards stay with the horses, the rest of you with me.”
Squora’s townspeople gave them the whole street. Those who were working in the village instead of on the Sko River or in the brown fields instead milled into the side roads so Lerran and his procession could move down the dusty, dirt path unhindered. The scattered clouds overhead gave them shade, though a column of brilliant light made the thatched roof to his left glow blindingly white.
They reached the town hall, the only stone building in the village. A handful of foreign guards stood near the entrance—Lerran counted six here. All but one paced away to give Lerran’s group some space. The one who remained, presumably a Captain, bowed to Lerran and said, “My Mistress and her guests have five guards attending them, if it please you.”
Lerran smiled dryly. “Five,” he said, quietly. “The rest wait here.”
The guard captain bowed, and lifted a blue silk veil across the lower half of his face once more as he stepped back from Lerran. The entry to the hut was a bead curtain that Isar led the way through.
The interior of the town hall was set up for their meeting, with two tables and a space of five feet between them. Servants—villagers likely—stood around the outside of the room with pitchers of wine or platters of fruit. Metal lanterns hung from the ceiling in a star pattern, each illuminating a cone and giving the rest of the room a gentle glow.
Lady Valakono was easy to notice, with a long black wrap dress hiding most of her wrinkled skin and deep set, dark eyes. She had bright grey eyes, famed from the highborn lineage of Noress-That-Was. She rose to her feet as Lerran entered, and her guests rose with her. There was another woman with a stiff tunic and a coiled serpent emblem embroidered thereupon, a middle-aged man with a wood circlet on his balding scalp and a quill in front of him, on the table, and an old manservant who attended him sat in the forth seat. Their five guards stood behind them, near the servants. The circular wall of the town hall put them at a distance.
Lerran matched their seating arrangement as best he could. He sat across from Matriarch Valakono. Isar stuck to Lerran’s shoulder as he’d been instructed, and sat at Lerran’s left. Eseveer unfolded a folio of paperwork and everyone in the room sat down at once.
“This has been an interesting proposal,” Lady Valakono said, quietly. Despite her age, her voice didn’t waver. “I’d like to hear it from your own mouth, Master, er Lord, er Prince?” She bobbed her head in mock inquiry.
“It would be bad for both of us if this information became public,” Lerran said. Lady Valakono nodded once. Lerran waved a servant over to pour him a cup as he continued. “My Family arranged the revolution in Lo Mallago in 1476—mercenaries toppled the portions of government that the public could not, and one Borik of Varravar led the charge in the riots. Now he is proclaimed the Rebel King, their beloved ruler. The Rebel King is on my payroll, and he is well aware of his loyalty. When I give the order, he and his men will withdraw, leaving a power vacuum for the highest bidder.”
The man in the wooden crown nodded. “I am Sha, the Lord of Insight for the Three wise Matriarchs. We’ve long known of the mercenaries your Father hired, but we did not understand this plan until your spymaster Erril contacted us. Would the people of Lo Mallago not rise up against such an abrupt change in leadership?”
“The people of Lo Mallago are not, and have never been, capable of overthrowing their government,” Lerran said. He took a drink of his wine, while Lady Valakono did the same. “They only succeeded before because of my Family’s backing, though they didn’t know it.”
Sha bowed his head. “How will we profit or benefit from a city in unrest even if they do not revolt when their beloved Rebel King vanishes over night?”
Lerran opened his mouth to explain that how they ran their city was their business not his, but thankfully Lady Valakono spoke again. The old woman looked Lerran in the eyes and said, “This is the first term of our negotiation—Borik will not withdraw on your orders. He will remain in Lo Mallago permanently, on our payroll.”
Lerran took a drink and recomposed himself. “And why should I agree to this?”
“It’s the best way to maintain control of the city,” Sha mumbled.
The Matriarch almost spoke over him. “We will pay you for the loss of the Rebel King, of course. Four hundred Grey Sea coins for his loyalty.”
“We will see about that,” Lerran said. “What is your offer for the city of Lo Mallago?”
Lady Valakono smiled. She looked at the woman on her left, then back at Lerran. “We’re prepared to offer 7,500 Grey Sea coins. A sizeable fortune.”
“Ha!” Lerran laughed. His voice echoed off the walls and some of the guards tensed. He lowered his head and looked at the Matriarch with a scowl. “Try fifteen.”
“Fifteen?” the second woman asked, while Lady Valakono laughed quietly to herself.
“That barren city of sweaty, self-entitled people, is not worth fifteen,” Lord Sha said. “Milady?” At a nod, he said, “We can offer 8,500.”
“Fourteen,” Lerran said. “And we’ll say one half, for the Rebel King.”
“Are we going to change our amounts back and forth all day?” Lady Valakono asked. “We travelled a very long way to play this children’s game.”
Lerran thought, And just because of that, we’re back up to fifteen! If only he could say that. He took another drink of his wine. He put down his cup. “Give me a serious offer then,” he replied. “I know you have spies here.”
Lady Valakono shook her head and sighed. “The nerve of criminals never fails to astound me. We have given you a reasonable offer, son of Gharo.”
“Eseveer, step in,” Lerran said, shaking his head. He was going to hit something pretty soon. He scowled and looked down.
Eseveer looked down at her pages, and then back at the negotiators. “There is a substantial gold mine in the village near Lo Mallago,” she said. Her voice was a little timid. “It alone should increase the value of this sale.”
“Oh, we know all about Jorath’s mine,” Sha said quietly. “They don’t call me the Lord of Insight for naught.”
“Very well, nine thousand,” Lady Valakono declared. “We can handle that, yes Lady Gallendris?”
The other woman bobbed her head. “We can, your highness.” The financier made some notes in front of her. She was a shrewd woman, with dark brown hair and a straight, sharp nose.
Lerran shook his head and swore under his breath. He wouldn’t part with for any less than ten thousand Grey Sea equivalent. “Do you think me a fool?” he growled. “Eleven and a half, take it or leave it. Any less and I’d be making more off the city in the long run than getting for the sale.”
Lady Valakono turned to Lady Gallendris and they discussed Lerran’s final offer in whispers. Lord Sha smiled, just to annoy Lerran further. At last the Matriarch looked back at the Prince of Sheld and said, “We’ll do ten and a half, no more. That includes the fee for the Rebel King’s loyalty.”
Lerran put his hands over this face and bowed, rubbing his temples and hiding a smile. He looked over at Eseveer. She was just looking at him, thankfully, with a blank face. At least she was good at bluffing games too. Lerran lifted his face and rested his chin in his hand, with his elbow on the table. He sighed, and said, “So there’s no way to make this an even eleven thousand?”
“Ha!” Lady Valakono and Lord Sha laughed in unison. The Matriarch stood up quicker than Lerran thought a woman of her age could. The ruler shook her head and chuckled. “Is there no end to your nerve? We’ll reconsider. Gallendris. Guards. This has been a waste of our time.” Lord Sha’s servant and Lady Gallendris both began to collect their things.
The foreigners cross the hall to leave. He watched, but they didn’t turn or look at him again until they were near the threshold. Then, Lerran clapped his palm against the table. “Very well!” he called. “Ten and a half.”
Lady Valakono raised her hand and their procession halted at the doorframe. The beads rattled and the neighing horses outside echoed in. The Matriarch inhaled and exhaled slowly. She turned around and went back to her seat. “You’ve a knack for irritation,” she commented. Lerran smiled. “But let us proceed. Jannia, a document if you would.”
“I’ll do the same,” Eseveer said.
Lord Sha commented on the dates. “When will the Rebel King answer to us?”
Lerran shrugged. “When will I get my money?”
“We’ll dispatch half upon our return to Var Nordos,” the Matriarch said, impatiently. “And half when the Rebel King has received a letter from you ordering him to answer instead to us.”
“Three quarters and then a quarter after,” Lerran bartered.
Lord Sha drawled, “You’d think this was a surly market.”
“We’re doing half and half,” Lady Valakono said, “and I’m not negotiating that. When your father hired mercenaries to topple the government of Lo Mallago, he paid them half in advance and half after. These are principles of business.”
“Fine,” Lerran said. “I await your shipment then.”
The Matriarch bowed her head. “Do not be alarmed—it will be well-guarded.”
Lerran lifted his wine and signed the documents he was presented with while Lady Valakono followed suit. Each group left with one, and they left quickly. As Lerran, Isar, and Eseveer rejoined with their guard, they noticed that the white pavilion had already been folded up. Lerran climbed easily into Ash’s saddle and looked out across the dry grass fields. Finally, he allowed himself a smile. He had made a lot of money today. Now, time to go home and get drunk.