Thread: An Empire in 100 Nights (Rosewood x LeatrixSage)

You say you lost how many goats? there was a spot somewhere behind Solveigs eyes that ached persistently. It fogged her mind as it worsened, but she had not the time to excuse herself and rest for a while. The Queen sat at a low table, grown grey from age and covered in various stacks of fragile sheets of pressed leather that served as paper. To her left and right where pairs that worked together to sift through those papers for any information their Queen needed, tally sums, and keep accounting of each decision and its cost. The duel notation kept everyone honest and acted as the single good thing she could remember her husband ever suggestion. Three good men two merchants and one a farmer and the most sharp and agile-minded woman Solveig had ever known Leah, the Mistress of the three of the five whorehouses in Ravenswrath. Before the rickety table were several benches, and each one groaned under the weight of their collective burden. The first several rows were angled to form the space that acted as a stage for those that had come to make a claim, and those rows hosted the representatives of Barons and Lairds that were ready to take responsibility for their part in any repayments that needed to be made. Beyond them were many more benches that sat tightly packed with unwashed bodies, and beyond those were ever more bodies standing shoulder to shoulder, all waiting for their turn to speak. It were six that they took, the tattered and haggard looking man was looking somewhere at the wall behind her head rather than directly at her while his dried and brittle hands twisted around and equally dry and brittle cap. He couldnt have been more than thirty, but his life of toil aged him, along with the loss of two sons and a wife during their flight from their farm to the capital. She couldnt restore his loss of life, not truly, but she had been able to account for to young orphans that could work his land as well as his sons would have. Settling the damages to his home were easy enough, but now this account of a Baron taking the mans goats from him at the gates had slowed everything to a crawl. What Baron did the men say they were working for? Leah asked from Solveigs left elbow. It wasnt the first time the woman had spoken the Queens thoughts, and she dearly hoped it was a trend that would never see an end. Next to Bjorn, the woman was one of the very few in Solveigs life that werent afraid to speak. Eadricson, milady, the mans cheeks colored as he spoke, and the Queen felt the woman next to her simper more than she saw it. Im not a lady, Uric, Im the woman yeve been beddin over the last fortnight. There was a spatter of nervous laughter, and it eased the tension that had followed the reminder of the man that had tried and failed to supplant their Queen by force the night before. It was bold to mention his name at all, which would suggest the man had no reason to lie. However, Solveig was grateful again to the shrewd woman at her elbow as she went on, and you know such a claim is damn difficult to dispute. Eadricson is dead. Do you know any of the solders names, one of the Merchants spoke up, but the mans cheeks only darkened as he shook his head. Of course, he didnt. There was no reason for him to question soldiers that came on the command of their lord to collect meat and bread to feed the ranks, not when that laird would be held accountable for everything he took. Selmy Wolfsbane, Solveig spoke up, her eyes searching the faces around her until the man in question stood from one of the nearest benches. He was a young man, barely twenty, but had been a favorite of Aksels. Hed been the mans warden more than once, and while she was rather surprised to see him there, she was glad of the honor that made him represent the very young daughter that Eadricson had left without a father, and who was the only heir to his lands and holdings. You speak for the young Lady Berin, yes? I do, he answered, his voice strained with a fury that could have been directed against Solveig as easily as it could be directed against the foolishness of his dead friend. The Iron Queen was not of the habit of trying to read the hearts and minds of men, so she ignored it. Six goats are what we require, she ordered carefully, discover whether or not your past Laird order their taking. If he did, and they are whole, return them. If he did, and they have been butchered, pay for the loss at a premium, buying new goats will be costlier now. If he did not, send word with whatever your findings. The young man nodded but said nothing else as he sat down. His Laird was a traitor, the haggard man spat in Selmys direction, making men lean out of the way to avoid the tarred spittle that flew at them. He wont be honest, you cannert let him- I cannot what? Solveigs voice took on an edge that froze the very air as she leveled her cold, grey gaze on the man. No, please, go on. What can I not do? Trust the word of a good man that had no knowledge of his masters dealings? Take a man at his word that he is owed a thing when he can produce me no proof of his leavings? What, Sir, do you imagine it is that I cannot do at your leaving? There was no answer that would great her. Not from the farmer, or anyone else, which was exactly as she had expected. At least, until a movement of color caught her attention and drew her gaze to giant among men that was the God King. He stood out from the rest, not just in height or demeaner, but the very color of his clothing and amour marked him as not one of those around him. They were all grey, and brown, drab in green and white, colors of stone, earth, metal and ice. He was like some fanciful bird among a murder of crows, there was no chance he would go unnoticed. If good Selmy finds nothing to support your claim, she went on as if she had never laid eyes on Morgundt, We will endeavor to discover who took your goats, and why. When we do, you will have them returned to you, or you will be well paid for the loss. If we can find no evidence that there were any goats to be taken by anyone, then you cannot expect the crown, or anyone else, to pay you for them. I would advise you to aid good Selmy in any and every way that you are able. Cowed, the man nodded weakly, and then shuffled back into the sea of bodies still waiting to be heard. Leah, Solveig leaned to the side to whisper to the woman, take over for the moment. I trust your judgment. I must see to our triumphant conquer. The whore sniggered, but the sound was one of merry amusement. The concept of keeping a crown in exchange for sex had absolutely undone the woman that morning. Solveig didnt fancy her suggestion of trading in the title of Iron Queen for the Queen of Whores, but she favored the womans businesslike approach to the situation. It was, in the grand scheme of things, a very small price to pay for hew crown and her freedom. The man couldnt be all that different from any other man shed known. What difference would riding his prick make? And, if she ended up with a child, what better reason was there for a peace between them? Shed marry some childless Baron, legitimize her son, and broker some future protection for a child of the emperor. Where Solveig had been conflicted, Leah had been outstandingly pragmatic. It had eased many of the Queens misgivings and better prepared her for the evening that had loomed so ominously before. The whore had struck on one thing, however, that Solveig wasnt quite brave enough to ask herself, or answer honestly. What if she enjoyed it? The sea of bodies shifted as best they could to make way for Solveig, but not near so much as they moved to give Adas a wide birth as they collectively seemed to notice he stood quietly among them. Fear and awe, they were a potent combination, and the man seemed to inspire both in spades by simply existing. You look none the worse for wear, she greeted him as she reached out to clasp the fore of his right arm. The familiarity did not go unmissed by the avidly attentive eyes that surrounded them. How the waggling tongues would be wriggling when they were comfortably out of ear shot. It seems Bjorn was gentle with you. Ill have to chastise him and do a damn sight better job at getting your drunk than he did. Whether she was honestly happy to see him, or it was part of the act, not even she was entirely sure. Her emotions was guarded, so much so that she was hardly able to name them herself. Perhaps that was the greatest flaw of all Queens, they were still women. Weve been at this some hours and weve barely made a dent, she motioned to those around them, who all quickly looked anywhere else than at the pair of monarchs. There is a place at the table if you mean to sit in. Every ear was suddenly piqued and trained on their conversation apart from all else. Of course, from their conversations the day before, he was there to do exactly that. She had invited him for that purpose, but she had just set him up to make it look like it had been his idea. The people would follow their leaders, their leaders followed a mixture of coin, power, and lofty ideals, and they would follow him if she propped him up just right.