Broker - CH6 - (Patreon)

The carriage rolled slowly through the large gates of the capital.

It wasn’t so much as you passed them, as you were enveloped by them.

Stonework that looked close to fifteen feet in depth surrounded them as they passed into the capital proper.

Outside the inner walls was the peasantry. The lowest classes of the citizenry and where much of the drudgery and manual labor was collected.

All encompassed within a wall that wouldn’t stand up to a traditional army, but would certainly keep out bandits and raiders.

As they passed the wall, they entered into the inner wall district. This was where all the affluent members of the city lived, traded, and did business.

Where the peerage lived.

Even Alex’s family had a home here. Apparently it hailed from an age where the Brit family had a Ducal title, instead of only a Count’s.

I wonder how long ago that was.

Alex took in a slow breath and then sighed explosively.

The waste of time that this trip was felt as if someone had tipped over a puzzle he’d been working on. Throwing everything he wanted to do into disarray.

Hate it when people mess with my plans.

Though we did get a good deal, didn’t we.

Thinking about Carla, Alex turned his head to look at her.

Somewhere, somehow, she’d managed to cajole, bribe, or threaten her way into a full set of house guard equipment.

She’d even managed to clean herself up.

The dirt, grit, and smudges were gone. The unkempt hair had been trimmed up a bit and seemed almost groomed in comparison to when he’d first met her.

“What?” she grumbled, catching him watching her.

“Nothing, really. Was just thinking about how well you clean up,” Alex said, slipping into his “neutral Carla” tone he’d developed.

Carla brow’s immediately drew down, her mouth curling into a frown.

He waited, letting her digest his words. She seemed to go straight to anger until she couldn’t figure out a reason to be angry.

And only then would she go to another emotion.

Several seconds passed before her face cleared and she snorted.

“Whatever. No use trying to woo someone you’re trying to talk into sex with a deal,” Carla said.

Alex glanced at the window, making sure no one was nearby.

Walter had gone ahead to get the manse ready, leaving him alone with Carla for the last day of the ride.

“We both know that you can say no, Two. You have no obligation to say yes to sleeping with me. In fact, I’ll kindly remind you, we’ve agreed to the deal, but until you actually take the day off, my part of the deal wouldn’t even become valid.

“You can back out of it if you like,” Alex said.

He wanted to give her every opportunity to say no. To back out. To change her mind.

The more he did so, the simpler it was for his conscience.

This wasn’t the same world he came from, and as they said, prostitution was the oldest profession.

Sex had been, and always would be, an object of sale and trade.

In this case, he was just trying to get the best bang for his buck, so to speak.

“Mmmph,” Carla said, crossing her arms in front of herself. “I’ll think on it.”

She turned her head away, not willing to look at him.

“I… that is…” she said, staring out the window. “I appreciate you not forcing anything. When we were alone in the carriage you probably could have, since we already made the deal.

“I didn’t exactly put terms on it.”

Alex shrugged and looked out his own window.

“I have no desire or intention on forcing you, Two. Do I want to sleep with you? Sure. Will I make a bargain to get what I want? Of course.

“Am I going to hold it against you for saying no or not agreeing to a deal? No. That’s not how this works. Everything has to be agreed to, and made without pressure outside of the terms of the deal.”

Carla grunted at that, but didn’t respond.

I guess that’s the end of the conversation then.

Such a cunning linguist.

Catching the attention of some sort of god or goddess of luck, the carriage turned off the main road and rolled past a pair of iron gates.

The crest on the gate as he passed was that of Brit.

Thank you, Leah. I don’t think that could have gotten anymore awkward at that point.

“Strangest noble I’ve ever met,” Carla muttered, just loudly enough for him to hear her.

“And why’s that, Two?”

“You don’t travel with a concubine or a whore. You treat your men kindly. You ordered the deaths of bandits but gave me an out that didn’t involve me being passed around as a toy.”

“And is that all normal behavior?”

“Shit yeah. Was something I expected to happen eventually after I killed my first merchant.”

“Sounds like a great career path,” Alex said. “One can only imagine the benefits.”

The wheels ground to a stop and without waiting, Alex opened the door and popped out immediately.

Only to be shoved to one side as Carla jumped out after him, and crammed him up against the wall of the carriage. Her forearm was pressed up against his shoulders and she was leaning into him, her eyes scant inches from his.

“Blasted idiot, are you just wanting to get killed?” she said, turning the glare she was giving him up to tern. “You just assume all is well so you jump out?”

“Uh… well, yes? I mean… ah.” Alex looked around and had to force himself to not be defensive.

To consider her words.

I did jump out without even thinking about the situation. She’s not wrong.

If this had been a project or a directive, you’d have have called the execution rushed without proper scoping.

“You’re right, Two,” Alex said, holding his hands up in apology. “I can’t say anything other than that, because you’re just right.”

All around him, his guards watched the exchange. They’d accepted her readily enough, though seemed oddly unwilling to engage her in anything other than cursory discussion.

Carla watched him for a second more, then looked to another guard.

“We’re clear out here,” said the man. “Rudolph went inside to confirm things with Walter.”

Carla released Alex and looked around herself.

At the same time, Walter came hurrying out of the manse, followed by a group of men and women.

They all looked the part of middle class citizens who’d taken work as house servants.

“Ah, my lord. Welcome, welcome. The manse is well prepared for you,” Walter said.

“Good work. Send a runner to the king immediately letting him know that we’ve arrived in city, and humbly ask for an audience at his leisure,” Alex said.

Walter nodded his head and turned to speak to the servants.

“If you still want that deal,” Alex murmured softly, leaning in close to Carla. “Best you use your day off today or tomorrow, Two. I imagine after that we’ll need to deal with the king, and then hopefully be off.”

Carla glanced at him, one side of her mouth screwing up into a frown.

“Our… deal… still stands? You’ll give me my years salary, let me have the day off for… for what we agreed?”

“Based on what we discussed, yes. Unless there was something else to add or subtract from the deal?”

“Ah… could…” she paused, her nose wrinkling as she considered whatever she was going to ask for.

“Mm? Best ask now before Walter finishes up whatever he’s doing.”

“Can I have two years salary in advance?”

“Hm. I can agree to that, so long as we amend the deal to include that you’ll also do no harm to yourself, attempt to get yourself killed, or willingly allow yourself to be harmed or killed, without it being in defense of my life.

“Can you agree to that, Two?”

A flash of anger flickered through her eyes, and then vanished.

Ah. She’d never even considered it.

A pity. Wasted a perfect opportunity, and she gets something for nothing.

“Deal, on Leah’s name,” Carla said, apparently not wanting him to change his mind.

Sighing, Alex nodded his head. “Deal. Come, let’s go get your money, Two. And by the by, do you have a bounty on your head? I’ll need to get that taken care of if you do.”

***

Alex walked into the throne room of his king with more composure than a Count his age and stature should be privy to.

Or so he liked to think.

After facing down a board of directors, a single despot on a throne didn’t seem like that big of a problem.

The worst he could do was kill him.

And he’d already died once and was sent to hell.

He had no doubt Leah would find a use for him somewhere else even if he failed here.

Useful tools are never wasted.

Walking up to the dais, Alex kept his eyes on the lord of the realm, his pace sedate and measured.

The king was a younger man in his early twenties.

He looked as if he were holding a position given to him that he wasn’t ready for.

Grey eyes, brown hair, nondescript. There was nothing that stood out about him, other than the fact that he was the king.

A man described by his position, rather than his stature.

To Alex, he looked more like a new vice president who had only just realized that his position had a lot more going on than originally assumed.

Reaching the point that the dais began, Alex fell to one knee and bowed his head.

“I Alex Brit, Count of Brit, present myself to king Harold the third,” Alex said.

The statement was part of the elaborate ceremony of the peerage here in the capital. Especially so for those who didn’t remain here year long.

“We receive you in good graces, Count Brit. Rise,” said the king. “We asked you here specifically to discuss a subject that troubles us.”

Saying nothing, Alex stood up and waited quietly.

There was no reason for him to say anything unless he had something to add, or was asked a question.

He’d met a number of people in his life that tried to use the uncomfortable weapon of silence against him.

Pity for him that silence works just as well for me.

The king stared at him.

Alex stared back.

Seconds ticked by, before the king realized that he wasn’t going to get anything from him.

“Are you well, Count Brit?”

“Quite well, highness.”

“We understand you had a recent brush with death.”

“I wouldn’t quite call it that, highness, but I will admit my outlook on life has changed since my ordeal.”

“Ah… well. That’s good then. For we have a request and a desire to lay on you.

“We would have you find a wife. Immediately. Your line may no longer be as high in status as it once was, but it is still a known and well documented noble family.

“Your lack of an heir is perturbing.”

Alex took a slow breath as he processed that.

That alone doesn’t feel like a reason to call me forth. The question is, what exactly does he want.

“I understand, highness. I’ll take action on that immediately, and find a wife within the year after I return home,” Alex said.

It was a polite acceptance without defense, and provided a time-line.

Unless the king had something specific he wanted, there was no way for him to refuse without looking as if he had ulterior motives.

“We’re afraid that doesn’t work for us,” king Harold said, leaning to one side in his throne, clearly uncomfortable.

Alex didn’t respond, and decided to stand quietly.

It was clear to him the king did indeed have something else he wanted to do.

There was no reason to give him anymore information or ammo he didn’t have to.

“We’ve gone ahead and arranged a number of balls, marriage contract meetings, and have called in all sorts of favors to have a large number of willing women of marrying age available.”

“Ah, his highness is overly kind,” Alex said carefully. 

“Not at all, we just wish the best for you. For the next several months we intend to offer you up to the peerage as our most eligible bachelor.

“At the end of this all, we do hope you can find someone agreeable. Otherwise I’ll be forced to choose one for you myself,” the king chuckled to himself, as if he’d made a joke about the last part.

Alex had no such delusions about that.

The king had made the statement as a passive threat to what he would do, and planned to do. Not to mention, more than likely testing the waters to gauge Alex’s reaction, as well as his court.

Keeping his eyes trained forward, Alex smiled as the court chuckled and tittered at the king’s words.

I suppose that’s his play then. Marry me off to someone he controls or has control over, and then try to wield them as a weapon to change the ownership of the county of Brit.

I’m betting it on our revenue, or he wants to use my wife and her father as a prybar on a duke.

Very well.

A wife hunting we will go.

Bowing his head to the king, Alex cleared his throat.

“I thank his highness for his assistance in the matter. I personally invite all willing bachelorettes across the empire to the balls, and will endeavor to hold several of my own, that need only have their letters of nobility to act as the invitation,” Alex said congenially.

With any luck, that’ll open this up to people the king didn’t personally prepare.

Let’s hope he doesn’t take this as a move against him, and is more just a young man wanting to truly play the field.

Even if I’m older than him.

The king smiled widely at that and nodded his head.

“Well said, Count. Well said. We welcome this as a wonderful occasion for us. We’ll use this as an opportunity to perhaps secure a second wife for ourselves. With so many young women running around, maybe we can steal one away from you,” the king said.

Ah, is that him threatening to take away the best candidate?

“Ah, your highness. Your humor is unrelenting. I’m sure you’d have much wider pool of candidates to choose from than those who would settle for a lowly count such as myself.”

What else ya got kid? If you really want to stoop so low as to scoop up my offerings, you’re welcome to take that hit to your prestige.

The king’s smile was cold and brittle at this point.

No doubt he knew he’d been manuevered, but there was little else he could do without looking the part of the villain.

“We look forward to the first ball, which will be held tomorrow. Rest and relaxation would be the best course, but that’s only our suggestion,” the king said, dismissing him.

In other words, you knew I left from Brit and had this ready to go, or it was a general ball that you’re converting to your own purposes.

Alex knelt down on one knee, bowed his head, and quickly retreated from the throne room.

Walter caught up to him as he came down the palace steps.

“My lord?” asked the older man.

“The king has ordered that I’m to wed. And rather quickly, I might add,” Alex said glibly.

“How quickly is that?”

“Three months, give or take a few weeks. He also arranged a series of balls, meetings to discuss marriage, and other assorted surprises I’m sure I don’t know about yet.”

“I see.”

“Oh, and if we don’t find a wife by the time it’s all over-”Alex paused to clamber into the coach and take a seat. “Then he’ll find a wife for me.”

“I can’t imagine that going over very well for your health.”

“No, me neither. I publicly invited and welcomed any eligible bachelorette from the empire to participate. With any luck I can get some interested parties outside of his sphere of influence.”

“Ah, a good move, my lord. I’ll make sure to send out invitations just to make sure it spreads itself around.

“I think I’ll even be so bold as to invite merchant families with enough wealth that no one would mind them marrying a Count.”

Alex snorted at that.

A Count. The lowest rung of landed gentry.

Though the king did mention that we were once more than such.

I wonder what happened.

“Did he mention anything about being limited to one wife, or him wanting you to have more than one?”

“Ah, no. He didn’t mention anything. Why?”

“Just trying to make sure we follow his decree. We should stick with one wife for now and assume that was the baseline.”

“Right,” Alex said.

Leaning back into the coach as it got moving, he couldn’t help but worry over the situation.

It all seemed a little strange.

All he’d done was squeeze the envoy out of the city.

And politely, too. Without the envoy losing much other than hard assets, and being paid for them.

Unless the envoy had been something more and I missed it? Possible I suppose.

We hadn’t been involved for long.

“I suppose we’ll be here a while, probably should send a runner back to Brit to let them know,” Alex muttered. “Pity. My pet projects are going to take longer than I thought.”