AO 4 Ch 13 (Patreon)

Chapter 13

I woke up the next morning and yawned, finding myself alone. Maribelle must have already gotten up because her spot on the bed was cold and the room had been picked up. She had a certain way of exhausting me.

Slipping out of bed and getting dressed to hit the road again, I opened the door to an argument in the hall of the inn.

“— don’t think you understand the situation. You’ve missed the quota again.” A noble, I was guessing based on the tone, was talking down to an older man.

I started to head down, but paused because something itched at the back of my mind as the older man argued back.

“You’ve set those unreasonably high. My quota is over three times that of my contemporaries.” The old man crossed his arms. “It’s clear that you’re just continuing to pressure me for my license.”

There was something about the voice that sounded familiar. I paused, trying to place it before the connection clicked. It felt like I had been almost an entirely different person when I had last heard his voice.

My mind flashed back to my days running the tavern. I’d known this merchant that came out that far with his pretty daughter while talking my ear off about routes, costs and variable prices.

Honestly, he’d given me insights into the world that I’d chewed on while I was cleaning mugs. He had unknowingly helped me build the foundation that had allowed me to learn trade from my mother and Maribelle far faster.

I owed the old merchant.

“What’s going on here? You two are being noisy enough to wake the dead.” I found myself stepping forward and using my finger to dig their babble out of my ears.

I wasn’t one to leave the old merchant struggling now that I knew something was wrong. As I learned more about the world, I now knew that merchants rarely traveled out so far as that tiny village. Those that did venture that far were often the more desperate merchants, yet he and his daughter were clearly doing well.

The noble, at least in my estimation, turned sharply to rebuke me before his eyes trailed up my kingdom blues and he stopped short. “This is a private conversation.” His tone turned polite very quickly.

Being a mage had that effect on people.

“If it was private then you wouldn’t have woken me up.” I planted myself in front of both of them. “Now, what was this about quotas?”

“Sir. These are trade matters. They might not be suitable—“

“Ard, I thought I heard you.” Emlyn came up the steps dressed as an anchor with her scabbard slapping her thighs as she sauntered up.

The noble stared at Emlyn, and I had a moment to wink at the old man as he frowned at me with a hint of confusion.

“Apologies for the late introduction. I’m Arden Aldis.” I held my hand out to the noble. “I’m more than familiar with trade. Trust me, I’ve had lessons drilled into me.”

My name nearly had a physical impact on the noble. His eyes went wide and he nearly fell over. “The Young Aldis? You wouldn’t happen to be the four sphere mage?”

A smile that I didn’t quite let reach my eyes spread across my face. “Yep, that’s me.” I tapped the side of my nose. “I also smelled a little bit of business with your shouting. A trade license opening up?” Turning to the old man, I pretended not to know his name. “And who might I be speaking with?”

“Lucas Thyrendor.” The noble puffed himself up with the use of the royal family’s name even though I’d clearly been asking the merchant.

At least the name filled in some more information. His family controlled the merchant licenses. This man was trying to reclaim the old man’s license, likely to hand it back out to someone he favored.

“Mark Peti.” The old man looked like wanted to add a ‘but you already knew that, didn’t you?’ to the end. My name had been enough to make the connection and he looked visibly relieved.

I could catch up with him later.

“Pleasure to meet you Mark, and fortuitous. Word probably hasn’t spread, but the Aldis family just massively increased their trade fleet. The biggest trouble we have is manning it or bolstering our overland routes to handle the volume. Of course, if you were to operate with House Aldis, we’d help you manage such silly things like your trade license. Can’t have you be distracted from moving goods.” I winked.

“Sir Mage, I think Mr Peti has his own considerations.” Lucas tried to rebuff me.

“This is an offer worth considering.” The old man quickly disagreed. “After all, when opportunity comes knocking, you’ll always regret not opening the door.”

“What a wonderful saying.” I smiled back at him warmly. “Now, my anchors are likely getting antsy with me out of sight. How about we go down and discuss business? Unless you are about to strip his license?”

Lucas cleared his throat. “He has missed his quo—“

“Yeah yeah.” I waved away his lead up to more threats. “If you really were going to strip it, you wouldn’t waste time arguing and trying to squeeze him for more. Time is valuable. You of all people should know that. Let’s go.” I pulled the old man with me, and he quickly closed the door behind him and came downstairs.

House Aldis dominated the inn. Servants in our livery enjoyed their breakfast while my mother and my anchors ate at another table.

Lucas took one look at the room and retreated back to his room.

“Ard.” Maribelle was on her feet in a moment to rush and get me food, leaving her own plate half eaten in the process.

“Sit.” I told the old merchant and sat down as Emlyn stayed on her feet and moved to a wall nearby to watch over the inn. “You can ignore them. My anchors are a little possessive.”

“With good reason.” My mother was in her wheeled chair and sat between two benches around the circular table. “Who might this be?”

“Mother, this is Mark Peti. You remember that old merchant that I told you had taught me some things before you started in on your lessons? This is him.” I gestured to him as he took longer than me to take his seat.

“I appreciate you scaring off the royal officer, Mage Alids.” He nodded towards me diplomatically.

How he was treating me so rigidly bothered me.

“Don’t mention it. A lot has happened to me since I last saw you, but that doesn’t change who I am. Please call me Ard.” I insisted.

He seemed uncomfortable with that request.

It was my mother who stepped in. “Try as I might, I really can’t shake the villager from him.” She met him halfway. With a mage of her status talking casually Mark eased up.

“It is hard to believe it is the same young man. I didn’t recognize him until he used his name.” Mark said, casting several glances at me.

“Me too. Sometimes I wonder who’s looking back at me in the mirror.” I nodded. “He’s still there under the new uniform. Long story short, my father was Henry Aldis, my mother Gwen Aldis here. After awakening as a mage, I got someone to restore my father’s medallion and with that I have been brought back into House Aldis. But I wasn’t just scaring away the officer. We actually are in dire need of more merchants. I might have expanded our operations a little too quickly.”

My mother chuckled. “He did. Stole two dozen pirate ships that are currently being refitted before they set sail. We need goods to fill them, and quickly, so they can start earning on those retrofits.”

Mark’s eyes went wide. “You’d offer me that route?”

“Between Linfay and The Capital, or really wherever you want. Right now we have enough openings that you could take your pick.” I said. “It isn’t every day that a merchant with a license is looking for new work.”

“I’d need to see the contract.” Mark hesitated.

He was in a poor position, most would squeeze him for the opportunity. He was worried he couldn’t afford whatever we would be offering.

“It won’t be a bad contract, will it, mother?” I turned my eyes back to her. They became hard for a moment to get the point across.

“He’ll get the friend rate.” My mother assured me.

“Good. Then we can drop the boring business talk until later, contracts are too tedious for breakfast. Which way are you headed?”

“Towards Thyrendor with a full load.” He hesitated. “I’ll have to offload that…”

“Perfect.” I didn’t want to get back into the details. “We are headed that way as well. So, come by the Aldis Estate and someone will have a contract ready for you. Now, why was the officer being such a dick?” Mark could probably offer some insight to the current state of things.

Mark coughed at my question before collecting himself. “I guess you are Ard. You were always so direct.”

“That didn’t change with the uniform.” Aurelia agreed. “Then again, he’s a four sphere and can just bull right through most issues.”

I shrugged helplessly, as if it wasn’t my fault. Which it wasn’t. Someone had made the dire mistake of giving me authority and I wasn’t giving it back.

“A number of the merchants are being squeezed. At first it was all about getting more supplies moving for the war effort.” He explained.

I nodded along. “That makes sense. We’ve seen that.”

“Then as several merchants died or otherwise lost the ability to trade, their licenses were scooped up and given to people whose names I did not recognize. Each of them were absolutely in the Royal Family’s pocket.” He explained.

Thinking on that for a moment, I had a clarifying question. “Royal Family’s pocket or Princess Carmilla’s?”

He blinked. “Those are one and the same.”

From his perspective, they very well might be. However, to me it was a vast difference. “It’s not. With the King and the First Prince out at war, she’s been in power and likely consolidating her strength. Are the people loyal to her or the royal family?”

“Her.” He said, frowning with worry. “I didn’t realize there was so much strife in the Royal Family.

 Consolidating her strength really only had one purpose, that was to take the reins of the country.

“You aren’t supposed to see it.” I glanced at my mother who nodded.

If Carmilla was successfully pushing to take over The Enclave and also consolidating the financial power of the kingdom, it was honestly a little impressive..

Heck, even seeding these many people loyal to her was a feat in itself. Not to mention moving them around to put a stranglehold on the mercantile side of the country.

The strategy made me chuckle, because that’s exactly what the Thyrendor family once did to the Zenov family. As one of the largest merchant families at the time, they had found the power there to dethrone the Zenov family.

Carmilla was a student of history.

“At the very least things will be interesting.” I said. “Sadly, you need to know that House Aldis stands against Carmilla. She is also trying to take a seat on the Enclave and flip it in her favor.”

There was a small chance that she had someone else. No. If I had learned anything about Carmilla, while she planned in the back she came forward to make a statement like when she had those prisoners attack me.

She rarely attended the lessons she fought so hard to hold. Only when she had a statement she wanted to make did she appear.

“I don’t really care much about who’s in charge, just that I can live my life comfortably and provide for my family.” Mark was honest at least.

“That’s fine. Ard thinks everyone has to have a stake in it. As a merchant working for our family, you’d be fine. Perhaps some turmoil, but it’s going to happen to anyone in the coming year. Carmilla is setting up to fight wars on several fronts all while the kingdom faces an actual threat at their borders.” My mother huffed. “The hubris.”

“Even if she succeeds, won’t that mean we’ll become weak to Garrish invasions while we are caught up in the chaos of change.” Emlyn asked my mother politely.

“She thinks with The Enclave’s full support, the war would be won tomorrow.” Maribelle delivered me a plate of food and fresh milk. “I’m not entirely sure if she’s wrong.”

“Both sides have powerful mages and neither has opted to use them. It is a stalemate. If The Elders moved, then the war front would simply be a meat grinder.” I repeated a line I’d already heard.

“It already is one.” Zuri said softly. “I’ve seen the tallies.”

“Enough of that. We focus on what’s in front of us and what we can solve.” I had to pull the conversation from the constant tide that the war pulled peoples thoughts towards. “Mark, how’s Viviana?”

“She’s great, though a little out of sorts when you weren’t at your village.” Mark admitted. “In fact, she might be up here soon. She’d love to see you.”

“She would?” Emlyn appeared leaning on my shoulder, meanwhile the rest of my anchors were paying keen attention.

Mark suddenly realized something and let out a dry chuckle. “Ah. Right. A mage and his anchors are often very close.”

“Very.” Maribelle emphasized the word to a murderous point.

“Then I missed quite the chance to swoop Ard up before he figured out this whole mage business.” Mark gave a good chuckle. “Could have had myself a direct line into House Aldis.”

“Is she pretty?” Emlyn asked and poked my cheek.

I wasn’t stupid enough to tell the truth. “She’s a little plain after getting to know all of you.”

“Papa!” A shout came from the top of the stairs. “Are you okay?”

Viviana rushed down the stairs pulling up her dress. She was not plain.

Far from it.

Viviana was pretty in a very high maintenance way. Part of what made me hesitate back when we had first met was knowing a woman like her would likely struggle to adjust to life in a poor village.

Having seen more of the world, I knew that she’d seen life mages because her face was perfectly symmetrical save for a beauty mark below her left eye. Her hair was straight as an arrow and such a light blonde it was closer to white with only a hint of warmth. She wore a red wool dress with blue designs that went with her eyes.

Hurrying down the stairs her long, slim legs kicked out of the dress like a dancer.

“Plain, huh?” Emlyn said from my shoulder.

“I mean, compared to you.” I tried to save myself.

Mark caught my exchange with Emlyn, a big smile cracking along his face. “I’m fine, daughter. In fact, better than fine. I met an old acquaintance.” He gestured at me.

She came to a halt, her brown pinching down as she examined me for a second before her brows shot back up and a smile overtook her lovely features. “Oh my gosh! Ard.” She flew into my arms. “You’re with mages?! You are a mage!” She got caught up and quickly reassessed the situation as she pulled herself from my arms before I could do anything. “I’m so sorry, Sir Mage.”

“He’s still Arden.” Mark waved at me. “Right?”

“Ah. Yes.” I was awkward not because of the informality, but because I felt Maribelle’s eyes glaring into the back of my skull as if she were trying to spoil my impression of the woman in front of me with her mind alone. “Come sit. We were just discussing new routes for your father.”

“Oh? Can we stop going out to the edge? It’s a pig sty. Sorry Ard, but you were the only thing that was worthwhile out there. God, I looked forward to your inn if nothing more than to listen to your jokes.” Vivi made herself comfortable quickly.

She wasn’t great with the numbers and the larger scale of her father’s business. However she was incredibly social and a general delight to be around.

Her perfume lingered in my nose, bringing back memories of many nights staying late at the tavern chatting and joking. Vivi had a wonderful laugh and if I had any goods to sell, I’m pretty sure I would have given them away at a loss.

My memories of the past were littered with subtle hints and gestures for us to be more familiar with each other.

How had I missed that at the time?

Right, I’d been pining after someone else. There really hadn’t been room in my head or heart.

“She likes his jokes.” Zuri said to Aurelia.

“At least she’s not an anchor.” Aurelia muttered back, only for me to feel the murderous intention of Maribelle spike to dangerous levels.

Viviana’s attention shifted to Maribelle. “Oh wow. You are beautiful.” She had only been sitting a second before she moved towards my anchor.

There was a tension at the table that you could cut with a knife as we all braced.

I opened up my serpent sphere, ready to heal Vivi.

“So beautiful.” She repeated herself and got close to Maribelle. The anchor seemed briefly stunned by the woman. “I bet you have Arden absolutely drooling over you. This hair, a face of an angel, and a body just begging for a man to lay his hands on you. I’m right, aren’t I?” She turned toward me. “This one makes you absolutely wild I bet. Look! Even now he’s struggling not to and tear your clothes off and have his way with you on the table.”

I had no idea what to do with that statement. And I was completely unprepared for her to break down Maribelle’s murderous aurora. Instead the maid was blushing.

“He might have some trouble.” Maribelle admitted.

“Of course. The whole maid thing, too! Gosh, I bet he throws you down on the floor and makes you service him in all sorts of crude ways.” Vivi sighed. “I can just imagine it. I’d have to lock him and you into a room from time to time just to get it out of your systems.”

Maribelle was nodding along with Vivi.

I might have forgotten how incredible the merchant’s daughter was at pulling anyone and everyone into her flow. She was the absolute conversational equivalent to a gale storm, sweeping anybody nearby into the direction she was going.

Aurelia was whispering to Zuri. “She even handled Maribelle? Who is this woman?”

“You’re in luck. We’ll be traveling the rest of the way to Thyrendor with Arden and his family. He’s a member of House Aldis now.” Mark added. “He’s the one that’s going to give us a new route. One end will be Linfay, the other end we get to pick.”

“Wow.” Vivi abandoned Maribelle and I entered the eye of the storm. “That’s incredible Ard. I’m glad all those nights we spent together haven’t been forgotten.”

I cleared my throat, worried the women around me were going to read more into that statement. “Yes we used to chat and drink well into the night. But this morning I caught your father having an argument with one of the royal officers and stepped in. It was just the right thing to do.”

“Papa. We have to make the other end of the stop The Capital. That way we can see Ard. He’s our new benefactor, after all. We need to maintain strong relations.” Vivi advised her father.

He chuckled at that statement. “Sounds wonderful to me.”

I held up my hands before things got too far. “I’m just facilitating. You’ll end up dealing with others in my house.”

“Nonsense.” Vivi waved that notion away. “You’re a mage.” She gestured at my outfit. “Which means you’re substantial in a noble house now. If we aren’t dealing directly with you, it’ll be someone that you can manage. But you’ll see us when we come, won’t you?”

The way her eyes were holding mine, it would hurt my soul like kicking a puppy would if I said no. “Of course. If I’m in the city I’ll see you Viviana.”

She pouted. “It’s Vivi to you. Say it.”

“Vivi.” I was quick to agree, knowing that she had thrown an absolute tantrum once when I had refused.

“Wonderful.” Vivi answered with a giant smile. “I’m so excited to get on the road again. Not even the cold will stop us. Papa, we need to get packing.” She glanced around the room at several people in Aldis livery starting to move things about. “We can’t let them leave us behind!”