Chapter 183: Never rains, but it pours
“Life has many ways of testing a person’s will, either by having nothing happen at all or by having everything happen all at once.”
Paulo Coelho
Our distant location and position of political isolation had served us well, but the more significant we grew, the more ripples we made. So it was unsurprising that we had finally drawn physical attention. It was just our luck that the two envoys had arrived at the same time and not much later than the Libeccian mercenary merchants. Thankfully they were preceded by Mercurio, who had informed us of the impending disaster. Captain Kashif had not yet left, so some sparks were still flying between the two captains, but neither could be too overt in their complaints about the other, with both of them falling foul of the same problem. The fact that they were both, in one way or another, responsible for the uninvited guests who had followed them and intended to take a bite of the apple that was our home. It was just as well that we had managed to deal with them separately. It would have been a disaster to attempt to deal with them simultaneously, so there was that going for the timing of all of this.
“Lord and Lady Silversea. It is a pleasure to return to visit your beautiful and prosperous island.” He paused to nod to his contemporary, “Captain Kashif.” His flattery and praise were welcome, but they made his brusque greeting to Captain Kashif evident that he was less than impressed by the presence of what he considered a pirate. Captain Kashif, though did not rise to the bait. And having recently experienced a true mercenary merchant from Libeccio, we felt we could tell the difference between the two.
“Mercurio, peace under the light; you both work under our patronage. So let’s try to work together a little better. Besides, Captain Kashif bears an offer to create a very profitable trade route between the Emir Ishtul of Libeccio and the markets of Ponente. Surely that would be enough money to temper your tongue.” Aleera cautioned.
“Of course, my lady. I am always interested in an honest profit.” Mercurio bowed to the Lady he had helped create but still managed a pointed rejoinder. Profit would come before pride for many a merchant, but it would be nice if both of them managed to cut back on the sniping at each other this time. “If I might have a word in private.” He hesitated before asking but asked anyway.
The problem with stats and skills was that any whispered conversation in the great hall was not necessarily private to anyone with the strength and interest to listen. However, judging by the look he gave Captain Kashif, it might have been someone specific he was avoiding listening in. No one likes to look less than capable in the presence of a competitor. We were not, however, willing to pander to the merchant. If there was something he needed to say, he needed to inform us of whatever problem was worrying him immediately. We had been surprised enough recently; I gestured impatiently for him to continue.
He hesitated before handing us two ornate letters with golden lettering and large thick red seals stamped with different crests. “I was asked to deliver these. I was also asked to provide the individuals who held their passage so they might give them to you personally. I was able to decline the individuals, if not their letters. They have followed closely on my heels, especially considering the pair of vessels that have shadowed our ship throughout our journey among the Ponentian Archipelago. They cannot be far behind.”
“How are they following you? I asked, now aware of the dangers of the stones imbued with various properties.
“I am unsure, but the magical methods of tracking something as large as the swift are myriad.” He answered.
We looked at the letters Smit held on a silver platter before us; we were leaning into our name. Besides, I preferred Silver to Gold; it seemed less flashy and gaudy. I wanted us to come across as professional. Regardless, I was noting the two different crests stamped into the wax. One was a sailing ship on the open sea, the other a castle perched on a mountain. Despite never seeing them in person, I instantly knew who these were, thanks to Lady Acacia’s lessons. We would now need to start dealing with the two political parties in the Ponente’s House of a Hundred Lords directly without the buffer of years before our presentation at court or even the support and intervention of the Royal family. It appeared that they had found us or finally made their first move.
The sailing ship represented Ponente's coastal or island Western lords, while the mountain castle represented the inner landlocked Eastern lords. It was far more complex than that, but it could be simplified down to that for all intents and purposes, according to Lady Acacia. At least, this had been our training on the matter so far. Although I was sceptical, she sometimes liked to use broader truths to teach a point, only to go into greater depth and detail with new rules that contradicted the first. There was no doubt that humanity was complex, and we would have to wait and see how they acted when they arrived. The ball was in their court, and we had to wait for them to make the first move.
With some trepidation, I opened the first of the two letters.
Dear Lord and Lady of House Silversea,
Congratulations on your investment into the nobility of Ponente.
I write at the behest of the Western Lords, specifically the Coastal and Island Lords, whose moiety best aligns with your circumstances and geographical location. I invite you to join your natural place by our side. We look forward to welcoming you to our august body, The House of a Hundred Lords, at the debut of your sister Lady Silversea.
However, we encourage you to take the opportunity of our envoy to visit your geographical neighbours and peers, as we are ready and willing to support you through the trials and tribulations life can test us with. As the singularly most isolated baron family within the Ponentian Archipelago, we would like you to know help is closer than you think should you require it and encourage you to use it.
We look forward to helping you meet your peers and hearing from you soon.
Lord Larimar
High Lord of Solstice City
President of the Western Lords of Ponente
What struck me straight away was the quality of the penmanship. It looked almost like a computer printed; every repeated letter was identical. Probably not the lord. But someone must have a reasonably high calligraphy skill. While the official tone sounded a little self-righteous and pompous, there did not seem to be anything outwardly outrageous about what he said unless he genuinely expected us to visit his or an ally's home. That seemed a little foolish, even if only at a surface level.
The following letter was much the same but from the Eastern interior lords of Ponente. He expressed warm and welcoming greetings to the distinguished group known as the Hundred Lords and signed his letter, High Lord Carnelian. I wondered whether they would be changing the name when I arrived. Or whether some poor lord with too little influence would find himself demoted.
It seemed suspicious that an envoy for each faction was being sent merely to deliver such simple greetings. Indeed something else was at play.
“Their representatives are on their way?” I asked, a little intimidated by the idea that the Lords who were probably responsible for my first assassination attempt were on the way to flex their political, economic and possibly military muscle. The King’s proclamation was worth its weight in gold, but gold did not always make the best shield to defend yourself with.
“Most likely, yes. I could deny them passage. We took none on this trip. But I could not stop them from following, especially sailing under the crests that they were.” He sadly informed us, referring to the two crests on the letters in our lap.
. . .
With the two letters in our possession, we knew that we had to prepare for the arrival of the envoys. We called for a council meeting with our close advisors to discuss the situation and develop a progress plan. What was different from usual was that we included Merchant Mercurio and Captain Kashif in our deliberations. They were not to determine our policy but inform us of the day-to-day situation within the House of Lords. We were horribly out of touch compared to the instant communication in my former world.
As we gathered in the council chamber, I could see the concern on everyone's faces. We had been warned that the High Lord Larimar and High Lord Carnelian envoys were coming, and we knew this was not a good sign. These lords were influential figures in the House of a Hundred Lords, and their arrival could only mean trouble.
We listened as our advisors spoke, offering their opinions and suggestions.
“You don’t need to see them directly. Instead, take a trip to be unavailable. I’m sure we can delay them for long enough that they are compelled to return home.” Father suggested that we should refuse to see the envoys.
“We cannot do that forever, and they are hardly likely to return home without seeing us having travelled so far!” Aleera argued, unimpressed with the attempt to avoid the possible confrontation.
The majority, though, were resigned to the fact that we should meet with them and hear what they had to say. So, we ultimately decided to meet with the envoys, but only on our terms. We would set the conditions for the meeting and make it clear that we would not be intimidated or bullied despite our relatively new name and position.
. . .
When the envoys arrived, we greeted them politely and listened as they presented their cases. "Welcome, honoured envoy of High Lord Larimar and honoured envoy of High Lord Carnelian. It is an honour to host you both on Wester Ponente. Please, make yourself comfortable." Aleera led the opening. The less they knew about me, the better though I was still the focus of their response.
"Thank you, Lord and Lady Silversea. Your hospitality is most appreciated. High Lord Larimar has sent me to discuss a matter of great importance with you." The envoy bowed low. However, he looked to our advisors as much as he focused on the two children sitting before him.
Not to be outdone, the High Lord Carnelian’s envoy also jumped in, “I would also like to thank the Silverseas for their prompt and apt response to our humble request for an audience. I also hope to discuss matters of great importance and benefit to everyone involved.
"I am all ears. What matter does the High Lords of Solstice City wish to discuss?" Aleera replied cordially and politely.
“Perhaps we might discuss this further in private.” The two envoys mirrored one another in their responses.
“Of course, later perhaps, in private over dinner.” Aleera delayed the conversation. It was enough for them to realise they were not the only ones bidding for our family's attention. With our diverse advisors and the court filled with our Adhal families, Mercurio and Kashif, we were not what they had expected.
. . .
Later that evening, we asked about their journey over dinner and offered them refreshments. We also inquired about the High Lord's well-being and expressed our eagerness to hear the purpose of the envoy's visit.
"High Lord Larimar wishes to propose an alliance between our estates. He believes that together, we could achieve great things and bring prosperity to our lands." The envoy for Lord Larimar opened.
"An alliance, you say? That is an interesting proposal. But, do we not all pay allegiance to the Prince of Ponente?” Aleera countered.
“Of course but beneath our overarching loyalty to the crown, there are other considerations to be made, other parties to support.”
“My brother and I would need to consider it carefully before giving you an answer. May I ask why High Lord Larimar believes that an alliance with our humble island would be beneficial?" she smiled. Each person danced around the issue at heart and deflected to imply they would need another’s voice to confirm their decisions. The envoy undoubtedly believed it would be our adult advisors rather than the words of a small child like myself. Although for the terms to be binding for our house, they would have to be uttered by myself stuck as we were in a patriarchal society where my words carried more weight than my sisters.
"Certainly, my lord and lady.” He continued to refer to both of us. “High Lord Larimar believes our estates share many common goals and interests. We both value trade and commerce, and we both seek to protect our lands from outside threats. By working together, we could pool our resources and achieve more than we ever could on our own."
"I see. Those are certainly compelling reasons. I will carefully consider High Lord Larimar's proposal and give you my answer. In the meantime, please make yourself at home on our humble island. If you need anything, do not hesitate to ask." Aleera steered us away from Lord Larimar’s envoy to face the next.
High Lord Carnelian's envoy was more direct, strongly suggesting we pledge our loyalty to his lord or face the consequences.
We told them both we would need time to consider. The meal finished with our stomachs satisfied but our minds worried.
. . .
It was exactly what I had feared. The two political factions of the House of a Hundred Lords sought to win our favour and support their respective causes. Accordingly, they offered us great incentives, and choosing which side we would align ourselves with was up to us.
"What do you think, Kai? Which side should we choose?" Aleera asked later that night. Once the envoys had left, each advisor had something to say, but now it was just us two discussing the future.
I sighed heavily, "I don't know. This is a difficult decision. On the one hand, the Western lords are offering us exclusive access to their ports and markets and a significant stake in their trade routes. But, on the other hand, the Eastern lords are offering us access to their rich mineral mines and the chance to become a major supplier of precious metals and gems."
She nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, I see your point. But we have to think beyond just the immediate gains. We have to consider the long-term consequences of our decision. Which side will be more stable and reliable in the long run? Which side will help us build a stronger, more prosperous future?"
I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes. "I wish we had more information about their policies and alliances. It's hard to make an informed decision without knowing more about their plans and strategies."
She nodded in agreement. "Yes, that's true. But we can't wait forever. We have to make a choice, and soon. The longer we delay, the more impatient they will become, and the greater the risk of alienating them. I trust your judgement, Kai. You have a keen mind and a good sense of strategy. When you are not being an idiot, whatever you decide, I will support you."
I smiled gratefully at her. "Thank you, sister. I appreciate your trust and support. I will give this matter some more thought and consult with Lady Acacia and Mercurio. With their help, I'm sure we can make the right decision."
. . .
Ultimately, we decided to remain neutral and avoid the conflict as much as possible. It was not an easy decision, but we felt it was best for our house and people. We knew our decision would have consequences and were prepared to face them.
. . .
When they returned the next day, Aleera sat at the head of the table alongside me, flanked by our advisors. She listened carefully as the envoys from High Lord Larimar and High Lord Carnelian once more presented their cases.
"We offer you our lord's protection and support," the envoy from High Lord Larimar said. "In exchange, we ask for your support within the House of Lords."
"And what of High Lord Carnelian?" Aleera asked.
"He offers the same," the envoy from High Lord Carnelian replied. "But he promises greater rewards for your allegiance." He referred to the metal and gems we would have access to should we support their side.
Aleera looked to her advisors before speaking. "We appreciate your offers, but we cannot decide without considering all our options. We need time to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of each proposal."
"We understand your position, Lady Aleera," the envoy from High Lord Larimar said. "But time is of the essence. The contention between our lords will continue unabated, and we need your decision as soon as possible."
"If you cannot give us the time to consider the nature of your parties carefully and we remain ignorant of your policies, we cannot offer our allegiance to either of your lords," she said. "But we can offer our neutrality and our desire for peace."
The envoys were not pleased but accepted Aleera's decision and left the hall without incident.
They had yet to leave the island.
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