by C. Litka
01
DrisDae sat next to his daughter and her husband-to-be, in borrowed clothing at the big table for a late dinner, upon our return. He ate in grim silence. He had come to during the dragon flight back to the mountaintop base, and having assessed his situation coldly, had reacted with cool indifference to both his fate and his daughter. He had said nothing throughout the meal - which he ate heartily, having been abducted before his dinner - and was no doubt considering his options. Not that he had many.
MossRose on the other hand was in flowing good humor, relating her team's adventures in great detail, eagerly hearing about ours. She insisted on having us show her and TeyMor our darters, and explain how their magic worked - with a renewed curiosity about the islands that we came from and with many questions about what other wonderful inventions these islands had to offer. We answered as sparingly as possible, describing the Saraime briefly, and we made certain to explain that our weapons would work only for us - which indeed, was one of the settings which I used. Her father took all this in silently.
TreyMor played the polite host, referring to DrisDae as "Father," used as an honorific title - the custom in Kandivar for the father of one's wife. Other than that, he smiled a lot, said little, and paid close attention to all that was said, all the while waging a silent war of indifference with his future father-in-law.
At the end of the meal he had Tey Pot brew us a large pot of tey, which we drank in expectant silence - while the past had been explored, the future had not, but would have to be, if not now, then in private conversation. DrisDae was unwilling to show any concern over it, and TreyMor was unwilling to be any less indifferent about it.
As Tey Pot poured the last of the tey, TreyMor announced. 'We should soon retire for sleep. We will be returning to Kandivar in the new round. It is a long journey, and the winds in the chasm can be treacherous at times. Kandivar will be your new home, Father. I hope that, in time, you will eagerly take up your new life in the Shadow Lands. I know it will be different from the life you have known on this side, but it has it's pleasures - the steppes are wide and free. It is a harder life in some ways, harder men, and harder enemies, but you will come to enjoy the freedom of the sky once you have mastered herding and riding Rider dragons. The new round will be the start of the new life that awaits you.'
DrisDae nodded, with a brief grim smile. He'd won that round - TreyMor had opened up negotiations.
MossRose, on the other hand was having none of that. 'Not without my dowry! That is the reason I have brought my father here.'
'Your dowry is a matter between you and your father, my dear,' replied TreyMor quietly. 'It has never been an issue for me. However, you can talk to him about the matter here or once we are at home in the Stronghold of Kandivar.' He gave her a steely smile of his own. He had made his play. He was not, however going to be seen as demanding a ransom by negotiating with DrisDae for the gold coins that - he said - he had no interest in. Nor was he going to be held hostage by them. 'We have little need for gold in Kandivar. Our wealth is in our herds and the range land we hold. We have the largest herd of Rider dragons in all of the Shadow Lands, my dear. And we rule over it in our name, not that of some distant Emperor, like the Governor here. I understand that the gold is a matter of honor, and I shall let you and your father come to terms about it. And if he doesn't want to part with it, well, you will have your father with you in Kandivar. Certainly he is worth 2,000 gold coins.'
'Even as a mere Governor in the Dajarain Empire, I am worth a hundred times more than a Shadow Land dragon herder,' replied DrisDae, with great disdain.
MossRose, catching Trey's eye, and reading his intent, sighed and turned to her father. 'You may well be worth many times more than 2,000 gold coins, but you will never in your new life see a gold coin, Father. I am told that they don't use coins or gold in the Shadow Lands, they trade and barter for everything instead. Still, Mor has assured me that you will be treated well in Kandivar. Indeed, if you choose to, you will be taught the ways of the Kandivars and their Rider dragons. Mor says that once you learn to handle one, you will be able to fly with the band on their visits to Zandival, if you so choose. Of course, that will be hundreds of rounds from now, and there will be a new governor living in the palace. A new, and, I dare say, very wealthy governor. I rather doubt that he would welcome your return. Indeed, I would not be surprised if you'd find yourself labeled as an embezzler of the Emperor's funds, and likely lose your head for it, should you return to the palace. A scrupulous governor would put you on trial for treason, an unscrupulous one would simply silence you. So you must decide - and decide now - if you want to remain Governor of Zandival and keep - most - of your precious gold coins, or give up your old life and all your coins for a life in the shadows.'
He considered that for a minute in silence.
'If I arrange for the delivery of your dowry, you will release me?'
'Upon its delivery, Father,' said MossRose with a smile.
'No,' said TreyMor, shaking his head. 'I am afraid that the dowry is no longer enough. As you heard from his own lips, he himself is worth a hundred times that. We would be foolish, my dear, if we were to give up such a prize for nothing at all. Plus, you risked your life to bring him here. That has to be paid for. In gold.'
'Mor?' This appeared to be news to MossRose.
TreyMor turned to her and shrugged. 'It is a matter of my honor, my dear. He has pegged his worth far above me. As much as I hope to enjoy a cordial relationship with your father, we need to come to an understanding.'
'Two million gold coins!' gasped MossRose.
DrisDae merely smiled and shrugged. 'He knows, as do I, that that is not possible.'
TreyMor smiled, as well. 'I will ask a mere token. It is a minor point of honor.'
'So what is a token of my worth?'
'Let us say, oh, 2,000 gold coins - the same value of your daughter's hand in marriage.'
'So it's now 4,000 gold coins for my freedom.'
'Two thousand are MossRose's by right. As for the rest, from what I hear, you can squeeze those out of the merchants within a thousand rounds. A very reasonable price for such a lucrative position. But as I say, the choice is yours. As the father of my wife-to-be, your life is in no danger from me and my clan, Father. Your choice is not of life or death, but rather of the type of life you care to live.'
DrisDae said nothing as he considered his options. Since I doubted that he found the prospect of herding Rider dragons on the Shadow Land steppes very appealing, I rather suspect that he was considering what sort of new taxes he could impose to recover those 4,000 gold coins as quickly as possible.
'I don't have 4,000 gold coins. You would have to accept at least half of that in silver,' he said, at last.
MossRose clapped her hands, 'Thank you Father!'
TreyMor smiled and nodded, 'Gold and silver would be fine, Father. If you care to write up an order to your officials, I will have it delivered by the first watch.'
'You will have that order - If you, in turn, agree to my terms.'
'And they are?' asked TreyMor, with a faint smile.
'Your assurance, on you solemn honor, that my daughter's first born son - my grandson - will rule Kandivar after your death. Or my granddaughter, if she produces no sons.'
'That is our custom.'
'And I have your word that it will be yours as well?'
'Why, of course. My eldest son will rule on my death.'
'You heard him, daughter, Tey Pot. Note his reply.'
They nodded, somewhat puzzled.
'And those are your terms?' asked TreyMor.
'Yes. You see, I intend to see that my grandson also rules here in Zandival - as well as Kandivar, and perhaps beyond, if he is clever and ambitious. I may not be merely the governor of Zandival forever. The empire is aging and weak. The time may come when the governor of Zandival, with enough coins in its treasury, might be able to save it, for a price,' he said carefully. 'And perhaps, the Kandiva
rians can play a profitable role in that. But that is a discussion for a future round. I merely wish to make it clear that I am giving away my dear daughter for the price of a kingdom.'
TreyMor grinned. 'Yes you are - and perhaps, if we can work together, we can make both kingdoms even greater for my son and your grandson. I have ambitions.'
'As do I,' chimed in MossRose.
DrisDae leaned forward and extended his hand across to TreyMor. 'I am cautious with friendship, as my dear friend Tey Pot will tell you - because I will stand by them. If you are willing to work with me to extend both our realms, then I would welcome your friendship.'
TreyMor looked him in the eye for a moment, and then smiled and took his hand. 'Friends.'
DrisDae laughed, 'Well then bring me paper, brush, and melting wax! Let us begin this partnership.'
Two of a kind, I thought. And then seeing the look on MossRose's face, amended that to three of a kind.
