by Ryan McCall
“I have a talent for business, and I hear the same about you. I would have liked to meet your father, but most of my life has been spent building my legacy in Enz,” replied Varko. “It is not the easiest environment for innovative business tactics. Many of the richest men in Wurnburg still think praying to Cyer, the god of luck is a sound business strategy. Thus I don’t have much time to visit the capital of the Alkon Empire. This is my first time in over twenty years.”
“And what finally brought you to Alkos City?” asked Tegan, curious. “I heard you were visiting and I had to invite you here.” It would have been rude for the most powerful business head of Alkos not to invite her counterpart from Enz to her home.
“Business of course. What else is there?” replied Varko in a sly manner.
“Of course.” She smiled, he was as focused as her father. “And how do you find the city since the last time you visited?” she asked.
“Much bigger and sprawling further than I expected. The recent technological advances you have made have encouraged rapid growth. Other than that it is much the same, though I have been hearing the most horrible rumors about an accident at the city’s magic academy.”
Tegan cursed the mages and whatever they had been pulling to cause trouble the same time a lucrative business ally was in the city. She smiled as sweetly as she could at Varko. “The matter is still under investigation. But I wouldn’t pay it much mind. Rumors will fly at a party in Alkos, even one as respectful as a wake. May I enquire as to the business that has brought you to Alkos City?”
“To be honest, I came here hoping that I could do business with your father. As that is sadly no longer an option I would like to have a proper business meeting with you.” Tegan smiled more brightly, this time it was genuine.
Before she could reply however, one of the women near the windows gave out a small cry, “Oh look, there’s a crowd of people at the gates. Are they here to pay their respects to your father, Tegan?”
This did not sound good. “Excuse me a moment Mr. Kulthon.” She walked over to the window where more of the party attendees were gathering. The woman was right, Tegan could see that behind the main gates, there was a large crowd.
One of her house guards burst in through the doors. “Madam Mordain,” he said in a state of panic.
She walked over to him and crossed her arms. “Well out with it. Who are these interlopers intruding on my father’s wake?”
The guard gulped and replied, “Members of the Laborers Revolution Collective ma’am. They’re refusing to leave.”
“And when you threatened them, they still didn’t leave?” she asked.
“Threatened uh… no, they demanded to see the head of Typhon trading and uh…,” he replied, suddenly realizing that he had not taken the correct course of action.
“And you came straight here to get me? Varos save me from incompetent help.” She looked him directly in the eyes. “Who do you work for?”
The guard gulped, his job was on the line if he didn’t answer correctly. “The Mordain family.”
“Correct. So when a bunch of radicals show up at the Mordain family’s gates and makes demands, you threaten to shoot them. If they don’t leave then you fire warning shots at their feet. If they still do not leave after that then you fire into their faces. What you do not do, is come running to your employer because they asked you to fetch her.” Tegan was shouting at the man, her face red with anger.
Tessa walked up behind her and laid a hand on her shoulder. “Shooting protesters. Is that the level you’ve sunk to now Tegan? Even father never went that far.” She spoke to the guard. “Go back and tell them that we will hear them out.”
The guard nodded and ran out, eager to get out of the room and away from Tegan’s wrath. All of the guests attention was on the two sisters. Tegan was furious. “What are you doing Tessa? This is my business not yours,” she said, turning her anger on her sister. She always had to be such an interfering bitch.
“This is family business,” stated Tessa. “Do you want to shoot protestors outside our home? In front of all these important government officials?”
Tegan tried to control her breathing. She wanted to lash out at her sister, but that would do no good. Once she had calmed herself, she said, “Fine, I’ll listen to what they have to say.”
She turned to the rest of the guests, “Continue to enjoy yourselves everyone, several employees of mine have concerns. I’ll address them as quickly as I can and return.”
Varko extended his hand. “May I accompany you Ms. Mordain?”
This was odd, why would he want to join her? “You may, but why?” she asked.
“Labor protests are illegal in Enz, I am curious to see how you Alkons deal with them,” he answered. She nodded and stormed out of the room, Varko following.
At the gates the protestors were chanting their various demands.
“Better work conditions!”
“Safety pay!”
“Fair wages!”
There was a roughly even mix of humans and orcs in the crowd, along with a good number of goblins. They were dressed in dirty clothes and from here the unwashed smell of them made her nose twitch.
A large number of them were carrying lanterns and they were far more agitated than she had anticipated. One tall and well-muscled man in a short sleeved, grey shirt stood out at the front. He looked to be the leader. From his bulk and muscular frame, she guessed that he worked in a labor-intensive job. He had the dark-brown skin tone of a Silunder and a shaven head.
Five of her house guards were standing on this side of the gate, their hands on their gun holsters, ready to draw. “Stand aside,” said Tegan and they stepped back. They kept their hands on their holsters in case the radicals tried anything stupid.
“I am Tegan Mordain. Daughter of Cormac Mordain and managing director of Typhon Trading, what is it that you want to say?” she said, addressing the man at the front.
“I am Victor Shepard, representative of the Laborers Revolution Collective and your company’s employees. We will not leave here until you agree to meet with the collective representatives at your company and negotiate with us,” he said in a loud voice. He raised his hand in a fist, thick scars on his arm reflecting the lantern lights. This drew a tremendous cheer from the crowd behind him.
Tegan stared him down and replied, “And what if I refuse? What if I simply call the watch and have you all arrested for trespassing and disturbing the peace? You’ve already ruined my father’s wake. Why should I do anything you say?”
“You could do that Ms. Mordain,” he replied. “But that won’t solve anything. If you refuse to meet with us, we’ll call a strike and then where will you be? You factories will sit idle, your machines and engines quietly rusting, your company will lose money,” threatened Victor.
“Don’t make me laugh,” said Tegan. “You and your fellow workers can’t afford to stop working. You’ll starve to death not long after I’ve replaced you all. There are plenty more people in this city willing to work in my factories. What makes you so special?” In spite of her confident tone, his threats concerned Tegan more than she let on. The last thing she needed after her father’s death was a company strike.
“This only represents a small fraction of our strength. We can cripple your company if we wish to. It would only take a word from myself or one of my comrades here.” He swept his hand to gesture at several of the men and women behind him.
“I’ve heard enough I think,” she replied and turned to the head guardsman “Charles, fire at their feet.”
The guard nodded. “Yes ma’am.”
He stepped forward between Tegan and the gate, the other guards stepping forward with him. “House guards, ready,” he commanded. The guards all pulled out their revolvers and cocked the hammers. “Aim.” They pointed through the metal bars towards the ground and there were shouts of alarm from the crowd.
The ones at the front stepped back. Except for the leader, Victor. He didn’
t budge an inch. He stared at her, his eyes remaining as hard as steel.
“Fire!” shouted Charles and the guards let loose. The blast of the shots rang out followed by screams and shouts as many of the protesters bolted away in a panic. The acrid smell of gunpowder and smoke penetrated Tegan’s nostrils. Her eyes watered slightly but she ignored it and ordered the guards to open the gates.
Most of the crowd had dispersed except for Shepard and a few others. “Seize them,” said Tegan. Her guards ran forward, their guns pointing at the remaining radicals. Once they had been taken, Tegan said, “Hold them until the watch arrives, they can deal with these criminals.” She noticed that Victor was grinning at her. She stepped over and eyed him carefully. “What are you so happy about?”
He laughed. “You made a grievous error Ms. Mordain. You will come to regret this. And when you do, the workers of this city will be set free.”
“Bah,” said Tegan, turning around and walking back to Varko.
The count was watching her carefully. “Interesting,” he said.
“Not particularly,” replied Tegan. “Workers protest now and then. It always pops up, we slap them back down and they learn their place. The trick is to be stern but not overly so.”
“I would not be so certain, Ms. Mordain.” He pointed at Victor, “That one is not someone to be easily dismissed. He is a man of strong convictions and he is charismatic. You should be careful in dealing with him.”
Tegan looked back at the tall Silunder. The man hadn’t flinched during the shots and wasn’t paying attention to the guards surrounding him. He continued to watch her with his steel eyes. Varko could be right. “So what would you suggest?” she asked.
“There are other ways to handle it. Though I do not think the methods we use against protestors in Enz would be seen as proper here. Tell you what, in the interest of pursuing a new business relationship with you, how about I have someone deal with this revolution collective for you? Call it a gesture of good faith from your future business partner.”
Tegan blinked. “We haven’t even discussed what business arrangement we would be conducting yet.”
“Well I am hoping that my gesture will be the beginning of our business together,” he said, smiling.
Tegan thought for a few seconds, the LRC had been growing in strength recently. If Varko could do something to curb them for her, then she was open to it. She nodded “Whatever you can do to suppress these radicals, I would greatly appreciate.”
“Wonderful,” he said. “Now, we should return to the party and forget about this nonsense.”
Chapter 21
“Are you ready, Your Imperial Majesty?” asked the emperor’s personal servant.
Lawrence McRath, the young emperor, took one at himself look in the mirror then replied, “Yes, I believe I am Jornas. They’ll be waiting for me so they can start.” Lawrence was dressed in his finest imperial clothes. Yellow and red, the colors of Alkos.
His servant, Jornas Glas, nodded and held open the door. He made his way through the corridors of the Imperial Palace, the servant keeping pace with him. He passed the many palatial guards in their chainmail and bright red coats, until he reached a set of open doors. He stepped through and into the imperial throne room. The thrones was made of gold-coated steel and an elaborate lion’s head sat on top.
He sat down and looked around the room. Five individuals stood in a line in the middle of the room. To either side there were crowds of people, the majority of whom were Estaran exiles. Several of his ministers were present, lined up to the his right, Minister-General Kodiak at the front. On the left, stood the representatives of the Royal Estaran Government-in-Exile. The most prominent of which was Clara Vicinus, Queen of Estara.
The young beauty was the last remaining member of her family. The rest of her family had been killed in the civil war. Her father, the king, executed before a cheering mob in the capital of Haltoria. Her older brothers had died on the battlefield and her mother and younger sisters had been killed by assassins.
Lawrence took his time looking at her. She was without a doubt one of the most beautiful women he had ever known. Long honey-blonde hair, a perfectly sculpted face and a tall body that she held with a regal bearing. She was in her royal attire, her green and silver crown sparkling in the light and her pure white dress was without crinkles or creases.
Lawrence spoke, projecting his voice as loud as he could across the large room. “Ladies and gentlemen, honored guests of Estara and esteemed representatives. It is my pleasure to hold this ceremony here. Five of our own countrymen have done a great service for our Estaran guests.” He then looked at Clara and smiled brightly at her. “Your Highness, if you would be so good as to begin?”
She bowed her head at him and turned to face the individuals in the middle of the room. “Thank you, Your Imperial Majesty. Your nation has done so much for me and my people already and now once again we are in your debt. As everyone is aware Estara tore itself apart years ago.
The war took much from my people and my nation…,” she paused, gathering herself before continuing. Lawrence expected that talking about the war was emotional. “Of all those who took advantage of the turmoil, none was worse than General Acteon Calidius. The atrocities that he committed during the war cannot be uttered in detail in here, but they are well documented. Even President Praellis and his republican government saw fit to arrest the man. Unfortunately the chaos of war allowed this criminal to make his escape from justice. You five have set right this terrible wrong and on behalf of my nation, the people of Estara and the royal House of Vicinus, I thank you.”
Cheers and clapping rose up in the room, only stopping when Clara raised her hand. “By rights this ceremony should be carried out in the Hall of Heroes in the royal castle at Haltoria, but as that is not possible, His Imperial Majesty, kindly offered the use of his throne room.” Another round of clapping went off.
The queen turned to the tall and watchful woman in armor standing behind her. Lawrence had met her several times. Her name was Ursa Opherus, commander-in-chief of what remained of the Royal Estaran Army. Most of her time was spent at her queen’s side, functioning as an advisor and bodyguard.
She handed Clara a pouch. Clara then turned back to the individuals and said, “Brenna Moreland, step forward.” The Justice Branch watch sergeant walked up to the queen, bowed and then bent down on one knee. “By the House of Vicinus, I, Queen Clara, proclaim you a Royal Hero of Estara and award you with the Most Exalted Order of Honor of the Kingdom of Estara.” She pulled a star-shaped silver medal out of the pouch and placed it around Brenna’s neck.
Brenna smiled and leaned forward to kiss the queen’s hand. Then she stood up and walked back, still facing the queen, standing next to her agorid partner again. Clara spoke the next name, “Snar Bruce, step forward.”
As the giant bear agorid stepped toward the queen, Lawrence saw Ursa’s eyes narrow and her fingers curled, one of her hands resting next to her gun holster. He couldn’t blame her. His own guards would have the same reaction to an agorid getting that close to him.
Lawrence was amused at seeing the large bear kneel in front of the queen, even kneeling, his head reached Clara’s shoulders. She said the words and placed the medal around his neck. Snar didn’t kiss her hand, he simply touched it with his black nose. That had been the agorid’s own suggestion. He had not wanted the queen to feel too uncomfortable by having his large jaws near her hand.
Lawrence had been impressed by the idea. The agorid was not only shrewd but he was also learned and sensitive to how his presence may affect other bipeds. Lawrence made a mental note to keep track of how the agorid did in his watch career. As a loyal subject of Alkos he could prove to be useful.
Snar stepped back into place and Clara called each of three university students, Reese, Cassandra and Michael. They were all nervous, although the girl had a certain melancholic look. No doubt by the loss she had suffered during the incident. Lawrence had read both of th
e watch officers’ reports.
As they finished and stepped back Clara spoke again, “Congratulations all of you. And once again let me express my eternal gratitude at the service you have done for Estara.” They all bowed to her. Clara stepped back into place to the left of the throne.
Lawrence spoke again, “And let me express my gratitude to all of you as well. You are all examples of honor and pride for Alkos and I am honored and humbled to have citizens such as you.”
Lawrence gave a nod to his head guardsman who then turned to the royal guards and shouted, “Imperial Guard salute.” The guardsmen responded and saluted the five of them, lifting their halberds into the air.
Lawrence looked over at Clara. She had tears in her eyes, though she was doing her best to not let them flow. Looking at her face, he wanted to do whatever he could to ensure she never had to cry. Then he realized that Ursa had caught him staring at her queen and had a disapproving glare on her face. He turned away and signaled for the ceremony to finish then exited the room.
He asked Jornas to send someone to Queen Clara and request her to come and speak with him in the palace gardens. Then he made his way out there and waited. He sat on a stone bench next to a bed of roses, his guards taking positions at the entrances.
Clara arrived at one of the entrances and walked over. General Ursa was also with her but she stopped and waited at the garden entrance.
“Your Imperial Majesty, you asked to see me?” she asked him.
Lawrence smiled. “Yes, Your Highness, there’s something I’d like to show you.” He led her to the center of the garden where a small, stone building stood. He pulled a key out of his pocket and unlocked the doors, holding them open for Clara.
She walked down a set of stairs and Lawrence closed the doors. They stepped past two white poles decorated with the black lion symbol of Alkos and into another garden inside the building.
