than a buffer between the lands they did want and the Vulak Tribal Lands, so they also rarely committed the resources to expand. Half a dozen forts along the border changed hands every couple years. It was a constant war neither side seemed committed to try to win.
The truth was that Relarch was politically, though not geographically, centered on the city of Fork where the Starshone met the Evenflow. The Counties and Duchies closer to the Capitol felt more of the Kingdoms influence while the lands farther out, such as Stonewall, may have forgotten that they were part of a Kingdom.
Tara sat at the front of the carriage, beside Thomas. He was sleeping, but Tara was content to just snuggle by his side.
CHAPTER 13: PANTROS
Pantros sat by a window, occasionally reading one of a handful of books in the carriage and mostly just watching the passing scenery. He’d never seen anything but city where the ground was stone and he was never more than five paces from a wall.
At the end of the ridge, atop the cliff, stood ruins of red stone. “What’s that?” Pantros asked, Estephan, who’d been napping across a table from him.
The Prince glanced out the window. “It’s an old tower, older than the Abvi. The red material is called Opalite and it is exceedingly valuable, as long as it hasn’t been worked. Once it’s been worked, it retains its shape forever and is nigh indestructible.” Estephan said.
“That tower looks well destructed, I guess the Opalite is less valuable once it’s been worked and destroyed.” Pantros said. “Why hasn’t anyone rebuilt it using normal stone?”
“There’s nothing to this land. It’s in the middle of a mountain pass to nowhere. If there were anything at all east of here, we might have a town or fort here. That tower where we met is far more defensible with smaller numbers. The mountains prevent the rain here most of the time, so the land is not good for farming or grazing.”
“So, no one claims it?” Pantros asked.
“Its Kingdom land,” Estephan said. “No one wants it.”
“Can I buy it?” Pantros asked.
Estephan laughed. “Land is the most valuable commodity the Kingdom has beside its people. I couldn’t imagine a boy like you even being able to comprehend the amount of money it would take to purchase even unwanted land.”
“Let me surprise you,” Pantros said. “Give me a number.”
“I could probably arrange to sell that tower and the land for four leagues in each direction for a chest with ten thousand gold coins.” Estephan said.
Pantros thought, but doubted all his stashes combined quite had that many gold coins. Only the one chest was nothing but gold but it was a mere fraction of ten thousand coins.
“Done,” Sheillene said, landing in the seat beside Pantros.
Pantros looked at her, confused and curious.
Estephan ventured, his voice wavering, “Lady Sheillene, Are you saying you can afford such a Price?”
“Me?” Sheillene said, “No. I was speaking for Pan.” She tugged at the satchel by Pantros’s side. “Dump it on the table here.”
“You told me not to show my money,” Pantros said.
“When you’re buying something from a prince it’s okay to show your money,” Sheillene said. “And we’re in a very private carriage here. I think you’ll be safe.”
Pantros carefully dumped the bag onto the table. “I don’t have that much coin, Sheillene.”
“Don’t you know what the gems are worth?” Sheillene asked. She grabbed a rolled piece of felt and unraveled it and perused the gems.
“I actually don’t,” Pantros replied. He’d never had to fence any of his gems. He knew they could be worth a few gold each and they were lighter than gold.
“Where is it,” Sheillene said, unrolling several other of his gem protecting felts. She sorted through the gems. “I saw it at the Backwards Trout.” She pulled out a green stone the size of a thumbnail and set it in front of Estephan.
The Prince held it up to the light coming through the window. “I am shocked. I shouldn’t have underestimated someone known as the King of Thieves. This is nice, very clear; it’s among the largest Temistar Emeralds I’ve seen, but not worth the chest of gold I mentioned.”
“How about every gem on the table?” Sheillene asked.
“Well, that would be too much,” Estephan said. “I mean the emerald is by far the most valuable stone I’ve seen here, but the rest have significant value as well. I am not a jeweler, but I have ordered several custom works and can guess with a large margin of error. For the gems here, I would have to offer everything within a day’s walk, ten leagues, of the ruins.”
“Done?” Pantros said, unsure what he’d just done. He offered his hand to the Prince to seal the deal.
Estephan took his hand. “This is unofficial until it gets the King’s blessing, but he will agree with me. As I said, the land is of no real use to us or anyone, but if you want it and are willing to pay for it, it’s yours to govern.”
“Govern?” Pantros asked.
“All the land in the Kingdom belongs to the King,” Estephan explained. “But as governor, you can do as you will with the land and the only person who can change that is the King. I can’t give you a nobility title, though the land is technically the size of a Barony. The land will be a stewardship and you will be the steward. It will be your duty to collect the taxes and send the King’s share to Relarch. You’ll also be expected to maintain a military force, whatever the region can support. Right now I think it might include a couple farms on the outskirts toward Relarch. We’ll have a cartographer draw out the actual borders.
“I can build a castle?” Pantros asked.
“If you have the money to do so, yes,” Estephan said. “I don’t see the point of one there, it’s not a place anyone has to pass to get into the Kingdom, but as steward, you can do as you wish. A castle will cost more than you paid for the land, if it’s of any significant size.”
Pantros knew he didn’t have that, yet. He’d brought most of his gems with him. “I see,” he said. “I guess I have to start with the land, so I’m on the way, at least.”
“Pan!” Tara’s voice sounded stern. “Did you just buy a county that’s not anywhere near the Hedgehog?”
“A Stewardship,” Pantros corrected. “Did you expect me to live there forever?”
“Well, no,” Tara said. “But, I hoped you’d move to somewhere close enough to visit, not somewhere through troll infested mountains.”
“Those trolls were an anomaly,” Estephan said. “They’re a symptom of that Key being outside its normal protections. Speaking of symptoms, we’ve not seen a Hellhound attack since we got in the carriage.”
“I noticed that,” Sheillene said. “I’m not sure why not. Maybe they ran out?”
CHAPTER 14: LADY GLACIA
“You’ve used all my hounds?” Glacia asked Darien. They spoke in an alley near Darien’s tower. That Glacia had one of her secret bungalows nearby, was common knowledge among the demons of the region, its precise location was not. She could be seen in the area without arousing suspicion. Entering Darien’s tower, however, would raise eyebrows.
“The boy who has the key is resourceful. He has friends who have adapted to expecting them.” Darien said. “Is there other assistance you could provide?
“I’ll have to think on it,” Glacia said. “I have some ideas, but I’ll have to be sure you won’t again squander the opportunities I provide you.”
