“Don’t wait on her account,” Elise said, motioning to the woman. “Bella is my employee and one of my closest confidants. She serves at all of my most important business meetings; anything you can tell me, you can tell her too.”
I watched silently as Bella continued to serve us for a moment, then nodded. “Lia and I met in the dungeon below Yoria. I was imprisoned due to a misunderstanding with the city guard, while she was taken as punishment when Marten refused to pay ‘taxes’ to a group of corrupt guards.”
I recounted the stories from the time after my arrival in Kaldan to the best of my ability, leaving out any specific details I determined were best kept secret. The tale wound its way from our escape from the dungeon to our adventure and eventual capture in Atsal, with an abbreviated summary of our meeting with Virram and mission to Attetsia, and culminated in our clash with the Trinity Guard and the scene at the Mountain Gate. Marin shyly chimed in with her relationship to Val and her place in the story, and the Corells added their perspectives when appropriate.
Elise listened in silence, watching us so intently that I felt as if I could see the gears turning behind her eyes. “Did you know that all travel between Lybesa and Kaldan is officially blocked until further notice?” she asked after a long moment of silence. “Trade, leisure, military...all shut down for the foreseeable future. Based on the damage done to the gate, my sources aren’t sure if it will ever function properly again.
“However,” she continued before I could offer an apology, “business never stops. My partners in Kaldan still need their emberwood, and the seaports are still open. Hauling the product south takes much longer than a trip through the Gate, but of course, the fees to transport the material increases as well. If a trading company was able to effectively pivot their resources and leverage their established connections…” she trailed off as a grin began to form on her face. “Well, the destruction of the Mountain Gate could prove to be the most profitable disaster in decades.”
Her success is based on far more than just flaunting her natural advantages. I gave her a warm smile. “In that case, I’m glad I could be of assistance.”
She let out a loud, sudden laugh. “Oh, I like you. You did a good job catching this one, Marly. You’d better hold him tight, or someone else is liable to snatch him up,” she said, looking at us over the top of her glasses and waving her eyebrows suggestively. Lia’s hand shot out under the table and clamped onto my knee, but she put on a forced smile and laughed.
“Come on, Elise, take it easy on her,” Marten scolded. “She’s only been—”
“Lunch!” Elise exclaimed as Bella entered the room wheeling a large cart in front of her. As she circled the table, she set out six identical plates covered in silver cloches.
“Finally,” Marin said excitedly as she reached out for her dish.
“Marin, wait a moment, please,” Elise asked, looking at each of us as well. “Before we begin, there’s something we need to discuss.” Her eyes turned to me. “You said you had a business opportunity to discuss with me. I have a feeling I know what it is, but I’d like to hear it from you before we eat.”
“Of course,” I nodded, “although I think Marten would be best suited to explain.” I gave him an expectant raise of my eyebrows.
“Right.” He tapped his fingers on the table for a moment as he prepared. “Elise, you know the situation we’re in; everything we own is in my wagon, and we have nowhere to go. I need to find a place for my family to live, and I need to establish my business again. You have connections that can help on both fronts, and I’m prepared to pay for them.”
“You’ll be paying with Kaldanic currency, I assume?” she asked, and Marten nodded. Her eyes focused on some unseen point far beyond our dining room as she thought through the numbers. “I don’t know of any properties for sale, and while land in the forest is cheap, building a house from the ground up isn’t. I know a variety of contractors and, obviously, have the means to procure the bulk materials necessary, but depending on your price range—”
“Twelve hundred Imperials,” he stated firmly.
Marin choked on her ale at the amount, but Elise simply smiled. “Marten, I can build you the finest house in Mayaan for far less than that. The crew I work with can build a full homestead in four days, and they understand the value of discretion. You’ll be moving in by this time next week, if you’d like.”
“And my business?”
“Well, that’s simple, Marten,” she smirked, leaning forward. “Come work for me.”
“We’ve been over this before, Elise,” he said with a similar curl to his lips. “That isn’t going to happen.” Although he spoke with a jovial tone, his eyes betrayed the seriousness of the statement.
She sighed loudly and rolled her eyes. “It can’t be helped, I suppose. I know of a few potential customers whose needs are more suited to your...particular style of business.” Her fingers tapped lightly along the surface of her silver cloche, and my stomach growled in response. “I can set up a few meetings for you once your housing situation is settled, but I have to ask: With that amount of money, why not retire? That amount of gold could last for generations, especially with a few choice investments which I would be more than happy to recommend.”
“Trust me, Ellie, he needs the work,” Hana chimed in with a laugh. “He doesn’t know what to do with himself without it.”
“I know the feeling all too well,” she answered. Picking up
