The Merchant and the Menace (46 page)

“But as in all things,” continued Manfir. “She uses
it to enhance her already
formidable assets
.”

The room remained quiet for a moment. Even the
unflappable Teeg looked for a rock to hide under. Lete let out a deep, soulful
laugh and stepped away from Manfir. She spun slowly in front of him, throwing
her head back in laughter and lifting her arms to the ceiling.  The dress
remained taught against the curves of her body.

“This is the new version of Lete. More of me to
love in all the right places.”

Manfir remained expressionless. His eyes inspected
the woman.

“You mean the married version, don’t you?”
commented Manfir.

The woman stopped mid spin and the smile fell from
her face. Her arms came down and she folded them in front of her bosom.

”Life moves on with or without some people,” she
humphed. “You came in through the south gate?”

“The head guard of the south post, your husband Caylit,
has an important position,” replied Manfir flatly.

“I suppose,” said Lete as she absentmindedly
glanced at her feet and wrapped a finger around one of her long curls.

“I’m sure the fact that every visitor from the south
gets referred to your father’s inn is purely a side benefit of your nuptials?”
deadpanned Manfir.

Vetic coughed and dropped one of the mugs he was
polishing.

“Hold your tongue!” snapped Lete. “I love Caylit
and married him out of love. If you think for one moment I’m ... I’m using that
good man..... You’re mistaken! You waltz back in here after two years and...
and think you can judge me!... You think you know what it’s like to struggle to
make ends meet. You ..”

Lete’s arms waved wildly in front of her and she
once again advanced on Manfir. The Zodrian prince stood as rigid as before.
Lete waggled a finger in his face and her tirade carried on. She smacked Manfir
on the chest. The big man wrapped her up in his arms, lifted her from the floor
and quickly kissed her.

“Congratulations,” he said dropping the stunned
woman back onto her feet.

She stared at him puzzled for a few moments more.

“Wha... what did you do that for?” she asked.

“I congratulated you. Isn’t it customary to kiss
the bride after a wedding?” said Manfir.

Lete looked bewildered.

“Why did you walk in here and pick a fight?” she
asked cautiously.

“I wanted to know if you truly loved the man. My
accusation assures me you do,” smiled Manfir. “You are a tough woman to read,
Lete. The same cool exterior no matter what’s going on underneath. The only
time I’ve seen a crack in that facade is when you truly care about something.
You must love the man deeply to defend him with such passion.”

The barmaid blushed, fidgeted and stared at her
shoes.

“I do,” she whispered.

“I wish you great happiness,” Manfir whispered back
as he lightly kissed her forehead.

“I will see to your rooms,” said Lete as she
smoothed her dress once more and proudly walked to the stairway.

As Lete strode up the stairs, Briny emerged from
the kitchen carrying a platter of roasted game hens. A boy followed with a pot
full of boiled potatoes. Vetic filled the table with mugs of ale, bread and
butter.

“Come gentlemen,” said Teeg. “Let us take some
respite here at the table.”

The group remained for a moment more and Lete
disappeared from view up the stairs. They moved to the table and filled in
around it. The bar’s patrons settled upon the woman’s departure. They chatted once
more and enjoyed their ale.

Kael was ravenous. He immediately tore into the
game hen in front of him. The others were equally hungry and followed suit.
After a moment, Kael noticed the swinging doors to the kitchen slowly open and
Briny back out with a tray of vegetables. The young man stepped away from the
doors and they remained open as the light from the kitchen threw itself onto
the wide-eyed servant. The patrons at the bar continued in their revelry and
saw nothing. However, Kael glimpsed a huge figure, covered in black slide past
the gawking cook and glide silently up the stairs.

Briny watched Granu disappear from view then he
slowly made his way to the table. Briny’s eyes still registered shock as he
silently picked up a plate full of food and turned toward the stairs. Teeg’s
head was bowed over his food as he tore into the game hen, but he chuckled as
the serving lad turned.

“Don’t forget some drink as well, my good man. He
gets irritable if his thirst is not quenched,” stated Teeg.

Briny gulped hard and quickly retrieved a mug of
ale. The servant walked to the stairwell as if walking to the gallows. When he
too turned on the landing and disappeared from view, the entire table laughed.
After a few moments into their meal, Kael turned and addressed Manfir quietly.

“I’m confused. If you’re the heir ...” Kael coughed
and glanced about the room. “,...if you are who you are, why did you spend so
much time in Rindor?”

“I’m officially a duke in the realm of Rindor,”
stated Manfir. “I hold title and possessions in these lands.”

“What? How can you be a duke in a land you will one
day rule?” whispered Kael perplexed.

“Quite true, Kael. Quite true,” said Teeg smiling,
“but our friend here holds many titles.”

Manfir frowned at the old Elf and turned back to
Kael.

“Rindor is a bit of a strange situation, Kael. It’s
not actually a Zodrian possession.”

“What do you mean by ‘not actually?’” questioned
Flair.

“Rindor is a city state. What I mean by that is,
Rindor governs itself, with plenty of input from Zodra when she will take it,”
answered Manfir.

“Take it?” said Kael.

“Please do start from the beginning, Teeg,” groaned
Ader. “You and our illustrious Rindoran duke always seem to start in the middle
and finish at the beginning.”

The old Elf arched an eyebrow and looked
crestfallen. He turned to the young men and took on the air of instructor once
more.

“When Zodra expanded and dominated this part of the
world, they ran into Rindor,” began Teeg. “'Twas not the impressive citadel you
see here today, but a mighty enough fortress stood here to give the Zodrians a
moment of pause. A formidable wall stood encircling the entire island and a
large village thrived within.

“The river provided the perfect defense. No bridges
existed then, and the only means of visiting the city was by barge or
riverboat. Siege engines were useless against the city. They were unable to
affect the wall from the shoreline, and no barge or river craft could bring
them close without braving the current and battle from the island. The
Rindorans are master boatsmen and made quick work of any watercraft that
attempted to breach their city’s defenses.

“The Rindorans could not be starved out. The river
is the source of their food. They simply put to water in small craft at night
and replenished their supplies. Attempts to thwart this harvest resulted in
more Zodrian deaths. Zodrians are not much for boats.”

“So,” continued Manfir. “The Zodrian army bypassed
Rindor, sending messages to the Zodrian king that it was unconquerable. The
army left several units encamped on both shorelines and a siege of the city
began. It lasted for months.

“The Zodrians would not be denied. The king, I
believe it was Nyox the second, held parlay with the Rindorans. A treaty was
struck. Quite a brilliant plan actually. The Zodrians agreed to return all the
land around the river to the control of Rindor. The King of Rindor was
considered a duke in the kingdom of Zodra and the Rindoran lands would be his
duchy. All tax and tributes in these lands were assessed as any other duchy in
the Zodrian kingdom. The duke took his part and the kingdom theirs. However,
there was one small exception. The city proper remained an independent entity.
On this island, the ruler of Rindor is still the king. He has sovereignty over
all others here, even the king of Zodra.”

“Do you mean to say that Macin, your father, is
required to bow down before the Rindoran king?” asked Kael.

“Absolutely,” replied Manfir. “The treaty stands.
You will never find my father anywhere near Rindor.”

“He’s never been here?” asked Flair.

“The last time his father was here, Macin was
getting married,” smirked Teeg. “I wore a glorious silver doublet.”

“What?” questioned Kael. “King Macin was married in
Rindor?”

“Both kingdoms held suspicions and fears,”
continued Manfir. “Did the other hold to the bargain? Were they being
compensated fairly? Rindor moved all commerce within the city walls in order to
avoid Zodrian taxation. The Zodrians, in turn, taxed the land instead of the
sales from a harvest. This way they ensured their share. Rindor complained
bitterly during seasons with drought and frost. Tensions rose as the game
persisted.

“Eventually the two houses found a way to ensure
loyalty. Every so often, as the houses grew further and further apart, a
Zodrian prince or princess was married off to a Rindoran. It has been going on
for centuries. Our houses are entwined.”

“Our Rindoran duke’s father, married the sister of
the wife of the prince heir of Rindor,” smiled Teeg.

Flair blinked and shook his head in consternation.
Ader frowned at Teeg and the Elf let out a sigh of exasperation.

“It is quite simple. When Macin was slightly older
than Kael is now, he was invited to a royal wedding in Rindor. He was not the
King of Zodra then, so he happily attended. Corad Kingfisher, the prince heir
of Rindor at the time, married Lucyn, a beautiful young woman from one of the
powerful Rindoran houses. Her family was the wealthiest in Rindor and second
only to the Zodrian royal house in wealth within that kingdom.

“Prince Macin represented the royal house of Zodra
at the wedding. There he saw Lucyn’s younger sister, Tay. He was smitten,”
continued Teeg. “Macin knew through his station and power he might demand the
young woman’s hand in marriage, but Manfir’s father is no fool. Shrewd men
never take by force what they might win with minor effort. Macin was handsome,
witty and the heir to the throne.”

“Some say he was rather funny in those days,” said
Manfir distractedly.

“Yes, he was,” recalled Ader. “A young man with a
limited idea of the responsibilities ahead of him. Hardly a care in the world.
In fact, when Macin courted Tay, Corad grew angry with him. Never serious.
Never willing to talk of the world. They might have cemented the bond between
the kingdoms even further if Macin did not treat his future brother-in-law with
such disdain. They grew ever apart and competitive.”

“So the rulers of Rindor are your...?” began Flair.

“Aunt and uncle,” finished Manfir quietly. “I will
one day rule Zodra, but will always be their nephew and subject within the
walls of this city.”

“Manfir also owns much of the land to the northwest
of the river. Lucyn and Corad have a son, but he is younger than Manfir.
Therefore, his grandfather’s lands fell to Manfir. Our friend is the wealthiest
Rindoran in the kingdom. When he rises to the throne of Zodra, he will be the
wealthiest man to have ever lived,” smiled Teeg.

Manfir scowled at Teeg, but the old Elf waved it
off and pressed on.

“Our friend tends to neglect his duties. With great
wealth also comes great responsibility. I employ good people to keep his
interests in line,” laughed Teeg. “Quite easy actually. A small legend has
built up over Manfir’s ability to check on his interests even when he has not
been seen in a dozen years. The tenants on his land are treated better than any
others in the kingdom yet they cannot even recall what their benefactor looks
like.”

The group extended their conversation about Rindor
and the surrounding lands for some time. Kael and Flair were fascinated by the
talk. Kelky was their world for so long that the everyday happenings of a city
like Rindor were fascinating. Vetic paused by the table and informed the group
that the entire third floor was at their disposal.

“It seems that the room at the end of the hall has
been occupied by a member of your party,...ah... who was too tired to take his meal
in the common room,” said Vetic clearing his throat. “Some of you gentlemen
will need to double-up I’m afraid.”

“Not a problem,” said Kael slapping Flair on the
back.

The young ranch hand smiled back. The food
disappeared and several rounds of ale were swallowed when Teeg rose.

“Ah, I find that I cannot continue our chat through
such heavy eyelids. If you will excuse me, gentlemen,” said the Elf bowing.

Eidyn excused himself as well, and soon the men
retired to their rooms. Kael and Flair took a room with two bunks. As they lay
down to sleep they talked briefly of their day. Kael was sure the boy was as
astounded by all that happened as he was. Shortly after their conversation
ended, Flair snored loudly. Kael lay in his bunk thinking and drifting in and
out of sleep.

Suddenly, his sharp ears picked up sounds of
movement in the hallway. Kael silently stepped from his bunk and moved to the
doorway. The boy leaned against the wall and opened the door a hair’s width.
His keen eyes discerned a figure at the hallway’s end. The light of the moon
bathed the figure in a faint glow. It slid something into the folds of a long
overcoat. The moonlight caught the glint of steel. Kael suspected the man came
from the common room. The coat was a fisherman’s slicker, and the broad rimmed
hat and boots were of a type the wharf workers at the bar sported. The smell of
fish and oil hung in the air of the hallway and seeped into Kael’s room.