Jackal Among Snakes

Argrave stared up at a gargantuan moving gear that clicked every second. One might think the clocktower of Quadreign would be rather elaborate on the interior, but no—it was one large gear with a much smaller one at its center. The smaller received the directed power of the Flame of the Tenebrous Star. Anneliese watched right alongside him, both showing their curiosity openly. Argrave knew this place by design, but neither of them knew how the flame made the clock count the seconds.

Footsteps echoed into the room, and Argrave turned his head. The top of the clocktower was more a living area than a lookout. There was only one window from which to see all of Quadreign below, and the room itself was occupied with homey wooden furniture—a rocking chair by the window, a small table in the center, and a small library nestled in a corner. It looked a private and informal place. Argrave was very curious why Diana had requested to meet here.

Baroness Diana of Quadreign stepped up the stairway and into the clocktower’s highest point. She paused for a moment, examining their party—Argrave, Galamon, and Anneliese—and then stepped in.

“We meet again, ‘Silvaden,’” she called out. Diana had a rich voice and a fair face. Now that she was tumor-free, she reminded Argrave a little of Elenore in demeanor. Just behind her, the other Quadreigns walked up—Vasilisa and Svetlana.

“You look well,” Argrave said as he walked closer, followed by his companions. “And those aren’t empty words, either. I’m very glad that you’ve made such an astonishing recovery. Vasilisa has told me of how you’ve toiled to keep the people in your territory prosperous despite the tremendous devastation the war wrought to your land,” Argrave looked to the Magister, giving her a nod. “I very much wished to have a longer conversation with you at the time, but… I cannot exactly fault that it was delayed until today.”

Diana’s steps slowed as she neared Argrave, staring up at him with some measure of caution in her face. And she was right to be cautious—Argrave had a battery of psychological tricks in his sleeve he’d learn in negotiating with the patricians. He’d already used one—flattery. Argrave found people loved flattery when they didn’t know that’s what it was.

The baroness held out her hand. “I don’t think it’s so astonishing a recovery given our flame’s nature… but yes, it’s nice to speak with the three of you once more with my wits about me.”

Argrave shook her hand. “I agree. On that note, I have something for you.” Argrave reached into his coat with his free hand and pulled something out—the second of his tricks. “A little gift to celebrate your recovery.”

It was a golden ring with a sun wrought atop it, four snakes as its rays. It was one of the enchanted rings Argrave had made. It was nothing special, but it was a gift. Human nature is that of reciprocity. Thus came the old proverb, ‘there is nothing more expensive than something free.’ By giving a small, inconsequential gift, Argrave had gotten people to agree to much more beneficial deals later in the conversation.

“I made this—an enchanted ring that conjures a B-rank ward,” Argrave described as he held it in his palm. “Perhaps you might consider it in poor taste to bear something with my personal heraldry… but I hope to change the relationship between Quadreign and Vasquer. I won’t deny that my family, and more specifically my father, ravaged this land. What’s been done can’t be changed, but I hope that it can be remedied. I thought this ring might stand as symbol to that. Let my symbol become a shield for you and yours.”

Diana was caught off-balance. Argrave left out key details, making the ring seem a personalized gift when it was really something Argrave had made far prior for another reason.

Hesitating, the baroness held out her hand in rejection. “That is far too expensive. Please, keep it.”

“I insist. Your protection is important,” Argrave held it out further.

Diana pursed her lips, then slowly accepted the ring. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Argrave didn’t reject the title in favor of acting closer to Diana, as retaining authority was another trick of the mind he’d learned. His title of ‘king’ had weight, he found. But he wasn’t about to let up the pressure.

“Vasilisa has already volunteered you as Archduchess of the North.” Argrave smiled. “Something I’m sure she told you of.”

Diana found a foothold in the conversation, and butted in, “That’s precisely what I wanted to talk to you about, Your Majesty. I—”

“Good,” Argrave interrupted her. “Wandering through this northern land, I learned a lot. I can’t say that I have the knowledge a local might have, but I think I understand what historical good your house of Quadreign has done for this land. I greatly admire your dedication to the people of this land. Food is scarce, the wilderness is dangerous, yet the Queendom of Quadreign served as protectors for all. I think it’s the duty of a leader to do precisely as much—I think we have similar mindsets on this.

“Furthermore,” Argrave turned his gaze to the window. “I believe the north has unique needs compared to the rest of the continent. The taxes levied here aren’t quite right. Your villages cannot afford to give their harvest like those of the south. To that end, I think that any agreement we reach in terms of vassalage should differ accordingly.”

“I agree,” Diana managed to get a few words in. “Food is valuable here.”

“Indeed. As such… I believe it would be best for both if this newly established Archduchy needs only pay something it has less need of—coin,” Argrave suggested. He had more in mind, but he would leave it out until Diana pushed back.

“Coin?” Diana furrowed her brows. “But what of military responsibility?”

“I would take no soldiers,” Argrave shook his head. “I have need of spellcasters, Diana, and nothing more. I would take all magical forces you can muster, but your men are needed for hunting and tending the herds. I could not pull them from that in good faith.”

“But coin… Vasquer coin is not that present in the north,” Diana crossed her arms. “It’s here, certainly, but not as integrated as it is in the southern territories.”

“Yes. I hoped to foster trade,” Argrave nodded. “By necessitating coin, the people here can be incentivized to trade with the south—I believe there are many opportunities. You have beautiful furs that could be luxury products in the south, coupled with gemstones from precious mines in the hills and pearls from the coast.”

“It’s… a little…” Diana hesitated. She turned her head back to her daughter and her sister, but none could offer advice.

“Hmm,” Argrave mused, touching his chin. “How about this, then? In trading foodstuffs or seeds—things the north sorely needs—there will be neither tariffs nor taxes. The people of the south will come here with food aplenty if things turn out that way. And… you will be exempt from all taxes for the five years.” Argrave spread his arms out. “I believe we have a deal. You need only accept these terms,” he said, implying she might lose out if she refused now.

Generous terms? Perhaps. But if the deal finished here, Argrave earned all of the northern spellcasters, a very positively predisposed figurehead, and an amply loyal populace. Above all, he did want the north to prosper. What he’d said wasn’t wrong. Someone foolish might think he was losing a lot, but he had come here with three people, and earned the entire northern portion of Vasquer.

Diana had been hit with a vast array of tricks Argrave had accrued over his life, and it showed. Her face betrayed that she was desperately looking for a way she could reasonably get more, yet various factors at play in her head screamed at her to say something in particular.

“We have a deal,” Diana agreed, like someone conceding defeat in the face of overwhelming force.

Argrave beamed. “Wonderful.”

#####

The Quadreign family and Argrave’s companions, with the negotiations settled, enjoyed a pleasant time in the clocktower’s chamber. Though Argrave had been a bit competitive when it came to negotiations, he relaxed and found himself enjoying the company of the three people in the new Archduchess’ family. Anneliese got along with Diana splendidly. Galamon, though he was still more reticent than usual, enjoyed Vasilisa’s company.

They talked of much—Argrave’s plans for the kingdoms, Gerechtigkeit, and the war. More mundane topics came up as well, like simple hobbies. At the end of it all, Argrave and his coterie left before the moon grew too high above. Once they were well and truly gone, Diana plopped in the rocking chair by the window.

“By the flame…” she sighed.

“Mom?” Svetlana questioned, coming closer.

“I never stood a chance,” Diana reflected.

“What do you mean?” Vasilisa, slightly sloshed, didn’t follow.

“Svetlana… I think you should go with them,” Diana said. “I think you have to be a part of that parliament our new king is building. You can learn a lot more from him and those he keeps near him than you can me. I can at least be smart enough to realize… a new order is coming to this continent,” she looked out the window, watching as the three of them moved across the courtyard.

#####

“That was pleasant,” Argrave reflected as they walked back to the guest house. “Isn’t that right, Galamon?”

“Hmm,” he grunted back, nodding.

Argrave bit his lip, seeking conversation points. “You seemed to like Vasilisa,” he noted.

“I’m married,” he said at once.

Argrave scoffed. “You can be friends, no?”

“Hmm,” he grunted once again.

Argrave looked for something more to say but found nothing. As they walked in silence through the courtyard, dormant thoughts occupying his attention rose to the surface. Before long, he found himself thinking about the A-rank ascension he’d been obsessing over.

“Hey, Anneliese,” Argrave called out. “I learned a lot about the general makeup of A-rank ascension from Vasilisa. I think I can learn about projected constructs from Hegazar. And I can learn about specialization into a field from Vera,” he pointed out, turning his head to look at her.

“All true,” she nodded, following.

“There’s something missing in that equation,” he pointed out. “Involving the soul. And I… well, I’m getting a crazy inclination that I can’t shake.”

“Let me help you shake it,” Anneliese insisted, knowing well that when Argrave said ‘crazy,’ it generally meant dangerous.

“Well, I know about a shrine. It’s far, but not exactly across the world. We’ll have to wait regardless for the spellcasters to gather, so we’re not wasting any time,” he said hopefully.

Anneliese closed her eyes as they walked. “…we will have to stay in this region for another few days regardless,” she admitted hesitantly.

Pleased she agreed, Argrave continued rapidly, “It’s guarded by a ferocious creature that I think Durran would like very much. And this shrine… I’ve been to one like it in the past. I’m thinking my A-rank ascension, your A-rank ascension, and Durran’s druidic bond... we might knock them out in one fell swoop. We get that pet, we get knowledge about using my living soul as an anchor, and you experience that presence Llewellen insisted helped him so much.”

Anneliese stepped ahead and stopped. “You cannot mean…?”

“I can,” Argrave nodded. “I’ve got an itch to visit an old friend. And the more I think of it, the less of a bad idea it sounds.”