Five days had already passed since Violant’s arrival in Giudena. She had officially announced her presence to the merchant council’s secretary who was the only one present in the council building even when there were no council meetings. The secretary, a lean and proper man with greyed hair who wore glasses on his distinctive nose – glasses were an invention of Giudena, by the way – welcomed the Yteish emissary politely and with a business-like attitude, promising to forward her words to the head merchant without fail. He couldn’t promise when Dottorena Lictorini would be willing to meet with her though and warned her to expect a waiting period of several days, for Ms. Lictorini was especially busy these days.

Violant didn’t become disheartened from that. On the contrary, she decided to make the best use of the time and thus to go sightseeing, strolling over the famous markets of Giudena, travelling the numerous canals permeating the city state by gondola, shopping for souvenirs. The only downside was the fact that she had to pay for her lodging herself, and that the inn prices were anything but low. But at the very least this didn’t harm her own purse. Before her departure, Prince Wynkin had given her a purse with travel money to show the goodwill of the royal family or more specifically of the Edric-Wynkin faction. That was by no means standard. Tancred, her rival emissary, had to cover his costs out of his own pockets, as was obvious from the sour face the noble showed whenever he had to pay for something.

Speaking of Tancred, he already got an audience with the head merchant the day before. By chance Violant had been able to witness how Tancred had been thrown out of the council building while vociferating about Giudena in general and the head merchant in particular. It filled the girl with deep satisfaction to see firsthand how Tancred of Marchester got manhandled and fell on his bottom. Of course he just had to glare at her when he discovered Violant in the surrounding crowd.

Today the young lady, who was of course accompanied by Huwcyn, sat on the rim of a fountain and turned her face with closed eyes in the direction of the pleasant warming summer sun that wasn’t as hot early in the morning.

She didn’t have much time to enjoy the pleasant sunrays though, for a voice soon called out to her.

“Signora Violant.” it shouted.

The redhead turned her head in the direction the sound came from and opened her eyes.

“Oh, Mr. Lionetto. What a pleasant surprise!” she said.

Indeed it was Lionetto, the merchant council’s diligent secretary.

“Signora Dottorena is now willing to meet you.” the secretary announced “Please follow me, Signora Violant.”

“Definitely.” the red-haired girl consented before turning to her companion “I’m off. You know how to get back to the inn by yourself, Huw, don’t you?”

“Of course I do.” the water horse replied.

Lionetto was flabbergasted at the sight of a talking horse but soon regained his composure like the professional he was. Then he guided Violant to her destination without delay.

The head merchant welcomed the emissary from Yteland in her study in the merchant council’s building. The study’s interior was so very merchant-like, furnished representatively but cost-efficient nonetheless. The shelves were filled with tick books, trade contracts and similar documents.

Dottorena Lictorini awaited her guest standing in front of a desk from oak wood. The blood relationship the head merchant had with Lady Mafalda was quite obvious, for the younger sister appeared like a more plump version of Prince Edric’s mother and had the same thick black hair her elder sister was so well-known for. Only, the atmosphere around the sisters was quite different. Was Lady Mafalda a cultured woman eager for knowledge, so was her sister Dottorena a seasoned woman adept in the ways of the world, especially the mercantile one.

“Violant of Avallach greets Dottorena Lictorini, head merchant of Giudena. I have come as emissary of His Royal Highness, Prince Edric of Yteland.”

“Welcome, Signora Violant.” the head merchant replied with a warm simile “So you are the emissary sent by my dear nephew. Una buona decisione. A good decision. The daughter of the Avallach house and her feats are well known in Giudena, not at last because of Avallach’s great importance for us merchants. I like strong women like you and I am sure my nephew knows that. And if he doesn’t, my sister sure does. Say, how are they these days?”

“Terribly busy. That is for sure.” Violant answered “But it is no wonder since we are currently at war. I am sure you must have heard, both His Highness Edric and Her Highness Myrtis Porphyrina had the bad luck to have their wedding ceremony become the stage for the outbreak of war and have been terribly busy ever since, reportedly without much time to get intimate.”

“I guess so.” Lady Dottorena nodded “And I don’t need to guess to know why you have come to Giudena. It must be for the same reason this insolent fellow from yesterday has come for, to propose an alliance between Giudena and Iutiterra.”

“You are correct.” The Yteish emissary affirmed and readied herself to hand over the letter from Prince Edric.

“No need to give me that, for you will get no positive response from me.” the head merchant shook her head “There is semplicemente to much risk for Guidena involved. Since I do like you and you have come in the name of my darling nephew though, I will at least explain you my reason. Since a victory of Iutiterra with or without partecipazione di Giudena is all but secure, there is too much risk involved for our repubblica. If we openly side with Iutiterra and Iutiterra loses, who is able to say if we are safe from retaliation from Merovia and the grand duchy. If they boycott our trade or – even worse – threaten to invade us, what can we do? The more so as it is the repubblica’s policy to engage in international politics only with unanimous decision from the merchant council since it might otherwise affect our citizens’ trade. The decision regarding Giudena’s stance about this war was decided in the council meeting three days ago and I am bound by it for better or for worse.”

Violant nodded with a solemn expression to signal that she had understood and then spoke: “Thank you very much, Lady Dottorena, for allowing me to take up your time. I will unfailingly report your answer and the reasons behind it to His Highness.”

Thus they parted while in a rather serious mood. It was more than clear that the merchant council’s decision wasn’t necessarily the head merchant’s idea, but the latter’s hands were bound after all.

Just two days later Violant sat in the royal palace and waited for Prince Edric to grant her audience. Next to her stood Hubert of Wuldington, Uncle Ally’s son. The vice-captain of the royal knight order now sported the leader’s uniform.

“You got promoted to knight captain?” the redhead asked in surprise “What about His Highness Prince Jarm?”

Hubert scrutinized her doubtfully, as taciturn as ever, but soon his face showed a sign of comprehension.

“You were in Giudena, were you not?” he asked.

“Yes, indeed.” Violant affirmed “My mission took me about a week. I have just returned.”

“Then you cannot know after all.” the knight leader said.

What Hubert told her then couldn’t be described as anything other than a tragedy caused by the incompetence of the twin princes. Earlier the same week the royal knight order met the Mérovian army on the battlefield. Their opponents were led by Duke Médard de Crêtou personally. The Princes Hal and Jarm obstructed each other all the time, leading to their mutual demise. The royal knight order was close to being completely annihilated after the death of the two princes and they only had to owe it to Hubert’s decisive actions that most of the knights could safely retreat. The two princes’ corpses fell into the hands of the enemy though and their heads were publicly displayed as trophies for the humiliation of all Yteland.

As the royal knight order could hardly remain without a leader, Hubert was promoted by King Baldwin himself. The monarch didn’t accuse the current vice-leader of the deaths of the twins but rather awarded him for his other actions. The king knew best about the ambitious nature of the fallen princes. His hope that they might better themselves when faced with the dangers of the battlefield got sorely disappointed.

Violant couldn’t really say that she was surprised about the twin princes’ sad end. In her other lifetime they mutually assassinated each other after all. Although this had happened three years in the future compared to the current timeline, in the end the outcome remained the same.

“Now the house of Wuldington will join His Highness Edric’s faction. My esteemed parents left the decision to me.” Hubert explained his presence stiffly.

“That is really just like Uncle Ally and Aunt Milly.” Violant chuckled.

Shortly afterwards the door to Prince Edric’s study opened and Violant got called inside. Her mission was both successful (how Tancred failed) and unsuccessful (how she herself failed) but at least she could call the gratification of reporting first her own. Contrarily to her who arrived quickly via the pathways, if nothing else because of her capable escorts Rambold and Waldolf, Tancred of Marchester had to take the long way to Kingsborough. How the results of this mission would impact the war was yet to be known.