Guardsmen throughout the estate have become much more eager to greet me since I started training alongside them. I will say that a few of them have been acting a bit too casual with me, but it’s not something I need to correct just yet. Besides, I feel there is something that can be gained from befriending these looser types.

Finances: Revenue

For all the years of my mother’s rule, the crown’s finances have been a well-kept secret. Besides my father, there is no one left living who knows their full scope. Our various treasurers, advisors, and property managers are privy only to what information is necessary for their assigned projects. Some of said treasurers aren’t even aware of what the money they manage is being used for.

Having finally been allowed to review our finances myself, I’ve definitely found reason for such secrecy. The royal family has far more financial power than we’ve ever had in Vallisian history and it’s not all originating from what could be considered legitimate means. Through obfuscation it’s been hidden, but it appears that the royal family has a near monopoly on produce and real estate within the capital valley. Now that alone wouldn’t have such a problem if it weren’t for that dominance being built on outright theft. During the Dark Age, many property owners were framed for crimes by the Dishonored One and his cronies. As a result, many assets were unjustly confiscated. These assets would have probably been returned to their original owners, but that filth’s rule lasted sixty-three years and most of what was stolen was taken during the first half of it. By the end of the civil war, the original owners were mostly dead—murdered—with no documents proving ownership remaining.

Though these assets bring us a hidden shame, the rest of our revenue sources are nothing we have reason to frown upon. After the war, Mother traded quite a bit of real estate to obtain large stakes in shipping companies. This has proven quite profitable due to trade deals she established with the mineral and metal rich Nordenheim and the reestablishment of trade with Oremaris. As for our ancestral profession, the King’s Forest is still as rich with game as it’s ever been. From it we procure an abundance of luxury meat products without compare. I’ve tried meat from both within and without the forest and I must say that there is an unbearable difference. It’s why we let marked livestock roam the forest for at least a month before slaughtering them. For their brief time they spend in the forest, however, they do end up developing some willfulness, so we do end up having to hunt them down. In turn, I’m sure that the farming of livestock this way has contributed to our ability to meet demand while maintaining our deer population.

In Consequence...

Diane can ask some of her acquaintances amongst the royal guard to help her sneak out.

Diane is ready to review the estate's expenditures.