Nua sat primly and properly in her salon, a polite smile on her face, her legs were together in the most feminine way she could present herself. It was totally at odds with the ‘professional dress’ of the mercenary commander.

Their expressions were already mystified by virtue of the fact that Nua had not kept them waiting. The Duchessa looked them over carefully, she recognized Johan from Freyjin’s description, the rest were little different. Old, ‘round’ and well dressed. They wore beards that were much like one another and clothes that were styled to display wealth. Golden thread ran through vibrant greens and blues, framing the triangle pattern of Pas’en. In addition, they wore white, ruffled fabric around their necks that was thick enough to protrude like a small wheel. ‘Great, another absurd and impractical fashion.’ Nua barely kept from rolling her eyes.

Nua’s voice took on an imperious and arrogant tone, her nose turned up, she was all of a sudden, the casually indifferent noblewoman. “Slave, see to their comfort, provide them chairs to sit opposite myself, we will move to the table after refreshments have been brought. I’m sure they must be parched and hungry after the long journey to my estate.”

Kaiji picked up on the intent of her mistress and lowered her gaze, closed one hand in front of the other before her lap and bowed deeply. “At once, mistress.” She said hastily, and scurried about the room bringing equally soft and comfortably wide chairs from about the room so that the five men could speak with her mistress as a peer.

When they were seated, Nua gave another brusque order, “Bring the refreshments promptly, don’t keep our guests waiting one minute more than necessary.” Nua slapped the back of her left hand into her right palm, and before the eyes of the guests, Kaiji flinched, acknowledged the order just as before, and fled hastily.

“So… that was Kaiji Najin, it’s so hard to believe, given her reputation. That was half the reason we were going to sell her to the city as a sacrifice, we didn’t think she could be tamed.” One of the old men uttered in gruff disbelief.

Nua kept her polite smile before answering, “With her magic suppressed, she isn’t nearly the threat she was during the end of the Battle of Komestra. After that, well… when someone just wants to keep living… you can make them into whatever you want, and they will embrace it, if it promises life.”

There was a respectful rumbling of agreement among the executives, and Johan was the next to speak, “I have to admit… given my… er… impression with your other slave at the Bank of Pas’en, I was not expecting this reception. I thought you would keep us waiting.”

“You are very busy men, it would be both rude and petty to keep you waiting when I myself invited you here.” Nua replied and set her arms on the wings of her chair. “And as far as my slave goes, I had Freyjin beaten for her impertinence and have withheld healing for three days.” Nua lied easily, “She had a job to do, and she thought it made her better than she was. She knows better now. My apologies, Johan.” Nua bowed her head, and the portly man was briefly flustered.

Johan shifted and leaned forward, as he spoke, the others leaned forward with similar intensity as well. “Ah, yes, well, sometimes they overreach… I’m glad you’ve seen to her correction, but… it still begs the question of ‘why’? Why do all this to gain control of the Lur’gin company? Why threaten our personal fortunes with the possibility of calling in our debts? Considering your welcome, it is in contrast to your business aggression.”

Nua’s ears twitched slightly and her hands came up while her elbows remained on the wings of her chair. Her fingers interlaced and she leaned forward toward them. “I can understand your confusion, allow me to explain. War is just another form of business, business is just another form of war. The purpose of both is control, and because my military enterprise requires bodies, it makes sense that I take control of an enterprise that can attain those bodies. Before… I was giving you money, now… I don’t have to. My military enterprises will net slaves, I can take what I find useful, and sell the rest. I would call it very efficient.”

“And you didn’t approach us because…” One of the largest of the five asked.

Nua’s reply was simple, calm, and pragmatic, “You would have said no, as I would have, now you can’t. Your business belongs to me, your debts belong to me, and that means you work for me. That is…” She raised a golden eyebrow, “unless you have the money needed to completely repay your loans today.”

Their faces flushed as the dragon beneath the placid lake of her polite face seemed to bare itself with Nua’s cold appraisal. “Gentlemen, I want you to understand something, I bear you no personal ill will, but you were in my way, and east of the Tlalmok Empire, that is the worst place to be. But not to worry, as long as you do what I say, I will not call in your debts. You can make regular payments, and everything will go on as it has.”

Their faces were flushed with fury, “You want to treat us like slaves?!” Johan snapped, and Kaiji returned with a tray of silver with cups, a pot of steaming tea, and an assortment of snacks, she laid it on the table, quietly working and turning an ear to the conversation behind her but not interfering.

“Not at all.” Nua responded with her unshaking polite smile still in place. “Slaves can be sold, slaves cannot own property… slaves cannot lawfully marry, you can do all of these things. I will treat you like assets. This won’t be my only venture, not by any means. While I am hosting my ball tomorrow, you will begin instructing my slave, Priceless, on how to properly run the business side. You will act as her advisory council, and assuming you do it well, you can expect that your retirement will be one of wealth and comfort.”

“And… if we refuse?” Johan asked, taking the tea as Kaiji brought it to him, each of the others did the same, as did Nua herself.

The question hung in the air like an insult spoken too loudly near the wrong person.

Only the sound of quiet sipping and cups returning to small plates was in the room to be heard for several moments.

“Simple, I will call in your loans. And by the way, before you think about refinancing them by taking out loans with other banks in other cities to pay off the debts with the Bank of Pas’en… I will remove you from your positions, how likely are you to get loans from elsewhere if you lose your income? Even if you do, how will you pay back those loans? I give it half a year before you’re all sold as slaves… right back to Lur’gin, and back under my control… only without the options or future I am offering you right now.”

It was brutal, the color fled their faces, their cups rattled noisily and tea splashed as a result. Nua snapped her fingers and pointed to the floor. “Clean it up, slave.”

Kaiji played her role to perfection, approaching with quiet steps, giving Nua a single glance, then removing a rag from the maid outfit she wore, going to all fours, and wiping the spilled drops from between their feet.

“Choose, gentlemen.” Nua lifted her right hand and turned it palm up, “Do as I say, and you can retire in comfort and I’ll even treat this as a voluntary sale by people who foresaw the new future for the Lur’gin company and who wanted to savor their lives of success now that they’ve reached old age.” She lifted her left hand and turned it palm up, “Or you can try to wiggle out of this, and in six months you’ll be as naked as this one was when I found her.” Nua put her feet up on Kaiji’s back, and she remained where she was without any inclination to move.

She watched as their large chests heaved with horror and their faces were flushed with rage and their eyes stared daggers at her, but none of them said a word.

Nua stared back placidly with her feet propped up on the back of the former Prime Minister of Komestra, and simply waited.

Johan Whyborne blinked first. He slumped, defeated. “I accept. I will assist you.”

The others were quick to follow him and slumped in turn.

“Very good, would you like some refreshments? Now that business is concluded, you must be hungry.” Nua waved a hand at the table.

They were equally universal in their refusal of her hospitality. “No… definitely not. We will wait for your servant to come to us.”

“Very well, but one more thing.” Nua said as she raised her finger up toward the ceiling.

As they were withdrawing, they froze but didn’t turn to look at her again. “If anything should happen to my Priceless, and I do mean anything, I will take it very personally. If you take issue with her conduct, bring it to me… but I know that one well, she required even less work than this one.” Nua glanced down at the demon-elf, and though they didn’t see, they knew well enough what she meant, and that no answer was needed. Their actions or lack thereof, would speak loudly enough.

When they were gone and the door shut behind them, Nua removed her feet from Kaiji’s back, bent forward, and brought her up to her knees by cupping her cheeks. “Well done, Kaiji, well done. They won’t see you as a threat, and as for me…” Nua rolled her eyes, “Well... if they only knew.”

Kaiji’s lips spread out in a smile, “Thank you, my lady. You were brilliant, I expect they’ll start trying to pump Priceless for information on the very day she goes to them.”

“Agreed, and they won’t imagine any of you are loyal to me, and then eventually… a few estates will be opened up… and I’m sure tomorrow I’ll find people to fill them.” Nua responded matter-of-factly, and a regretful look came over her face.

“My lady?” Kaiji asked, catching the troubled look in the assassin’s eyes.

Nua brought Kaiji’s head to her lap, “They were planning to betray me before they even finished my tea… just stay as you are. It bothers me, knowing that there are not even three free people in this city I can trust.”

“Prince Rasgen can be trusted.” Kaiji said confidently and took Nua’s right wrist to draw it to herself.

“I know… which is strange… but welcome. He wants me to marry him, you know. He already requested I join his council… I accepted the council offer, but didn’t commit to the marriage.” Nua sighed with relief as Kaiji began her ritual worship of her goddess.

“My lady… do you plan to kill him and take the city?” Kaiji asked with a worried little voice.

“No, not unless I have to. He was Sobella’s dearest love, save perhaps Lodira, I don’t want to betray her by killing him. I also don’t want to get him killed. Not if I can avoid it.” Nua explained, “He’s safer as a supplicant than at my side. But I can’t very well ignore the potential to gain governing authority here.” Nua rubbed her temple with her false hand.

“I’ll bet this is much easier in books, who knew establishing an empire was so… time consuming?” She laughed, and so did Kaiji.

“Any sage advice, my advisor?” Nua asked dryly.

Kaiji’s blood red eye stared up at her lady, “Prince Rasgen was my friend before, and even when we were on opposite sides, he protected me from terrible things when I was finally brought down. It hurts to advise you this way… like I am betraying my friend.”

“But?” Nua asked.

Kaiji pressed her lips to the giving palm and said, “But my loyalty is to you and only you, and so I tell you that if you can get sufficient leverage over some nobles and staff the council with them, then the city will be yours without Prince Rasgen really noticing, at least not until it is too late, if ever he does. If you have Pas’en and a rebuilt Komestra?” She smiled lovingly, “You have a chance, or… given what else you are preparing, much more than that. I can hardly wait.”

“Wait?” Nua asked with a raised golden eyebrow.

“To say, ‘Yes, my empress’.” Kaiji replied, and only then, did Nua allow her to rise.

Tir finished braiding her hair and was dressed in a simple camisk that displayed enough flesh to be enticing to either the discerning or the lustful eye. She then pinched her cheeks to create the faint blush as if she were more innocent than she truly was, and gave herself a once over in the mirror. ‘Good, very good, Tir. You look irresistible. Goodness knows how you could have been the child of that sour faced pair.’ She dismissed that line of thought before the familiar companion of hatred, hatred for Anton and the city of Shog’nai, clouded her features.

She blinked her eyes slowly, giving herself a heavy lidded look and said to her reflection, “Hello, master. My name is Tir…” She practiced her bow several times, ensuring that she gave the best view possible of her cleavage.

She was on her seventh repetition when the same boy burst in from before and called out, “She’s here! Everybody line up! The inspector is here from the House of Aiwenor!” He was still breathing hard, causing Tir to reflect that they really should mandate some additional physical training for their messengers.

She and the others lined up as fast as they could, not quite shoulder to shoulder, they allowed enough space for someone to pass between them so that they could be circled if the person wished.

Tir took a deep breath and forced her pounding heart to slow down, ‘It is no different than any other showing, I’m not being bought today, this is only an inspection, and there’s no way… I mean really. Well… it can’t hurt to ask. I mean I’m expensive, the worst I might take is a whipping for insolence if I am not believed. Not pleasant but… I’m too expensive to likely be ruined. I spent my whole life playing without real risks, and I suppose I have to take one sooner or later.’

The usual middle manager entered the room and held the door for a mousy looking woman with hair hanging loosely down just a little past her shoulders and soft, tender features. As if someone had been tailor made just to be treated gently. However, at her side she carried a scribal kit, and her functional clothing of pants and shirt, though bold and ‘loud’ as all Pas’en clothing was, was also obviously expensive. A silk shirt and heavily refined leather belt on custom tailored pants that, even to Tir’s untrained eye, were obviously bearing some kind of enchantment. She saw the purple tag dangling just below the center of a bronze collar, and doubt vanished. ‘She must work directly for Lady Aiwenor… and if Lady Aiwenor is in fact here… she survived. Which means…’

The realization hit home. ‘Which means… Sobella… Sobella is dead…’

“Now, ah, Voice of the Duchessa, you may address them.”

Priceless stepped forward, “My name is Priceless, I speak for the Duchessa Aiwenor, the new owner of the Lur’gin company. How are you treated?” She spoke with a clear and authoritative voice that she could barely believe belonged to her, and one by one she began to appraise them. ‘Rough hands, minor scars from burns, metal worker, lots of them, make that ‘experienced’ metal worker.’ She got to the woman, ‘Calloused fingertips with clipped nails, strong calves and a slight stoop to how she stands, a weaver. Likely a master of the art.’ So she went through the handful of the most expensive stock, until she got to one of the single most beautiful women she’d ever seen… ‘A courtesan, an expensive one…’ She thought, but saw the water in the eyes and the shaking, desperate attempt to bite down on the lower lip.

And then the beauty fell to her knees and sobbed. The woman brought her hands to her face, and the others looked at her in a mix of horror and confusion, but none seemed as horrified as the manager when Priceless turned on him. “I ask if they are well treated, and a beautiful courtesan falls to her knees in tears… would you care to explain this?” Priceless asked.

The manager waved his hands out in front of his body and shook his head vigorously as he backed away from the embodiment of noble authority. “No, I… I have no idea! I swear! I swear! I promise you… if she’s being harmed by anyone, I know nothing about it!”

“We’ll see about that. If I find otherwise, then I promise you sir, my Mistress will be profoundly displeased. The Lady Sobella’s reforms were something she liked quite a bit.” Priceless said, and at the mention of Sobella’s name, the sobbing redoubled.

“Everybody out, I want to speak with this one alone!” Priceless exclaimed and went to where the beautiful slave sat sobbing on her knees.

The sound of feet slapping stone as people fled the room ended as quickly as it began, and the pair were alone. “Hi… are you… is someone hurting you here…? You don’t have to worry, my mistress won’t let that happen. She’s good to her possessions, you just have to explain…” Priceless reached out gently and took the slender wrists of the woman and drew them away from her face.

“N-N-No, nobody here has hurt me, that isn’t it, that isn’t it at all!” Tir exclaimed, she sniffled a number of times at Priceless’s silence and said, “Is the Duchessa Aiwenor really back…? Alive, I mean?” She stammered out.

“Yes, your new mistress returned to Pas’en quite recently, why do you ask, and why would that upset you?” Priceless asked and cupped the woman’s face in her soft hands.

“If she’s back, then… that means Sobella, the Prince’s consort, she is…” Tir could not bring herself to say what she had put off understanding.

“Yes, the sacrifice went as well as something of that sort can… at least the city-states are safe for another year.” Priceless hung her head in a moment of silence.

A moment Tir shared.

“I… I see. She was very brave… a better woman than I ever was.” Tir replied as tears continued their individual lone journeys down her rosy cheeks.

“Did you… did you know her?” Priceless asked as sensitively as she could.

“We were lovers, occasionally, I spent many nights with both her and Prince Rasgen. I also know… or knew… your Duchessa.” Tir said, trying very hard to raise her downcast gaze to look Priceless in her eyes.

In Priceless’s mind, alarm bells rang like the city was ablaze, ‘These are very bold claims… but a whore, especially a high class one, deals in lies like a candy maker deals in honey. This could all be some kind of a trick… but if it is, or if it isn’t? Well, I have no way to tell.’

“Who are you?” Priceless asked and forced the slave’s face up the rest of the way so that their eyes met.

“My name is ‘Tir’ now. My old name… I can no longer use, I did make a promise… before my father sold me. But, if you put me before my new owner, she will recognize me.” ‘I know her secret, her ability with curses… she couldn’t get rid of me before, but now I’m officially dead. She can dispose of me if she wants… but… I have to take the chance.’ Tir thought, “Please… Voice of the Duchessa… Priceless, take me to her. Let me mourn my friend with someone who was with her at her final hour. Let me beg her for my life, and let me offer to serve her. If she allows none of it, I can be put up for sale again just as easily tomorrow as today. Please…” Tir’s voice caught, and when Priceless didn’t respond, she moved back and prostrated herself to the purple tagged slave.

“Please… at least let me try. I promise you this isn’t a trick.” Tir said desperately.

Priceless’s thin eyebrows furrowed as she thought it over, ‘If she is lying, she’s far better at lying than I am at detecting lies… and if this is the truth, then perhaps Lady Aiwenor should know sooner rather than later.’

“A-Alright. This was my last stop for the day, you’re going to be returning with me to the mistress’s estate. But if this is a trick, slave…” Priceless said and rested a hand on the woman’s head. Stroking her golden locks, she said, “Then I pity you as I do the dead. Now, are you still sure that you want to come with me? Change your mind now, and I will forget this ever happened. This is your final chance.”

Tir raised her head, took Priceless’s right hand, and kissed her palm. “I speak the truth. I know Prince Rasgen, I knew Sobella, I have met your mistress, and she will know me. I stand by my words, even if they condemn me.” Tir replied, and she let Priceless take her hand and they rose to their feet as one.

“As you wish, slave, as you wish. I’ll trade a few words with the manager here to set him at ease about you, and then we will leave.” Priceless said with a small and hopeful smile. ‘Please don’t be lying, I don’t want to know how she punishes a slave that lies to her.’ Priceless thought, and walked with Tir toward the door.