The study hall was quiet enough to hear my own breathing. Well, almost. The only sounds were the faint scratch of quills from clerks in the room.
I adjusted my sleeves, more for effect than comfort, as Adrian took his seat across from me. His guards had stopped at the door, but his presence filled the space in a way that made me hyper aware of every move I made.
On the table between us lay a neat arrangement of scrolls, bound ledgers, and one rather ostentatious inkstand that my mother insisted was proper for foreign dignitaries. Honestly, it looked like something a pirate captain would sell for rum money.
Adrian's eyes swept the room, sharp and deliberate. Your Ladyship, he began, tone dripping in diplomacy, I appreciate you meeting me so promptly. I understand you've recently been assigned the role of trade overseer by your mother."
I gave a small, deliberate nod, as if this were merely another line on my to-do list. Yes, I'm aware, I said mildly the sort of mild that hides the weight of running the kingdom's trade.
He gave a small chuckle. Then perhaps I shouldn't trouble you with too many figures so soon.
Too late for that, I said lightly, gesturing to the mountain of ledgers between us. Let's dive in. The sooner we start, the sooner I can not think about numbers again.
That got the tiniest quirk of his mouth. He began unrolling a parchment, the Varosian crest in bold ink at the top. Our records show that grain shipments from Eldebryn have declined 18% this quarter. At the same time, your silk exports have increased in price by… considerably more than fair measure.
I scanned the parchment, but my real focus was on the ledger to my right the one our own treasurers had compiled. My eyes flicked over the columns of figures. Then I saw it.
Oh, you've got to be kidding me.
The numbers didn't add up. Specifically, the export tax payments were… short. Not by a small, oops-we-forgot-to-count amount. We were talking thousands of gold marks gone, like a chunk had just decided to take a vacation without notice.
I didn't react. Instead, I tilted my head, pretending to be fascinated by his fancy Varosian handwriting. Well, Aldren, I said, using his formal courtesy name, we've observed a reduced volume of Varosian imports too. Fewer goods are arriving, yet your steel exports remain high. It's starting to look a little… lopsided.
He leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on the table. Then let us strike a bargain my steel for your grain, my coin for your silk and may our coffers grow together.
Smooth. Too smooth. The missing money was a problem, and he was gliding right over it like butter on hot bread.
So be it, I said after a pause. We trade in goods and in goodwill.
A flicker passed through his eyes approval, calculation, something in between. I'll have my trade ministers prepare the terms, he said.
Perfect. Let's get the paperwork rolling I'm all about efficiency. I dropped the word like bait, watching him parse it for meaning.
One corner of his mouth lifted, but he didn't bite. He just nodded. As you wish.
While he spoke, I slid the ledger closer and flipped a page like I was idly browsing. My thumb traced the uneven handwriting in the margin a quick notation that certain tariffs had been adjusted mid transaction. Adjusted by who, exactly? That was conveniently left blank.
So, I said brightly, as if I wasn't mentally plotting someone's downfall, how is the Varosian port these days? Still as busy as the stories say?
He relaxed back in his chair. Busier. Too busy, perhaps. Ships come and go without pause. It strains our harbor watch.
Mmm, I hummed, pretending to jot something down, but really marking the page where the discrepancies were largest. They weren't random. The missing sums were spaced evenly over the last six months just small enough each time to avoid raising alarms, but together? It was a fortune.
I decided to poke at the edges. Funny thing, numbers, I said conversationally. They don't lie.
He raised a brow. But people do?
I smiled, all innocence. Oh, I'd never say that in a formal meeting.
His eyes studied me, weighing how much I actually knew. I just smiled wider, then leaned back in my chair, letting the silence stretch.
Your Majesty, he said finally, his voice low, our trade benefits both kingdoms. Let us focus on growth, not anomalies.
Bingo. He'd just told me he knew there were anomalies and was trying to slide past them.
Of course, I said sweetly. Growth is good. Very… profitable.
We moved on to talk of tariffs, transport routes, and market fairs. I let him do most of the talking, throwing in the occasional uh-huh and makes sense like I was just here to keep the ink dry on the page.
By the end, we had an outline of an agreement:
Increase Varosian steel imports by 10%.
Reduce Eldebryn silk tariffs by 5%.
Negotiate grain for steel exchange rates quarterly.
All nice and tidy on the surface. And yet, I couldn't stop thinking about those missing gold marks a whole shadow trade happening under our noses.
When the meeting ended, Adrian stood and gave a respectful bow. Until next we meet, Your Ladyship.
I returned the bow with just enough of a pause to make him wonder if I meant something more. Until then.
He left with his guards, and the moment the doors closed, I yanked the ledger back toward me. My finger traced the gaps in the numbers, page by page. There was a pattern. Someone was skimming, and it wasn't sloppy. This was professional, coordinate and deeply political.
Hmm, I muttered, flipping back to the first missing sum. You, my mysterious friend, are either very clever or very stupid. And I'm going to find out which.