“This bank will accept deposits from anyone,” I say, my voice dropping lower. “Regardless of their station. Regardless of their gender. Fey banks have always accepted deposits from anyone with legitimate coin. The Royal Fey Bank, in particular, is known for its discretion, impartiality, and neutrality. If a woman comes in with coin she wishes to keep safe from a husband, a father, a son, or a brother, the Royal Fey Bank will take it. You will create an account known only to her. You will verify her identity by a password, not by her male guardian.”
Jan stares at me. This could be the part that gets him run out of town by the other men. But then, a slow smile spreads across his face.
“Do you have any idea, My Lady, how much money the women of this court have hidden away in jewelry boxes and loose floorboards because they have nowhere else to put it?” Jan asks.
“I have a rough idea,” I smirk. “I intend for us to hold all of it.”
Jan closes the sack of gold and places his hand on top of it. “We will need a building with a deep cellar. And I will need to hire clerks who know how to keep their mouths shut.”
“I’m looking for a compound now,” I say. “Two buildings. One for the embassy, one for the bank. I’ll let you know when I find it. Until then, draw up the papers, Master Vermeersch. You are going into business with the Fey.”
Jan stands and offers me his hand. “A pleasure, Princess. I suspect this will be the most profitable and dangerous venture of my life.”
“Oh, undoubtedly,” I agree, shaking his hand. His grip is firm and dry. “But you’ll be the richest commoner in Centis by spring.”
Iwan leads us from Jan Vermeersch’s office to the district where the property brokers hover like vultures over the carcasses of failed fortunes. Ulrick, imposing as a boulder in his furs and leathers, walks on my other side, his hand resting casually on the pommel of his sword. It is a comforting sight.
We enter the offices of Master Krelis, a man Iwan assures me handles the most significant estates in Dobile. Krelis is a round little man with a sheen of sweat on his upper lip and eyes that dart around the room, assessing value. He bows low to Iwan and even lower to Ulrick, clearly intimidated by the sheer size of Kenric’s cousin. He glances at me, dismisses me as a decorative accessory, and turns his back to address the men.
“My Lords, how may I serve you today? Are you looking for a townhome? A bachelor’s quarters near the entertainment district, perhaps?”. Krelis leers at me, his gaze lingering on my bodice with a knowing, greasy smirk. It is clear he assumes I am a mistress to one of these men, a pretty bird requiring a gilded cage tucked away from their respectable lives.
“No,” Ulrick says, “Somewhere secure.”
“Ah,” Krelis rubs his hands together. “Investment properties. Very wise. I have a lovely row of shops near the river—”
I clear my throat. Krelis ignores me. I step forward and poke Ulrick in the ribs.
Ulrick grins down at me, then looks back at the broker. “Not shops,” Ulrick corrects him. “A compound. Walled. With a main house and outbuildings. Close to the palace.”
Krelis frowns, looking between the two men. “That is a specific request. And expensive. Properties near the palace are rarely available.”
“We have the coin,” Iwan says smoothly, leaning against a counter. “Show us what you have, Krelis. Don’t waste our time with dross.”
Krelis pulls a ledger from a shelf and spreads it open. “Well, there is the old Silk Guild’s storage yard. It has high walls, but the buildings are… rustic.”
I shake my head slightly. Ulrick catches the movement. “No,” he says flatly.
“Very well,” Krelis flips a page. “The d’Amato estate. The family died out during the last plague. It’s grand, but the heirs are disputing the title.”
I make a cutting motion with my hand. I don’t have time for Centis courts to decide who owns a building. “No disputed titles,” Iwan says, interpreting my gesture. “Clean deeds only.”
Krelis sighs, clearly annoyed that his first offerings were rejected. “My Lords, perhaps if I knew the purpose of this compound, I could better advise you.”
I whisper to Ulrick, “Two buildings. One for business, one for residence. Deep cellars.”
Ulrick repeats my words verbatim, adding a bit of his own menace. “Two buildings. Deep cellars. And privacy.”
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Krelis hesitates, then flips to the back of the book. “There is… the Old Mint.”
My ears perk up. The Old Mint.
“It was decommissioned twenty years ago when the King moved the treasury inside the palace proper,” Krelis explains, looking only at Iwan. “It is a fortress. Stone walls, iron gates, and yes… very deep vaults. But it is drafty, ugly, and the price is exorbitant because the Crown still technically owns the land.”
I nod vigorously at Ulrick.
“Show us,” Ulrick commands.
Krelis looks pained. “It is a carriage ride away. And surely the lady would be bored by such a dusty, grim place. Perhaps she would prefer to wait here with some tea?”
I smile at Krelis. It is not a nice smile. It is the smile of a predator looking at a slow rabbit.
“The Lady,” Ulrick says, his voice dropping an octave, “goes where she pleases. And she holds the purse strings. I suggest you find your hat, Master Broker.”
We take Krelis’s carriage to the site. It is perfect. It sits only a few streets away from the palace gates. The walls are high grey stone, topped with iron spikes. The courtyard is paved with cobblestones that have seen better days, but they are solid. There are two main structures: a squat, windowless block that must have been the secure storage, and a more elegant, two-story manor house that served as the offices and residence for the Master of Coin.
We walk through the manor house. It smells of damp and neglect, but the bones are good. I reach out with my senses. The stone is sound. There are no termites in the beams, and the house itself feels lonely. I wander around looking at the rooms that can become staff accommodations, offices, and reception areas. It will require modifications, but the bones are there.
We move to the vault building. Krelis struggles with a massive iron key, grunting and sweating until the door groans open. Inside, it is cool and dark. The humans can’t see in here, so I shift and start wandering around. The vault is massive. Thick stone floors. Heavy iron doors on the inner chambers. It is perfect for a bank. I shift back and wander out.
We return to the courtyard. Krelis wipes his brow with a handkerchief. “As you see, My Lords, it is a ruin. It would take a fortune to make it habitable.”
“How much?” Iwan asks.
Krelis names a figure. It is high. Absurdly high. He is trying to gouge them because they are nobles. I walk over to a wall and run my hand along the mortar. I let a tiny pulse of magic flow into it. The mortar is old; it crumbles slightly at my touch. I find a loose stone near the foundation and kick it. It clatters out, revealing a dark hole behind it. Rats scurry out. I point at the rats and then look at Ulrick, raising an eyebrow.
Ulrick grins. “It’s infested, Krelis. And the mortar is turning to sand. The roof looks like it leaks.”
Krelis blusters. “It is a historic structure! The location alone—”
I hold up five fingers. Then three. “Five thousand,” Ulrick says. “And three hundred for the inconvenience of the rats.”
“Five thousand?!” Krelis squawks. “The King asked for twelve!”
I turn to leave, signaling for Ulrick and Iwan to follow. I don’t even look back. I just walk toward the carriage.
“Wait!” Krelis chases after us, his boots slapping on the cobbles. “My Lords! Wait! Perhaps… perhaps eight thousand?”
I keep walking. Iwan suppresses a chuckle.
“Seven!” Krelis pleads. “I cannot go lower than seven. The King will have my head.”
I stop. I turn and look at him. I hold up six fingers.
“Six thousand,” Ulrick says. “Final offer. Or we go buy the d’Amato estate and let the lawyers fight it out.”
Krelis looks at Ulrick, then at Iwan, and finally, for the first time, he really looks at me. He sees the steel in my eyes. He realizes, perhaps too late, who is actually negotiating.
“Six thousand,” Krelis slumps. “Done.”
I smile at him. It is a genuine smile this time. I reach into the bag Melina gave me and pull out a draft from Jan Vermeersch’s new bank, which I had him prepare just in case. I hand it to Ulrick, who hands it to Krelis.
“The deed,” Ulrick demands. “In the name of Jan Vermeersch and Associates.”
Krelis looks at the paper, then at us. “A commoner? You are buying the Royal Mint for a common banker?”
“He is the King’s new partner,” Iwan says airily. “I wouldn’t ask too many questions, Krelis. It’s bad for the digestion.”
We leave the broker standing in the courtyard of the new Fey Embassy and Bank of Dobile.
As we climb back into the carriage, Ulrick laughs and claps me on the shoulder. “You’re terrifying, half-pint,” he says. “You didn’t say a word, and you flayed him alive.”
“Men like that only hear what they want to hear,” I reply, settling back against the cushions. “He heard money. Now, we need to find some masons and carpenters. I have buildings to renovate before the snow flies.”
We end up at the Guildhall of Artisans, where I ask to speak to Holger the Artist.
Holger appears, smelling vaguely distressed, but he smiles at me, “Lovely to see you again, Princess Víl?.”
“I have a commission for you, if you and your colleagues can undertake it,” I say.
Holger’s eyes widen slightly in surprise, and the scent of distress disappears from him. This was not what he was expecting.
I smile at him, “I have loved what you’ve done in Oskar’s palace so much that I want to see what you can do with a proper budget for the renovations of the old mint. It’s to become the Hloir? Aralli? Royal Embassy and the local branch of the Royal Fey Bank.”
Holger bows to me, “I apologize. I wasn’t expecting this visit. Let me see if Merovech and Dominico are available.”
I nod, “Whatever you think is best. I’ve not hired artists in Centis before, so I’m uncertain as to the protocol.”
As soon as he leaves, I turn to Ulrick, “I must make this Centis sow’s ear into a Fey’s silk purse. No matter what else, it must reflect the stature of Ellisar’s court.”
Just then, the Guild Chairs arrive, “We’re told that you’re here to hire some of our artists.”
I frown at these men. They reek of greed and deception.
“I know the three I want. If you can’t provide them, I’ll have some shipped from Imelenora,” I reply.
“No matter where they come from, they would still have to register with our guild in order to work anywhere in Centis.”
I eye these men, “That’s a relief then. The work won’t technically be in Centis. The Royal Fey Bank and Royal Fey Embassy are technically sovereign Fey soil.”
The Chairs all look at each other, and one of them finally shrugs, “Just give her what she wants. A commission is better than no commission.”
What do you think about the mint? Let me know in the comments...
Should we adjust the release time?
