You open your eyes, remembering the dream you had had. You sit up in bed and begin pondering what it could mean. You have been taught that dreams could be a message from the Him.
After much pondering about the fact you get out of bed, dress and take yourself to the hall where your counselors already await your presence to begin the day. The same thing from the previous day occurs again, the guards open the doors, revealing petitioners who seem to have been waiting for you a whole eternity. The front guard announces that you are ready to meet with any of your subjects who must speak with you. The first to enter is a merchant who claims that his name is Berrt from Gotland who only wishes an audience to discuss a trade deal.
"Your lordship, when I have heard of your coronation as the new lord of Portswater, I quickly made way here to speak with you concerning a trade deal", the merchant opens.
He then signals for another elderly man to enter the room with a box in his arms.
"I am not only a merchant, but a farmland owner. On my lands in Gotland, I have a farm where I grow cotton, lord, and from that cotton I make quite luxurious garments for nobles as such as yourself. My cotton is so good that I have already persuaded princess Sesunna and the lord of Sielc to purchase my ware. And so I believe that I will have no difficulty doing the same with you."
"And do you have an example of this ware for me to see?", you ask him.
To that the merchant cues the man next to him to approach you with the box, after having it searched by Vradnik. You look at the merchandise. It looks fashionable and worthy. You take it out and look at it. The clothing seems to be of the highest order and the fabric from which the item is made of feels extraordinary. You fold up the robe and place it back into the box, then you dismiss the man. "
Have you felt it, liege?", the merchant questions you.
"Indeed, I have", you answer.
"What exactly is your deal, merchant?"
"Lord i propose to supply you with fashionable wares every month, new and freshly made and suitable to your liking. If you pay me just 400 aurens right here, I shall return by the end of Aurora with the finest suits of clothes you have ever laid your eyes upon, lord", the merchant promises.
"Of course, you know i cannot just pay you and then hope that you return with the wares?", you interrogate him.
"Of course, liege", the man utters.
"I have it in writing", he says pulling out a piece of paper from within his pockets and having your knight hand it to you. After you have signed the contract, and returned it to him, the merchant bows and he and his companion leaves your presence.
The next petitioner is a quick and polite man, who dresses like a peasant, but by his accent and mannerism, you can tell that he is neither from Portswater, nor a peasant. "Lord Alexander, who I am does not matter. I have been sent by king Lordrez himself!" The man loudly declares, stretching his arms in both direct as he speaks.
The whole hall goes quiet as the petitioners beyond the door hear the king's name. The man acknowledges this and seems quite glad.
"The king has sent with me a letter of a time-worthy matter", and with that, he completely ignores your high knight and gives you the letter with bold steps, and not even bowing, he leaves just as quickly as he had entered.
You are in awe by the man's manner. Surely if he is sent by the eastern king himself, so he must know how to approach a member of a nobility, but the man clearly sees no reason to show you any respect, since he himself works with the king who is higher than you. You open the letter and read to yourself:
YOU ARE READING
The Black Raven: plot of the three swords
Historical FictionLord Alexander has just come to the throne of Portswater, a province in the west known for aurens in times of trade, but steel in times of war. He thinks that being a lord isn't too complex, but what he doesn't know is that there are those cunning...
