Page 4 of Unrivaled
“Larders aren’t going to last forever,” Bernadette warned.
“Can weretrievethings from folks who’ve passed?”Audrey asked Kaelson.“Money, for when ships return to the bay, but also food?While we wait for our scouting parties to return from the countryside?”
He nodded slowly, sharing a wary look with Ettie.“We can,” he said, “But, m’lady…well, if your cousin passed, but you didn’t live with them, what claim might you have on their things?”
This had been part of the boot-cleaning conversation.People were claiming they were close friends with, or related to, deceased peoples to take choice items, or everything, from the dead or defenseless.The second half of that conversation had involved the dangers of seizing everything from everyone.
“So, we formalize people’s claims on goods,” she said briskly.“We need to dosomething,Kaelson,” she said, in response to his big, bushy eyebrows drawing together.“If people aren’t living where they’ve an agreement to live, they’re squatting.Given that I’m offering everyone free rooms, there’s no reason to do so.Same with items.If they’re taking from others when I’m feeding, clothing, and employing them…”
Kaelson and Bernadette shared a quick, worried look.Ettie held up a finger, finishing her mouthful before saying, “Lady, no disrespect, but my niece?She borrowed my favorite spinning wheel.That wheel, I can’t use it, but it’sgood.You better believe I went and got it back myself when I learned she was gone; may her soul find peace in Velkyn.”
“By the Wife’s warmth,” Bernadette agreed, returning part of the refrain.
“By the One’s wisdom,” Kaelson offered.
Audrey didn’t appear to notice she was expected to close the circle.Her brows were drawn.She was fixing this situation.“One spinning wheel is quite different from cartloads of goods.Those bandits you mentioned to me yesterday, Kaelson, in Three Leaves?”He nodded for her to continue.“How did they get hold of so much Lyle wealth without looting their residence?Weneedto seize what’s lying about, and if that upsets some people, they can complete some documentation to tell mewhy.” She looked at Ettie.“Can you oversee the documenting, Ettie?Support those who need it?”
I looked down at my food as the conversation spun around me, selecting a spoon of parsnip covered in the thick gravy.Audrey had figured out what needed to be done.She was just getting them onto the same page and making sure it’d be done right, now.Soon, she’d gather up the wealth that was lying about and any that was contended, too.I listened to her and Kaelson discussing how they’d deal with the inevitable pushback from the rich families who’d been taking what they wanted and hoarding it, but I didn’t really notice the details.She wasn’t telling them all her plans for the future, which was a deliberate choice.Everyone was focused onnow.The idea of funding a bettertomorrowwas a stretch—for them, anyway.Not for Audrey.
My eyes on my food, I was free to enjoy the rise and fall of her voice, the determination and patience in her words, the measured way she spoke.I couldalsoenjoy the way the fabric lay over her hips, and the strength of her hands as she splayed them over the table beside me.I didn’t stare.I wasn’t a young child.Anyway, I didn’t need to.I could remember the way her hand felt splayed over my chest as she rode me and over my back as she embraced me.I chewed my parsnip in contemplative silence, happy with my lot.
I’d never been good at keeping my distance from Lady Audrey of La’Angi.I didn’t see any reason to start trying, either.
CHAPTERTHREE
THOMAS
Advisor had a meeting with High Magelord Gautier.Brief, but they shook hands before he left.Seems like an alliance is forming.Will report.—S to Man in the Mountain
13thDay of Winter’s Wife Moon,
Age of the Locways, Year 271
La’Angi Keep
The heavy scroll felt unwieldy in my hands.“How many large paintings?”I asked, trying to make out my lady’s words on the parchment.
“Four,” Jeff said, puffing under the weight of one he was holding by himself.
I glanced at the one in his hands, with its fancy gilded frame bending in his thick paws.“Oi, Cameron, hurry up!”I dropped the scroll and caught the damned thing myself, stabilizing it, feeling sick.
“I had to piss,” Cameron complained, his lumbering walk turning into a tired jog as he approached.“I’m sorry, Tom.”Then, almost instantly, “Sir Thomas.”
“Fuck off with that,” I muttered, too tired for politeness.“If we break this shit, you know who they’ll come for, don’t you?”
“Why didn’t you get a little one?”Cameron complained.
“It’smedium,” Jeff snapped.“Going off the lady’s descriptions.Which’re smarter than you.Having an infected cock is only a problem if you don’t take it to the Healer, Cam.”
“The lady’s trying to source healers, real mage healers,” I put in.“She’ll be paying them a wage to treat everyone.”
“Really?”Cameron asked, pausing and making Jeff snarl as the painting creaked.“Truly?”
“Really truly, if she can pay them.”I waved a hand at the painting.“We’re missing another large.”
“Measure the pile of mediums,” Jeff recommended.“I probably miscounted.Can you imagine needing so much art?”
“It’s ugly, too,” Cameron agreed as they vanished into the treasury.
