Noble Arcana

Why is it never a hot bath and strong butler waiting for me back home? It’s always a stack of work and a number of tedious conversations

Lady Arbessa in her Letters

After finishing their shared drink, Solomon made his way back to his room where he found that Melissa had already drawn him a bath. He soaked in it, luxuriating as he let all of the sweat from his dancing and dealing wash off him. He’d taken an enormous risk revealing himself to James, but he felt that it was the right decision. They both knew enough to destroy the other, that put them in place where they could actually negotiate and work to one another’s benefit. He wouldn’t trust the Viscount completely of course, but he hoped they’d be able to benefit one another mutually. He also felt that James may be… something of a friend.

That thought filled him with enough anxiety that Solomon broke from his revelry and got out of the tub. He took his time drying himself off and dressed before laying down in bed. Even with his active and stimulated mind the exhaustions of the day got to him quickly and dragged him into a deep sleep.

The next morning he was awoken to a cup of coffee from Melissa which he took gratefully, pushing himself up in the bed and allowing her to place a pillow behind him so that he could be propped. Up he enjoyed a long sip before raising an eyebrow at her.

“Any bad news for me this time?” he asked.

She shook her head. “No.” She paused. “At least not yet.”

“The day has just started. I’m sure we’ll have something by the end of it.”

She smiled and nodded before going and preparing clothes for him. She’d picked up on his preference for his purple clothes during the trip and so laid out a dark purple suit for him along with a crisp white shirt. He finished his coffee and handed it to her. She left the room to take care of it and he took his time getting himself dressed. Once that was done he made his way to the dining room where he found James already halfway through his meal.

“Worked up an appetite?” Solomon asked as he sat across from him.

He smiled, his golden eyes twinkling. “These things always take a lot out of me. How are you? I trust the chambers that were prepared for you have been satisfactory?”

Solomon nodded. “They’ve been just that.”

“I saw you dancing with Priscilla quite a bit yesterday. Did you come to some favorable arrangement?”

“The beginning of one.”

“Ah, so just a bit of foreplay then. Not quite at the main event.”

Solomon shook his head at the wordplay, filling his own plate. He saw Melissa’s cheeks redden a bit in the reflection of a saucer in front of him.

“What’s your read on her as a business partner?”

Viscount Byar chewed a piece of bacon carefully. “Well, I know the woman’s vices, which is always a comfort when going into business with someone. She is shrewd and well connected, and willing to listen to the advice of others as long as it’s not foolish… I suppose the biggest risk is that she’s too clever. She’s got a bit of a ruthless reputation. In your case there’s something particular that you’d need to look out for.”

“Oh?”

“She’s in search of a title. If you’re not careful she may attempt to use your name to get one.”

Solomon nodded thoughtfully as he took a bite of bread. It had become a recent policy that certain noble titles could be bought, but only by those who were approved of by the crown. An easy method to gain that approval would be to marry into one of the founding families. It was basically a guarantee that your request would be approved, expedited, and perhaps even discounted.

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Marriage was an avenue to power that he’d considered more than once. Had his former betrothals gone through he’d likely have received an impressive dowry as well as the support of another founding family. In some ways that would be incredibly beneficial when it came to building power. The only problem was how many fetters it would come with. Another family’s name to watch, a responsibility to produce heirs, and to care for a spouse that could very well dislike him. Marrying a merchant had some potential. She could add to his not insignificant funds and provide a number of business connections. He’d need to hide his abilities as a mage, but depending on her status it wouldn’t necessarily be a bad decision. She certainly wasn’t difficult to look at, and he’d enjoyed her company. It would simply depend on what benefits they could extract from one another.

Noticing the look of consideration on Solomon’s face, James spoke again.

“I’d be wary of any such proposals. The woman has quite a few skeletons in her closet I’ve heard. Though I can’t blame you for considering it. You are a man with two eyes.”

Solomon smiled lightly and continued eating, finding himself famished even after stuffing himself full at the buffet the previous day.

“You’re still planning on leaving today?” asked James.

“Yes. I’m wary of leaving Moonfallow for too long. I’ve still only just arrived, and there is much to do.”

“I understand. It was a pleasure hosting you, and I’m certain that your appearance will be the focus of gossip here in Etling for the next several weeks.”

“Wonderful,” responded Solomon dryly.

James smiled. “I have a gift for you. I’ll have it placed in your carriage. I think it will be a great help to you given our discussion last night.”

Solomon nodded. “I look forward to seeing it.”

After breakfast they shared a firm handshake and Solomon made his way to his carriage where Duncan was waiting along with Melissa. He stepped inside and tapped the front of it twice with the tip of his walking stick. As the carriage began to roll forward Solomon felt a bit of the tension he was carrying fade. That had been the last chance for James to kill him conveniently, but it appeared that the detente they’d reached was real.

He turned his attention to the windows watching Etling go by. There were tremendous opportunities in being a lord in the city as Viscount Byar was. The amount of resources one could easily access far dwarfed what he could find in Moonfallow. That said he preferred the smaller town. He had his privacy and could also mold it into whatever shape he wished. Wrestling something like Etling into shape was a near impossible task.

The trip back was uneventful, though Solomon could feel his mana begin to calm a bit as they got closer to home. In Moonfallow itself the streets seemed a bit busier than before. There were men and women going about their days, and he even thought he saw the hints of a smile or two on a few of their faces. They had to take the long way around one particular road that was being torn up to be replaced. It looked as if the men and women doing the job had moved more quickly than he’d anticipated. That was good, but it meant they’d need to move certain things up on the schedule.

They stopped briefly outside the Courier so that Melissa could collect any correspondence he’d missed since his absence and then made it back to the estate. As the carriage pulled up to the entrance Solomon began itching to head back down to the hidden study and continue his work, but he stayed calm. There were a number of matters he’d need to attend to before he got the chance.

He stepped off the carriage and walked toward the front door, nodding at one of the hired guards as he passed inside. The estate had a smell to it. He hadn’t noticed before, but after being away from it he could distinctly smell it. It smelled like old leather, rotting books, and just a bit of blood. He rather liked it.

As his things were being removed from the carriage he did a quick loop all throughout the estate. The repairs and cleaning of the ballroom had proceeded well, and the library had a number of shelves repaired. That might have been done sooner had he not so frequently locked himself inside. The garden planting had begun, and Solomon could tell that the soil had been treated with fertilizer and heavily watered. The smell was unpleasant, but he was confident that Poth was creating something beautiful.

Once he was done checking in on everything he made his way to his chamber where he immediately felt the powerful chill that sometimes permeated the manor. He sighed, placing his purple jacket to the side and grabbing a green smoking jacket. He saw that Melissa had already placed his correspondence on the desk. He could see the newest Etling Gazette on the bottom as well as letters from his family, a few from businesses, and even one he didn’t recognize the sender of. He grabbed his letter opener and began to tear them open.