“Who are we going to see in Golrog?” Jasmin asked finally. They’d started the journey at first light and it was now late afternoon. This was the first time she’d spoken.
“We’re going to see Isaac,” Lady Grant said.
Jasmin frowned. “I’ve never heard of Isaac before.”
Lady Grant sighed. “You were young, and I left you with our caretakers. In those early days, I didn’t speak of troubles in front of you—you were already so devastated by the loss of your father. When we first moved onto the estate, there was a mining company operating on our lands without permission. When I explained the situation, the foreman laughed at me and explained that things operated differently in Western Deytar. That possession was ownership, and they had no intention of leaving. A baron from Penrith owned the company and he was a cad. The only way they would leave our lands was by force. Jorra was being difficult at that time and the chances of getting king’s men to Riverside were zero. One of the traders your father had introduced me to was in town on his way to Vaton, and he suggested I accompany him. He knew a man who could help with my problem.”
“This Isaac?”
Lady Grant nodded. “Yes. I went to Golrog and met with him. He listened to my problems and gave me two options. I could hire a dozen men and remove the miners from the property, but if I’d done that, he suspected Baron Levy would also hire men to try and take back the lands. It would’ve started a long and expensive feud. The second option was a man he knew who could deal directly with the baron. He wasn’t sure if the man would be willing to do it, or what the cost would be, but Isaac thought if I could get him to agree it would be the best option. I doubted that one man could persuade Baron Levy by legal means, but by that time I didn’t care. Several of my employees in Riverside had been murdered, and I damn well knew who was behind it. I feared they would try to kidnap you and use you as leverage against me, so I chose the second option.
“I met with the man. I didn’t have much coin to offer him, but thankfully he wasn’t interested in coin. He wanted a small parcel of land to be deeded to him. For me, that was perfect. We had thousands of acres and no income. What he wanted was nothing, so I agreed. Within two weeks I received a letter from Baron Levy expressing his deepest regrets for our little misunderstanding. His men left the mine, including all the ore they’d not yet shipped, as payment.”
“So why not just contact this man again? If he made the baron go away, maybe he can make this problem go away, too?” Jasmin knew her mother was leaving details out of the story, but that was her mother. She wasn’t one to gossip or give out details that weren’t absolutely pertinent.
Lady Grant shook her head. “How do you make a problem go away when you don’t know what the problem is? No. Isaac is the one we need to speak to. He is very good at delivering solutions to problems. And our immediate problem is our safety.”
Jasmin sighed. As per usual, her mother was correct. If they knew who was behind the attack, the situation might be different. They could petition the king for assistance, or find out what the person wanted and come to an arrangement that didn’t involve violence. But for that to happen, they needed to stay alive. And as much as she abhorred the idea, they needed to hire fighting men.
...
“May we join you?”
An elderly man with a flowing mane of thick silver and white hair looked up and smiled. “Lady Grant? Is that you? It has been too long. Please, join me.”
Jasmin and her mother sat at the coffee-shop table. Jasmin had been surprised when her mother told her that this mysterious Isaac didn’t have an office. He simply came to the same coffeehouse every afternoon.
“I’m surprised you remember me,” Lady Grant said.
Isaac laughed. “How could I forget such a beautiful woman? Besides, the years have been very kind to you. You’ve hardly aged at all.”
Lady Grant smiled. “You know that isn’t true. I’ve wrinkles and gray hairs that I’ve earned.”
“Perhaps, but they only enhance your beauty. And there is no doubt that this enchanting young woman is your daughter. She has your eyes and cheekbones, and I see the same dislike for shameless flattery in her eyes that I saw those years ago in your own.”
Jasmin sat back in her chair. She blushed at the comment. It was true; as soon as Isaac had started in on his flattery of her mother, she’d started glaring at him.
“That is my fault, I’m afraid. She grew up in Riverside and hasn’t been exposed to many men of society. She is used to simple men.”
Isaac smiled at Jasmin. “I see. Well, let me impart some wisdom to you. The men you know aren’t that different from men of high society. Some are genuine, others are cads, but the true difference between the two is a man of high society places a higher value on words. A man of society, as your mother sarcastically and yet accurately describes me, will wield flattery the same way your lumberjacks wield an axe.”
“I see,” Jasmin said, although she really didn’t see the point of the comment.
“You don’t, but that’s OK. I’m sure with time you will come to understand. However, you didn’t come all this way to discuss the flowery words of nobles. What can I do for you?”
“We’ve a problem,” Lady Grant said. She then went into the story of the attack and how the assassins had been specific about looking for Jasmin Grant, daughter of Gabriel Grant.
Isaac leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and ran his hands slowly through his hair several times. When he opened his eyes, he spoke. “You’ve two main issues, as you already know. First, you need to find the source of the threat. I will make some inquiries on your behalf, but that will take time. The second issue is that you need protection. You’ve been living out in the woods so long you’ve forgotten that even the lowest levels of the royal family have value in the right hands. Regardless of whether that is the reason for this attack, it does warrant increased security. You’ve done well for yourselves over the years and are starting to reap the rewards of that work. That makes you a target. You need to invest in long-term security as well as short-term. I have a few men in mind who would be very content to gain long-term work. They are reliable men, trustworthy, and would make your estate far more secure. I would also suggest hiring two or three men as a short-term solution, men who are accustomed to dealing with high-risk clients. Men who understand how assassins work.”
Jasmin frowned as she watched her mother nod her head in agreement. Was her mother actually going to hire men on long-term contracts to sit around and guard the estate? They had never needed guards in the past. Surely Isaac was overreacting to their needs. And the way he described the men he considered short-term hires was just as bad. Men who understand how assassins work? That sounded a lot like hiring ex-assassins to protect you against assassins. Hired killers living with them? Surely her mother wasn’t considering this a legitimate option. There had to be men in Golrog with virtue who could protect them without resorting to murder.
“How soon could you arrange the men?” Lady Grant asked.
Staring at her mother incredulously, Jasmin couldn’t believe her ears. Her mother wasn’t even bothering to request men of moral fiber. Was she so scared of dying that she’d allow murderers into their home? She wanted to yell out in protest, but she knew the look on her mother’s face. She would not yield on the matter. When her back was up, Lady Elizabeth Grant was as stubborn as a Chambian mule with a burr under its blanket.
“Why don’t you go for a walk down to the garden district? It is lovely this time of year. Bruno and more of my men will escort you, at a discreet distance.” Isaac motioned towards a man sitting alone at a table on the far side of the coffee house.
“That sounds lovely,” Lady Grant said.
Isaac nodded. “If you’d do me the honor of accompanying me to dinner this evening, there is a wonderful diner down the street that serves the most amazing roast sura snake.”
Lady Grant smiled. “I haven’t had sura snake since I left Evermeir. We
’d be delighted to accompany you.” She stood. “Until dinner.”
Jasmin followed her mother out the door. She noted that Bruno, the man Isaac said would follow them, hadn’t left the building. They walked down the streets of Golrog until they hit the garden district. The district was beautiful, and it momentarily distracted Jasmin from the arguments she intended to present to her mother about the men she intended to hire. The garden district was unlike anything she’d ever seen before. A walkway meandered parallel to the Gol river, bordered on either side by a row of flowers and shrubs. Beyond the beautiful patchwork of flowers were rows of individual square gardens.
As they walked, Lady Grant spoke. “Aren’t they lovely? I’ve heard of the garden district of Golrog. It is famous across the entire continent. A few cities in Deytar and the rest of the continent have taken the idea and built their own gardens, but this is the original.”
“It is lovely, but why do they do it? Wouldn’t this land be better served with large farms?”
“There are plenty of farms in the area. What makes the garden district unique is that anyone can rent a garden square. For a few coins, any citizen of Golrog can have their own garden here. But part of the agreement is everyone who rents a garden square must tend to the flowers along their section of the path. Anyone who doesn’t isn’t allowed to rent again. So the poor and rich alike spend a portion of their days minding their small section of garden. The result is really rather impressive: a beautiful and entirely unique walking path and an affordable source of food for the city’s people. There is a saying that no one starves in Golrog. It also has the lowest crime rates in all of the continent.”
Jasmin raised an eyebrow. “The gardens lower crime rates?”
Lady Grant laughed. “Not exactly. I’m sure they help, but Golrog is a city of mercenaries. You can’t afford to steal from a banker who only months ago was a member of an elite fighting unit or a baker who was once an assassin. And even if you were foolish enough to do so, the city is filled with mercenaries who are proud of Golrog’s reputation. Thousands of mercenaries willing to kill to protect that reputation means the city doesn’t even need a sheriff.”
“Doesn’t it make you nervous, being in a city filled with mercenaries when we are being targeted? What if someone is here in Golrog? They could hire anyone here to kill us.”
“That is a possibility,” Lady Grant said. “However, the trail of the assassins came from the east, not the west.”
“How do you know that?”
“Rogue.”
Jasmin frowned at the name of the ruthless killer. “And why would he tell you that? Come to think of it, why did he come visit you after the alley? He didn’t even acknowledge me after killing those men.”
Lady Grant sighed. “I suspect he thought your opinion of him was already formed and that any comforting words he had for you would fall on deaf ears. As for why he would visit me, he did some odd jobs for us long ago. He visited as a courtesy to me.”
“A man like that doing odd jobs? You must’ve been desperate.”
With a sudden stop, Lady Grant turned to stare at Jasmin. Her eyes blazed with anger and her voice turned cold. “Since when are you the expert on Rogue?”
Jasmin’s chin turned up defiantly. “Since I watched him murder two men in an alley. Not that I needed to see it. His reputation is as black as the night.”
The anger went out of Lady Grant’s eyes and she lowered her head. “I’m disappointed in you, Jasmin. But I don’t blame you. Your attitude is my fault. I’ve failed you as a parent. I need a moment alone. I’m heading back to our room at the Inn. Stay and enjoy the gardens. Isaac’s men will watch over you.”
Shocked at her mother’s words, Jasmin stood frozen and watched her mother walk away. In all her eighteen years, Jasmin had never heard her mother say she was disappointed in her. They’d fought plenty and she’d been scolded plenty, but her mother’s love had always been unconditional. Whenever her mother was angry with her, it only lasted the moment. Even when Jasmin had done something stupid, her mother would turn it into a teachable moment and then give her a hug. Never had Jasmin been called a disappointment.
Jasmin sat down on a bench along the side of the garden path. Did her mother really consider herself a failure? Her mother was an amazing parent. She was loving and supportive and had taken care of her while building up their business all on her own. Lady Elizabeth Grant wasn’t just Jasmin’s mother; she was her hero. To hear those words come from her mouth was like a dagger entering her belly. Tears started to roll down Jasmin’s face. Then she started to sob uncontrollably. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this bad.
“Are you alright, Miss?” said a young man.
Jasmin turned nervously, afraid of any strangers.
The young man smiled. “Don’t worry. You are safe. I’m with Bruno. I just wanted to check on you.”
Jasmin looked around. She could see Bruno in the distance. Isaac’s man was frowning, but he made no move to get closer. He obviously knew this man. “I’m OK. My mother and I have had a bit of a row, and I’m not handling it very well.” She sat up straighter and wiped her eyes. “It’s been a very stressful few days and I’m not quite myself. I haven’t cried in public since I was twelve. This is rather embarrassing.”
The young man handed her a handkerchief. “Don’t worry, Miss. This sort of thing happens. Many people travel to Golrog under stressful situations. That is one of the reasons we have these gardens. Nothing grows beautiful flowers so well as tears.”
Jasmin chuckled. “Nothing grows flowers so well as horseshit, and you’re sending a load my way right now.”
The young man laughed loudly, his pearly white teeth shining in the sun, a contrast to his golden tan and blond hair. “’Tis true, but I am a romantic at heart. I believe in looking for a positive in every dark situation. Would you like me to leave you alone now?”
Jasmin frowned. “No, I don’t think I want to be alone right now. Would you sit with me for a moment? I’m not yet ready to face my mother again.”
“Certainly, Miss.”
“Jasmin Grant. But please call me Jasmin.”
“Jasmin, what a lovely and appropriate name. I’m Alonso, but you may call me Alonso.”
A smile came to Jasmin’s lips. It was hard to ignore Alonso’s charm. “Alonso, what a pretty name.” Between almost dying, witnessing murder, and now her mother’s sharp and biting disapproval, Jasmin needed a laugh.
Alonso smiled brightly. “It is appropriate, yes?”
Jasmin chuckled and shook her head. Alonso surely wasn’t modest. But he wasn’t bragging about his good looks, more using them as something for her to laugh at. “Perhaps,” she said. “So, tell me, Alonso, what is a pretty little thing like you doing in such a dark and dangerous business?”
Shaking his finger, Alonso spoke. “Pretty? Yes. Little? Not so much. Look at these huge arms. Go ahead, feel the muscle.” He leaned in and flexed his arm for her while making an exaggerated grimace.
Jasmin humored him. His bicep was big. She couldn’t reach her hand around half of it. “I stand corrected.”
Alonso went back to his normal wide grin. “Thank you. But to be serious. It isn’t a dark business for Alonso. I am like sheepdog. I protect pretty little lambs from wolves. It is honorable work. I am honored to be among those who are here to protect you today. Not that you need it. Golrog is safest city in world.”
“I don’t know if I believe that, but I do feel safer. Perhaps we should head back to the inn. We are supposed to meet Isaac for dinner. He’s feeding us snake.” Jasmin made a face to display her dislike of the idea.
“Sura snake? Oh, this little lamb is in luck. Sura snake is a most exquisite dish. Much like chicken, but so much more flavorful. You are truly a poor creature if you’ve never had this delicacy before. Come, Miss Jasmin, we must get you to the inn. You don’t want to miss this meal.” Alonso stood and reached his hand to assist Jasmin up from the bench.
When they arrived at the Inn, Alonso spoke. “Here we are, Miss Jasmin. I shall return to my normal duties and watch at a distance. It has been a pleasure to accompany you.”
“Thank you, Alonso. I apologize, I wasn’t very good company. I had a lot on my mind and needed time to think.”
“No apology needed. My duties are to keep you safe. That I had the opportunity to speak to you was a pleasure beyond words. Now don’t forget to try the sura snake. It truly is delicious.”
Rogue Page 5