Herald of Shalia 5

by Tamryn Tamer

  “Oh, no, no, no,” Aelanna said while shaking her head. “You really shouldn’t take that much Rumi Dust.”

  “Rumi Dust?” Erena said. The white-haired fox-woman covered her mouth to forcibly stifle a laugh as she finally realized what had transpired. “Wait, you…no. You can’t. No, no, no. This is a joke, right?”

  “You have something to say about our master, Periwinkle?” Jasmine said while glaring at the giggling fox-woman.

  “It really isn’t funny,” Iris said as her face turned red.

  “I’m sorry,” Erena said while pointing at the vial. “It’s just…that’s a lot of Rumination Powder!”

  “It is what it is,” Frost said while sliding the vial back into his pouch. “I probably need to spend some time building up a tolerance to the pheromones instead of relying on this. Anyway, about that room…”

  “Of course,” Aelanna said as she walked toward the door. She rapped her knuckles gently and a moment later the door opened. A brown-haired Myrran teenager stood in front of the door in a maid’s dress and several other demihumans of varying ages appeared to be cleaning the halls. Aelanna handed the girl a basket full of baking powders, eggs, and other products. “Take these to the kitchen please Almond.”

  “Yes ma’am,” the girl said as she took the basket and vanished down a long hall.

  “Well,” Aelanna smiled and bowed politely. “Welcome to The Ivory Lounge, Lord Sebastian. We currently have seven rooms available. How many would you like?”

  “Two?” Frost asked while staring at the women for confirmation.

  “I don’t see why we’d need more than one,” Cassia said. “Who’s the second room for?”

  “I figured Erena would want her own room,” Frost said while pointing at the three-tailed fox. “And one bed for six people is really small so maybe one or two of you…”

  “I am staying with you,” Cassia said while latching onto his arm. “I’m your bodyguard after all!”

  “Me too!” Zinnia said, pouncing on Frost. “I’m staying with you too!”

  “No, me!” Jasmine said while trying to push Zinnia out of the way. The athletic Myrran found the seasoned knight more difficult to move than expected.

  “But, but, but,” Iris hopped. “No fair! It’s not fair! It’s never fair! I’m always left out! Left out! Left out! Jasmine and Zinnia always take the good spots! I want the good spot! It’s my turn! My turn! My turn!”

  “Lord Sebastian,” Aelanna shook her head. “Do you happen to be in a difficult financial position? If you’re concerned about your ability to pay for more rooms…”

  “It’s not that,” Frost interrupted, shaking his head as he gently pushed the women off them. “Mitty and Haru are going to take up two spots so I can really only comfortably fit two more. But, if I only choose two, they fight over the spots. It’s a bit of a struggle.”

  “But why are you sharing a bed with your servants to begin with?” the brown-eared bunny woman asked while staring at the group.

  “Oh, that,” Frost smirked. “They’re all rather attached to me and I want to make them happy.”

  “Because he loves us,” Jasmine said while climbing on his back and wrapping her arms around his neck. The orange-haired Myrran lovingly rubbed her face against his as he carried her on his back.

  Frost heard a nearby vase shatter and assumed that the maids were eavesdropping.

  “Love?” Aelanna blushed.

  “Not like love-love though,” Iris clarified. “He only love-loves his wives. The rest of us he just loves.”

  “That’s not really fair,” Frost said playfully. “Love is love.”

  “Just saying, you’re not about to marry a courtesan,” Jasmine said.

  “Even Madam Gardenia’s only a mistress,” Zinnia said.

  “That’s her choice. She likes her freedom,” Frost said defensively.

  “Okay. I think I understand,” Aelanna nodded. “I have heard various rumors about certain men being affectionate toward demihumans lately. And there’s your sensitivity to take into consideration. Okay, I might have a solution. I have three rooms on the second floor that have doors connecting them which would allow you easy access to your servants without having to sacrifice your comfort.”

  “That’ll work,” Frost said.

  “I hope I’m not overstepping but I do recommend that you keep that particular bit of information private when dealing with humans in Nir,” Aelanna said politely. “I do not mind your unique tastes and in fact find them very reasonable. I myself happen to find many different varieties of men and women appealing. But humans would not be as receptive. It’s happened from time to time. Goldsail is a large city and different people living in close proximity to each other are going to drink and well…when inhibitions are lowered things happen. But it typically ends poorly.”

  “Thanks for the warning but I don’t typically care what others think,” Frost chuckled. “My philosophy is that if people want to pick a fight with me, let them come.”

  “Let them cum certainly sounds like your philosophy,” Jasmine teased.

  Frost noticed several maids peeking around corners at them while pretending to work.

  “Lady Haru has certainly found herself a rather carefree business partner,” Aelanna said while pointing toward a hallway. “I will have your room prepared if you don’t mind waiting. Down that hallway you’ll find the banquet hall, the lounge, and the music room. I’ll also be sure to use some masking spray to cover my scent, although given your particularly low tolerance I can’t promise it’ll help.”

  “Thank you, I appreciate it. Don’t worry though. I brought plenty of Rumi Dust,” Frost said. “Leaves me with a bit of a headache but it’s better than losing control.”

  “What exactly happens when you lose control Lord Sebastian?” Aelanna asked. “Should I be concerned?”

  “You’ll have nothing to worry about unless you’re deathly afraid of being cuddled,” Cassia said confidently. “But we’ll make sure he doesn’t do anything he shouldn’t.”

  CHAPTER 26

  Aelanna offered to send runners to find Frost and the others when Madam Gardenia returned which allowed them to explore the surrounding area.

  Frost inspected the shops and restaurants surrounding the central market of the menagerie for anything that might interest him but he wasn’t impressed. Although the shops had some interesting items, they were typically too low of quality to be of use to him. He wasn’t sure who manufactured the goods but they were slightly better than what a novice artisan might make and the materials were cheap.

  There were nicer items but the prices on them were much higher than they should have been suggesting a low supply. He wondered how much rel the dresses made in his village would sell for at the various small shops.

  The women dragged him from shop to shop looking for things that would interest them but were similarly disappointed. The items crafted in Pluma were much higher quality than those being sold in the demihuman-owned stores.

  The group eventually found themselves looking around the nicest store in the menagerie and still struggled to find anything that interested them. It wasn’t as though the items were of a poor quality. It was just that the items crafted in Pluma were inexpensive and constantly increasing in quality.

  “I remember things being nicer,” Jasmine said as they sorted through clothing racks at one of the larger shops. “But these aren’t very nice.”

  The shop attendants watched them from a distance as Jasmine and the others sifted through the racks. The women probably know that helping Jasmine and the others would be pointless since nothing in the store could match the quality of the gorgeous dresses they were wearing.

  “I don’t really see why we’re bothering with this,” Cassia said while running her fingers down Frost’s back. “We could be laying in a bed right now relaxing with a few bottles of wine.”

  “She might be right,” Jasmine sighed while putting back a yellow top.

  “
I found lots of stuff,” Zinnia said excitedly while carrying around an armful of underwear. “Now I don’t have to wander around without any panties on!”

  “Jasmine is right,” Iris said with a disappointed look on her face. “These are all really plain compared to what the tailor’s guild makes.”

  “Tailor’s guild?” Erena asked.

  “They make all of our clothing,” Iris said while showing off her dress. “This dress only cost me five hundred rel!”

  “F-five h-hunered?” Erena said as she admired the fabric. “That’s it? You must be joking.”

  “Arachne silk is really inexpensive in Pluma,” Zinnia said. “And it feels really good and lasts a super long time! You would not believe how good Arachne silk underwear feels!”

  “Ahem,” a woman cleared her throat, startling the group.

  “I’m sorry about them,” Frost said to the elegant woman looming over them. She was a few inches taller than Frost and had perfect posture, when she wasn’t moving. When she moved, she was almost snake-like with the ways she swayed and twisted. Her neck was slightly too long for the rest of her slender body, as was her large tail which nearly reached the floor. Her short boyish hair was slicked back with some type of gel revealing a pair of furry ears. “The clothing here is very nice.”

  “It is,” Zinnia said while showing the woman her pile of panties. “I’m going to get all of this!”

  “It is a very good selection,” the woman said politely as she scanned the women’s elegant dresses and shook her head. “But as the owner of this establishment, Miss Nine. I’m embarrassed to say that nothing we offer would meet the quality you appear to be accustomed to. I apologize for interrupting your shopping but I was hoping that might I ask which company you purchased such fine clothing from? Of course, I wouldn’t be asking for such information for free. I would be willing to pay handsomely or offer a discount on the items you select.”

  “How handsomely?” Jasmine asked, eagerly dashing toward the woman. “How much?”

  “How big of a discount?” Zinnia asked.

  “Jasmine,” Iris shook her head. “We’re not supposed to…”

  “I think Mira made this one for me,” Zinnia said while circling herself. “Yeah, Mira. If you think this one is nice you should see the one Queen Lishri made me. But I can’t wear that one without underwear because I pop out of it. Queen Lishri’s designs tend to be really provocative.”

  “Zinnia!” Jasmine snapped while shushing the dog-eared woman.

  “Mira and Queen Lishri?” The weasel-woman gave them a curious look. “I’ve never heard of these tailors. Are they pseudonyms? Quite a few queens shop here for new clothing for their performances but their fashion sense tends to be more unconventional and I’ve never heard of Queen Lishri.”

  “Not that type of queen,” Frost said, shaking his head. “And they’re not from Goldsail, so you wouldn’t know them. Even if we were able to import the goods the costs would be fairly prohibitive.”

  “I’m not so sure about that,” Jasmine said while looking at the prices on some of Zinnia’s underwear.

  “Should I put some back?” Zinnia blushed while holding the pile.

  “Hm?” Frost glanced at the price tags and the prices were about five times higher than the prices in Pluma or Blackwater. He glanced at the tall woman and nodded. “Aren’t there tailors in Goldsail that can make clothing like theirs?”

  “Of course,” Miss Nine nodded. “But it would tarnish their reputation to sell to demihumans. If a noblewoman were to see a demihuman wearing the same dress as her, she’d be humiliated.”

  “Do you make the clothing you sell yourselves?” Frost asked while scanning one of the dress racks. The craftsmanship was about the same as a journeyman tailor in Pluma but the materials were significantly lower quality. A novice tailor could probably mirror the craftsmanship if they mastered the pattern while a journeyman could probably create the same quality on their first attempt. “If we’re going to discuss business, I’d need to know the current situation.”

  “Well,” the woman tapped her chin. “My current contract is with the Greenwheel company but I’m not sure how long it will continue. Several companies are attempting to limit their business dealings with demihumans…”

  “In anticipation of the king’s death,” Frost interrupted as he recalled his conversation at the port.

  “That’s correct,” Miss Nine nodded. “But smaller companies will continue to work with demihumans.”

  “Right, the large and mid-sized companies that work directly with the nobles will be the ones positioning themselves to gain the king’s favor. Smaller companies won’t be able to compete for those contracts so they’ll aim lower,” Frost said as he started to envision hundreds of vendors suddenly being cut off from their suppliers. “But the smaller companies would likely charge higher prices because they are unable to purchase raw materials in the same quantity…”

  “Really, Lord Sebastian,” Cassia groaned as she began thumbing through dresses that she had no interest in.

  “Lord Sebastian,” Iris tugged his arm. “We’re supposed to be showing you around…work is boring!”

  “One second Iris,” Frost said while patting the bunny-girl’s fluffy white hair. “You’ll have to reduce your margins or cut back in quality if you want to keep your prices at this level. But if you were to do that it would put you in a poor position competitively. But, every demihuman vendor in the city will be going through similar issues. Sorry. I’m just thinking out loud.”

  “Unbelievable,” Erena said, her sapphire eyes practically glowing as she stared at him in awe. “All that from one piece of information…”

  “You don’t need to apologize my lord, it is exactly as you say,” Miss Nine said.

  “We may be able to do business,” Frost said politely as he imagined what would happen if he flooded the market with higher-quality mass produced goods at comparable prices. “I’m going to be meeting with the Black Crown Company soon to apply for membership. If I’m accepted, I’d be very interested in meeting with you again.”

  “The Black Crown?” Miss Nine gasped. “I don’t know if you’re aware my lord but The Black Crown Company is one of the companies competing for accounts with the nobility. I don’t think they’d allow you to trade with demihumans.”

  “Maybe,” Frost said pensively. “I’d need to work it out. I’m not promising anything. I’m really just asking. If I were capable of getting you goods of similar quality to what you’re currently selling at similar prices, is that something you would be interested in?”

  “Of course!” Miss Nine said.

  “I would also require a percentage of your business,” Frost said. “I would have to decide the exact percentage after looking through the books.”

  “You would want to be a business partner with a Musten?” Miss Nine asked nervously.

  “Is that what you are?” Frost asked while admiring the tall slender woman. “Honestly, this is the first time I’ve seen a woman like you. I don’t think there are any Musten in Zira. I wouldn’t mind working with you as long as you did a good job. Although, I may have to dress you up a bit if you’re going to represent my brand.”

  “D-dress me up?” the weasel-woman glanced at the women accompanying Frost. “I see. That would certainly be something I would be interested in assuming we could come to a fair agreement my lord.”

  “Lord Sebastian,” Jasmine groaned. “Talking business is so boring.”

  “That attitude is exactly why your theater isn’t turning a profit,” Frost said while glaring at the cat-eared woman. “You need to be thinking of your costs of goods, margins, and payroll. Rose’s tavern makes more profit than your theater with less than half the revenue.”

  “You don’t have to rub it in,” Jasmine pouted. “I’m trying my best.”

  “Sorry about that,” Frost said, turning back toward Miss Nine. “It’s like I said. There are a lot of ifs involved before I can make a real off
er. I haven’t even thought of what the minimum order quantity might be in order to justify the shipping costs and I’d need to run it by Mira and Lishri.”

  “There you are,” Madam Gardenia shouted as she came walking into the store. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”

  “I thought Aelanna was going to send a runner,” Frost said.

  “I figured it’d be better to find you,” Madam Gardenia said. The fox-eared woman looked irritated. “They’ve agreed to your meeting but I’m not sure how it’s going to go. You’re going to have an uphill battle for membership right now. Anyway, what are you doing here?”

  “Lady of the Bloodtail Clan,” Miss Nine bowed her head. “Welcome.”

  “No need for that,” Madam Gardenia said while staring at the woman. “But I’m curious about what I was interrupting. Was Lord Sebastian making strange propositions?”

  “Haru,” Frost chuckled while shaking his head. “It’s nothing like that.”

  “I suppose Mustens do have a unique look to them and the way their body twists could result in some interesting positions,” Cassia said cheerfully.

  “I’m sorry but I’m confused,” Miss Nine said while taking a step back.

  “Don’t mind them,” Frost said. He smiled at Madam Gardenia and shook his head. “Miss Nine was asking where the girls purchased their clothing. Then we got to discussing how demihuman venders will have issues fulfilling their orders due to the situation with the king. I was suggesting that depending on how things went I might be able to fill that need in exchange for some partial ownership.”

  “It’s been terribly boring,” Cassia said while rolling her eyes.

  “So boring,” Iris groaned in agreement.

  “It does sound like an interesting idea,” Madam Gardenia said as her scarlet tails swayed hypnotically. “Everybody's competing for the royal contracts and cancelling agreements with undesirable vendors.”

  “And the sheer quantity of orders being left unfulfilled leaves a massive void,” Erena said in agreement. The fox-woman was completely oblivious to the fact that her silky white tails were brushing against Madam Gardenia’s. “But your margins would be low.”