Hesitating, Jin glanced around. There was no one at the front gate, and from his understanding from the books he’d brought, tradesmen presented themselves at a separate entrance. He was early, so Jin set off around the wall, keeping a sharp lookout for a smaller gate.
Set in the most exclusive of neighbourhoods, everything was clean and orderly. No trash, beggars or stray animals were seen on these streets. Impressive houses peered over high walls at those who dared walk the streets. All in all, this place wasn’t friendly to those who didn’t belong.
It wasn’t until he reached the wall that ran parallel to the front one that Jin found a much smaller iron gate, the metal plain without any of the fine details of the other. Through its bars Jin could see green grass and snowy linens blowing in the light breeze. He spotted a woman hanging the sheets out.
Jin cleared his throat. When that failed to attract her attention, he called out, “Hello there.”
The woman turned with a bit of a start, freckles a spray across her nose and cheeks. “Hello yourself.”
He offered her a smile. “My apologies, but my name is Verryl, and I’m a tea merchant. I have an appointment about my wares here. I do hope I’ve come to the right entrance.”
The woman, barely more than a girl, approached slowly, studying him. “You may have. Who are you meeting with?”
“I believe the earl himself, though I was told if he were to be otherwise occupied, I would meet with his butler.”
She stared at him. “About tea?”
Jin gave her a helpless smile. “Yes.”
Suspicion warred with duty on her face, before she opened the gate. Jin tilted his hat in her direction. “Thank you.”
“You need to wait here. I’m going to let the housekeeper know you’re here.”
“I appreciate it.”
She nodded with a frown before she scampered off. Jin took the time to look around, taking in the kitchen gardens. To the side of the building, Jin could see trees and ornamental bushes, most of the gardens likely being in front of the house so they could be admired by visitors. At least, that’s what the books said.
Jin was examining the mint growing strongly in one of the beds when his guide reappeared. Her eyes wide, she bobbed her head in his direction. “If you’ll follow me, sir? You’re to meet with the master in his private study.”
“That’s lovely. Thank you again for your help.” He tried not to be too bothered by her sudden change in attitude, or the way she looked at him. Right now he was Verryl, and Verryl was a consummate businessman, one who wasn’t about to pass up this kind of opportunity. And neither was Jin.
The maid, Jin presumed she was a maid, led him through the backdoor into a narrow hall. They passed an archway through which he could see people busy at preparing a meal, the clang of pots, hiss of steam and snick of chopping knives filling the air.
They headed up a narrow staircase, the turning made it hard for Jin to tell exactly how far they climbed, but they rose two floors before his guide led them into another hallway. This one was more elaborate, with a thick woven rug, that looked like it could have come from the western part of the Empire, covering the floor and delicate ivory-and-gold wallpaper on the walls behind several paintings.
Jin didn’t get a close look at any of them, his guide hurrying towards the door at the end of the hall. An older woman stood there, her dark eyes sharp on the maid. “You’re dismissed,” she said, as soon as the woman with Jin came to a stop. She bobbed her head and took off.
Before he could react, the other woman was stepping forward and knocking gently on the carved wood door. “Beg the intrusion, master, but your guest the tea merchant has arrived.”
A commanding voice that could just be heard said, “Send him in.”
The woman nodded at Jin, before she opened it for him. Jin gave her a little bow and stepped into the earl’s private study. Another thick rug covered the floor, this one having a hunting scene on it. The walls were panelled in rich wood, with built-in shelves covering much of them. The shelves themselves held various books, knickknacks and other curiosities.
An impressively carved wood desk dominated the room, several papers, including more than one or two with the royal crest, lay in haphazard piles on one side. A leather chair was set up behind the desk, its occupant giving him a once-over. The earl wore a dark grey suit, his greying brown hair was close-cropped, a match for the beard he wore.
Jin gave the man a little bow, hoping he wasn’t expected to aim for a deeper angle. “I am Verryl of Renaud House. I thank you for doing me the honor of seeing me personally, and in your own home.”
The earl nodded. “Take a seat.” He waited until Jin had settled himself with his box and hat in his lap before he spoke again. “I am Ragnar of Vincien province. I appreciate your prompt appearance.”
“To do otherwise would be an insult to you and any potential business we might do.”
That got him a thin smile. “You are most correct in that. I must say, you have quite the command of our tongue.”
“As a merchant, it is important to be able to communicate with those you would contract with, and to know what is being said around you. My father was most strict on that matter. He speaks Imperial with nearly no trace of an accent now.”
The earl’s eyes narrowed. “Your father isn’t from the Empire?”
“No, he came from Rancia. He married my mother and brought her into his house, but the connections with her family has allowed trade to flourish and for some of the...difficulties that plague foreign merchants to be lessened. We have established trade routes into Pocale, but the Nalbinian market seems like it could be a richer option, provided our tea meets the expectations of the people here.”
Ragnar shifted in his chair and leaned back. “You have the look of the Empire, but not completely, so I had wondered. Some merchants from the Empire are...not friends of ours.”
Jin chuckled. “There are plenty of merchants who are no friends to anyone. Certainly most merchants from the Empire prefer to remain where they are and wait for foreign traders to come to them. But that will cut into profits, as I see it.”
“They are a peculiar bunch.”
“You should see what it is like in a true Imperial city. I was raised within that culture but outside of it, and there are things that still puzzle me. But despite that, our tea is top quality.”
The earl gave him another cold smile. “So I have heard. I am not one much for tea, but my wife has said the kind purchased by our housekeeper is far superior. As I understand it, you have teas that are more...exotic?”
Jin leaned in. “I don’t know of anyone else bringing these out of the Empire, but we do have speciality teas. The kinds that are infused with magic as well as herbs and the tea itself. As a mage of small power myself, I am able to check the effects and the strength of each blend.”
He pulled the wooden box up and placed it onto the desk facing the earl. Opening it, he waved a hand to the neat lines of glass jars, each labelled with the tea’s effects as well as directions for brewing. “I have teas spelled to promote wakefulness, sleep, relaxation, energy, and appetite, among others. Each has been hand selected by tea experts and spelled by master magi. I check each batch myself, to ensure that everything is as it should be.”
“Are there any ill effects from long-term use? That is often the case with medicines.”
Jin shook his head. “The magi work with the natural effects of the various teas and herbs, amplifying them and ensuring they stay within the safe limits of the human body. For example, the wakefulness tea will help you be alert for longer, but it won’t allow you to stay awake for days at a time. Likewise, the sleep tea will help you fall asleep more quickly and perhaps sleep longer, but you needn’t worry about sleeping for days.”
The earl drummed his fingers on his desk, studying
each of the jars, a faint frown on his face. “These are quite interesting. Have you used any personally?”
Able to actually answer somewhat honestly, Jin bowed his head. “I have my own supply of the wakefulness tea and the sleep tea. I have had trouble falling asleep the night before an important event, and as merchant, sometimes long hours are necessary for the success of the business.”
“I must admit that I am interested, most especially in this wakefulness tea of yours.” Ragnar tapped the jar with one finger. “I would like to buy a small amount today to see how it suits me before I place a larger order. Will that be acceptable to you?”
“Perfectly. If you find you do not care for the taste, I can look into alternative flavours when next I restock.”
The earl smiled again. “You are a most efficient and solicitous fellow, are you not?”
Jin grinned. “I aim to please. Would you like the one jar here? It contains enough leaves for approximately six pots of tea. If you would prefer more, I can have that made up and brought to you by tomorrow.”
“The jar will work well. You will need to meet with my butler to finalize details. He will keep the tea as well.”
Recognizing a dismissal when he heard it, Jin stood and gave the earl another bow. “It is a pleasure to do business with you.”
Ragnar nodded. “If your tea does as promised, I imagine we will be doing further business.”
“I look forward to that.” And Jin meant those words. As a government official himself, he recognized the same kind in the earl. That meant the possibility of real information and connections, if all went according to plan.
* * *
Her hand tucked into its familiar place in Jin’s elbow, Azara paced beside him, idly twirling her parasol in her free hand. The sun was out, causing a dappled pattern to the walking path they paced down. Trees lined the one side of the path, the other was separated from the far more popular horse trails by a knee-high wooden fence. As she glanced that way, Azara saw a small group of young men and women trot past, followed more sedately by the watchful eye of what she guessed were a group of their parents.
The park was fashionable, and the kind of place it was good to be seen. But with the sunlight and warmth of the day, they were some of the only people taking the walking paths, which suited their plan. When another breeze sprung up, pulling at her hat, Azara found herself heartily glad that Lound was cooler than the Empire. She couldn’t imagine wearing all these layers there.
A quick glance at Jin showed a face that didn’t have the grace to betray even a hint of perspiration. His clothing was heavier than hers. She knew him well enough to know he wouldn’t have risked discovery for something as indulgent as a coolness spell, but part of her wanted that to be true. It would make the dampness of her back more bearable if she knew he was cheating to seem so unaffected by the heat.
He caught her glance and gave her a smile. She returned the expression, while hoping he’d trip and break that serene mask of his. She didn’t know how much of what she felt showed on her face, but something must have, because Jin’s lips twitched before he was able to smooth his expression out.
Where the path curved around towards the main entrance to the park, Jin took them onto one of the narrowed trails, this one winding its way through some of the manicured gardens that filled portions of the park. The one they passed buzzed quietly as a bee hopped its way from one flower to the other. Azara followed its movements before she focused on the slowing Jin.
He gestured towards the bench, half hidden by a flowering bush, but with a good view of the trail, and no other forks that could be seen nearby. Azara took a moment to sweep her skirts out and rearrange them around her with a minimum of fuss. Jin joined her, leaning his walking stick against the bench beside himself.
Careful to keep her voice low, Azara didn’t waste any time. “How did your meeting go?”
Jin glanced around before leaning closer, like he was whispering some bit of romance to her. “It went well. The earl bought some of the wakefulness tea and plans to buy more, should he find it useful. I also suspect he works for the government in some capacity or another. He had far too many papers with the royal seal.”
Azara looked up at the face that was a trifle closer than she was comfortable with. “That’s wonderful.” She grinned at him. “If he spreads the word, we might be able to forge contacts with more officials, and from there, gather the information we need. Did he give you any sense of magic or danger?”
Approaching voices, though distant, had Jin leaning even closer to her, his lips only a short distance from her ear, his breath adding an additional fan of warmth and stirred the stray hairs that hung down. Azara did her best to focus on his words, and not the distracting sensation. “He’s dangerous, but has no magic that I could sense. He was initially suspicious about my potential ties to the Empire, and I suspect that will continue. The tea is truly the same wakefulness tea I use myself, so hopefully that will satisfy him.”
She frowned, careful not to move too much closer to Jin and cause his lips to brush against her cheek. She glanced at his face, then away, like she was embarrassed. His eyes were bright, his full lips parted. Azara shook those thoughts away. “We should proceed with caution. Do you think you can get information out of him?”
Jin sighed. “No, I don’t think it will be safe. Maybe the odd tidbit, but any hint of digging, and not only do I think he’ll go to stone, he’ll alert others that we could be spies.”
“If it comes to that, I’m sure we’re more than capable of fighting our way out of the city. We can always cross overland in case of an emergency. They’ll have quite a time trying to cage us, when it’s only the two of us, and neither of us is useless.”
He smiled. “I do believe that’s the first compliment you’ve ever given me.”
Azara stared then looked away. “Don’t let it go to your head.”
Jin chuckled. “I won’t. Overhear anything interesting while you were at lunch?”
She grimaced. She was limited to eating at their inn, since a woman alone elsewhere would attract too much attention. She was getting heartily tired of their never-changing menu. “Nothing of interest. The price of sulfur has increased, there’s a rumour that the king and nobles are increasing some of the taxes, and that the bandits in the mountains to the west of the city are becoming a problem.”
His eyes narrowed, but Jin didn’t say anything. After a moment, Azara raised her eyebrows. “Is any of that important?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. It could be nothing. I wish... Well, a report will have to wait until we can ensure our identities will remain intact and that it will get into the emperor’s hands.”
Azara inwardly shrugged. She didn’t care much what the emperor did or didn’t learn, not unless it affected her siblings. That was Jin’s problem. She also wondered what could possibly be so interesting about taxes and bandits. Every country in the world had both those problems.
But she could tell from the set of Jin’s face that he wouldn’t tell her what he was thinking. He didn’t like to give her guesses, only facts he was certain of. It was frustrating. He was about proper steps, methodical approaches, and caution. In many ways her opposite, but she had to admit having someone to pull her back at times was useful.
Chapter Sixteen: Meetings
Jin’s first impression of the baron’s manor house was that it was smaller and darker compared to the earl’s. There was a stark elegance to the more minimalist style of it, with large windows, simple columns and gentler lines along the roof that contrasted with the hard ones of the square sides. The gate was impressive. Rising nearly double Jin’s height, and topped with spikes, it dared thieves to try and climb it.
Around the rear, Jin found the tradesman’s entrance clearly labelled, two guards visible inside of it, alert gazes on him. Dark uniforms an
d obvious bayonets gave Jin a moment of pause. He offered the two men a smile, his refilled box of teas tucked carefully under one arm. “Excuse me, but I’m scheduled to meet with the baron. Is there some place I should go, or would it be best to enter through here?”
The two men exchanged a look, before one opened the gate and gestured abruptly behind him. Jin gave them a nod as he walked through, ignoring the ominous clang of the gate behind him. He was being silly. He was a merchant, and no one was about to take a merchant hostage. There was no way they’d get enough money out of him or his fictional relatives. And that only if a noble was willing to get involved in that kind of sordid business.
One of the guards jerked his head, and Jin followed him to the back door. The man knocked, not taking his attention off Jin. For his part, Jin did his best to project an aura of innocent respectability.
The door opened quickly, and a pretty woman in a well-pressed uniform of dark grey topped with an apron of white was revealed. She stared at the guard, eyes going wide, before she noticed Jin. “He has an appointment with the master,” the man rumbled, before returning to his post.
Not at all reluctant to see him go, Jin refocused his attention on his new guide. “My name is Verryl of Renaud House. I’m a tea merchant. I’m here to see the baron. I have an appointment, if that helps.”
The girl ignored his smile, turning around and giving him a brief wave. Assuming that was an invitation, Jin followed her into the dim stone hall. When they reached the kitchen, the girl stopped in front of a young man in a similar uniform, this one consisting of pants and a jacket in the same dark grey. The girl didn’t glance in Jin’s direction. “He has an appointment with the master. Take him to the study.”
Beginning to feel like a particularly smelly rag, Jin offered his new guide a friendly look. The man only bobbed his head and headed off down the hall then up two flights of painfully plain stone stairs.
The contrast with the hall they walked out into was enormous. A heavy rug of red and gold covered the floor, the wallpaper itself was done in cream and gold, the wood of the furniture the rich colour of aged oak. The walls were also covered in a mix of paintings and ancient tapestries.
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