Chapter 17 - Negotiations

Chapter 17

Salran Mountains, Starnor Imperial Border Territories

Frontier town of Kaisersgrenze

"Lady Starfire!" Called out one of the gate guards as Airah made her way towards it. He stepped forward, accompanied by one of his comrades, and Airah suddenly realized it was the officer from last time. "It's a pleasure to see you again!" He looked at the bandit that Airah was pushing forward. "And you brought company I see. Bandit?"

"Yeah." Answered Airah, before shrugging. "One of the new batches, apparently. I brought her because I thought the baroness would be interested in knowing where the fresh influx of those bastards is coming from."

"She probably will be, yes." The officer nodded at his companion, who stepped forward, and grabbed the bandit by the shoulder, pushing her toward the guard post. "Is that what brought you here?"

"That and some normal business. I'm going to check on some commissioned work, and maybe arrange a meeting with the baroness herself? I have some questions about a common project we agreed to a while back."

The officer smiled.

"Well, it just so happens that the baroness wants to meet with you as well. All officers of the watch have standing orders to warn you if you pass by. Should I direct you towards the manor, or would you rather make your way there when you have conducted your business?"

"Is the manor the only option? We met in the guard post last time."

"I'm afraid so, she wants to meet you in private, one on one. I don't really know more."

Airah hesitated, and sighed. She didn't want to get potentially trapped in that manor...but at the same time Lenna hadn't done anything to betray her trust, and she'd had an army to her back damn it! The least she could do was extend some trust of her own.

"Alright, but I'll conduct my own business first." She smiled. "I know how long meetings can drag on for after all!"

The officer chuckled.

"Fair enough!" He gestured at the gate. "Well, I hope you have a nice day, Lady Starfire!"

"Thank you, I hope so as well!"

They both laughed, and Airah passed under the gate arch, returning the waves from the other guards, and went on her way.

*****

"No, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to do anything about it." Said Victor as he peered over the bent musket. "I could straighten it up, but firearms are a bit beyond my own skillset I'm afraid." He rubbed his chin as she leaned back against the counter. "I know a few people who have experience in that, but they're from the blacksmith guild, and much deeper inside the Empire."

"That's too bad." Said Airah as she looked at the musket. She'd forgotten to ask Victor about it last time she had been in Kaisersgrenze, and had packed it in her bag of holding just in case. "Oh well." She shrugged. "What about my commission?"

Esmira steeped in from behind the counter.

"Well, Victor can't start hammering at it until we have the dimensions of the gatehouse. But I have started sourcing the materials. I believe we will have the finest wrought iron available for it."

"That's excellent!" Said Airah, before slapping her forehead. "Oh, right, and something I'd forgotten." She touched her armor. "This doesn't fit me very well. Could you resize it so it fits me better?"

Victor looked at the armor more closely, and nodded.

"Should be too hard. Will have to ask some help from some leather workers however. Can't hammer straps into submissions I'm afraid!"

They all chuckled, and Airah shook her head.

"I suppose not. What would be your price?"

"For something this minor? Six silvers. Five, since you're a good customer. And that includes repairing any damage the armor has taken."

"I have only been here three times."

"And in those three times you have spent more, even just with the advance fee for the commission, than most people do in a year. Besides, it's a one silver discount."

Airah smiled.

"I suppose that's fair enough. Alright, please do so." Airah started taking the armor off. "When will  I be able to pick it back up?"

"By tomorrow. Esmira will have to take your measurements though."

"Sure, that's no problem!"

It was only a simple matter of stepping into the back shop, and have Esmira pull out a roll of measuring tape. Airah looked at it with interest, it seemed like for all of its rusticity, this town had access to a lot of what she'd consider far more modern tools and appliances.

Esmira measured her, and whistled softly as it came to her bust size.

"No wonder this armor doesn't fit you! I know some young lady that would kill to have a chest like yours! Or kill to sleep with someone with a chest like yours."

Airah blushed.

"Well, it's good to know I'm desirable, I suppose."

Esmira chuckled.

"I suppose so! Alright, I believe we're done here." She pulled out her notepad and scribbled the last few measurements. "The armor will be done by tomorrow, the adjustments shouldn't be that hard."

"Alright, I'll made sure to pass by." Airah put her shirt back into place, and stretched. "And now I must be off. I'm supposed to meet lady Vostner."

"Make sure to ask her about when they'll send people over to take care of the gatehouse! Having a proper timeline would help me a lot."

"Sure thing! See you tomorrow!"

"See you tomorrow!"

*****

The guards at the manor's entrance were clearly expecting her, as they nodded, and opened the door without a single comment.

Airah looked at the building's facade for a second, before stepping inside.

It was...surprisingly well decorated. Even during her memory cycle, she had become far too much acquainted with the ostentation and gilding the rich mistook for good taste. The hallways was made out of some kind of marble, and the floor was covered with a simple repeating tile motif. The walls were adorned with paintings, most of them depicting the surrounding forests and mountains, as well as the city itself.

"Lady Starfire?"

Airah looked at the maid...and had to stop herself from taking a step back and falling into a combat stance. Something from deep within her subconscious positively screamed 'DANGER!' as she looked at the woman. Stellyra evidently agreed, as she was feeding her potential combat moves and solutions.

"Yes. And you are?"

The maid bowed briefly.

"My name is Milia, I am lady Vostner's personal maid."

"I see..." Some doubt and warriness must have slipped into her voice, as the maid's gaze suddenly became sharper. Airah met her stare...and the maid simply smirked slightly, before schooling her features back to neutral.

"I am to escort you to her quarters. If you will follow me?"

"Of course!"

Milia turned around, and started walking, with Airah following suit.

It was a short walk. The manor, despite how imposing it was from the outside, wasn't that large. At least not compared to the gigantic estates she'd visited on Earth. Her own estate alone took up most of what was once northern france. Granted, it was basically just a giant section of the greater ecumenopolis that covered the planet, but still! The 'main' manor alone would have swallowed a battleship whole, and that wasn't even touching on her personal hangars, which had capital ships standing by, in case she, for some reason, needed to take a trip with enough firepower to level a star system.

They passed through a few hallways. All seemed dedicated to a particular theme, with one holding only armors and weapons, another having the portraits of who she assumed were local dignitaries and lords, and the one leading to Lenna's quarters covered in paintings of a vast city. Airah stopped to look at them for a few seconds, before being gently coaxed forward by the maid again.

The city had factories in it. Or at least vast industrial buildings, with large smoke stacks. That was very interesting. It meant that while the locomotive could still be imported, the Empire did have some form of industrial revolution going on.

Milia opened a door, no different from the others, except for the engraving of a coat of arms on it, representing a sword, a key and a quill crossed over a flame.

Airah stepped through, and the maid closed the door behind her.

The dragon quickly looked around the room, with Stellyra highlighting some interesting elements.

It looked like an office and a living room combined. Tastefully furnished, with a crackling fireplace on the side. Paintings covered the walls, this time with people with a striking family resemblance to Lenna herself, and the floor was covered in a deep crimson carpet.

And of course, Lenna was standing in front of the fireplace, smiling at Airah. The dragon noted that the baroness was wearing the same light dress as last time, except that it appeared even lighter, somehow. She had to stop herself from looking down at the woman's chest, and nodded in greetings.

"Lady Starfire! It's a pleasure to see you again!"

"The pleasure is all mine." Airah winced. "Look, I mean no offense, but if we are to have a private meeting, could be at least drop the honorifics? This might get tedious if we do not."

"Of course, Airah."

"Thank you Lenna." Airah took a seat as the baroness gestured towards it.

Lenna lost no time in taking the seat opposite, and leaning back into it. As she gestured at the cups of steaming liquid on the table between them. Airah smelled the abomination they called 'tea' here, and politely shook her head to refuse, while Lenna picked up her own cup.

"Alright, so you're probably wondering why I ask you to meet me here? In private?"

"Well, yes. Most of our talks wouldn't have required that level of confidentiality. What's going on?"

Lenna rubbed her eyes in a deeply tired fashion.

"It's...complicated. First and foremost, my advisors and I have come to the conclusion that there must be some kind of slaver outpost near the town. The bandits seem to be switching more to taking captives rather than raiding merchandise. And if they had to go all the way back to the Republic to sell their captives, it would take them forever to do so, and it just would not be profitable."

Airah nodded.

"I deduced the same thing. I have also brought a prisoner, who told me her comrades and her were a gang in a Republic city, and got paid to move out here and raid your lands."

Lenna winced, and took a sip of her tea.

"I was afraid something like that was afoot." She sighed. "Unfortunate. I was aware of the prisoner, and I'll have a...specialist interrogate her." The baroness looked guilty for a second, before shaking her head. "In any case, I suppose we'll know if she was telling the truth soon enough. My advisors and I also came to an agreement that if we wanted the bandit raids to, if not stop, at least dramatically slow down, we needed to take out that slaver and their outpost."

"Agreed. And I assume you'd like to hire me to do so?"

"Yes. Or, failing that, have you bring in a bandit that will reveal its location. And I will not turn down assistance of a more militant nature for the assault proper of course."

"Of course. And the payment?"

"One hundred gold coins for finding the camp, through either method. Same terms for participating in the assault as last time, twenty five percent and first pick of the loot."

Airah laughed.

"I highly doubt most of the bandits will know where it is! And it is probably well hidden. Five hundred gold, and fifty percent. I might have to turn into my true form after all!"

"Are you joking? Two hundred, and thirty percent!" Said Lenna as she set her cup down.

"Four hundred, 45 percent!"

"Three hundred, and thirty five percent!"

"Deal!"

They looked at each other, and laughed.

"Alright, I suppose we have a deal then." Said Lenna, looking fairly satisfied, and Airah wondered if she should have negotiated more. "There is also another problem. I, ah, shut down the suggestion, but I am afraid some of counselors might bring it up at an inopportune time, thus I would like to warn you."

Airah frowned.

"Which is?"

"Well...I have the issue of the line of succession. I am the last of my line. There are other branches, but they have long since been absorbed into other dynasties."

"That's...horrifying. What happened to your parents? Your siblings?"

"My parents fell victim to factional infighting, and my brother was of a more martial mind than my own, and died in battle."

"My condolences."

"Thank you." Lenna cleared her throat. "Which brings me to my dilemna. See, you will most likely become very influential in the region once you reveal your presence, and the fate of my domain will be closely tied to yours."

"Yes, so?"

"Well...One of my counselors put forward the idea that I should court you, to take out two birds with one stone, so to speak."

Airah blinked, opened her mouth, then closed it, as Stellyra just rolled on the carpet, laughing.

"I-How would that even solve the succession to begin with?"

"There are spells to allow two women to conceive, even through the barriers of species."

Airah nodded. If that spell was widely available to some extent, it at least explained why even some of the young women at the village had been so...forward.

"I...see. And what do you think of that idea?"

"Like I said, I shut it down. I do not wish for a political marriage, and much less throw myself at a stranger, even if that stranger saved my life. No offence."

Airah smiled as Lenna picked her cup back up and took a sip.

"None taken. But that's too bad, I wouldn't have been against you trying to seduce me." Lenna almost choked on her tea, and Airah opened her hands. "I'm joking, I'm joking!"

The baroness chuckled, after swallowing her wayward tea, and shook her head.

"Please don't say things like that! I almost spit out my tea!"

Airah chuckled, and tried to ignore Stellyra as the AI's avatar got up, looked at the baroness, then at the dragon.

Are you suuuure you were joking? Said the AI over the mind link.

Yes. Said Airah firmly. But even to her it sounded hollow.

Really? You should get better at lying my dear. Stellyra smiled. Especially since I can see where you focus your gaze. Remember, her eyes are up there!

Airah sputtered internally as the AI highlighted the baroness' eyes, and then her cleavage.

I don't-How dare you-just- fuck off!

Stellyra chuckled, and her avatar vanished in a flurry of pixels.

Airah refocused on Lenna, firmly keeping her eyes up, and the baroness looked at her quizzically.

"Did I say something wrong? You look angry."

"No, no, just something I remembered, it's fine."

"Of course." Lenna looked a bit skeptical, but shrugged. "As for your gate project, as I am sure you would like to enquire about it, I have assembled the engineers, and informed them fully of what you are and their objectives. They, in turn, have put together a small convoy of carts that should contain everything you need. If you could give me a date so you could escort them to your residence, they'll be able to prepare and get started."

"Right. How about tomorrow then? Probably in the late morning"

"Sure." The baroness nodded. "I'll warn them."

"Excellent. Is that all?"

"Yes. Safe flight, lad-Airah!"

"Thank you, but I believe you are the one more in need of safety than I, Lenna. So stay safe!"

"Thank you!"

Airah opened the door, and stepped out. She looked at the side to the maid, and shivered once again. She seemed warm and friendly, but Airah still couldn't shake the feeling of danger and wrongness around her.

"Would you like me to escort you back out lady Starfire?"

"Yes, thank you Milia, that would be lovely." She remembered the way in, but being polite didn't cost her anything.

"Right this way then."

Airah followed the maid out, and sighed as she stepped outside. Time to go home. Or what passed for home here anyway.