Part 5 (2/2)
The next scroll was from Ustal, the elder son of the late Lord Vla.s.sa of Fussen.
Anna began to read, then winced, and forced herself to continue.
The Regent in Falcor, Greetings from Ustal, the son and sole heir of Lord Vla.s.sa of Fussen. For many years, Fussen has paid liedgeld it could sore afford, and received nothing in return, save drought, disruption, and the loss of levies at the Sand Pa.s.s. Thus, as heir to Lord Vla.s.sa, I must insist that the Regency use all its powers to ensure the rightful and traditional succession in Fussen.
If the Regency feels it cannot adjudicate and enforce the rightful succession, then I further must insist that Fussen be allowed to determine its own affairs...
Anna shook her head as she finished the scroll. After Ustal's scroll, Jecks or Dythya had set the one from Falar, the younger son of the late Lord Vla.s.sa of Fussen. Anna began to read it, gingerly.
To the Regent of Defalk, Sorceress of the Land, and Lady of Mencha, Your graciousness, with heavy heart and burdened conscience I send this missive.
Because you have sacrificed much for Defalk, and will doubtless sacrifice more in the years to come, your heart may also be heavy with the news of dissension about the succession in Fussen. Unlike others, I have been reluctant to address you, yet address you I must, not for my sake, but for the sake of the people of Fussen....
Anna smiled. Young Falar or his advisors were far from stupid.
... my elder brother has abused the trust of the people and squandered the substance of Fussen, so much so that the merchants and freeholders have requested that I seek the succession and pledged their lives and coins to that end....Anna's lips tightened. If... if what the scroll said was indeed true, matters were a mess in Fussen. Behind Falar's scroll were Jecks' responses-identical to each brother-stating that the Regent was returning from repairing the ford at Sorprat and would be addressing the concerns of the succession upon her return.
Anna nodded. She never had to tell Jecks anything twice. He's told you things twice... that he shouldn't have had to. Anna winced at the thought.
”Counselor Dythya,” announced another page-Resor.
”Have her come in.” Anna set down the scrolls, for the moment.
”Lady Anna.” The gray-haired and stocky Dythya bowed as she entered the receiving room.
Anna nodded to the seat across the small conference/worktable from her. ”Where do we stand with our golds?”
”I thought you might wish to know.” Dythya smiled and extended a single sheet of parchment. ”Those show what the liedstadt has received, and what remains in the treasury.”
Anna looked at the precise black script numbers: six thousand golds from Cheor, three thousand from Suhl, two thousand from Stromwer, and two thousand from Dumar....
”Dumar owes another four thousand golds,” Dythya pointed out.
”And we owe the Ranuan Exchange a thousand.”
”Not until harvest.”
”Have it sent now. We could use the goodwill.”
”My lady...” Dythya cleared her throat. ”About the accounts...”
Anna skipped to the bottom line... barely a thousand more than what her expeditions of submission and conquest had brought in. ”You're going to tell me that we're spending more golds and that we're spending them faster than we planned?”
”Yes, lady.”
”How much faster?” Anna's voice was wary. She took another swallow of the water.
Already the room felt stifling, despite the open window behind her.
”Almost four thousand golds more.” Dythys eased a sheet of parchment across the table.
Anna scanned the listing. Nearly a thousand golds more in supplies for the liedburg-to replace food stocks and other things that Barjim had not. Anna had authorized that. Four hundred golds for wrought-iron stock for the weapons smith- whom they had to replace. Nearly a thousand golds in silvers paid to the armsmen who had followed and supported Anna in her campaign to subdue the rebellious Suhlmorran lords of Defalk and Lord Ehara of Dumar. Eight hundred golds for replacement mounts... Anna took a deep breath. She'd authorized most of the expenditures. ”But after we pay every- thing, we still should have almost seven thousand more than at the beginning of summer.”
”Six thousand if you pay the Ranuans, and you cannot count on the liedgeld being paid on time,” Dythya pointed out.”Only from Cheor, Elheld, and Mencha,” Anna replied, adding after a pause, ”and Stromwer, Suhl, Lerona, Abenfel, and Pamr.”
A surprised look crossed Dythya's face, as if a quarter of the lords paying on time were a novelty. ”That is true.”
”But you're right,” Anna replied. ”We will be cutting it close. I still want to pay the Ranuans, though. If we, or any of the lords, have to borrow from them in the future, it might make it easier. We also may need allies, and a land that repays its debts is a better ally than one who doesn't.” She paused. ”If you would draft a scroll and make the arrangements with Arms Commander Hanfor to ensure the repayment reaches Encora safely?”
”Yes, lady.”
”Also... perhaps you could draft a scroll to go with that party, and copies that could be sent elsewhere. We'll offer a twenty-gold bonus for weapons smith. Five golds after examination of his work, five golds after the first month, and ten golds after the first year.”
Dythya nodded.
”How is the schooling going for the pages and fosterlings?”
”Well enough for most...” Dythya's voice was cautious.
”Except Hoede is becoming impossible?”
”He has difficulty with numbers. He has little interest in them, and less in learning them from a woman.”
Anna shook her head sadly. ”How about the others? What about Nelmor's heir- Tiersen, is it?”
”After the first weeks, he is fine. His sister had a word with him, I believe.”
A smile crossed Dythya's lips.
Anna smiled as well. Had the timid Ytrude actually had the nerve to advise her brother? ”Any other problems?”
”No. The others learn well. Some, like Cataryzna and Lysara, know as much as I do already, and even young Secca has begun to do complicated sums like the others. Skent is the best of the young men, but Jimbob works hard.”
That the heir of Defalk worked hard was good, but Anna hoped at least some of the motivation was internal, rather than provided by his grandsire externally.
”Lord Jecks, lady,” announced Resor.
Anna motioned for the white-haired lord to enter. ”Will that be all?” asked Dythya, standing. ”Just for now,” Anna said. ”I wanted to know how things stood before I started thinking about spending golds.”
”Would that more rulers thought such, my lady,” Jecks offered as he bowed to Anna.
Dythya bowed and slipped out of the receiving room. With Anna's gesture, Jecks took the seat the counselor had vacated.
”How am I supposed to deal with the mess in Fussen?” she asked him.”As Regent, you must reach a decision about which will inherit-and quickly.”
”I don't know either one.”
<script>