Chapter 26 – Franchising
Seraphine Tanison was bored out of her mind having been sent by her father to this dump of a 'Royal' castle that was not much better than their own. Though, she supposed the capital of Lyra was still funner than the fish smelling Port City where her father's castle was located.
She took a sip of the famous Geig tea, said to be the strongest tasting tea in all of Nulfrae.
True to its reputation, it was strong, and that was all it was. It had a strong taste, hints of earthiness, and a strong forward note of pure sweetness. That's what made it popular, but it only had two notes: earthy and sweet. What else?
It was a barbaric product that couldn't compare to Lyra teas. On the way here she remembered that rest stop by the edge of the road.
Somehow, even bandits these days made their own businesses, but Seraphine supposed all humans were equal and that anyone had the right to entrepreneurship. For backwater bandits, their product was better than anything Dragus could come up with. They had even named it 'Star Cubs', a funny catchy name.
The bandit's establishment had a wooden feel exterior, with walls of grey and sometimes black. It reminded her of a peasant lodge she once visited as a sort of tour of the kingdom her father demanded to do. However, the lodge felt clean and neat, and there was an aroma in the air she couldn't quite understand. On the sides of the room, there were tables where people sat and drank their purchase.
The menu had called the most expensive drink 'Cafe Mocha', and the 2nd most expensive was 'Arabelum Refresher'. That first sip of the refresher reminded her of the warmer seasons, it had a fruity sweet taste that was definitely refreshing.
Cafe Mocha, on the other hand, had a blend of sweet bitterness that somehow melded together creating an exotic flavour profile Seraphine had no diction for. The 'barista', that's what they called themselves, behind the counter called it... chocolatey.
Somehow, the word rolled off the tongue like it was always there. The barista would then preach to her about their saviour 'Lady Grace' or something like that, Seraphine couldn't remember quite well. By the third sip, any noise apart from her own breathing could no longer be recognized.
It was that good. So then why doesn't the Capital of Lyra have the product?!
"What do you make of the Count's mistake, Seraphine?"
Lorelei broke through Seraphine's thoughts. The flowing red hair of the woman in front of her always made her jealous. Pandorians always had tones and shades of red, but not as bright as the one in front of her.
"Is it not a simple underestimation of the Count?" Seraphine asked. "The Barony of Lois had the Lighthouse Ranker, Marine Fontaine. Even a single ranker could change wars between territories."
"But Count Mourier has legacy. He has multiple men that reach at least 200 prowess. Surely, a ranker would even have a hard time facing multiple of such warriors."
Regine said, the third woman by the table they all occupied. If it wasn't for father telling her to study here, she wouldn't care at all to socialize with these 'girls' that cared more about how hot the male rankers were or which female ranker was dating whom.
It was still fun. Seraphine was still a girl, after all. To hear Marine Fontaine dating an average man made her curious if he handsome, or did he have some sort of charm? A strong woman in the arms of a strong willed, caring man was still the dream of most girls. Though, she wasn't sure if father would allow for such 'dreams' to occur in reality.
"You are correct. But, might I also remind you the consequences of losing that many knights would devastate the Count's territory?" Seraphine said.
"True, but the Count was already backed into a corner. Even gaining stockpiles of food from the towns would do wonders for his subjects, would it not?" Regine asked.
"They did say Lazarus the Earth Archmage was seen passing through the Count's territory just before the famine," Lorelei said. "Could be rumours, though it would make too much sense."
"What do you mean?" Seraphine asked.
"Earth Archmage, Pandor summoned heroes, brewing war with Dragus. Hello?" Lorelei said.
"Why would Lazarus-" Seraphine stopped herself.
Of course he would. The mines were directly connected to the Viscount Magnus's mine shafts on the other side of the mountain range. Although the distance was vast before they could reach each other, Lazarus being a legend could easily cause cave-ins on the other side as well. The Count's side was just collateral damage.
"So you do get it." Regine took a sip of her tea. "Lazarus did deny it, and now he can't be found anywhere."
"The Count has no one to blame for his territory's downfall if the man in question can't be found. Funny thing too, since Pandorians were seen at the northern border trying to find Lazarus," Lorelei said.
"What's the point of messing up the mines if he's just going to disappear?" Regine asked.
"That could just be Pandor saying 'they didn't do anything'. The Pandorians at the north would be a veil to hide their involvement in the Count's territory," Seraphine said. She was more curious than ever to figure out who actually made the mines collapse that triggered this whole cascade. Surely, there was more... "Was there anything else that was happening in the Count's territory that caused his coffers to become so shallow?"
"Apart from the construction of the bandit roads, it seems the beasts came out of the Hadstead mountain range and raided the livestock and farms of the Count," Lorelei said.
Since that information came from Lorelei, whose father worked in Lyra's kingdom administration, it should be fairly accurate. The Count would prioritize more populated areas where his miners lived, rather than the sparsely populated farmland. Patrols would be suicide as the hordes would come in waves rather than one or two packs of monsters.
"And then there is the question of what happened to all of his equipment... from hearing both of you, I would say Lazarus hoarded all of it after killing all of the Count's men." Seraphine said.
"Lazarus sided with the Baroness?" Lorelei asked.
"He sided with the one who would profit the kingdom the most. The Count's knights were all fully equipped with full plate armours, no?"
"Quite possible, actually. Earth Mages indeed can compress metal," Regine said.
"That is quite a lot of work for the Princess then." Lorelei sighed.
"Speaking of which, why had the Princess called for you?" Regine asked.
Seraphine finished her tea and softly put the teacup back onto the table before replying. "I do not actually know. Certainly, I have done no wrong."
"I dare guess it could be related to diplomacy." Regine chuckled.
"Ugh, do not mention diplomacy," Seraphine said, remembering the nightly lectures of her father. Even as she cried, his mouth did not stop uttering words of 'education'. She stood up. It was about time to go look for the Princess.
"Do tell us later of your conversation," Lorelei said.
"I will. If there are noble gossips, my ears shall be even more fierce," Seraphine said.
"Yes!" Regine shouted.
Seraphine turned around and walked through the corridor. She turned right at the grand staircase, taking it up to the second floor. If only it was the Prince who called for her, she would be much more excited.
Moving through the main corridor and through the large red carpeted hallways, she saw the decadent floral sculpted columns and gold-gilded plush purple curtains. Lyra's Capital's castle was truly the pinnacle of too much gold for its own good. The streets weren't all that bad as well.
On the way to Princess May's reception room, Seraphine saw a woman casually touching a vase filled with red Lyre flowers. She looked as though she was enamoured by it, staring at it and turning it around.
Her hair was pure black and the dress she wore looked to fit her body on the curves. But what caught Seraphine's eyes was the skirt she wore, only covering down her thighs slightly just above her knees. Never had she seen a woman dress in such a way that would expose more intimate parts to the public.
She supposed the woman's attire looked to be an in between of nobility and the simplicity of peasants. However, upon closer look at the fabrics of her dress, they seemed to be well tailored and of extreme quality.
Seraphine walked up to the woman and asked, "Excuse me, are you perhaps lost?"
"Huh? I guess? Who're you?" the woman turned to her as she dropped the flower back into the vase.
"My name is Seraphine Tanison, however, you may just call me Lady Tanison."
"Sure. Lady Tanny. Cute name."
Seraphine's eyes twitched. Sure enough, the woman in front of her was of peasant origin. "May I ask for your name?"
"You can just call me Alex. Lady Alex."
"Alright, Alex." Seraphine took a deep breath. "Might I know if you are lost within the Capital's castle?"
It was honestly not that hard to get lost in the castle after all. She had gotten lost quite a few times, one of which had the Prince save her from embarrassment.
"Kinda lost, but not really." Alex pointed at the flower. "You got anymore of this?"
"Those are Lyre flowers of the red variety, only allowed to be cultivated within the Castle's walls. I'm afraid they cannot be taken to your house," Seraphine said.
"Aww, that sucks," Alex said. "I can't even buy it?"
"It would cost you an astronomical 2 gold per stem, and these flowers do not grow back from cuttings."
"Well, that sucks. Why is it worth so much?"
"These flowers represent the kingdom of Lyra and are named as such."
"Fancy schmancy name for a flower. Then it's just decoration?"
"The orchid flower is considered the most beautiful flower in all of Nulfrae. It is even on Lyra's flag. Therefore, it's not just a flower."
"Oooo, such grandiose for a small flower. I can't even get a discount?"
"You would have to ask either the Prince or Princess, or maybe someone higher than them, such as the King or Queen."
"Sure, then let's go see the Princess now. I got some business with her anyway."
"My apologies, Alex, but the Princess is very busy. Might you be here for some other noble?"
"Huh? I'm just here to do some deals. Let's go see Princess Richie."
"Alex, the kingdom of Lyra does not have a Princess named Richie."
"Oh that's just a nickname. What's the Princess's name again?"
"Princess Lorelei?"
"Ah, yes. Whatever. Let's see her."
Seraphine sighed. "Princess Lorelei does not exist, Alex. I'm afraid I would have to call the guards on you to escort you out of the castle."
"Eh, isn't that your fault for giving me the wrong name?" Alex asked.
"Guards." Seraphine raised her hand to one of the guards standing by a column.
The guard ran a couple of metres before arriving. "Yes, Lady Seraphine, is something the matter?"
"Oh hell yeah there's something the matter," Alex said. "I'm late for my appointment in this ridiculously sized castle."
"Guard, please escort Alex out of the castle."
"I'm afraid I cannot do that, Lady Tanison, not without higher authority order."
"And why is that?" Seraphine asked.
"If this little lady had already entered the castle, then she was granted access at the entrance as per order by the royalty."
"But she doesn't even know who she's seeing. She thought Lady Lorelei was the Princess."
"Hey, you said that, not me," Alex said.
"I understand, Lady Tanison. That still conflicts with the rules of the royal castle. As she has entered the castle, she was granted access by the royals."
"And the conflict is, she doesn't even know which royal she is seeing. There could be issues within the chain of command, could there not?" Seraphine asked.
"There could be, and that would take more time than just-"
"In other words, you are letting this peasant roam free because you do not want to do your work?"
"Getting called a peasant's a new one," Alex commented.
"Is this all a jest to you?!" Seraphine almost yelled at Alex.
"You need some chill. Relax and keep that blood pressure down."
The guard spoke up before Seraphine could say anything. "It would at most take 4 hours of my time to go through the process of investigating the error of the chain of command. By that time, this little lady would most likely have found her designated appointment."
"To be fair, I was just wanting to buy some flowers," Alex said.
"I'm sorry, little lady. The flowers need authorization of the royal crown to approve a sale."
"Goddamn you, bureaucracy..." Alex muttered.
Footsteps came from behind them, distinctly, two pairs. Turning around, Seraphine sighed in relief as she finally saw Princess May with her administrative knight, Kalaiser.
"Princess May!" she said. "I apologize for the noise. I was just directing this peasant to leave the castle walls."
"Peasant?" Kalaiser asked.
"Ah, yes. Princess May. Can I call you Richie?" Alex asked.
"You may not defile the Princess's name!" Seraphine shouted.
Princess May clapped her hand once. "Seraphine, do not be alarmed. Lady Alex is here to see me."
Did the Princess just call her Lady Alex? Not once had the Princess ever called her 'Lady'. It was always just 'Seraphine'. What was happening?
"Excuse me?"
"Seraphine, what's wrong?" Princess May asked.
"Nothing, my Princess. I just didn't know of her importance," Seraphine said. It was in her best interest not to incite any more anger from Lady Alex. Whoever she was and how she acted with such casualness would mean she was very important. To an extent that even she did not know.
Princess May turned around. "Lady Alex, I apologize for not meeting you earlier. The previous meeting had run over."
"Oh, tell me about it."
"Well, it was about Earl Bardot's current timber industry."
"No, I meant that as a figure of speech, but go on," Lady Alex said.
"Then shall we have a small chat as we walk?"
"Lead the way, Princess Richie," Alex said.
The group started moving towards the west wing where Princess May's reception room was. As they walked, Seraphine felt her feet turn cold. She might have just messed up something for the Princess. It could be a trade deal. But who was Lady Alex?
Hold on a minute. Wasn't there talk of the Princess having a fortunate encounter in the mountains as she came back from Dragus? That was a couple of moons ago, though. And the rumours described the Princess as having been 'enamoured'.
Could the Princess like women? It was possible, though highly unlikely, even if Lady Alex was a beauty. Everyone knew the Princess had a few suitors she turned down before. She was currently stable with the son of Duke Valentin who was... average looking which made Seraphine even more curious what the Princess saw in him.
But Seraphine supposed she couldn't judge her eyes. Princess May did look far ahead compared to even her brother. The Prince himself had even relinquished his aim for the throne for her sake. A truly loving brother he was.
Next thing she needed to know was about Isaac Valentin. Lorelei or Regine might know. Seraphine had seen Princess May and Isaac together once, and she looked so happy.
Then what was this fortunate encounter?!
The sound of the door opening snapped Seraphine out of her thoughts. The Princess ushered in Lady Alex and looked at her with the same soft smile. Seraphine entered, followed by the Princess, as Kalaiser closed the door behind them.
Lady Alex sat first on the left side of the armchairs, an unusual behaviour as it was customary to let royalty sit first. Then, Princess May took to the chair across from her. Kalaiser stood behind her, and so did Seraphine.
Princess May turned back. "Seraphine, come sit beside me. Don't be shy."
"Yes?" Seraphine managed to utter.
"Come on." Princess May tapped the chair beside her.
Seraphine took the seat, sitting on it softly while forcing a smile.
"First off, I do apologize for the confusion earlier, Lady Alex. It seems my guards have lost track of your whereabouts," Princess May said.
"Oh, yeah. I was just taking a casual walk, admiring the view and everything."
"Then let us re-introduce ourselves again."
"Sure."
"I am May Lallemant, you may call me simply May or however you wish."
"Princess Richie, hehe." Alex chuckled.
"Beside me is Seraphine Tanison, who is joining us as she is a student of diplomacy."
"Diplomacy means never judging a book by its cover, Lady Tanny," Alex said.
"I apologize, Lady Alex. That shall never happen again." Seraphine lowered her head.
"So, about the flowers. Are they just decorations, or do you use them for other things?"
"As of now, it is the representative of our kingdom. It is for decoration, more of a symbol rather than utility. The Lyre flowers truly are the most beautiful."
"You guys sell that, though?"
Seraphine closed her eyes for a moment. Here she goes. She was about to offend Princess May by trying to outright buy the royal flower. Even if she was someone important, surely the Princess wouldn't—
"Oh, definitely, I could approve a sale. How many would you need?"
Huh? Seraphine almost tilted her head. The Princess easily allowing the sale of her favourite flower was unheard of.
"Do you only sell the stem? I was thinking of buying the whole plant from its roots."
"Were you looking to cultivate them, Lady Alex?"
"Sharp." Lady Alex smiled. "If you get what I'm saying, then how much would that cost?"
A cold chill shot down Seraphine's spine as if a predator had just looked directly at her. But it was only for a flash of a moment when Lady Alex smiled.
"It depends on the use case of the flower for you. Since it has caught your eye, then it must mean the flower is more important than it looks. Am I correct?" Princess May asked.
"Who knows if you're correct," Alex said with the same sharp smile. "But if you take a chance on a deal, it might prove yourself just right."
"Before we move on to that discussion, how about we first talk about what is stated on the letter scroll. It stated that Lady Alex wished to use the ports of Duke Tanison. Is that correct?"
"Correct. In return, I'll allow a franchise deal of 70/30 in your favour instead of the normal 50/50 presented to Terrance."
"I'm assuming our side still pays for delivery, cost of goods, and recruitment of staff from your pool of resources, correct?"
"Correct," Alex said. "And the store should be opened up in the Duke Tanison's Port City, Kite."
"May I ask why not the Capital of Lyra?" Princess May asked.
"The Capital would be good. It'll be the third spot, but the flagship must be near water and a high-traffic area. The Port City presents as such. A capital can be a capital, but Lyra's commercial capital is Duke Tanison's territory."
Lady Alex hit right on the mark, but anyone could have guessed that much. Her father's Dukedom possessed the largest ports on the entire continent of Mir.
"Is it a matter of image once again?"
Lady Alex laughed, yet her laugh did not seem impolite. The Princess's eyes looked all the more sharp. To be honest, Seraphine did not exactly know why this deal seemed so important to the Princess. Was it not just merely a business venture?
"Alright, since you're smart, I'll give you a bone," Alex said. "I'm looking to have ships sail to Tsuba Islands."
"Tsuba... islands?" Princess May's eyes widened. "Then you need the capital more than 'image' if you wish to set foot on those islands against Pandor."
"Against the Fren—I mean, yes, the Pandorians," Alex said, leaning forward slightly.
"The Dukedom's territory would provide the capital that would allow your conquest. I see," Princess May said. "The deal is based on total gross revenue or profit?"
"Total Gross Revenue, of course."
"And the split would be 70% to me, Princess May, as the owner of the individual 'franchise' and 30% goes back to you. Will you handle all logistics regarding the cost of goods?"
"That's a given since the Path is also the supplier of the raw ingredients."
"What about spoilage during travel times?"
"Currently being worked on, but the guarantee is 90% of shipped items would be in top quality."
"I have 1 slot on the Dukedom. Would it be possible to buy 2 more slots with the same deal?" Princess May asked.
Alex smiled. "Very shrewd, are we?"
"Then is it not possible?"
"I said no such thing, Princess May. Welcome to the family." Lady Alex extended her hand for a shake.
The moment she did, the Princess looked at it for a couple of seconds before accepting the handshake.
"Nice having business with you. And now about those flowers."
"Yes, let us talk about those red flowers. If you wish to cultivate them, then may I ask for a royalty on their end use case?"
"Hot damn, we are talking business." Alex said. "Of course. But 2 gold per stem or whole flower would be too much of an expenditure, don't you agree?"
"The 2 gold was for nobles looking to decorate, not use it. Let's start at 20 silver per patch. I do have to warn you, the flowers do not like high altitude. Shall I include a patch of land in this deal?"
"How big are we talking?"
"You could take the farmlands of Count Mourier. I shall pay him in gold or food to recoup his losses and extend him land up north, his territory currently unowned by nobles."
"I'll give you 2.5% extra on top of your current 3 slot deal. That would make your revenue share up to 72.5%."
"I shall accept that deal."
"I think we'll have a good relationship, Princess Richie." Alex said.
"I believe so as well."
Seraphine couldn't believe how fast they came to a deal. What were the percentages they even talked about? It would seem as if Princess May was buying the holy grail of a business venture, and her actions spoke for themselves that it was. Then who was Alex?
"Seraphine, have you dozed off?" Princess May asked.
"I'm sorry. I just don't understand the context of all of this, my Princess."
"How old is she, anyways?" Lady Alex asked.
"Seraphine will be turning 18 this year on the 12th moon."
"Oh, a child. How fun." Lady Alex materialized a pitcher and a teacup in her hand.
Seraphine immediately recognized the scent as Alex handed the cup over to her. "This is?"
"Cafe Mocha. Children love this drink where I come from," Lady Alex said.
Taking a single sip, Seraphine immediately felt the euphoria take over her body once again, similar to the midpoint rest stop she took on the way back to the capital. For a moment, she cherished it. The chocolatey bittersweet taste. Its aroma had also changed, smelling more bitter with a hint of earthy Piker Bean sweetness. She never thought that she would say 'sweet' and 'Piker bean' in the same sentence.
Princess May laughed, causing Seraphine to flush. "It seems Seraphine really does like the Cafe Mocha, Lady Alex."
"How does Lady Alex have this drink with her?" Seraphine asked.
"Have I not told you?" Princess May asked.
Seraphine shook her head.
"Lady Alex owns Star Cubs. And this deal was for her 'retail' stores."
Seraphine suddenly stood up and bowed. "I really apologize, Lady Alex. I did not mean to offend you!"
"It's fine. Children need to just have fun," Alex said. "As long as you liked the drink, then it's all good."
"Thank you, Lady Alex..." Seraphine dropped back down to her chair with a sigh.
"Now, where were we?" Alex asked.
"Royalties."
"Cool. Let's continue."
☕︎ ☼ ☕︎ ☽ ☕︎
Seraphine and Princess May sat in the reception room with Kalaiser still standing behind them. Lady Alex had exited long ago, and all Seraphine did was stare at the Princess in deep thought.
The next few bouts of the negotiation that she had witnessed came at a rapid fire as if both Lady Alex and the Princess already knew what each other was about to say. It was the first time Seraphine had seen such an image of her idol. To be that animated over Star Cubs was unimaginable.
It was true their drink was better than anything that Seraphine had tasted before in Lyra, Pandor, or Dragus. However, she had not yet tasted anything from the continent of Layos with their much more exotic agriculture.
Then why was the Princess so enamoured by Lady Alex's deals?
Nevertheless, Lady Alex had constantly spoken of new terminology that made the Princess look as if she were just trying to catch up. The longer the negotiation took, the more Seraphine felt the pressure that radiated from Lady Alex.
If she were the front line for the negotiation, would she have been able to do what the Princess had done? Seraphine supposed gaining experience was why the Princess always brought her to the negotiation table, yet it still didn't make sense why her of all people. There were plenty of other nobles that could match or even beat her.
Lady Alex also didn't seem to be annoyed at Seraphine's disrespect. It was a good thing she didn't escalate any further after the guard's refusal. That would've completely put her in an irredeemable light. At any rate, she narrowly avoided the negotiation chopping block this time, she supposed.
"Seraphine, do you understand the importance of the Tsuba islands?"
"Of course. Pandor controls the distribution of the Crescent Fruit, Dragon Heartfruit, and Moon Melons. There are other fruits there, but these three are the most popular among the nobles."
"You're right, but do you know why Lady Alex wanted free use of the ports at your father's dukedom?"
"To get shipments of fruits from there, perhaps?"
"Tell me. Have you met Aurora before?"
"I've heard of her. The disgraced Royal Garden Keep of Dragus. She had cheated on the king and was sent into exile."
"You dabble in too much gossip."
"I apologize, my Princess..."
"There are reports of piker bean trees, latia bushes, and arabelum trees passing through our northern borders towards the Hadstead Mountains. Latia berries specifically can be poisonous if not properly handled. Piker beans are bitter, and arabelum trees require perfect soil to grow. All three do not mind altitude changes as long as the soil and care are proper."
"Is the Princess saying Aurora is within Lady Alex's ranks?"
"I am saying exactly that." The Princess extended her teacup, into which Kalaiser poured more tea. "But the 'pure sweetness' you tasted within Cafe Mocha. Does it not remind you of Geig tea?"
"It does, but the complexity of the other ingredients is brought out by that sweetness."
"The key still is Hadstead stalk, yes?"
"Yes, my Princess."
"There is an old saying within the old botanist community."
"What saying?"
"Hadstead stalks are tragic. Born in the mountains, destined for the islands."
"I'm sorry, I do not follow, my Princess. Do Hadstead stalks prefer a warmer climate?"
"You are smart when hints are given, Seraphine," Princess May said. "Now, what would Lady Alex do to scale her Hadstead stalk production?"
"Don't tell me, she plans to conquer the islands from Pandor's rule?!" Seraphine yelled.
"Calm down, Seraphine. We are not the ones going to war, but the Lady. We merely present her with coin from our people and watch her war liberate the Tsuba tribe from their captors."
"Your words speak of 'liberate' yet does Lady Alex not also mean to conquer the captive tribe?"
"Have you seen the bandits she has liberated?"
"I understand." Seraphine looked down. Turning her head back up, she asked.
"Pandor is set to fight on two fronts should a war erupt on the islands and at the eastern land of the continent of Mir." Princess May sipped at her tea. "Dragus and Pandor both summoning heroes already signal for the upcoming war. Add Lady Alex's vision, and this upcoming war may be more violent than the last few generations."
"May Frae's Light give our continent order...." Seraphine muttered.
It seems the Path, and its 'subsidiary' as Lady Alex had called it, would become a player in the continental powers. Or was it already one? From the sharp smile of Princess May and her humming tune, it seems turbulent winds head in Lyra's direction.