Fourth Arc (Thorns of The Black Throne) - 488. Trade Meeting I
They returned to the castle before the bells of the third hour rang.
On the surface, everything looked normal.
The carriage carrying Angel, Rose, and Jane rolled through the gates first, wheels crunching over gravel. The guards saluted. The banners of Pontus fluttered lazily against the afternoon sky. Sunlight reflected off polished armor and marble columns.
Jane stepped down first.
Her expression shifted immediately.
Gone was the steady, calculating awareness from the pastry shop.
In its place, softness.
Uncertainty.
A faint, careful confusion.
She blinked up at the castle façade as if trying to remember something that refused to return.
One of the staffs moved closer.
"Lady Jane," he said gently. "Did the city stir any memories?"
She hesitated just the right amount.
"I… I'm not sure," she murmured.
Angel watched her with unreadable eyes.
Rose did not comment.
They entered the castle through the main hall, footsteps echoing against polished stone. Servants bowed. Courtiers whispered.
Jane lowered her gaze, fingers lightly gripping her sleeve as if overwhelmed.
Only one person in Pontus knew the truth now.
Roric.
And he was not there.
Not yet.
He returned almost two hours later.
Not in a hurry.
Not breathless.
Calm.
Measured.
He rode through the opposite gate from where he had left earlier. Two soldiers greeted him casually. He exchanged brief words with them, loud enough to be heard.
"Patrol seems quiet today," one soldier remarked.
"For now," Roric replied evenly. "Keep watch near the eastern wall. I saw merchants gathering."
It sounded like routine inspection.
He carried a small pouch of herbs tied to his belt.
Before returning to the main wing, he stopped at a physician's chamber within the castle complex.
The doctor bowed deeply.
"Your Highness. You requested a quick check?"
"Yes," Roric said calmly. "The headaches have been frequent."
He allowed the doctor to examine him. Pulse. Pupils. Basic aura reading.
Nothing suspicious.
The doctor prescribed rest.
Roric nodded.
Another layer of alibi secured.
By the time he entered the royal wing again, the castle hummed with afternoon politics.
Angel and Rose were in the meeting chamber with the Chancellor.
Darius had declined to attend.
Predictable.
He disliked prolonged exposure to Angel's presence. The younger king's composure alone seemed to irritate him.
Jane was not in the meeting chamber. She moved through the quieter corridors of the castle with two knights a few steps behind her. Sunlight spilled through tall stained glass windows.
She paused near a balcony overlooking the inner courtyard, fingers resting lightly on cold stone. Servants bowed as she passed, whispering about the lost lady who remembered nothing. Her expression remained distant, gentle, almost fragile. But beneath lowered lashes, her eyes observed everything.
Meanwhile… The meeting room smelled faintly of parchment and ink. Tall windows allowed filtered light to spill across a large oak table covered in maps and documents.
The Chancellor stood at one end, posture eager, eyes gleaming behind thin spectacles.
He bowed deeply.
"Your Majesties. It is an honor to discuss cooperation between our kingdoms."
Angel sat calmly, hands folded. Rose sat beside him, posture relaxed but attentive.
Seraphine stood near the window.
Silent.
Observing.
Her gaze lingered on Angel longer than necessary.
The Chancellor began.
"Pontus values strength and stability. Euphorion is… exceptionally positioned."
Angel inclined his head slightly.
"And Pontus holds strategic trade routes," he replied evenly. "Particularly through the eastern rivers."
The Chancellor smiled.
"Precisely."
He spread a map across the table.
"Pontus exports steel, salt, and certain agricultural goods. However, we lack diversity in luxury commodities."
Rose's fingers brushed lightly over the map's edges.
"And Euphorion," she said smoothly, "specializes in tea cultivation, silk weaving, and vineyard production."
The Chancellor's eyes sparkled.
"Yes. Your teas have become fashionable even here."
Seraphine's gaze sharpened slightly at that.
Angel spoke again, voice calm.
"We have also expanded herbal cultivation."
Rose nodded subtly.
"After restructuring certain agricultural lands, we diversified into medicinal herbs and potion-grade botanicals."
The Chancellor leaned forward.
"Potions?"
Rose met his gaze.
"Stabilizers. Fever reducers. Mana recovery blends."
She did not mention antidote mixtures.
Not yet.
The Chancellor's interest intensified.
"Pontus has demand for such items. Especially among soldiers and laborers."
Angel tapped the table lightly.
"And Pontus has strong blacksmith guilds. Steel production that rivals even the Draconis kingdom."
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