Chương 96: Chapter 93 - Innocent Letters

The basket arrived mid-morning. No one saw who left it. One of the new hires found it just inside the main doors, placed with the kind of care that suggested whoever had carried it in had not wished to be seen carrying it out again. It was… tasteful. Which, in this world was truly saying something. Merchants, the wealthy and nobility had all been attempting to wear the brightest colors available. When Alric had seen in them in groups, it had felt like a neon convention.

Whatever it was, it had arrived in a basket and the weave was tight, the wood polished but not lacquered, the contents arranged with quiet intent rather than display. Fine paper. Proper paper. The sort that did not bleed when ink touched it. A small glass vial of ink, dark and even. Two quills, balanced, their feathers so even that whatever creature they had come from had likely lived a long life by immediately leaving whenever anything interesting began to happen. It may have been an accountant bird. And a letter.

Sealed. Addressed, in a careful, deliberate hand: Alric. There was no flourish, title or errors. That alone took effort. If more of the staff could have read, this basket might have been dealt with sooner. It had ended up on one of the long tables. People worked around it. Not ignoring it. Just… not noticing. Not noticing in the way people did when something had already been noticed, assessed, and quietly passed along without anyone wishing to be the first to comment on it.

A few of the staff found reasons to pass by more than once. One of the labourers carried the same empty crate across the floor twice, slower the second time. Another paused just within sight of the table, adjusted nothing in particular, and left again with the careful neutrality of someone who had seen enough to be certain it was not their responsibility. Eventually, because it had become unreasonable not to, someone went to find him. The basket now sat on Alric's desk. It had not improved with the move.

If anything, it looked more comfortable there, as though this had always been where it intended to end up. Alric stood behind the desk, looking at it in the same way one regarded a cat that had settled itself in your lap without permission… still, polite, and with the quiet certainty that claws were involved and invited very careful exploration to find where. Seren stood beside the desk, already watching him rather than the basket.

Tarrow was lounging in Vale's chair, close enough to be involved and far enough to avoid responsibility. Alric lifted the lid tentatively. Nothing moved. That did not help. He picked up the letter, turned it once in his hand, then opened it without further delay. The paper unfolded cleanly, as expected, offering no resistance, which only made it feel more deliberate. He read. His expression did not change. That took effort. When he finished, he did not read it again. He folded it once and held it out.

Seren took it, already reading as she did. Alric waited for an explanation. There was a pause. Then a small laugh, the sort that escaped before it had decided whether it should. Alric kept his face neutral. Seren did not look up.

"Oh, this is beautifully worded." She adjusted the page slightly and read aloud, not for emphasis, but because it seemed the sort of thing that should be heard properly."' It has become increasingly apparent that a man of your recent success would benefit from stability, and from the sort of guidance that ensures such success is not… misdirected'" Tarrow made a soft sound of appreciation and he let out a low whistle. Seren continued, eyes moving easily across the lines.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"There are circles in which unity and continuity are maintained with the seriousness they deserve, and it would be our pleasure to see you properly introduced" Tarrow pushed himself off the wall slightly, already smiling.

"That's good. That's very good. They paid this scribe a lot of money, does it have a poem?" Seren lowered the page to glance at Tarrow, having a small fit of silent giggles. She shook her head slightly and lifted the page to read the next section.

"A man should not remain unanchored when suitable arrangements can be made with discretion and mutual benefit" Tarrow laughed. That was not subtle.

"That's a leash," he said.

"Just happens to be polite." Seren folded the letter once more, thoughtful.

"Yes. Very polite." She tapped the edge of the page lightly against her finger as she spoke again, more conversational now.

"This is more matchmaking stuff then?" Alric asked trying not to scowl. Seren nodded with a small smile.

"Stability," she said, "means you stop surprising people." Tarrow nodded.

"Always a bad start."

"Guidance means someone above you," Seren continued.

"Preferably someone who thinks they already are," Tarrow added.

"Introductions means they decide who you meet."

"Unity," Tarrow said, "means you agree with them." Seren smiled faintly.

"And 'mutual benefit' means you will." She paused, then added, almost idly, "'Unanchored' is a nice touch." Seren said glancing over at Tarrow. Tarrow snorted.

"Means you're drifting."

"Means you're available," Seren corrected, tapping her chin with the letter. Alric held out his hand. She gave it back and Alric put it back into the basket.

"How do I return this?" he asked, slightly tired of being the butt of this joke. Seren looked up sharply.

"No. You can't" He opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off.

"No," she repeated, more evenly.

"You are not sending this back."

"but…"

"This is from the Halvenreach family, they may not be nobility but that's only because they haven't bothered buying a title." Seren explained Alric considered that. The name meant something, he'd heard it before somewhere, not clearly, but enough to suggest it came with consequences attached.

"Then, what do I do?" Alric asked Seren frowned, eyeing out the basket with renewed intensity. Tarrow shifted his weight, watching this with increasing interest.

"He's going to do it anyway."

"I am considering it," Alric said glancing over at Tarrow. Seren exhaled, then reached into the basket without asking, moving the paper aside with the familiarity of someone who expected these things to come in layers.

"There will be more," she said.

"There is always more." Her hand paused. Her expression turned smug as she found something she expected to be there.

"Yes," she said with a triumphant smirk. Alric did not like that tone. She withdrew a card. It was thicker than the rest, finished properly, with a miniature set into it, the sort of careful painting that required time, money, and the expectation that someone would look at it closely. Seren angled it toward the light, studying it. Then she held it out. Alric took it. Looked. Paused and let out a small shriek before he could stop it.

He almost dropped the picture then set it back down on the desk with deliberate care, looking at it in horror.

"No," he said.

"No. no. no. no." Seren immediately doubled over in laughter. Tarrow stood up and, leaning over just enough to see. The moment he did, he broke.

"Oh, yes." He said cackling. Alric said nothing, just staring at the small picture. Tarrow was laughing openly now.

"They sent you a wife with writing supplies." It didn't help that he was slapping his knees.

"I am not accepting a wife delivered alongside ink," Alric said.

"How the hell? We've never even met?" He looked back at the card again, as if it might clarify itself if given the chance.

"Wait, is this a proposal or an introduction?" he asked, not sounding convinced. Seren, still recovering, nodded.

"It's both."

"With a portrait?" Alric asked his eyes widening"Yes."

"Of a daughter."

"Yes." Alric looked at the basket, then at the card again.

"No. No. No. People accept these things. They have no idea what I'm like?" Alric asked perplexed.

"I expect they've looked into it." Seren said still smiling.

"But I have no idea what she's like. This is… just crazy?" He said glancing at the pair.

"…and I am expected to what, write back?" Tarrow made a choking noise.

"Oh, please do." Seren started giggling again, "She's not that ugly, did you hear that noise he made?" she managed to say between breaths, looking at Tarrow who joined her.

"It was sent in a basket?" Alric said.

"Is this… how these things are done?"

"It is how it is done when they do not wish to be seen doing it." Seren said beginning to recover. Seren lifted the card and tilted it slightly, considering the image with a more practical eye.

"She is not unattractive." Seren said glancing at Alric"That is not the issue…" He began"It often is. You can admit it to us Mister Alric."

"It is really not that, I've never even met them." Alric said now clearly irritable and gesturing to the card.

"Wouldn't make a difference if you did I remember you saying." Seren smiled and put the letter back. Alric was wearing an expression like he had just bit into a lemon. Tarrow made a choking sound, failing to recover.

"You are not sending this back," she said.

"I am not accepting it."

"You need to be careful with this," Seren replied.

"You acknowledge it. You will remain… possible but that is all. You can't be impolite to this, think of the poor girl's feelings." Alric looked at the basket. He knew there was a bomb in it somewhere. Alric exhaled.

"…this is worse than the temple," he said. Tarrow wiped at his eyes.

"No," he said.

"This is much funnier."