The Adventures of Charls, the Veretian Cloth Merchant: A Captive Prince Short Story (Captive Prince Short Stories Book 3) by C. S. Pacat
Author:C. S. Pacat [Pacat, C. S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gatto
Published: 2017-05-02T22:00:00+00:00
Lamen, for some reason, grew more and more agitated as they drew closer to the fort. It had begun when Charls had briefly mentioned that there was a chance that they might meet the Kyros. He wished to make certain they each knew to behave towards him with the full respect due his rank.
‘You mean Heiron,’ said Lamen.
‘Yes, that’s right,’ said Charls.
‘I can’t meet Heiron,’ said Lamen.
‘It’s understandable to be nervous around great men like the Kyros, Lamen. But the Prince wouldn’t have you as an assistant if he didn’t believe in your abilities.’
Lamen passed his hand over his face and had a look of distraught amusement. ‘Charls—’
‘Don’t worry, Lamen. Here it is not as it is with smaller houses. The Kyros is a great but remote figure. Most likely our dealings will be with the Keeper.’
Lamen did not look in any way relieved by that assurance, but it was just as Charls had said: once refreshed in rooms in the town, they were called to the inner fort to meet with the Keeper of the Household.
This was the meeting Charls had prepared for since first setting out, and he proudly laid out the best of his stock, the rich velvet from Barbin, the canteled damask, the silks and satins from Varenne, the fine white linens and ultrafine cottons that made for the best Akielon chitons. He looked out at his wares with a glad heart. It was an enormous honour to trade with a kyros.
He also sent ahead a smaller case containing a rich gift—bands of embroidery from Isthima—to thank the Kyros for this audience. Opening negotiations with a gift was a Veretian custom that Charls had found also very much pleased Akielons.
They set out in a small group, Charls and the Prince at the head, Guilliame following, Lamen hanging back among the four guards carrying their sample chests. Alexon, who had travelled north with them, looked quite respectable in his new cloak.
Two servants in short chitons escorted them through the elegant simplicity of a series of Akielon courtyards to an airy chamber, where they were to wait for the Keeper.
The chamber was classically Akielon in its proportions, and furnished with low couches with carved bases and rolled headrests. The arches were beautiful, but the silk draped over each of the low couches was the room’s only real decoration, along with each couch’s scattering of cushions.
Reclining on the cushions was Makon, loosely robed, his posture relaxed, a wine cup in his hand.
‘Hello Charls,’ Makon said.
Charls felt his stomach drop—of course while they had stopped to rid themselves of the dust of the road, Makon had come straight here, from a hot breakfast at a large and comfortable waystation.
Before he could speak, the Keeper entered—a majestic presence accompanied by two servants—but all Charls could see was that one of the servants was carrying his hand-picked case of embroidery. His gift to the Kyros was being returned to him unopened.
‘We sent a runner to tell you not to come.’
‘Keeper, my apologies. We did not receive a runner.
Download
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.
Anthologies | Short Stories |
Stepbrother Stories 2 - 21 Taboo Story Collection (Brother Sister Stepbrother Stepsister Taboo Pseudo Incest Family Virgin Creampie Pregnant Forced Pregnancy Breeding) by Roxi Harding(11966)
Kathy Andrews Collection by Kathy Andrews(10928)
Tell Tale: Stories by Jeffrey Archer(8432)
This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz(6091)
The Mistress Wife by Lynne Graham(5997)
Dancing After Hours by Andre Dubus(4920)
The Last Wish (The Witcher Book 1) by Andrzej Sapkowski(4860)
The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen(3741)
Maps In A Mirror by Orson Scott Card(3503)
The Secret Wife by Lynne Graham(3453)
Be in a Treehouse by Pete Nelson(3368)
Tangled by Emma Chase(3326)
Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges(3048)
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros(2941)
Girls Who Bite by Delilah Devlin(2814)
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R R Martin(2793)
You Lost Him at Hello by Jess McCann(2573)
MatchUp by Lee Child(2472)
Once Upon a Wedding by Kait Nolan(2418)