The south is slippery as an eel. Three years after I became king, pirates from Dagrala, Dagrahir and Kalron worked together to attack over 30 of our merchant ships. They sent back one ship with heads of most of our men in barrels. Those who survived were too afraid to ever come near the sea again. I knew that it would not lead to anything, but I had to declare war to them. Once more.
My army crossed the Haldur and my fleet finally conquered the peninsula of Agdulmek. But I was not able to engage even one of the cities in a battle. Their armies always retreated, lured us into ambushes and my soldiers' numbers dwindled. I think we killed about 500 of them, while we lost nearly 25.000 men in battle, not only against the enemy, but also against sickness and the dangers of nature.
At least we finally could add the peninsula to our kingdom. I made Agdulmek the fleet headquarters, so that we could escort our trading ships through the channel. But at what cost? The fleet is expensive, and tensions were high, so the free cities were not willing to accept the kingdom as a trading partner if all our ships were escorted with military.
Four times we tried to at least conquer Nuret, the city at entrance to the channel. We never could. When we came, they retreated and let us wash over the city like the waves of the sea. Then they burned down our ships and hunted our men to death.
Although tensions between the cities were high, we never could really set a foot on the ground there. People immigrated from the free cities to the kingdom over the years. We were very suspicious of them. But after some time, we found out, that they fled, because of the tyrannic treatment they had to endure. They were slaves, daughters forced to marry as part of a trading deal, men who had lost all their money in dangerous gambles. They could flee, because after the wars they knew, that the kingdom would never hand them over to the free cities. They began to work for the government and today we know more about the free cities than ever before.
Still, the south is slippery as an eel.
I closed the book and stashed it back into my saddlebag. When I looked out the window, I saw the first signs of the sun coming up in the east. I blew out the candle and soon after I heard voices from the grooms in the stables. I put on my clothes, took my bags and blew out the candle.
When I came downstairs I saw the owner of the house and I immediately recognized him. He was at my father's funeral, standing not far from me. He looked at me shocked and was about to fall to his knees, when I looked him in the eyes and shook my head.
I walked towards him, held out my hand to greet him, "My name is Haruk, duke of Lambaragh. I am the king's emissary." He seemed to understand.
"Of course. I am Lazath, count of Vetanu."
"Thank you for your hospitality, Lazath."
"I could have done more, had I known whose emissary you were."
"The king sent us on our way on very short notice. We were able to accommodate in your guest rooms perfectly."
"I will send my scouts to my friends and have them prepare quarters for you riding party. Where do you plan to travel?"
"I will talk to my men, but I think we already made enough trouble."
"Will you at least take an early breakfast with me."
"That would be very kind of you. I will awake some others of our party to join us."
I started to go upstairs again to wake Mandrak and Tangara, but they were already coming towards me down the stairs.
"Good morning, Tangara, Mandrak. Count Lazath has invited us for an early breakfast."
The prospect of a breakfast seemed to lighten their morning mood.
"I think we should invite our military commander, Ladar, too."
Ten minutes later we sat around a table and servants brought in a delicious breakfast.
"Where do you intend to go? Maybe I could help prepare more quarters for you along the way," Lazath asked.
I looked at Tangara and Ladar and they both nodded, "We travel down south, to see what happened to the free cities in the earthquake. They seem to have been hit very hard."
"Does the king intend to help them?"
"Maybe. In exchange for peace and trade."
"Peace we have, at least we are not at war with them. Trade on the other hand; trade with the free cities would be good. Their merchants have the most exotic and intriguing goods. Our merchants can only buy those through front men."
"Do you trade yourself? It is quite unusual for a nobleman."
"Vetanu, some territory around the city, that is my only property. My uncle gambled it away. I inherited what was left of it. When my father recognized that he would never get anything out of his brother, he began trading goods, especially with the south. He was well connected to the capital and to all the cities down to Agdulmek and further.
I use my inheritance to fund my trading, and the trade my father taught me, to buy back some of my inheritance."
"Do you think the king would be interested in your perspective on the south, the channel and trading with the free cities."
"Maybe, but since there is officially no trade with the free cities, I cannot officially talk to him about that. Unofficially on the other hand, I could talk to him and some people in the trade ministry for hours."
"Would you talk to him, if you were in a position, where you did not need to talk officially?"
"I would say, I have proven this at length."
"Lazath, you will send scouts and prepare our travel to Jugoah and to the low pass. You will try to find food and shelter for us in the valley of Falir and Zaffa. You will ask your friends in Ladorn, Buladri, Gutmir and other cities on our route to the south, to join our efforts to make peace and trade with the south.
I will write a letter for you. As soon as you made your preparations, you will take this sealed letter to Rallagoah. You will go to the Ceremonial Palace. On the ground floor under the Hall of Selection you will find Office Number 4. You will bring this letter there and ask to see Naral, the duchess of Lambaragh.
You will hand her the letter and listen to everything she says. The king will not see you. He is very busy at the moment.
Should the seal be broken, the duchess will not see you and you will be thrown out of the palace."
He looked at me in awe. Mandrak had prepared a piece of paper and my seal, while I spoke to Lazath.
"Lazath, you are a good man. You should spend more time at the king's court, especially in the trade ministry."
I wrote to Larna, that I missed her already and that I was looking forward to seeing her. I asked her to receive Lazath and give him a permanent position in the trade council, that would allow him to permanently use a room in the palace but also to stay in contact with his friends in the south. We usually used a dialect from far west to write our letters. It was her mother's language and nobody from around the capital seemed to understand it very well.
"Are you married Lazath, do you have children?"
"Yes, my wife is still asleep upstairs, as are my children. Two daughters and two sons. The oldest is fourteen and the youngest is three years old. I will just walk upstairs to wake them."
"No, no! Lazath, let them sleep. We will start soon. There will be enough opportunity to meet. Maybe you should consider sending one of your children to the Children's Palace as a ward. I think the king would appreciate it very much."
I sealed the letter and gave it to him.
"Would you please talk to Ladar about the best route to the south. Mandrak, Tangara and I will prepare our horses."