FrivYeti/WyldspanMark
The throne room shone gold in the light of the rising sun. Sitting atop his marble throne, Emperor Markian I smiled benevolently down at the nervous man standing before him. Clad from head to toe in brilliant rainment, he was as a sunbeam that had deigned to step from the heavens.
"My lord, the Shipper's Guild informs me that the tariffs imposed for ships that wish to trade in the River Worlds are simply too high. At current rates, every merchant in the Guild will be forced into bankruptcy, and no one will be left to pass trade around. Excellency, we beg you for a reduction."
"And where would it go, hm?" Markian rose from the throne, his lips curling into a perfect smile. "All that money lost from the tariffs has to come from somewhere else. Perhaps the Shippers would prefer that I start reducing security fees, yes? It is not as though we are beset by enemies, after all." His eyes narrowed, and the man quickly scrambled backwards, bowing with every step.
"My lord, we understand greatly the dangers that this Empire faces, but surely..." He trailed off as Markian raised a single eyebrow.
"Is it truly so crippling? Very well. I will take the matter under advisement. You are dismissed." He sighed as the man scurried from the room. "The audience is over. Leave! All of you!" Courtiers and guards alike filed out, chattering to one another, and Markian sat back with a sigh, rubbing his temples.
"Is there a problem, Excellency?" Teran Sammael slid forwards from his place at the back of the room, a slim smile on his face.
"No, Sam. It's just... all of this. Who would have thought it would be so much work?" Markian snorted. "I preferred the good old days. Problems like this, you can't solve with a daiklave." He paused, and chuckled. "Well, I could, I suppose, but I don't imagine the solution would suit anyone." He turned, sighing. "I'm going to need your help, old friend. Look into this for me, hm? I'm going to take the Deliverance out for a few weeks, see if I can't find where those Deathknights raiding the Marrush line are coming from."
"Of course, Excellency." Sammael smiled, and saluted crisply. "Rest assured, the matter will be investigated and resolved before you even have time to return."
Markian smiled, and strolled towards the exit. It was good to have help that could be relied upon.
By the time that he returned, a week later, the merchants were quiet about their lot, and none spoke of high tariffs again. Oddly, nothing had actually changed, but the matter was not brought up at his next court, and Markian thankfully let it slip from his mind.
