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1223 Words
Leigh rolled over and set up on the bed letting her eyes adjust to the light.
"Good morning my beautiful wife." Aeryn said with a wide smile spread across his face.
"I had your favorite breakfast delivered." Aeryn said pointing to the tray sitting on his desk.
Leigh popped out of bed and walked and picked up the tray and returned to the bed. A huge smile on her face as she looked at her plate full her favorite Strawberry pancakes with whipped cream. She cut her pancakes and started to shove them in her mouth.
"Your going to spoil me." She teased mouth still full of pancake.
"Untill my last breath." Aeryn replied with a chuckle.
Leigh finished her food and then got dressed in a blue shirt and brown pants.
When she finished she took a seat in front of Aeryn's desk while he sat behind it.
"I am going to start taking meeting again this afternoon. I will conduct them her and we will have a full guard." Aeryn told her.
"Randir has been tasked with finding out infromation about the assassin and who hired him." He finished.
"I would like to help him with that." Leigh said not asking Aeryn.
Aeryn noded his head and opened the draw of his desk. He reached in and produced three daggers. The two that belonged to Leigh and the one that the assassin planted in her gut.
"I thought you would, please use desecration." Aeryn replied handing Leigh the daggers.
"And if you leave the mansion please make sure Randir or myself is aware of where you going. I don't have a guard to send with you, I need them here." Aeryn added.
"So now that I married you, I need to tell you where I go." Leigh said playfully as she walked around the desk and sat in Aeryn's lap.
"Yes, and you need my permission" Aeryn said sarcastically as he kissed Leigh.
"Good luck with that." She teased stand up from his lap and sitting back in the chair across the desk from him.
Leigh tucked her daggers away in her belt and put the assassin's on the desk.
She studied it carefully looking at the blade and then the hilt her blood was still on it dried and crusty.
"Aeryn, this blade is carried by Blackhands." Leigh said.
"They aren't going to stop untill the contract is fully rescinded or your dead." She continued worry written on her face.
"Well, better get to work than so we can find out who sent them." Aeryn replied keeping calm.
"I have made a list of trade agreements and treaties that I am working on while we are here." Aeryn added handing her a piece of paper.
"When is your first meeting?" Leigh asked as she took the paper.
"Ten minutes, I am heading down in a minute" Aeryn said as he stood up and walked around the desk.
"I should get to work." Leigh replied leaning into Aeryn's kiss.
Aeryn walked out the door of the room leaving Leigh alone. She sat at the desk and read the list Aeryn wrote.
The Unicorns Horn. Samuel Wilson
contract to sell mead. 400 case per year for 5 years
The Maiden Thread. Lucy Tinley
Contract to provide silk 75 reams every six month for 3 years.
McCreary Farm. Les McCreary
Contract to purchase 10 tons potatoes and 6 tons barley every year for 10 years
Treaty with Applegate. The mayor John Thompson
Agreement to provide troops and support as needed. Agreement for open boarders and tread.
Swift feet. Matthew Colson
Merchant permit for trade in Moondale.
Applegate Shipping. Horacio Hillsborough
Permit for docks and shipping in Mondale.
Leigh read thur the list nothing standing out to her. There had to be something but everything looked fairly normal. Moondale and Applegate had been allies for over one hundred fifty years since the founding of Applegate. The trade contracts were pretty basic. Leigh poured over the list reading it again and again still not making a connection.
Leigh put on her boots and her cloak pulling it up over her head covering her wild red hair. She left her room and headed to Randir's. She knocked on the door and waited. A golden hair elven woman answered the door.
"Malenethera I am looking for Randir." Leigh said confusion on her face.
"He is down stairs with Prince Aeryn." she answered.
"Can I help you?" She asked.
"I am going out, I am supposed to tell him." Leigh answered
"Perhaps I can go with you?" Malenethera asked
"If you would like I need to gather some infromation we will be visiting some very shady places." Leigh replied as Malenethera grabbed her things.
Leigh now accompanied by Malenethera left word with one of the guardsmen and made their way down the busy streets.
The first place they went was a tarven where thieves and the like usually gathered. Inside Leigh and Malenethera took a seat. A waitress came over while Leigh was scanning the room.
"You Ladies might be in the wrong place?" The waitress asked eyeing the woman.
" We have your finest port and a little infromation." Leigh replied places five gold prices on the table.
"You definitely came to the right place." She said quickly grabbing the coins and tucking them in her ample blossom.
"Where would one go about hiring the Blackhand?" Leigh asked
"You have to talk to Joel the Butcher." She answered
"Where would I find him?" Leigh asked
"In the farmers market he runs the Butcher shop." The waitress said
"Thank you." Leigh said as she stood from the table and headed to the farmers market, her companion in tow.
The woman walked through the Farmers market finally locating the shop.
"How can I help you?" A jolly plump man with dark grey hair asked smiling.
"We looking for Joel." Leigh answered
"That would be me" Joel replied still smiling.
"How would one go about contacting the Blackhand?" Leigh asked.
"I am but a simple Butcher, I have no affiliation with those type of people." Joel said them smile melted from his face.
"Your lying." Malenethera said sternly slowly moving her fingers drawing a sigal
"Sir, I ask you again." Leigh said narrowing her eyes.
"I leave a note for my contact and he contacts who wishes to hire them" Joel answered
"Where do you leave the note." Leigh asked.
"Behind the waste barrel behind my shop." He answered.
"You will leave one tonight." Leigh ordered
"No" Joel huffed
"You will or I make sure the Mayor know all about you." Leigh threatened stepping towards the Butcher.
"FINE, who's name do I give" He spat back stepping back.
"Malenethera Silverstone" Malenethera replied
"Good day." She finished and walked out the shop, Leigh following.
The woman walked back to the mansion the sun was low. Dinner would be soon, Leigh was beginning to feel the pangs of hunger, but she mostly wanted to take a bath. They found themselves back at the at the mansion.
Leigh went straight upstairs to her room. She ran herself a bath. Aeryn was still downstairs so Leigh sat back and closed her eyes, relaxing. She heard the door open and opened one eye.
"I could come home to this everyday." Aeryn said licking his lips.
- Writer
