'Til Kingdom Comes - The Banished Prince Vol 3: The Prophecy

Procurement

"So dear, what you had actually implemented was a new container for the toothpaste while someone had commented that the toothbrush would be like a hairy caterpillar at the end of a stick? Hahaha...! I never would have thought that way."

Audemars was slapping his thighs when I recounted the whole meeting with him. Since I was the speaker of the conference I had no way to keep minutes of it but had made some notes on the journal instead.

It would be as to provide sufficient details for Audemars to flip through when he was done. He sat at the dining table of the conference as he looked at the drawing done by the engineers and bobbed his head in approval.

On the table, the helpers had placed a food warmer in the shape of the rectangular boxed design and had some of the Priestess Farah's handwarmer pebbles inlaid and this helped to warm the food up without actually using fire instead.

It was super convenient at that time...!

The soft ribs soup and rice had been warned since the meeting ended and it was a welcome indeed. This rectangular fold warmer had not been distributed to other towns and were put on trial first before we mass-produce and starts to market them.

The problem would be the accidental fires if the user happens to ignore the safety instructions.

Although the chances of fire were low, the handwarmer pebbles inlaid inside these food warmer devices could generate a steady heat of 140°F.

Proper handling of these devices would be important and maybe several units would be able to be stacked and shipped out to prevent accidental fires from breaking out.

The twins were fed each by us and they welcomed the pieces of mirliton and potatoes that were cooked earlier on. I had bought 5 pounds of soft ribs and it was more than enough for the four of us for both lunch and dinner.

We soon finished our meals and the twins had bits of rice stuck on their sides of mouth after being fed by Audemars.

It seems that a spoon would be best used for this type of meals but some people say that eating using their fingers was more appetising, which I could not deny.

Fortunately, no matter how much we eat, it doesn't add to our waistlines as both of our metabolism rates was quite high...!

Just as the table was cleared and we had gone up to the balcony where our settee was, Marcel and Marcel arrived after they had tasted every single piece of dish that was presented in the Greasy Spoon.

They had their full before us and were happily tapping their tummies to show that it had been fully satiated by the meals that they had over there.

"So what's up, buddy? Do you need to discuss somethings with us? Don't worry, Your Majesty, my good buddy... Maricel here would be taking part of the operations as the Minister whenever I am not around."

Marcel greeted us as he plopped his fat butt on the armchair while Maricel deftly smoothens her dress before she landed on the other armchair next to her partner.

"So, are you guys married or engaged in some manner?" I asked since I saw that they both had identical wedding bands in their fingers.

Marcel chuckled and replied in a casual manner, "Yes, Your Majesty, both Maricel and me had been officially married in front of her parents who were staying in Barmston."

"We met some time back and had been communicating with each other and decided to tie the knot and begin our journey together."

"She is a errr... What can I say, a person of nob stature? A countess, just like me, a viscount. I guess you would put it as she would be great in counting as well. Hahaha..!"

Maricel was bowing her head low to us as she speaks of how they met with one another and somehow they had known each other well before I had met Marcel before.

So the story between them goes a long way back. In fact, she was indeed an exchange student but stayed back to learn in-depth about the economics as well as other aspects of business management and administration.

In short, she would really be the next best person to take over Marcel's business dealings locally when he goes out of town.

When she heard about the factories that had been set up here in this town she was seemingly excited to learn about it.

She had known about Marcel's dealings and now she knew where the main source of trade comes from.

When she heard about the future expansions of the factories, she was once again immersed with the kind of assistance she would be able to render in the future as well...!

"So, Your Majesty, you would be embarking on a new set of products called the toothbrush and toothpaste, am I right? Have you thought of its marketing name for it?" Maricel asked me as I shook my head since I haven't thought of a name for it except for its general terms.

"How about I propose the name of Sparklie? Whenever someone enters the bathroom and saw the toothbrush, all they wanted to brush their teeth with the peppermint taste everyone they had taken their meals."

"Besides, it's oral hygiene and another thing is to keep them from munching too much like someone here after each meal. Hehehe." Maricel laughed as she poked her fingers at Marcel's tummy as she finished the sentence.

We all guffawed when those two romantic lovebirds started to poke at each other sides.

Maybe there's a difference between nobels unlike me who isn't born as one but married into one.

Audemars was even so stiff when he was coaxed to be with me the first time we had stayed in own thatched house in the centre of the woods which was where our domain is standing on right now.

I thought it myself as I saw the two lovebirds joking around in front of us until Audemars cleared his throat and said, "Heather here had also implemented the process of manufacturing a prototype machine called a blender."

"She would be ensuring that a series of new product would be introduced into the market besides health and beauty ones."

"It's called peanut butter and also fruit jams and this machine would be able to cut processing time too."

Audemars explained that I would be taking over some of the duties and would be monitoring the progress for it.

I added that the containers that would be used to store these peanut butter and fruit jams would be shaped like a mug with a handle.

A wooden stamp would be made by one of the carpenters here and this would be hard-pressed into the clay mugs before being baked to become porcelain wares.

These mugs would have its label and where it comes from and would be a great marketing and advertising tool for more people to purchase as well since it would be a collectable item.

Of course, we try to maintain a low-cost product that would be able to yield more income for us.

"How much do you intend to move these products? I mean are we following our towns currency exchange rate or follow the current market ones?" Marcel asked and he later explained to Maricel that our town's exchange rate is much lower than the outside since each silver could be exchanged for 100 pennies unlike only 12 pennies elsewhere.

Maricel gasped in surprise and asked why the exchange rate was in that manner and Marcel explained it was used only locally here since the coins would be returned back to the treasury every weekend from all the sales proceed from the town square as well as the opened marketplaces on the western side of town.

"As for now and for all future products, we would adjust accordingly to the outside prices."

"There would be two prices, as our local community would be purchasing them at a much lower price than the outside."

"You do the calculations and make a proposal and I would see how it goes then, Marcel."

I suggested to Marcel as they made a mental note of these few products that would be made into samples first before we would be mass producing and setting up more room for the factories to be deployed with more workers.

"One more thing, could I get a few more orders of the unscented olive oil from you? Besides, do you have any idea about where we could get coconut oils too?"

"If you have a network of business partners, of your own, we would be happy to welcome a few coconut trees, saplings et cetera and lots of coconut fruits, young, matured or the ones that are old and suitable for planting."

"I saw in one reference book that coconuts do come in several shapes and sizes and Burgh Island is the only place I could think of if we wanted to get these dwarf green and yellow coconuts from there instead."

I highlighted the need for these few oils and Marcel knew where to procure the items and that would be the offshore ports dotted near Flamborough. Those port of calls would be an abundance of these goods as it would be supplied to other ports of call too.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I knew where to acquire the olive and coconut oils. Leave it to us and we would get back soonest possible when we receive news of it."

"Besides, as for Burgh Island, I know of that place. Its a fairly large island that could be reached by walking from South Devon on low tide."

"That island was inhabited by some local residents who happen to make their home there. Its a hilly place and surrounded by greens all over."

"The coastal also had lots of coconut and palm trees. I've been there for some time when I was in London some years back and I could say that the island and surrounding were almost like paradise as its always sunny and bright and balmy even during the winter season inland...!"

Audemars was truly excited when he heard that Marcel had ever been there and also knew some of the residents staying there. This would make the transaction easier and Audemars ordered for 2 wagon loads of such trees and fruits to be sent over to our town soonest possible.

"It would be here within 3 weeks to a month, my friend. You know how the mail travels from this end to the other end."

"Even with carrier pigeons, those birds would be flying skeletons...! Hahaha. As usual, the correspondence would hop from one town to the other until it reached London and finally to South Devon."

"From there, it would be addressed to the local community there. I don't even know who is the main contact but I would have to address it to the chief of Burgh Island instead."

Audemars spoke to Marcel to do his best ad we concluded the short meet up since those two lovebirds would have a lot of catching up to do later on.

Audemars winked at me and said, "I would be off to the study tonight dear. Don't expose too much to Marcel, he's a very curious dude and would like to learn as much from either both of us once he learnt about my meditative state of mind. Leave it be for the moment then."

"Don't you worry dear, your secrets safe with those who would seal their lips. Besides, spend some time with me and the twins until they sleep, would that be alright dear?" I pouted my lips and asked for a kiss and got one instead on my forehead. Well, a kiss is still a kiss, am I right?

Audemars flashed his signature smile as he went to entertain the twins and brought out an encyclopedia and began to tell them a story and when I looked closely, the page was blank.

Audemars really could pull a straight face when he drummed up something when no one was really noticing. Right now he was telling his adventures as he travelled from the Polynesian era.

I sat down and listened to him and without knowing, I had fallen asleep on the armchair as I kept nodding my head and was soon lulled by Audemars voice as I dream that I was with him when he was in the Polynesian era and was waking up near the white sandy beach with the white sand as fine as powder.