46 Milel Athy

Baronial Treasurer's office was located above the castle treasury, on the bottom floor of the tower that also contained the constable office. It contained the only entrance to the treasury which was via a stone stairwell in the back of the office at the other side of a thick reinforced iron door. Opening this door required the use of two keys one of which was held by the treasurer and the other usually by the baron. This Amondo retrieved from the constable whom Leonid had given it to before riding out to his death.

Milel Athy was a bespectacled man in his late thirties and had held the position of Baronial Treasurer for the last five.

When he entered the office Amondo didn't find Milel inside but rather a much older clerk who he recognised as having worked with his father's treasurer in the same role.

"Sire if you're looking for Milel then I'm afraid he's out at the moment he likes to go for a short walk this time of the day but he should be back soon."

"I'll wait then, how are you Claude isn't it?"

"Can't complain, milord, my old bones aren't up to what they used to be but I can still hold a quill as well as the next man."

"Good to hear it how goes the work?"

"Well you know how it is we can be busy at times but the state of what's below is depressing and since the death of your brother all the profits go to the crown as well as the taxes. The debts are hard to get from them but we persevere and with you down here I imagine the child must have been born what was it in the end?"

"Girl."

"That's good news milord Nazma was like your mother never one to spend all that much money on herself but well you hear things and I'm sure we'll all do better under you without anyone's else's input."

"That first bit surprises me."

"Well while I've been serving your family there's been five no sorry make that six baronesses and of them, your grandmother Zeinab spent the most then Leonid's mother Shel, who was worse than your fathers only surviving wife Kelbelle and Leonid's first wife Berenice who were about the same I reckon. They were followed by Nazma and finally your mother Medrine who was a bit of a miser truth be told. Of course, your brother Leonid, the gods rest his soul spent like there was no tomorrow whether he had the funds on hand or not."

"So I hear now what about my father and grandfather?"

"Now your grandfather when he died there wasn't much more in the treasury than there is now, no real debts of course still. Your father turned that all around took him a while and his marriages helped but your task well I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy."

It was at this point that they both turned around after hearing the sound of someone approaching the office. Milel Athy had obviously finished his walk as he now entered the room.

"Claude she's given birth, milord I wasn't expecting you, are you here to talk with me or just to visit the treasury?"

"Both actually but let's get the treasury out of the way first."

"You have the other key milord I keep mine around my neck day or night if you don't the constable has it."

"No I got it off him already, now's as good I time as any."

"Follow me then, have you been in it before the treasury I mean?"

"Only the once it was just before my father died and he wanted to show me some bejewelled dagger for some reason or other that escapes me at the moment."

Amondo followed Milel through the office and onto the reinforced iron door which had four keyholes, not two. It was a real solid piece of work that Amondo felt must date back to when the castle was first built

"Alright, my key goes into the bottom left keyhole and yours into the top right one the other two are just decoys. Such things were apparently in fashion back when the door was installed waste of money if you ask me but I see the appeal I suppose.

Amondo took the key from his pocket and Milel his from around his neck and once they had both turned them the door opened inwards. Amondo reckoned that the hinges needed oiling but when he mentioned this to Milel informed him that it was better this way as you could tell when the door was being opened.

On the other side of the door, a stone staircase was revealed and Amondo followed Milel down it to the treasury below. There were twenty-five steps in total and they wrapped twice around the stairwell. The landing below revealed a big enough looking room about five metres squared. Shelving was littered all over the back wall and there were two large chests and three smaller ones as well. Most of the shelves were bare but there were about a dozen items made of silver and a few other things so they weren't empty.

"There you are, sir, the large chest on the right is for the gold and the one on the left the silver. The small one in the middle is for coppers the one on the left jewels and the like and the other well its always been empty as long as I've worked here."

"It's been five year's hasn't it?"

"Yes milord your brother hired me from the lordship of Kiffrey in the Barony of Estrip when my predecessor was caught up in some financial shenanigans that were never actually explained to me. I'm the fifth son of a knight who was in service to the lord there and not martial material even if he could have afforded to have any but my two eldest brothers trained. Enough about me you'll be wanting to take about the finances?"

"Yes, how much is in this treasury at the moment?"

"As of yesterday, it's seventy-nine gold, one hundred and seven silver and three hundred or so coppers. The crown, of course, has been reaping the barony's income since your brother's death and will be doing so until after your investiture. The Escheator has been in charge of that and while he has been keeping to the rules on that you never know what extra he might want to grease the wheels with."

"There's nothing we can do about that I was going to transfer some of my own funds to the treasury but if there's nothing pressing I might wait until after the escheator leaves."

"Probably a good idea milord."

"So what are the total debts do you know?"

"Last time I checked it came to eight thousand, two hundred and fifty-nine gold, fifteen silver and twelve bronze plus whatever interest has accumulated since."

"Other than Eugene are the rest willing to make do with the repayment instalments and the interest?"

"Just a few of our smaller creditors are looking to be repaid by the end of the year."

"How much would that all come to?"

"Off the top of my head, it should come to just over a hundred gold."

"Good I have twice that much in hand already but still best to wait to pay them until closer to the end of the year. All right Marke Alfara is in charge of my personal treasury and tomorrow I'll send him over to have a look at the books. Not to worry he has other duties to take care off so unless he finds anything wrong with your books, I will be retaining you in your current position. Now unless you wish to confess to financial mismanagement and save him searching for any then I have other things to take care off."

"Not to worry milord I keep honest books."