Friedhand's Unexpect Arrival

Two males were in a magic carriage currently waiting outside a large line to get into Runia. Normally, they would have been granted swift passage due to their lineage but they had decided to hang back and blend in to observe the general populace. The man behind the driver's wheel was tall with a slender build. His face was chiselled and sharp yet his orange eyes held softness. His hair was well-groomed and of medium length, its orange colour reflected the light from the sun beautifully. The young man next to him looked very similar in all his features except he had a much more rounded face. His build was slender, he shared the same eyes and hair colour of the man next to him as well.

These two were Archduke Malius Friedhand and his second son, Conrad Friedhand. They were in Runewalker territory for two reasons, the first of which was diplomatic. They needed to negotiate a steady supply of Spellweave crystals for their growing industry sector and seeing as the Runewalker territory was the only way to get their hands on these crystals, a parlay was necessary. The Friedhand house had snatched away a large amount of industry from the Runewalker territory with his son's invention, the steam engine. Yet powering such machines was costly, so the added efficiency the Spellweave crystals would afford them was worth every bit of gold they would have to spend. The problem was getting them in the first place.

The Runewalker house had always been extremely strong yet removed from the political machinations of the Central Territory and the capital, staying to their borders and keeping the Alioth Kingdom safe from their enemies in the south. The industry sector was an important part of their strength as that money funded the war efforts and soldiers under their employ. The Friedhands had all but taken that from them in a moment of weakness. Admittedly, Malius knew the consequences would happen but he had underestimated his son's genius and didn't place much stock in the steam engine until its power was put on display.

Taking the industry from one of the other Archdukes was not something Malius would have minded, but he respected the Runewalkers enough to feel guilty for what he had done. Though in recent times ever since the creation of Spellweave, Malius pondered why he ever felt sorry for them. They were now in the dominant position across the entire Kingdom with their new technology becoming a prominent talking point across the lands. Spellweave was something everyone wanted to get their hands on you had been unable thus far. Malius hoped that by sharing the industry between the two houses, he could reach a deal to secure Spellweave for his factories, even if he had to give up half of his current factories.

The second reason was also the reason his son was here. Conrad had just turned ten years old and once he heard that the inventor of Spellweave was around his age, he pleaded with his father to meet him. Malius agreed as he wondered what might become of a partnership between two genius children could bring. If there was enough reason, Malius was prepared to join the hands of the houses through marriage, either one of the Runewalker daughters to Conrad, or Conrad's elder sister to the Runewalker child responsible for Spellweave. He knew of the other two Runewalker children and had no intentions of ever marrying his daughter to them but if this young one had character, he would consider it.

They slowly inched forwards in the line until they were stopped at the gate. The guard looked through the side window of the magic carriage and motioned for Malius to open the door.

"Welcome to Runia, Archduke. We weren't expecting you so we couldn't prepare an express entrance for you, I hope you can be understanding in this matter."

"Yes, it is of no importance. We decided to come discretely today but I would like to request an audience with the Archduke."

"Certainly sir, If you want to drive to his estate, we will alert him to your arrival ahead of time."

The guard handed Malius a gold token to signify that he was a VIP visitor and waved to the gatekeeper. The Runewalkers had fitted a steel beam across their gate which they raised to let in people for an extra layer of security. The beam rose and the Friedhand's carriage began to move again, entering the busy streets of outer Runia. It took nearly twenty minutes of slow-moving through the street but eventually, they reached the Runewalker mansion. The gate guards walked forward and saluted at the gates opened for the magic carriage.

Waiting for the Friedhands at the entrance of the mansion was Layla and Frey, ready to receive their guests. Malius pulled up and stopped the carriage, stepping out at the same time as his son.

"Archduke Friedhand, what a pleasant surprise. If you had notified us that you were coming, we could have prepared a grander welcome."

Layla gave a curtsy and smiled. Frey had a diplomatic smile on his face yet internally was less than happy seeing him here. After the loss of their industry to him, he had wanted to get back at him for some time. Now that Kye had given them Spellweave, his chance had finally come. Friedhand bowed in response.

"Thank you for allowing me to see you on such short notice. I assure you, if it were not urgent I would have made my plans known to you."

"What do we have that you need so urgently?"

Friedhand looked around before clearing his throat with a cough.

"Perhaps that would better be discussed inside."

"Oh yes, of course. Please, do follow me while my husband goes to finish off a task he was doing before your arrival."

This was a complete bluff. Frey had been flirting with his wives before Friedhand arrived but Frey would have to consult with his other wives on how to handle Friedhand's obvious reason for being here. Alicia's input would be vital as exposing Kye and all his plans before he had his crest was a large risk he wasn't willing to take without his family being on board.

So the Friedhands were escorted into a private room by Layla as Frey went to talk with his other wives. Negotiations would begin.