121 Power Struggle (1/2)
Only a short while after Corco had left the familiar comfort of his own sales pitches, he had shifted gears. Gone was the merchant prince, arisen had the King of the South. From his elevated seat, the king looked down to the man who had requested this private audience. Normally, any interruption in the banquet's formalities would be impossible. However, Corco would make an exception this time. After all, the man who sat before him was his cousin, and someone whose support would be invaluable.
”Thank you for meeting me here, King Corco,” Mayu started. All the while, he sat in front of his cousin, unasked. Even though he was already seated, Corco still pointed towards the seat out of habit, before he began to observe the new Governor of the South from across his desk.
Rather than the noisy banquet hall, they had met in this private room meant for discussions. Around them, the windowless walls were decorated with nothing but a few loose-hanging drapes, as well as a privacy screen in the corner. The short partition made of carved cherry wood divided the room into a more casual seating area with low tables and lounges, as well as two chairs with a desk between them. For today's meeting with his cousin, Corco had chosen to sit on the latter. This wouldn't be a casual chat between family members.
”I hope I did not disturb your day, King Corco.” Mayu smiled an unreadable smile. ”I am sure you have had enough disturbances for today.”
”So what is it you want here, Mayu?” Corco asked in a terse voice. Rather than sit here and exchange pleasantries, he would love to be out in the hall and make some more trade deals with the southern lords.
”Aah, I simply wished to meet in private,” Mayu replied, somewhat too fast and too eager. ”House Saqartu wishes to apologize for the rudeness towards King Corco back in Puscanacra, some two seasons ago. Back then, my father had only just passed on, which explains this lord's inadequacies. I hope it will not change the relationship between Puscanacra and the imperial family.”
Instead of a straight-up answer, Corco sat there and tapped his lip. The gears in his head turned hard and fast, while he tried his best to understand his cousin's motives for his detached attempts at reconciliation.
”I don't represent the imperial family, only myself. It's not houses, or cities, that have relationships. It's people. You understand that, right?”
”Of course, King Corco,” Mayu answered, still unclear about his cousin's meaning, as far as Corco could tell. ”That is why I am here, to make sure that there is no deeper discomfort between the houses. Thus, this lord wishes to apologize.”
”Yeah, so you said.” With a sigh, the king picked up the bronze crown before him and began to roll it around on his desk. ”You said it a few seconds ago, you said it when I visited your table earlier tonight and you said the exact same thing when you arrived in Saniya this morning. You've apologized enough. It's not like anyone's forcing you.”
”My uncle would disagree, King Corco.” At last, Mayu's expression showed more than complete indifference as his lips curled downward in annoyance.
”Lord Ogulno won't care if you keep apologizing, not to this extent. I'm sure the only reason he's even acted like a stern teacher during your first apology was because he's been asked to do so by your mother or our grandfather.”
Again Mayu had returned to his calm expression. Without anything to work with, Corco continued on his own.
”I mean, the guy has already done his duty and he'd be damned if he ever does anything more than the required minimum to coast through life.”
”Careful, King Corco. This lord will not accept any slander of his family members.” Again, Mayu showed emotion, though Corco was sure that it was nothing more than fabricated.
”Urgh.” Since Mayu seemed not interested in any serious discussion, Corco's real feelings managed to slip from his mouth.
*Might as well,* he thought, and put his crown back on his head.
”You know, Governor Mayu, before I went into this room, I actually had some fun for the first time today. I could enjoy myself, meet some interesting people, have a drink together, have a laugh together. If you don't tell me what you're doing here right now, then you might want to excuse me if I'd rather go back to that instead of listening to your passive-aggressive attempts at stalling.”
”King Corco intends to do more than simply drink with the lords, is that not the case?”
Intrigued, the king, already half out of his chair, sat back down.
”And what makes you think that?” he asked. In response, Mayu raised a finger.
”First of all, even back in Arguna, King Corco would not spend much time on other lords. Why would king do so now?”
”But back then, I had to worry about succession and about my father's killers. So of course I wouldn't have time to fool around,” Corco held against.
”There is no reason to keep secrets, King Corco. We are allies after all. We will have to get along if we wish to keep the south peaceful. I have heard about King's plans for the north-east of Medala: A large trade-network, centered on Porcero, to connect the estates and bring about peace. What an ambitious goal.”
Despite the brat's cocky smile, Corco wasn't in the least bit impressed with his cousin's deduction. At this point, he and his people were well into the implementation of their plans. Rather, Corco would have been surprised if the Governor of the South hadn't known about their plans. So, without an attempt at denial, Corco looked back at Mayu and waited for the young lord to continue.
”Thus, I believe King Corco attempts to do the very same thing here, in the south. Only on a much grander scale.”
”And what makes you believe that, Governor Mayu?” the king asked back, as a calm smile crept onto his face.
”To any careful observer, King Corco's goals are obvious. All evening King Corco has spent with the southern lords, to praise the new goods produced or traded in Saniya. Clear glass, mechanical clocks, porcelain, brandy, soap, perfume... not to mention the fertilizer which has produced such an unnatural amount of food, as well as those new cannons every lord received an impressive demonstration of earlier today.”
”An unfortunate misfire,” Corco corrected, to minimal effect.
”No wonder King Corco has allowed the commoners onto the river islands. This way, secrets are far easier to protect.” Mayu allowed himself another fake smile. ”Since the duel between the Villcas, King Corco has gone around, quite the diligent host. Every lord that King has met with has been asked for goods from his estate. Lumber from the upstream Mayura, amber and whales from the southern coastal regions, livestock of all kinds from the rural lowlands, copper from Kapra. All kinds of raw materials, to move through the river streams, back to Saniya, to be turned into products, which will then once again be sold to the other lords. In this way, all paths will lead here, to Saniya, to make it the center of political power in the south. Is this the grand plan the king has created, to hold the south under his thumb?”
”You were listening in on my talks?” Still nonplussed and his voice still flat, Corco raised a single eyebrow together with his question.
”We are at a noble banquet. Any lord who fails to spy on the host failed to do his duty,” Mayu replied, just as calm. ”Since King Corco intends to connect the southern estates, would King not also need to find support from the east? The lords around Cashan hold many valuable products as well, not least of which is iron ore. Not to mention, the path through Cashan and Port Ulta is the only way to connect King Corco's operations in Porcero with the plans here.”
Once Mayu's speech was finished, he sank back into his seat, though his back was still straight as a rod. Meanwhile, Corco was still slumped back, his cheek now in his hand.
”Okay, so where are you going with all of this, Lord Saqartu? Are you just here to impress me with how clever you are?” Annoyed by his cousin's inaction, Corco tried to cut to the chase.
”Oh no, this lord's concern is simple. Although all of Sachay's south-west has been incorporated in this plan, one spot is conspicuously absent.” He looked back behind Corco, to the rough map of Medala which had been stitched into the drapes. ”Somehow, in all of tonight's plans, my table was the only one king did not attempt to strike an agreement with. This lord wonders what he has done wrong. After all, Puscanacra has spared no effort to support Saniya with food and lumber over the past season. Not to mention, a cooperation between Puscanacra and Saniya would greatly increase the cohesion within Sachay, something of great value in trying times such as these. With the erratic actions of the Villca heirs in full view, King will need any help he can get.”