Theanore carried Princess Strawberry from a playground to a playground. There either wasn’t any space for her, or no child wanted to have tea parties. With a downcast head, Theanore went to the negotiating table.

It was now empty, it being 5 pm and most of the merchants having gone home. She checked how many negotiations have gone through these past couple of days, and she winced. Only twenty.

“Well, Princess Strawberry, time to make some forms. And they have to be professional looking,” said Theanore with a nod.

She picked up a parchment and a quill and began to write.

First name:

Last name:

Type of merchant:

Goods for sale:

Type of agreement, write ‘Yes’ next to one:

Permanent:

Only for the trade fair:

Price calculation: The price you normally charge, plus shipment fees, taxes, and one silver coin for the Apple Grotto dungeon. By signing at the bottom, you agree to hold to this rule.

Signature:

I, Theanore the nymph, would like to thank you for your participation. Please spread the word of the merchant union and have a nice day.

“That should be enough, right, Princess Strawberry?” Asked Theanore, and then she waved the doll's arm up and down. “I thought so, too. Now, to print enough copies.”

She went to the printing press and placed the parchment in the tube. There were two dispensers. For parchment and for paper. The printing press began spilling paper with what was written on the parchment on it.

Theanore gathered the copies and prepared them for tomorrow morning. With that done, she went home, had dinner and then cuddled with Mary and Archibald and Princess Strawberry.

The next morning, there were a lot of disgruntled merchants waving the new forms around.

“How are we to compete if there is an entire silver worth of overpricing?” Asked one gremlin.

“Why are we not getting a percent added to our winnings?” Asked a giant, his voice booming.

“Everyone, everyone. The overlord has taken the time to make these forms for the good of everyone. Please use them,” said Darion as he waved his arms around, trying to get everyone’s attention.

“Not my overlord!” Screamed an ogre, and he placed the form down on the table and headed back towards the teleport.

“Sir ogre, please wait,” said Theanore calmly. She was hugging Princess Strawberry and the doll gave her strength. “Do you know that only twenty merchants have gotten successful negotiations?”

“What of it, girl?” Snorted the ogre. He was a couple of steps from the teleport. Theanore knew that whatever she said now was critical for her chances to win the competition.

“We need to arrange our goods in the fair grounds. To register them and pay our taxes. We will need more time than we would have had we waited for everyone to negotiate,” said Theanore sternly. She pressed the button on Princess Strawberry, and the doll repeated the last thing she had been told. A failsafe for such a case as this.

“We have to be united, for if we are not, the merchants of the Sapphire Empire or Alerion will win. Then we will see no increase in trade. And what of the poor mermaids? We can give them fair deals, but would our competition? Have a heart,” finished Princess Strawberry and Theanore switched off her talking function. Which was good, too, since then, Princess Strawberry’s mana crystal dimmed and cracked.

“Your…doll speaks true. I will do this for the mermaids, girl. But mark my words, I will enter the merchant union only for the duration of the fair,” said the ogre, and he took a quill and began to fill in the form.

“Well, I suppose it is reasonable. But I will enter this for a more permanent period,” said the giant. “I need someone to fill this for me.”

“Allow me,” said Theanore, and she went to the giant. He handed her the form and she began to fill it up as he dictated. One hand holding the quill and the other clutching Princess Strawberry.

There were so many people around. What if someone accidentally smashes her? Or, worse, on purpose? She was the very first doll she had been given. When Theanore finished the form, she handed it to Darion and went a safe distance away from any stumbling feet or nudging elbows.

Theanore kissed Princess Strawberry’s head in thanks for her help and looked to Darion.

“Dari, can you manage here?” She asked and the gremlin nodded.

“You go play. I hear another greenhouse has been completed up to the point that it needs sanding and painting,” said Darion and Theanore beamed at him. Before she went to the greenhouse, she went back home to leave her doll in the safety of her bed.

She tucked her in and kissed her again, and she was off, skipping along the road to the lake. Theanore lost herself in work the entire day. Around lunch, the pixies began to sing, and the little nymph became sleepy.

Theanore then left the rest of the work to the pixies and went back to her house to find Mary, Archibald, and Marinus already napping. She got in her bed and hugged Mary, who, despite her tomboy nature, was hugging Princess Strawberry.

When she woke, it was to the tasty smell of bean soup with pork and strawberry rolls. Dinner was a lively affair as Darion had come and had told her all the forms were filled. Now she only needed to take care of the logistics of transporting all types of goods to the trade fair grounds.

One option was the teleport. And for the goods coming from No Man’s Land, she would use it. But not every merchant had easily accessible goods via teleport. For them, she would need wagons.

The surrounding villages had wagons. But they required them for trips to Mirstone and to cart their goods. But she was sure that people would let her rent their wagons if she asked nicely enough. And paid handsomely. All it mattered was the competition. The merchants of the Dawn Empire and No Man’s Land believed in her. She couldn’t let them down.