“Guards, let them through!” my uncle ordered, as he helped me to get down the carriage. The men in heavy armour let the two nobles through while I took my walking cane and approached them. Manuel was a little shorter than me, but while I had lost much of my muscle mass from my involuntary diet, Manuel was even thinner than me. He had brown hair and the signature grey eyes of his house of Arborea. He looked, as he just left the bathhouse, as his hair was neatly combed and there was even a smell of perfume around him. His clothes rich with embroidery of flowers showed a distinctive taste, a little too much for someone of his age. It remembered me the style of clothing of my grandmother Eleonora, but while her clothing looked clean and in peak conditions, the fabric of Manuel’s clothes looked worn and a size too big for him. He looked tired and nervous, his steps a little too fast.

His sister Lucia was an entire head smaller then her brother but had the same hair and eyes. In contrast to her brother, she looked more mature in mind and body: her steps confident, a smile on her face and an arm around her brother’s arm. I realised that she walked slower then her brother, so that Manuel had to stop his sprint and walk in his sister’s speed. Her dress was more modest than her brothers regarding the colours, decoration and craftmanship. It was a simple red dress with some white birds “flying” along the edges of the fabric. On the upside the dress was obviously new and made for her and the tight fabric accented her waist, the cleavage her chest. And while Leonidas memories screamed at the scandalous dress of hers, my other self was more… amused, as the dress looked more like a more formal ball gown, which seemed pretty to me, sure, but not seductive.

What was not so amusing, was my confusion as to why she clothed herself as she did. So, I decided to stop her approach. “Manuel, my old friend! I am glad to see you on my first walk since my accident. How are you?” I called out as I met the duo on the side of the rode.

But my first grand strategy in rhetoric failed, as Manuel’s eyes went wide, his face pale. There was a mix of confusion and panic in his face as he struggled for an answer. “My Lord, I am happy to see you so lively again. Thank you for your concerns, I am fine.”

That was the stiffest answer to a question I have witnessed in not one, but two life’s! Granted, both were a little short – but still! I glanced quickly at Lucia and saw confusion written all over her face. I tried to smile at that and put my hand on Manuel’s shoulder to try to sound a little friendlier. “Manuel, relax! Why the honorifics? I am finally out of the villa at the fresh air, so do me a favour and tell me, how come you and your sister are here in town?”

With time, my smile became only stiffer, as the panic has fled Manuel’s face only to be replaced with more confusion. Was I so bad with people?

“My Lord, forgive my brother, we have just left the bathhouses in the Higher City and I fear the heat there and here outside have made my brother lose control over himself”. Manuel woke up at Lucia’s words and was about to rebut her, as the lady rammed her elbow into the side of the young knight. Satisfied with the wincing face of her older brother, Lucia made a short curtsy to me and looked at me with a seductive smile at first.

“My lord, we are both very happy as loyal vassals about you regaining your health and assuring the stability of the ducal throne.” She squinted slightly her eyes as I was not very happy about her obvious advance and changed her whole demeanour in mid-sentence. “You see milord, we are summoned by the bailiff of the Higher City to his court, and I must confess that my family is in a dire situation. On behalf of our common ancestry, please help us.” Lucia looked straight into my eyes and bowed before me. Manuel seemed to have come to some sense and bowed too.

“What has happened Lucia, tell me. I do recall that your father, the honourable Viscount Armin de Arborea has his territories in the northwest of Sarembria, where many profitable iron ore mines are.”

“You are right, milord, but since the Holy war against the Nomadic tribes, our region was devastated. The little infrastructure was destroyed, the farms burned, the mines collapsed, and the serfs killed. Our father painstakingly started to rebuild our fief, but we could not produce enough food, so we had to buy grain from the merchants. And while the grain market on Sarembria did grow, so did the demand and my father went into debt to the Mitalican merchants. And as we finally got the mines rebuild and money flowing, the merchants now demand their debts to be paid. But we do not have the money.”

“You make it sound as if you finally got on the right track financially. Why do the merchants not want to wait and what role plays the bailiff in this story?”

“Milord, the merchants want us to sell them all our iron ore mines and the land around them. And the bailiff of the Higher City is called upon, as he has the right to judge over a case which involves the duchess territory and nobility as the representative of Her Grace The Duchess.” Lucia answered me and then hesitated for a moment, before continuing.

“Milord, the merchants are from the Republic of Borum, a vassal of the Great Duke of Tolania and are actively supported by one of Seats of the City Counsel of the Lower City and I fear the financial ruin of my family with such political connections of the foreigners. I beseech you to be present at the bailiffs court to prevent any underhanded methods and forgive us for our selfish interest in ruining your free time.”

I was intrigued, honestly. Firstly, this whole situation felt a little too “accidental”. Secondly, while I was not a fan of Lucias advances, I was impressed how fast she adjusted her mannerism. There was not a hunch of seductiveness. Thirdly I wondered how a direct relative of the reigning ducal household could be in a political dilemma while no-one of the reigning dynasty took notice. And lastly, why are the merchants of Borum and the Lower City of Salaria working together to rob a profitable but badly reachable mine on Sarembria. They are traders in the first place and almost never involve themselves into the production of goods.

I smiled the first time earnestly back at Lucia “Lucia, your brother is a friend of mine, and our blood does ties our families tight. I will come with you to the court session and prevent any foul play as good as I can. But please, stop the honorifics. While I am a true Baron, I am still your peer in age. I already have to walk with a cane, so if you call me milord all the time, I will feel old and frail not only in body, but also in mind”

Lucia let out a small chuckle while Manuel looked the first time at me without showing his emotions on his face. “Thank you, Leonidas. Let me guide you to the bailiffs keep.” So, we moved to stone building which was looming over us from the other side of the street. As we walked, frankly a little slow because of me, I noticed how my uncle wordlessly followed just right behind me. And as Manuel started to retell me the concrete situation of their family and how he was now the Baron Regent of his family’s fief as his father has fallen into depression, my guards already have entered the keep and were making a free way for us three.

Indeed, what a good performance. But for whom is it?