Herald of Shalia 3, page 5
“Kill?” the valet whimpered as Witch trotted sideways to circle behind him like a predator preparing to pounce.
“There,” Frost smiled at the young man while handing him twenty rel. “She’ll follow you to wherever. Don’t try to hitch her to anything, she doesn’t like that. And if you’re putting her in a stable be sure to leave a gate open or she’ll smash it and bust the heads of anybody trying to get her back in. She’s a bit spoiled.”
“Yes sir,” the valet nodded while activating scan. His eyes went wide as he stared at the mare and then back at him. “Sir, um, your horse is level twenty-nine.”
“And?” Frost asked as Madam Gardenia stifled an amused laugh. He glanced at the fox-eared woman as she wiped away a tear. “Is that strange? She gains experience whenever I practice mounted combat.”
“War horses aren’t generally used for casual transport sir,” the valet mumbled as Witch nudged him forward impatiently. “We don’t have anybody who could rightfully contain her if she were provoked by any of the other animals we’re storing. Other guests might not like…”
“How much do you make in a night?” Frost asked the young man.
“Sir?” the valet was clearly lower class than the nobility since no noble would works as a valet. Frost couldn’t imagine the man made much more than a hundred rel an evening. “About twenty rel for payment and maybe another twenty in tips sir.”
“Only twenty in tips?” Now Frost was the one glaring at the penny-pinching nobles. A meal at the restaurant was over a hundred rel. The least they could do was tip the valet five. Frost pulled out another fifty rel on top of the hundred he already gave the valet. “Just set her up somewhere nice. She’ll follow you pretty much anywhere. Make sure she has plenty to eat and drink. She likes fruit and loves oats but don’t let her eat too many because she’ll upset her tummy.”
“She’ll upset her tummy?” Madam Gardenia could no longer contain her laughter as she burst into tears.
“She will,” Frost said while nuzzling his violent bitch of a horse. “Won’t you? Who loves her oats? That’s right, you do.”
“Yes sir,” the valet nodded. “But, are you suggesting that I find her a personal stable?”
“Not at all,” Frost chuckled. “You can find a nice yard for her to graze in, a cozy spot by the river, or even a warehouse. Or you can put her back in the stables with the other horses. Just make sure that you don’t lose her and she is all taken care of.”
“Where can I…nevermind,” the man shook his head. “I’ll figure something out. Thank you, sir.”
“That’s the spirit,” Frost said patting the man’s back as he walked toward the main doors of the restaurant with Madam Gardenia. He shuddered as one of her fluffy fox tails brushed against the back of his neck.
“Sorry,” Madam Gardenia smirked knowingly. “They have a natural sway to them.”
“Don’t apologize,” Frost grinned. “They can brush up against me all night.”
The nobles stopped and pointed as he approached the door, fully expecting him to get rejected. Their amusement turned to ire as the doorman immediately moved aside to let them in. Clearly the owner did his job in making sure his entire staff understood the situation.
Frost didn’t want to risk threatening violence while in the presence of Madam Gardenia so he was sure to make all of his threats ahead of time. He was not only supplying the owner with a tidy sum of rel for the evening but also, he’d sold him a massive amount of rare meats and monster parts at a discount.
Thanks to his generosity the chef was able to create dishes that no other restaurant in the city was able to produce giving him a significant competitive edge. Although his reputation would take a mild hit for hosting Herald Frost and a demihuman.
“Herald Frost,” the owner, a young merchant in his twenties named Gregory, approached him personally as they entered. “Welcome. It’s a pleasure to have you and your guest this evening. Your table is ready whenever you are or if you’d like I can show you around.”
“The table is fine,” Madam Gardenia smiled while leaning against Frost, her tail once again brushing against the back of his neck. Several patrons behind them muttered rude things under their breath about hair getting in their food but Frost chose to ignore it. “I assume it’s in a corner somewhere?”
“Of course not,” Gregory said while guiding them a flight of stairs. “I’ve reserved our best table for Herald Frost.”
“How much exactly did he pay you?” Madam Gardenia asked with an impish grin. “Businessman to businesswomen? Five hundred?” Gregory’s smile indicated that she was massively underestimating how much he’d spent. “Over a thousand? Over two? You’re joking. Herald Frost you did not spend…”
“You’re worrying too much,” Frost said as Gregory’s face turned red with embarrassment. The fact that Madam Gardenia could so easily read him was probably a cause of shame for a merchant. The total value of both the rel and the materials was closer to three thousand but in actual rel he only spent a thousand. “
Gregory led them up the stairs to their table on the second floor. The moment they reached the top of the stairs, all eyes were on them and they were clearly displeased. Frost didn’t do much business with the nobility so he didn’t know their names but he still recognized the crests of several in attendance. Based on his limited knowledge, most of the second floor was populated by the more established houses.
They walked through the dining room to a table by the rear window as several women voiced their displeasure at their dates. The window was clearly the most sought-after seat and he heard several women make rude comments about being outdone by a demi.
Frost pulled out Madam Gardenia’s seat and she elegantly pulled her tails to the side before taking a seat. After pushing her chair in he took his own seat and Gregory placed a set of menus in front of them and began telling them about the various dishes he’d recommend.
“Do you have a preference?” Frost asked Madam Gardenia as she glanced down at the menu.
“Don’t you intend to order for me?” Madam Gardenia asked with a polite smile.
“Herald Frost,” Gregory leaned down. “It’s customary for the gentleman to order for the lady.”
“Oh,” Frost smiled while trying to remember the various things the courtesans rattled off at him. The only things that he really remembered was she liked meat, sweet wines, and cakes. “Gregory, what are your favorite meat dishes?”
“Meat specifically?” Gregory paused for a moment and then began listing off options. Frost watched Madam Gardenia as the owner ran through several options and while her face gave away nothing, her red fluffy tails didn’t lie. “Can you design a seven-course meal with dishes that compliment the Roast Blood Oxen?”
“I can’t,” Gregory smiled. “But I believe the request will excite my head chef and I assure you he won’t disappoint. As for wine, would you like me to decide there as well?”
“As long as it’s sweet,” Frost said. “If that works for you?”
“The girls have been talking to you, haven’t they?” Madam Gardenia smiled. “Something sweet would do nicely.”
“Wonderful,” Gregory nodded. “I’ll speak to few waiters to ensure you’re taken care of but I’ll also be sure to check in later. Also, as a word of warning, it may take a bit for the first course since my chef will be designing it from scratch.”
“That’s fine,” Frost nodded. “Thanks Gregory.”
“It’s my pleasure Herald Frost,” the owner nodded as we walked off without a hint of judgment. The same couldn’t be said for the patrons of the restaurant.
“You know if your wives find out about this, they’ll be furious,” Madam Gardenia smirked playfully as her tails bounced playfully at her side. “What are you going to offer to make sure I don’t tell them?”
“You’re always thinking about business, aren’t you?” Frost smiled.
“What can I say? It’s my passion,” she smiled as a waiter rushed over with a bottle of wine. He poured the glasses while avoiding eye contact with either of them. Frost imagined that Gregory made several threats of his own should the waiters offend him in some way. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome madam…I mean…” the waiter froze, clearly unsure of how to correct calling an actual madam by her title. “Miss?”
“Madam is fine,” she answered with an impish grin as the waiter scurried off. She turned to Frost. “Does the fact I’m a madam bother you?”
“No,” Frost smiled. “But now that you’ve brought it up, I am curious about your first name.”
“You mean my real one?” Madam Gardenia smiled. “Have you asked Jasmine, Iris, and Zinnia for theirs?”
“No,” Frost answered while sipping his wine. It wasn’t as sweet as the wine the elves made and tasted slightly stronger. It was somewhere between their sweet berry wine and their mid-grade wine. He imagined that Gregory chose it based on how it’d pair with the main course. “I’ll call them whatever they want to be called, the same with you. But Madam Gardenia feels so formal.”
“Hm,” Madam Gardenia smirked and tapped her cheek while sipping the wine. “Nobody’s ever really asked but Haru.”
“Haru,” Frost smiled. “That works, Haru.”
Frost repeated the name several times in his head. He’d called her Madam Gardenia so many times it only felt natural to keep calling her it. Not only that, when she was running her business or caring for her women, she was most definitely Madam Gardenia, a proper lady that was to be feared and respected.
But the woman sitting across from him was also Haru. A happy redheaded fox-woman with two luxurious red fluffy tails wearing a beautiful dress. He smiled as he caught himself admiring her beautiful plunging neckline.
“Aren’t you going to ask if it’s my real name?” she asked while taking another drink. She leaned forward slightly as if to encourage his wandering eyes.
“No,” Frost answered while reluctantly meeting the fox-eared woman’s gaze. Whether or not it was her real name was irrelevant to him. Haru might not have suited the madam in her normal environment, but at the moment, the playful nature of it suited her perfectly. “But it’s cuter than I expected.”
“Cuter?” Madam Gardenia blushed as she quickly averted her gaze leaving Frost wondering if it was in fact her real name. “I suppose that’s a compliment, Sebastian.”
“Ack,” Frost laughed and shook his head. “I forgot you knew that from the wedding. I hate that name.”
“Why?” Madam Gardenia asked playfully. “It’s charming.”
“In my world it comes off as pretentious,” Frost answered. “Or they think I was named after a singing crab.”
“A singing crab?” Madam Gardenia giggled as her tails swayed friskily. “That just makes the name more charming, Sebastian.”
“Quit it,” Frost chuckled as the waiter came over with the appetizer. It was a thinly sliced meat with what appeared to be a specialty bread and some dipping sauce. He glanced at his fox-eared date as she hungrily eyed the meat. “Right. After you.”
Madam Gardenia wasted no time in selecting the piece of meat she wanted and devouring it, completely ignoring the bread on the plate. Frost similarly took a piece and found it similar to a spicy beef carpaccio and placed it onto the bread before dipping it in the sauce.
As more food came, the beautiful fox-tailed woman made similar attempts to avoid anything bread related and a good many of the vegetables. He was a little surprised that she was such a picky eater. He was also surprised by how carefully she was pacing herself.
They continued talking about a good number of topics, mostly focusing around things they enjoy or the various people they know. She particularly enjoyed any stories relating to Jasmine, Zinnia, and Iris so he told her as many as he could.
“Zinnia did not!” Madam Gardenia said in disbelief. “Two Ursa? She’s normally such a crybaby!”
“You should come by and visit more,” Frost smirked at the ruby-haired fox while sliding his dessert over to her. As soon as desert was delivered her face lit up and he realized why she had been avoiding all of the breads and vegetables throughout dinner. The shrewd woman was saving room. “Zinnia’s a lot more confident now than she used to be. I’m sure she’d love to show you how strong she’s become.”
“I would love to,” she said while gleefully digging into his cake. “But I’m so busy all the time.”
“I’m sure Rose can handle the brothel for a few days,” Frost chuckled as he watched her devour his dessert. “I’m sure all of them would surprise you.”
“Maybe if I had a good reason to, I’d come out more often,” Madam Gardenia smiled impishly. “Like if you sold me that land I asked for so I could set up establishments in your territory. I’d have to come out regularly.”
“This again?” Frost smirked. “First off, a brothel would not do well in Pluma…”
“Please,” the beautiful fox laughed. “If I opened a brothel in Pluma I’d have to worry about your elves burning it down. Those poor women have enough competition without me sending more. But restaurants, taverns, musical and entertainment venues, and things of that nature.”
“I told you I’d think about it,” Frost said while glancing at a nearby table with four patrons. They’d been saying things for most of the night and Frost was doing his best to ignore it. He also noticed Gregory attempting to get the foursome to quiet down but it didn’t seem to be doing much good. “It’s not that I don’t want you opening businesses in my territory. I just want to have a better process for the sale of land. Technically I wouldn’t really be selling it either since…”
“I know all that,” Madam Gardenia waived her hand as if she were sweeping his objection away. “No lord actually sells their land. They sell the right to operate on the land. It’s semantics.”
“Why are you so interested anyway?” Frost asked. “The people in my territory don’t have much rel.”
“Yet,” she grinned. “Also, your territory has services and more importantly you have free trade agreements with both Rilia and Zira so…”
“So whatever shops you set up in my territory can avoid tariffs on both ends,” Frost chuckled. “That sounds like you.”
“But more importantly several of the women who visit your village always come back talking about new and interesting things,” Madam Gardenia said. “A few of them have been asking me to broach the subject of sending their children to school in your territory.”
“You’re joking,” Frost laughed while picturing Shael’s face if the poor woman had any more children to look after. Between the Arachne and elves, she was already in over her head, even with help. “What’s wrong with the schools in Blackwater?”
“They’re sorely lacking for demihumans,” Madam Gardenia said politely. “I understand that they’re courtesans but they also strive to be very good mothers. I told them that I’d ask. You don’t need to answer now but…”
“It’s fine,” Frost sighed. “But the problem is logistics. You can’t really walk them to our village and it’s not a boarding school.”
“If you sold me property maybe it could have one,” Madam Gardenia smiled.
“I’ll think about it,” Frost chuckled as he finished the last of his wine. He looked at the empty dessert plate in front of her. “Want me to ask for more?”
“That would be rather …”
They turned to see a loud commotion at the nearby table as the foursome yelled at the waiter. The head of the foursome was gesturing furiously at Frost and Madam Gardenia while simultaneously pointing at his food.
“It’s a filthy hair from that filthy demi you let in here,” the man yelled so the entire room could hear. “I thought this was a fine establishment! Not a barn!”
The waiter tried to get the man to quiet down to no avail.
“Excuse me,” Madam Gardenia stood up from her seat and faced the man. “Have I done something to offend you?”
“One of your filthy hairs is in my food,” the man said while gesturing at his dish. Frost looked at the table and noticed the redheaded woman with them was avoiding eye contact. To anybody with half a brain it was obvious he’d placed one of her hairs in his food. “It’s disgusting!”
“You know what…” Frost stood up with the intention of walking over and beating the hell out of the man but Madam Gardenia quickly stepped in front of him.
“No need,” she said, stopping him as she glared at the men. She pulled one of the long reddish hairs from her tail and held it out for everybody to see. It was a vibrant reddish orange, much brighter than any normal redhead would have and extremely noticeable. “Please feel free to compare this hair to the one in your food if you like.”
“Are you calling me a liar, you demi whore?” the man snarled toward her.
“I would never deign to accuse a member of House Blake of such dishonesty,” Madam Gardenia feigned shock. “Even if your house has recently fallen on hard times after Prince Erik’s demise, your honor is still intact. It must be very frustrating for you to splurge on such a fine restaurant only to find your food tainted given your dire finances.”
Several noble families in the room began muttering and laughing amongst themselves as the loud man’s face turned red.
“Obviously, I will happily pay for your meal if the hair matches mine,” Madam Gardenia continued. “And I’d be happy to pay for the meal of your lovely date as well. And might I say, what a wonderful match my lord. The women of House Corrin are some of the finest in the city with their luxurious crimson hair.”
“What are you implying whore?” the other noble at the table grabbed the angry man’s arm hoping to quiet him. “Get your fucking hand off me!”
“I am implying nothing my lord!” Madam Gardenia said faking meekness. “I am only complimenting the lovely pairing! Not only would it solve House Blake’s financial hardships but…”
“I’ll fucking kill you!” the man pulled out a dagger and dashed toward Madam Gardenia.
“Not smart,” Frost said as he dashed forward and planted his fist in the young man’s stomach. None of the patrons moved as the noble fell to the floor and started coughing up blood. He tried to look up at Frost but his eyes soon glazed over and then he lost consciousness.
