Lord Edras Pell regretted that changing regional circumstances required Harrowfen Territory to reduce its involvement in new trade partnerships. Existing obligations would be honored for the remainder of their current term.
Antony sighed.
"At least he’s keeping the contract," he said.
Roxanna looked down at Michael.
"Someone pressured him."
"Its obviously Garron."
Michael finished feeding and released a tiny sigh. She carefully lifted him to her shoulder.
Antony watched automatically.
Three months in, there were certain movements he no longer even thought about: supporting Michael’s head, keeping cloth nearby, knowing which cry meant hunger and which meant exhaustion and checking the strange blue eyes when the baby suddenly became too quiet.
She gently patted his back.
"Are you going to fight him?" She asked.
He looked toward her.
"Garron?"
"Yes, who else?"
"No."
"Not yet?"
"Hopefully never."
Roxanna smiled.
"Very diplomatic."
"I mean it." He put the letter down. "War would be stupid."
"Because he’s Orange?"
"Because everybody loses," he quietly said.
Roxanna waited for him to continue.
"If I attack Garron, every Lord under his protection sees me as a threat. If he attacks me openly, he looks afraid of a Red Core territory."
"So he’s trying to make you submit voluntarily."
"Or collapse economically."
Roxanna’s eyes sharpened slightly.
"Will that work?"
He smiled.
"No."
She smiled back.
"I trust you."
Michael burped loudly against her shoulder.
Antony looked toward him.
"Excellent contribution."
She laughed.
His expression softened.
There were moments like this when the growing regional problem almost felt unreal.
A powerful Orange Core Lord was attempting to isolate his territory,merchants were being harassed, resource claims were being manipulated and diplomatic contacts were cooling.
Plus his wife was sitting across from him with their three-month-old son resting against her shoulder while morning sunlight came through the windows.
Roxanna noticed him staring.
"What?" She casually asked.
"Nothing."
"You look like you’re starting to think too much."
Antony leaned back.
"I was just wondering how strange my life has become."
She raised an eyebrow.
"You married a Goddess five years ago."
"It was already strange," he agreed.
"Nothing can top that."
Michael made another small noise.
She looked down at him.
"He’s sleepy."
Antony stood.
"I’ll take him."
"You have a council meeting."
"In twenty minutes."
"Sweetheart."
"That’s enough time," he said while extending his arm to her.
She handed him over. Michael settled against his almost immediately.
He smiled.
"See?"
She folded her arms.
"You’ve spoiled him."
"Impossible."
"He refuses to nap unless someone is holding him."
"That sounds like good judgment."
"Antony."
"Roxanna."
She flatly stared.
He smiled.
Michael yawned.
"Fine. But when he refuses to sleep alone at six months, that’s your problem," she said, clearly giving up.
"Future Antony can handle it."
"Future Antony will complain," she said, her tone filled with mockery.
"Future Antony complains about everything," he shot back.
"At least you’re self-aware."
He carried Michael into the council meeting. No one commented anymore, three months had trained them to just look it over.
General Alric barely looked up when Antony entered with the baby tucked against his chest. Oren simply moved a stack of reports farther from the edge of the table.
Seris smiled.
"Lord Michael attending again?" She asked.
"He’s observing, early training."
Michael’s eyes were closed.
"Very closely," she said, her tone filled with amusement.
"Exactly." He sat and turned to Oren. "Report."
Oren opened the first document.
"Merchant traffic is down eleven percent."
Antony expected that.
"External only?"
"Mostly. Internal commerce is stable."
"Food?"
"Surplus."
"Ore?"
"Enough for four months at current construction rates."
"Mana crystals?"
"That is more concerning."
He glanced toward him.
"How concerning?" He asked.
"Two months if military consumption increases," he said in a grim voice.
Alric frowned.
"That’s bad."
"Not yet." Antony said and looked toward the resource map. "What do we produce locally?"
"Low-grade crystals from the northern caves. Not enough."
"Can production increase?"
"Perhaps thirty percent."
"Do it."
One of the resource officials hesitated.
"My Lord, expanding extraction could destabilize part of the cave system."
"Then don’t do it carelessly."
"We would need additional supports."
"Build them."
"It will cost timber."
"Use stone."
"That costs labor."
He quietly stared at the man.
The official slowly nodded.
"Understood."
Oren continued.
"Second issue. Several caravans have requested armed escorts beyond our borders."
"How far?"
"Some want protection all the way to independent territory."
Alric shook his head.
"We don’t have the manpower."
Antony thought.
"Not permanent escorts."
Seris leaned forward.
"What are you thinking?"
"Convoys."
Oren’s eyes sharpened.
He continued.
"Instead of every merchant leaving whenever they want, designate protected departure days. Merchants travelling the same direction move together. We escort them to a neutral point."
Alric nodded slowly.
"Fewer soldiers. Larger groups."
"Exactly."
"Bandits are less likely to attack forty wagons with thirty guards than five wagons with six."
"Especially if the escorts rotate." Seris smiled. "That works."
Oren wrote it down.
"Third issue. Harrowfen’s reduction in trade leaves us short on leather."
Antony sighed.
"What do we have too much of?"
"Grain."
"Always grain."
"Your farmers are annoyingly competent."
"At least we’re good at something."
Oren continued.
"Also medicinal herbs and basic cloth."
Antony looked toward the regional map.
"Find territories outside Garron’s sphere."
Oren hesitated.
"Farther routes will bring higher transport cost."
"Yes."
"Less profit."
"For now."
Oren smiled.
"You’ve decided."
"I’m not going to reward Garron for squeezing us," he firmly said.
Alric laughed quietly.
Antony continued.
"Look east and northeast. Even if the roads are longer."
"What if he pressures them too?"
"Then we go farther."
Seris looked amused.
"Stubborn."
"Independent."
"Same thing sometimes."
Antony ignored her.
Over the next month, Urelias Territory adjusted although it wasn’t perfect, it was enough.
Merchant traffic fell initially, then stabilized when Antony introduced convoy protection.
The contested iron deposit remained under Lord Hester’s occupation, but a newly expanded quarry reduced stone imports while deeper exploration of the northern hills discovered another small ore vein.
Mana crystal shortages remained a concern, so Antony temporarily slowed nonessential magical construction.
Trade routes expanded farther east. Although those routes were more expensive, they were also beyond Garron’s immediate influence.
More importantly, Antony began speaking quietly with Red Core Lords who disliked Garron’s control.
It was not formally or as an alliance, that would have been too obvious; instead, invitations went out for "trade discussions."