Berger Sovanid sat quietly at his desk on the highest level of Talonspire Tower, wordlessly poring over steward's reports and banking receipts. The Bank of Noctua was a sort of monster unmatched in size throughout all of Elyden, and it was quite an impressive feat for Berger to be as involved in its maintenance as he was; all important documents relating to the bank's operations went through him directly, and most of the hours of his days consisted of numbers on paper. It was the sort of daily grind that Berger found comforting—that most men in Talonspire found comforting.
The nearby Talonspire Town was a settlement of scholars and bureaucrats. Between the headquarters of the Bank of Noctua and the most exhaustive library in Elyden, the Laiskas Medjen, there was little room for anyone to live in Talonspire Town who wasn't pertinent to either facility's operations. Talonspire Tower, standing tall over the diminutive town, was hardly an exception. It was a chore to find a single nobleman in the tower's many stories that wasn't either immersed in a work of literature or managing some important foreigner's finances. The capital of House Sovanid was a marvel of architecture that very much represented the character of the house itself. James Conrad the Second, though, was not a Sovanid.
As James went up to the door he was a bit nervous. The Sovanids were always a secluded people, and even though James' father had asked this of him, he wished he didn't have to talk to Berger. James knocked on the door and heard a faint and tired, "Come in." from the other side.
"Hello Lord Sovanid. Might I speak with you?" James asked as he opened the door, speaking nervously.
Berger continued to work as he responded, his attention still on his papers more so than his son-in-law. "I suppose that's fine." he replied, sighing slightly.
James stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. "Well Lord Sovanid, my father Lord Conrad asked if perhaps I could stay with you in Talonspire, to help work at the bank and go over finances. He knows how good I am with numbers and thinks spending time at the best and largest bank in Elyden would do me good. It would also allow your daughter Maurice to stay close with you."
Using his gravely fingers to flip over to another page, Berger nodded idly, still immersed in his work. His eyes never once turned to James. "Right, that will be fine. I can arrange for you to oversee the collection of taxes from some of the local businesses here in Talonspire." Berger continued to read, and the room was silent for a moment, but before James could assume to leave, Berger pulled open a drawer in his desk and withdrew a sapphire ring and a key on a looped piece of string. He stood from his chair, and presented both to James. "The sapphire ring is the unofficial emblem of Sovanid bankers. Not necessarily actual members of House Sovanid, but those affiliated with our... 'best and largest' institutions, as you mentioned. If you see a scholarly looking man wearing a sapphire ring, it's fair to assume he's either your coworker or your subordinate. The key has an obvious purpose." Berger paused here, and laughed heartily, apparently considered his statement highly humorous. Wiping a tear, he continued, "Floor six, department three. There will be men working there that can tell you all of the specifics. Was there anything else?"
James smiled "Well, Lord Sovanid thank you for this. Though one question my father did want me to ask. How do you feel about the rest of the realm and the boy king?" James said as he grabbed the key and sapphire ring.
Berger gave a shrug, and then gestured to the sapphire ring on his own finger. "It is imporant to remember, my new son, that who sits on the throne is largely a formality. The noble house seats, the High Council, and the unwashed masses together hold power a hundred fold what the King could ever wield. And once all of those four parties are accounted for, the rest of the power belongs to the men with sapphire rings." Berger chuckled, and made his way back to his desk to work, beckoning James away with a wave of his hand.
James chuckled and nodded to his new father-in-law. He then left and headed out the door, to the third department of the seventh floor. There was work to be done.
((A collaboration between LordZell and myself.))
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