By the Dawn's Very Early Light

Dalen Woodland, Morning of 2 DSTR –

Lafayette shrugged closing his eyes, "Reformer perhaps, not in the way you seem to imply I simply think people should all have the power to get a head. Not everyone a leader. Just the power to not starve."

"That is very egalitariste," Kalena remarked, suppressing her disdain for the progressive sentiment and forcing a smile. In her view life was not meant to be fair and any attempt to make it so was nothing but sheer folly. Life was rather a lottery and about doing the most with what it gave you. No one deserved to be given opportunities. If the poor and disadvantaged had the ambition and drive they sought opportunities out and fought with all their gods-given abilities to achieve success. That's what she had done.

Lafayette looked through his box again taking out a stack of papers. "Trade routes, agreements and plans for benefits of doing so," he explained. "Written and notarized by Kaïs Dubois of Dubois Trading."

"Dubois! Now that is a name I've certainly heard of, but it is not so known on this side of the sea," Kalena said.

Lafayette stood up to stretch and pace a bit. "Now you are likely interested in why I am so willing to show my sword. I do know many a method in which to take down an opponent, I don't want to if avoidable," he said. "I rather dislike the idea of following in my fathers foot steps."

"So your father was a soldier, but you are a merchant representative?" Or was that an elaborately prepared cover story? she wondered with a frown at this new revelation he had sprung on her. "Well a man travelling alone ought to know how to defend himself." She sat back on a log and continued to drink the Earl Grey. "Perhaps I ought to take you directly to see Queen Thalia. But I will warn you ahead of time—Her Majesty does not suffer fools gladly. If you antagonize her as you did Kline, you will be sorry."

At her mention of Horo's Curios, Lafayette said, "Who? Do they sell tea?"

"It's a little speciality shop in the capital that sells exotic items and supplies," Kalena answered off-handedly. "I have not been there myself. My servants buy a lot of things for me, including my tea. But if there were a trade of goods and resources between our two lands this tea blend would not be so rare here. I believe its flavoured by Bergomote oranges that grow only in your homeland."

The first faint pink rays of the dawn rising in the east began to penetrate the thick forest interior, and soon there was the cawing of a single crow in the distance that Kalena imagined probably had just found the breakfast Kline and his men had left for the birds on the side of the road. She finished her tea, set the cup down with the others, and entered the tent to wake Kline. She knelt down and gently shook him by the shoulder. "Rise and shine, Your Excellency. It's time we got moving. Hopefully your men fared well during the night, along with your shipment. I'm going to go untether the horses and then we shall see if we can find our way out of here in the growing daylight."