Chapter Twelve #2
“I wish to read them. I also wish to know if these same laws apply if a bank sells the mortgage—that is, they let a third party pay it off, and then the original people who sought the mortgage must pay that person back on a monthly basis—or the third party will say that they will stop making payments on that property?”
“That’s highly unusual. Most banks won’t do such a thing.”
“Banks in the settlements are few and far between, and they run the best they can.”
“Well, in that case, a scrupulous person would set terms, and if the bank did not charge an increase, neither should they. Did they claim the bank charged an increase?”
“Several times, at least. It seemed to go up every two or three months or so.”
“Then that person lied, or the bank was breaking the laws of Caledon. The bank must be investigated, and then the individual.”
“I was hoping you would say that, Sir Benevent. I know this Fox went by the name of Nemo. Could he be brought here for questioning about these practices?”
“Arrested, Your Majesty?”
“No, not if there was nothing illegal with what he did, but could he be summoned here for a discussion? We could ask the banker from Frost Hills to come, too. Yes, bankers from many of the outer settlements. People are living from hand-to-mouth, and the banks mustn’t take further advantage of a bad situation. ”
“A summit! A banking summit!” Benevent’s eyes looked starry. “Would I be in charge of it, Your Majesty?”
“You and me. Have you ever held a summit before?”
“Well, er, no.”
“Me, either. I imagine we need things like a list of what we ought to accomplish, a place to hold it, a guest list, and some sandwiches. Lots of sandwiches. People don’t pay attention when they’re hungry.
Would a week be enough time to put something together?
We could have it here, in the ballroom. We’ll just put in chairs and tables, and tell the orchestra not to bother coming in,” she chuckled.
“Yes, ma’am! Right away, ma’am. You leave it to me, and I’ll consult with Lord Arendale and have a report to you tomorrow.”
Jocasta nodded and stared at the eager junior minister. He seemed to be waiting for something.
“Oh! You may leave,” she said, then shook her head as he fled. She was going to have to get used to people caring about what she said or did, including not randomly wandering out of the room like customers who came to “browse” the shop.
Speaking of the shop, she needed to ask her parents what they thought about the idea of opening one in Tundra Springs.
She would have to have Cole’s parents over to dinner to return the favor of their hospitality towards her parents.
The Minister of Education and the Minister of Agriculture wanted to discuss new initiatives. ..
“Do I do this every day?” she asked Essa, who was sitting in the back of the Queen’s Parlor, knitting.
“I don’t know, ma’am. I’m new at this, too,” Essa confessed.
“You don’t have to,” Valeria piped up. “My mother told me Queen Ciara took on very few royal duties. She claimed they were for the king, and her job was to be a wife and mother. She thought that maybe you would do the same, since you don’t come from a noble family with experience in these matters.”
Jocasta smiled. “Well, perhaps not, but everybody eats, everybody has bills, and no one wants to be sick, hungry, or broke.”
Essa and Valeria looked at her like she had descended from on high, a prophetess. “What?”
“You are so wise! We knew you were strong and beautiful, otherwise Girion wouldn’t have chosen you, but we had no idea you were so... profound.”
Jocasta shook her head again. “You don’t have to flatter me. I’ll get a big head.”
“No, ma’am, you have a perfectly shaped head.”
She sighed. She missed fishing. Silence.
Most of all, she missed her husband.
“THE HOT SPRINGS ARE flowing, gaining every day since your union. Your wife has set many wheels in motion, and seems to be carrying herself beautifully—even though she is more direct and outspoken than other queens in the past.” Cole walked beside Girion and gave an update.
“She is surely busier than my late, unlamented stepmother. She has come to bed three nights in a row, kissed me, and fallen asleep at once.”
Cole quirked an eyebrow. “Sharing the beds, are you?”
“Hush.”
“Kisses?”
Girion’s ears turned pink. “I love being with her, and she with me. I trust her. It is strange, and wonderful, and freeing. But I don’t want people to think I’m going soft because of my bride.”
“No one but a blind fool would think such a thing.”
“Still, I know several ports are still frozen in.”
“Ah, but the ice breaker crews are able to get them out now. The flow of humans from the settlements into the cities has slowed to a trickle.”
“Jocasta wants to build more roads across the tundra to connect the settlements, and put in education and health centers, one for every so many miles. Not schools, but places where people can come and read the laws of our kingdom so they’ll know if someone is playing them false.”
“I think they call those libraries, sire.” Cole rolled his eyes.
“I think they don’t. I mean, yes, libraries, but these centers would also host meetings where people could ask questions of experts from the various departments and ministries.”
“Talk to our ministers and junior ministers? That sounds terrible.”
“I know, but people have questions, and some of them don’t read well. The law volumes are so heavy and cumbersome—printing presses! I think we need more printing presses. And someone to sum up the key points. Pamphlets—”
“Girion! You attack and defend. You patrol. You don’t think about pamphlets.”
“Well, maybe I should! Our kingdom has been, and ever shall be, I hope, safe from most physical threats. But the threats of ignorance are just as dire for people like the Watermans.” He touched the talisman that Jocasta had given him.
He wore it every day, braided into his hair.
Every time she saw it, the smile she gave him. ..
He knew what it was like to feel the full summer sun shining on you when she looked at him like that.
“You wear that every day now. What is it?”
“The talisman Jo made for one of her late brothers. Their family fell to the mercy of some Fox called Nemo when they were about to miss their mortgage payment after paying for his funeral. I don’t think—had I known that—that I should be called Girion the Great.
I failed to defend families when they needed it most.”
“Oh, Gir. If it hadn’t happened, Jocasta wouldn’t have been so willing to listen to your plea for a marriage of alliance. And look how well it turned out.”
Girion gave a stubborn huff. “Perhaps, but there is only one queen needed in my kingdom, and no other bargains should have to be made.”
“Girion the Great and Noble. Jocasta the Just and Wise.”
Girion’s eyes lit up. “Come with me!”
“Where are we going?” Cole yelped as his leader yanked his arm and turned him in a full circle.
“To the armory!”
“What, why?”
“To have that put on a shield, of course. That’ll make a good belated coronation present, I think.”