Jenn smiled helplessly. She was confident that was the core issue here. Nor was there any proof to support anything she said. After all, all she'd done could be seen as manipulation to get Maelias in a more favorable mood to agree to what Jenn had just offered.
"There's nothing I can say that would assure you of what you're asking me for," Jenn replied carefully, not wanting to create more problems for herself with this subject. "All I can say is that you can watch us while we go about our business and see if we do anything that either makes you trust us or distrust us. As actions do speak louder than words."
Maelias nodded noncommittally. "I suppose that's the best I could hope for from you."
Hiliash looked rather upset with the way the discussion was going but didn't stop his preparations for a meal. "I hope you're not leaving now. I haven't had a chance to make you feel welcome yet."
"Don't worry about that," Jenn assured him, here gaze steady on Maelias. "We were invited to stay the night and unless that invitation is withdrawn, we don't plan on going anywhere."
Maelias scoffed at Jenn's words. "You have done anything to warrant me kicking you out. Besides, you did pay off my debt and that would be rather rude to make you go to an inn just because you said something I didn't like."
"I wasn't worried about that, I just thought I should let your husband know that we didn't plan on going anywhere unless we were asked to leave."
Maelias nodded at Jenn, looking like she wasn't offended, though Jenn wondered if maybe there was an etiquette to these things on this world that Jenn's memories that weren't hers didn't provide for her. She glanced at Yaelish, hoping that she might be able to provide some insight into this situation, but Yaelish looked as baffled as Jenn felt at how things were developing. Which didn't help Jenn out any.
While they waited for the food to be cooked, Jenn felt the silence was uncomfortable but she didn't try to dispel it. She wasn't sure if there was anything she could say to help salvage some of what she'd said before that had gotten them into this mess. Where Maelias wasn't looking as friendly towards them as she had after Jenn had paid off her debt.
Jenn was serious in her offer and while she understood why Maelias wasn't going to just take her word on the subject, she wished that there was some way that she'd be able to change Maelias' mind with just her words. Though, the only way she could think of doing that would be with her magic. Yet, if she did that she'd reveal an ability she wasn't sure was wise to show in these circumstances.
Maybe if it became a life or death situation, she would but right now she hardly felt like it would gain her any real benefit. Not to mention she couldn't be sure who else might be watching, making it a potential hazard for her and those with her as she was confident she hadn't made any friends among the debt collectors by paying off this smith's debt and she didn't need to give them any more information about herself than they'd be able to find out anyway.
When the food was served, Jenn accepted her helping graciously, which was larger than she had expected. With the way Maelias had been in debt, Jenn had wondered how much she'd sacrificed to get the debt paid off, but she supposed Maelias hadn't expected that it was going to be called in so soon. Making her not try to reduce the lifestyle she was used to.
Though Jenn wondered if her husband would have had words to say if she had tried. After all, Hiliash looked like he might be just as opinionated on some matters as Maelias had seemed when Jenn had mentioned buying slaves.
Jenn didn't want to discuss anything more of her plans with her guards until they left Maelias' home, but not talking with them just gave her an itch that she couldn't quite scratch. She had a feeling it made the silence that was going around more uncomfortable than it might otherwise have been. A silence that was only broken by the playing of the children until Hiliash sent them to bed, giving into their demands for a story.
Jenn hadn't given Maelias' children much thought, but suddenly she realized some of the problems with raising children in this kind of city. One that had 'cleanings', or whatever it was called, come through periodically to keep the streets free from beggars and other 'unwanted' people. Something that could scoop up people who didn't fall into those categories just because they weren't big enough to fight it off. Like children.
"How do you keep your children from getting taken by the… uh, by the… cleanings?" Jenn asked, pretty sure she was getting the term wrong, but she couldn't think of any other way to put it. Making her feel like she was losing her chance to try and score some points with Maelias.
"Well, mostly I put them to work," Maelias said, looking more tired than she had before they'd had dinner. "Keeping them from playing in the streets keeps me from having to worry about when the next one will occur."
"What would you do if you didn't have to worry about that?" Jenn asked, feeling immense relief that if she had gotten the term wrong, it was at least close enough that Maelias was accepting it and understood what she was trying to get at.
Maelias gave Jenn an amused smile. "Trying to get to me through my kids, huh? Well, I guess it's fair. As you're suggesting that they'd be happier at… uh, I don't think you ever told me where it is that you'd be taking me if I agreed to join you."
Jenn nodded, accepting that it was time to reveal some things that she hadn't really thought about sharing. Primarily because she'd been hoping she wouldn't have to. Though, it was clear to her that keeping it back would now hurt her cause more than helping it.
"Actually we're building a settlement on another world, one that can be accessed through the Forest of the Lost," Jenn answered steadily, hoping that wouldn't create more problems for them. Given how many people had were afraid of the Lost, which most thought were nothing more than a superstition, even as it kept them from feeling comfortable travelling through that forest, where many refused to enter that forest just because of what they thought was no more than a superstition.
Maelias stared at Jenn, clearly surprised at her response. "Seriously? You live in that forest?"
Jenn turned to her guards, hoping they'd get the hint and offer up their support in what Jenn was saying rather than having her the only one who was talking. Something she suspected they were alright with because of how they knew she was the Blue Rose. Which she felt might hurt her efforts as it could appear that she wasn't 'allowing' her guards to say anything. As she hoped it wasn't coming off that they were her guards, but rather appeared to be merely other members of the same mercenary band.
"Yes and no," Yaelish said, looking like she was picking up on what Jenn was wanting. "Yes in the fact that we had to abandon the settlement that we'd started to build because of the winter that come on us there without warning and no because we've started building up that settlement again since winter's over on that world."
Maelias looked at them strangely, making Jenn wonder if she was having trouble believing what Yaelish was saying, but Jenn had a feeling that it was the best she could hope for with how little most people knew about the gates, given how long they'd been closed for and Jenn was pretty sure most people on this world in general hadn't even heard about them at this time and while she suspected that would change over time, that was likely in the distant future rather than any time that Jenn would have to worry about right then.
"You're serious, aren't you," Maelias mused after a minute of quiet, her expression taking on a different look, one that Jenn wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not. Not when she couldn't be sure what it meant exactly. "Well, I guess I'll just have to think about it then."
Jenn blinked, hardly believing what she was hearing. She had wanted for Maelias to have accepted what she had been saying, but now it seemed like they'd gotten her from flatly refusing to help them to at least considering it. While Jenn wanted to press more on the subject, she couldn't say that she wouldn't hurt her case more if she tried right then.
Besides, since they were going to be here longer, there was time fore Maelias to consider her options. After all, it wasn't like Jenn really needed a smith with her experience. She was just confident that she was going to need that experience sooner rather than later given the amount of aluthium on that tropical world that she'd told Tchisa she'd planned on giving her to have as her lands. Although, Jenn couldn't say exactly how soon they'd need someone who could work with aluthium, she knew that having someone sooner rather than later would certainly be helpful.
Not to mention how it'd allow them to focus on other things at this time with the influx of cash that working with aluthium seemed would net them. Or at least Jenn hoped that would be the case.
Jenn wanted to say more but she could tell that pushing any further would merely hurt her case more than helping it. Which meant that she needed to let it go for the night. At the very least.
Besides, she needed to get her rest so she'd be able to go to the slave market and find what she needed. Assuming there was anything to find. As she knew that it was entirely possible that they wouldn't have a slave with the skills she needed or that she'd be able to procure them. As it was always possible that she'd be outbid or the market wouldn't have anyone with the skills she was looking for.
Jenn settles down with her guards, each trying to go to sleep, although Jenn suspects that one would still keep watch in case something happened while the rest slept, even though Jenn told them not to worry about that while they were in the city. As she had a feeling despite the many problems this city, and likely country, had that that they didn't need to worry about staying in an inn or anything. As she hadn't heard about anything bad happening to any of her people, in the band or otherwise, while staying at an inn while they were tasked with either getting supplies or slaves.
It was possible that others were trying to shield her from negative information, but Jenn doubted that was the case. She was sure that if her advisors tried that, that she'd be able to pick up on them hiding something, even if she wasn't sure what it was exactly that they were hiding from her.
Jenn felt her breathing even out and was about to fall asleep when hushed voices woke her back up.
"Are you sure we shouldn't consider what they're offering?" Hiliash's voice sounded out and Jenn could only assume he was talking with his wife in their bedroom.
Jenn wondered if anyone had been listening to what she'd said from around them, either from where buildings connected or even through the open windows. Jenn wasn't sure if that was the case, but she had a feeling she'd been too careless about what she'd said. Especially if people like those debt collectors were hiding around here.
"I've made up my mind. I'm not going to trust you or our children in the hands of people we barely know."
"You know the children want to go outside to play. They hate having to only be able to run around in here when they see other children running around outside." There was a pause and Jenn could only imagine Hiliash holding up a hand to keep Maelias from responding just yet. Even though Jenn couldn't be sure that that's what had caused the pause. "I understand why you won't let them, but that doesn't mean they understand it. Besides, I think that if we stay here, we're eventually going to have at least one of them taken from us by those slavers."
"Maybe… but I'm not going to go with the first person who talks about an alternative where we could live without that worry." Another pause, but this time Jen couldn't think of what might have been a cause of it. "For all we know, this could be a trap."
"There are-"
"Yeah, I know there are other options, like living in the country. The problem with that is we could easily be attacked by bandits and end up in the same situation as if we trust these people and have them sell us into slavery the first chance they get."
"You know they don't seem like those kinds of people."
"And that's exactly why I'm cautious of them. Who pays someone else's debt around here? No, they're up to something and I'm not going to risk my family any more than I already have with them."
"You're always so careful about us, but what about you? Can we afford to risk another dry spell where you nave to take another loan out? If that happens I don't think it will have mattered if these people were going to sell us into slavery or not. It would only be a matter of time until all of us would be sold as slaves, probably never to see each other again."
"Why do you have to do that to me?"
"Because sometimes you need to see the whole picture instead of just what is right in front of you."
"You know it's a good thing I love you, right?"
"Why's that?"
"Let me show you."
Jenn felt herself starting to feel like this was entering territory that she'd rather not listen to, but it wasn't like she could say anything at this point. Not without making it clear just how much of their conversation she'd listened to. While it was informative on what they were thinking, without having to peek into their thoughts, Jenn doubted they'd appreciate it much to find out their hushed conversation.
Which meant the sounds coming from their room was probably going to haunt her dreams now. If she'd be able to get to sleep at all.
Although, she supposed there were worse things that could happen. Like getting trapped in someone else's dream like happened with her sister that one time. A memory that seemed almost nostalgic and revolting at the same time and at the same level.
Jenn sighed as she closed her eyes, trying to push the uncomfortable noises coming from Maelias' bedroom. A scene she really didn't need to imagine what was happening. Especially when she'd rather be asleep at this point, no matter what she had learned from listening to that conversation.
_
Morning light woke Beth when she'd rather still sleep some more. Although, while she knew that if she waited long enough, the beam of light would move on and she'd be able to go back to sleep, she knew that she needed to show up for her lessons with Kystia. If only because she needed to talk with the girl about what their plans were. Which could potentially necessitate her talking with the Marquis.
While she had been given three months before she needed to meet with that woman again, Beth couldn't say that dealing with the Marquis and his daughter wouldn't take longer than she'd like and the sooner it was dealt with, the better for her.
Ralph was supposed to be talking with Heanith to see how long it'd take for her to build a ship with her engine in it or to fit that engine in an already built ship. Though while Beth didn't hold out much hope for the second option, she doubted that they'd have enough time to build another ship for them to use for what 'the plan' had been about finding a theatre troupe or whatever.
While she knew that it was likely the best plan they'd be able to come up with, in regards to getting close to the queen, she really didn't like the plan. Especially when it involved so many things that they wouldn't be able to prepare for.
Such as getting past the guards who were likely trained to stop people like Beth and her friends from getting past them to even touch the queen, much less harm her.
The more she thought about it, the more holes in the plan there seemed to be and Beth knew she needed to stop doing that if she wasn't going to come up with a better plan even though she was confident that there wasn't anything better that they could come up with. At least with the resources they currently had as well as what little they knew about this world.
As Beth got dressed, she went over what she'd been working through what she needed to say to Kystia. For one thing, she couldn't just tell the Marquis or his daughter about what their plan was, partly because she was confident they'd object to it and likely try to keep them from leaving, even if they had to put them under guard.
Not to mention how Beth was certain that they wouldn't take kindly to the fact that Beth and her friends had been tasked with assassinating the queen. Especially with how loyal the Marquis seemed to be to her. Which told Beth all she needed to know about what they should tell the Marquis: Nothing.
When Beth was ready, she reluctantly opened the door to her room and stepped out. Part of her was still used to being awake at night, so she felt a little groggy, though she was confident that would pass. Eventually.