In Ink and Wine

Chapter 2 - Keridel

"Who is that?"

Brylow looked over, and the excitement on her face instantly changed to confusion. "I have absolutely no idea. You should go talk to him."

"What? Why me?" Clarille asked. "You're one of the hosts."

"Yes, but I'm not looking to make my future husband jealous," Brylow said. Her mischievous grin slipped back into place. "Go talk to him. Berver will definitely notice." She gave Clarille a playful nudge.

"All right, all right," Clarille agreed. Brylow's advice hadn't been wrong all evening, so there was no reason to doubt her now. She started to walk.

"I'll watch everything," Brylow called after her.

The crowd was thinner around the mystery man. Clarille wasn't surprised. She was very used to Native Zians. Quite a few them worked on her family's villa, and she found that they were always very polite and kind. But she knew they weren't so well received everywhere. Even in the city, where Navirians could often be found.

Clarille knew that culturally, Navirians and Native Zians were very similar. But somehow Navirians tended to be treated as equals—foreigners, but equal ones. While the local Native Zians were looked down upon.

Despite the fact that people were clearly avoiding him, the mystery man didn't look uncomfortable. With a smile, he accepted a glass of wine from a servant and took a sip while his gaze wandered across the party. Clarille suddenly found herself meeting that gaze. It was too late to backtrack, so she plucked a glass of wine from that same servant and walked over.

"Lady Clarille," she announced without really greeting him, as she had often seen Brylow introduce herself.

He bowed, which surprised her. "A pleasure, my lady. My name is Keridel."

He had a pleasant accent, not quite like Clarille had expected. He must have been from fairly far away. Since she had no idea how to continue the conversation, she locked onto that detail. "I've never seen you here before. Where are you from?"

"I was born in Zianna," he replied easily. Maybe he was used to the question. Then he seemed to catch himself. "I mean the city. I forgot the unique habit in Adeno of calling it Zianna City. However, I've travelled a bit since then. These days I live along the Adymuss River. Wherever my merchant barges can be found."

Clarille was surprised to find that she was actually intrigued. "Where have you travelled?"

"Mostly to Navire," he said. "And a handful of trips further south into Moatt."

"What were you doing?"

"Trading. I worked for various merchants before starting up my own business."

Clarille nodded. "Ah. Hence the merchant barges."

"Hence the merchant barges," Keridel agreed, with a smile. "If you don't mind me asking, are you part of the Cabernels?"

She really shouldn't have been surprised that a merchant knew of her family. If he had once worked the land routes, chances were very high he had even visited their villa. "I am," she said.

"I owe you thanks, then." He dipped into another bow. "About three years ago, I brought some of your family's exquisite wine down to Moatt. It was very popular. That one run gave me the money to buy my first barge."

"That's wonderful," Clarille said. "How many do you have now?"

"Thirty-five. I've just ordered another five from a shipwright on Kitsi Lake. They should be ready in a few months."

Clarille barely stopped her jaw from dropping in shock. She had expected two, maybe three. But thirty-five? Keridel's presence at the party suddenly made more sense. This man was wealthy. Maybe even wealthier than some of the country nobility. She tried to disguise her surprise, or at least the extent of her surprise. "Thirty-five?" She said it as if it wasn't unheard of. "That's quite the operation. All along the Adymuss?"