Chapter 62 This Entire Marriage Thing Is Beginning To Be Quite The Challenge
Guinevere sat with her hands folded in the office that once belonged to her, though this time, she wasn’t the one at the table.
Her husband was now in his room, resting after he burst into tears at the thought of his daughter ‘married’.
Her eyes moved to the man on her right— Lucien Averay, the stable orphan boy her daughter had marked as hers from the first moment she had found him, and on her left— Amir of Satyr, the same elf she had tried her hardest to ignore was now her ‘husband’.
Guinevere had only ever heard that terminology used in history books.
And her daughter didn’t seem like the kind of woman she had read about. Dependent, naive and easy to control were the kinds of flimsy people who willingly chose to sign their rights away to men.
If anything, Isabella was a force to reckon with.
And perhaps, Guinevere did not wish to admit it… but was it wrong that she felt a bit grateful there was someone ready to risk having heart attacks on a daily basis for her sake?
“Lady Montague,” Guinevere focused more on her daughter— the female in question wearing glasses as she stared at all the files that had been placed on the table who was now speaking, “This… I can’t believe what I’m looking at right now. How… how were you able to manage this?”
“Honestly?” Guinevere stated, “I was not certain if what I was doing was right, but.., I had Lucien with me. And he believed that if I were truly your mother, I should make your rest my top priority, which involved me cleaning up whatever knots I could find before you returned,”
For some reason, all the files Guinevere had placed on the table listed outrageous amounts of money from the profit of two places.
One, Mrs Montague had done as Maeve had said— well, she had mentioned that she put the guild under a contract and told the woman her job was to make sure they stuck to their part of the agreement.
Which was to make Maeve aware of everything that they smuggled and deals they made.
She had sworn to pay off her family’s debt, and even give them a guidebook to reap off people better… in an ethical way, of course, but reap them regardless… while they also sold some of Montague’s Silks and Singularity.
Illegally.
To neighboring towns.
Maeve had left behind as much materials they might need and drawings of more designs she needed the maids to create.
Of course, she made it clear that if they felt unwell, they had to stop— but looking at the papers, they had not only seen a ridiculous amount of designs.
Guinevere Montague had also… leaned into construction with her Kinetic Abilities, but not in the way you imagine it.
Somehow, the woman had made underground tunnels… large and very comfortable ones like an underground mancave… for safe meeting places for the people who came for the auctions illegally and with the help of Calista Bannister, helped in teleporting them back and forth from their homes to the actual place itself so no one knew the exact location.
And the best part of it all?
It was all done with fake names… except the nobles who attended the events, of course. Guinevere made sure the moment they entered the tunnels, whatever names they wrote as they auctioned for each outfit… turned correct on paper.
No lies were permitted in that place. That was the overlying rule that held the tunnels together.
Like a domain expansion.
And Maeve… Maeve had the names of those engaging in these illegal activities neatly written on paper.
“Isabella, are you… are you crying?”
Maeve sniffed, brushing away the tears in her eyes. “I have turned you into a capitalist monster.” Then just as suddenly as it came, her evil grin returned— dark and cruel as she leaned in and put her fingers together. “What else can you do with your ability?”
Guinevere felt a small smile come to her face. “I am not sure, lovely child. I just… realized that holding these auctions on the surface was dangerous. I wondered what I could do to… fix that situation in a way that you would and so… I resorted to this. Plus, the sales were… extraordinary. It was strange to see all those young girls want it,”
Not really. I once used to stare at magazines for very long periods of time even when I could not tell the difference between a lip balm and lipstick so I know what it is women really want to wear and would get if they had the money to get it.
“All eleven dresses sold at high prices. That’s beautiful. And most of our debt is paid. That’s also very beautiful. Hopefully, we’re still paying the taxes we have as religiously as before? Met the IRS once. Very nasty. Oh, and fired your previous financial advisors as I said you should?”
Guinevere nodded. “We have been doing as you said before you left— well, Lucien has. He’s handled most of the actual financial affairs. Your Father and I hired a tutor for him. He’s quite… handy with the account books. And we trust him so it’s a win win,”
Maeve turned to look at Lucien who was as quiet as he usually always was, a smug look coming to her face. “Well, well. I guess we really are best friends, aren’t we? Not the ‘you being so smart’ part, I had no idea about that one, you will tell me everything you know— but the fact that you’re good with balancing ledgers. I had troubles with that part of the lessons personally—”
“I am certain your tutor taught you nothing about finance,” Guinevere cut in, “But it is true. You have been very knowledgeable about it. Is that you being… self taught?”
Ah, crap. “Well, I realized I was spending so much money on myself from all the love and you care you were showing me and realized I had to repay it back somehow so yeah… yeah,”
What she said didn’t make sense to anyone with a working brain, but Lucien looked like he was quite moved by her kindness… and Guinevere? The kind smile on her face didn’t shift a bit as she said, “I also am certain that you would not speak to me about the elf by your side unless I personally bring it up, so this is me doing so,”
Maeve’s head faced the papers on the table again, her eyes narrowing on them. “The man with pointy ears? Pfft. That’s not important. So where were we? I have another marvelous idea. Lingerie. Though, in my opinions, I think this will cause a bit of an uproar—”
“Isabella,”
The tone sent a shiver of fear down Maeve’s spine as she held back letting out a whimper before she looked up at the woman in front of her who was now crossing her legs and nudging her head gently towards Amir. “I remember him being a gift from the Queen. I also remember that she had offered her son and her nephew as your Vessels and you picked him— which I do not understand but alright, a woman can have as many Vessels as she wishes, but a husband?”
Maeve opened her mouth to explain, ready to give some silly response as always but Guinevere raised her hand, stopping the words in her throat before she continued, “I have never involved myself in the situations that you have put yourself in. I believe that you will do what is right for us, your family, and of course, yourself, but… marriages have been forbidden for more or less a century now, and are there any political benefits in this? Or mana wise at the very least to protect yourself from her Royal Highness’s wrath?”
Guinevere paused. Waiting.
Maeve didn’t want to tell her what had happened, or why.
The woman might push… no, she definitely would. Which made sense. She was concerned about her daughter, she had every right to be— but letting her find out that she did it only so she could put herself in mortal danger to save other people… well.
Fortunately for her, the door to the office opened and familiar faces— guards with the Royal palace’s emblem hurried in, a scroll held out in their hands like they were FBI. “Lady Montague, his highness, the prince, demands your presence at Velaris,”