Chapter 259: Briefing
After a long moment of talk between Grandfather and Granddaughter, Mr. Hartwell released Lucy and came to the main hall.
"Alex," he said. "Sorry for keeping you waiting."
"No worries, Mr. Hartwell. I understand."
The old man’s eyes lingered on him, then moved to Riya.
"And this is...?"
"Riya, grandfather," Lucy said quickly, stepping beside the older man and gesturing toward Riya. "She is Brother Alex’s fiancée..... From his place."
"His place," Mr. Hartwell repeated slowly his voice heavy, suggesting Lucy had briefed him at some point about the broader truth of the world.
Riya stepped forward and performed a slight bow, mimicking the respectful gesture Lucy had taught her. "It’s an honour to meet you, Mr. Hartwell. Lucy has told me a great deal about you."
Mr. Hartwell studied her for a moment, then smiled gently. "Any friend of Alex’s is welcome in this house. Please, make yourself at home."
The reunion with Nathan was considerably less dignified.
He burst through the front door of the estate roughly twenty minutes after their arrival, having apparently sprinted from the market district the moment one of the syndicate runners told him Alex was back.
"BROTHER ALEX!"
The shout echoed through the entire hall.
Nathan skidded to a stop in the main sitting room, breathing hard, his clothes slightly dishevelled and a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead.
"You’re back! Finally! Do you have any idea how much has been happening while you were gone? I’ve been handling everything alone, the syndicate...."
He stopped mid-sentence.
His eyes had landed on Riya, who was sitting in one of the wooden chairs beside Lucy, holding a cup of tea with both hands and watching Nathan’s dramatic entrance with mild amusement.
Nathan blinked, clearly noticing the odd style of her clothing.
"Brother Alex," Nathan said slowly, his voice dropping to a careful whisper that was somehow still audible to everyone in the room, "who is this stunning woman sitting in the room? Is she from your place... wow... another beauty."
"Nathan," Alex said flatly.
"Boss, you already have my sister and Miss Evelyn...."
Alex’s expression changed drastically.
"NATHAN! SHUT UP!"
Nathan’s mouth snapped shut at once.
Alex suddenly felt a prickling sensation behind his head, as if someone was staring at him with great intensity.
He turned around slowly.
Riya was looking at him.
Her teacup was still raised to her lips, but her eyes were fixed on him with an expression so perfectly calm that it was terrifying.
"Sit down, Nathan," Alex sighed and said tiredly.
Nathan sat. He turned to Riya and performed an exaggerated bow from his seated position.
"Miss Riya, it is an absolute pleasure. I am Nathan Hartwell, Brother Alex’s most loyal and indispensable subordinate. Whatever you may have heard about me is probably true, and I’m not ashamed."
"I’ve heard nothing about you," Riya said pleasantly.
Nathan’s grin faltered for exactly one second before recovering. "Then I have the advantage of making a fresh impression. Ask me anything."
"I’ll keep that in mind," Riya said, hiding her smile behind her teacup.
Alex cut in before Nathan could derail the conversation entirely. "Nathan. Status report. The task I allotted you to seize Viktor’s territory how is it going?"
Nathan straightened up, the businessman in him taking over. "We’ve taken control of the entire market district, Brother Alex. Every major trading post, every supply route, every warehouse leasen .....it’s all under our operation now. The merchants cooperate with us because we offer better terms and actual protection, not just threats."
He paused, his expression souring.
"But Viktor himself is still a problem. Ever since we absorbed his territory, he’s been retaliating. His men have been harassing our merchants on the south gate routes overturning carts, threatening shop owners at night, that sort of thing.
Petty stuff, but it’s constant. He doesn’t have the strength to challenge us directly, so he’s trying to bleed us slowly."
"Has anyone been hurt?" Alex asked.
"A few bruises, nothing serious. But the merchants are getting nervous. If we don’t deal with Viktor decisively soon, some of them might start wondering whether our protection is worth anything."
Alex nodded slowly. "We’ll handle Viktor after the challenge. For now, increase the guard presence on the south gate routes and make sure the merchants know we’re aware of the situation."
"Already done, Brother Alex," Nathan said with a small grin as if asking for a praise. "I told you.....I’ve been handling things."
Alex allowed himself a brief nod of approval, then asked the question he truly wanted to ask. "And what’s happening with the Suitor’s Challenge?"
Nathan’s demeanour shifted instantly, the playfulness draining from his face as he sat up straighter.
"Right. The Challenge." He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "The competition starts in two days."
"Two days," Alex repeated.
"Lord Edmund is going to announce the specific details of the challenge tomorrow morning at the McCoy estate. All registered suitors and their representatives are invited to attend the briefing. That includes you, Brother Alex."
"How many suitors have registered?"
Nathan grimaced. "Last I heard? Twenty-three. Every merchant family, every minor noble house with a son between eighteen and thirty has thrown their name in. It’s turned into the biggest event Ironhold has seen since the rain."
"And Henrik?"
Nathan’s expression darkened. "Henrik is still in the competition. Lord Bjornson pulled every string he had to keep him eligible."
He leaned in slightly. "He’s been sober for the entire twelve days. Apparently his father told him that if he so much as looks at a bottle of wine or a brothel door before the competition, he’ll be stripped of his inheritance on the spot and Kristoff will take over everything. It’s the talk of the town by now. No one knows how the rumour spread so fast."
"Who else would benefit from that rumour getting out? It might be Kristoff, his brother," Alex said thoughtfully. "We should keep a close eye on Henrik. Desperate men are dangerous."
Nathan nodded. "That’s what worries me, Brother Alex."
Riya, who had been listening to everything with sharp attention, spoke up for the first time.
"Wonderful," Riya said, her smile not reaching her eyes. "This is going to be fun."
Lucy quietly poured herself more tea.