(Shortly after breakfast, inside the White Castle Library, Riven’s POV)
Shortly after breakfast concluded, Riven made his way towards the White Castle’s library.
It was not because he particularly enjoyed reading books, nor because he had a bone of nerdy desire within him.
But rather because Lucius had spent the better part of two and a half years repeatedly reminding him that the first step towards any successful noble meeting was understanding the person sitting across the table.
A noble who entered negotiations without preparation had already surrendered half the battle.
And so, knowing almost nothing about either Lord Henderson or Lady Mellow beyond their names, Riven decided to spend the remainder of his morning gathering as much information about the two houses as he possibly could.
*Creak*
The towering oak doors of the library slowly creaked open, as the servants stationed outside immediately opened the gate as soon as they saw Riven approach.
Thousands upon thousands of books stretched across shelves that seemed to disappear endlessly into the distance, while the faint scent of old parchment and polished wood quietly filled the enormous chamber.
"Good morning, Young Lord.
To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit today?"
The elderly castle librarian asked, as he looked up from the ledger he had been cataloguing before immediately setting his quill aside.
Riven returned the old man a polite nod.
"Lord Henderson and Lady Mellow are joining me for luncheon today."
He explained.
"I would like everything you have regarding their territories, the history of their houses, and anything else that may help me understand them before I meet them.
There isn’t much time, so I would appreciate anything that can be read and understood quickly."
He requested, as the librarian’s tired eyes noticeably brightened.
"That is indeed a wise decision, Young Lord."
The old man replied, as genuine admiration briefly crossed his face.
In all his years being a custodian of the library, he had rarely ever seen a child of Duke Drew enter the library of his own free will.
And even when they did, it was never for something as intelligent as what Riven just requested.
"Please sit my Lord, allow me a few moments to fetch the best manuscripts."
The librarian said, as he quickly disappeared amongst the towering bookshelves, and only returned several minutes later with a stack of three books under his arm.
"Here...."
He offered with a polite smile, as he extended the books towards Riven, however, instead of simply placing them before Riven, he carefully opened each volume to the exact Chapters most relevant to today’s meeting before arranging them neatly across the table.
"I’m hardly your tutor, Young Lord, however, if you won’t consider it an insult, I believe I can summarize these records far more efficiently than the books themselves."
He suggested, as instead of taking offense at the suggestion, Riven immediately gestured towards the empty chair opposite him.
"Please."
He replied sincerely.
"If you can make my life easier, I would greatly appreciate it."
The old man smiled before taking his seat.
Spreading a detailed map of the Eastern Province across the table, he rested one finger upon a fertile region lying immediately south of Minas Tirith.
"This is the Curving Prairie."
He explained.
"The territory governed by Lord Henderson."
Riven quietly observed the map.
Even from above, the river winding through the region resembled an enormous serpent, bending back and forth through countless horseshoe-shaped curves before eventually flowing East towards the raging sea.
"The land itself is exceptionally fertile," the librarian continued.
"It produces some of the finest grain, vegetables, and livestock within the entire Eastern Province.
Agriculturally speaking, few territories can rival it."
His finger slowly travelled north.
"Unfortunately, prosperity has brought with it an unusual problem."
"Nearly every merchant chooses to transport the harvest directly into Minas Tirith instead of establishing major markets within the prairies itself.
Prices are significantly higher inside the capital, leaving the Curving Prairie heavily dependent upon Minas Tirith despite producing much of the food consumed there."
Riven nodded thoughtfully.
"So they grow the food..."
"...but someone else profits the most."
"Precisely."
The librarian replied with an approving smile.
"The second issue is geographical."
He traced the winding river once again.
"The river’s constant curves make constructing permanent docking ports remarkably difficult.
Worse still, the river changes course little by little over the decades.
Any expensive structure built too close to the banks risks becoming unusable within a generation."
He folded his hands together.
"As a consequence, many people quietly joke that Lord Henderson’s territory shall forever remain dependent upon whoever occupies the White Castle."
He explained, as although he deliberately avoided repeating the less flattering nickname, ’The Duke’s Bitch’, that was whispered amongst other Bannermen, Riven understood exactly what he meant.
"Alright, and what about Lady Mellow?"
He asked next, as his attention soon shifted towards another region situated along the western frontier of the Eastern Province.
"This belongs to Lady Mellow."
The librarian explained.
"Unlike Lord Henderson, she governs one of the wealthiest territories beneath House Dawnriver."
Riven noticed a large city marked upon the map.
"Then what troubles her?"
He asked.
"Logistics."
The librarian answered almost immediately.
"Her city was established upon steep mountain slopes, near silver and iron mines.
Although prosperous, transporting supplies there has always proven extraordinarily difficult."
His finger followed a narrow mountain road.
"The terrain severely limits both trade and expansion.
Merchants often avoid the journey altogether because the profit rarely justifies the effort."
"So how does she maintain such prosperity?"
Riven asked, as a faint smile appeared upon the old man’s face.
"Because Duke Drew Dawnriver ensures that she does."
He answered.
"The Duke grants special commercial privileges within Minas Tirith to selected merchant companies on the condition that they continue making regular supply expeditions into Lady Mellow’s territory."
"The merchants recover their losses inside the capital."
"Lady Mellow receives the goods necessary to keep her people prosperous."
"And House Dawnriver strengthens the loyalty of yet another Bannerman."
Riven quietly absorbed every word.
"It is an arrangement that has endured for decades."
The librarian concluded.
"If you ask me, Young Lord, you should enjoy today’s luncheon.
Both Lord Henderson and Lady Mellow have remained amongst House Dawnriver’s most loyal Bannermen."
After several moments of silence, Riven looked up once more.
"Aside from the practical reasons behind their loyalty..."
He asked.
"Is there anything else I should know about them?"
The old librarian leaned back slightly before letting out a thoughtful sigh.
"There is."
He admitted.
"The ancestor of Lord Henderson once served beside your grandfather in countless campaigns.
During the battle of a thousand screams, he intercepted an arrow meant for your grandfather with his own chest."
Riven raised an eyebrow.
"He survived?"
"Barely."
The librarian replied with a chuckle.
"But from that day onward, the bond between both Houses became stronger than any written oath."
His expression gradually softened.
"As for Lady Mellow..."
"There is rather less history between the territories themselves."
"She inherited her title after graduating from the Imperial Academy roughly fifty years ago and has governed remarkably well ever since."
The old man hesitated briefly.
"There is, however, one story that older servants occasionally whisper amongst themselves."
Riven listened patiently.
"Lady Mellow and your eldest brother, the Duke’s first son, were extremely close during their Academy years..... since they both graduated together."
The librarian said carefully.
"Some even believed they would eventually marry."
He gently shrugged.
"Whether there was any truth behind those rumors, I cannot say.
What I do know is that your eldest brother always spoke highly of her, and despite his passing many years ago, the goodwill between House Dawnriver and Lady Mellow has never faded, with the Duke continuing to honor the promises made by his son."
The old man said, as satisfied that he now possessed a far clearer understanding of both families than he had an hour earlier, Riven slowly closed the final book before rising from his chair.
"You have been a tremendous help."
He said sincerely.
"Thank you."
The old librarian immediately stood as well before respectfully bowing.
"It has been my pleasure, Young Lord."
With that, Riven gathered the notes he had made, adjusted the sleeves of his robe, and quietly departed the library.
Outside, his personal maid had already been waiting patiently beside the corridor.
"The luncheon hall is prepared, Young Duke. Your guests have arrived."
She informed, as Riven gave a small nod.
Armed with a better understanding of the people he was about to meet, he calmly began making his way towards the next appointment awaiting him, now fully entrenched in the role of a Young Duke.