Chapter 3

Home of House De La Rose, high city of Aithen, Andor, on the occasion of the anniversary of Anastasia's eighteenth year.

"My lady? My lady, it is time to get up."

"Thank you, Angela," Anastasia replied, rolling over in her bed.

A faint noise at her door caused her to spring from the bed away from the sound; landing on the balls of her feet with daggers in both hands, at the ready position. Her legs were spread, knees slightly bent, and torso leaning forward; perfectly balanced and ready to uncoil like a striking serpent.

"Well done Shoc-Gie," Rac-Nur announced in praise as he entered the room. "You have demonstrated your training well."

Anastasia relaxed but only slightly as she continued to watch him warily. When he made no overtly hostile movements she smiled and sheathed the daggers in the specially made belt around her hips.

"Today is a special day and you have proven that you are ready," Rac-Nur stated and withdrew a bundle from within his clothes. "I have a gift to celebrate it."

Anastasia accepted the cloth wrapped bundle and opened it on her bed revealing two sheathed daggers. She looked up at Rac-Nur questioningly and he just looked at her. She picked up one of the daggers and removed it from its sheath. The hilt and guard were designed to look like a wyvern with spread wings. There was a blood-red ruby set in the handle just above the 'wing' guards. The metal was a dull grey and did not reflect the light. The blade curved back and forth with numerous barbs on each edge, designed to do additional damage when pulled free. The dagger had exceptional balance and checking the other revealed that they were identical.

"They are exceptional," Anastasia finally said looking up. "What are they?"

"They are known as fellblades," Rac-Nur replied. "The ceremonial, ritual, and preferred weapon of Clan Nur. They are my gift to you. They are enchanted to inject wyvern poison when buried to the hilt and the ruby is pressed, so be warned."

"Thank you," Anastasia replied and began to unclip the daggers at her hips to replace them with the fellblades. "I will cherish them always."

"It is time to start your day," Rac-Nur informed her. "You have guests arriving in two hours and the conclave meets after lunch. I will have your bath readied."

Anastasia nodded and watch Rac-Nur turn and leave the room, closing the door behind him. She moved away from her bed while continuing to watch the door, listening for sounds of Rac-Nur's retreating steps. After determining that he had in fact left she relaxed a little and slipped on her dressing robe. Standing before the dressing mirror she examined herself.

The preceding three years marked Anastasia's growth from coltish girl to full-bloomed woman. She was still at just four inches shy of six feet but had added not only muscle and tone but curves as well. Her eyes were still the windows to her mood and flashed violently like a storm when she was angered and sparkled with amusement and mirth when she was happy. She had kept her hair short and the ringlets on the sides had not relaxed as she grew older, still giving her face a youthful, almost playful look. All in all she was happy with the reflection that looked back at her but the time for self-reflection was over.

The tub was in an adjacent dressing room, so Anastasia slowly opened the door and checked the hallway clear before leaving her room and heading for the waiting bath. She entered the room and removed her dressing robe and then removed the belt and rig that held her daggers and finally slipped off her night dress. After placing the daggers within arm's reach she slowly entered the steaming bath and relaxed beneath the surface of the water.

The Merchants' Guild, unlike any of the other guilds, did not test their members for advancement. Advancement was based on what an individual did to better the house the individual worked for. To become a master within the guild simply required ownership of a merchant house; except there were only a finite number of houses and therefore a finite number of masters. If a house folded, like House Beadle for example, the other houses stepped in and filled the vacuum left behind. If a house was non-profitable it was usually absorbed or put out of business by another. This maintained the finality of the number of houses. Not many houses started from scratch any longer since not many new market niches were discovered.

To move up within the hierarchy of a house required good business sense or a good idea for expanding the house's enterprises. Guild ranking were different than the other guilds as well since while the journeyman class existed it did not denote someone as a full-fledged member of the Merchants' Guild. All new house members started at the apprentice level and then moved up within the house based on experience, ideas, trustworthiness, and most importantly, loyalty to the house. All ranking members within a house and therefore the guild carried the title of master or madam unless they also held titles of nobility and then those were used instead.

Another difference between the merchants' and the other guilds was the age of majority. For most of the other guilds there was no age requirement for membership. Full membership was granted upon an individual's advancement to journeyman status, not so for the Merchants. The Merchants required an individual to be at least eighteen to be a member and the reason for that was that someone could actually hold the title of Master at the age of eighteen. The other guilds required advancement through the ranks to the status of master, which took many years but again, not so for the Merchants. In the Merchants' Guild the only full members were the house master, his or her assistants, and the various department heads, i.e., procurement, acquisition, storage, shipping, etc., all of which held the title of master. The House Master was normally the head of the family who ran the house. Transfer of master was normally inherited from within the house. The only time that the head of the house was not the master was if the ruling head had not reached the age of majority, for instance De la Rose, and in that case a Steward was assigned until the heir reached eighteen.

The Guildmaster was elected from within and by the body of house masters and served at the discretion of the entire body. If the guild lost money than there would be a new Guildmaster. He or she was more a commissioner than the actual head of the guild. The other requirement to become the head of a house was to be of majority age.

Anastasia's handmaiden or Lady's Maid, Angela, entered the dressing room with the dress that Anastasia was to wear to the confirming ceremony. She laid it over the dressing screen and excused herself and left the room. Anastasia stood up and wrapped a large bathing towel about herself as she stepped out of the tub and examined her dress.

"A man still wears a shirt and trousers when he dresses up,"she thought disgustedly. "I have to wear something that is completely impractical and a sign of weakness."

"Hmm, but do I?" She asked the room, and then called out. "Angela! Please bring me the doublet, shirt, and trousers I purchased last week and the boots as well."

"Yes, those masters have a rude awakening coming if they think that I intend to be some pretty thing with nothing in my head!"

"Come!" Anastasia commanded, upon hearing a knock at the door.

"You have decided not to wear a gown?" Rac-Nur asked after entering the room.

"I am more comfortable wearing shirt and trousers," Anastasia replied with a shrug. "Who told you?"

"How do you plan to conceal your fellblades?" Rac-Nur asked. "Your holster is designed for under a gown."

"I intend to wear them under my doublet, similar to how Aaron wore his," Anastasia replied with a shrug. "The doublet and shirt have slits designed into the back that will gain me access to the daggers. The rig I had made was originally designed for my regular daggers but it is easily modified for the fellblades. I intend to go forever armed. Is that a problem?"

"Your forearm marks must always remain covered, so whatever you wear must account for that," Rac-Nur explained. "No one must know that you are Nin-Ja, just like no one must know that I am as well."

"Who would understand the marks other than another Shoc-Du?"

"The symbols are known and feared," Rac-Nur replied. "There have been rogue Nin-Ja that lived amongst the Ter-Ma; the world. They are Has-San; outcasts."

"Are there many Nin-Ja?" Anastasia asked.

"Hardly, it is the secret of Clan Nur and only Clan Nur," Rac-Nur explained. "In all of the clans only a handful measured against a thousand are Nin-Ja and the clan likes to keep it that way."

"Come!" Anastasia commanded, responding to the knock at the door.

Angela entered with the requested clothes and set them down by the screen. She picked up the gown and bowed before leaving the room.

"You cannot wear that for your ennobling ceremony," Rac-Nur informed her forcibly. "Doing so would embarrass your guardian and bring shame upon this house."

"I am aware of that," Anastasia replied hotly. "But I will not go unarmed either."

"No one asked you to," Rac-Nur replied, and held his hands out wide and looked down. "Am I unarmed?"

"You display no obvious weapons but I am sure that you are not unarmed."

"You would be foolish to assume that I ever go unarmed; part of who we are is the fact that we appear to be something else. We do not wear what we are as a sign around our neck. Discretion, patience, and preparedness should rule your every decision. Never forget that simple axiom."

"I will not," Anastasia assured him. "I just do not wish to appear weak, to appear as some helpless female."

"Why not, if it could be used to your advantage," Rac-Nur countered. "Does it matter that you may be seen that way? Is it not more important to appear to be less than what you are so that you will always be underestimated?"

"I want to be taken seriously."

"You will be taken seriously based on your actions more than based on your looks. Was Shoc-Ti's reputation based on his looks or the certainty of what would happen if he was crossed or disrespected?"

"People fear you based on your looks," Anastasia countered. "They fear you because you are a Shoc-Du; a Dark Elf, and they fear Aaron because of his skill with a sword."

"If that is what you truly believe, then everything you have been taught is for naught. They fear me because of the reputation of Shoc-Du. They see my appearance and it triggers the fear but not because I posture or pose but because of the things my people have done and are capable of doing. They respect him for his skill but they treat him differentially because of how he carries himself and the certainty of his actions."

"Be yourself, Shoc-Gie," Rac-Nur implored her. "Do not be anything but."

"So I should wear a gown to mask what I am?" Anastasia asked, confused.

"No, wear what you will, not because you believe a certain style of dress will cause you to be taken seriously but because you wish to wear what makes you comfortable. Do not posture."

"I think I understand," Anastasia nodded. "I will wear the gown for the ennobling ceremony and the trousers and doublet for the confirming ceremony. I will play the part of lady for the king and madam for the guild."

Rac-Nur nodded and left the room so Anastasia could dress. She dressed quickly and after adjusting her daggers to ensure she could access them she put on her doublet and buttoned it up, leaving the top two buttons undone. She then sat down at her dressing table and began brushing out her hair. When Rac-Nur originally agreed to train her she had decided that her hair, which she had let grow out to the middle of her back, was too long. She had it cut into a bob and styled to frame her face, the ends turned in just below her chin. The style was easy to maintain and was short enough that it did not get in the way nor was it a tool that someone could use to grab her. After spending a few moments in front of the mirror she declared herself done. There was one last item she needed to complete her ensemble and it was in a locked chest in her room.

She left the bathing room and returned to her bedroom, stopping at the foot of her bed. She knelt and opened her hope chest and began to remove the times contained within it. Linen, a couple of quilts, things given to her on birthdays past. Finally emptying the chest, she ran her fingers around the bottom of the chest until she heard a click and a small tab popped up from the bottom. Grasping the tab she gently removed the false bottom and set it aside. She reached back into the chest and removed a thin velvet bag, closed at one end with a draw string. Opening the end she slid the bag down revealing a scabbarded Andorian longsword. The very same sword that Tanith had given her over three years ago. Also within the bag was a matching sword belt which she buckled on and then hooked the scabbard onto it. Anastasia looked down at the sword and remembered back to when Tanith gave it to her...

Anastasia finished her silent musings and slowly drew the sword from its scabbard and examined it. It was the first time the weapon had been out of its scabbard since Tanith had given it to her. It was exactly how she remembered it and she took several moments to familiarize herself with its feel. She stepped through the first ten sword forms and was happy with how well the sword felt in her hand. She could feel a sense of contentment from the sword and sheathed it so she could finish getting ready.

Remus, Anastasia's butler in Aithen, informed her that her guests had arrived and had been shown to her study. Anastasia thanked him and after checking her appearance in the mirror once more, she left her room and descended the stairs to the waiting Rac-Nur. He followed her to the study and took up stations outside of the door as Anastasia entered.

Masters Drexil, Gerard, and Bartholomew stood as she entered the door, crossed the room and stopped at the sideboard, where a tray containing a decanter and glasses rested.

"Refreshments?" she asked, turning toward the three men.

After receiving nods from her guests she poured an amber liquid from the decanter into three glasses and passed them around. Next to the serving tray was a bottle of red wine from which she poured her own glass.

"Gentlemen, to your health," Anastasia announced while holding her glass high.

The men followed suit and all took a sip of their drinks. She turned toward her desk and stopped behind the chair, waiting.

"Congratulations on making your eighteenth birthday, Anastasia," Drexil announced and held his glass high.

The other masters followed his lead and offered their own salutations. Anastasia smiled, thanked them for their kind words and sat. Master Bartholomew set a small box on the desk, in front of Anastasia.

"A gift, from the three of us," he explained, sweeping his hand back to encompass the other two.

"Thank you," Anastasia replied as she gently reached out and picked the box up.

Opening the box, she gasped in surprise as she withdrew a gold ring set with a large blood red ruby. Carved in relief in the center of the ruby was single rose bloom with curving stem. She slid the ring onto her finger and immediately felt an overall feeling of wellness.

"It is a ring of protection," Gerard explained. "As well as your signet ring."

"We thought that since tonight you will be proclaimed a Marquise then you should have a signet ring to seal your mark," Drexil explained.

"It is lovely and completely unexpected," Anastasia gushed. "Thank you all. You three are like family to me. You do not know how much this means. Thank you!"

"Now, onto business," Master Bartholomew declared, approaching the desk and setting a rolled scroll on it.

"Your house's charter," he explained, and then stepped back. "Signed and certified by the guild in Malkur."

"Letters of patent from the Guild Council establishing your place within the guild. There are also letters of credit," Gerard stepped forward and laid the documents on the desk. "Those will allow you to open business in every part of the five realms, backed by the guild in Aithen."

"Letters of credit?" Anastasia asked, arching her brow. "It was my understanding that there should be more than sufficient capital that I would not require credit."

"There is," Gerard replied and mopped his brow. "The letters are easier than hauling gold around, and safer as well."

"These are the house's books," Gerard explained while setting several ledgers down next to the other documents. "We have been over them and everything is in order."

"I have letters of introduction should you ever have need," Drexil stated, while setting the documents down. "There is also a record of a separate account started in your name by your guardian. I am ready to disperse the funds at your convenience, or you may keep them with the guild."

"Very good," Anastasia replied and stood. "Master Drexil, I will keep the funds with you for now. Master Gerard, will you transfer all of the house funds to the guildhall in Malkur?"