Her father had been beloved until his death, the ey grinding to a halt for days after the annou. So beloved that, even now, there was the stant headache of people addressing post to Gee Street when they meant Gee Lane ee Avenue ee Road or, rarely, Gee’s Square, to say nothing of the three public houses which featured her father’s name in some fashion.

  It was the kind of charisma impossible to put to words, at least in her estimation. His name would be uhe definition of affable. Rare was the person he could not hold a versation with, able to pick out such topics that her offended nrated, a man with alrecisely the correct joke for the occasion. While he had never lowered himself to the crassness of the peasant men, he could drink a cheap ale at their side, polite chuckles, and sharing suecdotes that any would think them old friends.

  Such would have been enough to keep him in good graces. However, after addressing the alleged corruption, his appointed mayor ushered in merciful and practical policies. Ill-gained properties were taken and duly given to charitable endeavours, that the poorest could eat one warm meal a day, the orphaned children had a pce to stay, and that widowed mothers could earn a respectable wage while their children were looked after. Taxes were reao be easier to colled leaned more on businesses, yet altogether lesser in amount.

  In his ter years as ruler, he even married to one of the local families: a Ms Nicole Nelli. The Nelli family were by no means mere oners, distant desdants of Italian nobility that could still support a simir lifestyle. However, these days, they were merts who made signifit donations to churches, that much charity could be traced to their . Nicole in particur was a socialite known to advocate food causes, particurly persuasive and effective in doing so.

  It seemed to all a natural match. Although he could have married someone of greater es or prestige, his aspirations had always tred on his nd, and Nicole was this nd’s rose in both beauty and nature.

  Such a thing endeared him to the people. It was hard for Julia to uand, but, in a way, she thought they saw it as eai. That the people ehe romanticism of it all and the ironically-held belief that they could also partake of such a tale one day.

  Regardless of her musings, it was indisputable that her parents were beloved, individually and as a couple. Even now, the anniversary of their wedding was a day where nearby churches were packed with those to be wed.

  As their daughter, she naturally ied some of their adoration. However, with how matters had proceeded after her birth and then after her father’s death, she had beore of an echo. A name known, but no face to put to it nor any particur feelings.

  Her father had written much about how to be loved. She had no disagreements with his writings. Her mother, oher hand, had written much about how to be feared, which she found far mreeable.

  As, she unfortunately failed at the unwritten first step, which was to be a man. There was only so much she could aplish in this regard without res to torture. Men of power in particur had a particur disregard for women, that they were thus incapable of fearing her. A quirk of human nature. It pained her, really. Even in Gr’s death, she felt sure he feared his butler more than her.

  So that this day she sat to the side in the room. At the head of the meeting table sat a man of middle-age, his loose, fabric cap in his hands as he carefully adjusted the hem, shifting it between his fingers. His hair fell lohan most men, if only for how straight it was, slightly pooling on his shoulders, and his sense of dress was simple, a lingeriure of his previous life in the church.

  That was not to say he had been a man of God. In truth, she knew little of his past, that he had no surname beyond the town of Antemnae where he had been born, his unwed mother passing shortly after, naming no father—afraid to name a father. While he had been given the name Christopher by the church, he had aba the day he left, w as an apprentice for various merts havi to read as well as teag himself numbers. He was a quick learner and it was the Nelli family that eventually reised his talents on a trip south.

  While she had not mutera with her mother’s family, that did not mean she cked respect for them. What was more was that this situation beed them all: she had a suitable rept, they had someone ameo their business, and the people had a petent mayor.

  As for the man from Antemnae, she saw in him great ambition. It was not the kind she desired in a suitor, nor was he of a suitable age, but it was an ambition heless. From her meetings with him so far, she had grasped his desire to uand the world. To uand something, it was easier if it could be trolled, its reas studied.

  While she could not say that he did not a such a way to appeal to her, thus was life. There was nothing without risk, even sitting idle giving others opportuo pn and grow, and no beor was so kind as to expeothing iurn for prote.

  However, she hoped her impression of him was correct. He seemed to have three is: man, money, aal. That, in their meetings, he had been more curious in how she thought than what she had to say. That he had a natural grasp of a ’s intrinsid extrinsic values and how they differed. That he would like to work with the smiths in particur, eager to measure the various properties of iron, in his mind some things of i which could thus be built.

  Only glimpses, but she often had to make do with little.

  Today was to be his first true test and so her own. Although she had advised him, she did not know if he would take it to heart. Regardless, how the meeti would be a refle of her, this the mayor she so chose. Of course, her role was only known to those of some standing. Those, though, were the very people she o vi was not enough to be her father’s daughter, she had to prove herself worthy to be his heir.

  The door opened and a handful of meered; one of them, upon seeing her, elbowed the man loosely at his side, leaning in to share a whisper and breaking out into chuckles. Others took note of her, but no more than a gnce.

  Ohey were all seated, the man who called himself Galileo d’Antem his cap ba his head, carefully adjusting it into position.

  “Good sirs, I shall not waste our time. When I found myself reended for this office, I thought of many things I would like to do, and I must say that something I thought important was the dissolution of the guilds.”

  At ohey all rose to their feet, each shouting louder thaher, yet he did not so much as flinch. Rather, he breathed in deep and then screamed, “Silence!”

  It was loud, harsh, and effective, their noise ceasing even if the redo their faces lingered.

  “Please, sit,” Galileo said, tone as it was before while he gestured.

  There was a long moment of gres, then they did.

  “As I was saying, I saw that as an important matter. In my time w for the Nelli family, I have seen that there is no she of people making goods and, with enough capital, these goods be moved in the most profitable way. If they so wished, they could put ead every one of yuilds out of business within the year.”

  He paused there, taking the time to look ead every one of them in the eye.

  “However, the Nelli family did not, so I thought to uand what it is they saw in the guilds. What I found is somethiiful. While each of you and your masters could live vish lives with your skills, you instead ihat your successors have suitable training to tio offer such fine goods, that the widows and orphans of your members still enjoy the life they deserve, that, even if one of your brothers falls on hard times, it is not the end of his time.”

  She followed the mood of the room, pleased to see the initial e settle—but not dissipate entirely. These may have been men of on birth, but politics was a disease that forever and always sprang up when people met.

  “Say you won’t waste our time, then oetic. Which is it?”

  “Master Keefer, I asked for silence,” Galileo said, his voice quieter by a touch.

  Keefer scoffed. “D’you think you’re in a position to demand it, talking to us like a bunch of children?”

  “The question isn’t whether or not you think I am capable, it is if you think that I think I am capable. If this city must burn for a week, even a month, then so be it. I am a patient man and I have the bag of the Nelli family.”

  Such words were said with little fir, yet his voice surely reached every er of the room—and no further.

  While Keefer looked ready for more, he was silenced by the man two seats down who then spoke up. “Mr Mayor, you would not be making threats against us, would you?”

  “I would and I would write them down and staple them to every noticeboard for the people to read. If the leaders of the guilds ot so much as listen to polite instru, what use are they to me?”

  “Mr Mayor—”

  “I asked for silence,” Galileo said, his voice again quieter, yet heard.

  She felt this atmosphere was not quite fear, or rather it was the kind of fear one had for a rabid dog more than a powerful man. However, it was fear, enough to still their tongues. Of course, it would only st while they remained in the room.

  So he had time.

  “As I was saying, the guilds are a beautiful thing which I wish to support. I am a great admirer of beauty. As for why I have invited my guests here today, it is not to oetic, but to begin to ratify such beauty.”

  He paused there, gesturing behind him to wear she sat.

  “We are joioday by our most esteemed guest, tess Augstadt,” he said.

  So began a shift she saw in their faces, that she would sit here politely as he screamed at them.

  “She has retly e into the titles left by the te Lr. What exactly, I am of course not privileged to know, but suffice to say that there are now more people under her excellent rulership. Not only that, but there are people outside of the city who would be from some of the guilds’ beauty.

  “This kind of expansion ot be done carelessly. I know it, and I know that you all know it too. However, to entrust this matter eo the guilds—I ot allow that.”

  “Why not, Mr Mayor?”

  His gaze so the man, staring at him with a bnk expression. “Do not think that because the people must address you as ‘Your Honour’ that you may speak whenever you so wish. Rather, you should be well aware that there is a suitable time for all to speak. Is that uood, Mr Schulz?”

  After a moment of disbelief, he stood up, firmly saying, “I would not be talked to like this.”

  “Then leave.”

  Food few seds, they locked gazes, oh a look of indifferend the hteous indignation. However, Schulz finally broke to look at her.

  And she gestured at the door.

  His hands ched and, without thinking, said, “Your father would be disappointed in the woman you’ve bee.”

  “Then he should not have died so early,” she said ftly.

  It was such a simple and blunt ahat it actually calmed him down, for a moment too stuo be angry, only for his ao return aormed out, smming the door behind them.

  There was an unease in the room after that, the others looking at each other.

  “If anyone else wishes to join him, please do,” Galileo said, gesturing at the door. “I would gdly build the new guilds from the ground up myself. With the Nelli family, I am sure there will be no she of suitable applits and, being under My Lady’s rulership”—he gestured back at her—“there would be no issue of monopolies or tariffs.”

  Of all of them, it was again Keefer who spoke up. “Is that a threat?”

  “Master Keefer, you should know by now that it is indeed a threat and one I am fully capable of seeing through. Or rather, even if you all rushed me right this moment and strahe very life out of me, I am merely enag My Lady’s will,” he said, ending with a broad smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

  A flicker of unease ran through them—and surprise through her, not expeg to be brought into this matter quite so trally. Yet she did not hate it, that those men who had looked so proud walking in now looked at her with a hint of dread.

  Pig up her role in this, she looked at them with only a gentle smile, no words.

  “As I see it, I am the guilds a fair voi the expansion of their guilds. If the result is something you are not happy with, then we may iate the price of suitable monopolies. If there is still no sensus between us, I will examihe issue afresh with what I have learned from the process.”

  He tapped oable.

  “I am willing to let this city burn that, from its ashes, something more beautiful arises. However, my guests here are master craftsmen, so I would rather carve beauty into what we already have,” he said, gesturing at them all. “Are there any questions?”

  It spoke to his charisma that, after what he had put them through, they appeared tamed, one man raising his hand and waiting.

  “Master Hafner,” Galileo said, nodding at the man.

  “It’s just uo me how this is any of the city’s business.”

  Galileo stared, bringing up his hand to his . “So?”

  Hafner fidgeted, l his head befiving a weak shrug. “Why is the city wanting to involve itself with the guilds?”

  “I fail to see how that is at all relevant to this versation or why you would o know,” Galileo said.

  Keefer crossed his arms. “Want us to work with you, then give us some respect.”

  “This is my respect? If I had none for you all, well, you wouldn’t be in front of me to begin with, but let us say you were. How I would treat you at such a time, it would be disho. I would politely listen to everything you had to say and say whatever you wished to hear, then send you off with a smile, all to be doh you as swiftly as possible.

  “Hoy is my respect. Everything I have said is what I feel necessary to establish I am here in good faith. If that has not been properly veyed, I apologise. To show my siy, as part of the iation, the city is willing to extend the guilds a line of credit for the purposes of building the new guild halls. No i, nition that the guilds are doing so as a service to the city. My Lady even has some properties that may be suitable with some renovations.”

  Money had a way of shifting the hearts of rid poor alike, but especially those who ted it.

  “This matter, though, it is irely . We have had reports of being denied entry to certain guilds, that it is often sons and nephews who take prenticeships are avaible. Of course, it is natural that, if there is a job, you reend someone you know who is capable—I wouldn’t deny you that.

  “Rather, I know there is worry about supplying too mud driving down the price. As someone who spent many years in the Nelli family, I want to assure you that, if more apprentices are traihe Nelli family sell moods. In fact, you might be surprised. If moods are sold abroad, they bring baaterials, bringing the cost to produce down. They would even build warehouses to facilitate this, ensuring there will be no shes.”

  He stopped there as if realising something, settling into position with one hand atop the other as they rested oable, his smile apologetic.

  “Look at me: I invite you all to talk and I am the one who is talking and talking and talking,” he said, pausing to chuckle. “You have all been so patient, please, let us talk together.”

  It was not a simple matter to discuss; however, while voices may have growed at times, she followed Galileo’s metaphorical movements. How he proposed certain things, how he picked which voices to focus the discussion on, how he sometimes provoked disagreements on a matter of w or acted as mediator, finding a suitable middle-ground, appearing as if a ral party while in fact the party opposite them.

  Of course, such a discussion was not a legally binding affair. Especially as, at her request more than suggestion, he had targeted the leader of the guild which mahe judges and their clerks.

  What it did do was set the foundation. Hase had been petent iter of running the city smoothly, but his methods were subtle, breaking obstacles by undermining their support and trading favours. He owerful because he was seen as weak.

  Right now, Galileo was weak, so he o be seen as powerful. Feared. That was, ultimately, her advice. He o apredictable and eous, then make rational and serious proposals. He o appear impossible and disrespectful, then bee the perfect host. He o threaten to take, then freely give.

  As if the abusive father from whom they would e to crave approval.

  While she was by no means an expert and nor was he, she felt like he had taken to heart the poison her mother had written of. How long, she wondered, would it take to spread?

  Ohe st of the men filed out, closing the door on their way, only her and Galileo were left. He let out a sigh, taking off his cap and fiddling with the hem. “My Lady, not that I doubt you, rather I anticipate how you would wrest trol of your fief ohe Nelli family sink their cws so deeply into it.”

  “I rather anticipate how I shall do so as well,” she replied.

  His hands stilled, then a ugh bubbled out of him, gentle, yet deep, as it filled the room. “My Lady is most curious.”

  “As I see it, I shall only bee wiser, that such troublesome issues are left to the better woman I shall be. Until such a time… it is indisputable that I have much to learn from the Nelli family.”