The day did get warmer, along with my mood. After all, father had just handed me a test sheet with questions I had set; a blank cheque of sorts.
Gleaning a profit from the ongoing festivities wouldn't prove to be too much a task for me, even with the guidelines he set.
"Rainald, I know what you may be thinking; 'just get the people to pay for the performances instead' But be careful, I will not accept your results, however profitable they maybe if you displease and upset the spirit of these celebrations."
The festivities held today were in celebration of an old traditional holiday of the people of Saia. They came together annually to celebrate and give thanks for the victories of their predecessors on the day of reckoning. At least, this is how the day was celebrated in the hearts of those who knew their bit of history. Others, yeomen and commoners, celebrated as a day of rest, contemplation and perhaps, if the season was good, cultivation.
Still, it was quite a contradictory name for an otherwise peaceful and cheerful day. But nonetheless managed to be appropriate.
The day of reckoning was a holiday set in the more warmongering times of Saia it was originally a celebratory day of Knights, nobles, and warriors as they rejoiced their triumphant victory and survival to live another day to torment their enemies.
There was a lot more history behind the birth of the holiday; the valiant victory attained by the weakened, and previously heavily defeated army of the reigning King; King Harold the Old.
But now, thanks to my father's rather ambitious ways and tendency to desire the love and worship of his people, the day of reckoning was now a day of free goods, frolicking and gluttony, all at the expense of the Duke of Aville.
Indeed, the expenses of the celebration were covered by the Duchy, at least, the celebrations that took place within the confines of the large estate that was the Duke's home.
I smiled to myself as the thought of Edward, the Steward, running insane at the thought of such expenses being made in a single day all without any sort of short or long-term profit. But luckily, as father would have it, the Treasury had yet to go into deficits as a result of the expenses made on the day of reckoning.
But alas, that clean record was threatened today. Today the Duchy was involved in a war, and wars cost more than lives to nobles, it costs a ton of money.
And that's where I come in. Two heads were better than one, and in this particular case, three heads were better than two.
After leaving fathers office, I happened upon Edward, the steward of Aville, sipping tea beside a very unkempt pile of records out in the courtyard at one of the several tea tables littered in the garden. I took a seat right in front of him, having a mind to have him implement the economic strategies I'd thought up for our little predicament.
"Tea?" he offered, already pouring me a cup.
"Yes, why thank you." Taking a few sips and savouring the taste, heat and silence all the same. Tea was one of the many luxuries afforded by noblemen, I quite enjoyed it. "Now Edward, I am sure you have an idea as to why I am here."
The man scoffed, raised an eyebrow and asked, "You mean with that pin on your chest?"
I smiled, glad it was as eye-catching as I expected it to be.
Before I left father, I had managed to convince him to let me hold onto the pin, as if I was successful with the assignment, it would be the first of many official jobs done by myself as the Special Advisor. On the other hand, if I failed, I would want to have it in mind as a motivation, that I had the pin within my grasps and failed only due to my own shortcomings.
Luckily for me, he was convinced and generous enough to let me have it for the day. A day was enough.
"Yes, I certainly have a clue as to why you're suddenly seated in front of me all pinned up and smirking wildly." He drawled, fiddling with his own pin, shaped in the form of an unfurled scroll.
He heaved a sigh as ripped the pin off his shirt and quite violently slammed it onto the table. "The Duke must have finally gotten sick of my lack of results, he has no more use for me has he? I'll go with my dignity intact if you please."
Needless to say, I had lost my smile witnessing his abrupt actions. It never crossed my mind for a second; the possibility that my power with the pin would extend to even firing councillors on the behalf of the Duke. The more you know I suppose.
But at the thought that my first official action as Special Advisor would be as unimportant as firing Edward was wholly insulting.
I set my teacup down as I struggled not to get too agitated. I clear my throat and cross my legs, getting comfortable enough to let him know he can relax, "Edward, I don't have the pin on just because you are incompetent, I have the pin on because you're incompetent and I am a reliable opportunist."
Although my words were purposefully insulting, Edward kept his cool, aside from the defiant low growl and terribly scrunched up face, he knew his place.
He gulped down what was left of the scalding hot tea in a bid to hide his budding rage, and immediately regretted it. I watched him, gently sipping from my own cup, mildly amused by his suffering.
As the pain receded, the man heaved a sigh and clasped his head in his hands, "So then, what is your plan to rid Aville of the signs of my incompetence?" he resigned himself.
Finishing up my tea, I set the now empty cup down and clasped my hands together before beginning to explain my plan, "Well, the plan is quite simple. And really is only one word," I say with a finger held up, "Tourism."
Edward looked pressed to understand what exactly I had in mind with that one word, "And what exactly do travellers have to do with the Duchy's finances?"
I let my legs fall free from their crossed position, and leaned forward to explain the obvious to him, "Edward, tourists are the travellers who migrate purely for entertainment purposes, we have inns and taverns out in every county and town in Aville just to provide their accommodations and necessities away from home."
I helped myself to some tea and leaned back into my chair clasping the cup for its warmth, "Currently, all we have here are just mere travellers, as they have nothing worth travelling to see, and the Kingdom is at war. But that's okay. We merely just have to provide them with a sight, a distraction, and make them pay to see it."
Edward nodded slowly, not quite grasping the concept but understanding its purpose was to provide revenue was likely enough for a Steward as desperate as himself, "And how do we provide these…sights?"
I chuckled softly and continued explaining, "Well that's the relatively simple part. We already have a sight, the Duke's family."
At this Edward could not hold back his ensuing outburst, "The Duke's family? Are you nuts? They are basically royalty! You expect them to sit and be stared at for money!?"
"Yes."
At this, the man began to look like he was weighing the pros and cons of listening more to any of what I had to say, with his eyes shifting from side to side and regular grunts under his breath.
I let him mull over his thoughts, I was not in any hurry as of yet, after all, the key instrument to this scheme had yet to make an appearance.
"Ahem…!" pulling me from my own mulling, Edward seemed to have finally settled down and pulled together whatever response he was about to give me.
"While I am certainly not fulling confident that showcasing the Duke and his family will bring the revenue we need to get out of this sinking deficit, I am not ready to tell the Duke all routes to success failed, even though most have already fallen through." He smiled wryly, his message received; he gets to save face in front of the Duke at the expense of my plans possible failure as well as have a clean conscience whilst taking credit for its success.
I rolled my eyes at him and returned his smile, "I'm glad you're on board, you really have nothing to lose." I left my seat and straightened my clothes, gestured to him to come along with me before taking the first walking step.
He quickly trotted beside me, leaning closer he asked, "Now what?"
"Now, we recruit the piece that will have everything falling into place," I look to him with a rather amused smile on my face and point towards the woman standing by an open stall with a commoner beside her, "We need Dagena."