Page 27 of Dark Elf Makes Five

He makes choking sounds that might be attempts at apology or pleas for mercy. I release enough pressure to allow speech, though his voice emerges as a strangled whisper.

"Please... my lord... I meant no offense to you..."

"But offense to her was perfectly acceptable?" I lean closer, letting him see the pale grey glow that intensifies when my patience reaches its limits. "Explain this logic."

"She's only... only human..." His words dissolve into gasps as my grip tightens again.

"She is under my protection. That makes her worth more than your entire bloodline." The statement carries absolute finality, the kind of truth that reshapes reality around itself. "You called her a whore. In public. While she conducted business on my estate's behalf."

His face purples as he struggles against my hold. The chair behind him topples backward, clattering on the stone floor with enough noise to summon guards if I wished. But this conversation requires privacy.

"Here's what will happen." I release him abruptly, watching him collapse against the desk's edge while he gasps for air. "You will close your stall. You will compose a written apology—not to me, but to her. You will post it publicly in the market square."

He rubs his throat, eyes darting toward the door like a cornered animal seeking escape routes. "And if I refuse?"

"Then we'll discover how long the human body can survive without trade permits. Or clean water. Or protection from the bandits who frequent the roads leading to every other market within fifty miles." I straighten my coat with deliberate care. "Your choice, naturally."

The color drains from his face as the implications settle into his merchant's mind—a mind that understands profit and loss better than honor or decency.

"Captain!"

Draven hovers in the doorway before the sound fades, his presence filling the space like a storm cloud. Korven's face drains of color as he finally grasps the nature of his miscalculation.

"Remove this man from my lands."

"My lord, surely we can discuss⁠—"

"Immediately." I turn my attention back to the correspondence on my desk, dismissing him as thoroughly as if he'd never existed. "Master Korven is no longer permitted to conduct business within my territory."

Draven steps forward, his hand settling on the merchant's shoulder with unmistakable authority. "Come along."

"You cannot do this! I have contracts, agreements with other merchants in the region. My family depends on this trade route."

I don't look up from the letter I'm reading—something tedious about grain shipments that suddenly seems far more worthy of my attention than the sputtering protests of a fool who's chosen his fate.

"Perhaps you should have considered such dependencies before choosing to insult my household."

Three days later, Halvren enters my study carrying the morning reports and wearing the expression of someone who's heard interesting gossip.

"Master Korven appears to have departed the region entirely, my lord."

"How unfortunate."

"His shop stands empty. His landlord claims he left in the middle of the night without settling his accounts." Halvren sets the reports on my desk with careful precision. "The townspeople are... speculating about his sudden absence."

"People do enjoy their speculation."

"Indeed. Some suggest he simply decided to seek more profitable ventures elsewhere." Halvren's tone carries the careful neutrality of someone who's heard far more colorful theories. "Others wonder if perhaps he encountered difficulties that encouraged a hasty departure."

I sign my name to a document authorizing repairs to the south wall, my attention apparently absorbed by such mundane administrative tasks. "I'm sure Master Korven is perfectly capable of making his own decisions about where to conduct business."

"Of course, my lord. Though it does seem to have had a remarkably calming effect on market conversations. The merchants appear far more... respectful in their discourse."

"How gratifying to hear that commerce proceeds smoothly."

I smirk, sinking into the satisfaction. Hopefully the rest can learn from Mr. Korven's mistakes.

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