Affairs in Order [Sareth/Request]

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Theo sat behind the large desk in one of the study's within the castle quarters. He had basically claimed the space as his own since his appointing. He had papers, files, and books stacked upon different parts of the large mahogany desk, each sprawled in some sort of chaotic order that would only make sense to Theo. 

Earlier that week, Theo had sent a letter to the Prince Sareth Edara, asking to meet his acquaintance once again, this time to discuss more formal matters. Theo had been trying to stay on top of things since he gained his position as adviser. He had already met with the kind young entrepreneur Yuki, and had hopes of meeting with Lucinda some time soon. In his letter to the prince, he included the date and time in which he found himself in the moment, hoping to meet him in his "office space".

Theo stood up to tidy up the stacks of papers, files, and the like. He wore a pair of tight brown slacks, a white button-down shirt and a grey suit jacket. He wasn't the most fashionable individual, but knew how to look put together. He waited patiently until Sareth arrived, taking a seat back in his chair after sorting out his desk.


TAG: Sareth Edara 

[Sareth Edara]

While normally Sareth wouldn't be dealing with trade agreements he was the ONLY Pheranian official in Nova so he was obligated to see to this. Though from what he could tell the Duke was a well mannered person who was trying to do his job properly, something Sareth had found to be a rare thing in the Royal Courts of this world.

His attire was semi casual as he really didn't like all the extra layers that were required for his official garb. He had a pair of loose fitting slacks on which were paired with a sleeveless tunic and covered by a cloak of sorts that stopped just short of touching the ground. His belt was leather dyed a dark chestnut brown and like usual was supporting his swords. He had a pair of broken in boots on to aid in his comfort moving around the castle but were polished enough that they still looked semi formal.

As he entered the Duke's office area he gave him a slight bow, "You wanted to speak with me about some sort of trade agreements I believe. First off though you can just call me Sareth, titles tend to make things take longer than needed. Second do you happen to have some tea to drink while we talk?" He took a seat in one of the more comfortable looking chairs and had left his guard escort outside the Duke's rooms since he found them annoying as all hell.

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Theo stood before the prince, as he entered, and bowed in response to his bow. He noticed his informal attire, and understood that perhaps he was more relaxed than some of his other clients and counterparts. So Theo mentally adjusted, not so much so that he lost his learned polite structure, but adjusted to ensure that Sareth felt comfortable. "Well then, Sareth, if titles are off the table, then you may call me Theodore." Theo gestured towards the seat across the desk from his own, a comfortable loveseat similar in style to his own "Please, I'm still adjusting to my own title, so please, it would make it simpler.". As he made his way around the other side, Theo picked up a small bell and with the flick of his wrist, it chimed a simple tune, as a servant entered the room. "Tea please, of the bitter kind - in fact, make it a black tea." He nodded to the servant as they exited the room quickly.

As Theo sat down, the servant entered the room again as quickly as they had left. Only this time, they came in with two mugs made of the finest china, freshly polished, with light blue and maroon flowers painted in detail on the cups, saucers, teapot, sugar bowl, and milk and cream cups - the colours of Theo's family. The servant quickly placed the set on the desk, poured each of them a mug, and carefully placed each mug in front of them. "Do you take creams, milk, or sugar in your tea?" he offered. Depending on which one he chose, Theo would pour that into the mug, and offer him a silver spoon.

When Theo was done mixing the teas, he would lean back in his chair, taking a sip of his bitter tea, and would begin. "Now Sareth, I understand that you are a very busy individual, so I won't take too much of your time." Theo began, setting his mug down and picking up a file he had next to him. "So, please tell me about your business, what affairs are in order, which trades you are most interested in, and what you are willing to trade in return." Theo tried to be direct and to the point to ensure that Sareth was neither bored, nor unwilling to speak about these affairs and matters.

Theo grabbed a pen, ready to take notes if need be, and then settled in his chair, waiting for Sareth to answer his questions, as fast as he probably could.

[Sareth Edara]

He paid no attention to the servant who came and went to bring the tea that he had requested. He was glad that Theodore was being accommodating and didn't push for all that tiring protocol that everyone seemed to think was more respectful. When asked what he wanted in his tea he leaned forward to take it once mixed, "Cream if you don't mind."

He took a moment to think about what he had seen in nova and what his kingdom would find useful as well as what might keep the other Royals and the Nobles off his back. "I know for certain that tea is a high priority since Pherana's arid climate doesn't allow for optimal growing conditions. I would also like to increase the amount of fruits and vegetables we procure from Nova but would like to have them collected from the smaller farmers and orchards to help with boosting Nova's economy to allow Nova to be able to trade for more goods.Lastly I'm looking at possibly procuring copies of some of the books in the great library for our scholars and mages."

Taking a moment to drink from his mug and give Theo time to write down what he had said and well just to enjoy the tea. "As for what I have to offer...glass and glass making techniques, dyes, and a variety of silks and fabrics. Quantities would be worked out to get as close to even trade as possible for both Nova and Pherana obviously factoring in market fluctuation and shipping or transport fees." Sure he could use his abilities to read and influence Theo but he was more of a gentleman than merchant and would rather that there would be no causes for hostility or animosity between Nova and Pherana.

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Theo compliantly poured some cream into the steeped black tea, making it a more reddish brown colour with the cream inside of it. He used the silver spoon to carefully stir it. The silver chimed against the china, but was buffered by the new thickness of the tea with cream. Theo handed the mug and saucer over to Sareth, then attended to his own mug, filling it with a splash of milk, and a quarter of a spoonful of sugar.

Theo took note of his wants and what he could offer to Nova. Theo nodded periodically throughout Sareth's demands, never interrupting, only waiting. When he was finished, Theo would look back up to the Prince, and would nod once again. "If tea is of interest, then I will provide you the information of one of our grossing tea vendors. In fact,
you may already know the business owner... Baroness D'Avranches?" On a separate piece of paper, he would provide information about her stocks, and on ways to contact her. "She is now the direct contact for her business, so an arrangement can be made with her." Theo on a different piece of paper would begin drafting a letter to Ms D'Avranches requesting another meeting for affairs. "In fact, the tea you are drinking is from Ms D'Avranches herself. Delicious isn't it?" Theo set down his pen to take another sip, raising his mug a little bit in acknowledging the excellency of the tea.

He then continued onward, "As for the produce you are seeking, individual arrangements can be made with the vendors. However, if there is specific produce you'd like to request, I can provide you the information on where to find the business owners." he smiled, feeling the rush of business. "As for the texts, I can hire scribes in order to copy the texts and they can have them prepared within a month. What sort of texts are you looking for?" his tone was pleasant, though enjoyable.

Theo appreciated the awareness Sareth had as a man involved in business, who really wanted nothing to do with any matters involving business... "Of course all those fine details will be sorted out as closely to the date of trade as possible." Theo took another sip of tea, finishing his mug, and pouring himself some more, then pouring more for Sareth. "The fabrics, techniques, and dyes would be of great interest to Nova. If you can provide me the information for the trade accordingly, that would be greatly appreciated."

Theo would slide some forms over towards Sareth, containing information regarding quantities, pricing, cost for shipment, and the tentative date of arrival. "This is only a draft of the forms, as I will have to meet with the business partners to ensure that this deal is sound to them." Theo would smile. "If you'd like,
I can arrange another meeting, only this time with Baroness D'Avranches, for some business arrangements and perhaps some tea tasting." Theo would smile, hoping that would appeal to the prince so that it wouldn't feel like business.