“Legally, all Aeriel feathers belong to the government, and can only be sold by the government. This includes the feathers collected by the Hunter Corps in the course of their duties.” Prahlad’s eyes flicked to Ruban, before focusing on Ashwin once more. “Ordinarily, these feathers would be auctioned at quarterly events organized by the government. And it’s not just Vandram that organizes these auctions, Kanbar and Zaini do too. That’s why Aeriel feathers are so expensive, because these quarterly auctions are the only way to acquire them legally. Unless it’s a resale, of course.”
Ruban nodded. “The feather mafia had always existed. But before Tauheen’s death and Janak Nath’s alliance with the Exiles, they were mostly just scavengers. The Hunter Corps were the only ones actually capable of Hunting down and killing an Aeriel.
“If there were any undamaged feathers after the Hunt was over, our people were the first to salvage and retrieve them. The mafia might get to pick at the scraps, if the corpse was left unattended for a couple of hours after the Hunt. Or, in some rare cases, if an injured Aeriel managed to escape the Hunters, only to die of its injuries in some far-away location.”
Ruban bit back a grin at the sight of Ashwin fidgeting uncomfortably in his chair. It wasn’t every day he got an opportunity to yank the cocky prince down a peg or two. A healthy dose of fear every now and then was good for the constitution.
Prahlad sighed, brushing away a snowy forelock that was irritating his eye. “Before the emergence of the Qawirsin, the government auctions were the only real, reliable source of undamaged Aeriel feathers. The proceeds from the auctions go directly into the national coffers, to be used for public projects. Of course, that changed once the mafia started conducting their own Hunts last year.”
Ashwin hummed absently. “The mafia flooded the black market with cheap, undamaged feathers from their own Hunts. Which drove down the demand for the feathers auctioned by the government.”
“Precisely!” Prahlad slapped the table. “We’ve only just begun to recover from the losses we suffered last year. An official alliance with Vaan will once again flood the market with undamaged Aeriel feathers – albeit legally obtained, this time. Maybe even freely given, as a gift.
“But at least in the short term, it’ll only serve to destabilize the economy. The proceeds from these auctions account for a significant portion of government revenue. And with political instability brewing in every street corner across Ragah, an economic downturn will only fan the flames of public discontent.”
The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Ashwin held out both hands in a conciliatory gesture. “Is that all? If so, my sister would be more than willing to work with this Cabinet to regulate the supply of Aeriel feathers.”
“Regulate the supply,” Dhriti repeated, her voice shrill. “You mean hoarding and price manipulation.”
“How can you hoard something you don’t have?” Ashwin countered. “If Aeriel feathers are a gift from Vaan to the government of Vandram, then do we not have the right to decide how much of it to bestow at a time? It’s not the government hoarding the feathers, if they put everything they receive up for auction every single quarter—”
“And you’ll negotiate with your sister on our behalf?” Unnati asked.
“It’d be my duty as ambassador, would it not?” Ashwin’s eyes sparkled. Turning back to the minister of commerce, he continued. “If Vandram were to enter into an official alliance with Vaan, the two governments will work together to ensure that both the prices and supply of Aeriel feathers remain stable, at least in the short term. You needn’t worry about us glutting the market and driving down prices overnight. Instability in Vandram – be it political or economic – is equally undesirable for both sides.”
“And in exchange for all this, you want us to lie to the public,” said Rifaq Nazir, the defence minister. His sharp, deep-set eyes bored into Ashwin’s silver ones. “Tell them we always knew of your identity, to help cover up your deception and improve public perception of Vaan. So you can build a false image of your generosity and integrity.” He sneered. “As far as bribes go, I expected something more impressive – considering the sheer audacity of your demands.”
Ashwin inclined his head, his tone meeker than Ruban had ever heard it. “I realize it’s a lot to ask. And I haven’t yet done anything to earn your trust. But this,” his tongue flicked out to moisten chapped lips. “It’s not just for our benefit, alone. The popularity of the anti-Vaan cults endangers humans as well as Aeriels.
“Two humans died during the lynching at Kanla Park; many more were injured. Almost every lynching – whether successful or not – results in at least a few human casualties. An official alliance is the only way to lessen the popularity of these cults and put a stop to this meaningless violence that’s killing humans and Aeriels alike.”
A few moments passed in silence.
Ruban’s gaze swept across the table. Each face showed varying degrees of reluctant animosity – expressions wary and mistrustful.
The Cabinet was, understandably, uncomfortable with the idea of covering for Ashwin’s identity theft. Vaan had never been popular among the people of Vandram, but at the moment its reputation was at an all-time low, having reached its nadir after the clash at Reivaa’s castle last year.
In the current political climate, no politician in their right mind would want to look like they’d been deceiving the people to collaborate secretly with Vaan. And the fact that Ashwin had become a semi-celebrity and a darling of the Vandran media, over the past couple of years, only made matters more complex.
Ruban sighed, barely knowing what he himself wanted the outcome to be.