I should have stayed in my office, and never left it.

The old woman had a warm smile, and I was doing my best to not grow angry. It took everything in my power to hold my tongue as her words lingered in the air.

Luckily, my cousin and Yevin had remained outside. Unluckily, I knew Yevin at least had heard her... his hearing was second to none. At least he was known for his silence.

A part of me wanted to ask her to repeat herself, but I wasn't in the mood to get sick to my stomach again.

“I refuse,” I said plainly.

Rivini's smile didn't disappear, and in fact seemed to grow even brighter. “I understand. But please, sit and learn of the why and the how. If you do, you'll understand and maybe even agree with me,” she said.

“You don't need to explain. There's nothing to explain. I am sorry, but I have no need for a bride,” I said firmly.

“It's the only way to avoid war,” she said back, and for the first time since meeting her... I heard her true voice.

A new woman sat in front of me, and if not for the circumstance I'd feel honored. At last one of the Elders had put aside their masks of civility.

“Nice to meet you,” I said as I sat down across from her. That firm look fit her face much better than that fake smile.

“Excuse me...?” she asked, and didn't seem to understand.

I shook my head, dismissing it. “Let me hear it then, but I make no promises,” I said.

With visible relief, Rivini nodded. “Thank you. Commander Noth, we mean no disrespect... nor do we intend to force you. But you see, a war is brewing in the City... and although it may be between all of the Houses, their focus will be us at first. And we cannot survive the brunt of such a force,” she explained.

“What would taking a bride from your House do to stop that?” I asked.

“If you did, and did so openly, then the other Houses would have no choice but to accept that you and your Line are of the House of Derri,” she explained.

“So...?”

“So they'd be unable to declare formal war over you choosing to do trade with us first and solely,” she said.

“Ah. So it's a cultural thing. Politics,” I said.

“Yes. If your Line was of the House of Derri... then it is obvious you'd do trade with us first, and not them. It's simple,” she explained.

For a long moment I stared at the woman, and I wondered how desperate she was.

A bride? A fake pseudo marriage, to stave off war?

“How would this... protect you once I leave though? We will not be here much longer. Surely once we depart, the other Houses would simply fester in their anger, and eventually attack anyway?” I asked.

“No. Especially if you do trade with them, at least a little. They will be angry, and they will complain... but their accusations will become baseless, and purely emotional,” she said.

The small room we sat in was not one I'd been in before. All that was in here was a table and the chairs we sat upon... the room wasn't even cooled with catalyst, and was quite stuffy.

Still, I looked around and studied it... at least, the sand and dust that covered most of it. I needed something to look at.

I didn't understand her confidence. And a part of me believed it was simply her grasping for straws. Her House was about to be attacked, out of jealousy and anger... and there was nothing they could do. This was their attempt to stave off the inevitable.

And it was a poor attempt at that.

She thinks that cultural stigmas will be enough to keep them safe? Once I leave? Preposterous.

Such things didn't matter when people were falling over and dying from thirst and hunger.

Though...

Glancing to her, I noticed her twitching a little. She was impatient, but knew to stay silent and let me think.

They were still alive.

Not just them, but many Houses like them.

I had wondered about it earlier, but now it was clear. None of the Houses seemed to have any kindness with one another. They bickered and warred with another as if they were completely different nations and peoples.

They might target her House originally, but then they'd only go to war with one another over the spoils. There were no allegiances or peace between them.

Yet, they all still existed.

There had to be a real reason behind it.

It couldn't be because of any form of treaties or stalemates. It wasn't like going to war with one another was guaranteed mutually assured destruction or anything...

“Do your Houses... or rather, did your Houses skirmish between one another before we arrived?” I asked.

“Oh often. Sometimes daily. Although we of the House of Derri have grown too small for most to notice...” she answered.

I sighed, and hated how clear it was.

The House of Derri probably had mere days left, before tensions boiled over.

“I'm to assume... even if I began trading in earnest with the other Houses, their feelings won't change,” I said.

“Correct... they'll simply change their accusations from one thing to another. Possibly that we took the most, or the best of your goods,” she said.

Typical.

Although this wasn't too unusual, or strange to me, it was also not something I usually dealt with.

Most cities we traded with were ones already connected to Lines. Places that saw Lines several times a year.

Those places had strict systems in place, from generations upon generations of trading. There were never problems like this.

And even the places we visited, like this one, that hadn't seen a Line in a long time... if ever, they were usually a single entity.

It was rare indeed to encounter a place so... divided.

Usually there was a monarch or dominant power to trade with, and one could simply neglect the rest.

It was regrettable that the House of Derri hadn't been such a powerhouse. It would have made my life easier.

“Noth, we are and always will be eternally grateful for your dedication to our House. You've saved us, truthfully... but if you do not help us, it will all be for naught,” she said.

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Taking a deep breath, I was half tempted to simply stand and walk out. But I couldn't.

After all, I had made a promise.

Damn that madman!

“Is there any other way? What if I spoke with the other Houses and negotiated...” I started to say, but the old woman simply shook her head.

She didn't even bother saying anything, it was that clear.

“So... can this just be in name or something? Just tell people that I married her, and then we go on about our lives?” I asked.

Rivini hesitated, and although smiled... didn't nod. “Somewhat... we will have to go through steps to ensure the other Houses know it's not us playing a trick, which will require you to do the heavy lifting,” she said.

“Me,” I said.

She nodded. “You will have to be the one to prove to them that you're actually a member of our House. We cannot do that,” she said.

Disgusted, I had to force myself to stay seated... and had to force myself again to keep inquiring. “How heavy we talking?”

Rivini gave me a tiny smile, one that showed how old she was. “A wedding will be needed, for one thing.”

Flashes of my people's faces, all of them smirking and giggling at me, nearly gave me a heart attack.

“No,” I barely said.

“It's the only way. A formal wedding, where the heads of other Houses are invited and there to witness...!”

Shaking my head, I stood from the chair. I took a step towards the door, but stopped myself.

Barely.

“Lord Noth, please... I am not asking you to truly take a wife, simply convince the other Houses that you are,” she said with a hurried voice.

“And what of when I leave?” I asked, starting to pace.

“As I said they'll be bound by customs and,” the old woman started to speak, but I stopped her with a raised hand.

“And I leave my supposed wife here? They'll doubt it instantly,” I said sternly.

Rivini gave me a toothy laugh as she shook her head. “Leave her here? Nonsense,” she said.

Gesturing to the world around me, I looked around. “So what?”

“Well, take her with you of course. Then you can do whatever you wish with her. Sell her, toss her into the sands... just do it beyond the watchful eyes of this city,” she said plainly.

With her words, came the understanding.

I see.

She really had removed her mask.

For a few moments my heart pumped cold blood as I stared at the elderly woman, who was still smiling in pride.

Pride in herself and her capability to think of such a profound and flawless plan... pride in her quick wit and luck.

Pride in her willingness to sacrifice a woman, possibly her own flesh and blood, without a moment’s hesitation.

While staring at her I silently debated abandoning her and her people.

I owed that madman. I owed him dearly.

But had I not paid that debt in full?

I had brought them wealth.

Power.

Thanks to me, they would now have crops. They would have cold and fresh water. They now had resources the likes of which they've not had for generations.

Thanks to the Front-Line, the House of Derri wouldn't get buried into the sands.

Wasn't that enough?

One could argue that if I didn't do this, then my promise was not kept... my obligation not fulfilled. My lack of effort kept them from truly benefiting, choosing greed over honor.

However...

A line had to be drawn somewhere.

If I participated in this... foolish ploy, there was no guarantee it'd change anything. It may stave off their destruction now, but for how long? A few years later another problem may simply arise.

Would I return then, to aid them as well? How far would I allow my promise to that madman to go? How much was I willing to sacrifice, and how much was I willing to abandon?

The hot room wasn't being kind to my emotions. I was angry and impatient, and that was something I rarely allowed.

After all, I was a Commander. An Owner. I was the Front-Line.

I could not afford such emotions.

No matter how disgusted I became thanks to this conversation and where it was heading, I had to bite my tongue and forcibly calm my stomach.

Instead of growing angry, I needed to calculate.

After all, I had mouths to feed. Six thousand of them.

While biting my lip, I sat back down in the chair. The hard wood felt like pins and needles.

“You understand that if I do this... I will most likely never return,” I said.

For the first time since starting this conversation, Rivini suddenly looked worried. “I see... Is what I ask such a great insult to you?”

“Very. I do not judge, nor do I allow my own personal convictions to interfere in business as a Line owner... but the Front-Line does not allow slavery. We trade in everything but people. That is the one product that has never been found, nor ever will, on the Front-Line.”

A long moment passed as the old woman studied me, and I noticed a small part of her mask had returned. Either intentionally, or subconsciously, I couldn't tell.

When she finally broke her silence, it was with a whisper of a voice. “I can see how you could live in such a manner, with your wealth and power... but I am not asking you to trade in slaves, I am asking you to partake in a play. A grandiose one, to save many lives... maybe even the whole city. It is nearly the exact opposite,” she said, trying to reason.

“I understand,” I said calmly. There was no point in arguing with her, she had her ways and I had mine.

All I could do was what was necessary.

“So... you're willing to do this then?” she asked, unsure of herself.

It was my turn to go silent, but I didn't study her.

I no longer cared about her.

She disgusted me.

But what I did care about, was my people. And if I said no... We’d have to leave. Today.

Doing so was possible, repairs were close to being finished... but there was another problem.

Only one cargo compartment was full. Twenty more were still empty.

Although the goods in that one compartment more than made up for the lack in the others, it was still a strikingly small number.

If we left now, with only one cargo full of goods... my people would question me. They'd be concerned.

They'd wonder if they'd be able to eat when we returned to our normal route. And once we finally docked in one of the common home cities we frequented, they'd start to question if they earned enough on our long voyage. Then they would question if staying under my employ was worth it, both financially and logically.

All it took was one bad venture on a Line to render it distrusted.

All it took was one.

Would a single cargo compartment be enough?

It was impossible to calculate, since the value of goods was never constant. Especially the type of goods the House of Derri had given as payment.

If we were to have a string of bad luck... the single cargo wouldn't even pay for the expenses of this trip.

I had no choice.

I needed the other Houses. I needed more cargo containers to be filled.

And I could only trade with them if there was peace.

After all, even though the Front-Line would be fine even if they erupted into a civil war... I'd then have no choice but to leave the city anyway.

I couldn't endanger my people, no matter how small the risk... at least in such a way as that.

“You'll have to give me a night. I shall give you my answer in the morning,” I said, reaching my conclusion.

It was really the only conclusion to give.

Rivini hesitated for a moment, but had no choice but to nod in acceptance. “I understand...”

Standing, I nodded back. “I promise to give it heavy thought. I'll have a messenger sent in the early morning to let you know my answer,” I said, then left.

“Noth?” my cousin sounded concerned as I left the room, but I wasn't in the mood to explain here and now.

Leaving the House of Derri, I didn't even wait for one of the Derri guards to guide us out, or part ways. Nor did I care to wait for a contingency of guards for the city itself.

Yevin quickened his pace, passing me so that he'd walk ahead of me. Thanks to his actions, I was able to see that I had been walking at far too brisk a pace. Yevin was nearly jogging.

Slowing down, I sighed as my cousin hurried next to me. He was sweating, and only partly from the heat. “What happened?” he asked with his tone full of concern.

“When we return, immediately ready a vote. Or votes, depending on the outcome of the first one,” I ordered.

He coughed, and I slowed my pace even more to allow him to catch his breath. “I see. That bad huh?” he asked.

With our slower pace, I was also able to calm myself. Thankfully it wasn't too hard. And with my newfound calmness, I was able to notice that the sky was dark.

I hadn't been talking to the elder for that long...?

“A storm I guess. One of the young girls had informed us of its approach, a sandstorm. She had said it would be a small one, and not to be concerned... but it looks quite large,” Jamthi said, noticing where my eyes wandered.

“Fitting.”