Christáin always had been a dreamer.

Dreaming about not being a bastard of a trading family, but a real son. Dreaming of marrying Solana, the rich neighbor girl. He even continued to dream long after his half brother, and not bastard, Tivadar Lynwood had tainted her innocence. Dreaming about getting rich with shady insurances, even after being imprisoned afterwards. Dreaming to regain the favor of his father, after he embarrassed him so much, by teaming up with his brothers business. The three of them “collected” a huge amount of money.

For which they got jailed again. Who would have thought rounding the interest figures of all bank accounts they managed for all the banks in the city could result in such a thing? Maybe they should not have taken the rounded down interest for themselves? The old master Lynwood was really not happy to see that happen. After being disinherited, all three of them were exiled from home. Now Christáin had to dream a new dream. Being rich through expedition and discovery.

There had been a lot of stories of a land far out in the sea, all the way to the east. Although no one ever brought back anything anything other than rumors. In fact, no one ever set foot on this mysterious land. But Christáin had talked to northern tribesmen, that had traded with his family and who had some very credible stories. Now he chased after founding for an expedition. The only help he had were his two brothers. They did not share his curiosity at all, they merely tagged along. After being thrown out they had nowhere else to go anyway while his dream included wealth. And Christáin always looked to keep them entertained enough for them to stick around.

While his bastard brother Lorcan was a natural born fighter and a very quite person they had much more in common than being fellow bastards. The old master Lynwood had liked to sleep around a lot. Often with widows and work class women, rather than just visiting pleasure houses. There were a lot of bastards running around some of which he confirmed and a lot of them he had not. Like Lorcan Christáin liked to practice hard, loved to fight and was very shy around women. Although Christáin was easily able to talk to anyone he did not want to screw and Lorcan just could not.

His half brother and fourth son of the Lynwood family Tivadar was entirely different. He was smart, had a lot of ideas and just loved women. More than he should have, often he was beaten by other families for dirtying their daughters and sometimes by his own brothers for sleeping with their future women. Tivadar was not a fighter, he hated any physical activity that did not have anything to do with sex. But he was smart, reliable and foremost: a really experienced seaman. As a “real” son of Lynwood, he was obligated to travel and trade since he was five years old, standing on board and helping. Together they formed team dysfunctional family.

Today they had to perform at their best. Sitting in the royal palace of Endoran, awaiting the arrival of the announcer. Their audience with king Estyn III. of Endoran. They had been waiting since the early morning. Before sunrise the doors had opened allowing them to proceed to a waiting hall. Where they waited for at least four hours now. Lorcan was sitting in his chair, twitching about. Obviously he missed his morning exercise. Tivadar was sleeping in his armchair. He always had hated standing up early. That much was expected. At least he was not snoring.

Christáin stood up and walked around in the giant waiting “room”. It was a hall, bigger than most houses and probably worth more than normal mansions. Endoran had always been a wealthy trading state and the gold all over the walls reflected their riches. It most likely cost more to restore the palace back to it’s glory once a year than building a brand new warship. Christáin had no eyes for all the gold though. He wanted to find this new country, this proclaimed new land out in the east. Maybe someone lived there, a whole new world to conquer. If they brought back proof, a slave, plants or goods, then their funding would skyrocket and they would stand at the head of a new armada sailing into this newly found world. Just thinking about it made him want to set sail.

He approached a guard. “Excuse me? How long is it gonna be until our audience?”

The guard stared him down. Not a talker. It was suspicious that the three of them were all alone lying in wait for an audience. Normally there should be many more. Maybe they were just letting them wait to send them away in the evening again? Just to discourage them again? Christáin had spent a lot of time setting their visit up properly, bribing guards to let him talk to the administration responsible and it would be a shame if that would not work now. Just as he considered all the worst case possibilities a man entered.

Wearing a black suit with an old fashioned cut as well as a melon hat. He stepped in harshly, his right hand on a walking cane. His face looked very strict. Small lips and a very thin face, cleanly shaven. The eyes were dark brown, so much in fact that they almost looked black. He could have been an intimidating man, if he had been over one meter sixty. The very small statue totally killed his frightening vibe. Until he spoke that was. It sent shivers down Christáin’s spine. Quiet, barely whispering but it had a cold threat to it like he never heard before. A constant unspoken death threat. It was enough to wake his brother Tivadar up as well.

“Good. Day.” The man stopped right in front of Christáin. “I understand that you will present your... cause, today?”

Immediately he responded to the short but respect producing person. “Yes, Sir. We want to present a plan for an expedition.” He bowed to show respect but was immediately scolded.

“You do not. Want to do that. His grace despises, weak cowering men.” He sighed, like a school teacher explaining something to a mentally retarded six year old. “Listen now. I won’t repeat myself. I. Do not. Have time for that.”

“Yes, Sir.” Christáin got really nervous now. Everything needed to be perfect for their presentation.

“You will enter when I come to get you three. After I close the door you will wait. As soon as I stand beside the king you will approach. Slowly, do not show any haste. I will signal you with my hand to spot at some point. You will stop right then and there. Not sooner. Not later. Understood?” He glared at the three brothers.

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“Certainly. Enter, wait, go as your order us and stop at your sign as well.”

One eyebrow up high the small man continued to speak. “Good. When you stop you will go down on your left knee. Do not bow, appear strong and attentive. The king will speak to you and you will only speak, if he speaks to you first. That will be all.” He touched his melon head briefly, seemingly a greeting. “Good day, gentlemen. It will take about one hour.” Then he left through the door leading to the throne room.

Christáin was all fired up now. Although he had forgotten to ask the man’s name. “Alright. Lorcan, Tiv. Let’s rehearse our arguments. Now. We need to be one hundred percent accurate. We need to be on point.”

They went through their plan over and over again. While Tivadar was really blooming in sight of his chance to speak Lorcan was hating the thought of it. Just to be completely sure Christáin drilled it into him for a good half an hour. Then he let them rest. No use powering them out right before their performance. And with every passing moment his nervousness grew. The two starring guards by the entrance did not help either. One of them seemed amused while looking at him walking up and down. Another two hours later they were finally let in.

Christáin was walking in the middle, Lorcan moving a bit behind him on the left while Tiv stuck right next to him. They stopped after entering and saw the throne room properly for the first time. Here everything would be decided. A total of sixteen guards stood to either side of the alley, leading up to the throne. The room itself was high, though not all too wide. Another four guards stood next to the throne and only the small man announcing them and the king itself were present. Unlike Christáin imagined, the floor was solid wood, rather than stone and it was beautifully carved with hundreds of pictures. No pillars blocked the view either and aside from the elevated throne nothing seemed to stick out.

As the man with the cane and melon hat reached the king, they slowly started to approach. About six to seven meters short of the king they were signaled to stop. All three of them knelt like they had been told before. The king scowled at them for a second then he frowned. He was a rather big man. Not necessarily fat, although he could not be called thin either. His face was cleanly shaven and had a rather common looking face with brown short hair on top of his head. A simple, black robe covered his body and a thin golden crown was the only accessory he wore. Certainly a man of god.

“So you are the Lynwood boys that caused that ruckus in Vhlanhár?”

Slowly Christáin stood up. It was really unexpected that the king knew about their crimes. His mind was racing trying to find a solution. For now he had to buy time. “Yes, your grace.”

Tiv and Lorcan looked at him trying to show no concern. Hopefully they would not say anything stupid.

“Mhm. You three are responsible for stealing over three thousand gold coins total over the course of a year? Certainly impressive.”

Oh god. Why? Now this audience would be one of survival, rather than simple founding. If they got convicted that was the end of things.

Then Tiv took matters into his own hands. “Your grace, I would not call it stealing. It was rather the simple act of restructuring funds in a way that had never been done before.”

Christáin nearly got an heart attack. If that did not work that would be it.

“Hahahaha. Good. Goooood. Well spoken, boy. I really was impressed when I heard about it. A new tax for the crown will use this principle you have used back in Vhlanhár. Although it was potentially criminal, I have to thank you for that.”

Christáin continued to speak for the group. The word potentially really calmed him down again. “We are glad our… unfortunate business idea served a higher deed in the end, your grace.”

The king seemed satisfied and clapped his hands together. “Shall we begin then? What do you want exactly?”

Tiv stepped forward, just half a step. The guards did not mind him, although their eyes were still pinned at his every move. “Your grace, on my journeys to the northern lands I have experienced a rising number of claims. Claims that our world does not end beneath the oceans. Claims, that there would exist a new world.”

Estyn III. of Endoran seemed to be disappointed. “Mhm. Many before you have claimed lands beyond would exist, although no captain made it that far. Not in the entire history of our world. Do you know why? Mister Lynwood?”

Now it was Christáins turn to shine. “Your grace, of course we have investigated further into the claims. And we found something that will let us cross the oceans safely. We will not lose our lives and ships in a storm, deep out at sea.”

Frowning the king continued to doubt the three brothers. “And what would that be? Magic? Calculations? What?”

“Your grace, the northern tribes possess a special kind of stone, which allows one to keep track of his position so accurately, they claim it was entirely possible to sail out in the open ocean. Without losing yourself in a storm that is.” All marine forces around the world used land to navigate and this new invention, magic stone or whatever it was would mitigate that problem. “Aside from that we have plans to build a new kind of ship. One which cannot sink as easily in a storm.”

The king seemed still sceptical. “I see. Claims and a new ship. One that had never been build before I assume? And what can I do for you now? How am I related to this story?”

His tone was not promising. Tivadar tried to sway him. “Your grace. We came in search for a royal sponsor. A king's blessing so to speak. With your help we are sure to gain riches, find new resources and lands that have yet to be claimed. Imagine all the riches one could search for while no other country has knowledge of them.”

“And how much would it cost me to do such a thing? You lads are out of your damn mind, I tell you. Now... Tell me. Mister Lynwood, how much would it cost us to do a full trip and back? A thousand gold coins? Two? For that amount we can invest in much more lucrative trades.”

Lorcan stepped forward to speak. Then back again and Tiv picked up on the king's questions. “It would cost three thousand eight hundred and sixty four gold coins. If we start now, we could start the journey in four to six moons. Approximately seven hundred gold coins less, if we start next year.” Christáin was glad he did not lie about the amount. King’s were usually not forgiving about lies.

“Hah. Four thousand gold coins. Hahaha. You boys really ARE insane. And here I thought you would be brilliant merchant’s trying to propose a new idea to increase effectiveness.

The king stood up. “Uthred, get those drunkards out of here. I’m not interesting in throwing our money away.” Tiv wanted to raise his voice again in one last hopeful try. The king noticed instantly. “Beat them out if they speak one more word. The stories about them had been so hopeful as well.” He shook his head and left.

Christáin pulled his brothers away from the throne room.

Failing was not giving up. He would find someone else.

And the king would regret it.