The day after their arrival, the Princess and her entourage set to work. They traveled together to the governor's mansion, where the other diplomats split off to work with lower-level government officials. Princess Evelyn, Zach, Riley, and Alexia went to meet directly with the governor, a man named Barrus.

"Welcome to my office, Your Highness," Barrus said with a bow. He had thinning brown hair, deep set eyes, and broad shoulders. He had been strong and handsome in his youth, but he wore his years hard. "Please have a seat, and your companions as well."

Evelyn nodded, then turned to her left. "These are Riley and Alexia, my personal maids." Then she gestured to the right. "And this is my economic advisor, Zach."

Zach had not been expecting to be introduced at all, let alone as the Princess's advisor. As his jaw dropped open, Evelyn made sure to draw attention off of him.

As Evelyn took a seat, she said, "Your office has quite the comfortable atmosphere. I am impressed." The room was furnished with an elegant mix of light and dark wood, all polished to a sheen, with a half-dozen plush chairs arranged around the massive desk at the center. Zach took a seat to Evelyn's right but Alexia and Evelyn just stood at attention by the door. They seemed used to it.

Barrus smiled. "Agreed, but I can't take credit. The previous governor had it decorated and I didn't see any need to change it when I was elected. And besides, this room is downright unremarkable compared to your visit."

Evelyn raised an eyebrow. "No need for flattery, Barrus."

"I assure you it's heartfelt, Princess. I'm very happy to meet you, and excited by what your visit could mean for our lands. I had the privilege of meeting your mother on one of her visits. She loved this city, and believed in its people." He paused for a second, a sad smile on his weathered face. "It's been a hard climb, but we've come far since the storm."

Evelyn said, "I can see that. But I don't think you've reached the end of your city's journey."

"Ah, that's too true. I visited New Albion a few years ago, when I was just another merchant instead of some big time governor. New Albion put Okwata to shame. Almost no crime and safety for all citizens, even beyond the city walls. I'd love to make Okwata as great, but…" He trailed off, perhaps unwilling to admit his country's weaknesses to a foreign monarch.

"Speak to me, Barrus. If you share your city's problems, I may be able to help you solve them."

Barrus chuckled. "You're quite the clever negotiator, Princess. Even when I can see what you're up to, I don't mind your approach. It's true that my city has problems that you might be able to help with, but I fear what you'd want in return. What can our struggling land possibly offer to New Albion?"

"Nothing it couldn't safely spare. New Albion wants to facilitate free trade between our countries. No more costly inspections, no more tariffs."

Barrus furrowed his brow. "Much of my budget comes from those tariffs. I'd have to raise taxes on my citizens to compensate, and that's a surefire way to lose the next election. Public opinion is a cruel master."

Evelyn smiled. "We recognize that, and we're prepared to cover all lost revenue with payments of gold."

"Perhaps you're too clever for me, Princess. I have no idea what you expect to gain from this."

Evelyn leaned forward and lowered her voice. "Allies, brethren that we can count on. A port in a storm, so to speak. And you'd get the same from us."

Barrus narrowed his eyes. "You want to buy an alliance? We're a country of merchants, not mercenaries. And we aren't soldiers."

"Wars aren't fought by soldiers alone. There's a phrase I rather like: 'An army marches on its stomach'. It originally referred to the importance of food supply, but it can be applied to all forms of supplies. New Albion is landlocked and relies heavily on Okwata for trade. I want to make sure we can continue to rely on you in the future."

Barrus rubbed his hands together nervously. "War on the horizon, hmm… Alright. I guess I can work with this. You want to help me solve some problems? Here are some problems."

Barrus proceeded to list off issues Okwata was trying to deal with, from muggings in the streets to merchants losing confidence in their trade deals with the Southlands. That one was particularly dangerous for Okwata, which dealt heavily in Southlands goods.

"Perishable food is seen as too volatile a market. Good fruit rots on the docks waiting on the whims of nobles in New Albion or Abyssinia or Britannia."

The Princess narrowed her eyes and leaned forward. With menace in her voice, she said, "Am I to understand that Okwata is actively trading with Britannia?"

Barrus immediately bowed deeply until his forehead was nearly on the table. "I misspoke. Forgive me, Princess Evelyn, and allow me to explain."

Evelyn leaned back and nodded for him to continue.

With a relieved breath, Barrus said, "I assure you that the embargo against the Old Kingdom holds strong. We never trade directly with them. But we are subject to the ebb and flow of the world markets, and we cannot deny their impact."

Evelyn visibly relaxed. "Very well. I already have some ideas in mind to solve your issues. Any concrete details you can provide to my advisor, such as figures and estimations, would be appreciated."

"Of course. I can have a report delivered to your residence within 24 hours." He smiled and added, "On that note, I trust the Grand Hotel is living up to your expectations?"

Evelyn smiled and stood up. "It's quite amenable," she said, understating it a bit. The hotel rooms were nearly as nice as her royal chambers and the baths were comparable to those in the castle. Even the food was as diverse and delicious as the best the castle kitchens could offer. "Thank you for the hospitality. Now if you'll excuse us, we have an afternoon show to attend. I've heard great things about Okwata's theatre industry."

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To Zach and Riley's delight, they were invited along to the show. The walk to the theatre district was a little tense after the previous night's robbery attempt, but Alexia insisted that hiring a carriage would draw too much attention. Horses were quite rare in Okwata compared to New Albion, likely due to the local transport industry favoring Bridges and boats over Riders and horses.

The theatre was a massive and sturdy building that had made it through the great storm relatively unscathed. Alexia had already coordinated their arrival through a special side entrance and the four VIP guests were ushered to a private balcony that had a great view of the stage over the general seating below.

Zach took a seat and immediately noticed that the audience was very diverse. Regular working-class peasants and dock workers filled out the general seats while people wearing impressive wealth sat in the other private balconies. In one such overlook was a group of four people with very dark skin, clad in numerous gold amulets and bracelets.

Riley whispered to Alexia, "Who are they? And are they human?" The exotic group looked unlike anyone she'd ever seen before, with skin even darker than the deep tan of the Southlands.

Alexia replied, "They're human, just with naturally dark skin and hair. Based on their wealth, I'd guess they're Abyssinians, but they could be from South Cape or Kongo. In any case, they're almost certainly from the continent of Kemetha."

Impressed, Riley said, "They came such a long way for this show."

Zach leaned close and asked Evelyn, "Kemetha is Africa in this world?"

"Yes. It's even more dense with mana than North America, meaning more monsters and non-human races, and fewer humans. The three countries that Alexia listed are the only human settlements on the entire continent, and they're all smaller than New Albion."

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The show started not long after. It was a musical tragedy set in the early days of Okwata's history, and it was about a teenage girl who fell for a sea captain and ran away to join his crew. She stowed away on his ship and remained undiscovered until they were too far from land to turn back. The captain was merciful and let her join the crew until the ship returned to Okwata.

The ship faced many trials and tribulations at sea, including the crushing loss of the captain's first mate to a monster attack. On the journey back, having proved herself as a capable crewmember, the girl confessed that she loved the captain. Then in a dramatic moment, the captain was revealed to be a woman in disguise. She had abandoned her old life after a bad marriage and took to the sea as a daring explorer of the uncharted world.

The girl said she didn't care that the captain was a woman. She loved her all the same.

Zach was pulled from the immersive story by movement in the seats below. Several people had risen from their seats and left the theatre in a huff. He could make out a few heated words, including 'skew', which seemed to be this world's derogatory word for homosexuality. Within seconds, theatre employees in elegant suits and white gloves escorted the upset patrons from the theatre and Zach returned his attention to the stage.

The girl and captain decided they would get married when they returned to port, but the girl's father found out. As a battle-hardened mage, he had already disapproved of his daughter's desire to abandon her magical training, but he was absolutely enraged to learn that she had been lead astray from the path of life. Mankind was at war with the monsters of the wilds and it was every woman's sacred duty to bear children and keep humanity's ranks filled.

The girl's father snapped. While the wedding ceremony took place on the captain's ship, he conjured an impressive fire spell and attacked the ship, killing everyone on it. He was tried for the murder of the crew and wedding guests, but he was never charged for the death of his daughter. The court determined that he had been driven insane by her actions and the accumulated stress of his career as a monster-fighting mage. In any case, he was deemed too dangerous to imprison and was sentenced to death.

When the play ended and the cast returned to the stage to bow, Evelyn was in tears. She made no effort to hide them. As she dabbed them away with a handkerchief, she whispered to Zach, "At least homosexuality is getting some representation in Okwata, even if it ends in tragedy. In New Albion, no one will even speak of it."

Zach turned to see Alexia and Riley's reactions. Riley looked lost in thought, an intense look of consideration on her face. Alexia was as stone faced as always, but she had one hand on Evelyn's back, rubbing gently.

They four didn't speak about the play until they had returned to the Grand Hotel. Evelyn invited Riley and Zach to join her and Alexia in their room, and she requested dinner to be delivered there from the kitchens.

When they were all seated around the room's dining table and their meal had arrived, Evelyn cleared her throat, then said, "I think it's about time that I explained something to the three of you. I'll tell the other maids myself when I get home, or have Eloise relay my words."

Riley looked puzzled, but Alexia sat up in rapt attention. Zach just nodded and waited to see where this was going.

"As soon as I returned to this world, I realized something that upset me deeply, and not just because it affected me personally. People who don't love the so-called 'correct' gender are treated terribly in New Albion, even worse than they were where I grew up in Zach's world." She took a deep breath, then continued, "But I also realized that I had the power to do something about it."

Riley blurted, "You said it affected you too? You're sk—" She cut herself off, not daring to use such an offensive term to describe the Princess.

"I'm gay," Evelyn said with a slight nod at Zach. She had heard about him teaching Beebee the word and she to approved. Then she smiled mischievously. "But that doesn't mean I'm interested in your bathtime escapades, Riley. I can't risk the rumors."

Riley's pale and freckled cheeks flushed pure red and she stammered, "P-Princess! I would never dare!"

Zach was stunned, but it did make some sense, especially when he thought back to the letter from Evelyn's roommate. Evelyn being true to herself would be difficult indeed. Meanwhile, Alexia was completely quiet. Had she already known?

Evelyn resumed, "With my power as a Princess, I hired women who had run into trouble due to New Albion's flawed expectations, including women who had refused to marry or bear children for other reasons. I needed allies on my side while I pondered how to somehow change the culture of an entire country."

She looked at Zach. "Just like in your world, New Albion's biggest opposition to homosexuality comes from tradition. Mankind has struggled for two-thousand years to survive monster attacks, losing lives with terrifying frequency. In the early days, they needed women to bear many children to keep the population steady. But now that isn't nearly as necessary. In fact, if New Albion's population kept growing at that early rate, we'd soon be unable to feed the kingdom with current farming technology."

Zach nodded. "So what is your plan then? How are you going to overcome generations of tradition?"

Evelyn's eyes lit up. "That's where our visit to Okwata comes in. Tradition has less sway here because the people are exposed to people and ideas from all over the world. Like that play we just saw. Its author knew that gay people exist and that their stories need to be told. I just need to bring that culture to New Albion."

Alexia finally spoke, her voice soft and unusually unsure, "But you told Barrus we wanted reduced tariffs and allies in case of war."

"I did, but both of those things support the blending of our cultures, much like my mother marrying my father had." Evelyn sat up straight and set her face in a firm expression. She looked every bit a Princess as she said, "I will use my power for good. I will change this world for the better."

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The next morning, they gathered in Evelyn's room again. Stacks of paper covered the table: information delivered by the governor's assistants. Zach, Evelyn, Riley, and Alexia spent the day digging through it all.

"If any of you have any ideas, let me know," Evelyn said. She looked at Zach and added, "You especially. Put your other-world economics knowledge to use."

Zach nodded firmly. "You got it." He started by reviewing all the problems that Barrus had outlined. On top of the issues with muggings and Southland trades that Barrus had already shared, powerful merchants held monopolies over certain ports, because it was too risky for another Bridge to make the sea journey there, which was a requirement for the Bridge spell. That gave them power over prices on some goods, choking out fair competition.

A related problem involved the prices of basic foods and necessities. Something as simple as a loaf of bread could vary in price by an order of magnitude, even within a single month. That prompted hoarding and panic from the populace, and created gaps for unscrupulous merchants to make huge profits.

Additionally, fair merchants faced risk of ruin whenever they dealt in perishable goods. If the supply and demand didn't align, good food would spoil by the ship-load, unable to find a buyer. Due to the price of Bridges, it wasn't feasible to move it to another land where it could be sold.

Zach said, "Hmm, I've definitely got some ideas, things that worked for the people of my world. Getting people to actually adopt them might be impossible, though."

Evelyn grinned. "You underestimate the power of the ruling class in this world. The right spark from my hand can start a wildfire, so to speak. So what are your ideas?"

"I don't have any experience in law enforcement, so I'll leave the mugging topic to Alexia, but for the other problems, there's a single thing that could make a big impact: marine insurance."

Riley and Alexia barely reacted, since they had no idea what that meant. Evelyn quirked an eyebrow and said, "I've heard the term, but I don't know what it is."

"It's just like any other kind of insurance in my world. A bunch of people pay money into a pool, with the guarantee that if they run into disaster, the pool will cover the cost and save them from financial ruin. There's always a risk of people trying to abuse it with false claims, but the positives outweigh the negatives. Back home, insurance companies provide a lot of stability, and still manage to make a profit. If we don't want profit to be a motivator, the government could fund it."

He continued, "Marine insurance would cover the loss of a ship due to weather or attack, or the loss of a shipment due to rot. With that protection, Bridges could justify traveling to other ports to break up those monopolies. And, the general reliability the insurance provides and the free market should stabilize the fluctuating prices. If that isn't enough, Barrus could pass a law against profiteering on basic necessities."

Evelyn blinked. "Wow, that's some good stuff, Zach."

Even Alexia looked impressed. She said, "And you said this worked for your world?"

"Yep. Marine insurance has been around in some form for over 2,000 years, but it really took off in the 1600s. We didn't have anything like Bridges, but people still transport goods by boat all the time without much worry."

After that, Zach documented as many specifics as he could remember on how early marine insurance worked, with some modern improvements. While he worked, the girls came up with some ideas of their own to solve other problems. While the people of Okwata may have thought of similar things in the past, they'd never had the power or confidence to see them through to fruition.

"How about a farming co-op?" Evelyn asked. "Lots of farmers can pool their goods and share the risk, so that a bad crop doesn't ruin a farmer's life. Zach's world and New Albion both have things like that."

Riley nodded. "I like that idea. On a related note, I was thinking about a food buying program, where the government will buy unsold food that would otherwise go bad, then use it to feed the poor."

Zach looked up from his notebook and interjected. "Good idea. But instead of buying it, it could be a donation thing. The merchant donates all their unsold food and gets a tax credit from the government. Lower management costs that way, and harder to abuse."

"Wow, you really do know a lot about this, Zach," Riley said with a flirty smile.

"Only what I learned in school, and I wasn't even close to finishing my degree when I dropped out."

Riley leaned closer and put a hand on Zach's. "Oh, is that like my mage classes? I don't know much about your world. Can you tell me more?"

Alexia saw where that was going and rolled her eyes. At least they'd finished a solid amount of work before Riley went all flirty and derailed everything.