The attendant opens a side door from the council chamber and leads Makeda through quieter corridors. Her palm is unbandaged now, and the healed skin moves freely.
Queen Mariam’s apartments occupy a sunlit suite beyond a carved screen. King Rostom stands near the window, while Petar waits discreetly in an adjoining alcove.
Queen Mariam Dadiani
Come in, Makeda. Here, officials will not turn every breath into a clause. I wished to speak with you without the council between us.
King Rostom
Your testimony is credible, but protection has a price. Turkish claims, local suspicion, and the burden of feeding foreigners will all be counted against us.
Mariam gestures toward cushions beside a low table. Beyond the screens, servants move quietly, and the palace continues its morning work around this private negotiation.
Queen Mariam Dadiani
The women cannot remain guests without purpose. They may work, if they choose, and earn their keep under my protection. I will not have them hidden like contraband.
King Rostom
Petar can guide travelers and speak for the mountain roads. As for the women, we must learn what work they can safely undertake before we promise more than the court can sustain.
✓ Quest Accepted
Secure a safe work arrangement for the women
“The Turkish claims are without merit, your Majesty. We didn’t escape the Turks, they abandoned us. And anyone can claim abandoned property. These women are all hard workers, even the youngest, Angela, who carried a heavy water jug more than a hundred miles through mud and up steep mountain trails and never once complained. She is the daughter of a German merchant, wiser than her years, able to read and write many languages, and knowledgeable about trade and commerce. Julia is a Polish noblewoman, a person of education and refinement, well informed about the ruling class of that country, and, since these noble families are all inter-married, she has many valuable contacts. Sofia is a farmer from the Ukraine, the breadbasket, the most agriculturally productive place in the world, and she is acquainted with agricultural practices that are unknown here. Daria is a Cossack, one of that bold race that ravaged the Turkish coast and forced the proud Turks to hide behind stone walls in their ow”
SUCCESS (Legendary Oratory, rolled +2)
Makeda
The Turkish claims are without merit, Your Majesty. We did not escape the Turks; they abandoned us. Anyone may claim abandoned property, but that does not make the claim just.
Makeda
These women are hard workers. Angela, the youngest, carried a heavy water jug more than a hundred miles through mud and steep mountain trails without complaint. She is a German merchant’s daughter, wise beyond her years, literate in many languages, and knowledgeable about trade.
Makeda
Julia is a Polish noblewoman, educated and refined, with knowledge of her country’s ruling families and valuable contacts among them. Sofia is a Ukrainian farmer, familiar with agricultural practices unknown here.
Makeda
Daria is a Cossack, one of the bold people who ravaged the Turkish coast and forced proud Turks to hide behind stone walls.
Makeda’s argument fills the sunlit room with practical value rather than pleading. Mariam listens without interruption, while Rostom’s expression hardens at the mention of Turkish claims and then turns thoughtful.
Queen Mariam Dadiani
You have made their value plain, Makeda. I will not treat these women as abandoned property, nor permit Turkish assertions alone to determine their fate.
King Rostom
Their skills and connections can serve Kartli, if they consent and if their work is properly supervised. I will advise the council that their protection carries practical benefit, not merely charitable cost.
“"I am willing to serve your Majesty in any capacity, but I cannot speak for the others. They may have a lingering need to go home, and I cannot abandon them if they need me."”
SUCCESS (Legendary Oratory, rolled -1)
Makeda
I am willing to serve Your Majesty in any capacity, but I cannot speak for the others. They may still need to go home, and I cannot abandon them.
Mariam studies Makeda in silence. Rostom’s guarded expression eases, though Petar remains still in the adjoining alcove, listening without intruding.
Queen Mariam Dadiani
Then you will serve me as their advocate and practical steward. You will remain with them, and no assignment will separate you from those who depend upon you.
King Rostom
That arrangement gives you influence over the women’s choices, but it also makes you answerable for their conduct. Your word will carry obligations, not merely authority.
Mariam reaches for a small wax tablet and dictates the terms: lodging and provisions for the women, work offered by consent, and no forced departure while their claims remain under review.
Queen Mariam Dadiani
I accept your service, Makeda, on that condition. You will report to me, and you will tell each woman plainly that protection here does not erase her right to choose.
The concession secures the survivors’ immediate place in Kartli, but binds Makeda’s standing to their behavior and makes her responsible for reporting any dispute to the queen.
Quest Complete
Secure a safe work arrangement for the women
Skill Upgrade: Trade Fair→Good