Chapter 182: Year 31 - 36 Dues and Duties (2)

The commander shifted in his seat, his armour giving a soft clink as he turned towards Lucian. “My lord, I would be wary of cutting the patrols any further. We’ve made some of the roads safer, but the smaller gangs are still out there. If we pull men away now, we may find ourselves dealing with the same trouble all over again.”

Another official glanced down at his report before looking back at Lucian. “The mines are struggling too, my lord. Some aren’t producing as much as we expected, and if we leave the repairs too long, we’ll likely end up spending more later. The trouble is, we don’t have enough money to deal with everything at once.”

Master Corren turned a page in his ledger. When he spoke, his voice was low and slightly rough with age, but his words remained clear. “The grain purchases have cost us more than we expected, my lord. We can cover the next round of wages and provisions, but after that, there won’t be much left to spare. If another large expense comes before the delayed payments arrive, we’ll have to draw further on the reserves.”

One of the officials frowned at the figures in his report. “And what if next year’s harvest is poor too, my lord? We would have even less to fall back on.”

Master Corren rested a hand on the open ledger and looked towards Lucian. “That worries me as well, my lord. If the payments arrive when expected, we should be able to cover our current expenses. But we can’t keep making up the shortfall from our reserves every time income falls below expectations.”

The commander turned to Lucian, his expression firm. “My lord, we cannot afford to keep delaying payments without a clear limit. I understand that some farms still need time to recover, but the soldiers must be fed and the men guarding our roads must be paid. If we cannot keep them supplied, the security we have worked so hard to restore will suffer.”

Lucian listened as the officials laid out their concerns. They were not questioning the need to help the people under House Veymont’s authority, but explaining how difficult it had become to do so while keeping the rest of the territory running.

For a while, the only sounds in the room were pages turning and reports shifting across the table. Master Corren eventually closed one ledger and reached for a sealed report.

“There are two requests from the Viscounts that require your attention, my lord.”

Lucian held out his hand for the first.

“Let us begin with the one we can settle,” Lucian said.

Master Corren passed him the report.

“Viscount Edric Halvern has sent his accounts. His grain stores remain low, and several of his farms have yet to recover enough to produce a proper surplus. He expects to fall short of his usual payment this year, but he has included an estimate of what he believes he can provide after the next harvest.”

Lucian turned through the pages. Halvern had listed the farms worst affected by the drought, the grain remaining in his stores, and the payments he could no longer meet. He had also accounted for what his villages needed to get through the coming months, rather than treating every sack of grain as something he could spare.

“What is he offering now?” Lucian asked.

“Some grain and a portion of his available men,” Corren replied. “It will not cover the shortfall, but he is offering what he can without leaving his own people short.”

The commander leaned forward to examine the figures. His gauntleted hand rested beside the report, the metal catching the light from the windows.

“His lands were among the hardest hit. The men will still be useful, and we can put the grain where it is most needed.”

“Can he meet the remainder after the next harvest?” Lucian asked.

“That is what his estimate suggests, my lord,” Corren said. “But it depends on how well the next season goes.”

Lucian studied the figures a moment longer before setting the report on the table.

“Give him the time he has requested. Record what remains due and review his accounts after the next harvest. We should not force him to sell the little grain he has left merely to make his payment look better on paper.”

Corren reached for his pen. “Shall we accept the men and grain he has offered?”

“Yes. Take what he can reasonably spare. I will not ask him to leave his own villages struggling simply so he can send us a larger payment.”

The commander gave a short nod. Viscount Halvern had reported his losses, shown what he could provide, and made no attempt to disguise the amount he would be unable to pay. With the immediate arrangements settled, there was little more to debate.

Corren placed the first report aside and drew the second towards him.

“This one is from Viscount Garran Ashcombe.”

Lucian looked up as Corren opened the letter.

“His tribute arrived late, and the amount was lower than expected. He claims the difference went towards the cost of guarding the roads and maintaining them for the increased traffic passing through his lands.”

The commander shifted in his chair, his armour giving a faint clink.

“Traffic has certainly increased there. Since the arrangements made with Duke Vendettit’s help, merchants have begun using that route again. The escorts have made the journey safer, and we’ve had fewer incidents along that stretch.”

“Which should have benefited Ashcombe too,” one of the officials remarked.

“Most likely,” Corren said, turning to the figures attached to the letter. “But increased traffic brings costs of its own. More guards are needed, and the roads require maintenance. The difficulty is that his accounts give us no proper breakdown of those expenses, so I cannot tell whether they explain the missing tribute.”

Lucian read the letter. Ashcombe’s tone was respectful, and he did not deny that the payment was owed. He maintained that the extra expense of keeping his roads open had left him unable to send the full amount without putting his own lands at risk.

“Has he sent the road accounts?” Lucian asked.

“No, my lord. Only the total he claims to have spent.”

The commander’s brow tightened. “That is convenient. We know the route is carrying more merchants, and the disturbances have become less frequent. Yet Ashcombe has sent us less money, not more.”

“He may still have expenses we have not seen,” Corren replied. “We need the figures before we can judge whether his explanation holds.”

“I agree that we need the figures,” the commander said. He tapped one finger against the table. “But why weren’t they sent with the letter? If the money was spent on the roads and their security, he should be able to show us where it went.”

One of the other officials drew the report closer, his eyes moving over the brief account Ashcombe had provided.

“He may expect us to grant him the same consideration as the Viscount whose lands suffered most from the drought. We’ve allowed delays where the losses were clear. Perhaps he thinks he can ask for the same treatment now that his own circumstances are improving.”

“Perhaps,” Corren said. “But we cannot establish that from this letter alone.”

Lucian’s gaze returned to the figures. The concern was understandable. Ashcombe’s lands were benefiting from the renewed traffic, yet his payment had fallen short at a time when House Veymont could ill afford another unexpected loss. Still, the letter offered an explanation, however incomplete, and suspicion could not fill the gaps in the accounts.

“How much is missing?” Lucian asked.

Corren told him.

Lucian’s expression grew more serious. “That is not a sum we can simply overlook.”

“No, my lord,” Corren agreed.

“Nor should we assume he has acted dishonestly before we know what happened to it,” Lucian continued. “The roads need maintenance, and the guards need provisions and wages. If he has spent the money on those things, we should account for it properly.”

The commander rested both hands on the table. “And if he hasn’t?”

“Then we will deal with it when we have the facts.”

Lucian’s tone remained even, but his decision was clear. He would not accuse a Viscount on suspicion alone, nor would he let the man’s rank spare him from answering for money owed to House Veymont.

Master Corren closed the ledger before him and considered the report again.

“We could send two clerks to examine Ashcombe’s accounts. They could compare his road expenses with the toll records, check the reports from the guard posts, and establish what has actually been spent.”

“Do that,” Lucian said. “Choose men who know how to examine the figures. They should also inspect the roads and compare the work they find with the reports. I want a clear account of the expenses, not another letter telling us the money has been spent.”

“And if Ashcombe objects to having our clerks examine his books?” the commander asked.

Lucian met his gaze.

“He has not refused us anything yet. We will not treat him as though he has.”

The commander gave a restrained nod, though the set of his jaw suggested he remained unconvinced. “As you command, my lord. I only hope he understands that the tribute is still owed.”

“He will be reminded. Send him word that we expect the full records and that the outstanding payment remains due. We will make no further decision until we have examined his accounts.”

Corren recorded the instructions and placed Ashcombe’s report beside the ledger. The officials returned to the remaining accounts, settling smaller questions and clarifying figures that would affect the house’s finances before the year’s end. Lucian allowed the discussion to continue until Corren had finished making his notes.

“Have you finished tallying what we can send Duke Vendettit as tribute this year?” he asked.

“Not entirely, my lord.” Corren drew a narrower ledger from beneath the others and opened it to a page marked with a strip of parchment. “I’ve separated the money already received from the payments still outstanding. Several of the Viscounts have yet to send their full dues, and some are still waiting for payments from their own holdings. We won’t have a final figure until the remaining money comes in.”

“Then let’s look at what we have now while we wait for the rest.”

“Of course, my lord.”

Corren turned the ledger towards him. Lucian leaned forward to examine the figures, asking for clarification where a sum depended on a delayed payment.

By the time they finished reviewing the figures, the immediate decisions had been made. Viscount Halvern would have the time he needed to recover, while clerks would travel to Ashcombe’s lands to examine the missing tribute and the expenses he claimed to have incurred. Lucian would not judge the Viscount before the facts were established, but neither would he allow the shortfall to disappear from the accounts.

Viscount Ashcombe’s explanation might prove sound. Until the records had been examined, however, the missing payment would remain outstanding.