Niklos returned to the townhouse from his investiture ceremony with a sense of purpose. Jacob met him at the door with a curious look in his eyes, as Niklos was moving with a different sort of intent than he had seen from any of the Shahrizai for some time.
Niklos grinned. “Her Majesty has given me leave to turn the Shahrizai reputation around. And she has granted me the county. Small steps, subtle moves… Everything Melisande was a master at, but I am to employ those skills to the benefit of the Crown.”
Jacob nodded, knowing that there would be pushback. But the connections that had been cultivated over years and decades would be employed.
Niklos stepped around the butler and moved toward the stairs. “I have some letters to write, please have food sent up to me, Jacob. Also, you know of my association with Philomena nò Heliotrope? Please do me a favor and look into her family… I have a feeling there is a connection there that would benefit both of us greatly.” Niklos continued up the stairs to his chamber, moving toward the desk once he was inside and drawing out paper for a number of letters. The first would be to his parents to let them know of his fortune and request their advice.
“Dearest Maman and Father,
I have just returned to The City Townhouse from an audience at the Palace with Her Majesty the Queen and His Highness the Dauphin, and they have granted me the inheritance laid out in Demitrios’s will. The County of Angers remains in the family, and I am its current custodian. The Queen has also accepted my rather ambitious goal to rehabilitate the image of our family, and so I must become the perfect courtier. I would ask that you please pass along any rumors that you might become aware of, for good or for ill, that would affect our great nation so that I can help protect it. I do not wish to see our name go the way of the Trevalion or de Somervilles. I will close this now, but I wish you the best for summer. Please send some of the late honey with your response, there is nothing as good in The City!
Your devoted son,
Niklos
PS – Kn D7-E5”
The food was brought up as he was finishing the letter to his parents, and he sealed it with his personal seal—an eagle with its wings outstretched—as opposed to the Keys of the house. He smiled at the servant and nodded. “My thanks, and could you see that Jacob has this dispatched with the rest of the family communication? It’s a note to my parents and I wouldn’t want to bother the Royal Post carriers with it.”
The servant nodded and bowed with a mumbled, “Of course, my Lord” as he took the letter and left the room.
Niklos settled back into his chair and began some simple notes to a number of bankers, introducing himself and explaining that he was, at the moment, the family member in charge at the Townhouse. He also wrote to Demitrios’s banker in The City and informed him of the inheritance and offered to meet with the man at his convenience to go over everything with the accounts. Leaning back, he took a deep breath and began to eat as he considered who else he would need to contact. Word would spread by the next week, if not sooner.