Waiting by the Fish Pond [Finished]

[The Jenn]

One lone koi swam 'round the small pond to the side of the Heart palace, its vibrant black, white, and red scales shimmering beneath the crystal clear water on such a sunny day. Serafino watched it move in meaningless circles and swirls through the water, throwing in a piece of bread every now and then when the fish looked to be going too deep. For all that it was alone, it was enormous, nearly a foot and a half long from nose to tail.

You'd think their size would protect them from a pack of hungry banders, he thought sourly to himself. The fish were nearly as large as their domesticated predators, if not larger in some cases!

And of course, fish that size cost quite a good deal of money and were hard to come by. The structure of the ponds had to be modified slightly so that this little incident wouldn't happen again, with special barriers put in place so that the bandersnatches wouldn't be able to reach the water without swimming, which they hated. That still left him with the problem of finding replacement fish, however, and only one region could supply them reliably.

Good thing he heard rumors of a Diamond rising through the courts that could help him. He tossed another hunk of bread into the water and it quickly disappeared.

[Kari Muffin]

Theofilus was confused. He had no idea why he had been summoned to the Palace of Hearts. He knew very little of their Queen, and had only heard about rumors of an ill temper. Why would he need Theofilus of all people?

The sparrow had been told by the gatekeepers to find The Queen of Hearts in the garden near the fish pond. He had assumed that this summons had something to do with the pond, it made logical sense in his eyes. However the summons hadn't been very detailed. Frankly it terrified him. Meeting a person of high rank in a strange place he had never visited, that sent the a slight chill down his spin. He hoped he wouldn't do anything wrong.

Finally he found his way to the pond, and saw the figure, he presumed, of the Queen of Hearts. He hesitated in his approach, he wasn't sure what to do or say. "His Majesty the Queen of Hearts? You summoned me?" he asked from a slight distance away. He assumed that the man had heard him coming, and he prayed that he was doing what he was supposed to do. Every member of royalty had a different view on proper proceedings.

[The Jenn]

Fino turned crimson eyes from the aimlessly swimming fish to the one who now addressed him, mentally assessing his appearance and bearing.

Well. This was certainly one of the most attractive Lakelanders he'd ever come across, and in the City there were plenty of them. His manner bespoke hesitance, however, a certain wariness that was certainly wise around the Queen of Hearts, but also mildly disappointing. Such individuals never presented a challenge, which was likely good for them. Still, he could see why the Diamond Court had wanted to snatch this one up quickly, whether he had actual talents and skills or not.

His scrutinizing gaze lessened in intensity, now more of an idly curious expression. "And you would then be His Excellence Theofilus, newly risen in the ranks? Very good. I'm glad you were able to find your way back without delay. You're still a few moments early."

The Queen turned his head once more to the lone fish in the pond, making a gesture for the sparrow to look as well. "Here is one of the larger ponds on my grounds. Though of course you're used to much more significant bodies of water, can you tell me what seems a bit 'off' in this picture?"

[Kari Muffin]

Theofilus nodded and gave the Queen a slight bow as he walked forward. He might as well get this over as soon as possible. No point in lingering where he was needed only briefly.

The sparrow looked into the small pond, crouching down slightly to see if anything was wrong. It took him a moment to notice that the koi was alone in the little pond. Either the Queen of Hearts was very picky or his fish had experienced some sort of tragic accident. He hoped it was the latter, but either way he apparently was going to solve whatever the problem was.

He looked up at the Queen as he spoke, "Did a pack of banders eat the poor things?" Theofilus thought of Xanthe and her antics with a fish tank he used to own until she destroyed it simply to get to the fish. He couldn't imagine what a bander with access to a pond could do. "I'm assuming that you want replacements?"

[The Jenn]

The Queen's eyebrow rose as the sparrow guessed not only the error, but the cause as well. No one would guess banders unless they owned the creatures themselves. "Yes indeed, my Sultana and her children decided that they were bored and dinner wasn't soon enough for their tastes. Over the course of a week, they slowly depopulated my stock of fish until only this monster remained. Since then, the structure of the pond has been changed, but I have yet to acquire more fish. That is where I require your services."

He quickly detailed the number and types of koi that had been lost, and suggested several possible replacements. "Whichever of those are most readily available should suffice, though I'd prefer several varieties of kohaku and at least one yamabuki hariwake. Those are my personal favorites. Will you be able to help me with this?"

While speaking, a red bander moved slowly through the bushes and towards the pond. She had tried to reach the last remaining delicacy several times before, always ending up far too wet and not close enough to nab it. This time, however, she saw the bird and stopped, then sniffed. She could smell others on him. Her muzzle twitched a bit and then she sneezed.

[Kari Muffin]

"Banders are quite determined. I know my Xanthe would move mountains to get what she wanted." He heard a small sneeze from a little ways off. He figured it was one of the Banders trying again.

Replacement fish was it? This meant he had to bother Clari and her sister the prominent fish breeder. Simple in concept if her sister wasn't so damn stuck up.

"Yes, I know one of the best fish breeders who specializes in koi. I'm sure she would put a rush order in for you. However, her fish are a good deal larger. Her Tancho are particularly notorious for doubling in size once given a new home," he thought for a moment before, "Do you prefer any particular gender, and will the size be a problem? They might put up a better fight if the Banders manage to get past all the defenses."
He doubted it. He could easily see Xanthe beating the fish into submission to eat it without a second thought. Then again, something a head and a half bigger in size might make her think twice.

[The Jenn]

"Larger would probably be better," Fino agreed, hearing the sneeze behind him and deliberately ignoring it. He knew very well that she was eyeing the pond and its lone inhabitant. He'd also seen her come into the palace dripping more than once, unable or unwilling to jump for deeper water and snag herself a scaly meal. It had amused him until she jumped on his bed one night while still wet.

Eventually she would realize the new shape of the pond made it impossible for her to fish...or find a way around it, he supposed.

"I have no such connections, which is precisely why I require an intermediary with your networks. I heard that you used to work more exclusively in the region...?" After having the sparrow recommended to him, he had his people to a small bit of independent research to find out if this individual was a good one to be dealing with. Apparently, his company's record was exceptional, if on a mostly small-time basis.

[Kari Muffin]

Theofilus nodded, "My firm used to be centralized in the Lakes, with one half of a warehouse in Capital City. After some convincing with business partners I managed to expand to Corvistowne and The Forest of Kahmden."

"But I'm sure talking about medical supplies and furniture is boring for someone such as you, and I'm sure you have plenty of business to get done." He paused as he was interrupted by the bushes rustling. Apparently the bander was getting impatient.

He quickly went over the numbers in his head. "I can probably get a discount if I order two or three more fish. What would be the maximum number of yamabuki hariwake that you would be willing to purchase?"

That woman would do her best to leech the most money out a potential buyer. She could never refuse to give discounts to people who wanted her prize fish rather than her "less than perfect" fish. She'd probably knock the price down a bit more if he did her a few favors. He just hoped they were business related this time.

[The Jenn]

Fino nodded, frowning slightly. "Yes, this whole business is distracting me from preparations for the Harvest Ball and everything that mess entails. Not that I really want to be doing that either, mind you, but it needs to get done."

At the peak of the harvest season, just as everything was being finished, the city held a three-day celebration that culminated in a gala, hosted by the Heart Court this year. It was an event planner's worst nightmare, with nobility from every corner descending on the city and fighting their way through throngs of celebrating citizens. Most regions had some sort of to-do, but the Captal's was by far the largest and most elaborate.

He considered the question. A discount would certainly be welcome, as the fish were quite expensive when purchased from reputable breeders. They also lived much longer and healthier lives. "No more than five of that variety, I think, as I know they're one of the more expensive metallics. The penalty of good taste, I suppose."

[Kari Muffin]

"Very well then, I'll place the order for you and you'll receive the fish in five days maximum time, but since I'm going to put them on rush order it will probably take two days if the breeder can put together the proper quality order for you," Theofilus said while adjusting his glasses. It had been a while since he had a simple business transaction.

"Your Majesty, I wish you the best of luck with the preparations for the Harvest Ball. I hope nothing goes the way of the departed fish from this pond. I will take my leave and submit the order as soon as possible, I beg your pardon for the aburpt departure," he gave the Queen of Hearts a bow and took his leave.

It was a quick and abrupt business transaction, but getting the job done right was what mattered. He had no time to waste if he was going to get those fish delivered on time.