It was only two days later that Taréz met Stecky headed upstairs with a message in hand. “Your Highness,” he said, bowing. “This just arrived for the King.”
“Aren’t all messages supposed to go through Gardric?” the Prince asked facetiously.
“W-well, y-yes, but... he’s not here, and... time constraints...”
“Relax, I’m glad you’re taking them directly to my father.”
“Actually, this is the first one I’ve dared be direct with. It comes from Yis.”
“Well, if it makes you feel better, I’ll take it myself.”
“That would make me feel much better, Sire.” The acting chamberlain handed over the message and bowed his exit.
Taréz went on up to the royal chambers, inspecting it as he went. Yis’ seal still carried the symbol of the chamberlain. Arriving at the door, he walked in with nary a knock. “Father, a message.”
“Thank you,” the King replied, and looked at the small roll a moment before breaking the seal. His face twitched a moment, and then he broke the wax. “Hmm! The writing does not belong to Yis.
“Your Majesty,
“This is a note to inform you without bias of today’s events. It carries the chamberlain’s seal so that it may pass with less suspicion, and to ensure your equanimity.
“Construction still does not equal the pace of arrivals, and the crowding is severe. This has caused many problems, and a number today decided to complain. We of the guard did not take this kindly, and the situation escalated to a full protest. The Chief ordered that all light Vle involved be summarily executed. Some were indeed killed, but Yis bargained for the lives of those remaining. They now sit on the roof of the newest completed building, chained as an example to others.
“I hope this note finds you well. I continue to be your most loyal and faithful servant,
Major Skigby.”
A Major had written the letter, Taréz noted— putting himself at no little risk. Gardric did not deal lightly with those in his army who presumed to disagree with his decisions, and a Major could be singled out. Still, he was glad of the information.
“Stecky!” his father called loudly.
The palace attaché arrived at the door within moments. “Sire?”
“Get Gardric here today.”
“Sire, it is getting dark—”
“I know, but this can’t wait. And once you’ve sent the ‘invite,’ I want you to copy the text of this letter, but without the name at the bottom.” He had a thought. “In fact, I won’t even let you read who wrote it, so you won’t be in danger.” The King took the letter and tore off the end where it was signed. Then, he handed the letter to the waiting Vle.
“Yes, Sire.” Stecky hurried off.
The King sighed. “You’d think Gardric would reward me for making this stupid Proclamation by at least treating the lights with a little respect. Thank the Great Master I put Yis in a position of power. My estimation of that Vle rises by the day.”
“King Renwar gave you a wonderful gift.”
“He did, indeed.” The King paused. “Attend when Gardric and I have our talk. We’ll wait for him in the Library.”
“The Library?”
“Your mother will want to be up here in the chamber. It’ll be evening before Gardric arrives.”
“Okay, Father.” Taréz stifled a sigh.

It was indeed well after dark when Gardric arrived. “Yes, Sire, you wished to see me?” he said when he entered the library.
“Indeed, Chief. I received an interesting report today.”
A flicker of uncomfort crossed the stony face and disappeared. “From..?”
“The camp. Here’s a copy. It concerns an uprising among my light-skinned subjects. Apparently construction is still not keeping pace with arrivals.”
“No, Sire. It... is difficult for the workers to work among the tight conditions.”
“I imagine so. Still, I wonder that either you still do not have enough workers or they aren’t working fast enough. The last, however, I doubt, since I would think they’d want to work fast to improve their lot. The design is two storied, is it not?”
“Uh, no, Sire, I had not considered—”
“Well, do so now. If it’s as crowded as the report indicated, one floor each will not be enough. And I want that wall extended!”
“It has been—”
“More, Gardric! I’m tired of your obfuscation and excuses. You were never so obtuse before, and I don’t want it from you now. Now tell me, what’s this about your bloody treatment of an uprising?!”
“It was a dangerous situation, Sire. It could not be allowed to continue. The lives of my soldiers were in jeopardy.”
“I have a feeling they wanted some discussion, Chief, not blood. Are you that war-thirsty, that you look for battles where there are none? What really concerns me is the lives your men took, and those you have sitting chained on a roof.”
“Sire.... your informativeness stuns me. I assure you, operatives of your own inside my organization are unnecessary...”
“Up to now, I am confident they have been. No, I don’t have an informant of my own, merely the good luck of there being an Vle under you with a conscience. The report was merely factual and without bias. I called you here because I didn’t care to wait for your report. I need you to fix the situation tomorrow. I want those who are chained released, and the families of those who lost their lives will be compensated when this whole mess is over.”
Gardric stiffened. “Yes, Sire. However, more uprisings may require stiffer responses.”
“No, the next uprising will require dialogue. The one after that— well, we’ll let them out.”
“Sire?!”
“I’m tired of this mess, Gardric. The only reason they’re still there is because you continue to bring or send reports of violent or counter-productive activity on the part of the light Vle remaining outside. You may be having fun, but I’m not, and until you’re King— fat chance, as you know— you’ll just have to deal with my conscience just as I do.”
“Of course, Sire. Your command is my law.”
“Now, go get some sleep so you can be energetic for carrying out my commands tomorrow. Dismissed.”
Gardic bowed low, and left.
The King stared out the door for a few moments. Taréz gave him a few more before asking, “What’s on your mind?”
“Money.”
“Still no luck finding the funds for the camp?”
“No. Wait, maybe I can find them in the books!”
“Father, when was the last time you’ve even looked at the books?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever looked at them. But I remember being taught something about accounting back when I was young... younger than you, in fact. And just beginning my reign. They simply haven’t been necessary, because I’ve always had a chamberlain to do it for me. Now, the tables of figures are on the desk just outside these chambers. Somewhere in there must be an answer.” He heaved himself to his feet and went out to that desk, Taréz following with curiosity. The younger Vle had had the same accounting lessons much more recently, and had actually worked with the books, but he let his father have his moment.
It took some searching, but the King finally found the page that listed the various funds the Kingdom had and what they currently contained. There was one for emergencies, such as fires, tornadoes, or earthquakes; there was his own, and finally the building fund. That last had nothing in it.
“The emergency fund, Father?”
“Well, though it looks healthy enough to stop adding to it, I think would be best to leave it as it is.”
“That leaves your own funds.” The fund used for new coaches, new robes, new thrones, ball expenses, palace repair, gilding replacement... Would his father be able to give that up?
“No. There has to be something else somewhere, a stash long forgotten... Stecky!”
As always, the young Vle appeared as if by magic. “Yes, Sire?”
“Get the librarian. Ask him if there’s any record anywhere of a stash of gold or platin... or even cobilum! that hasn’t been touched in years, or accounted for.”
“Yes, Sire.” Stecky bowed, and dashed off.
“You know,” the King remarked, “he definitely would make a good chamberlain, if he’d ever grow up.” He turned back to the books. “Maybe there’s a trace of an out-pay that I’m not familiar with, to a fund that I don’t remember. You know, I wish I hadn’t been ruling for so long, so that there’d more likely be something my father had neglected to mention, something no one remembered...”
“Unless perhaps your father did have a personal fund separate from the normal personal palace fund.”
The King was in motion, tearing through each page twice, looking at every line pertaining to the King’s funds. “Nothing.”
“Not in that book, Father, that’s just for this year. You’d have to find the books for the very beginning of your reign.”
“Well, I did discover something.”
“What’s that?” Taréz was confused.
“The economy is slipping far worse than I had previously thought. Hmm... the librarian hasn’t come up yet. Shall we go look for him?”
Taréz just shrugged, so they went downstairs to the library. There, they found the old Vle poring over a large number of dusty tomes, scrolls and even laquered wooden tablets with marks that the King couldn’t begin to decipher. “Well?” inquired the elder.
Furns didn’t reply, didn’t even seem to be aware that the King was there. The King tried again. “Furns! Have you found anything?”
The old man was startled, enough that he dropped one of the tomes. “Sire! I didn’t see you there.”
“So I noted. Anything?”
“I have only found one possibility so far, Sire. It seems your great grandfather stockpiled some cupro in the sub-cellar. However, it doesn’t detail where, or how much. Worse, I’m afraid I’m almost finished with every record we still have.”
“Perhaps we’ll find something else when we search the cellars. Is there any record of the current contents of the rooms down there?”
“But, of course. Yis made sure an inventory was taken every year.”
“Really? Why? Is it used that often?”
“No. It is simply so that staff is less likely to think they can take something without it being noticed.”
“However, they can easily take it while they’re counting,” the King countered.
“This is true, except Yis had always made sure he’s down there counting with them.”
“Hmm. Let’s take a look.”
Furns took a large, old book from a shelf and opened it on the table. “Note here that your illustrious ancestor Lajot the 21st took roughly one third of all cupro taxes for his very own. That wasn’t long after cupro’s usefulness was discovered, and he hoped to earn lots of money by restricting the supply and selling his share when the supply was low. Unfortunately, he died only a few years later.”
“So, his stockpile is not likely to be large.”
“No, and recent advances in mining have made it more plentiful. It won’t be worth much.”
“Still, it’s something. What else is there?”
“Oh, an old coach, a few platin bars, some cobilum statues—”
“Ew,” said Taréz.
“Yes, they were put down there after the metal lost popularity. As I was saying, there’s also a stockpile of old weapons, some human iron armor, and some old furniture, but nothing of much value. May I inquire, Your Majesty, as to the reason for your interest?”
“This camp is bankrupting the nation, and it may mean giving up my own personal fund.”
“I see. Well, we could sell all of this, but I doubt it will do much for your reputation or image. Plus, buyers may well know how desperate you are.”
“You’re advising me to use my fund?”
“I cannot advise you in this, Sire. I am a mere librarian.”
“Thanks. Stecky!”
Once again, the young Vle appeared in moments. “Yes, Sire?”
“Organize a search party. I want to know how valuable our stockpile of cupro is.”
“Right away, Sire.”