Repayment Of Old Debts

-Alexis Lycan, 18 Years Old-

The rising sun casts its rays through the open window in Alexis' new room. The light illuminates the bed, slowly waking up the two sleeping individuals. Their legs and arms are tangled together as they were cuddling when they fell asleep.

Slowly, Alexis opens his eyes and peers at the beautiful woman who is lying next to him. He smiles as he reaches out his hand to gently run his fingers through her hair. It is soft and possesses a silkiness he didn't think was possible. If he didn't have pressing matters to attend to, he would be content to lie there all day and revel in the feeling. But alas, he does have such matters.

As he is wrangling with his reluctance to get up, the naked woman cracks open her eyes. She looks at her Lord and gives a quick, fleeting smile. It is a joyful smile that was tinged with slight embarrassment. They had finally slept together, something she had longed to do for quite a while now. And now, on the morning after, she holds no regrets and is extremely happy.

"Good morning, Sabrina." Alexis says softly, his voice deeper from the sleep that still clings to him. As he speaks, he pulls her closer to him and wraps a free arm around her body. She is soft to the touch and her body was warm. It is heavenly

Sabrina smiles shyly at him and lets out a quiet giggle.

"Good morning, my Lord." She replies while resting her head on his chest. She listens to his steady heartbeat and can feel herself being pulled towards sleep once again. It would be foolish to continue lying here, but she cannot bring herself to get up.

Unfortunately for them both, a knock at the door forces them to get up. They both silently curse their luck.

-

Seated inside of a drawing room in the manor is an opulently dressed man. He is lounging on one of the couches, drinking a truly fine tea that Sabrina had prepared for him. The man radiates an air of elegance and composure, he is completely in his element.

Alexis pushes open the drawing room door and steps inside. He is accompanied by Ryan and Jackal. They are to act as his personal guard when he meets with guests.

At his entrance, the man gracefully rises to his feet. His eyes stare into Alexis', clearly trying to get a measure of the young Duke.

"I apologize for the sudden arrival, my Lord. I do hope my raven found you in time." The man says, speaking clearly and confidently. "My name is Frances Linet. A representative of the Ricanian Guild." He gives a small bow once he finishes speaking. It is just enough to show proper respect to a noble, but only barely.

Alexis nods a few times before stepping towards a chair that is located in front of Frances'. As he takes his seat, he gestures for the man to follow suit.

Once seated, Alexis accepts a cup of tea from Sabrina and eyes the man before him. "I welcome you to the Lycan Dukedom, Mr. Linet." Alexis says before taking a sip of tea. His voice is even and unruffled.

"You needn't worry, your raven arrived a few days prior. We have been expecting you ever since."

"I see. That is excellent news." Though Frances is smiling on the outside, he was less than pleased. He had hoped the young Duke would be shaken by his arrival, he had even counted on it. But instead, he is met by a composed nobleman who seems to be completely unworried. He will have to be cautious.

Alexis smiles at the man, he has a rough idea of what is going through his head. But Alexis is tactful and does not comment on it, nor prod him.

"Now, Mr. Linet, what brings a man such as yourself to my humble domain?" Alexis says, bringing the main topic into the conversation. Alexis does not want to play games nor beat around the bush. He is now busier than ever and wants to wrap this up as soon as possible.

Frances nods and reaches into a fine leather satchel he has seated by his feet. From within, he produces a large document and spreads it out on an adjoining table. It is the loan agreement between the Ricanian Guild and Alexis' forbears.

"We at the Ricanian Guild must apologize for showing up like this, but we must demand payment for the gold the Lycan Dukedom borrowed from us in the past. Considering your circumstances, we have allowed a grace period of several months, but we can no longer wait any longer. If gold is not available, we would settle for some assets to settle the debt. Quite frankly, payment is due, and I cannot leave empty handed." After Frances says this, he pastes on a false look of regret and sincerity.

Alexis glances at Jackal, who is standing to his left and gives a small nod. At this, Jackal bows and leaves the room. Alexis then takes a deep swig of his tea, draining the cup and looks at Frances.

"What assets does the Guild have in mind?" He asks quietly, hiding his true feelings and thoughts.

A snake-like smile worms its way onto Frances face before he wipes it away. Alexis notices it, but does not react.

"Hmm..." Frances begins, feigning thought. The man already knows what he wants in payment. He is just putting on a show. "...We have heard word that Baronet Anstrada held a waning crystal mine. We, at the Ricanian Guild could accept ownership of said mine as repayment for the debt. As I doubt that you have even commenced operations yet, it will be like you have lost nothing at all."

Leaning back in his chair, Alexis smiles wryly to himself. It is obvious why the Guild chose this exact moment to approach him. They wanted the mine from the start. With this, Alexis knows for sure that the crystal mine will be profitable.

"I see..." Alexis says, drawing out his words. He then leans forward and snaps his fingers. "Luckily enough for the two of us, I have the gold needed for the partial repayment." As he finishes speaking, the door creaks open and admits Jackal, who is carrying a trunk of gold coins.

Frances' mouth hangs open at the sight. Given the Intel that the Guild gathered, the Lycan domain shouldn't have enough gold to readily part with. This was even counting the recent acquisition of the Anstrada land.

Alexis chuckles softly at his reaction. It is almost comical how dumbfounded the man was.

"As I'm sure that this concludes our business, I must be going now. The documents never stop stacking up. I wish you the best on your return trip, Mr. Linet." Alexis says lightly as he exits the room.

After his departure, Frances stares at the trunk for a few minutes in shock before he even moves an inch.