The Switch
Chapter 5
The wine in your cup was sweet. Your marriage platter, meant for you and for Kragan to share off of, was practically overflowing, with generous portions of each offering. Each bite was just as delicious as your groom was handsome.
You happily sat side by side in a special newly wed chair, big enough and wide enough for two to sit together at the head of the table. His warmth a wonderful comfort and seeping into you. The music was beautiful and delightful, upbeat and filled the room with heavenly sound. Your family and his were eating down the table, his family taking up one side while yours took up another as your family did their best to talk about plans and hopes and dreams for your future with Kragan.
Kragan and his family never catching on and noticing that with every utterance made by a member of your family was always prefaced with 'if they get the chance'.
But you did. And while you appreciated the well-wishes- to hear 'if they get the chance' and mentally knowing that in all reality the answer was always going to be 'no'.
Kragan however noticed that you seemed to be more somber, and more quiet, the more you listened to your family and his talk and could only come to one conclusion.
"Tess." Kragan whispered which brought your attention back to him.
"Hmm?" You hummed when you turned towards him.
"Don't feel like you have to live up to their expectations and their hopes and their dreams. All they are- are suggestions. You're not going to disappoint anyone if we decide to not do anything that they're saying right now." Kragan reassured you in a soft whisper.
"Now, it's just...it doesn't feel real. I feel like I'm dreaming and that any moment now, I'll wake up and find that I'm still betrothed to Ron. And that you and your wonderful family were nothing more than figments of my imagination. It still feels too good to be true." You admitted in an equally soft whisper as you couldn't help but feel your eyes grow glassy as you tried to smile happily but there was a bittersweetness in your eyes as your guilt grew by the heartbeat. You felt it growing like a enourmous weight on your heart and in the pit of your stomach. You suddenly had the overwhelming urge to just confess to everything and shred that marriage certificate to save Kragan his inevitable heartbreak. Because your success would inevitably be his sorrow.
"Well let me fix that." Kragan offered before he leaned in and kissed you softly which got you to giggle.
"That's not helping, it's making it worse." You can't help but laugh as you covered your face with your hands to hide your blushing cheeks.
"Well, here, how about this." Kragan offered as he pulled out the picture he had drawn up of The Contessina and put it in front of you.
"Awww, are you going to name a ship after me?" You asked him as you took the picture and looked at it, amazed how he seemed to draw this free handed, there was no marks that he used any kind of tool. But yet, his well trained eye and hand had crafted a masterpiece.
"I'm going to build you a ship and then name it after you. It's going to be the first of its kind." Kragan insisted.
"You're going to do what now?" Thaddius asked, only overhearing his son say the words "build" and "ship".
"He's going to build me a ship!" You announced to everyone at the table as you smiled happily before you turned the picture over to show everyone at the table before you passed it around.
"This looks different than the usual skyship you like to design Kragan." Thaddius noted when he took the picture and looked at it closely.
"That's because it is. It will be the first of its kind and hopefully first of many." Kragan began.
"How so?" Saffiro asked curiously.
"Salgria Shipping is known for its strong and stout shipping ships. Meant to hold vast cargos but get by on a limited crew. Because the smaller the space you devote to the crew's lodgings and the crew's food supply. That means that there is more space you have for cargo. But that also means that the more altitude gas the balloons have to have and the stronger the antigravity disks have to be and disbursed to keep the ship in the air. And the harder the engines have to drive and maneuver the ship when the winds aren't fair." Kragan began.
"But The Contessina will not be a cargo ship. I want it to be a luxury cruise liner. Every royal family in every kingdom that is by the sea- has its own luxury cruise ships on the seas to take their holidays on the seas. But the landlocked countries do not have that luxury. This would be a way to provide them that without interfering with borders with others. And the borders that countries have on their shorelines and in their harbors. I think the trend should also be adopted in the skies. Especially now that so much of the world is now in the D.A. There literally is now one huge ring that is safe to travel on that is on a clear latitude thanks to Yekmeni and Wakanear joining the D.A. Before we could only go as east as Forestrong and then had to go south to the Brighway line. And we always had to take a sharp turn southward to avoid the rest of Nuvaric to get to the Brighway Line." Kragan explained.
"Now that safe latitude goes from the southern end to the Brighway Line all the way to the North Pole now that Wakanear is a Yekmenian province. Thanks to Yekmeni and Wakanear now in the D.A. Just about anyone with enough wealth and with enough intellect can travel throughout all the countries in it. Instead of just the merchants being the big travelers of the supersphere." Kragan gestured, showing how that latitude had widened considerably.
"If we made luxury cruise ships of varying sizes and made them especially available to land locked countries. It would give them a sense of mobility without encroaching on their countries borders with other countries on the surface. Soon anyone could travel if they wanted to. Instead of being stuck into one country and one society, it would mean that anyone with enough capital could then travel the supersphere and do so in style." Kragan explained.
"I think it's brilliant Kragan." You praised.
"Well since it will be a ship in your name, you should have a say in how it's decorated and how it's laid out. Since you already know the preferred styling of those in nobility. I'm going to be counting on you to help guide that aspect of it. So that The Contessina Class ships will be a world wide success and I want to make you in charge of the class and sector of Salgria Shipping. It will be a subgroup of Salgria Shipping but something that you'll have the vast majority of control. I want you to set the price, set the different sizes and classes, from the smaller, more discrete and humble all the way up to the largest and most luxurious ships of the class." Kragan insisted as your jaw dropped as did everyone else in your family. Your father was practically salivating at the prospect.
"Well Tessa, you're going to need help, you could always recruit Saffiro to help you with it." Your father suggested rather innocently.
"No I think Tessa should keep The Contessina Class ships and The Contessina section of Salgria Shipping with her husband, since it would be a project just between her and her husband." Saffiro quickly countered with a meaningful smile to you, ignoring the looks from his parents.
"Well if I do end up needing help, beyond what Kragan can provide, Saffiro, you will be my first choice." You placated which seemed to appease your parents well enough.
"Mildred?" You requested.
"Yes My Lady?" She asked.
"In the honeymoon suite, you'll find on the desk a journal, it has a brown leather cover and has a compass inlaid into the cover. Can you bring it down to me along with a pen and an inkwell, I wish to share my ideas I've written down in it with my husband and my family now as well as write down ideas for this Contessina project." You requested sweetly.
"Of course." She readily left the room to do as you requested.
"I already have a few ideas if you would humor me." You suggested to Kragan and his family.
"I'm all ears. Please, tell me what your ideas are. I'm sure they're excellent. In fact, can someone get me a pen and some ink so I can write down whatever my brilliant wife is about to say? Because I'm sure it's good advice." Kragan smiled happily, pleased that you loved the idea and that it inspired you in turn before you waited for him to get a pen and an inkwell and readily made sure the pen was full of ink.
"You may need more paper, I have a lot of ideas." You gently warned him as you got your journal and opened it. Granted your handwriting in the journal wasn't your best but all week, every night, you had gotten more ideas before bed. Based on your conversations that you had had with Kragan each day and you had chosen speed at which you wrote over the aesthetic of the writing itself.
"Oh then I know they're going to be good." Kragan smiled happily.
"Have the stack of clean paper that was just delivered to me this morning brought to him." Saffiro ordered a servant who left and came back with a heap of paper and set it down.
"Ok, I'm ready when you are My Dear." Kragan assured you after he made sure the cartridge in the fountain pen he was using was completely filled.
"Well, wait to hold that judgment until I'm done speaking then, just in case you don't like the ideas. Like I said, they're just ideas I've had. They may be impractical." You proposed.
"Tessa, there is absolutely nothing about you that is impractical. I have every confidence that whatever ideas you're about to share are going to be good ones." Kragan assured you, which melted your heart. That he would think and feel that way as your father and Saffiro were eagerly leaning forward to hear whatever you were thinking.
"I second that. You have yet to have a bad idea Tessa." Saffiro offered.
"And I third that." Your father immediately offered.
"And I fourth it." Your mother smiled proudly.
"Well thank you for your votes of confidence." You smiled bashfully at your family.
"So, if it's not too forward of me, I've been thinking all week about Salgria Shipping. I know every Salgria Shipping boat has very distinct sails. Because that's how you can recognize if the boat is in the fleet- beyond the make and model of the ship itself. Because Salgria Shipping Ships are already unique and set the bar and standard for the industry for having the most sound, well made boats and for having the highest delivery success rate of any shipping company in the whole of the supersphere. " You prefaced which earned you proud and approving smiles from Kragan and his family as Kragan just beamed so happily that you thought that.
"The first idea is to have Salgria Shipping be a very notable and recognizable brand and that double SS on the sails should be your logo. And that logo should be copyrighted. The way a family crest is but it should be copyrighted with the D.A, of which you do most of your business in and with. And not just Solowards. The way Dorierra is world renowned for their bride program outside of the country and yet their exquisite goods within the country itself. Because every male Dorierran is an artisan, creating some of the best products in the supersphere. But usually only for the consumption of the Dorierran citizens and those lucky enough to travel there and do business there. It would be ideal if Salgria Shipping had a similar reputation. Only Salgria Shipping wouldn't be known for goods, but for its remarkable service. Known throughout the supersphere. And that the Salgria Shipping brand be of course copyrighted in the country in which it calls it's home base. And possibly copyrighted in every other country it does business in- in addition to being copyrighted with the D.A. itself." You began.
"Smart." Saffiro praised.
"Why is that important though?" Thaddius asked.
"It's important that it's copyrighted so that no other company can try to be a copycat. Because copycats can often do more damage to the original brand or product than anything else. And if it's copyrighted with the D.A. especially. You have legal rights to the brand and to the logo. So that if anyone were to try to copy you, you can legally sue them for copying you, damaging your reputation, stealing your business away from you and slandering your good name with their bad business and have legal footing and rights to your business in any and every court of law within the D.A.. Like the way counties have their own flags to symbolize that country- or family crests have that crest to differentiate that family from any other. It's the same concept. You are simply differentiating and legitimizing Salgria Shipping further and protecting it from anyone who would want to copy you but ruin your reputation if they end up doing bad business and stealing your customers. And the Salgria Shipping brand with the SS logo would be something that anyone and everyone can very easily, if not immediately recognize, get to know and easily establish respect and trust." You began.
"And that the Salgria Shipping brand and logo would be associated with the entity that Salgria Shipping is and only with Salgria Shipping. So that if you are a person with goods, you will want a brand, with an easily recognized logo- that is not only legitimate in every respect, and is protected by the law. But also represents a company who is not only world renowned but trusted internationally to deliver your goods to their destination. And not just deliver them, but deliver the goods in their entirety and deliver them in as good of condition that you received them in and do so with reasonable speed. " You specified.
"Love it, do go on Dear." Kragan readily encouraged you as he quickly wrote that down.
"My next idea is, about the label system that you have. Because I understand you already have a label system. Which is good. It keeps things organized. But what if we expend that system to include so much more than just a label saying what is in the crate it's being transported in, where it's coming from and where it's going. You could use special symbols, you could use special characters learned and known by the whole fleet. But the symbols and their meanings would be an enigma to anyone else who dares to board a Salgria shipping ship- when they would get into the hold to see if anything in there is worth stealing. And if you can't understand the label and all the packaging looks the same. All they would see is a label with symbols. That they know nothing about, that they can't decipher and so they have no idea if what is in the crate is something worth a hundred thousand gold bullion, or just a hundred or even just ten. But with a uniform packaging and just a label with a bunch of cryptic but very meaningful symbols on the labels that would be Salgria Shipping trade secrets, also copyrighted with the D.A. itself. All the packages, if you had uniform packaging, would look the same to the naked and untrained eye." You proposed as you could see the look on Kragan's face that he clearly loved that idea as he wrote down that idea too.
"And uniform packaging would mean much easier loading and unloading and handling. And better ways to pack it into the hauls." Kragan readily agreed.
"And with having a business with a logo, that logo can go on the packaging itself too. And you could create little business cards to give to contacts with the address of a messengerari for your home base so that they can set up future business transactions and as long as someone is always at that home base to take the calls and can speak any language your customers speak beyond just the common tongue." You urged them.
"We would need to hire a team of receptionists and have a space with a group of messengeraries with all the same address. But it would be worth it, especially if every call coming in is someone who wants to book a Salgria Shipping ship and if we regulated the flight patterns and days that each ship would make to specific destinations on a regular basis. That would more than cover the start up cost of the messengeraries themselves." Kragan noted as he wrote that idea down along with his own.
"Exactly. And instead of focusing just on the big accounts with with the main merchants who already have their own way of doing things. You could even promote your business to smaller businesses. Especially ones small enough that the other merchants ignored because most merchants care about bulk and quantity instead of quality. Since Salgria Shipping has kept the same quality and even improved the quality of their ships, even when your business is booming and you are using the ships as soon as they can be built. Do the same for others with the same goal. That while they may be on a small production scale now, if they have good quality products and could grow in size but still keep their quality the same. They would be worth having them as a business associate. They too could become bigger and more notable businesses themselves if they started to use Salgria Shipping as their preferred method of transportation of their goods. And their own products could reach an international market instead of just a local one. And with their products reaching newer, higher demands, means that they would have extra incentive to grow and produce more goods. But yet they should do what you have done, and keep their quality up so that those buyers are still buying a quality product and investing in a quality shipping service." You encouraged Thaddius and Kragan.
"You could have your own version of the Dorrierran Alliance. Have a Salgria Shipping Alliance. But instead of this alliance being countries and nations with a Dorierran bride ruling as queen- your alliance would be producers and businesses that trust Salgria Shipping and only Salgria Shipping with the safe, secure and guaranteed delivery of their goods. And to ensure that- offer insurance, at a reduced rate- say- five gold bullion for every fifty gold bullion worth of goods that the businesses themselves would happily pay to make sure that their goods, especially very valuable ones will definitely make it to its destination and be guaranteed to be delivered. And you could even offer free insurance for the less valuable goods and for the smaller businesses that already have high production costs. It would help them out as well and help them grow too." You suggested.
"And I would be the first to sign up to be in such an alliance. And the insurance thing is absolutely brilliant and would instill the utmost faith that your company would be the right one for them to use. No one else offers that. And you would be the first and only one. And you're the only one big enough to even try." Saffiro readily offered.
"I agree." Your father nodded in agreement.
"And you could even have a sliding scale for how much insurance you can reasonably offer and of course put a cap on it. Because surely something that is priceless should have a cap because if they try to sue you for all your money for losing it- that's just a bad idea. But say for a shipment of goods that is worth- 5, or ten silver bouillon, is free, the insurance is free to the producer. But anything beyond that, the individual client- can choose to pay extra- depending on the value of the goods they are using your company to transport for them." You suggested.
"Have the insurance payouts be small enough that it's easily paid out, but not so high that you're taking a risk by insuring all of it. And make it small enough that if every single thing was lost, you could easily pay out what it was insured for and still be in business. Because accidents and weather and storms still happen and there's nothing anyone can do about that. And for the businesses to have that insurance policy on their goods- that will increase their confidence in Salgria Shipping as a brand. And that brand is one that they can trust that their goods will make it to their destination and thus trust that their livelihood is in good, trustworthy hands. And that even if the goods are lost, they are not completely out and have to take a loss, no matter how big or small that loss would be." You suggested.
"And while that is a great and fantastic idea. I would have one caution." Your father interjected.
"There might be people who will insure something for way more than it's worth. And then purposefully give you a false destination and then once you try to reach that destination or a false buyer and you're unable to deliver it, you should have a policy that their goods will be returned to them rather than the insurance be paid out." Your father amended.
"Exactly. That was going to be my next point." You nodded in agreement.
"Well then great minds think alike." Your father grinned proudly.
"Thanks." You smiled happily at your dad.
"So anyway, the rest of my point was that the business would feel more confident in using your business because of the insurance policy. Because that policy would be their safety net. And that trust would transcend any species lines. Because as long as you can provide that safety net in the insurance policy. The businesses in your alliance would not care what the species of peoples whose hands are carrying not just their goods but their livelihood. And thus this would make Salgria Shipping a brand with a reputation so sterling, that even the most prejudiced of people, will forgo their prejudice if it means that their bottom line and that their income and that their livelihoods are protected and assured because they are insured." You proposed.
"You can even have an addition to the label system and a guarantee system that the intended destination did in fact receive those goods and that the goods were in good condition and have the receiver sign off and have that signature notarized by at least two witnesses that can also sign it. And in so signing, it was the witnesses and the deliverer saying that not only did Salgria Shipping deliver the goods, but that the goods were delivered to their destination and that the buyer themselves received the goods or that the buyer's trusted representative did in fact receive the goods and you can even have them sign and initial it a couple of times to ensure that the signatures match. And have signatures on file. And then that certificate, or that receipt that the goods were delivered can be sent back to the manufacturer so that they can know for a certain fact that Salgria Shipping really did deliver them and any disputes to be had- would be between the buyer and seller and not with Salgria Shipping itself." You explained.
"And that if anything happens to that cargo, the value of the cargo is insured. And because so little of the cargo ever gets lost or stolen while in your care and possession. The few times you would have to pay out the insurance- the fees collected from all the others who insured their packages, would pay for any other's loss. So that your own bottom line isn't affected. Or if it is, there is a buffer. You can even have a separate account at any bank you wish to- just for insurance fees and insurance payouts. And as long as you keep very detailed records of who paid what for which policy. Therefore not only would you have a copy of that, but the bank itself would have a copy just in case there was ever a dispute for someone trying to collect for more than they paid for. And that any insurance claims would be paid out of that account and not out of payroll or your own personal income." You suggested as your brother and father was practically beaming with pride and smiling so bright and wide. Because these ideas were ingenious. And of course you would deliver such ideas in front of him and the rest of the family so that just in case the Salgria's didn't adopt these ideas. Others surely would as Kragan was wearing a matching smile as Thaddius was nodding in agreement to these ideas and really impressed by them.
"And that way your business accounts would be very organized. And not just trying to pay and receive payment into one big account. Because the banks surely would appreciate the distinction and the extra accounts and could assign a specific banker per account to keep it all straight." Your father added.
"Oh absolutely. And if the Salgria Shipping brand, can earn and keep the reputation- that no matter who you are, or what you are. If you have goods, or if you have needs for goods, surely Salgria Shipping can help you with those needs. Which is why the alliance would be key. Because in that alliance, which all members would be recorded into a book. That should be kept on every single Salgria Shipping ship. That can easily be added to and treated like a catalog." You suggested.
"And in that catalog- you can specify what company makes what product. What kind of quality that product usually is since you can test out the products yourself and see what kind of quality they are. And even leave reviews in that catalog of the products themselves. Along with the prices of those products as well. And even leave comments and reviews of the companies themselves. And of course dictate- who owns the company, who runs the company, what the names of the managers are or who is responsible for receiving any insurance payouts or who is responsible for receiving product complaints. And the dependability to not only get that product but deliver it in a timely fashion to any other place would be invaluable. Especially for food products that may be very perishable. Which is why skyships especially need to be fast but also accurate. So that those food products or other perishable products are delivered and that very little, if any of it, is lost to rot." You specified.
"And that reputation would be worth it's weight in gold and would set up Salgria Shipping to be a shipping monopoly. You would be the competition for any other shipping company. And Tessa is right, with the insurance as a safety net. The fact that most of your company is comprised of orcs, wouldn't matter at all to anyone with any kind of sense. Because nothing speaks stronger and louder than money and profits." Your father readily agreed.
"So make Salgria Shipping a brand. A brand that is so recognizable, so distinguished, so trustworthy and noteworthy. That it's reputation alone would be enough to induce anyone to use it. No matter what species of person they are. No matter what kind of good they are making and trying to sell and who they are trying to sell it to. But that anyone and everyone seeing and using a product delivered by Salgria Shipping or uses Salgria Shipping themselves. And seeing either the ships or the crews- wouldn't care who or what the crews of Salgria Shipping were. And that they would associate the packaging and the ships with their special sails with the Salgria Shipping logo- would be recognizable and associated with that reputation, no matter what language they speak- when they say the name of the company in their language or simply saying Salgria Shipping in the common tongue with their own native one. And they would say that name both in and out of the very expansive Dorrierran Alliance." You advised.
"Which the fact that you already have a foot both in and out of the D.A. is huge. You could even have a discount for those who are in the D.A. if Dorierra were to agree to use your company and only your company. Even to ship their brides to their destinations, using the Contessina Class ships that Kragan will oversee the building of. And surely that fleet especially, would be very valuable to Dorierra. Instead of having to send their brides over land and sea- they can use the Contessa Class ships to use the trade winds to get the brides to where they need to go and do so safely and in style. The brides would get to their destinations in a fraction of the time and for a fraction of the price. Because either Dorierra can buy those Contessina Class luxury skyships outright. Or they can rent the ships." You suggested.
"And for the Contessina Class Salgria ships, we can still keep the signature Salgria Shipping sails or we can even redesign the logo with special flourishes. So that even from a distance before people would really see the ship and see that it's a luxury cruising ship. Just by seeing the special sails, they will know that the ship itself is special and that it's cargo isn't goods, but people, important people. And while these ships will be luxurious, we should still have them armed to the teeth so to speak. So that anyone who might want to steal the ship itself or the precious people sailing on them- for themselves will be in for a nasty surprise." You urged Kragan and Thaddius.
"And especially for the Dorierran Contessina ships- we can even have special safe rooms within the ship to keep the bride safe just in case the ship comes under attack. She and her closest guards would be in the special safe room while her other guards fight off her would be attackers. And even for high value or super wealthy patrons who would either buy or rent the ship. If they would rent the ship, Salgria Shipping can offer their own special bodyguards. Those who are especially trained to keep the client safe even in the worst of circumstances. And in the cases of those who would buy the ships outright, they would hire and keep special guards on the ships. Who for a special fee by Salgria Shipping- could receive training on how to work the ship, how to get the precious client to the safe room and keep them safe while they fight off -any would be attackers. I understand that every Salgria Shipping ship is currently being fitted out with Yekmenian motherbear and cub cannons with the deadly rose cannonballs. We can have the same defenses on the Contessina Class ships." You realized as you were writing as fast as you were talking in your notebook as Kragan was doing the same.
"Which would mean Salgria Shipping would need specially trained crews just for the Contessina Class ships. You would have one crew meant to man the ship and sail the ship. But you would have another crew, especially trained to keep the client safe and protected and defended. And yet another crew trained the way any servant in any high society house is- to serve the passengers and clients of the Contessina Class ships. The Contessina Class ships all by themselves would be exceedingly lucrative. And the Contessina Class ships would absolutely be a status symbol for the supersphere." You appraised as you tried not to get money signs in your eyes but your brain was already imagining this sketch brought to live and tens of thousands more just like it sailing the skies.
"A mark of good breeding and education for any and every highborne Lady is how to manage her household staff. Which- Tessa has already had the greatest and best education possible and while I'm sure she will do all she can to train the staff at your estate as she is able to. You may want to work something out with Dorierra themselves. Because the servant population in Dorierra is the best in the world. And especially the servants who are assigned to visiting grooms are trained in a variety of cultures and languages so that they can serve whoever the groom is with distinction and success. Surely for the price of at least a few Contessina Class ships- you could hire at least a few households worth of servants from a range of quarters in Dorierra itself. And then with that population of servants have them hire and train others who wouldn't necessarily be Dorierran by nationality. But surely just as a hotel hires a waitstaff, Salgria Shipping can hire its own special staff just for the Contessina Class ships. And those crews would be trained in how to properly care for their guests and treat them like they are royalty, even if they aren't. And give the best service possible. That would also help drive up the price of renting a Contessina Class ship because it would be an experience that the patron would be buying. To not only travel the supersphere in style but do so in the utmost comfort. And be treated like royalty while doing so- so that they don't have to bring all of their own private staff with them. And that private staff would not only be unfamiliar with sailing but unfamiliar with the ship and unfamiliar with the procedure and protocols on how to best serve the patron while on the cruise itself." Your mother prompted. Which you nodded in agreement and wrote that down too.
"Exactly. And for Dorierra, depending on how big and how wonderful and luxurious these Contessina Class ships will be- it would be more than worth it to trade not just a good staff but trade special teachers and instructors. And even translators so that each crew can know not just the common tongue but the other more prominent and popular languages of the supersphere." You readily agreed with your mother, smiling happily at her for coming up with a solution on how to move forward with the project when you would pass and couldn't oversee this yourself.
"And with this new trend of tourists- many places would probably build and cater to traveling tourists. They can have attractions like gardens, or museums, or aquariums, or opera houses and theaters just to draw in these tourists and their money at these various destinations." You readily agreed.
"Because all anyone would need is to build a skyport. Even if it's just a tower, with an elevator system that would be high enough for skyships to dock and dock safely. You could even design special skyports just for the Contessina Class ships. So that any country, any place that wants the tourists that travel on the Contessina ships- can have their own Salgria Shipping Contessina Class Skyports. If you can build ships, you can build skyports to go anywhere as long as you have a flat base of say, ten, twenty acres to really lay a good foundation. And have roads leading out in any and all directions and build them close to the major cities with these attractions." You proposed.
"In the same way you have shipyards to build ships next to the water to launch the ships into the water. You can have skyport yards to partially build and fabricate components of a skyport. That as long as any place can build a good and solid foundation of say either stone or even concrete- you can build a skyport on top of said foundation. And you can design and build them in such a way that they are pieces that are easily transported, like a puzzle. But once all the pieces are assembled correctly at their destination, they are as solid and steadfast as any mountain. And you can buy the land that the skyport is built on so you don't have to rent the land and risk the skyport being taken over. And the country in which has these skyports will not be able to charge you fees just to have a skyport there, like paying rent. If you own the land and the skyport on it, You don't have to worry about that country getting greedy and not just siphoning money off of the tourists, but you too." You urged Kragan which got Saffiro to smile rather smugly to himself.
"If anything- any country, if they're land locked or not- would be more than willing to sell you the best plots of lands just for you to build the foundations for the skyports there. And the income that place makes from the tourists will be all the fees and income those countries could want. Especially if those countries are in the D.A. and travel throughout the whole of the D.A. would not only be safe but encouraged. Becaue it would not come with the threat of being a traitor to your home country or un-nationalistic or un-patriotic." You specified.
"And in all of these skyports, the crews can restock and resupply on whatever they need to for their journeys. And you can keep a crew there just to man the skyport and just to acquire goods and especially foods so that when the skyships land, they can unload the waste and garbage, refill their water tanks with fresh water that we can deploy special rain catchers or hook up plumbing to the local wells to pump that water into the water tanks on the ships. And waste water can be stored in a separate tank, pumped out and either treated and cleansed to be reused, or disposed of appropriately. And the ship can restock on fresh food while the tourists are out and about enjoying the various attractions nearby." You specified as Kragan and yourself were both writing like crazy, your pens practically flying across the various pages.
"And especially since whoever is renting the ship- will have discerning tastes- the crews can then demand and be sold premium food products in those ports so that any meals made on board the Contessina Class ships would rival any estate on land. Granted the kitchens the ships would have to be specially made so that the risk of the entire ship burning and crashing from the skies would be mitigated. And while that technology would be expensive at first and especially if the materials used that are either fire proof or fire resistant wouldn't necessarily be cheap- it would be worth the investment if the patrons could eat as fine a meal on board that they could eat in any palace on the surface. And therefore cooks and chefs from Dorierra or anywhere else- would be especially valuable. So that the cooks and chefs and the other kitchen staff could not only cook a wide range of foods but have the knowledge and skillset to offer a wide range of culinary delights to cater to any palate while also introducing international cuisine to their patrons. So that the patrons could broaden their own palates, while broadening their horizons, both literally and figuratively." You admonished.
"This is brilliant. I love it. This is going to work out so well. I'm so happy I married such a brilliant woman." Kragran praised in delight as he was already refilling the ink cartridge in his fountain pen with more ink because he had run out of ink because he was trying to write as fast as you were talking. While also adding his own notes to the ideas about how such ideas could be implemented and made into a reality.
You smiled happily at the praise and were so happy and delighted that Kragan obviously loved your ideas and even his parents were sitting there, in utter delight listening to your wonderful ideas in awed wonder as your family beamed proudly. Even Millie saw dollar signs in her eyes and would be urging Ron and his family to buy a Contessina Class ship. And if that was the only dealings it would have with Salgria Shipping, so be it, but it would put them on par with other nobility around the world.
"I should have charged you a hundred thousand gold bullion for her because you'll make millions off just the Contessina Class ships." Your father goodnaturedly teased Kragan and Thaddius which got you and everyone else to laugh.
"Oh at least 500,000 gold bullion. This is pure gold. But I would never put a price on the priceless, which is exactly what Tessa is." Kragan rather seriously countered.
"I agree. Tessa has always been priceless." Saffiro agreed.
"Oh stop." You waived off bashfully but were delighted that Kragan thought so and felt that much more in love with your husband for thinking and feeling that way.
"So what other ideas do you have, because I know you, that can't be the end of it." Saffiro prompted you.
"You know me so well." You giggled as you smiled and made a face at Saffiro who was just smiling so adoringly at you as you turned back to the ideas you had written down in the beginning of the book.
"Well my other idea is to expand the Salgria Shipping brand to include not just the ships, but the very crews themselves. If every sailor that works for Salgria Shipping, has a uniform with either the Salgria Shipping Company logo somewhere on it. To distinguish it the way the sails are distinguished from other ships. The uniform itself doesn't have to be fancy for the regular Salgria Shipping cargo ships. But the uniform could definitely be much fancier for the Contessina Class ships because those patrons would expect it because every noble house has its own household uniforms in the family's colors so that even when the servants are in town, they can clearly and easily recognize who is from what estate." You began.
"Yes! I've been telling you that we've needed to have uniforms for years now Dad. See? If Tessa thinks we should have uniforms we need to have uniforms." Kragan cheered happily as he wrote down the word uniforms in very large letters, underlined and circled the word a few times over to really make it stand out on the page.
"Well especially for the cargo ship crews- it would bode better if the uniform is slightly militarian in styling and design. Because the stronger- bolder lines of a military uniform could help with the impression that Salgria Shipping is an entity that is very serious in their business. How a navy is serious in their victory, a Salgria Shipping vessel is serious in it's duty to deliver the goods to their destination with success. The uniform itself deserves respect and recognition and should symbolize your sailing prowess both in the sea and in the skies to everyone who sees them. The uniform itself could be something in a color that is not necessarily cheap but not too costly either. And styled in a way that is both classic and timeless so that the uniform doesn't conform to one particular society and their fashion. But would be universally accepted, if not just a bit modern and stylish enough that those sailors could be off the ship and be in any port and fit in yet stand out and wear it with pride and it would transcend any country of origin or any country that the individual sailor would call home. The uniform itself should be something in the middle." You specified.
"Even most nations' militaries provide their soldiers with at least one set of the army or navy's uniform. You can do the same, provide one or two sets of the uniform to each sailor upon their hiring or "enlistment". And two or three sets for every sailor when you implement the uniform to your existing crews. Since they have already been with you for a time and that time should be more than enough to warrant at least one extra set of the uniform. And for those who have been with you the longest, you can provide a set for every day of the week to really show that sailor that you appreciate all their years of service. And if any other sailor wishes to buy more sets, they can do so at a reduced rate so that they can change into a clean uniform especially when they are loading up cargo at one destination and another set of a clean uniform when they land and meet their delivery destination. So that the crew and the ship itself always appears to be clean to anyone who sees the crew and the ship in port and thus gives the greatest impression that a Salgria Shipping ship is a clean and safe ship." You suggested.
"I agree. Two to three sets of the uniform would be the bare minimum." Kragan readily agreed.
"So when you implement the uniform. When that sailor is on duty, they will be expected to be in uniform and wear that uniform "correctly" and can dress down in their regular clothes when they are not on duty. The uniforms themselves could be mass produced in a textile factory, There are machines of all kinds being invented practically every day. And other than paying for the raw materials and paying for those materials to be dyed, cut, and sewn together. It would be worth the expense if only to promote the brand of Salgria Shipping. And it would be important to have the uniform copyrighted too. Have everything from the color to the style, every detail of it copyrighted. And if a sailor were to leave, he has to turn in all his uniforms. Because if he sells them to someone else, anyone could infiltrate the company and make off with a whole ship's worth of goods and no-one would be any wiser for it. And especially if the color of the uniform is a very, very specific shade of a color. The color itself is copyrighted so that anyone else making anything in that color, could not have a shipping company or a military uniform in the same exact color. " You urged Kragan who nodded in agreement to that.
"And it would be free advertising the uniform gives whenever that sailor is in any port in the supersphere. That would be more than enough offset the expense of the uniforms themselves. And since the uniforms could be made in bulk but still have a good and decent quality. They could also be made in various sizes to suit the body conformation of every sailor easily. Make the uniforms in pieces and in sizes that don't necessarily have to fit every sailor like a glove and be custom made per sailor. But if each piece is in a wide range of sizes, the sailors themselves can pick pants that fit them best, shirts that fit them best and even vests, sweaters and jackets that fit them best and of course boots that fit them best. The uniform pieces themselves should be large enough to move freely in and be able to work easily in. But taut enough that when the sailor wearing it, stands at attention or even performing their duty- it still looks and feels like it fits them well and that it doesn't look either too big or too tight, but just right for them. And if the sailor wearing the uniform is comfortable in it, they then command respect and recognition both on and off the ship for just wearing it." You admonished Kragan.
"You could even incorporate layers to the uniform itself. Include good shoes or boots with the uniform so that from the neck down, every crewman looks like one cohesive unit. In the same way a troop in an army or navy does. Put layers to the uniform so that those sailors sailing in colder climates would wear not just the uniform but matching gloves, hats and coats and capes or what have you. Again, make them big enough and warm enough to stave off the cold and keep them warm enough so that even in the frigid poles, they won't freeze to death. And for those crews that sail regularly to the poles, the uniform should include a fur coat just for that purpose of staying warm in the poles." You urged Kragan.
"But for those who sail either above the southern pole or below the northern one, but still in colder climates, should have at least thick wool coats in their uniforms for the same purpose. But also keep the uniform not so warm that the sailor sweats themselves into hypothermia wearing it while working. But it would actually encourage the sailor to actually work so that their body is at a comfortable temperature while they work. And that if they're idle and not working, then they're cold and you can tell who is working hard and who is hardly working by how cold the individual is. But also allow for the uniform to have lighter layers that the sailors sailing in warmer or even tropical climates could do so in comfort as well and not sweat to the point of being dehydrated or suffer heat stroke either. But the uniform itself should be something distinctive." You urged Kragan who nodded his agreement to that as he wrote that down.
"The fabrics used would be wool for warmth since I've read that cotton kills if a sailor goes overboard. Because while dry cotton breathes easily, it pulls heat from the body when wet. But for those who stick to warmer climates, that wouldn't necessarily always apply. Or it could be whatever other material would be best suited for that purpose." You specified.
"And the fur wouldn't necessarily have to be that fine. It could be beaver fur, something easy to keep the freezing rain and snow at bay, dark enough to hide any dirt but easy to clean off by spraying it down at least all while still keeping the sailor warm." Kragan noted.
"Exactly. But that fur would still be enough to serve its purpose of keeping the wearer warm. And the fur would be a provision that would show the individual sailor that their service is precious enough that you are not just investing in that sailor, giving him an education in how to sail, how to read and write and how to decipher the meanings of the labels. But that- you also want to ensure their safety and comfort. It would also show that you, or at least the company as a whole- cares about them on an individual basis so that they don't feel like an insignificant cog in a machine. But each sailor is an integral part for the company as a whole and are just as vital to the business as the ships themselves. Because a ship is just a ship without a crew to sail her and it's the sailors that are the legs on which your company stands and moves." You urged.
"Agreed! I absolutely agree. Thank you so much for seeing that!" Kragan thanked you emphatically.
"You're welcome." You offered as Kragan and yourself shared a bright and adoring and appreciative smile as love and appreciation for each other and each other's intellect practically oozed out of every pore.
"The uniform would need to be durable. So that the sailor wearing it can still work and perform their duties, no matter how grand or how humble they would be. And yet the material that the uniform is made out of- should still keep the color strong and fast without fading in the sun. Especially for the skyships that are that much closer to the sun. You should stay away from colors that we know for a fact bleach out or fade quickly. Like red for instance, being the first to bleach out and fade away when exposed to a lot of sunlight. So maybe steer clear of red. And you could even run tests to see which colors would work best. While also complementing the wearer too." You encouraged Kragan and Thaddius.
"But the uniform itself, every component of it- should also be very easy to clean. So that when the sailors have to wash and clean the uniforms themselves, or pay a laundress to wash them in a port. The cleaning can be done easily. The materials used should take to even the most basic and humble of soaps to let the dirt, stink and grime out of the fabric but still hold the color fast and strong and keep the scent of the soap for a little while so that even those who pass the sailors in the street smell the fresh and clean uniforms more than anything else. And still recognize the uniform as a Salgria Shipping uniform." You specified.
"Ooh, or, you could even make or commission a soap company to make a special soap just for the uniform. A soap that will be especially good to get any kind of food stains or sweat stains or any other kind of stain out and keep the uniform clean and would be easy for any sailor to use and keep a washroom on the ships just so that the sailors can keep their uniforms clean while sailing in the cases where the journeys are especially long. But that special soap would have a distinct but pleasant scent for the uniform and again, that scent would be tied into the brand of Salgria Shipping too and could be copyrighted and even have the logo stamped into the bars of soap." You suggested as you wrote that note about the soap down on a new page in the journal that you were quickly filling up.
"But the uniform should also be simple enough that it's also easy to keep well arranged, neat and orderly. So that even when the crews are not on board but are in port- anyone would be able to see the uniform and instantly know that that sailor is a Salgria Shipping one. And instantly recognize and know that- that individual, like the company- is trustworthy and responsible. And that all those who wear the uniform carry the Salgria Shipping reputation with them. It would encourage your sailors to continue with their good behavior. And would also be advertising for Salgria Shipping for every person who sees that uniform, without even having to see a ship. Except overhead if they're inland or on the sea if their country is by the sea." You recommended.
"Oh I already know exactly who I'm using to make the soap. There's a place in Fitsdale, it's called Souja Tavern, I'm going to take you there and you'll love it. Souja Tavern is fantastic. And Souja Tavern has a laundry service and a bathhouse. And there's even a Souja Laundry and Soap Company. They make a very wide range of soaps for any manner of service and can sell bars of their specially made soaps. And their soaps are some of the best in the supersphere besides the ones in Dorierra. But we can get Dorierra soaps for the Contessina Class ships or even commission for very fine soaps just for the Contessina Class ships from Souja Laundry and Soap company. It would be cheaper than the Dorierran one. But again, we can barter a ship for the recipe and either create a Salgria Soap Company that makes soap solely for Salgria Shipping ships and it's crews and the uniforms but also for the Contessina ships as well." Kragan revealed giddily.
"Oh that'll be perfect." You smiled happily, happy that he already knew where and how he could get the soap to help with this endeavor.
"And especially since you pay your sailors so well for their incredibly hard work. It would give Salgria Shipping even more distinction. Because you're not just the best Shipping Company in Forestrong, in Solowards, in Yekmeni, in Wakanear, or any other places that you are, but you would be the most distinct shipping company in the Dorierran Alliance and even the best shipping company in the world, in the whole supersphere." You encouraged Kragan.
"But the uniform especially would also give each and every sailor a sense of family, a sense of belonging. It's said that 'the blood of the covenant, or the blood shed on the battlefield, shed by brothers in arms- is thicker than the water of the womb'. And while your crews do have to spill pirate blood or the blood of thieves on occasion. It would give each crew a sense of solidarity and brotherhood with not just their own specific individual crews, but with the fleet as a whole. So that you are a brand, a company, an entity that transcends borders, species and nationalities. And that every port would be lucky to have such well behaved and well paid Salgria Shipping Company sailors and travelers and tourists in their ports. But it would also serve the purpose so that every single sailor working for Salgria Shipping can recognize each other just by the uniform and know that they are among friends and brothers from other mothers." You advocated which brought fond and proud smiles to Kragan and his family.
"And just like each nations' military has specific insignias to denote an individual's rank in that military force. Your crews can have something similar on their uniforms. And that would also impress upon every sailor the hierarchy and where they are in that hierarchy on the ship. And that would impress upon them that they can climb that hierarchy with hard work and with seniority on the crews and capabilities. And make it so that the higher ranking sailors can recommend others for promotions in the ranks when they see exemplary performance and exemplary behavior. And the insignias can be something easily attached to the uniforms. Either a few but strong stitches or pins. But the insignias can also easily removed if the sailor misbehaves or aggrieved the code of conduct. Because you told me that each crew that sails for Salgria Shipping does have a code of conduct and does have an honor system." You stressed to Kragan.
"And you can even have special pins, like medals or other forms of identification that can show how long that particular sailor has sailed with the company. As a way of showing not just rank but seniority and a wealth of experience as well. So that the newcomers and newly "enlisted" can easily recognize who has seniority and the most experience and go to them for guidance. Instead of just "winging it" like some new employees often do." You exhorted.
"You can even have the ones who have been with you the longest and who know the ropes both literally and figuratively be in charge of training the new recruits and train them in "correct" procedures of how to do things and what is the best and the most tried and true ways of doing things. And when those older ones who have been with you the longest and who can train others and when they get to be aged enough that they can either no longer do the work or no longer instruct others- help them to train their replacements so that the next generation will still have the knowledge passed down to them and can pass that on too." You suggested.
"But also offer something of a retirement for those who have served for a certain period of time. The longer they were able to serve, the larger their retirement should be. And you can even start a separate fund just for the retirement of your workers. And have that account at a bank that accrues interest. Have every account you have- keep it with a well known, very stable bank that will stand the test of time with you, like with the D.A.'s international bank that they use throughout the Alliance. That way you have access to your funds wherever you are traveling within the D.A. And that way your workers have easier access to their wages too. And those who want to deposit their own wages into that retirement account so that their own deposits accrue individual interest so that their own retirements are larger in the long run. But you should also put a cap on how much of their wages they can do that. So put a reasonable cap, make it a percentage or even a flat rate if you want, whichever makes the most business sense, so that it would match the interest acrew-ment. So that again, your bottom line grows, and not shrinks." You urged.
"And it would actually work out better if new "recruits" are given either a grace period or a training period. Where they don't earn full wages because they're still learning. You could even have special 'new recruitment uniforms' for them that aren't full fledged Salgria Shipping uniforms. But would still have a uniform of their own and would still be distinguished. Have practice ships that run very easy, predictable routes and cargo that isn't that valuable. So that you gently ease the new recruits into the work instead of just throwing them into the sea and see if they sink or swim. Train each one, and view each one as the investment they are. And as each one gains and then masters their skills, assign them to different crews. So that every crew has at least one "green horn" I believe is the term Kragan used." You suggested.
"But after a sailing season and that green horn isn't so "green" so to speak and they want to be a full fledged Salgria Shipping sailor, that's when they get full wages, that's when they get the full uniform and the full benefits of being a Salgria Shipping sailor. And that they'll really know and understand what they're getting into. They can either stay with the ship or help another green horn assigned to the ship the next season. But just don't have an entire crew of nothing but green horns." You suggested.
"Oh no, that would be a disaster, a whole crew of greenhorns, usually any more than five of them is enough to throw the ship into chaos." Kragan supplied.
"Exactly. Have a limit on how many greenhorns are allowed per crew. If five is enough to throw things into chaos, then split the difference, no more than two or three to any one crew. Have a crew with the senior officers who know what they're doing and have proven that they can do it well and have senior members of staff who can help train both the green horns but also help guide the others to fine tune their skills so that each one will eventually be a perfect professional." You compromised.
"We could have a sliding scale, depending on how big the crews are, determines how many greenhorns they get. If the crew is only a dozen or less, one or two is the maximum. If the crew is a dozen and a half, two would be easy. If the crew is a couple dozen or a few dozen, five or six wouldn't be that big of deal." Thaddius suggested.
"Perfect." You and Kragan simultaniously agreed and giggled when you did so.
"And if any sailor wishes to settle down in a place or man a port or man a skyport wherever they want to settle down in. They have that option. Or if they want to retire from the company altogether, they will have skills to suit them for the rest of their lives. Because surely once the Salgria Shipping brand becomes world renowned, any country within the D.A. would happily take any Salgria Shipping sailor into it's navy. And while they would have to learn a different set of procedures and protocols to defend the country instead of defending the ship's cargo. They would still be highly educated and highly skilled. But that any and all "trade secrets" that are copyrighted with Salgria Shipping, those stay safe and never leave that sailor's mouth once that sailor leaves the company. Because again, copyright and loose lips sink ships right?" You encouraged.
"Agreed." Kragan and Thaddius nodded.
"OK, that's all I got in this notebook and all I've been able to come up with for right now." You realized as you noticed you filled up that entire notebook and Kragan was almost out of paper.
"Hey you just gave me a lifetime's worth of goals and you just laid the course to give Salgria Shipping as a whole - a path to success and a way to give just a humble shipping company, a way to become an empire and a conglomerate and have a monopoly on the shipping market to not just last for decades but centuries and generations and possibly eons. This is so much more than I ever could have hoped or dream to come up with on my own. You literally just outlined how to do it. Because wanting to do something or have something is only a dream unless there's a plan on the how to attain it. You just gave me, us, the how. You just made a dream into an attainable goal that will be a reality. This is the greatest wedding present you could ever give me. I am humbled and in awe and so grateful and thankful. And so in love with you. Gods, Fate has been good for me for bringing you into my life." Kragan praised as he and his family missed your family's slightly faltering and guilty smiles as your Brother Saffiro gave your parents a meaningful look as they nodded in understanding.
"Well you did invest 50,000 gold bouillon into me. Which for some in the gentry, that's five to ten years worth of income. I want to make sure that at least with me, you've made a good investment and can at least make your money back, with interest if at all possible in the next five years or so." You tried to supply as you tried to keep the guilt out of your eyes and your smile.
"And if I can make a request." Millie asked as she raised her hand at the end of the table.
"Can I get one of the Contessina Class ships as a wedding present from you?" Millie asked with a big cheesy and hopeful smile.
"Depends on how much it would cost to build one and how big and how grand you want it to be. But at the very least, I'll see if your husband can buy you one at a discount, as a favor for a family member, how's that?" You offered as you wrote down a small note on one of Kragan's paper.
'Make Ron pay through the nose but give Saffiro the discount as a favor to me' with a quick but meaningful look to Kragan who returned it.
"But aren't I your favorite sister?" Millie asked.
"Yes you are, but I also know you. You'd want a ship that could go for 100,000 gold bouillon. And this is still my husband's business. He still has to make money to support himself and his family and all those that depend on him just like Count Roncharles does. The discount is the favor. And that's perfectly generous enough." You insisted.
"Especially since you've been avoiding her and her husband and his family all week." Saffiro muttered under his breath at MIllie with a critical eye that she ignored.
"How about some dancing?" You suggested.
"Oh, actually Tess, I'm so sorry, but it's already so late, I told Countess Lavine I'd be back at Crimore to go over china with her over an hour ago, but I didn't want to miss your fantastic ideas or interrupt you." Millie quickly excused herself before she called for a carriage to be brought around to the front.
"Of course, send them my best." You politely urged her.
"Will do, love you, I'll be back to say my full goodbyes before you leave." She said as she kissed your cheek and hugged you goodbye before she quickly said her goodbyes and practically fled as you and Saffiro shared a meaningful look.
Millie got to Crimore and when she saw Ron and his parents eagerly there to see her, she started sobbing.
"Oh you poor thing, it must have been so hard to see Tessa go to such barbaric beasts." Ron cooed as he comforted her and held her tightly to his chest.
"No, it's not that, its...they're going to be the wealthiest barbaric beasts on the planet thanks to Tessa." Millie whimpered.
"What?" Ron asked.
"Let's go inside." Countess Lavine urged as they brought Millie into the house and offered her more tissues to clean up her streaking makeup.
"How is Tessa making them so wealthy?" Senior Count Lavine asked.
"Because her husband was inspired to create a luxury skyship. He drew it just before the wedding and presented the drawing to her as his wedding present. It'll be a floating palace, a yacht for the skies, and is naming it and all others that will be built in it's image- in her name! He named it The Contessina, and she'll never get to see it when it will get built!" Millie sobbed on the couch as Ron and his parents all gasped and thier jaws were on the ground.
"What do you mean she'll never see it?" Countess Lavine asked.
"You have to swear to me to never tell this." Millie urged them.
"We give you our word. Leave us." Count Lavine urged and ordered the servants in the room to clear the room.
"There was no horse accident. The horse accident is a lie. It was a lie my father created to hide the truth." Millie confessed.
"What truth?" Ron asked.
"That Tessa is dying of cancer! She only has weeks, maybe a few months at the most left to live!" Millie confessed as Ron and his parents gasped loudly and his parents dropped their tea cups onto the floor as the teacups and their plates shattered and the tea splattered over everything.
"She's what?!" Countess Lavine blanched.
"Two days before my father got the offer from the Salgria's, my sister had two doctors come to the house. She had been suffering immeasurable pain in her side. The doctors who came, upon inspecting her and testing her, they found she has very advanced side sickness and a cancerous tumor bigger than both of my fists put together. That's why she was wearing the higher waisted dresses and only a half corset. Because she's in unbearable pain otherwise. That's why my father agreed to the proposal from the Salgria's. He was going to use those fifty thousand gold boullion and sell off everything he had to amass a fortune great enough to take Tessa to Dorierra for a collared moura cure. But she stopped him. She forbade him from doing so. She knew I didn't want to married to that filthy sailor, and she also didn't want my father to face financial ruination on her account. Because cancer is the one illness even a collard moura is very hesitant to cure because it's so costly to them personally to cure. So she suggested the switch. She didn't care about the Salgrias at all. She didn't care who or what they were. She only accepted that offer to spare me and to save our family and set us up financially. She's sacrificing herself for us." Millie sobbed on the sofa into Ron's chest as Ron and his parents were shocked and then moved to tears.
"But the doctors..." Count Lavine tried to argue as he struggled to grabble with this revelation.
"They were all bribed by Tessa and my father- to give a false report. An accident with a horse would excuse why her side is so tender. And it would excuse why she takes medicine to mask the symptoms of her real illness. And that report would keep the Salgria's from becoming suspicious as to why she was so eager to accept them and their offer. And it would help ease you and your consciences into accepting me instead of her. She won't be alive long enough for my wedding, which is why I absolutely insisted on being her maid of honor for hers. After the honeymoon, when she leaves, it will be the last time anyone in my family will see her alive." Millie bawled.
"Oh the poor dear." Countess Lavine breathed as she struggled to catch her breath since it felt like she just got the wind sucked from her lungs.
"And since the offer you had offered her from infancy always included hiers. She couldn't in good concience continue it. So she worked so hard to switch her and I. Because I'm in perfect health, but she..she's barely hanging on. And the medicine to mask her symptoms, is hardly medicine at all. It's mostly poison to make her look healthy. And part of the poison is a form of birth control so that when she does die, she will not take any other soul but her own into the grave with her. But she's told me that with every dose she takes, while it makes her appear healthy in the moment, it strips a day off the end of her life and she needs two doses a day." Millie confessed.
"She's a saint." Countess Lavine cried, feeling so hurt and like her heart got pulled and crushed from her chest.
"She has sworn the family to secrecy. And she will only show the Salgria's she's even sick when they finally make it back to Forestrong. And the Salgria's will never settle here. They'll continue to do business. Even more business, but that's it. Please, you can not tell a soul. Her honor and reputation are on the line." Millie urged them.
"We won't say a word, we assure you. But thank you for trusting us and telling us the truth anyway." Countess Lavine assured Millie.
"And Tessa didn't want you to know because she didn't want to burden any of you unnecessarily." Millie excused.
"Becuase she is the sweetest, most thoughtful woman in the world. Oh that poor, wonderful girl. Everything makes perfect sense now. Oh your poor family." Countess Lavine praised as she sat and cried into her own hands.
"Tessa was just trying to save us all." Count Lavine praised.
"Now I feel like an ass. I've been so mean to her my whole life. And yet, when she's faced with death, she cared more about our comfort and happiness and our wellbeing and using the last of her life to insure the health and happiness of everyone else, even an asshole such as myself." Ron admitted.
"How do I make this right?" Ron asked his parents and Millie.
"Well, she told Kragan that when he builds his fleet of Contessina ships, that she wanted him to sell one to us at a discount as my wedding present. And that a single ship would be worth a hundred thousand gold boullion. Because it will be built so grand and luxurious any and every king around the world, both in and out of the D.A. would want one. And that Dorierra themselves would want an entire fleet just for thier bride program. And that they were going to trade a few for households worth of servants to train all the staff on every crew in the Contessina fleet how to treat their guests. Who could either buy or rent the vessels and live like kings on their journeys and adventures as international tourists. Even have Dorierran chefs in the kitchens creating the best of world cusine for even the most discerning of palates. That you would be buying an experince to travel in the utmost comfort and fashion and style around the world and in the D.A. with the utmost safety. And even discussed how each ship would be armed to the teeth and have special safety protocols to keep the clients safe at all times." Millie explained as Ron's eyes as well as his parents grew wide in surprise yet even they could see the merrits of the idea.
"She turned an idea, from just a simple but beautiful sketch that Kragan drew. Into a multi-million dollar empire. Because she still has a good heart and she didn't want the Salgrias to feel cheated when she would reveal she's dying, especially when she's dying so soon. She literally handed them the "how to become the greatest shipping company in the world" handbook as her wedding present to them. And they eagerly and readily accepted it and will be using it. Salgria Shipping is about to have the monopoly in shipping both goods and people in the supersphere. And while she planted the seeds tonight. She'll never see them grow or blossom. And of course my father Saffiro were the first to be allowed in on it. She suggested a Salgria Shipping Alliance, like the Dorierran Alliance and that while the Dorierran Alliances are all countries with Dorierran queen's. The Salgria Shipping Alliance would be all the businesses in all of those countries that want to do international commerce and avail their goods to an international market. In only or a year or two, no one will care at all that they're orcs. Only that Salgria Shipping works and makes them money." Millie explained.
"And she doesn't see them as savage beasts, she doesn't even see them as orcs. She just sees them with people, who just happen to have green skin and tusks. With a business with so much potential. And because Kragan has treated her like his equal and even his supierior in every way. And he humbly sought her counsel, and earnestly seeks her opinion on everything. That's what earned him her remarkable businesss insights. And please don't hate me, but I don't neccessarily see them as savage beasts and filthy sailors or warring ors either. Especially when Tessa insisted that the ships and thier crews would not only just have fresh, clean uniforms at all times. But have washrooms on the ships themselves and that each sailor and each ship be spotlessly clean from now on." Millie revealed.
"Oh good, anything associated with your father should be." Count Lavine nodded in agreement.
"Kragan proved himself as a very capable and serious businessman tonight. And while I agree that they don't belong in Solowardian high society and gentry. Kragan, with his Contessina ships and Salgria Shipping, do belong in Solowardian commerce. They're going to be building skyports just for the skyships and seperate, bigger, larger, better skyports just for The Contessina ships. Either in or very close to the major cities with attractions. Like theators, or museums or whatever. Every country with a Salgria Shipping skyport and especially a Contessina class skyship port will have a huge influx of not just tourists but all their money in visiting these places. And give mobility to anyone with enough wealth to either buy or rent a ship. And especially to the land locked countries that have no access to the sea. I have no doubt every single family in every high society in the D.A. will eventually have a Contessina ship of varying sizes and levels of luxuriousness and she has promised me one of her greater ones. Tessa said it herself that it will be the next status symbol." Millie revealed.
"And we will be blessed with such a gift, even at discount." Ron realized.
"Yes. Because she loves me and this family as well as her own just that much." Millie smiled through her tears as she looked up meaningfully at Ron.
"When she leaves your family's estate for the last time. I insist that all of us go and say our own goodbyes to her. My wedding gift to her will be our lands just outside of town that we were going to build another estate on. It will be a source of immense pride for me. If Kragan will build a Contessina Skyport there. For the daughter in law I never..." Count Lavine choked on his sob.
"Millie, this in no way makes you any less wonderful and any less precious to us. In fact, because of Tessa's sacrifice and her foresight to bring the treasure that you are- into our family. I will return it to her. It's the least I can do after all these years." Count Lavine insisted as he struggled to gain a firm hold on his composure.
"But it will be where our Contessina Ship will always be docked when we are not using it ourselves to travel the world. And I want a copy of Tessa's best portraint to hang in it's main sitting area. So that we will never forget her and her sacrifices and her gifts, even to us, even when we were so unworthy to recieve them. And while Fate has been cruel to take her from us so early. Fate saw to it that she will have a legacy greater and better than any other monarch. And I pray that Kragan knows and appreciates the wonder that she is and will treat her as such. She is a gem, as are you. And we will always love, respect, dignify and honor you. Because you are our touchstone not only to the DeBaringers, but to Tessa and to Salgria Shipping and especially to the Contessina line and class of ships that I will be so proud to own. And while I have not always agreed with your father's decision to educate her as excelllently as he has, now I see that it was always her destiny to be so, if only to gift us all with such lasting gifts that will be passed down through the generations. So I will see to it that all of your children with Ron, whether they be male or female will recieve the same education. Maybe Fate will be kind to us and give us two more granddaughters who are just like their mother and thier aunt that they never will get to meet."
"If I have a daughter who is anything like her, I want to name her after Tessa." Millie proposed.
"I would be honored to give you one." Ron insisted as he fought back his own tears.
"Come son, we have work to do." Count Lavine urged his son.
"Yes we do, excuse me My Darling, I must make sure I do you the honor by honoring your sister the best way I can." Ron excused himself from his fiance.
"I'll see to Millie," Countess Lavine offered her husband and son sweetly as she took Millie's hand and led her to her suite of rooms.
"Thank you Ma'mah." Millie thanked the Countess.
"Of course Millie. We love and adore you and I can promise and swear to never expect you to be like Tessa. We love you and we are so happy that we get to have you in our family and our home. Crimore could not have asked for a greater Lady to take of her than you. I know you will make us all so proud. It's a good thing you didn't recieve such an extreme education that Tessa did. Her brain working so hard, probably demanded more from her body than it should have and probably led to her body's being so out of balance and..." Countess Lavine stopped herself before she said what she really thought because she didn't want to hurt Millie any more than she was already hurting with such a horrible conclusion.
"Oh no, I agree, the imbalance from her brain to her body probably all but practically invited the cancer to grow like crazy. Because her body has had to power her mind more than anything and everything else." Millie reassured her soon to be mother in law.
"Thank you for understanding. Your daughters will get the perfect education, just slightly more than thier peers but nothing to the extreme degree that Tessa has had. There needs to be balance after all." Countess Lavine insisted.
"I completely agree and couldn't have said it better myself." Millie earnestly praised.
"Bless you child." Countess Lavine hugged Millie as Millie hugged her back just as hard.