Alaric sat in the estate's quiet library, surrounded by tall shelves and stacks of heavy books.
The library was modest by noble standards, maybe a few hundred volumes lining dark wood shelves, but comprehensive enough for a merchant family's needs.
Trade law. Regional histories. Cultural guides. Maps.
Two days had passed since his deal with Vanessia, and he had spent almost all of that time reading, barely leaving except for meals and brief walks through the estate grounds.
He needed to understand the world outside these walls. And to his surprise, the kingdom of Greyford was very, very different from Vedgard.
As he skimmed through books on history, laws, and culture, a clear picture formed in his head.
Unlike Vedgard, unlike most human kingdoms he knew of, Greyford operated under a matriarchal system.
Here, women held the real power. They were the heads of noble houses, the leaders of the military, and the ones who controlled the wealth.
