The grain section of Dardan's river valley market was unusually noisy under the afternoon sun. Yet a tense, oppressive air hung over it.
A larger crowd than usual pressed around the grain stalls. Voices overlapped in worried discussion. Anxiety was etched on every face.
Merchants frequently changed the wooden price tags for wheat and barley. The freshly inked numbers grew more alarming each time. Sparking uneasy murmurs.
Aeneas frowned deeply at the latest sign. Reached into a sack and grabbed a handful of wheat.
The grains shimmered a beautiful gold in the light. High quality. But his lips twitched as he read the price.
"This price... it's insane," he muttered under his breath. His deep-set eyes, beneath black-and-gold curls, clouded over.
"Young master!" The old grain merchant Callimachus pushed through the crowd. Sweat beaded on his forehead. His wrinkles seemed deeper with worry.
He grabbed Aeneas's sleeve anxiously. His voice was urgent. "It's not just us! Troy, even places farther off... grain prices are rising everywhere. This year's harvest is poor again. The price might go higher. It's already up thirty percent since the month began!"
"Thirty percent?" Aeneas's pupils contracted sharply. The wheat trickled through his fingers back into the sack.
The news hit him like a physical blow. This surge... what will the people do? A regional food crisis? How did this happen... He suppressed his shock. Did the math quickly—
The market price for wheat had skyrocketed. From 3 Obols per Mina at the start of the month, to 4 Obols now. Ordinary families would pay much more for the same amount of food.
As he wrestled with this, a faint, exotic fragrance drifted near.
Ninsarina's tall figure appeared beside the grain stall. Her amber-gold eyes scanned the price tag keenly. Understanding dawned on her face.
She took a clay tablet from her guard. Ran a fingertip over its markings. Her voice was calm, analytical.
"From Hattusa to Troy, every city I know discusses grain shortages. According to caravan reports, it's likely widespread crop failure. Due to abnormal weather patterns."
Her words struck Aeneas like lightning.
The Little Ice Age! Didn't most Bronze Age civilizations collapse around this time? Was this why?
Food shortages lead to conflict. Nomadic tribes forced to invade... Damn it, why now?
What to do... A mere online storyteller's knowledge isn't enough for an ancient crisis. A cold sweat broke out on his skin.
Aeneas's face soured in thought. His worry was palpable, even to his attendants.
Nearby, Melanippe, for once, held her fiery temper in check. The Amazon princess leaned forward slightly. Concern filled her eyes beneath her dark brown hair. Thaleia silently clenched the fabric of her dress. Her gentle features, framed by black hair, were drawn with unease.
Then Achates looked at the anxious Aeneas. He offered a faint, helpless smile. But he had to add to his lord's burdens.
"Young master, the longbowmen aren't fully trained. But our granary reserves will only last... three months." He took a deep breath. "And that's with rationing."
"Perfect!" Aeneas's expression grew even more pained. He sighed heavily.
He scratched his head wryly. Unconsciously muttered aloud, "So... we'll have to spend much more. To buy grain..."
"Can't stop military prep. The Greeks are coming... But feeding the people comes first. An impossible problem! Can't just watch our people starve... Looks like I'll have to squeeze more ideas from this brain. Make a killing off those corrupt nobles..."
Inside, two voices warred. His gaze swept over a few poor families hesitating before the grain stalls. A woman's knuckles were white, gripping an empty basket. Children stared blankly at the golden wheat. The sight tightened his chest.
The small port town on the Scamander River suddenly buzzed with activity. Three large Phoenician merchant ships docked slowly. Their dark brown hulls gleamed with moisture in the sun.
They rode low in the water. Heavily laden.
Crewmen were already busy unloading pottery jars filled with grain and gleaming copper ingots. The air filled with the clean scent of cereals.
"Young master! Wonderful news!" The port manager came running, breathless. His face flushed with excitement. "That Phoenician merchant woman is back! Her ships are surely loaded with grain and copper!"
Aeneas stared in surprise at the three imposing vessels on the river.
From the manager's breathless report, he caught a key detail. Back? Surely? So... this Phoenician merchant has visited more than once? How did I not know?
He shook his head. Finally let out a sigh of relief. "Whoever she is, she's a huge help!"
Just then, an elegant figure descended from the largest ship.
Dido wore a well-tailored Phoenician robe. Her deep auburn hair lifted slightly in the river breeze. It framed her lovely figure and regal bearing.
Though young, she carried a maturity beyond her years.
Aeneas was struck by her beauty. She's beautiful. And so young! To own such a large fleet at her age? Impressive!
Then he chuckled softly at himself. Have I been around too many beautiful women lately? Every pretty face seems familiar now. How conceited of me...
Dido quickly spotted Aeneas in the crowd. She approached with a smile. Offered a graceful bow. "Greetings, Lord Aeneas. I am Dido, a merchant from the kingdom of Alasiya." Her voice was pleasant. Her lovely face held an ineffable gentleness. "This is my fleet's third visit to the Dardan lands."
As they spoke, the market grain prices miraculously stabilized.
Grain merchants crowded around the fleet's foreman. One said excitedly, "We are so grateful! We were almost sold out again!"
Aeneas maintained a polite smile outwardly. But inwardly, he was puzzled. An entire fleet loaded with nothing but grain and copper? Coming directly to the Dardan lands? Selling at stable prices? His sharp instincts sensed something unusual.
He thought deeper. Both goods would sell instantly at any major port. We're mid-river on the Scamander. Why come all the way here? Copper ingots make weapons. They could get ten or twenty percent more at a Trojan port. Grain is in high demand everywhere...
Despite his doubts, Aeneas expressed his welcome.
He deliberately shrugged. Put on a playfully helpless expression. "It seems I truly can't offer you a fitting reward!"
Then he added sincerely, "But I must thank you for resolving our grain crisis, Miss Dido. Please, allow me to invite you to my home for lunch?"
Deep down, suspicion still nagged him.
A shrewd merchant woman. Why act so clearly against a merchant's instincts? It makes no sense...
An ulterior motive? But it helps the domain. Helps me immensely. It's a huge favor!
Forget it! She seems friendly. I should respond in kind first.
Not far away, Thaleia and Melanippe exchanged a complicated look.
Another one? The two rival women found rare, renewed solidarity facing this new 'threat'. They regarded the suddenly arrived beautiful merchant with simultaneous wariness.
Aeneas thought for a moment. Then added, "Oh! Miss Dido, our domain has some unique new products. Perfect for you to take back to Alasiya. They should sell well along the Mediterranean coast too." He winked playfully. Lowered his voice. "I'll give you my closest friendship rate!"
Dido's cheeks flushed faintly. She hesitated, then nodded gracefully. Her small hand unconsciously clasped the silk amulet at her neck. A faint, expectant smile touched her lips. Has he... remembered me?
The commotion by the Scamander gradually settled. The three Phoenician ships lay quietly at anchor.
Aeneas looked at the mountainous piles of grain. The weight on his shoulders lightened, for now.
But he knew clearly. This crisis was temporarily eased. The food problem would return.
A 'Little Ice Age' climate crisis lasted for decades. Even centuries.
Thaleia moved closer silently. Reached to straighten his slightly disheveled collar.
Her deep brown eyes held a flicker of unease. Her fingertips trembled faintly against his shoulder.
"Young master," she said softly, "Are you very worried about the food? That Miss Dido... She seems remarkable. Perhaps you could discuss it with her."
Nearby, Melanippe stood with her arms crossed by a grain stall. The Amazon princess's handsome, fiercely beautiful face was clouded with displeasure. Her fine brow was furrowed. Who knew what schemes brewed in that head?
That wretched Trojan. Beautiful women just keep appearing around him. First the maid. Then the Hittite merchant. Now a Phoenician merchant... I hate merchants. Especially female merchants!
A little farther off, Ninsarina stood quietly by her caravan's camels. Her amber eyes glinted with keen interest.
She elegantly smoothed a lock of her deep brown curls. A barely perceptible smile played on her lips.
Interesting... An Alasian... merchant? Also a noblewoman, I'd wager... Personally delivering grain here isn't a simple trade mission.
It seems Aeneas holds more value than I thought. Quite a few are interested in him. I hope that ancient Hittite tablet, that pact, will make him trust me. Even a little more.
Aeneas remained completely unaware of the turmoil in the women's hearts around him.
His focus was entirely on a solution. He understood better than anyone in this era. This crisis couldn't be solved by occasional grain shipments.
"We'll need to increase production of the 'Nectar' and refined salt," he murmured to himself.
"Create a few more novelties. Expand trade for more money to buy grain... Still might not be enough... What else?"