The Husband With many Identities

Ch 10 - Negotiation

Akeel left the room.

He walked down the grand staircase and entered the dining hall.

Danaya was already there.

She sat at the head of the table with an enchanted ledger open before her.

The ledger contained rows of glowing symbols.

Each symbol represented an Energy Bank transaction. Blue marks showed energy entering the account. Red marks showed energy being spent.

A faint crystal panel hovered above the book, displaying the current balance of one of House Valcrest's reserve accounts.

Akeel took the seat across from her.

Danaya looked up.

For several seconds, neither spoke.

A servant placed a meal before Akeel.

He began eating.

Danaya returned her attention to the ledger.

She did not ask whether he was feeling better.

Akeel noticed.

He also noticed that the meal contained far more food than one person needed.

He finished most of it before speaking.

"Your guards abducted me."

Danaya closed the ledger.

"They drugged me. They restrained my core. They took me away from my business without giving me an opportunity to refuse." Akeel continued.

Danaya held his gaze.

"Yes."

Akeel placed his spoon beside the plate.

"Then I assume House Valcrest intends to compensate me."

Danaya did not hesitate.

"How much?"

Akeel studied her.

He had expected an argument.

Instead, she had accepted responsibility immediately.

"You don't want to dispute it?" He asked.

"I already know what my people did." She replied.

"I also know you were innocent." She continued.

Akeel leaned back.

"Then we have no problem."

Danaya gave him a faint look.

"You are surprisingly calm." She said.

"You have already admitted the mistake." He said. Then paused.

"If you had denied it, this conversation would be different."

Danaya understood.

She had spent six months dealing with people who lied to her face.

Akeel was different.

He simply stated what had happened and waited for her response.

"Would you prefer to settle this through the Guild Court?" she asked.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want your family's name involved in a public dispute over something that can be settled tonight."

Danaya nodded.

"Then we settle it privately."

Akeel reached for the parchment on the side table.

"I need ink."

A servant immediately brought him a sheet of contract parchment and an ink crystal.

The crystal contained dark liquid energy. When Akeel touched its tip to the parchment, the ink flowed from it without needing to be dipped again.

Danaya watched him begin writing.

"What are you doing?"

"Your compensation agreement."

"You already know what you want?"

"I have had several hours to think about it."

Danaya said nothing.

Akeel continued writing.

The first clause concerned his physical injuries.

"The binding restraints injured my wrists and neck," he said. "Your men also twisted my arm during the capture."

Danaya nodded.

"Continue."

"The compensation is five thousand Energy Credits."

Danaya did not object.

Akeel wrote the second clause.

"This covers the forced confinement, the damage to my reputation, and the loss of business while my workshop was closed."

"How much?"

"One hundred thousand Energy Credits."

Danaya looked at him.

"You consider that reasonable?"

"I do."

She nodded.

"Continue."

Akeel wrote the third clause.

This time, he paused.

Danaya noticed.

"What?"

"Your grandmother."

Her expression changed.

Akeel looked down at the parchment.

"I treated her core when the healers had already declared that they could not save her."

Danaya's voice softened.

"You did."

"The Core Needle treatment required energy, skill, and considerable risk."

Danaya waited.

Akeel wrote the amount.

"Five million Energy Credits."

Danaya looked at the figure.

Then she looked back at him.

"You are charging five million for saving my grandmother."

"I am charging five million for the treatment."

"The difference matters?"

"To me, yes."

Danaya almost smiled.

Akeel continued.

"If your grandmother had died, you would have lost far more than five million. I am not asking you to pay for her life. I am asking you to pay for the treatment that preserved it."

Danaya studied him.

There was no greed in his expression.

He simply knew what his work was worth.

"Agreed."