“I’m sure I’ll have loads of questions once I having been doing the job for more than a few seconds but nothing at the moment.”, said Dusti.
“There was one thing but it can wait until tomorrow and it’s more Dusti’s area now though I haven’t had a chance to bring it to his attention yet.”
“Go ahead now it’s probably best to keep the council waiting anyway.”
“Well, sir just before the arrival of the escheator whom I might point out was overdue at the time I was having a look at the list of the Barony’s tenants to see if anyone’s leases were ending this year when I noticed a peculiarity. I started to look into it but then the escheator showed up and I kind of forgot about it until just now in fact.”
“So what exactly got your attention.”
“Well Amondo I found that two tenants leases end this Machiulmis the first one was the usual hundred-year lease, but the other is a ninety-nine-year lease. I’ve never heard of a ninety-nine-year lease before and the rent they were being charged was ten percent less than the standard rate for land of similar quality. I looked for a reason for it and couldn’t find one, just some loose note in the back of the file that all enquiries about it should be referred to the sitting Baron. Well, you mightn’t be the sitting baron yet but you’re the next best thing have you any idea what might be the story behind it?”
“Let me think about that… the land in question wouldn’t by any chance be situated up in the hills near the imperial range.”
“I believe so.”
“Well, that’s easily answered ever heard of the Falco family.”
“Yes weren’t they the ducal family hereabouts before the Haas.”
“Actually the Togal family ruled the Dukedom of the Western Marche for a generation between the two families in question but in essence you are correct. Anyway, did you ever hear what caused their downfall and eventual fate?”
“Didn’t they pick the wrong side in some civil war or something?”
“That they did and a particularly bloody one at that, the duke at the time and his family were executed but he had a younger brother and he and his family were exiled to Membe and forced to live as peasants. It was I imagine felt that if they had to pay less rent than their neighbours, they would be ostracised by them. And at the start they probably were but over the proceeding generations they have become just a fixture of the locality and it helps that they have always been generous to those less fortunate than themselves.”
“And no one has bothered to stop this surely the imperial family has forgotten about them by now?”
“You’d think so but have you ever wondered why the barony pays slightly less tax to the imperial crown than we should, well now you know.”
“Now I know so when they come to renew the lease Dusti should just carry on the tradition I suppose.”
“I’ll be sure and do that sir.”
“Alright, the council has waited long enough you two so let’s go.”
“Right behind you Amondo.”
The Membe village Council had only one real role other than as a pool to draw future reeve candidates from and that was as an advisory body to the reeve. Well, that and to serve as an excuse for its members to gather weekly for a booze-up. Though in reality only one of its meetings each month was official and the rest just them letting off steam. The body was made up of seven members elected by the villagers each Midsummer.
The current membership of the council included all those who had but there name forward as candidates for this year’s election except Alwyn Morant plus the carpenter Alvin Maas and Leon Dawner the village potter. They had all been quietly waiting for Amondo and his party in the great hall for a few minutes. Alwyn would be informed whether he was a candidate or not by a member of the council after the meeting. The current reeve was not in attendance as was customary unless he wasn’t run again this year and they were all seated and deadly sober. Once they noticed Amondo entering the room they all stood up.
“Alright you lot welcome to Membe castle, my name is Amondo and in a few short weeks, I will be your new Baron. You are all aware of why I have called you here today so I will get straight to the point. This year’s candidates for reeve are as follows Edvard Gruven, Bruno Leckie and Erwin Mack.
The election for the role will take place in eight days on Machiulmis and I am sure you are all aware of the form it will take. I would like to thank all those who put themselves forward this year and wish you all the best of luck in future years. As for this year’s candidates no matter the outcome I would like to invite you all to be my guest at the Machiulmis feast. Until then goodbye, good luck and be sure to run a clean election or else.”
With that traditional ending to the affair the village council one by one withdrew from the great hall starting with the two candidates.
“So what did you think of my performance Tagas.”
“Well your brother did it better I would say but then with him it wasn’t an act. I never did understand the reasoning behind the tradition for this speech to be the way it is.”
“Neither do I but tradition is traditional after all even when the reason behind it is lost to time.”
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