Nadine Book 4

37. Money

The advisors are in their seats already. I go to mine and stay standing.

"I want to make everyone's lives better. After seeing the way the Nayel's made their servants and village live, I want to make our people happier. I want to redo the servants' area. Make sure they have up-to-date stuff. Maybe get them a dresser for their items that will sit beside their beds. I want to make sure they have nice bedding. Nice sitting area's. Nice bath areas. I want them to be happy here. They take care of us, let's take care of them. I also want to add things to the village. Some things the village may need. Some things we can make money from. But I also want to add things for the villagers that would be free. Like a park for kids. We can put swings and a slide in a nice grassy area. If anyone has idea's please say them."

Thora jumps straight out of her chair. "WE NEED AN INN."

"We really do. Any ideas people have that make the castle money will also go towards the money challenges. You can get raises. Like Thora said Inn. If the inn makes us money, it counts."

Thora jumps up. "DRESSMAKER FOR THE VILLAGE."

"The village already has a dressmaker."

"But we could do it too. Maybe throw in more styles than he does."

"That dressmaker over there has to feed his family. That's how he makes money. I will not send a dressmaker over there to take his customers, so we make the money instead. We would be no better than them. Now, I don't know what kind of clothes he makes. I know, commoner clothes are usually quite boring. So, let's say he makes commoner clothes only. I am not opposed to making a clothing store that would make princess-style and queen-style dresses. We could sell them expensively over there. Call it castle styles. That should not hurt his business. So please, if you're coming at me with a business idea, make sure it won't make one of my people starve. I will not go for it."

Kane sits up. "I have a thought. It's not a way to make money. But I think the villagers would like it."

Dipak nods. "You going to tell us what it is?"

He laughs. "Maybe. Ok. Well, it's the way human villages work. Like the inn in Egypt. The owners. Which would be the castle in our case. Own the inn. But they hire people to help. Those people who come in and clean the rooms are paid. They are not servants. They're workers. So, say, you pay someone 2g an hour to clean rooms. 5 hours a day, 5 days a week. They would earn 50g a week. Everyone follow? As long as the inn makes more than 50g a week, the castle will be making money."

Dipak blinks a couple of times. "But how is that helping?"

"Well, it gives that villager a way to make money. That villager can buy food. That villager can buy tickets to bet on the horses. I mean, if you want to make the villagers happy. Give them stability. A male may be able to make a lot of money hunting. But what if he doesn't catch anything for a couple of weeks? His mate could be working at the inn, guaranteeing they have enough for food and don't go hungry. If you want a happy village, you have to put money into it. Give them jobs and purpose."

"I like it. And we can incorporate that into a lot of different things. Not only an inn. But if one of our places is making a lot of money, there's no reason we can't pay the villagers to do some of it. As long as the business isn't losing money, if it wasn't making money or enough money, we could always use servants. So we don't have to pay anyone."

Tre smirks. "You're working backwards on the money challenge."

Kane shakes his head. "Not really. You know what a happy village draws in? More villagers. More villagers, more money." Frode and Tre nod.

I laugh and everyone looks at me. "I'm sorry. It seems like an amazing idea, and I'm fully in agreement with doing this. But I don't understand economics that much. All I know is that if Tre and Frode agree on a way to make money, I should damn well do it. And they agreed with Kane."

"We will be doing that. Let's keep going. What does the village need? What could we add to make money? What could we add that would be free for them?"

Frode holds his pen up. "I want to add those seating areas around the top of the arena. We could rent them out as Vip seating. And if we ever have a play in there, we could use them to have good seats."

I write Frode Vip seating on my paper.

Mary smiles. "A school. Most of the villagers can't read. There's no need for most of them to read. But teaching the kids would be good. Maybe have an adult class opposite the kid one. Could teach them some math too. Most don't know anything other than when they try to buy something. Even humans know more and they don't live as long."

Dipak nods. "Teach them to read, write, and do basic math. Organize them by age. We would need a 1-room building and a few teachers. Let them keep going until they learn it. Then they stop. That wouldn't cost us much, and it could be free for them."

Omar smiles. "And if you're going to teach them to read, they need a library."

Gunner looks at me. "You could put a big pool by the park. I would charge for it. Those take a lot of money to keep up."

Bud nods. "I've spent some time in the village now. I think you should make that park bigger. Big enough for all the villagers. Then you should give them a holiday or dinner a couple of times a year. Feed them meat and good food. Living as a villager is hard. Sometimes there's no food in the village. Other times, you can't afford any good food. End up surviving on bread and water for a few weeks. A free dinner a couple of times a year, especially if placed at a time of year that's hard for people. Would help them." Bud free dinner.

"OH" Thora shoots up. "We could do it like a big festival. With the fireworks and the band. Everyone could have fun and eat. But it would only be for the villagers. Would have to have the guards keep everyone else out." Then she sits back down.

"I like that idea."

Dipak looks at me. "We could do it in the park in the summer and have the fireworks. In the winter, we could do one and have it in the arena. It would be more sheltered. Have the band play. Have the stalls give villagers free food and water. They can pay for their own damn alcohol."

Thora jumps up. "I CALL SHOE STORE TOO."

I jump up and stare at her. "HOW MUCH COFFEE DID YOU DRINK THIS MORNING?"

"A LOT."

"I CAN TELL."

Dipak stands up and walks to my end of the table and sits in my seat. Then he pulls me down into his lap.

Dipak takes my paper. "Some of these things still need more research before we agree with them. Like she was saying, dress and shoemakers need more research. We need to figure out how to do it without hurting the ones that are already there. Everything else I think we can move forward on. Mary, do you want to lead the school?"

"I'll take the servant area."

Dipak writes it down. "Frode, you are lead on VIP seating areas. Thora..."

She jumps up. "INN INN INN."

"Had lots of coffee. Thora is lead on the Inn. Omar lead on library. Dracul, you're on the school. Gunner, you got the pool. Kane you ok with park?" Kane nods. "Dad you have the dinners?"

"Sure I can do that. I know about when to put them and what kind of food to make. But I'm not sure if I could plan the party part... Not many of you young ones enjoy sitting in silence enjoying a card game."

"Yea, that's not much of a party."

Tye smiles. "I can do the party part."

"Bud will do the dates and food. Tye will lead the activities. Thora you have 2 weeks to give us a plan we can work with on the dress and shoe stores. If you don't get them in. The ideas go back to the table for anyone to work with."

"Why?"

"Everyone wants those raises. So if, after 2 weeks, someone gives me a plan for a dressmaker that I can use, they will get the credit. It gives you 2 weeks to do some research this way and make a plan."

"Ok. How many rooms should the inn have?"

Tye sits up. "How many did the one in the arena village have? Where Johen is? Should probably do something about that big."

I look at her. "THEY NEED BALCONIES."

"LET'S GO SEE THAT INN." Thora jumps up. I jump up too.

Tre stares at me. "NO KISSING."

Tye jumps up. "I'll go too."

Kane laughs. "Yea, I'll go with them too. If Tye kisses Johen though, I'm out."

Everyone cracks up laughing.

Thora pulls Kane's arm. "MAYBE THEY HAVE A PARK WE CAN SEE TOO."

Kane raises his eyebrows. "No more coffee."

"IT'S GOOD."

"Let's go research the inn, so we can come back and pick our jewelry."

I look at everyone around the table. I love them. "Everyone at the table gets a 5k bonus today."

They get happy and smiley.

Dipak laughs. "I knew you would do something like that."

"Of course I was going to." I kiss his head. Then I give him a little kiss on the lips. "I'll see you soon love."

"Have fun sweetheart."