Zareth sat on his throne, one arm resting on the carved armrest, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp. Beside him, Rowena kept her hands folded in her lap. She wore a dark grey dress with long sleeves. Her hair was pulled back tight. Her face was calm as she listened to the voices that echoed in the hall.
Three elders stood in a half circle before the throne. Elder Mallow, a thin man with a white beard and ink-stained fingers, held a rolled parchment. Elder Finn, shorter, kept his hands clasped behind his back. Elder Ciena was a woman. She was clearly older than the men.
Elder Mallow unrolled the scroll. "My Lord, the iron shipment from the eastern mines is down twenty percent. The foreman claims it's the ground. Too much water in the lower shafts. We either drain it, which takes gold, or we accept less product."
Zareth nodded slowly. "How much less in the next few months?"
"Probably ten percent if nothing changes," Mallow replied.
