The owners of the Nightflower Workshop and the Arsenal Workshop—who were all the same people—were having an emergency meeting.
"I hereby call this emergency meeting to order," Maria said, which was probably redundant for the readers. "Lady Maria Campbell, present and recording the minutes."
"Lady Selena Berg, present," Lady Selena said. While she was probably missing out on time with her prince—and a part of Maria now had to wonder if any of that time included ravishing no, stick to the business at hand!—she had responded to Maria's call for an emergency meeting with alacrity, coming immediately the next day.
"Lady Sophia Ascart, present and wow Maria writes fast," Sophia said as she watched Maria write ''Lady Sophia Ascart: Lady Sophia Ascart, present and wow Maria writes fast'. "Maybe you can skip our formal titles and full names and just use our initials. My hand is cramping up just watching you."
Maria finished writing about Sophia's hand cramping up just watching her and considered her suggestion. "I suppose that would be efficient," she said while writing it down at the same time. "Do you want to make it an official motion?"
Sophia stared at her as Maria held her pen poised to write her reply. Sophia glanced at Selena who shrugged with a strange smile on her face. "Yes."
"Seconded," Lady Selena said as Maria recorded their words.
"The motion is passed," Maria said, very glad she could now shorten writing down her own name to MC. "Before we begin, do we have any urgent or pressing business that either of you wish to bring up?"
Sophia and Lady Selena looked at each other. Maria wondred if she should record those too… "Nothing off the top of my head," Lady Selena said.
"I'm good for now," Sophia agreed.
Maria nodded. "Very well. this emergency meeting is in regards the upcoming International Assembly and how it impacts the Nightflower Workshop's operations, since all three of us will we be in attendance." It turned that while Sophia would not be representing the country in the assembly itself, she would be among those attending the festivities and doing low-level unofficial diplomacy, meeting with the young sons and daughters of the official attendants and exchanging gossip, forging connections, passively spy and trying to entice foreign nobility to tie themselves with Sorcier nobility. It was another way the mostly-peaceful ties between the nations were kept. Rafael had told Maria that Lady Dahl of the Ministry was the result of one such union, with her grandfather having having arrived from Ethenell to fulfill a marriage arrangement with a noble from Sorcier.
It was probably accepted that those people were probably going to be spies from their birth country, but they were friendly spies to be turned, and in the long run it was considered a useful arrangement. That's how Maria would have done it anyway, and it was no doubt what was truly going on.
"Wait, you're going too?" Sophia asked, surprised. "Why?"
"His Majesty the King requested my presence," Maria said. "I am to be the knight who escorts His Majesty through the Assembly."
The other two young women gaped at her. "That's a high honor!" Selena exclaimed.
"It makes sense," Sophia said thoughtfully. "Maria has Light Magic AND Dark Magic, so if anyone tries to mind-control anyone, she'd be able to identify it, and if the king is somehow hurt, she'd be able to protect him and keep him from dying. Actually, I heard from father that the king is actually a very powerful magic wielder himself. More powerful than his sons. If he and Maria worked together, they'd probably be able to completely dominate any fight they get into…" She nodded, looking pleased. "Yeah, it makes total sense. Instead of bringing some big, meatshield knight, he's brought Maria as all around area control, support, and a healing tank." Sophia used the term for a knight who stayed at the front to protect their companions from damage using shields and heavy armor, the most punishing position. It… wasn't wrong, but the information that the king possessed magic that outstripped his sons was a surprise. In hindsight, it shouldn't have been. Of course he maintained his power somehow, given he had the Third Prince as an heir.
"I will trust you to keep that detail private for now, lest I be assassinated and replaced in my sleep," Maria said. It would be unlikely to succeed, but the burglary into her home would be inconvenient, her children might be distressed, and it might interrupt a night's ravishing, which would… annoy her. "Regardless, this means that all three of us will not be able to conduct Workshop business during the extent of the International Assembly."
"Hex it. I thought it was finally my turn to dump a ton of work on Maria," Sophia muttered.
"I apologize for the inconvenience," Maria said blandly.
"What can we do about it?" Lady Selena asked.
"While the manufactories are stable enough to continue operating without our direct oversight, I feel that at minimum we should cease accepting new commissions during the period in question," Maria said. "Even then, we would need someone to handle at least the internal logistics matters, since new material would need to be ordered and the payroll dealt with. Someone who capable of dealing with emergencies should they arise. For example, should the manufactory catch fire, or be attacked by mercenaries commissioned by an untraceable employer aiming to steal its secrets, or a dragon attacks out of nowhere, or the coal that arrives is cursed coal seeped in the darkness of the abyss that turns our workers into inhuman monstrosities of burning shadows."
Her fellow owners nodded. "Yes, cursed coal would be bad if we didn't have your Light Magic around to help deal with it," Sophia said.
The three of them got down to work, preparing their business for their temporary absence.