She’d never travelled to Seven before but as soon as sienna had set eyes on the place, she’d fallen in love with it almost instantly. The country was awash with magic and her eyes had been opened by the vast number of different humanoid species that she’d met. Some she recognised but most she didn’t and it was just how friendly everyone was that made her feel so at home, which was going to be rather important today, as her task was one where she’d felt anything but. The red-headed mage had become used to being a face for the company while completing her jobs but this would be another step up. This evening, she’d actually have to take part in trading talks, something that she was somewhat nervous about and the manner of the talks made her feel even more anxious. She wasn’t used to formal settings and having to dress up like the rich and famous wasn’t something that she particularly liked doing. Still, if it was in the companies best interests then she could hardly say no.
So, when evening fell and the time for the ball to begin was close, Sienna would just about manage to fit into her formal dress for the evening before making her way towards the large house, where the event was set to take place. She honestly felt a little self conscious about having to wear such an outfit and her cheeks turned bright red every time she thought about how she must have looked. Elegance had never been her style and she couldn’t help but feel like she’d stick out like a sore thumb among the rich business people that she was supposed to mingle with. A part of her thought that this might have just been a joke in order to test her sense of humour or something but she quickly pushed that thought aside. No, this was probably just a test, like the one that Haraka had put her through when she’d joined the company.
Her thoughts were quickly knocked aside as her eyes fell upon the enormous great house where the ball was set to take place. It was so opulent and grand, making it difficult for the mage’s jaw not to drop at the sight of it although the cynical part of her wondered if such a place was necessary. How many jewels had been spent building this place when they could’ve been spent helping people who needed it more? She didn’t want to be so demeaning about the people that she was going to spend the evening with but it was hard not to be. Her jobs had opened her eyes to the suffering of the needy and it was hard not view the rich in a slightly more unhappy light since then.
“I think it’s a bit much, don’t you?” a voice piped up from beside the mage, causing her to jump, almost coming out of her dress. Standing next to her was Felicia, the leader of the town that Sienna had recently delivered materials to, “I’m sorry Sienna, did I make you jump?” The cat woman swished her tail and chuckled innocently.
“Just a bit,” the mage answered, managing to answer both questions at the same time, folding her arms across her chest, “What are you doing here?”
“Why, I’m the representative of Joya,” the feline answered, “I’m here to acquire a contract or two from the bigwigs of Seven. I assume you’re here for the same reason?”
“That’s right, even if I feel more like a doll playing dress up,” Sienna replied with a slight sigh, “I’m not very good at this.”
“Not to worry, my dear, it took me a little while to get used to these fancy balls too. Just follow my lead and everything will be alright. I owe you for helping out my town, after all,” Felicia happily said in a reassuring tone, “Let’s go inside and meet a few people.”
Taking Felicia’s offered arm, the pair would then enter the grand estate and after a minute or two, into the large ballroom itself. It was the most extravagant set-up that Sienna had ever seen and Felicia had to smile at the mage’s awe. The room looked more like a palace than anything and as the cat woman led Sienna around, explaining as much as she could under her breath, the redhead couldn’t help but start to relax slightly, feeling a little more at home. It was reassuring to have a friend to aid her with this.
Leading her towards a large man in the centre of the room, Felicia would pause, “Sienna, this is Sir Roger Troughton, one of the most successful businessmen in Seven and our host for the evening. Sir Roger, I’d like to introduce you to Sienna, a friend of mine and a representative of the West Fiore Trading Company.”
“Welcome!” Sir Roger answered in a booming voice,“It is always a pleasure to meet someone from such a wonderful organisation and I have been eagerly awaiting the chance for our two companies to come to an arrangement. My associate has a contract already written up and if you would gladly take it to your superiors, I am sure that we will be able to swiftly come to an agreement.” With that, he turned away and continued his previous conversation, without even giving Sienna a chance to say anything.
“Don’t mind Sir Roger,” Felicia whispered into her ear soothingly, “He is deeply enthusiastic about his business but lacks a certain grace when it comes to speaking with people. Please don’t be offended, my friend.”
It was hard for Sienna not to feel a little slighted by his blunt personality but in the end, she simply nodded and followed Felicia as she wandered off and headed towards a suit wearing figure in the corner, a large amount of documents in his hands.
Looking up, he would glance at the pair and then say stiffly, “You are from the West Fiore Trading Company, yes?”
“That’s right, Sir,” the mage answered with a polite nod of her head, “Sir Roger said that you had a contract that you wished to offer us.”
“Offer? The nerve!” he snapped, “This is not an offer, it is a contract that we expect to be signed. We are unwilling to bend in the slightest and negotiation is strictly off the table. You should be honoured that Sir Roger is even willing to make any kind of deal with your company. I certainly would not. Tell your superiors that we expect it to be signed within the week. Good evening to you.” Pushing the contract into Sienna’s hand, he would then return to his documents, not saying another word to the pair of them.
The mage was beginning to feel that she’d made a mistake in coming and with a brief nod of her head, she’d turn away from the host’s assistant and start to walk off. However, Felicia would gently but firmly take Sienna by the arm and steer her into one of the corners of the hall. The cat woman was livid but when she spoke, she managed to maintain her poise, “Look, I don’t know what these people have been drinking tonight but there’s no reason that they should be talking to you like that. That fool was out of line and trust me, I’ll be having words with Sir Roger when this is all over about his staff. Please don’t be upset, Sienna. You haven’t done anything wrong.”
“I don’t even know what I said to make him snap like that,” Sienna answered with a sigh, “I’m out of my depth. I joined the company to help those in need, not make deals with the greedy and selfish. I think the company should have sent someone else to do this, as I have no idea what I’m doing.”
“If I might interrupt?” a rather well spoken but polite voice cut in, causing both Sienna and Felicia to turn around. Behind them would be a brown haired male, a small smile on his face. “Forgive me for intruding but I believe that you just had the unpleasant pleasure of meeting our accountant, yes? I am Sir Roger’s son, Theodore and I apologise profusely for our employee’s behaviour. We have received numerous complaints about his manner tonight and I promise you that it will not happen again. May I please see the contract?”
With a nod, Sienna would hand over what she’d been given and as Theodore read through it, his expression clouded, before he tore the whole thing up. “This was not what our proposed agreement was at all and it would appear that our former employee was attempting to manipulate not just your company but us as well. It will not stand and I will clear this up with my father immediately. Do not worry, the deal we propose is more than open to negotiation and do not allow our accountant’s manner to intimidate you. We are not all like that, just him. A nasty piece of work indeed.” There was added emphasis on the word former showing clearly what the young man thought of the accountant.
There was a look of surprise, followed by one of relief on both Sienna and Felicia’s faces as the situation was explained. With a bright smile, Sienna would eventually reply with, “Thank you for clearing this whole mess up. I was beginning to think that perhaps I’d made a mistake in coming and that I’d messed the whole thing up. I’d be more than happy to work out a contract with you, one that both our companies can prosper from.”
“That is the look that I want to see on all of our guests faces,” Theodore replied cheerfully, “Not to worry, we will deal with the problem and sort a deal out. I also have a few friends who I am sure will be all too eager to offer contracts to your wonderful organisation.”
“The cats of Joya will be more than happy to trade with the company too, of course,” Felicia chipped in with a smile, “I think it might be the best for everyone if maybe we just relax for a bit, huh? I don’t know about you two but all this talk about deception and dodgy deals has left me a little agitated. There’s lots of people here that you just have to meet Sienna and they have tales that’ll make your toes curl, Sienna.”
The mage was just relieved to have managed to finally settle into the situation and with the aid of both Felicia and Theodore, she managed to fit in with the ambience of the occasion. As it turned out, a great number of the businessmen and women were far more approachable than Sienna had thought and she ended up having a wonderful time mingling with them all. Unfortunately, Felicia had insisted that the redhead tried some of the red wine, which had gone straight to her head naturally. Yet, despite the headache that she’d have in the morning, it was all worth it just to fit in and by the time that she’d set off for home, she’d have more than a few contracts inside her file. Some were from Seven, while others were from various companies across the land. Whether or not they’d be acceptable to the trading company was anyone’s guess but Sienna had tried her best, despite her somewhat lack of business acumen.
Looking back on the situation later, she’d realise that what she’d learned most about the evening was simply not to judge others based on their social status. She’d been able to put aside her distaste for the rich in order to help her guild succeed which she felt was kind of a double win for her. She’d always thought of those of high social standing to be completely consumed by greed but her eyes had been opened and her prejudice had disappeared.
(2004 Words)
(Thread Completed.)
So, when evening fell and the time for the ball to begin was close, Sienna would just about manage to fit into her formal dress for the evening before making her way towards the large house, where the event was set to take place. She honestly felt a little self conscious about having to wear such an outfit and her cheeks turned bright red every time she thought about how she must have looked. Elegance had never been her style and she couldn’t help but feel like she’d stick out like a sore thumb among the rich business people that she was supposed to mingle with. A part of her thought that this might have just been a joke in order to test her sense of humour or something but she quickly pushed that thought aside. No, this was probably just a test, like the one that Haraka had put her through when she’d joined the company.
Her thoughts were quickly knocked aside as her eyes fell upon the enormous great house where the ball was set to take place. It was so opulent and grand, making it difficult for the mage’s jaw not to drop at the sight of it although the cynical part of her wondered if such a place was necessary. How many jewels had been spent building this place when they could’ve been spent helping people who needed it more? She didn’t want to be so demeaning about the people that she was going to spend the evening with but it was hard not to be. Her jobs had opened her eyes to the suffering of the needy and it was hard not view the rich in a slightly more unhappy light since then.
“I think it’s a bit much, don’t you?” a voice piped up from beside the mage, causing her to jump, almost coming out of her dress. Standing next to her was Felicia, the leader of the town that Sienna had recently delivered materials to, “I’m sorry Sienna, did I make you jump?” The cat woman swished her tail and chuckled innocently.
“Just a bit,” the mage answered, managing to answer both questions at the same time, folding her arms across her chest, “What are you doing here?”
“Why, I’m the representative of Joya,” the feline answered, “I’m here to acquire a contract or two from the bigwigs of Seven. I assume you’re here for the same reason?”
“That’s right, even if I feel more like a doll playing dress up,” Sienna replied with a slight sigh, “I’m not very good at this.”
“Not to worry, my dear, it took me a little while to get used to these fancy balls too. Just follow my lead and everything will be alright. I owe you for helping out my town, after all,” Felicia happily said in a reassuring tone, “Let’s go inside and meet a few people.”
Taking Felicia’s offered arm, the pair would then enter the grand estate and after a minute or two, into the large ballroom itself. It was the most extravagant set-up that Sienna had ever seen and Felicia had to smile at the mage’s awe. The room looked more like a palace than anything and as the cat woman led Sienna around, explaining as much as she could under her breath, the redhead couldn’t help but start to relax slightly, feeling a little more at home. It was reassuring to have a friend to aid her with this.
Leading her towards a large man in the centre of the room, Felicia would pause, “Sienna, this is Sir Roger Troughton, one of the most successful businessmen in Seven and our host for the evening. Sir Roger, I’d like to introduce you to Sienna, a friend of mine and a representative of the West Fiore Trading Company.”
“Welcome!” Sir Roger answered in a booming voice,“It is always a pleasure to meet someone from such a wonderful organisation and I have been eagerly awaiting the chance for our two companies to come to an arrangement. My associate has a contract already written up and if you would gladly take it to your superiors, I am sure that we will be able to swiftly come to an agreement.” With that, he turned away and continued his previous conversation, without even giving Sienna a chance to say anything.
“Don’t mind Sir Roger,” Felicia whispered into her ear soothingly, “He is deeply enthusiastic about his business but lacks a certain grace when it comes to speaking with people. Please don’t be offended, my friend.”
It was hard for Sienna not to feel a little slighted by his blunt personality but in the end, she simply nodded and followed Felicia as she wandered off and headed towards a suit wearing figure in the corner, a large amount of documents in his hands.
Looking up, he would glance at the pair and then say stiffly, “You are from the West Fiore Trading Company, yes?”
“That’s right, Sir,” the mage answered with a polite nod of her head, “Sir Roger said that you had a contract that you wished to offer us.”
“Offer? The nerve!” he snapped, “This is not an offer, it is a contract that we expect to be signed. We are unwilling to bend in the slightest and negotiation is strictly off the table. You should be honoured that Sir Roger is even willing to make any kind of deal with your company. I certainly would not. Tell your superiors that we expect it to be signed within the week. Good evening to you.” Pushing the contract into Sienna’s hand, he would then return to his documents, not saying another word to the pair of them.
The mage was beginning to feel that she’d made a mistake in coming and with a brief nod of her head, she’d turn away from the host’s assistant and start to walk off. However, Felicia would gently but firmly take Sienna by the arm and steer her into one of the corners of the hall. The cat woman was livid but when she spoke, she managed to maintain her poise, “Look, I don’t know what these people have been drinking tonight but there’s no reason that they should be talking to you like that. That fool was out of line and trust me, I’ll be having words with Sir Roger when this is all over about his staff. Please don’t be upset, Sienna. You haven’t done anything wrong.”
“I don’t even know what I said to make him snap like that,” Sienna answered with a sigh, “I’m out of my depth. I joined the company to help those in need, not make deals with the greedy and selfish. I think the company should have sent someone else to do this, as I have no idea what I’m doing.”
“If I might interrupt?” a rather well spoken but polite voice cut in, causing both Sienna and Felicia to turn around. Behind them would be a brown haired male, a small smile on his face. “Forgive me for intruding but I believe that you just had the unpleasant pleasure of meeting our accountant, yes? I am Sir Roger’s son, Theodore and I apologise profusely for our employee’s behaviour. We have received numerous complaints about his manner tonight and I promise you that it will not happen again. May I please see the contract?”
With a nod, Sienna would hand over what she’d been given and as Theodore read through it, his expression clouded, before he tore the whole thing up. “This was not what our proposed agreement was at all and it would appear that our former employee was attempting to manipulate not just your company but us as well. It will not stand and I will clear this up with my father immediately. Do not worry, the deal we propose is more than open to negotiation and do not allow our accountant’s manner to intimidate you. We are not all like that, just him. A nasty piece of work indeed.” There was added emphasis on the word former showing clearly what the young man thought of the accountant.
There was a look of surprise, followed by one of relief on both Sienna and Felicia’s faces as the situation was explained. With a bright smile, Sienna would eventually reply with, “Thank you for clearing this whole mess up. I was beginning to think that perhaps I’d made a mistake in coming and that I’d messed the whole thing up. I’d be more than happy to work out a contract with you, one that both our companies can prosper from.”
“That is the look that I want to see on all of our guests faces,” Theodore replied cheerfully, “Not to worry, we will deal with the problem and sort a deal out. I also have a few friends who I am sure will be all too eager to offer contracts to your wonderful organisation.”
“The cats of Joya will be more than happy to trade with the company too, of course,” Felicia chipped in with a smile, “I think it might be the best for everyone if maybe we just relax for a bit, huh? I don’t know about you two but all this talk about deception and dodgy deals has left me a little agitated. There’s lots of people here that you just have to meet Sienna and they have tales that’ll make your toes curl, Sienna.”
The mage was just relieved to have managed to finally settle into the situation and with the aid of both Felicia and Theodore, she managed to fit in with the ambience of the occasion. As it turned out, a great number of the businessmen and women were far more approachable than Sienna had thought and she ended up having a wonderful time mingling with them all. Unfortunately, Felicia had insisted that the redhead tried some of the red wine, which had gone straight to her head naturally. Yet, despite the headache that she’d have in the morning, it was all worth it just to fit in and by the time that she’d set off for home, she’d have more than a few contracts inside her file. Some were from Seven, while others were from various companies across the land. Whether or not they’d be acceptable to the trading company was anyone’s guess but Sienna had tried her best, despite her somewhat lack of business acumen.
Looking back on the situation later, she’d realise that what she’d learned most about the evening was simply not to judge others based on their social status. She’d been able to put aside her distaste for the rich in order to help her guild succeed which she felt was kind of a double win for her. She’d always thought of those of high social standing to be completely consumed by greed but her eyes had been opened and her prejudice had disappeared.
(2004 Words)
(Thread Completed.)
