Two hours before noon, a Kingsmerian restaurant lay empty.
Passersby were shocked, for this was one of Kingmere's top five restaurants, just what could've caused them to close doors for a whole day.
The answer showed itself an hour later.
Carriages pulled by fit and steady horses, embellished with designs and embroidered with quality fabric appeared at the restaurant's vicinity one after the other.
Alofting from the carriages were Women of nobility, all dressed in fancy fabric and attires, a few had thick wool scarfs.
"Oh? Genevieve, you're here as well?"
"Yes, her highness invited me"
"Me as well," said another.
"Does anyone know why we were called?"
The others shake their heads.
The ladies strolled in with the door opened for them.
They looked around, surprised.
"Why isn't there anyone here?" one asked.
"The entire venue was bought out for your arrival"
Another wave of shock hit them.
Buying out one of the top five restaurants-that was some serious money.
The small tables had been cleared away for a large one, decorated as well with eight chairs around it.
The hostesses pulled the chair back for them to sit, before handing them menus.
The ladies felt good, they hadn't been treated like this in a long time.
The head hostess clapped to get their attention. "All fees have been paid in advance, for the next three hours, we are dedicated to serving you"
The ladies glanced at one another. The entire experience felt surreal. "Should we?" one whispered.
"I'll have dark buffalo meat, preferably that of the heart. Avci Rice with mashed toppings of frost sprinkles and desert cabbages"
"Yes mam" said the attendant, scribbling it down, and then headed off.
The other ladies were staring at her, to which she replied, "I'm been treated to a meal underserving, its be stupid to waste such opportunity"
Others stared before following suit, ordering the best of what the restaurant had to offer.
If nothing else, it would end up as a staggering amount.
But how would they know? The hostess had been told to not include prices in the menu beforehand.
Minutes passed as the hostess went to prepare the ordered food.
The ladies engaged in idle chatter, when the awaited personage arrived.
With swagger, Ezra's mom walked in, her hair dyed blue to match her eye colour, garb in white cloth, and scarf woven around her neck.
All eyes are on her as she sits on the last chair, the fragrance she was permeating blew the other away.
It was, no doubt, a lavish presentation.
Kiara took in the stares without flinching. "Hello ladies. How have you all been?"
The ladies lost their words for a few seconds, gazing with jealousy, wonder or amazement.
The presence she exuded had completely changed. She dominated the atmosphere.
Someone replied. "Not as good as you at least"
They burst into giggles.
Kiara took in her strides like a boss. She didn't comment, and instead looked at the rest of the guests.
Getting uncomfortable with the cold gaze, the giggle stopped, and after a few coughs to knock out the embarrassment they felt, they spoke.
After the introductions, Kiara took the stage.
"I assume you've wondered about the aim of this meeting, yes?"
She didn't await a reply before continuing. "I believe that concubines deserve better treatment" she started, locking eyes with each of them.
"We did not choose to be wives of nobility, or mistresses. We simply find ourselves in the position simply because of a man's desire"
They ladies nod slightly.
"So, why are we relegated? Why are we looked down upon and degraded? Why are our children looked upon with gazes of scorn like scoundrels found in the den of rats?"
They all fall into melancholic silence.
All the ladies at the table were either of commoner origin, or concubines.
Kiara huffed. "All I want for my child is that his birthright be handed to him. A share of inheritance if you will, whether it be a worthless title or a few hands of gold. I see not why that is so impermissible"
"I called this meeting in hopes of creating a union of wonderful female folk like us all, who are being suppressed for no clear reason and are threatened with an uncertain future"
Only then did she quiet.
The ladies stood quiet for a long minute.
"What will be the aim of this union"
Kiara waved her hand nonchalantly. "Nothing grand. Simply ensuring our survival and that of our children"
Many were hesitating to speak. It was clear they had doubts about the whole thing, or simply felt uncomfortable.
Finally, someone spoke. "What makes you think we aren't adequately equipped to survive?"
Kiara started, before holding her nose in laughter. "Hahaha"
They frowned. It was clearly a laughter of mockery.
After a few seconds her laughter died down and she looked the questionnaire in the eye.
"Do you have any businesses?" she suddenly asked.
The woman took glances, the questionnaire was irritated, "What has that got to do with anything?"
"Answer the question"
Kiara was chillingly, making it very compelling.
"N-No" the questionnaire stuttered.
"Then, how do you make money?" she asked.
"Make money?" The rest were visibly confused.
Kiara sighed. "See ladies? This is the problem we have. Most of us never worry about money since it's been provided you, so you must've never wondered about such problems because it's a 'man's' job"
"What happens when that man dies though? Have any of you thought of it all?"
"Our children have been branded illegitimate and you all sit here as if everything's okay"
"The minute the man dies, the 'legitimate' wives confiscate the belongings under the guise of taking their children's inheritance, leaving us and our children stranded" her gaze pervaded there. "What will you do then? Because surely, we will most likely outlive our man"
She quietened; her breath calmed. It felt like the stump in her throat was gone.
The hostesses stepped in to serve food, but their appetite had waned.
Apparently, it was not the same with Kiara.
She dug into it with her fork and knife, eating voraciously yet gracefully.
"Come on ladies, what use will it be if you don't enjoy the occasion"
Only then did the ladies begin to eat.
They were thinking deeply.
"Erm, we all acknowledge your points-but what can we do?!" one spoke.
Kiara raised her head from the food. "You can join me"
"No offence your majesty, but what can you do?"
A silent hiss was heard.
It was the same questionnaire.
Kiara didn't even seem bothered. "I can take care of myself without anyone's help. I can live lavishly on my own terms" she swallowed. "Of course, I'd rather have my man take care of me, but things seem hectic for everyone these days"
"How did you make such an amount of money?" another inquired, her tone laced with intrigue.
"By connecting with the right people"
"Who are these 'right people'?" asked the persistent questionnaire.
Her eyes narrowed. "You must be joking if you I'm actually going to tell you that"
She looked at them. "I am in need of but one new member. I can accept more, but you must understand that what I stand to gain is negligent compared to the amount spent"
"But I must ascertain a future for my child. By no means will this be easy, we'll be facing the entire noble circle"
"You really think you can win against such a force?" asked another.
"With my backing? It's a given"
The ladies gave suspicious looks.
Kiara had dropped the bait.
"Are you referring to the count by any chance?"
"But of course not. I wouldn't want to drag such a man into my personal issues"
"Then who?"
Kiara flashed a smile. "A group with top tier resources aimed at bettering lives, if you will"
The backing she was talking about was Black Jaws!
Ever since she reached advanced rank, she'd been wondering how to go about forming the faction Ezra tasked her with.
Not knowing why, Black Jaws had assigned her a few shops, transferring her ownership.
Yes, the restaurant they were in was one of those shops!
She had initially been suspicious, but claimed when Black Jaws explained themselves.
Apparently, they were looking to gain power in noble circles.
Only, most of those already had thick backing and alliances that Black Jaw's help wasn't needed.
So, Black Jaws sought to group the part of the noble circle that were oppressed and use that as an opening.
The shops were but a payment on their part to have Kiara work for them.
Honestly, Kiara didn't know what to say.
She'd been racking her brain on how to go about things when Black Jaws came to her, and then paid her heftily to get along with her plans.
She would've worked with Black Jaws even without the money.
Moreover, she was constantly amazed at how resourceful Black Jaws was.
They supplied with resources she didn't even know she needed and allowed her massive freedom in handling affairs, and only sent people to check on progress. It was like they didn't even care about the money spent.
Best of all, they assigned her a group of women who helped her realize her character and taught her things that most don't normally go into.
It was a surreal experience, and with all that support, she didn't even consider failure anymore.
