Azurite (Daughter of the Mountain Book 1) Read Free Page B

kept his demeanor calm and steady as he defended himself against Arvil’s accusations.
    “The current underground mines aren’t completely barren, Arvil.  It’s still rich with iron and copper deposits.  Unfortunately, my team miscalculated the locations of the richer areas in the north when prospecting over there last spring.  The surface mining proved successful with this one mine, as you all are aware.  We excavated an unusual volume of stones and metals when the ice began to melt, but when we began to mine into the mountain after the surface was depleted, we found nothing but mineral deposits.  You all must understand that anytime the surface is rich, the mountain rock holds ten times as much in the veins.  I didn’t see any reason this one should prove different, so I refocused all the labor into harvesting this one mine instead of having them look for newer, future locations.”  Talan looked optimistically at the other three men sitting around him, hoping his brief explanation would bring some understanding to their current situation.
    Ambrose Cornwell, the Master of State, who had been silently stroking the gray ends of his moustache piped in. “What about the other hundreds of abandoned mines, Talan.  Surely we can reopen them and continue digging.  We’ve done that in the past and uncovered new deposits.  What’s stopping us from continuing?”  Talan was already shaking his head. 
    “We dug as far as we could with those mines, Ambrose.  Remember how far the reservoir stretches?  It’s pointless.  There is nothing but water.  I’m afraid at this very moment we are out of options, just until my team can scout other areas and begin digging.”  He paused as a look of shame passed over his handsome features.  “And that can take years.”
                  “Gentlemen, we are not entirely destitute,” a deep voice boomed.  Brutus Bludworth, General of the Samarian Guard, stood up to speak.  His muscular frame cast a monstrous shadow across the table.  “Our land is still rich with iron and copper, according to Talan. So why can’t we increase our volume of those exports?  I know that precious metals and gem stones is where our wealth lies, but until we figure something out, we will have to focus on mining and trading our other commodities in order to keep our heads afloat.”  Brutus sat back down seeming pleased with the solution he provided.  Behind him, a squeaky snicker escaped Arvil’s protruding mouth.
                  “We don’t export that ore, Brutus.  Not for a long time now.  We barter it, and only with Rienne, mostly for textiles.  You see, Brighton and Rienne have slowly begun exporting iron and copper over the last decade, and I’m afraid we’ve let them saturate the demand for it.  At this point we may as well give it away for as little as it’s worth.”
                  “Arvil, how full are the reserves?” Ambrose asked unsurely.
                  “Weak,” he answered with a sidelong glance at Talan.  “We’ve had to dip into them over the last decade and less was coming in as replenishment.”
                  Queen Evangeline listened silently yet intensely to the conversation that was going on between four of her most trusted advisors.  Purposely, she subdued her own authoritative presence so as to allow the illusion that the men sitting around the council table were the ones ultimately deciding the fate of her country.  She watched their confident political faces break down in worry as Talan revealed the true condition of Samaria’s economic powerhouse.  A pang of guilt pecked at her conscience when she witnessed this.  She understood that the advisor’s true feelings of helplessness were caused covertly by her own design.
    As they deliberated amongst themselves, Evangeline rose soundlessly from her post on the dais and walked unnoticed down the stairs in front of her.  In her