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something from me, Talan thought to himself.  Evangeline’s cool voice was quick to confirm his suspicions.
    “I’m sure you’re probably wondering why I brought you here so informally,” the Queen began as she prepared his tea.  “It’s nothing unscrupulous, I assure you.  But I do have a particular request that I’d like to keep just between the two of us.” 
    She handed him a teacup and saucer, then turned around and went over to the writing desk to retrieve a leather cylindrical container.  She opened it up and poured the contents into her hand, cupping them protectively as she brought them over to Talan.
    “Do you know what these are?” she asked, holding the objects up to the burning fire so he could see them more clearly.  The yellow flame danced wildly on their smooth surface, and prisms of light radiated across the room painting rainbows on the stone walls and ceiling.  The object was such a rich blue color that it put all other colors in the Queen’s chamber to shame.  It sparkled like the clearest of diamonds.
    “Aye, my Queen,” Talan replied, recognizing the object immediately. “It’s azurite crystal.  They are quite common in the copper mines, and we come across them fairly frequently.”
    “Hmmm,” Evangeline mused as she rolled the crystals around in her palm, causing the prisms of light to swirl around the room.  “Here is the thing, Master Leatherby.  I have someone who is extremely interested in buying these crystals from us, in large quantities, for a large sum.  Apparently, he has been searching for an earthly wonder such as these for some time now, and the Anion Mountains are the only place it can be found.”  Talan looked confused.
    “I don’t know why anyone would pay for such a thing, My Queen.  It’s quite useless really, except for making paint and things from the pigment.  I’ll admit they are magnificent to look at, but there are thousands of other crystals just like them in the mines.  If it’s copper this buyer seeks, he’s better off going to Rienne.  Their copper production is much more established than ours…”
    “Master Leatherby!” Queen Evangeline cut him off and gave him a level setting stare.  “For what reason our buyer wants this crystal I do not know, nor do I care.  Do you follow me?” 
    Evangeline was standing in front of Talan now, giving him a once over with her gleaming blue eyes.  Gently, she reached down and grabbed his calloused miner’s hands that had dirt underneath the fingernails.  She dropped the crystals into his palm and securely closed his fingers around them as if they were the most treasured items in the world.  She turned away from him and walked over to the open balcony doors.  The valley was covered in night, but here and there were spots of light glimmering faintly from Alumhy, the Samarian capitol. 
    “I just want to do what’s right for Samaria, Talan.  If this buyer is willing to pay a substantial amount for these crystals, then maybe I can figure out a way to pay off my debt to Olger Guttensen without compromising our land.  Hopefully, the Overlord will be satisfied with such an option.”  The Queen leaned against the balcony doors and heaved a heavy sigh.  “Then there will be no worries of Olger harming Samaria, for I know that is what you all fear.”
    Talan got up from his chair and went to stand next to the Queen.  Together they surveyed the outline of the mountains against the clear night sky.  The Argent River that flowed from the eastern range down the length of the Realm looked silver in the moonlight.  He rolled the azurite crystal around in the palm of his hand while he thought, feeling the jagged texture against his skin.  Finally, he spoke.
    “My Queen, I will do as you ask without question.  You know I always will. However, I do not suggest completely stopping the mining efforts of precious gemstones, minerals, and gold in order to focus only on the azurite.  Most people