“Okay then, I’ll lead the way!  It’s a bit of a walk, the inn was cheaper being further away.”

He is content to walk in silence if she is.

Séfora walks in silence for about six seconds. Then sighs. "Would you like the counts' signet back? I took it off the old Counts's corpse, and it's not like I'm going to use it."

"A signet and a few other identifiers of my rank were among the few things I was actually equipped with upon my resurrection.  But I would prefer it back yes.  Are you sure you are willing to give it back?  It might be useful in some deceptive scheme and we haven't actually reached an agreement yet."

"Not my style. I'm a rebel, not a bandit, notwithstanding what the people in the hall think." 

She reaches her hand into a purse on her belt so rapidly it has to be a bag of holding, and removes a worn and slightly stained ring, and gives it to him.

A cursed or trapped ring doesn't really seem her style and she probably lacks the magical support to pull it off... but he doesn't have detect magic, and thus even an obvious trick might work, so he isn't going to bet on it.  He puts in his pocket without trying it on.

"Thanks."

He continues on in silence.

Upon reaching the inn after a long walk, he turns to Sefora.

 “You don’t need to eat, but do you enjoy it?  The stew here is typical but better than nothing in my humble opinion.”

"Food is a bit tasteless, like eating gravel, but I can eat." She nods to the stew. "So how would we do this, if we were doing it? We'd both have our own... friends? I know the nobility does that."

He didn’t mean to pressure her to eat do something that feels like eating gravel!  It feels to awkward to say something though.

“I don’t quite follow your meaning- oh you mean if we were married.  Uh yeah, as long as we have a legitimate heir and a spare and any ‘friends’ don’t give cause to anyone to doubt their legitimacy?”

She nods. "We should let the unhappiest peasants leave. I could maybe get them a boat to Andoran or Galt. There's always folk who would take their farms if they left. Yes?"

He nods at that.

“Well the hills are bad enough farmland I don’t know it even makes sense trying to move more people up into them.  And it’s not like there is currently a baron to complain about the meager reduction in revenue.  If you have the money to send them on their way that is probably the cleanest solution available.”

"We have to use every rood- even every perch, it feels like. The taxes- well, they were ruinous. Maybe they'll be different now?"

He pauses a moment to do some mental math.

Comparing what records he could find in his manor to his faint memory from life… the taxes and rents and dues didn’t seem that different?  What could be different?  He can think of one obvious thing…

“Maybe it’s the lack of plant growths?  I mean compared to before.  And I, I mean we, could declare a reduction in rents and dues to last until we have obtained plant growths for the land?”

And now he just has to hope she doesn’t ask about the taxes, not much he can do about those!

"That might just work, Quirze. If we could significantly increase harvests..."

She looks off into the distance. 

“Other things to resolve… I don’t know you or those under your command to have killed anyone after the Four Day War.  If, hypothetically of course, some peasants killed clearly legitimate travelers afterwards (against your command obviously)… it might be best if they are among those you relocate to Andoran?  And for the baronies… there will need to be new barons, we need to start thinking of strategies to get someone strong enough to deal with problems like bandits and monsters, acceptable to the current government, and for alignment, at the very least non-Evil.”

"I'm a hero. The peasants- the peasants I've taught- they believe. There's been some taxmen beaten, I suppose, some of the evil folk who tried to come up will have gotten a club to the belly or two- but no deaths."

"For the barons? Maybe raise some village mayors?"

Is she naive about her peasants?  Or are they actually that disciplined?  Or maybe she’s is a really smooth liar?  He should probably figure out some precedent or argument to allow him to extend the Queen’s amnesty to them, just in case.

”I’ll need to research the exact precedents available, but elevating someone liked and trusted by the people to baron seems workable for each of the two baronies.”

Possibly any surviving kids of the barons might be a problem, but he’s not going to be the first to suggest more violence.

“Are the candidates you have in mind at least strong enough to handle the occasional bandit?  The Longmarch in general may be more peaceful, but the West Hills of Aspramunt are prone to attracting bandits, and if they extend their reach to the main road they can be quite a problem.”

”Anyway, probably the first test of the new barons will be getting the people to accept a return of the rents and dues and eventually royal taxes once the Queen resumes them.  Can the candidates you have in mind manage that?”

This is so much work just to get things to a functional normal, but hopefully she will cooperate and it will make things so much easier.

"They have experience killing bandits now. Guards, too. I should think they will do fine."

She frowns.

"We'd have to live in the low country, I suppose? It feels smarter to have the strong people living up in the 'hills."

“The seat of authority in Aspramunt has always been the same location, I think maintaining the traditions that pre-dated Asmodeus’s takeover is wise.  We will want a decently capable baron in the hills, though, yes.”

Séfora is feeling she's being pressured into something she doesn't want. But it shouldn't matter how she's saving the peasants, right? She's a hero. Heroes do things like this all the time. But she doesn't have to agree to this today. No, waiting and thinking is best. She'll probably do it, though. It's the best thing for the peasants. 

She stands, almost hurriedly. 

"Okay. It might be that this is the best thing we could do. Let's talk again tomorrow, Quirze."

“Sure, that’s fine.”

He thinks he is seeing some reluctance?  What could be causing it?

“And remember you could just take the Barony in the hills and be Baroness if you don’t want to deal with the whole county or don’t like the lowlands?”

She nods.

"See you around, Quirze!"