The Frewyn Herald: Home of the Haanta Series

Ladrei, Arkastino and Nidello Maccadrin are Lucentia's mafia heads. Here is a little bit from one of their episodes: They hurried through the quieted marketplace toward the evening bustle of the café district. The clinking of teacups, the buzz of café raillery, and the civil thanks of proprietors furnished their search for the correct address. Janir’s home was in a part of the lively district that Ladrei had not visited in some time; it was rather far from his father’s establishment: a quiet set of thin lanes screened by the shadows of the adjacent prepossessing buildings, and in one of the alleyways, tucked away in a darkened corner, was a small door to a one-room apartment, quite out of the way and undecorated for the front of a residence. For a trader and conveyer such as Janir, he could not be said to be living beyond his income; for a man supposedly living alone, however, such a home in such a veiled place seemed strange to Ladrei. The door, grey and unnoticeable, did not ev...

Vondeva's is the most talked of place in Lucentia. Here is what it looks like: The grand entrance of Vondeva’s at the end of the lane was soon presented them and it recommended everything that the most preferred and most exclusive culinary enterprise in the Lucentian capital should aspire to be: a long, red velvet rug lined the avenue toward the opened black marble doors, gold fringe ornamented the awning and lintel trimmings, a set of stone fountains carved with the likeness of shapely women stood at the side of each post, and decorated handmaidens with painted eyes and bejeweled fingers stood at attention in welcome of any arriving clients. The establishment had at once been  more of a slatternly inn, but once Lamir had claimed the throne and restored the wealth of the capital to its former triumph, the establishment had all the support it required to become master of the princedom’s gastronomic values.             ...

There are some women who like to be subserviant. And then, there is Iraiya. Iraiya was bade to serve them, and when each plate was graced with something and every teacup was filled, she came to Ladrei’s side and sat on her knees. She was given quiet and warm commendation for the preparations she made in their guests’ honour, was grazed beneath her chin, was cooed at by her master, was fed and kissed, and she eagerly awaited her next command.                 Kai Linaa smiled at their odd association. To her, Iraiya seemed more of a pet than a glorified guildlord’s mate. The silver collar around her neck and the mere cape of lace in which she was made to prance about was a confirmation of such an ownership, but where Kai Linaa had understood their loving bond, Unghaahi had misconstrued it. The terrified look on her mate’s face proved that he had mistaken her for a slave. Kai Linaa placed her hand on Unghaahi’s...