The soft clatter of spoons echoed in the warm afternoon air as everyone finished eating. Plates emptied, mouths wiped, and satisfied sighs filled the space.
Without wasting time, Asher leaned back in his seat at the negotiation table they'd set up outside, legs crossed, eyes sharp.
He was now in business mode.
"So... you're more like a mother to me, right?" he said casually, gaze locked on Alice. "How does twenty Platinum Coins sound—for the entire kingdom?"
Alice froze mid-sip, blinking. "Platinum coins?" she echoed with a half-laugh. "Boy, you better not be joking! That ain't the kind of currency you throw around for fun!"
But Asher only grinned.
"I'm not joking," he said, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a handful of shimmering Platinum coins—five of them—and tossed them toward Alice with a flick of the wrist.
