At the next meal, Kieri met the whole group of them—Lady Tolmaric, the eldest Tolmaric son and daughter, the two farm families. The kitchen was big enough to cook for a small army; they ate around the worktables, silently at first and then talking more freely as they became used to Kieri and his Squires. Only Lady Tolmaric and her daughter had been as far from home as a river town; her account of city life was the only one they knew. Kieri told them of Vérella and Valdaire and Fin Panir—legends to them.

“This will seem a poor place, then,” Lady Tolmaric said, waving her hand at the room.

“Not at all,” Kieri said. “It’s going to be a very successful inn, I’m sure, and you will make improvements as you have time and income. Your plan is excellent; right now you lack materials and workers to do more than the good start you’ve given it.”

“We’re thinkin’ we can provision it from the farm, sir king,” said one of the men.

“You probably can,” Kieri said.

“How many people will we need to run the inn?” Lady Tolmaric asked. “The inns in Chaya were so full, they said they had extra staff, and they didn’t really have time to talk to me.”

“Minimum,” Kieri said, thinking of the little inn far away in Duke’s East, “you need cooking staff: a good cook and at least two helpers. You need common room staff—if it’s not busy, cook’s helpers can serve customers food there, but if it gets busy, you’ll need some just for that. Someone at the bar—you’ll have drunks to deal with, so that one must be strong and steady. You’ll need a guard or two, as well, once you start filling up. Upstairs—someone to clean the rooms, light fires in those rooms with fireplaces. Someone to wash linens. Stable staff to care for your animals and those of travelers and keep them from stealing all the fodder.”

“They would?” Lady Tolmaric asked.

“They do,” Kieri said. “Most travelers are honest enough, but every inn attracts thieves as well. They’ll make off with whatever they can carry, and without paying if they can. Collect the money first, and guard it closely. Make sure the blankets are still on the beds, the mugs—” He gestured at the table. “—still in the rooms. Better yet, let them use their own in the rooms or come down to eat and drink. Travelers often carry their own.”

“We don’t want thieves and such,” one of the men said.