As the catcalls died away, Arisa canted her head to the side...She could *feel* Lyrio's gaze sliding over her voluptuous form - A form which had drawn a *lot* of trouble, until she'd gone out of her way to dress down...Hiding her divine curves beneath rough homespun, her honey-blonde hair beneath a kerchief! It was a point of contention for her - Arisa simply wasn't aging the way her husband...Indeed, the way her *girls*!...were. In the years to come, she might resemble their older sister more than their mother...<br/><br/>-But that was a worry for another time!<br/><br/>Usually, Arisa's gaze - Or her disapproval! - was enough to cow most troublemakers...But when Lyrio just leaned back in the chair, she arched a slim eyebrow - Oh-so-aware that something was<em>wrong</em>.<br/><br/>When he produced the folded parchment - She<em>knew</em>that trouble had come to Arelat...In spades~!<br/><br/>A slight hiss purred from her lips, as he pushed the parchment into her full bosom - the lovely innkeeper straightening, her lips curving in a little frown...But the liberties he'd taken were entirely forgotten, in the face of trouble to come-! "...The Duke's tax-collector~?" she echoed, even as she unfurled the weathered parchment...Her keen eyes settling on the broken seal! Could it be possible he was a conma - No, it would be insanity to attempt to fake the Duke's own signature. She, more than anyone else, knew the harsh penalties involved-!<br/><br/>Instead, her eyes went to the lines of text...A wave of nostaglia washing over her, at the list of names and titles that she now only knew secondhand - Before they settled on the sums owed.<br/><br/>And now *that* was enough to make her gasp. It was...a<em>lot</em>. More money than they'd taken in since, well, *ever*! She bit her lip - But her concern wasn't only for herself. The other households...They'd have trouble footing the bill, too. This was enough to impoverish most of the people she knew - And with the downturn in business...<br/><br/>"That is...a substantial sum," she said, carefully - modulating her words, now, the parchment in her hand...Part of her assaying what it'd take to pay it off! For a moment, Arisa was glad Uther wasn't here - He wouldn't have taken this well...And that was saying it lightly! But that just left Arisa to handle this...<br/><br/>She didn't bother to ask for a reprieve - After all, it wasn't like a tax collector (Universally despised!) would ever grant one! No, for something like this, you had to face it head-on!<br/><br/>"-How long do we have, before your dem...<em>taxes</em>...are due~?"<br/><br/>Her voice was deceptively soft, though her eyes had narrowed ever-so-slightly...It was taking all her training to keep the edge from her voice-! She wasn't even sure what she'd tell Leira - her oldest - and Trinia - her younger daughter...But she knew they wouldn't be *any* happier!