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Viecada was in the capital recently. While she was there, she heard rumors that made her stick around and investigate; they turned out to be true. She was one of the first women to find out about a new way to test breeding stock and women alike (besides government officials). This test involves a tuning-fork type object being passed over the body, which causes any magical bits to vibrate/resonate. This material had been known to the government before, but had not been safe to use on living matter until now. Now, they can pass this thing a few inches over a slave's body and learn whether or not he's got the magic gene-- the same with females who don't appear to have magical ability, but probably carry the genes.

This discovery was held in secret until the government could vote on laws to go along with it. The breeding faction is in a panic over the new laws, which both further their cause and take beaurocratic power from them. Now, with this test, any tested male and any tested female can know whether or not they may have a child. This law is called the "Pre-approval" law in legal short hand. Since it is so new, this test is relatively expensive and must be done by a professional.

Viecada, as an amibitious slave trader, would have gotten her certification and one of the tools immediately. She can now perform a new service that few others can, and it goes along with the slave trade business. Would you like your potential buy tested first? Just pay an extra fee!

Now, Viecada has gotten along pretty well with Isabel and Marean. They may not be her biggest buyers in the sense of quantiy, but they probably are in the sense of Viecada's earnings per slave bought. This is because of the specific nature of their requests, which happen to include fair-bodied slaves which are more expensive (profit-turning) to begin with. Viecada is also aware that they run a vacationing resort, and that a good number of the women who vacation there not only take intimate pleasure with the slaves but put in requests for children. Sometimes women even come back to Eldic Estates once they have approval, to follow through. Eldic Estates is not the only compound like this, but it is the one that Viecada has the best relationship with.

And that is why she has come there at present. Isabel and Marean certainly would appreciate the news from the capital and will want to use Viecada's certification immediately. They have shown in the past that they are not afraid to pay more to keep up the quality of their slaves. It could be a win-win situation.

Abwyviel followed her mistress a little behind her and to the left, silent as usual. She looked around the compound as they went, always curious and intent. Though she had been here once or twice before, there were a couple differences in the compound's scenery, such as a new coat of paint on a certain stable or a newly planted row of hedges that hadn't been there last time.

In response to Viecada's warning, she murmured her ascent and shot a stern glance behind her at the slaves. Surely they had heard the mistress's words, and the girl's glare let them know they would be punished for disobeying. Then she continued glancing around her, taking everything in while trying to keep an eye on the slaves at the same time. Since the slaves in the procession were specially chosen, however, she was sure there wouldn't be any trouble at all.

This didn't take Viecada very long. She was prepared to meet them almost immediately, only taking a little time to prepare herself. She had business she wanted to attend to immediately, and this made her anxious to reach their clients. As soon as Abwyviel had prepared herself, she bade the slaves to take them to the dining hall where they would meet Marean, and later Isabel.

Viecada curtsied i return as she came in the room, and gracefully sat herself in one of the chairs, crossing one leg over the other, both hands delicately in her lap. She smiled to Marean, her thin lips pulled taut over her teeth, giving her the feel that she might bite if a hand got to close. "Come now, dear, don't be so morbid. If someone had died, I wouldn't have come personally, I don't believe we have any common aquaintances that are so important to the both of us that would warrant such a thing. Well, rather, me to come to you, as any that would be so important, you would learn of first." She was referring to Isabel specifically, but didn't say as much.

"No, my dear Marean, what I have is far more joyous. I came upon something rather recently that i'm sure you will find to be quite thrilling news. It is something which will revolutionize the entire breeding scene, and between you and I, I think it's going to be us who begins the new trend. That is, if you're interested in ensuring matings produce magical children." She dropped her gaze at this and carefully studied her fingernails in a disinterested way.

"Half baked is hardly what this is. Certainly it's not fully realized yet, but the basis is quite sound, I assure you. It just needs a bit of fine tuning." She leaned in a little, a thin smile on her lips, and a gleam in her eyes. "This isn't even a risk. It's a sure thing already." She leaned back in her chair, far more relaxed than Marean.

While she was aware Isabel wasn't there, she hadn't been concerned about waiting for her or not, honestly, though she might have drawn the conversation out in pretense of waiting just for her own amusement to watch Marean try and wheedle the secret out of her. But alas, she was being too straightforward, and any attempts at being coy would not be well recieved. That in mind, she brought the 'tuning fork' out from where she had it concealed, though she did it with such an act of legerdemain that it was quite difficult to tell exactly where she had been keeping it.

"This device here, Marean. It will allow us to detect the magic gene. It's that simple. A mere wave over the body, and we know what we need to know! Of course, this isn't the first stage of its evolution, dear no." She rambled on, trying to answer a few questions before they were asked. "After all, the origial version was rather volatile and had an effect of killing the slaves. They made it much safer now."