The feast in the great hall thundered: the braziers smoked, goblets rang, the gusli wove a drunken pattern, and the old voivodes ate loudly - as if warding off the night.
But the silence kept thickening. Not in the hall - around the prince. Like smoke curling above the fire, not leaving.
Alexander was not seated at the head of the table - he stepped into the hall himself. Not as a guest, not as a host. As one who held not a goblet - but motion.
And it was already underway.
The boyars approached, spoke with him. Some listened intently, absorbing every word. Others - reservedly, as if weighing it. But none left empty-handed.
Some carried away a charter. Not a scroll - a stone laid in foundation. Weight, not word.
Others left with empty hands. But their faces spoke louder than parchment: there was no agreement - there was acknowledgment. Or a silent "yes." Or an unspoken "not yet."
Sophia watched.
She did not hear the words - but saw how he held himself. Without fuss, without bows. He spoke evenly, briefly. And they listened to him. Not out of reverence - by weight.
The faces of the boyars changed. Some nodded - as if they had long awaited these words. Others grew grim, lips pressed. And still others looked away - as before something that could no longer be stopped.
Sophia did not know what he was proposing. But she saw: this was no pose. No game. Everything - exact. Held within. Like a root beneath stone: unseen, but immovable.
He was her peer. But felt older. Not by face - by weight. As if in him all was already formed - and did not waver.
She understood: beside such a man, a title is no adornment. With such, one must stand not by blood. By strength.
He was no longer a measure - a standard. None sought favor from him - they departed, having compared themselves: whether their path aligned with his weight. Or in fear - that they would not endure beside him.
And she knew: with such - either beside. Or in shadow.
And at that moment - another rose.
The elder boyar Mikhail of Podolsk.
He sat where those closest to the center usually sit, yet are not themselves the center. The first seat at the right-hand table - not at the princely table, but closest to the Prince's hand. Such a seat is not given.
It is held.
When he stood, the tables did not fall silent - but words suddenly began to echo hollow. As if someone had stepped into the middle of the street, and the entire city slowed its pace.
Not from fear - from reflex. Like before a storm: you do not know if it will strike, but everything inside already retreats.
A tower does not rise for beauty. A tower is what others measure their height by. Not because it is taller - because it stands.
He was one of those who did not need loud words. He was known not by name - by markets. Respected not for bloodline - for duty. Feared not for wrath - for calculation.
He walked slowly, as if measuring the floor beneath him - not for confidence, but so the ground would remember. His step demanded no space - he simply occupied it. It was not he who returned - it was the weight that had been avoided.
His belt was tightly drawn. Shirt stretched clean, without folds. Face - stone. He did not move toward power. He walked to where they had already tried to build - as if he could be dispensed with.
Mikhail approached. Directly. No bow, no hint of deference. Only a light, precise lift of the cup - as to an equal. At a feast, this is permitted. When half the city stands behind you.
- Prince, - he said. His voice was calm. But it was heard. - Today you sign much. Tomorrow you shall ascend the throne. Then let the evening be strong as a word. Not shaky, like spring ice
He took a sip. Without display. Like a man who knows how to drink - not for taste, but for sign.
Alexander responded with a nod. Not loudly. Not ostentatiously. Simply - a nod. Barely noticeable. But in it was everything.
Mikhail silently placed the cup at the edge of the nearest table - like a sign needing no deciphering. His voice was quiet - like a hook that pierces not ears, but intent.
- I see the Turov-Pinsk boyars did not leave light-handed. The scrolls - as if not charters, but seals in three weights. I do not know how many there were - but their faces looked as though they were holding not parchment, but a decree. So, you now grant favor not with words, but with weight. And I see, that weight is new
Alexander smiled faintly.
It was exactly this he had awaited: for Mikhail to come forth himself. For it all to begin with his step - not the prince's. So that even here it would seem that Mikhail was asking, not being offered.
- Not just charters. A beginning. The Turov lands have entered the Fur Circle - a sectoral union. First stone. Without masonry yet
Mikhail narrowed his eyes. Cautiously. He knew: "union" - is not an assembly. It is a web. And if it is woven by the prince - the knots are already drawn somewhere. He did not believe in lone steps - a second always follows the first.
- Circles, seals... And I thought - a feast. But I see, you've not taken a seat - you're pouring foundation. Not for a stall - for a hall. More than an agreement?
- Not for gold, - Alexander replied evenly. - For order. So that weight comes not from thunder, but from deed. That the step be one - and not each his own way. The beginning is laid. Next - the vault. Without frailty
Mikhail did not smile. But in his eyes flashed something - a tally, not assent.
- So, the design is already in your mind? Or have you already carved me a place in the masonry?
Alexander did not answer right away.
Not because he searched for words - because he weighed whether he could reveal what was already ready.
- If I had drawn it without you - the wall would not hold, - he said at last. His voice was even, but within it a taut string could be felt. - I do not call for apprentices. I need load-bearers. And I am not building a stall. I am building the Princely Trade Union
He gave Mikhail no time to react - neither with praise, nor with jest. He folded the pause into a dense step.
- The first circle (Fur Union) is laid. And I need not a spectator. I need one who knows how to bear weight
Mikhail nodded slightly, then glanced at the Turov-Pinsk boyars.
- Is it the same union you offered them?
Alexander shook his head. Without pretense.
- No. The Fur - is just a brick. Above it - order. Everything: furs, salt, grain, timber, cloth. All that moves through markets. Each union - a piece of the wall. And above them - a dome.One charter. One seal
Mikhail leaned forward slightly. Not from interest - from calculation.
- And who decides under the dome? Or again a circle - and you at the center?
Alexander did not avert his gaze.
- Those within. Governors. Merchants. Boyars. In each city - its own trade circle. Above them - one Council in Kiev. There you will sit too, if, of course, you enter. I - am the first in the Council.One voice. No more
Mikhail exhaled. Briefly. Without irony - like a man who understood: the game is already on. And he - stands at the threshold.
He did not hurry to answer. Time - too is a merchant. Sometimes the price rises precisely in the pause.
Alexander was younger. Not only in body - in his way of acting. But in this young prince there was no emptiness. He did not flail.
He had already built what most boyars could not even describe. Not with a crown - with a blueprint. Not with ambition - with a structure.
Mikhail had not seen many like him. Young, but not reckless.
Recklessness - is a cheap commodity. But with this one - everything carried weight. He did not test strength - he already led it.
And this frightened not by age. It frightened because it worked.
Yes, Alexander still seemed a boy - in appearance, in how others looked at him. But this boy was already building not beneath himself, but above himself.
Mikhail knew: if such a structure rose, it would outlast prince, merchants - even Kiev itself.
He squinted. Everything was familiar: charters, councils, seals. But for the first time, it was not for the sake of power - but for the sake of weight.
Not to hold others down - but to hold together.
He knew this path.
Markets collapse not from enemies - from indecision.
Unions rot not from time - from the absence of a center.
And princes who cry of order cannot hold even the street beneath their windows.
But here...
Here was an attempt to hold all. Not by fear - by balance. Not through submission - through mutual binding.
Alexander did not ask for favor. He placed a stake. And the stake - was himself. Mikhail.
He understood: if he said "yes" - others would follow. Not out of loyalty. Out of calculation. Out of fear of being the last.
But if he said "no" - Alexander would find another. And then Mikhail would become the one who missed the blueprint of the future.
This was no boy with an idea. This was a prince with a web.
And the web was already tightening. Not around the throat - around the heart of the world.
Whoever ended up within it - would breathe a new air. Whoever remained outside - would fade into dust.
But Mikhail was not stepping into air.
He was stepping into a charter. Everything looked well-ordered - and precisely for that, it raised doubt.
Too precise not to conceal a second bottom.
He knew: a blueprint that allows no correction - is not order, but a cage. And he had no intention of becoming the first stone pulled once the vault closed.
Mikhail raised an eyebrow. His voice grew softer - but within it sounded the weight of an old merchant, accustomed to seeking meaning not in words, but in the voids between them.
- And if I sign - what then? Two summers will pass, you'll raise another, say the term is up. I - out. And you - with free hands, as if the vault never rested on me
Alexander did not avert his gaze.
- The statute lays it down: each who enters the Council, every two summers presents a review - what was done, what benefit was brought, where the weight lay. Passed - remains. Did not pass - leaves. Myself as well
Mikhail narrowed his eyes slightly.
- So if I bring no benefit - they'll toss me out, like any common member?
- All by merit, - Alexander nodded calmly. - But you - are not common. You're in the first charters. With you - the title of Senior Advisor. That - is the foundation. Like the Prince, like a head of a sector. A pillar, not a brick
He spoke not for grandeur - for clarity.
- Such are not removed by the decision of three by lot. But neither are they kept out of gratitude. If the time comes to depart - all will decide: the Council, the sectors, the merchants, the Church. Not in secret - openly. That is order, not a plot
Mikhail remained silent. In his eyes - not doubt, but tallying.
He had already seen the essence: in the union, one is not held by title.
Held by weight. He who carries the work - remains. He who drags down - departs. Without noise, but precisely.
All simple, like trade: bring profit - keep the stall. Become a burden - the stall passes to another.
No intrigue. By logic. By efficiency.
- So if I do no harm and carry the work - I remain?
- Not merely remain, - said Alexander. - You yourself will hold the circle. Report, contribution, trust. This is no adornment. This is weight. If you can bear it - you will. If not - the measure will leave of itself
Mikhail did not answer. But he understood everything.
Here, place was not granted forever - not even to the Prince. But nor was it taken from those who held the cause.
Here, power was not asked for. It was reaffirmed. Again and again.
He exhaled - not heavily, but precisely. Like one who had shifted a slab in his mind.
- Then speak plainly, - he said. - You call not only me. You call all that stands behind me: the merchants, the convoys, the credit lines. The workshops that rest upon my goods. The stalls that open by my word. Do they enter the Union through my charter - or each on their own, and tomorrow already without me?
Alexander did not delay. The answer was ready - as though he had awaited this question first, not last.
- By statute - each joins on their own. By charter, with a signature, under their own seal. That is the rule. But if you enter as Senior Advisor - your network comes not as a crowd, but as a line. You - are the connecting link. For them, the path opens - not around, but faster. Not without rules - but with your word as a pledge
He paused. Not long - but clearly. Like a cut mark.
- But with this - comes responsibility. While they hold to order, they use your weight. If one among them causes harm - and you failed to restrain - the answer lies with you. Not for their sins - for the weakness of the bond. The Union is not about power. It is about weight. If you lead - hold
Mikhail gave no reply. Only his palm tensed slightly - as if reaching toward a burden already felt.
The essence was simple: lead them - and remain their master. Let go - and by tomorrow, the merchants and boyars will be no longer "yours," but simply "in the Union." And they could be kept only by deed, not by debt.
And while Mikhail stayed silent, in thought, the hall - on the contrary - began to speak without words. The space around them changed.
The air in the great hall grew denser.
Especially where they stood - the prince and Mikhail.
No one came close. But more and more boyars, merchants, craftsmen began to pass by - as if searching for someone. As if on business. Yet each lingered half a step longer than needed.
The men of Ignat Slavyansky - did not move. But one of them, holding a pitcher, suddenly began to pour. Not into a cup. Off to the side. And his gaze was not on the vessel - but on Mikhail.
A junior advisor from the circle of Miroslav the Wise reached for bread - slowly, lazily, like a man seeking a reason not to rise. But the hand moved further than needed. And in the next moment he was already standing closer to the table around which the structure of the hall had begun to form.
He had not approached - he had been drawn in.
Several senior boyars exchanged glances. Not in words. In looks. Sharp. Like strikes upon a map.
No one interfered. But the hall was already listening not with ears. It listened to weight.
Alexander and Mikhail spoke not loudly, but clearly. Their words spread through the hall like incense smoke - not for hearing, but for perception. They were not caught by ears - they were felt, like heat on the skin.
This was not a conversation one could enter - not by right, not by weight. But it was already being heard. By those who could calculate.
Closest stood two. Not at the center - in the shadow. But the shadow did not conceal whom it held.
Senior boyars: Rurik Pechersky and Svyatoslav Polovetsky.
They did not whisper. Did not glance at each other. Did not clench fists. They simply stood, as if resting.
But Rurik's fingers gripped his goblet until it rang - not by accident, but with a breaking note. As if the hand itself sought something to hold onto. And Svyatoslav's shoulders were slightly drawn forward - not in threat, in anticipation. Like a beast before a leap, which may not happen - but is possible.
They were no spectators. An ambush. Not on Mikhail - on the course itself. On the very possibility of a shift.
They did not need to listen. They had already seen everything. And they understood: if they did not interfere now - there would be no next chance. But to interfere - was to expose themselves.
Alexander, evenly and without haste, was pulling to his side the strongest boyars of the Turov-Pinsk land. Gleb of Turov. Vsevolod of Pinsk. Even Dubrovitsky. One after another - not as allies, but as stones set into a new vault.
But that was not the main thing.
The main thing was not those who had already entered. The main thing - was the one who still stood on the threshold.
Mikhail of Podolsk was not merely a heavy weight. He was weight itself - the very point of balance.
The pillar upon which rested the inner equilibrium: of markets, of credit, of supplies. He did not play at power - he was one of its foundations.
If he stood beside Alexander - it would not simply mean support. It would mean a center.
And then everything would collapse.
Not with thunder. Not with a decree. But through action.
The old axis - the one Rurik and Svyatoslav held by fear, by debts, by neutrality - would not withstand the new mass.
And there would be no struggle. There would be absorption.
They understood this. And knew: to resist - was to reveal fear. To wait - was to lose.
And so they stood. Not because they did not wish to move. Because they could not.
Rurik looked at the prince the way one looks at the impossible. He sought behind him a shadow - an advisor, a senior, someone who had traced this web. But behind the prince - there was no one.
And that frightened more than a conspiracy.
Because if there was no one behind him - then he had built all this himself.
And if by himself - then this was no flare. This was a blueprint. An architecture calculated for centuries.
It meant: there would be no collapse. No chaos. There would be continuation.
And the hall understood it. Even those who stayed silent. Especially those.
When Alexander fell silent, a stillness thickened at the Byzantine table. Not from confusion - from analysis. No one applauded. No one stirred. All were counting - not coins, but consequences.
Nikodim leaned forward slightly. But between him and Sophia sat Lev Komnenos - and that barrier was not only physical, but of character.
Nikodim said nothing directly. He waited for the moment when Lev turned his head, preparing to speak his own thought, and calmly, almost lazily, threw out a phrase - as if into the air between them:
- Tell her
Lev frowned but leaned toward Sophia. Reluctantly. Without theatre.
- Look at him, - he said, quietly but firmly, like one delivering a command, not a thought. - He is not playing. He is building
Sophia did not reply. Only her gaze shifted - grew more focused, quieter, sharper. Her fingers passed along the rim of the goblet - not from nerves, along the line, like across a blade.
Nikodim sat still, as if uninvolved. But a few moments later he once again threw out, curtly:
- More
Lev exhaled through his nose, irritated, but again relayed:
- If he succeeds - he will be more dangerous than any who have worn the crown here. Not to her. To us
Nikodim took a dried fig. Slowly. With cold precision - like one setting a seal, not taking a snack.
Sophia looked at the prince again. But now - differently. Not as an ally. Not as an enemy. As a structure.
She nodded, barely noticeably, so the gesture stayed within the bounds of courtly composure. But within - a thought flared:
- If he truly is dangerous to the Empire, it means near him lies a center of power. And where there is power - there is freedom. Not by blood. By action
Nikodim glanced at her. Not expectantly - like a master who has finished an engraving and checks the blade's gleam. But in that glance flickered: - did she read the essence too quickly? And that was either good. Or dangerous.
Nothing sounded between them. But everything had already been said.
And Sophia, without lowering her gaze, thought:
- If he builds it himself - then in this structure, there will be a place for me. Not as an ornament. Not as someone's "highness"
But as one who chooses for herself whom to walk beside. And when - to become the axis.
At that moment, Nikodim slowly raised his cup. Not for a toast - for the count.
The feast still continued. But the tally had already begun.
And Miroslav the Wise knew it.
He did not eat. He did not drink. He absorbed.
Not with gaze - with hearing. Not with words - with the arrangement of pauses.
He sat close to the prince, but was himself like an indent. A place where nothing stands out - but through which everything is read.
When Sophia nodded - he did not turn his head. But his lips moved slightly. Not a word - an intent. As if reflecting the nod in a mirror, but in such a way that no one noticed but himself.
Sophia's nod was not a courtly gesture. It was a recognition of a new axis. And Miroslav understood it.
He needed no notes. All that had to be fixed - had already settled in his mind.
- She understood. The Byzantines too. It has begun
He set down the goblet. Not with noise. With a movement only the table would remember.
- If the prince holds the rhythm - not only power will change. The very form of influence will change, - he thought.
And just when many boyars were catching only the first wave - Miroslav already saw the third crest. He did not build strategies for tomorrow. He was shifting the grid of coordinates.
He did not summon a scribe. The order already existed - in the very direction of his gaze.
But on his lips appeared the faintest fold. Those who had known him for decades understood: he had already chosen a direction. Not a word. A vector.
And in that moment, the space between the prince and Mikhail - grew dense.
Without clamor, without gestures, without fanfare.
Mikhail stood as a fulcrum. Alexander - as force, ready to rest upon the shoulder.
He understood: the name the prince needed - was his. Not as ornament. As code. As a lock that would click - and behind it, others would follow. Even those in shadow.
He was not merely a senior boyar. He was the trigger.
Mikhail looked at the prince. Not out of habit. By weight. That is how one looks - not upward, but level.
- So you want me to become the face of this wall, - he said quietly.
Alexander looked as if the decision was already in his gaze. And no word from Mikhail could shift it - only affirm it.
- No, - he said. - The face is at the gate. And I need the one upon whose shoulders it stands
He did not press. But the words carried the weight of a vault.
- I need not a signatory. A stone. A load-bearing one
Mikhail nodded. Not in agreement - in recognition of the cost.
- Do you have a statute? - he asked. - Not words. Parchment. Hide. Seal. If I am to enter - I want to see what I hold. Not a tale - a charter
Alexander nodded shortly.
Behind, in the shadow, Yaropolk opened the satchel. Not a simple one - leather-bound, reinforced, with a thickened flap and coiled cords.
He did not draw a scroll - but a charter. Dense hide, reinforced seams, ribbons not for adornment, but for rite. This was no shopkeeper's paper.
This was the "Foundation."
The Turov-Pinsk boyars exchanged glances. The charter stood apart - in form and in presence. Unlike their own, issued for entry into the Fur Union.
That one held calculation. This - intent.
Rurik's eyelid twitched. He knew: such things are not discussed. They are affirmed.
Yaropolk leaned forward, but Alexander intercepted the charter. Held it aloft - like an object not simply handed over.
- This is not the full statute, - he said. - Only the first word. The Charter of Foundation. Upon it - the goal, the seals, the names of the first. All else - is in the Codex of the Statute. That is not read in the hall. It is read by light. Alone. If you sign - you will be the first within it
He did not raise his voice. But in those words stood the weight of the codex.
- If you look - there will be no choice. Either you will sign. Or you will withdraw. But to rewrite - you will not be able. This is no merchant's sheet. This is a key. The first stone of the laying
The feast still moved: the gusli rang, goblets touched, voices spoke. But that part of the hall - had stilled. As if someone had struck out sound and time.
Around Mikhail and the prince - all had thickened. Even the smoke from the braziers drifted slower.
Mikhail watched. Long. Without trembling. Without play.
- I will look at it, - he said at last. - But if I sign - it will be once. I will not be a second. And if I leave - it will be by my own will
Alexander said nothing.
He stepped closer - and held out the charter.
But he did not place it into the hand. He did not bestow - he allowed it to be taken.
And Mikhail took it. Not as parchment. As stone. As beginning.
And in that instant the hall contracted.
The air between them grew denser. Like in a forge, where conversation dies when the hammer is raised.
Not a single gaze wandered. All - only there. To one point. To the moment where the new foundation converged.
There was no rustling, no turning of heads. Only the gaze - drawn together, like a vault under pressure.
For a moment all was still.
Even the gusli, while playing, seemed a background, not a sound. Even the braziers crackled as if quieter.
Someone was pouring - and froze. Someone raised a goblet - and did not drink.
There was a sense that a movement was coming - a single one. Defining.
Alexander and Mikhail held not a charter - but a point of convergence. And the hall - was held not by words, but by the balance between them.
Two could not reconcile with this.
Rurik Pechersky and Svyatoslav Polovetsky stepped forward. Almost at the same time. Not in haste - in an attempt to mark themselves.
One raised a goblet, the other - his head. Seemingly intending to come closer, to ask what sort of charter this was, perhaps to suggest they, too, ought to take a look. Or at least - drink to the fact that "nothing is done in secret."
But they didn't make it.
The scales tipped - but not in their direction.
Not because of a word. Because of weight - foreign, uncoordinated, but already received.
Someone in the hall whispered - not loudly, not directly:
- Chernoyorsky...
And only then did they realize someone had entered.
Not with a herald. Not with thunder.
Like all others - through the side doors left open, where the air was fresher, and the smoke of the braziers pressed less against the temples. Someone was always coming in or out there - for a breath, for a word, for a need.
A feast - is movement.
And that is why Chernoyorsky's entry was not noticed at first.
He did not enter - he occurred, like an old law, forgotten, but suddenly come into force. Not loudly, not to the center - along the edge, through the shadows, between those standing.
Like a second, late, but decisive weight on the scale.
At first - only a passing glance. Then - a pause in motion at the table. Someone nearly spilled while pouring, someone set down a goblet askew. One man straightened. Another turned.
The feast continued. But everything in the hall - shifted. Not at once. As if not a man had arrived - but a rule had been broken.
Because he was not on the lists. He was not expected. And not expected precisely because they knew: he does not come. Never. Almost never.
And on such a night - even less so.
He lived too far. Was too secluded. Too weighty to simply appear.
And yet he had come.
Senior Boyar Stepan Chernoyorsky.
Lord of the salt roads. Master of the eastern transfer points. Nearly a recluse. He lived beyond palace halls and outside the timing of the capital. His arrival was never part of the plan. It was always - its derailment.
If Podolsky held the markets, then Chernoyorsky - held what passed through them. Salt. Flows. Debt. His appearance was neither assent nor challenge.
It was - a shift in space.
He did not walk in alone. Four more boyars followed him. On their cloaks - the dust of unpaved roads. On their boots - the warmth of the saddle. They had not entered. They had not yet dismounted.
No one called to them. No one nodded. And yet - everything shifted.
They were not hasty. But neither did they dawdle.
As those who arrived late not from weakness, but from distance. And still came in time.
And it was then that the gazes in the hall - slowly, as if by an invisible signal - turned.
Not by noise. By weight.
Alexander and Mikhail did not avert their eyes. But not from each other - from the figure moving through the great hall toward them.
The prince did not know who it was. The face - unfamiliar. The name - unknown. But the hall knew.
It responded not with words - with weight. As if a foreign stone had been placed into a structure already measured to line and angle - and it fit perfectly. Without a gap.
And Alexander understood: this man - was not part of the scene. He was as if the scene itself had changed.
Mikhail looked at him once. And looked no more. Not out of indifference. Out of calculation. That is how one looks at a map where a new pass has appeared.
Some boyars did not stir - not out of pride. Out of understanding that any movement near him would seem like an attempt to measure up. And measuring up - was foolish. He was not greeted. He was marked.
Meanwhile, Chernoyorsky walked - not in a straight line, but by weight. Like water - not where ordered, but where slope leads.
And the slope led toward the Prince and Mikhail.
He did not call attention. Did not seek eyes. He simply moved - like a burden that needed no words.
But order stood above silence.
He had entered the hall - and thus had to acknowledge who held it.
He had nearly come to a halt when - in another part of the hall - another rose.
Princely voivode Stanislav the Great.
He had not planned to rise. They had agreed beforehand: Alexander would manage. No aid was needed.
But this weight - was not in the equation.
Chernoyorsky was no guest. No witness. He was a factor.
If he stood nearby - even without entering the conversation - the axis would shift. Not toward the prince.
Stanislav stepped forward. Without haste. Without shout.
As in battle: not to intercept - to cover a flank that had suddenly been left open.
He did not seize the word. Did not rush to the center.
But the very fact of his movement - changed the density.
Now, toward Alexander and Mikhail, came two pillars. Two centers of gravity.
And everything in the hall shifted - not by strength. By axis.
Stepan, however, stopped. Not near. Not far.
Like a pause before a boundary - not out of deference, but of calculation: will the vault bear the weight of a new load-bearing stone?
He stepped closer.
Not quickly. Not slowly. As if he was not walking - but movement beneath him carried forward.
And when the distance became permissible - not for equals, for those who acknowledge a center - he stopped.
He looked straight ahead. Without challenge. Without tilt.
- Prince, - he said. No more, no less. Straight. Like a measure laid upon the table - not for trade, but for alignment.
Alexander nodded. Precisely. Without flourish. Like one not surprised - but aware of the weight of the moment.
Stepan turned his gaze. Slowly. As if he was not turning his head, but shifting the vector of pressure.
- Mikhail, - he said.
Not as a friend. Not as a foe. As if a new marker had appeared on the map - and needed to be fixed.
Mikhail smirked. Not broadly - at the corner of his lips.
- So what is this? You too, Stepan, have stepped out from your salt? I thought you'd not emerge till autumn
The voice was light. But in it ran a subtle jab: not of malice, of old habit. As between heavy stones - where a jest does not amuse, but tests the strength.
Stepan did not react. Did not smile. Did not look.
He merely let his gaze drop - to the charter in Mikhail's hands. It paused a moment. Not from interest - by the inertia of the eye. The parchment was dense, reinforced, sealed. No merchant's scroll - a foundation.
But Stepan asked no questions. Made no comparisons.
He had already seen all he wanted. And that - was not his concern. He was too detached.
The gaze returned to the prince.
- There are five of us, - he said. - All tables, I see, are taken. If possible - place a new one for us. And benches to it
It did not sound like a request. It was a motion: we are here. We will place. We will sit. We will leave when we decide.
Alexander nodded. Evenly. Without surprise - like one who understood: this one needs no explanation, only no obstruction.
Behind him, Yaropolk had already stepped aside. Without words. Without question. He knew what to do.
Stepan nodded slightly - curtly. As a sign: received. And moved off - toward where a table would soon appear.
Not into the shadows, not into the center. Simply - into the space beyond the game.
He was no spectator. But neither did he become a participant.
Alexander watched him go and understood: that man, perhaps, had already grasped what was being built here.
But it was - too far from his interests. And thus - irrelevant.
Not far off, in the half-light near the pillars, stood the princely voivode Stanislav. He did not interfere. But he saw everything.
He knew: had Stepan taken even a step into the conversation - he would have had to enter. Not for a word. For balance.
Alexander was strong. Not by rank - by weight.
He held the discourse without yielding. But against two pillars at once - even he might have bent. Where he should not. Where now he could not.
Stepan did not do it. And in that - preserved the balance. Or perhaps, simply passed by. He had his own equations.
A little off to the side, at the right edge of the hall, still stood Rurik Pechersky and Svyatoslav Polovetsky.
They did not move. Said nothing. But between them - the silence thickened. The kind that does not birth stillness - but restrains irritation.
Rurik held his goblet - fingers clenched so tightly the vessel rang. Not loudly. But audibly.
He had seen everything. And understood everything.
Stepan had not merely broken the momentum they had begun - to interrupt the conversation between Mikhail and the prince. He had entered - and withdrawn, without saying a word about what was occurring. Had not stepped into the center. Had not reached out. Had not struck.
He had absorbed attention - and given nothing in return.
This was not participation. This was displacement without seizure.
And in that lay the danger: he had not entered the game - he had made the game impossible.
- Empty, - Rurik exhaled. Not aloud. Into the essence. That is not said of the weak. That is said of those who do not yield to calculation.
Svyatoslav did not reply. But his shoulders were slightly drawn forward. Not for a step. For holding.
He felt: one more such entry - and the stage would vanish completely.
Not because someone had won.
Because everything had come to rest on others.
And the silence - once again settled upon Chernoyorsky.
But he did not move. Did not approach the prince. Did not step into the center. He stood in his corner, like a stone long lain by the roadside - and only just noticed again.
The servants were already bringing the table. One, then another - hurrying, but without fuss. Everything was under control.
He waited - not for a command. For a table.
And that was his stake: not to enter - and thus not allow anyone to use his entry.
And so everything returned - to the point where it had begun.
The Prince. Mikhail. The charter.
The irritants were gone. All excess - had settled. Mikhail returned to what mattered.
He took the charter.
Not with his eyes - with weight. As a merchant looks at a sack of gold: not to admire, but to know - is it real.
His fingers rested on the edge of the parchment - not yet a signature, but already a choice.
He did not rush. The words entered like stones into an arch: slowly, but forever. Word by word, before him was forming not an agreement - a structure.
He did not read aloud.
But the weight of his silence - spoke.
Even those who turned away felt: something was being decided now that would soon be spoken.
He finished reading, exhaled - briefly. And spoke.
Not loudly. Not like a tribune. Like a man speaking his calculation aloud - but so that others would hear.
Not a commentator - an architect, naming for the first time the design by which life would be shaped.
- So this is how it is built...
A pause. Stillness - like before the aim.
- The sectors - like a vertical. Furs, salt, grain... Each with its own head. Each trade circle - in its own city. Local - but with a voice in Kiev. Cities - along the horizontal. Each with its own circle. Its own square. Its own demand and its own measure. But all - under one vault
And then the hall began to listen - not because it was called, but because the words began to form a doorway.
Mikhail spoke - as if to himself. But all around him heard.
Even the gusli - sounded quieter. Not because they were muted, but as if they themselves stepped into shadow - not to interfere.
Someone raised a goblet - and did not drink. Someone laughed - but the sound faded at once, as if retreating beyond the threshold.
Even the noise - began to listen.
Perhaps he knew it.
Perhaps he spoke - not for the prince.
For the hall.
Not to summon. To show: the entrance is open. And he was the first to step in.
Mikhail lifted his gaze.
- And in Kiev - not a throne, but a knot. Not power, but a statute. Not a shout - a seal. The Central Council. Everything flows there - not to press down, but to keep from coming apart
He ran a finger lightly along the edge:
- This is no stall. This is a network. He who has not entered - trades alone. He who has - holds together
He fell silent. The charter in his hand did not rustle. Only weight.
- This is not about trade, Prince. This - is about Rus
He paused - and spoke more quietly:
- One sheet, one charter - but behind it, I see, a whole wall. The Book of Trade. The Book of Shares. The Book of Investments. The Book of Courts and others. And each - like a ship: moves on its own, but under one sail. It is not all in this sheet - but this sheet holds it all. Because it is - the foundation
He sought no flourish. He simply spoke, like one who is used to dissecting by layers.
- This is how one builds not a fair, but an order. Not for a year - for a century. If it continues this way - you are not a Prince. You are the Architect of a new market
He raised his eyes from the charter. Looked straight ahead.
- And if I sign - I do not simply enter. I become part of the foundation. If you break - I fall with you. If you fall - I will crack
He sighed. Without theatre. Simply - like a man who has made the tally.
- But if it holds... then yes, then it will not be a princely union. It will be a trade order. Not a whim - a structure
He ran his finger along the edge of the charter - as if evening its line.
- I will sign
- But know: this is no longer only yours
He lifted his eyes:
- Now it is mine too. And if I hold - then so must you
Alexander listened - without pomp, without a shadow on his face. Only the corner of his brow shifted - as if he accepted not agreement, but weight. He did not nod. But in his gaze was: "I see it, I take it, I hold it."
He stood - not above, not opposite. Like one who had waited for this very answer.
Like one who now must hold not power - a vault.
The charter did not rustle.
The hall - did not stir.
The foundation - had been laid.
But the hall did not breathe easier.
Not from the signature. Not from the words.
Because everyone knew - Mikhail was not alone in that hall.
And the weight placed on the prince's side was already drawing a counterbalance.
Beside them - the same figures.
Senior Boyars Rurik and Svyatoslav. Until now, they had remained silent. But now - they no longer could.
Rurik stepped forward first. Not sharply - like a man tired of waiting. He did not cross the hall - he simply entered the core. Into where the structure already held.
The feast lived on: the gusli rang, goblets clinked, someone leaned toward a neighbor. But this step was foreign - like a note that slipped from the choir. It did not seek - it asserted.
Svyatoslav moved after. Not in step - with a shift. Not repeating - closing the gap. Like a flank that waits while the gaze is fixed on the center.
He did not move toward words. He took position beside. Not beside Rurik - beside the moment. Silently. By weight.
They had been here all along. But only now - entered the move.
A little off, at the same table where the fur seals had been placed earlier, space was already being cleared. Ladislav did not wait for a command - he acted by rhythm.
Mikhail stood as part of the structure. In his hand - the charter. Not a document. A weight.
Yaropolk, without asking, stepped toward the table. From his satchel - the same leather, the same stitching - he drew two more charters of Foundation. He laid them out slowly, like seals into masonry - not for display, for fixation.
Alexander watched. Everything was converging. Three seals remained. And then - the vault.
But at that moment - the air changed.
Not with noise. With tension. As if the fabric of the hall tore along an inner seam. Alexander did not flinch. Only his gaze shifted - almost like a hand to the hilt: not for show, but from a sense of weight.
Someone approached. Not into the feast - into the meaning.
It was not a step - it was a vector. A direction. A shift in the structure.
Alexander turned his head sideways - not sharply, but precisely. And at once he knew: what had been on the verge of closing would now be shifted. Not broken - tested.
Rurik Pechersky and Svyatoslav Polovetsky.
The very ones who had almost intervened - back when he allowed Mikhail to take the charter. But just then, Chernoyorsky had entered the hall - not a guest, not a participant, but weight.
Stepan had spoken not a word. But everything had shifted.
And they had stepped back. Not out of fear. Out of calculation: the moment had been disrupted.
And now - they returned. Because the system had closed. And if they did not enter now - it would be too late.
Rurik stepped forward.
Raised his goblet - not in honor, in marking.
- Prince, - he said, almost lazily, but with precision. - A splendid feast. As is its host
Alexander gave no reply. Not out of pride. Out of accuracy. Rurik - was not in the structure. Not yet needed. For now - noise.
And a vault does not answer to noise. It waits for weight.
Rurik sensed this. His eyes narrowed slightly, a crease twitched at his lips - not mockery, defense. But still he smiled. Gently. Like a priest who sees the faithless, but still hopes to bring them back.
He understood that if Mikhail stood with the prince - all his network would become a bridge. And then they would no longer control the flows. But the prince, through him.
He leaned forward just slightly.
- As I passed by, I heard... - he dropped the phrase like a coin, not large, but ringing. - A Trade Union. Princely. Has a fine sound
And then - the tone changed. A slight chill in the voice - like wind before a storm.
- Walls, Prince... But who holds the land beneath them?
Rurik did not raise his voice. But each word - seemed to cut through the vault.
- You speak of seals, of circles, of statutes... But who gives those circles roots, if the boyar land lies not beneath them?
His gaze swept the hall - not seeking support, but reminding: every man here is not just a merchant or a scribe. A landholder.
- A trade union is good. Beautiful. But you lean on markets, forgetting: without land - there is no salt, no honey, no fur. Nothing
Mikhail turned slightly. But said nothing.
Alexander met his gaze. Calmly. Without a smile.
- The land is yours. But the roads - are mine. The warehouses - mine. The guard - mine. And those who carry your salt, do not pass through your fields. They go through the market. Which means - through me
The silence thickened.
And into that silence - a second voice. Soft. Almost cheerful. But within - ice.
- A splendid network, - said Svyatoslav Polovetsky, coming closer. - Markets, seals, courts, privileges...
He inclined his head - as if in acknowledgment, as if in appraisal.
- But tell me, Prince... how soon before you decide someone is "outside the network"? That my shops - are redundant? That my caravans - are in the way? And you say: "So says the statute"?
There was no threat in the words. Only fear. Fear that order might become a chain. And close - not in protection, but as a trap.
Alexander did not avert his gaze.
- Do not wish to take part - then do not. But when caravans begin to bypass your lands, and goods grow twice as costly - you will ask for the charter yourself. And it will wait. Until its time
He paused.
- I do not forbid freedom. I offer an alternative to chaos
Svyatoslav did not answer. Only bowed his head - not in submission, in calculation. Like a beast that senses: a cage might be a passage, or might be a snare.
Rurik remained standing. His gaze - not on the prince, on Mikhail. Not defeat, not challenge. Weighing. He had made his move - but understood: the next figure was already moving beyond his will.
Alexander did not argue. He simply shifted the frame.
Answers were no longer required - anything they said now would become an admission of weakness. Not refutation - adaptation to another's blueprint.
And so they fell silent.
Not because they yielded. Because there was no other move.
Mikhail listened - calmly, to the end. Without interruption. But at some point, his lips pressed slightly - not from emotion, from the tally. As if the numbers had aligned.
He stepped forward. Not to the side. To the core.
He approached the table. Took the seal.
Click. Click. Click.
Three strikes. Not a gesture. A foundation.
He did not wait. Did not seek effect. He simply placed the period - in the moment when others were still arranging commas.
The seals were laid down. The Union - was not proclaimed. It had begun. Not with a shout. With an act.
Mikhail took his charter. His gaze - to the prince. To Rurik. To Svyatoslav. In their eyes - not emptiness. Embers. Not agreement - motion. Not reaction - shift.
Alexander smiled. Not broadly - precisely. Like a man who had awaited not confirmation, but the locking of a structure.
And he extended his hand - not toward the throne, not to the table, not for show. Straight - to Mikhail.
Not as a ruler. As one who seals a vault. Who knows: now it can be held.
Mikhail smirked. Briefly. Without play. And grasped - firmly.
Not as an oath. As a reckoning. Merchant's. Measured. With such a grip, hands are struck not for theatre - for terms.
And that compressed moment - became the point of convergence.
Those who saw it - did not believe it at once. Mikhail of Podolsk. Now - with the prince. Not only Stanislav with his retinue. Now - the stalls. The markets. The merchants. The weight.
Metropolitan Hilarion did not intervene. But watched. As one looks at a church whose foundation is laid not only in the shape of a cross, but in faith in justice.
He had already given his seal. Not for power. For truth. Because he knew: Alexander built not for glory. For order. Where strength - serves structure. And structure - serves grace.
Where there were markets, there will be shelter. Where there was dispute - form. Where there was barter - foundation. And that - is already a path.
Alexander knew: he had only begun.
But the vault was laid.
The Princely Trade Union.
***
Thank you to everyone who read to the end.
This chapter is not about intrigue. And not about victory. It is about construction.
About how a network is created - one not pulled together by force, but assembled by weight. Where each step is not merely movement, but a vector of pressure. Where every word is not for beauty, but like a stone in a vault.
I understand: this chapter is heavy. And vast. But it cannot be light - because it speaks of power not as throne or title, but as a point of balance. There are no villains here. No heroes. There is structure. System. An order that is built not by desire - by weight.
If it seemed there were too many glances, pauses, weighings - that's how it must be. This is politics. Not a stage. Not a battle. A knot. A place where a single misstep collapses everything. And a single precise one - binds cities.
If not everything was grasped the first time - that's natural. This text is not written to "hit." It's written as it would happen in truth. Not "for effect," but to show: yes, this is how a new form of influence might be built.
Alexander does not triumph here. He assembles. He does not entice. He holds. He is not at the peak - he is at the foundation. And that is why he cannot be overthrown. He is what something else already rests upon.
This style - is not an experiment. It is the foundation. And I will remain in it, continuing to raise the level.
There will be no more chapters this heavy. Not because things have become easier - but because now, action can begin.
Reforms are coming: water, famine, roads, tax, trade. Decisions - not words. Transformations - not plans.
Alexander will stop speaking. He will begin doing.
And everything you saw in this chapter - is not for weight. It is for stability.
So the next blow does not bring collapse.
But deflection.
(If you want to understand what holds this structure:
The vault - is the Princely Trade Union.
Its bricks - are the sectoral unions: fur, salt, grain, timber, and others.
And the walls - are those who entered. People, cities, shops, roads.
Everything that came under one seal. And everything that now stands not on fear - on weight.)
.
In this and the previous chapter, I showed you not a dream, not inspiration - but the foundation.
How Prince Alexander gains money. Not by miracle. Not by birthright. By deed.
Here is the Turov-Pinsk land.
At the moment, their fur trade yields 1000 - 1200 grivnas a year. Half - goes to the prince. He spends it on roads, security, fairs. But the base - is his. And most importantly: the income is growing.
Now - 1000 grivnas. In a year - 2000.In ten - 15,000.From furs alone. This is not fantasy. This is calculation.
To understand how much this is, reread Chapter 8 for the treasury.
(1 grivna equals approximately 200 - 210 grams of silver. For those who wish - count it in tons. Though of course, it doesn't mean that much pure metal sat in chests. The grivna is a count. An equivalent. In reality, they paid with everything: furs, cloth, honey, grain. In kind. But the weight - was tallied in silver. To have a standard for reference.)
Furs bearing the princely seal - are like coin. They are known from Scandinavia to Baghdad. This is not just clothing. This is status. Style. Brand.
A pelt without a seal - is not merchandise. With a seal - it is a mark of quality.
How did he achieve this? Read.
Now multiply furs by everything else: wax, salt, honey, cloth, timber, iron, stone. All - by a single model. Each union - under one statute. And all - under the Princely Trade Union.
What does that mean?
It means: every good - under control. Every craft - like furs. Alexander takes his share - and develops the sector. This is not a raid. This is a system.
Money flows easily - but because it is built heavily. Not pillaging. Order. Accounting. Responsibility.
The entire model - with numbers, calculations, turnover - I have it. But this is not bookkeeping. This is a novel. I show the essence.
Those who want specifics - they will come. Further along in the story: how workshops operate, how furs are processed, how production grows.
But for now - the core is laid.
Prince Alexander now has economic power. Not on parchment. In action.
And it is precisely on this that he will build reforms. Not with slogans.
With weight.
Next comes Chapter 39: Ascension to the Throne
And Chapter 40: Ash and Oath - the conclusion of Volume One.
From here on - it only gets better.
.
If you've read this far - it means you're interested not only in the plot, but in the mechanics of the world. And that's exactly right. Because in this book, there is no "good enough." Everything holds by weight.
For the sake of the story, it's not necessary to know how the Princely Trade Union is structured.
But so that no foolish questions arise like "where does the money come from?" or "how does it work so quickly?" - before you is the full statute. Yes, it's long. Yes, there are many words. Because order - is not magic. It is structure.
I anticipate the reaction: "Where would you get that much parchment? Who would write all this down?"
Here is the answer: in the beginning, the cost falls on those who trade. Your goods - your mark, your parchment.
Then - paper production. Alexander launches the manufacture of paper sheets from rags. Not for elegance, but to free himself from chance. Everything is accounted for. Everything is secured. The system will function - exactly as described.
Because if I was able to describe it - I would be able to build it.
But this book is not about numbers. Not about tables. It's about people. About an era. About the clash of old and new.
It's just that here - everything is real. The world lives not on smoke. But on what has weight, rules, and price.
You wanted realism?
You will have it. In weight. In seal. And in right.
.
Notice.
The statute - is not a leaflet. It is a foundation. Over three thousand words.(Much of the text has been removed here, so as not to overload you.)
More than six Books: On Trade, On Shares, On Investments, On Court, On Weights, On Exceptions, and more.
.
THE CHARTER OF THE PRINCELY TRADE UNION
Adopted in the spring of the year 6562 from the creation of the world (1054 from the Birth of Christ), under Grand Prince Alexander Yaroslavich, in the city of Kiev.
I. ON THE ESSENCE OF THE UNION
The Princely Trade Union (PTU) is an overarching union, established in the name of order. It gathers under one seal all the sectoral trade and craft circles of Rus' - not as a fair, but as a system.
It is founded in order to:
strengthen trade between lands;
arrange markets not by whim, but by right;
protect the path of the merchant and the craft of the master;
institute a single weight, measure, and justice.
The Union is not violence. It is not a chain, but a road. Whoever enters - stands under the seal, receiving protection, order, and honor.
Whoever remains aside - trades alone, without the prince's support. Without court. Without trust.
The Princely Trade Union is not a union of people. It is a union of meaning. It binds lands not by sword, but by deed.
II. ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE UNION
The Princely Trade Union rests on three foundations:
Sectoral circles - fur, salt, grain, honey-wax, and others. Decisions within are made by masters and seniors of the craft - those who know the weight of the work, not merely the price;
City trade circles - composed of boyars, governors, merchants, and senior masters. Here it is determined how trade flows, who is entrusted with the square, and who shares the high street;
The Central Council of the PTU in Kiev - the knot where all flows converge. Here they do not argue - they bring to order.
Members of the Central Council include:
The Grand Prince - first voice. He is the chair, not an autocrat;
Governors from the lands that have adopted the Charter;
Heads of the sectoral circles;
The Treasurer and the Keeper of the Registers;
A Representative of the Church - whose word is conscience, and in final dispute may impose a deferred veto until deliberation;
A Representative of the merchant class;
Senior Advisors - a title granted to those whose names are written in the first Charters of Foundation.
ON TERMS, REVIEWS, AND PARTICIPATION RIGHTS
Each member of the Central Council, including the Prince, is confirmed for a term of two summers;
At the end of the term, a review is conducted - based on deeds, income, weight, and contribution to the order of the Union;
All undergo review without exception - though by differing procedures:
Ordinary members (governors, merchants, representatives): are reviewed by three Council members, chosen by lot from other cities and sectors;
Pillar members (the Prince, heads of sectors, Senior Advisors): undergo extended review - with discussion in the full Council and a vote in the relevant circles;
Only upon review may the term be extended. If the contribution is deemed insufficient - the position is vacated;
Re-entry is possible no sooner than one year later, and only with the approval of the circle and the Council;
In case of conflict of interest - the vote is temporarily suspended for the duration of deliberation;
For sabotage of decisions - temporary suspension for up to one year, with loss of vote and access to the seal;
Violators of order are entered into the register of dissenters. They lose the seal and the right to participate.
ON SENIOR ADVISORS
Enter the Council with special status as founders, enshrined in charter;
Participate on general terms: a two-summer term, with subsequent review as for pillar members;
Hold the right of vote, counsel, proposal, and veto - if the matter concerns truth, structure, or order;
Upon loss of trust, dishonesty, or inaction - they lose their status and place, by result of extended review;
Their place is not transferred automatically. To occupy the vacancy of Senior Advisor, another Council member must be recognized as equal in contribution - by decision of two-thirds of the Council and with the Church's assent;
The vote of a Senior Advisor is required for confirmation of amendments to the Charter and decisions concerning the spiritual and legal foundation of the Union.
ON ADMISSION OF NEW SECTORS AND LANDS
A new sectoral circle is established by petition from masters and merchants, with submission of its charter, list of seniors, and weighing rules;
The circle is confirmed by the Central Council - with votes of no less than two-thirds;
A new land joins the Union by agreement of the Prince and Council - with confirmation of its governor and trade order;
Newly admitted circles receive voice and share only after one year of observation and reporting.
ON DECISIONS
All decisions are made by simple majority;
All votes are equal, but weight in affairs and shares - by term, contribution, and integrity;
The chair in each sectoral and city circle changes every two summers;
In case of tie - the deciding word rests with the Prince, but he may not amend the Charter without the Council's general consent;
The Church's Representative holds a right of deferred veto, if the dispute concerns truth, morality, or divine order;
In suspicion of collusion within the Council - the Prince or the Church may impose a deferred veto for up to one month, with right of deliberation in the general circle.
III. ON CENTRAL MARKETS
All key markets in princely cities are placed under the seal of the Union. Central trade squares are established, with sectors designated by goods.
Conditions:
Union participants receive preferential spaces, protection, security, and the right to take part in fairs;
Spaces are not sold, but assigned - by charter issued by the Princely Council;
Non-participants pay duties, trade outside central sectors, and have no right to hold warehouses, shops, or permanent stalls at fairs;
A merchant caught three times attempting to bypass the rules is entered into the register of those barred from princely trade;
All transactions outside the Union are not protected by the Charter. No dispute will be heard if one of the parties is outside the seal.
IV. ON THE TRADE FUND AND THE RIGHT TO INVEST
The Prince establishes the Princely Trade Fund - a state treasury from which resources are allocated for trade and craft initiatives within the Union.
The Fund is divided into two parts:
Working capital - for loans to merchants to expand trade;
Credit to craftsmen - for the creation and strengthening of workshops, warehouses, caravans, and production.
A loan or support may be received only upon joining the Union, in compliance with conditions and with approval of the relevant sectoral circle.
Conditions for receiving support:
Repayment - in money, goods, or a share of future profit;
Collateral - property, products, guarantor, or word of honor;
For false information, forgery, or fraud in the request - expulsion from the Union and entry into the register of dissenters;
In case of non-repayment - collection, labor, or forfeiture of collateral.
On the right to invest and profit-sharing:
First right of investment belongs to the Prince or the Princely Fund. If they decline, other Council members, sectoral circles, or allied merchants may invest;
Terms of investment: contribution in exchange for a share in the enterprise (usually up to 25%), formalized by charter and recorded in the register;
The investor receives a share of profits and may hold an advisory voice in the sectoral circle on behalf of the enterprise;
No person may invest without open notification of the Council; all investments go through the sectoral circle;
Disputes regarding the right to invest, profit division, or investment priority are resolved within the circle.
To prevent fund depletion:
Replenishment - annually from the princely treasury and shares of profit from investments;
Loans are issued by seasonal sessions, after approval by the sectoral circle and the Council;
A limit is set on the number of applications per season;
Controllers are appointed from the treasury, the Church, and the merchant class to maintain audit records;
All reports on expenditures, returns, and shares are presented at Council meetings;
Disputes on repayment and collateral are decided in the trade court, composed of three: a Council representative, a Church scribe, and a merchant trustee.
V. ON INVESTMENTS AND PARTICIPATION IN ENTERPRISES
If the Prince, the Trade Fund, or another Union member invests in the creation or expansion of an enterprise, a special participation agreement is concluded - defining share, conditions, and term.
Terms of participation:
The standard investor share - one-quarter (25%) of net profit;
The enterprise receives:
Funding (in money, goods, or support);
An assigned place on the princely market;
Protection during transport and sale;
The right to the Union seal - a mark of trust, quality, and weight;
Holding a share gives the right to an advisory voice in the sectoral circle (if another voice from the enterprise is already present).
On buyout of shares:
A share may be bought out if provided for in the agreement;
The buyout amount is determined by a triple commission: the Treasurer, a sectoral circle representative, and a Church scribe;
After buyout, the enterprise retains its charter and trade space, but loses the right to the seal and to protection;
If buyout is not stipulated - the share remains permanent;
The investor may demand buyout on the same terms, with Council approval.
On inheritance of shares:
Upon the owner's death, the share may be transferred to an heir only with the approval of the sectoral circle and the Council;
Without approval, the share returns to the circle, and the appraised value is paid to the heirs;
An heir wishing to retain participation must prove capability to manage the enterprise and accept the charter's terms.
On transfer and control of shares:
Transfer of a share to a third party without the knowledge and consent of the Council - is void;
No individual, family, or house may hold more than one-third of the voting shares in a single sectoral union without special permission from the Council;
The Council has the right to impose limits or demand division of a share if its concentration threatens balance.
VI. ON SEASONAL TRADE
Given the seasonal nature of many goods and trades, the Union introduces special measures to maintain order and prevent unrest during the annual transitions.
On reserves:
In every city where the Union operates, seasonal reserves are established - warehouses of grain, salt, honey, cloth, and other essential goods;
Reserves are formed from a mandatory share contributed by sector participants - as set by the circle's charter and approved by the Council;
Responsibility for storage lies with an appointed warehouse-keeper, accountable to the city and the Council;
In winter, an emergency fund operates - for distribution at statutory prices in case of crop failure or disaster;
Access to reserves in urgent need is granted to Union members - first and foremost to suppliers and workshops engaged in chartered business.
On fairs:
Spring and autumn fairs are held by decree of the Prince and the Council;
Trade spaces are allocated in advance - by charter and list;
Violations of trade order, speculation, or substitution of goods result in fines and forfeiture of trade space for the season;
Large transactions and deliveries must be registered with the city council or relevant sectoral circle.
On reporting and oversight:
All merchants and craftsmen are required to report stock and inventories to the circle - twice per season;
For evasion or false data - fine, denial of access to warehouses, and for repeat offenses - expulsion;
Prices for essential goods may be temporarily frozen by Council decision - in the event of sharp spikes or threat of shortage.
VII. ON CONTROL AND ACCOUNTING
Every good that enters the Union is subject to accounting and marking - not individually, but by batch: convoy, bundle, sack, barrel, or warehouse unit.
Marking is applied based on the type of good:
On convoy or cart - a tag with seal;
On sacks, barrels, or bales - a summary label (tag, marker, wax or wooden seal);
In warehouse storage - a tablet or wall record under an overseer's seal.
Each movement of goods is recorded in the register. The register is kept by three: the merchant, a princely official, and a Church scribe.
Forgery of marks, tampering with records, false reporting, or double bookkeeping - is a crime against the order of the Union.
On register maintenance:
The main register is held at the Treasury;
Copies are held by the Keeper of the Registers and the Church Chamber;
Any change is permitted only with a triple signature: the Treasurer, the Prince's representative, and the Church scribe.
To prevent abuse:
Governors and officials undergo annual audit;
Secret inspectors are appointed - to audit trade without prior notice;
For abuses - forfeiture of office, confiscation of property, entry in the registry of prohibition, closure of trade activity.
VIII. ON COURT AND ARBITRATION
All disputes within the Union are resolved by honor, charter, and weight - preserving order, not through quarrel, but through court.
Internal disputes:
Between members of the same circle (city or sectoral) - are resolved within the circle, within seven days of filing;
The decision is recorded in protocol, stored in the Keeper's register and duplicated in the Church Chamber.
Disputes between lands, circles, and sectoral unions:
Heard in the Princely Court, seated in Kiev;
Term for resolution - up to twenty days from the complaint's submission;
The court consists of three: a representative of the Prince, a Church scribe, and a mediator, chosen by both parties or appointed by the Council.
The Office of the External Arbiter:
Established for especially complex or entangled cases;
The Arbiter is appointed by the Church Chamber for a term of two years, and may not engage in trade, own shares, or participate in circles;
His word is advisory, but if both parties agree, it becomes binding;
The Arbiter has the right to initiate proceedings if evasion, collusion, or clear violation of the charter is found;
The Arbiter is accountable to the Council and the Church, and may be removed by a two-thirds Council vote.
Court outcomes:
All rulings are entered into the register;
The party found in violation must fulfill the judgment within the term set by the court;
Upon refusal - the party is entered into the registry of dissenters, and loses the seal and rights within the Union;
A second refusal - results in expulsion from all trade rights, and recovery of damages.
Oversight:
Court proceedings are monitored by the Treasury and the Church;
All sessions are recorded, copies kept with the Keeper and the Church Chamber;
Appeal of a ruling is allowed once and submitted to the Council - the Council's decision is final.
IX. ON THE RIGHT TO ENTER AND EXIT
On admission:
Entry into the Union is formalized by a charter, signed by the entrant, sealed by the circle, and countersigned by the Keeper of the Registers;
Upon entry, the participant agrees to the Charter and accepts obligations in accounting, order, arbitration, and shares;
First participants, whose charters are entered in the Chronicle of Foundation, receive advantages:
the best trading spaces;
priority access to court and fund;
greater weight in voting for the first three years.
The entrant receives the Union's seal, is recorded in the register, and gains the right to address the circle and the Council.
On withdrawal:
Withdrawal is carried out by personal request, approved by the circle and the Council;
With withdrawal, the following are lost:
the right to the seal;
access to the fund and fairs;
the right to hold a seat in the circle;
all assigned spaces, charters, and privileges.
Obligations do not cease upon withdrawal: debts, trials, and agreements must be fulfilled to completion under Council supervision;
Attempting to exit with unresolved debts is considered flight and is punished by property seizure and entry into the registry of violators.
On reentry:
Reentry is permitted no earlier than one year later and only with the approval of the circle and the Council;
A returning participant forfeits former privileges and enters as a new member;
A probationary period may be assigned upon reentry.
On expulsion:
A participant may be excluded from the Union by decision of the circle and Council for Charter violations, forgery, harm to the cause, or refusal of arbitration;
In such cases, the charter is annulled, the seal revoked, and shares - reexamined or returned to the circle.
X. ON PSYCHOLOGY AND TRUST
Understanding that order rests not only on fear, but on trust, the Union introduces measures to strengthen faith in its rules and structure.
To dispel fear and fatigue:
Upon joining, each participant receives a "Brief Code of Trade Rules" - without excessive bureaucracy, with clear duties, rights, and principles;
Twice a year, in spring and autumn, assemblies of merchants and craftsmen are held - with the announcement of news, reports, honors, and plans. Not only authority speaks - but peers listen to one another;
Twice a year, in every city, an open gathering of the city circle is held - to announce reports, address questions, complaints, and suggestions from merchants, townsfolk, and craft communities. Each may speak, but with honor;
Awards and marks of distinction are introduced: for honest trade, for aid in craft, for contribution to common order. Not in coin - in respect, charter, or mark;
Each circle is required to maintain a Board of Trust - where the worthy are marked, not for fame, but as example;
The princely successor, upon accession, must swear upon the Charter - publicly, before the Council, so that not only the prince's name but the order itself remains unchanged.
On rumors and fears:
Each circle appoints a Listener - a person to whom complaints, concerns, or questions may be brought. Their word passes to the Council without hindrance;
Announcements of decisions, reports, and changes to rules - are mandatory. Not in secret, not in whispers, but before all;
One who spreads lies about the Union - is judged not as a fool, but as a saboteur: through trial, with the right to defense, but without leniency in case of malice.
XI. ON SPIRITUAL ORDER AND SANCTIFICATION
Understanding that true order stands not only on weights and parchment but on a higher truth - the Princely Trade Union affirms its foundation not only in deeds but in spirit.
On the role of the Church:
The Church is not only judge and keeper of conscience, but co-founder of the order, binding trade to the truth of God;
The blessing of the archbishop or senior spiritual prelate is required for confirmation of the founding charters, the opening of central markets, and the convocation of the Grand Council;
The Church Chamber ensures that the laws of the Union do not conflict with Christian truth, mercy, or peace.
On the sacred meaning of the seal:
The Church's seal is placed not as a formality, but as a sign that the matter stands not against conscience and was not born in falsehood;
Without this seal, no charter, contract, or judgment is considered complete - for what is sealed without conscience shall not endure.
On spiritual rites:
Upon entry into the Union, each participant swears an oath on the Psalter - in church, before icons and witnesses. The words of the oath are recorded and stored by the Church;
The first gathering of each city circle begins with a prayer, read by the senior scribe or an invited deacon;
The opening of a fair is accompanied by a short service - "for peace, good work, and righteous measure."
On fasts and the sanctity of trade:
Trade on great fasts and holy days is restricted - speculation, lawsuits, and open markets within or near church grounds are forbidden;
Deceit in weights, counterfeit goods, or false oath - is not only a crime but a sin, punishable not only by court but by excommunication from the community;
Every merchant and craftsman must know: a measure is not only a tool. It is a symbol of truth, and lying in trade is lying before God.
On the protection of truth:
If the Church determines that a circle or Council's decision violates Christian truth, it may not only impose a veto, but declare spiritual excommunication from the Union - until rectification;
The Union acknowledges: without repentance, there is no cleansing; without cleansing - no trust. Thus, a path of spiritual restoration is provided: a participant found guilty may, through Church petition and public penance, reclaim their name - but only once.
XII. ON SPECIAL CLAUSES AND FORCE MAJEURE
The Princely Trade Union is established for peace, but peace is not always at hand. Time brings calamities, wars, rebellions, plagues, and famine. To ensure order does not collapse in times of turmoil - special provisions are enacted for action outside the normal course.
On extraordinary circumstances:
Force majeure includes events beyond control: invasion, rebellion, pestilence, drought, famine, fire, epidemic, closure of trade routes, death of the reigning prince, or collapse of power in a member land;
Declaration of force majeure requires the consent of at least one-third of the Council and is confirmed by the Grand Prince or the Church's Representative;
Once confirmed - special action rules come into force for no more than forty days. Afterward - review.
On actions under force majeure:
Trade collections and debts may be frozen for the duration of the event - but are not canceled unless specially ruled by the Council;
Supplies of food, medicine, fabric, and essential goods are centralized - with priority for affected lands;
The Council gains the right to appoint temporary commissioners to regions where connection or governance is disrupted;
In the event of the Grand Prince's death, the Council is temporarily headed by the Senior Advisor by seniority - until the assembly of a new Grand Council and the heir's oath.
On the defense of order:
All actions under force majeure are to be recorded and later reviewed by the Council;
If abuse during the crisis is proven - punishment is doubled;
Anyone refusing to obey lawful orders in a time of upheaval - is deemed a threat to order and may be immediately expelled from the Union by two-thirds Council vote.
On the temporary charter:
In the case of prolonged crisis (over forty days), the Council may introduce temporary provisions - held in Council and effective only with triple approval: Grand Prince, Church Representative, and Merchant Head;
After the crisis ends, the temporary charter loses effect, and all actions under it are reviewed within thirty days.
XIII. ON EXTERNAL UNIONS AND FOREIGN CIRCLES
The Princely Trade Union was born on Rus' land - but trade knows no borders. If the bridge is strong, both sides may cross. Therefore, a system of relations with foreign lands is introduced: not for blending, but for coordination.
On external unions and agreements:
The Union may conclude agreements with merchant unions of other lands - Varangian, Polish, Volga, Bulgarian, Byzantine, and others;
Such unions are recognized as "partner circles" - with limited access: no place in the Council, but with the right to trade under the seal, provided they comply with the conditions;
The terms of each agreement are confirmed by the PTU Council and sealed with three seals;
Foreign unions must agree to recognize the measures, weights, seal, and rules of the PTU within the bounds of shared markets;
If the agreement is violated, the partner loses trade rights and is entered into the registry of restricted entities.
On foreign merchants and their status:
A foreign merchant may receive a "temporary trade charter" - valid for one season, with the payment of a duty and a commitment to follow the Charter within its term;
A merchant engaged in ongoing trade must either join the Union or act under the patronage of a PTU member;
A merchant without a charter is considered unlawful. Their trade is forbidden, their goods may be confiscated until judgment, and repeated violation results in expulsion and seizure.
On external trade outposts:
The Council may establish a field circle - a trade office in a foreign land, with the right to trade, store goods, and oversee rule compliance;
Such an outpost operates under the PTU seal and is headed by a trusted individual - appointed by the Council and confirmed by the Prince;
Outpost members are subject to the Charter, must report regularly, maintain a transaction register, and submit to the general PTU account.
On the exchange of knowledge and craftsmanship:
The Union welcomes the arrival of foreign craftsmen, provided their work does not violate tradition or disrupt internal balance;
Craftsmen must obtain a "craft license" from the sectoral circle - without which their work is considered unauthorized;
For espionage, subversion, or deceit - immediate expulsion and entry into the ban list.
XIV. ON THE SEAL
Every charter, contract, judgment, loan, and Council decision is affixed with three seals - for authority, integrity, and peace:
The Princely Seal - a sign of power, affirming order and defending the word;
The Personal Seal - of the one who accepts or executes, as a pledge of responsibility;
The Church Seal - of conscience and spiritual approval, without which the matter is incomplete.
No decision takes effect without all three seals. In case of dispute - that which bears all three is deemed primary.
XV. ON THE STRENGTH OF THE UNION
The Princely Trade Union is not a contract for a year nor a benefit for an hour. It is the foundation of a new order, in which power, commerce, and conscience are bound in a single knot.
The Union is not imposed - it is entered. By will, by reason, by belief in the common good.
Those who entered first - are not merely members. They are the root. Their names are written not only in charters, but in the memory of the Union.
This Charter is affirmed by princely will, Church blessing, and the consent of the trade circles. Bound by word, seal, and deed.