#gambling merchant account

[offshoregateways]

Internet merchant accounts for High risk Business?

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High-risk businesses encompass a wide range of industries, including online pharmacies, adult entertainment platforms, and online gambling websites. These industries are considered high-risk due to the potential for fraudulent activities, strict legal and regulatory oversight, or customers disputing charges and demanding chargebacks. Thus, "acquiring an internet merchant account" specifically designed for high-risk businesses is crucial for their survival and growth.

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Another significant benefit of internet "merchant accounts for high-risk businesses" is the ability to manage chargebacks effectively. Chargebacks occur when customers dispute transactions and request a refund directly from their issuing banks. High-risk businesses often experience a higher rate of chargebacks due to factors such as dissatisfied customers, fraud, or illegal activities. Therefore, an effective chargeback management system provided by an internet "merchant Bank account" allows businesses to resolve and mitigate chargeback disputes efficiently, minimizing financial losses and maintaining a positive reputation.

Furthermore, internet merchant accounts cater specifically to the unique needs and legal compliance requirements of "high-risk businesses". Each industry has its regulations and restrictions that necessitate careful attention and adherence. For instance, pharmaceutical businesses must comply with strict FDA guidelines, while online gambling platforms must follow local and international gambling laws. By partnering with a "merchant account provider specializing in high-risk businesses", these organizations can ensure compliance and avoid penalties, legal issues, and potential shutdowns.

In conclusion, "high-risk businesses require internet merchant accounts" to facilitate secure and efficient online transactions. These accounts provide crucial benefits such as secure payment gateways, effective chargeback management systems, and compliance with industry-specific regulations. By obtaining an internet merchant account designed for high-risk businesses, organizations can navigate the challenges associated with their industries, protect their customers' sensitive information, and ensure a smooth payment process. Embracing the digital era and establishing a strong online presence are crucial for high-risk businesses to remain competitive and thrive in today's market.

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[merchantservices444]

Casino Merchant Account

[epsilonpayments]

Emerging Markets in Global Betting: Unveiling Opportunities in the Gambling Industry

The global betting and gambling industry is undergoing a dynamic shift, with emerging markets taking center stage as hotbeds of opportunity. As regulatory landscapes evolve and consumer behaviors change, key regions are emerging as pivotal players in shaping the future of the industry. This spotlight explores the burgeoning opportunities in these emerging markets, shedding light on the factors that make them prime areas for growth and innovation.

1. Asia-Pacific: A Powerhouse of Potential

Asia-Pacific stands as a juggernaut in the world of betting and gambling, with countries leading the charge. The region’s rising middle class, coupled with increased smartphone penetration, has fueled a surge in online betting. Regulatory changes are also opening up new possibilities, presenting a vast and diverse landscape of opportunities for operators and investors.

2. Africa: Betting on a Continent’s Rise

Africa is emerging as a key player in the global gambling scene. With a young and tech-savvy population, countries like Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya are witnessing a boom in online betting. Mobile payments and innovative solutions tailored to local preferences are driving growth. As regulatory frameworks mature, Africa is poised to become a major player in the global betting market.

3. Latin America: Riding the Wave of Legalization

Latin America is experiencing a wave of legalization and regulation in the betting industry. Countries like Brazil and Argentina are moving toward legalizing various forms of gambling, presenting a significant opportunity for operators. The region’s large population and a growing interest in sports make it an attractive market for those looking to capitalize on the momentum of changing regulations.

4. United States: A Rapidly Evolving Landscape

The United States, long characterized by a fragmented and restrictive gambling landscape, is undergoing a transformation. The legalization of sports betting in several states has opened up a vast market. With a growing acceptance of online betting and the potential for further legislative changes, the U.S. presents a dynamic environment for both established operators and new entrants.

5. Middle East: Navigating Cultural Complexities

While the Middle East has historically had stringent restrictions on gambling, changing attitudes and economic diversification efforts are influencing the landscape. Some countries, like the United Arab Emirates, are exploring the potential of integrated resorts and entertainment complexes, indicating a shift in perceptions toward gambling as a form of entertainment.

Opportunities in Emerging Markets:

Mobile Betting Dominance

In many emerging markets, mobile betting is the primary mode of engagement. Operators that leverage mobile-friendly platforms and innovative payment solutions tailored to local preferences stand to gain a competitive edge.

Regulatory Adaptability

Companies that can navigate and adapt to evolving regulatory frameworks in emerging markets will find themselves at a significant advantage. Understanding local nuances and compliance requirements is crucial for sustainable growth.

Localized Content and Marketing

Tailoring content and marketing strategies to resonate with local cultures and preferences is key. Understanding the unique characteristics of each market allows operators to build trust and loyalty among users.

Technology Integration

Adopting cutting-edge technology, including blockchain for transparency and security, can enhance the appeal of betting platforms in emerging markets. Technological innovation is often a key driver of success in these dynamic environments.

Conclusion: A New Era of Global Betting Opportunities

As the global betting and gambling industry continues to evolve, emerging markets present unprecedented opportunities for growth and innovation. From the vast landscapes of Asia-Pacific to the regulatory shifts in Latin America and the changing attitudes in the Middle East, the industry is witnessing a new era of expansion. For operators and investors ready to navigate the complexities and seize the potential of these emerging markets, the future holds the promise of unparalleled success in the global betting arena.

[maleyanderecafe]

My Angelic Husband is actually a Devil in Disguise (Webcomic)

Created by: HaeMyang / Hiella / WOONGIN THINKBIG / Nyamm(Art)

Genre: Fantasy/Romance

I have mixed feelings about this webcomic- mostly because I absolutely adore the concept of a damsel yandere, one that uses their incompetence or feigned uselessness to get close to their love interest, however, I'm not sure I really like how this webcomic does it. Don't get me wrong, there are some good moments within it, but it's not particularly how I would write a damsel yandere. As of writing this, there are about 40 chapters out.

The story starts with Seita about to graduate from the college before her family attempts to sell her to get married. Her family would often gamble and treat her badly, trying to sell her to pay off the debt. She is then invited by Miere Lunaria, one of Seita's classmates. Miere wants to have someone who can manage his accounting and assets as he himself is too incompetent to do so. He proposes a contract marriage so that she can work under him, and in exchange, would pay off the debt for Seita's family so she doesn't need to worry. The contract would terminate under a four years allowing Seita to live her life. Not really able to go back to her family, Seita accepts and the two get contract married. The two of them have to pretend to be like a loved couple, going on dates and living together as to maintain Miere's reputation as a duke and of course, sleeping in the same bed together. After some cute moments while Miere and Seita working on their garden together, Miere travels to the prince. Unfortunately, this leads to a bunch of bandits attacking them on their travels, leading Miere to die. Seita has to attend his funeral but continues her duties taking care of Miere's assets. Miere returns after three years as we learn that he's not dead, but rather was working with the prince to get rid of said bandits. He's able to reconcile with Seita after all these years and despite this, Seita still accepts him and forgives him for what he did. During her years of being alone, she worked hard to continue her work, and befriended a local merchant named Roynus whom she works with closely, and who Roynus gains a crush on. After Miere comes back, Roynus basically tries to pull her away, stating that she only was with Miere for a month, yet Seita still retains loyalty to her husband. We find out also that Miere is actually quite competent in most things from basically Seita's work to actually assassination, but feigns ignorance as a way to get by Seita's side, as he feels she will simply leave him if she finds out that he can basically do all that he can this entire time. He uses his servants to watch over Seita even while he was gone for the three years and slowly wins her over in lovey dovey ways. Miere also keeps an eye on Roynus, being extremely jealous over the fact that he was by Seita's side those years that he was gone and that he is pining for her, attempting to find skeletons in his closet to out him. After a weird side plot about burning pillows so that Miere can sleep without a divider and be with Seita, we get to see how Miere fell for her in the first place. While at the academy, he would watch her from the treetops studying, seeing how studious she was. After noticing that she enjoyed some flowers on the road, he ended up taking up gardening, and despite the fact that he actually quite dislikes gardening, Miere still did it to maintain a connection to Seita. The last couple of chapters revolve around Miere buying an expensive piece of jewelry for Seita disguising it as something cheap, Roynus's return in winning Seita's heart and the introduction to the vice-master of the assassin group, Bianca.

As I said, in concept, I should like this manga. I like the way that Miere pretends to be incompetent to get Seita to like him. Seita believes that Miere needs her because he can't really do anything right, not even from just maintaining his assets but also just not putting on his clothes properly. Of course this is all a ploy so that Seita will stay with him, but I... also don't really see the point in it all. Miere could have very easily just had a contract marriage to pull her out of her bad family without having to resort to acting pretty stupid to be honest. Other than the initial ploy of getting her to marry him, he really had no reason to continue acting stupid but lovey dovey in front of her. Honestly, even if Miere had revealed to her right after that he was an assassin, there would still be no way for Seita to leave him and Miere could probably just play into the angelic facade he had anyways instead of this entire thing of incompetence. Plus now that he has gone this far, Seita is likely going to have more trust issues with Miere because he's pretended for so long, which regardless could have been avoided if he had just told the truth. The other thing which I think is pretty obvious as a problem is the sudden time gap of Miere pretty much dying and then coming back after three years. The two of them only really had a month to bond and to be honest, it wasn't really anything that I really saw as especially romantic or deep. He then basically pretends to be dead for three years, leaving Seita a widow essentially only to come back and then beg for forgiveness... to which Seita accepts it?? I mean, I get that Seita basically doesn't know this guy since they literally had a month together, but I think that most people would be at least a little pissed off that they were essentially ditched for three years to do a bunch of work all while thinking that Miere was dead the entire time. It makes way more sense for Seita to ends up with Roynus because as he said, the two have only known each other for a month at that time and Roynus had been by her side for two years. Yes, there was the contract, but like I said, Sieta basically had to do all of his work without the knowledge that her husband was alive, so despite the fact that he was on a mission for so long, still didn't know that he was alive. The assassination thing also doesn't seem to come up a lot since we never really see him actually.... you know, kill anyone. We know he's dangerous, but we're never really shown it other than him threatening a bunch of his servants.

I actually do like Seita as a character but unfortunately I feel like she's pretty underutilized and the plot forces her to make some dumb decisions at times. Seita being a hard worker and having to manage Miere's finances is very interesting and she does manage to do some good work with it, but honestly she could have gone way farther like fund her own school or even just get back at her parents in some way. It feels like they just gave her a bunch of responsibilities and power but she's not really allowed to use any of it- especially when she thought that Miere was dead. She probably could have used the money to help manage the safety of people traveling so that they wouldn't get killed by bandits or something but she doesn't. I get that part of it is because the servants are watching so they wouldn't really let her get away with anything too big, but like...she could have done more and should have done more since that seems like something that she would do. The other big thing I feel like they just did for plot reasons is her falling in love with Miere after one month of interaction, thus allowing her to forgive him for ditching her for three years. I can kind of accept her accepting him ditching for three years because to her this is just a contract marriage, she just wants to leave her family and have enough money to sustain herself, so she doesn't really care about Miere... or at least she shouldn't because again they knew each other for a month, but somehow in that one month of being together, he was able to woo her that much, which is absurd because again, they barely did anything noteworthy together. Afterwards, of course, Miere is far more lovey dovey to make up for the time that they missed together, but it's still very strange that Seita would just accept it without really any anger or disappointment. I also feel like her falling for Miere's more lovey dovey side so quickly is a bit out of character, but that just might be me. She's not aware of Miere's assassin or more devilish side, so I'm curious to see how that will end up in the future.

Okay, we finally end up with Miere and I really want to like this guy because again, I love the damsel yandere on guys, but I just don't understand what he's doing and neither does most of his other servants. I think the logic is that because Seita married him to help him with his incompetence (and to get out of her bad family), he has to continue feigning that kind of personality, but like I said before, if the two are in a contract marriage they cannot divorce until after four years like the contract says, so even if Miere pretty much killed someone in front of Seita, they two wouldn't be able to divorce or else Seita wouldn't be able to escape her family. Even as a damsel yandere, he does very basic things for incompetence like not being able to do any of the actual documentations, not being able to put his shirt on (or something) and not staying on the right side of the bed. I personally think he could have gone further either pretending to be completely innocent and himbo like or just incompetent in terms of clumsy and can't live without Seita type deal, but he doesn't really commit to either of those. He also, again does the really stupid thing of faking his death for three years, which kind of basically only leaves on year for you two to actual fall in love, which you are extremely lucky that Seita even speaks with you afterwards and doesn't just move on with Royus since she thinks that you're dead. Other than that, he also uses his royal money to buy things for Seita and make deals for her, while also trying to find secrets from Royus to try to snuff him out, as well as just use his power to do whatever he can to be with Seita. And that's about it. I guess it's fine, I think the artwork is also a bit stiff in a lot of places but like, there's nothing specifically special or interesting about it.

Overall, I think it's a good concept that's not very well executed. I would have liked it if Miere had an actual strong reason for him to actually pretend to be stupid. And perhaps actually use his assassination skills for something useful instead of just having it be something that he has and basically never uses.

[allidrawscomics]

Patreon is having payment issues 4/25/2024

I've been receiving comments from multiple people lately saying that they're having trouble signing up to my Patreon. For whatever reason their transactions are being declined. I apologize for the frustration! My spouse did their best to compile related info that might be causing the problem so I'll share it here for future reference.

1. Patreon requires an instant funding source (credit/debit card or bank account) to be associated with all PayPal transactions, even if there are already funds available in the PayPal account. The transaction will fail if your PayPal account is not linked to a card or bank account.

2. Authorizing international transactions through your bank/card, as they are sometimes automatically flagged and declined.

3. Authorizing P2P (peer to peer) payments through your bank/Paypal, as sending money through Patreon may be classified as a cash advance instead of a subscription. Issue may be specific to PayPal and/or Australian banks

4. Patreon's MCC (merchant code) may have changed to a "high risk" code associated with telemarketing, gambling, and porn sites. This may be resolved by telling the bank to allow high risk transactions.

This is the link most often provided to those experiencing issues with payment: https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/203913799-Retry-my-declining-payment

Paypal specific: https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/115001917686-Can-I-use-PayPal-on-Patreon

[the-lonelybarricade]

Queen of Thieves - Chapter 6

Summary: A fulfillment of this kinkmeme prompt. Or; A Canon AU where half fae, con-artist Feyre makes an ill placed bet.

All of my love to @climbthemountain2020 for reading through this chapter and convincing me not to delete everything 😂💕

Read on AO3・QoT Masterlist ・Previous Chapter

-

The terms of a bargain must always be clear.

In Prythian, ambiguity was a weapon, and by the docks of Velaris, the lesser fae knew how to wield it expertly. There, where saltwater seeped through the cracks in the wood, rotting everything from the inside out, gamblers only kept on their feet through careful, precise wording.

At a minimum, each deal should state plainly when it begins and ends. If the terms of a bargain weren’t finite… it could be damning. It could mean a lifetime in service of its terms.

Raised as a merchant’s daughter, Feyre learned at an early age how to word a deal in her favor. But it was the years that came later, when evenings in taverns became routine, where she witnessed the true consequences of ill-worded bargains. Swaggering males who walked through the doors with everything and found themselves indebted beyond coin.

The lacework of ink decorating Feyre’s hand, fingertip to elbow, laid testimony to each wager she’d ever made, the countless times she’d risked her life on a gamble. And won. But perhaps, caught in the arrogance of her triumphs, she’d forgotten her first tavern-goer lesson.

The terms of a bargain must always be clear.

Twenty-four hours of her company, during which the High Lord could do whatever he liked to her, in exchange for ten thousand marks.

A simple enough bargain. Straightforward, finite, measurable. The twenty-four hours had passed, and the ten thousand marks had been conferred. The terms were fulfilled, and hypothetically, Feyre and the High Lord would now be able to go their separate ways.

But—that had not been part of the bargain. If Feyre could go back to amend the terms, she would have added: Twenty-four hours, after which the High Lord was never allowed to see or contact her again.

They’d made no such agreement. Which meant that after the funds had been withdrawn from the account Rhysand created in Feyre’s name, of which he’d doubtlessly been notified, there was nothing stopping the High Lord from waiting outside the modest apartment they rented above a confectioner’s shop in the Palace of Bone and Salt. She’d hoped for somewhere on the Rainbow, but ten thousand marks would only stretch so far, and the two-bedroom apartment that perpetually smelled of burnt sugar was a far improvement from the moldy attic in the tavern.

“He’s back,” Elain said, appearing at her door frame with wide eyes.

Of course he was. This had become his daily routine.

Feyre pried the hatch of her second-story window open, exposing her bedroom—one she no longer needed to share with her sisters—to the dewy morning air, crisp and sweetened by the cooked sugar within the shop below. The High Lord of the Night Court was opposite its storefront, propped against the wall with his hands leisurely tucked into his pockets.

He’d been staring at her window before she’d pushed it open, and when she leaned over the windowsill, his smile stretched wide enough to see his perfectly white teeth.

“Surely a High Lord has more important things to do than stand outside my window?”

“Someone thinks highly of herself,” he said, nodding towards the Cauldron’s Confections sign hanging over the door. “I could be here to provide valuable patronage to my people.”

“Patronage usually occurs inside the shop.”

Rhysand shrugged. “Some find my presence… distracting.”

Feyre snorted under her breath. Distracting didn’t even begin to describe how it felt to be pinned beneath his assessment. Even across the cobblestone pavement and a story below, his power radiated from him, pulsing like an invading heartbeat, threatening to spear beneath her veins and take control. His talons of darkness were nowhere to be seen, but Feyre still double-checked her mental shields just to be sure nothing crawled into her mind while her guard was down.

“I’m waiting out here until the shop quiets down,” he continued.

A moment of silence was all she needed to confirm his lie. The shop did sometimes get busy, particularly at midday, when an influx of voices swept in from the streets and drowned out the movements of the kitchen in the back. Now, the voices in the shop were a low murmur—and if she listened carefully, she could still pick out the crackling flame beneath the oven, the soft sputter of melted chocolate.

“In other words, you’re loitering,” she said.

Outside of his line of vision, she could feel moisture collecting in the hollow between her palm and her death grip on the window ledge. It was a concentrated effort not to fidget, particularly as Rhysand cocked his head like he was weighing the audacity in her tone.

Then he smirked. “And if I am, who’s going to hold me accountable for it?”

There was a challenge in the way he said it—in his eyes, as he studied her, turning over every inch of her expression for all the pieces of information she was unknowingly betraying. His smile was taunting, like that penetrating gaze saw past the veneer she painted over her uncertainty, through the defiance of her tipped chin and narrowed brows, right to the pit of apprehension yawning open in her stomach.

This was a mask she’d worn a thousand times over, night after night in that cramped tavern. She’d faced the scrutiny of males with fewer reservations towards violence, and yet none had ever made her feel so unsteady as the High Lord. But none had ever been as powerful, as capable of killing her with half a thought.

“The press,” she decided, after a moment’s consideration. “I bet I could sell this story for a pretty copper. The High Lord neglects his duties to laze around a sweet shop. Better yet—to stalk a harmless female.”

Stalk. She couldn’t believe she’d said it out loud, and to his face no less. Her boldness was going to get her killed one of these days, but this was the third day in a row that he’d shown up outside her apartment. She didn’t see how else to label it.

Rhys laughed, but with a razor-sharpness that straightened her spine. Shadow unspooled around him, rippling from his form like someone had smeared charcoal along the outline of his portrait.

His voice dragged over her skin, delicate as a lover’s blade. “That sounds a bit sensationalized to my ears.”

The velvet promise in his voice, its underlying violence, raised every hair on her arm. Despite her better judgment, she said, “The best stories usually are.”

He was drifting closer. No longer propped against the wall, but standing in the middle of the street. Citygoers passed by, moving out of their way to avoid him, but he continued staring up at Feyre’s window like he didn’t notice. A great stone parting a river’s current.

“Would you allow me to buy your silence? With dinner, tonight?”

Feyre shook her head and pushed up to her full height. “I’m afraid our bargain gave you the wrong impression, High Lord. I can’t be bought.”

His mouth opened, but she shut the window with exaggerated force before she could hear his response. She hurried into the kitchen, where Nesta and Elain were both sitting at the table with raised brows that said they’d been listening to every word.

“You’re playing a dangerous game,” Nesta said. “If you think you have any agency with him, you’re deluding yourself.”

Elain took a long sip of her tea, not meeting Feyre’s eyes. Her silent way of saying she agreed.

They didn’t know the full truth. She let them think the same as everyone else in that tavern—that the High Lord had seen a pretty, half-human novelty and wanted to have his fun for an evening. Feyre hadn’t told them how she met the High Lord in the alleyway, how he’d saved her life and slaughtered his captain. They didn’t know that he’d discovered her daemati ability and that he hadn’t touched her, at least not the way they assumed, during those twenty-four hours she’d been subject to his will.

I have plans for you, Feyre Archeron.

Yes, she was playing a dangerous game, but one she had stumbled into unknowingly. She was in its trenches now, fumbling blindly, and she already knew she was far too deep in shit to find a way out now.

“What was I supposed to do?” Feyre demanded, relying on her temper to disguise the helplessness clawing at her. She wished Nesta could give her an answer. “Let him buy me dinner? I’m sure that would have gone over splendidly.”

Nesta set her teacup on its saucer with enough force to send the porcelain ringing. The sound speared through the room, so sharp it made Feyre’s teeth ache. “You could have kept the window shut and ignored him. You’re only indulging his game by acknowledging him.”

“He’s our High Lord, Nesta.” Feyre flung her arms out in exasperation. “I can’t just ignore him. We’re required by law to pay him our respect.”

“Oh, because that conversation was brimming with respect.”

Feyre’s temper reared. “If you know so much better than me, what would you do?”

Nesta took a moment to respond, paying the question more consideration than Feyre expected. Once she came to her decision, Nesta tipped her chin and said with quiet steel, “I would have taken his money and bought a ship that would carry us as far away from Velaris as we could get.”

And maybe… maybe that was precisely what Feyre should have done.

-

That night, Feyre dreamt of the sea, churning beneath a low sun that cast its rippling surface into a deep, honey gold. It swirled and swirled until it crashed against a wall of crystal glass and emptied down into her open mouth.

Her throat burned against its invading strength, but it warmed her chest, and she sighed, setting the crystal down on a table.

“I heard your plan for our little recruit epically crashed and burned.”

“Shut up.”

Neither of those voices belonged to her. They were deep and smooth like the golden sea refilling her glass, churning again as a broad, umber hand lifted the cup and swirled its contents.

“Cheer up. I’m sure she’ll come around.”

“Leave me to drink in peace, you bastard.”

If more was said, it was lost to the bottom of the glass and the torrent of golden liquid that washed over her, its current warm as it carried her out to sea, then back to shore. The sun’s touch prickled over her skin, and she thought she heard a soft voice whisper—

Sweet dreams, Feyre.

-

Feyre was being followed.

The unsettling awareness of it skittered down her spine. She stood in line for a bakery on the corner of the Palace of Bone and Salt. It was a busy day at the market, and a glance over her shoulder betrayed only the passerby flitting between stalls.

Eyes of varying jewel and earthen tones swam past, many straying towards the palace’s largest attractions of smoked meats and spun confections. If any attention snagged on Feyre as she scanned the crowd, it was brief and largely accidental—apart from one ash-haired lesser fae, who met her stare and offered an inviting smile. That was a strange, new thing she’d become accustomed to. People treated her differently now that she was wearing handwoven clothes from the Palace of Thread and Jewels and not an oversized tunic she’d won off a sailor’s back.

With her fine sleeves covering the bargains inked onto her skin and her hair down to cover the smooth curve of her ears, Feyre looked just like any other citygoer. No one in the market was paying her any mind, but she couldn’t shake the unease coiling a knot in her gut. With a huff of air, Feyre stepped reluctantly out of line to see if anyone else abandoned their place to follow her. She earned her a few curious glances, but there was little movement aside from the few who shuffled forward to claim her spot.

That was fine. There was more than one place to get bread in the Palace of Bone and Salt, and she ambled in the direction of another stall as though she’d merely caught its scent and found its offer more tantalizing. The line was shorter, which promised the quality of the bread was less appealing, but maybe that meant it was cheaper, too.

“Good morning,” the baker chirped, standing beside her proud display of fresh bread, each wrapped lovingly in twine and wax paper.

There were other delicacies, too. The morning sun glinted off a row of glazed pastries generously dollaped with berries as vibrant as a freshly cut ruby—and nearly as expensive. Between the cost of their new apartment and the clothes they’d purchased last week, there wasn’t enough coin left over from Feyre’s bargain to afford her sweet tooth.

Just as Feyre opened her mouth to order, someone reached over her shoulder, pointing an elegant finger towards the pastries she’d been eying.

“Two of those, please,” said a male voice, deep and churning as a honeyed sea. Feyre stiffened. It had been nearly two weeks since she’d last heard that voice. “And what else were you after, darling? A loaf of bread, I presume.”

She whirled to find a familiar pair of violet eyes, half-lidded with delight. He was standing so close he needed to stare down his nose to meet her eyes.

Feyre bared her teeth at him. “Have you been following me?”

“Good morning to you, too,” he purred, slipping his coin to the baker without even counting how much he was overpaying her.

No wonder all the shopkeepers in Velaris thought so highly of him. Not that she’d been asking, of course. But in the weeks since their bargain, she had been listening more intently. Checking the tabloids if only to ensure her name didn’t end up among them. For all the gossip traded in this city like its own currency, she noticed there had been remarkably little chatter about the High Lord’s bargain with the witch of Velaris. Though if he was aiming for discretion, cornering her in the busy marketplace seemed counterintuitive to that goal.

Feyre crossed her arms. “What do you want?”

“You can be so grouchy in the morning,” he said, clicking his tongue.

The baker handed him a pastry, which he immediately offered to Feyre.

“Here, have something to eat.” When she only stared, he raised a brow. “Do I need to take a bite to prove that I haven’t poisoned it?”

The baker looked affronted by the question, which was the only reason Feyre took the damn thing from him.

“Thanks,” she said, ice dripping from her voice.

Rhys was satisfied enough by her response that he didn’t push further. With a charming smile towards the baker—the kind he flashed like he intended its recipient to begin fawning over him—he accepted the second pastry and handed Feyre a loaf of bread.

Once they were out of earshot, Feyre pushed her uneaten pastry back in his direction. “I don’t want it.”

“No?” Rhys swiped his finger through the jam in the center. It collected at his fingertip, gleaming like a pinprick of blood, and he held it an inch from her lips with a taunting smile. “Not even a taste?”

Taste, something whispered in the back of her mind, urging her to move forward, to dart her tongue across his skin. Perhaps it was a leftover cry from the child who could still remember how sugar melted on the tongue, from a time when her father used to return from his voyages with treats from faraway lands. Feyre leaned back, less from the threat of the High Lord’s fingers and more because she didn’t trust herself not to give into that wild and inexplicable impulse.

“And what will it cost me?” She demanded, stoking her anger to smother that strange ache. “Another day in your service?”

Rhys pulled his hand away. “Just your company,” he said, holding her gaze while he licked his finger clean with a long, exaggerated swipe of his tongue.

She tried not to think of the dream he’d given her on the night of their bargain, how she’d hovered over his mouth, close enough to feel his breath, and what that tongue might have done if she’d let him continue. Tried—and failed miserably.

His eyes sparked like he could see the direction of Feyre’s thoughts, despite how she triple-checked that her shields were still up.

Feyre narrowed her eyes. “My company for how long?”

“Only the time that it takes you to eat the pastry.”

Oh? It was roughly the size of her palm, but Feyre wagered she could still eat it in a single bite if she needed to.

“Fine.” She took a pointedly large bite and said around it, “But you might consider talking fast.”

If he was offended by her bad manners, he did a good job disguising it behind a laugh. “Have you considered that I simply enjoy your company, Feyre?”

She swallowed around the thick bite. “I think you like to check in on your loose ends.”

That prompted a raised brow. “Is that what you think you are?”

“Don’t worry. I’ve left my life of gambling and mind reading behind.”

“And what are you doing now?”

Feyre raised the loaf of bread in her hand. “Shopping.”

“I mean to make money.”

“I haven’t decided yet,” she said with an innocent hum. “But hey, worse comes to worse, I could always get a job at one of the pleasure halls. Do you think you could give me your personal recommendation?”

Rhysand’s pupils flared, and Feyre’s heart jumped into an uneven beat at the darkness she saw flickering there, accompanied by a sideways smile. “I could write you a glowing recommendation, Feyre, but I personally think that’d be a waste of your talents.”

“Oh?” She took another bite of her pastry, meeting his eyes as if to say, your window’s closing. “And what would you have me do instead?”

“You could come work for me.”

There it was.

Pushing him, she crooned, “In your bedroom?”

Rhysand gripped her chin, turning her face towards his. “Is that where you’d like to serve?”

A challenge. An offer. A threat, maybe.

Her nerve was crumbling beneath the full force of his gaze. Those eyes seared straight through her, and though she knew her mental shields were in place, she somehow felt like he could read every thought she’d ever had. Her soul laid bare to him.

She wanted to make him feel equally riled. To waver the control he so carefully laid in place. Maybe that was why she whispered to him, poisonous and sweet, “Maybe I want to sit on your throne instead.”

His fingers tightened. She’d just threatened to steal his crown, and yet he was grinning like a fiend. “That could be arranged.”

Claws raked against her mental shields, and with it, an image flashed: Feyre, with her legs spread over the arms of a dark throne, Rhysand crouched before her, his head buried in her thighs. She flinched, struggling against his hold to escape the vision. His grip was iron-tight, and he only yanked her closer, leaning in until his lips grazed the curve of her ear.

“I have been exceptionally generous with you, Feyre Archeron, and your behavior has been atrocious in return. Is it a bid for my attention, or has someone never bothered to teach you any manners?”

Feyre gritted her teeth. “Some might say it’s part of my charm.”

The back of his throat rumbled. Rhys pulled away just enough to examine her face. His eyes narrowed in on her lips and he swiped his thumb upwards, brushing away a bit of leftover jam, which he then held in front of her mouth. Waiting.

Their eyes met, and he said, “Even I am a man of limited patience, Feyre.”

She parted her lips and he pressed his thumb between them, his remaining fingers holding her firm so she couldn’t pull away. With her cheeks burning, and her eyes boring into his, she pressed her tongue to the pad of his finger and licked away the jam.

“Good girl,” he said, releasing her.

Feyre wiped at her lips like she could erase the humiliation of what she’d just been made to do. With a glare in his direction, she shoved the rest of the pastry in her mouth. Rhysand’s chest was heaving, eyes simmering at her defiance.

All she said was, “Thank you for the food, High Lord.”

Then she stalked off, trying to put as much distance between them as physically possible. Rhysand didn’t pursue—at least not from what she could see glancing over her shoulder. But the oily, uneasy feeling of being followed didn’t relent, no matter how many crowds she weaved through.

Feyre veered another corner before she decided that even if Rhys was following her, it wasn’t as if he didn’t know where she lived. It wasn’t as if she could escape him in his own damn city. With a sigh, she cut across an alley that she knew would take her back to the Palace of Bone and Salt.

She dodged a shopkeeper loading barrels into the back of her store and kitchen staff filling up buckets of water from the outdoor spigots. Their curious stares trailed her as she passed, but it loosened some of her tension to know she wasn’t alone.

Not alone, indeed. Soon, that creeping sensation cracked over her spine with the urgency of a snapping whip. She noticed the shadows lurking in her periphery before she picked up the footsteps, and Feyre whirled, prepared to give him another piece of her mind.

Except it was not Rhysand standing behind her.

Feyre barely registered this information before her body was sent barrelling into the brick wall at her back. The air knocked out of her, and she’d only had a moment to gasp when her assailant grabbed her by the throat, trapping that precious breath beneath his palms.

Black cloth covered the lower half of his face, but his eyes were exposed. Hazel eyes, wild and burning as they narrowed on her, as his gloved fingers tightened against her throat. She clawed and thrashed at his grip, but he met each of her pathetic blows with unflinching strength.

“Please,” she choked.

She speared her magic towards him, only to slam into a mighty wall of cruel, vicious steel.

“You’re close with the High Lord,” he said.

Feyre shook her head.

The cloth over his cheeks shifted, and if she had to guess he was baring his teeth as he snarled, “Don’t lie to me.”

“I’m not,” she rasped.

His voice was the violent thunder rolling over a midnight sky. “You looked pretty close to me when he had his fingers in your mouth.”

Feyre kicked her legs out, shrieking her exasperation that nothing she was doing had any impact on this cold, ruthless male. She flashed her teeth at him. “And I would have bitten his fingers off for it, if he wasn’t High Lord.”

Something flickered in the male’s eyes, a certain understanding, and his fingers loosened on her throat. Feyre drew in a sharp breath, greedily sucking air back into her lungs.

“You resent him?”

Feyre held her tongue. She didn’t know who this male was, who he might be reporting back to. But her silence said enough.

He let go of her throat entirely. “Well then, how’d you like to make some coin and even your score with the High lord?”

Her interest was piqued. But so was her suspicion.

“Doing what?”

“He has something that belongs to me. Steal it back, and I’ll pay you what it’s worth.”

Feyre cocked her head. “Tell me what I’d need to steal, and I’ll consider it.”

-

Two mornings later, Feyre woke to the sound of fluttering paper, and peeled her eyes open to find a letter resting atop her bedside table.

She knew where it was from, even before she lifted the parchment to her face and found the Night Court insignia stamped at its signature—the same one she found inside Rhysand’s desk drawer. The letter was penned in elegant scrawl, though its content was meaningless to her.

Feyre D-

Feyre Dar-

Feyre Darling,

Im… Ima.. g—

The letter crumpled in her fist. With the Night Court insignia, it looked like an official letter, perhaps even a direct order from the High Lord. Elain would read it for her if she asked, but Feyre didn’t trust Rhysand not to have added something incriminating or absurd.

When she knocked on his door hours later, the letter folded and shoved into her pocket, he opened it with a smile that said he knew she’d be paying him a visit today.

“Feyre,” he purred. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

She crossed her arms. “What does your letter say?”

“That’s for you to find out.”

Feyre tossed him a flat look. “Rhysand.”

“My, what a pleasant sound.” He stepped back into his entryway, gesturing to the hallway beyond. “Would you like to come in? I’d love to tempt my name from your lips a second time.” He craned his head. “Unless there’s another reason why you’ve come?”

She took a deep breath.

“I want to renew our twenty-four hour bargain.”

[ironwoman359]

A Thief's Gamble - Ch.5

The Renegade from Cyrodiil

Previous: Ch.4 - Bedlam and Burglary || Next: Ch.6 - Unhindered Insights Fic Masterpost

Fic Summary: Brynjolf is certain that the only way the Thieves Guild will return to its glory days is by bringing in new, talented members. Unfortunately, Mercer doesn't agree, and it's not like Brynjolf's latest attempts at recruiting have gone well. But when he meets a stranger in the marketplace one morning, he's willing to take the risk and bring her on board....only time will tell if his gamble pays off.

Chapter Summary: Brynjolf learns that Ariene has been hiding who she really is, and he is forced to confront her before she endangers the Guild.

Content: Brynjolf POV, Thieves Guild quest spoilers, game typical violence.

Ships: Brynjolf x Dragonborn OC (slowburn)

Word Count: 3,857

Check the reblogs for a link to read on AO3!

--- --- ---

Sometimes, Brynjolf wondered what his Ma would think of him today.

She’d wanted him to join the merchant’s trade when he was a lad, but he’d refused, complaining that he didn’t want to spend his life stuck behind a desk filling out paperwork and speaking with boring noblemen. He wanted to do something exciting with his life. 

He’d always been a schemer, inventing wild tales to scam the other kids out of pocket change and sweets, and as he grew, so did his ambition. His targets grew bigger and his plans became more elaborate, and soon he caught the attention of others who operated on the shadier side of the law. He made some new friends, acquired some new skills, and before he knew it he was being offered a position in the Thieves Guild. 

Finally, he had the life he’d always wanted, far away from the daily drudgery of ledgers, bookkeeping, and his Ma’s boring expectations. 

Thirty years later, as he sat at his desk keeping books, balancing ledgers, and reading correspondence from boring noblemen, he was certain that she was looking down from Sovngarde and shaking her head at him. 

It turned out that running a Guild required just as much paperwork as being a merchant. And while not all of the contacts he kept were boring noblemen, sometimes he thought that actually made things harder. 

Merchants didn’t have to encode half their messages to keep the guards from discovering their movements, and shopkeepers didn’t have to keep two sets of ledgers, one with real figures and one with numbers that were faked. 

Sometimes, Brynjolf regretted being so eager to prove himself to Gallus and the other higher ups. While he did prove that he was an exceptional thief, he’d also proved that he had a good head for numbers, and more and more of the Guild’s administrative work was passed on to him, especially after Mercer took over the Guild. He still managed to keep his more interesting skills as sharp as his daggers, but there were definitely days when he felt more like a merchant than a thief after all.  

Today was one of those days. 

He’d been cooped up in the cistern for what felt like ages, reading over reports from his agents across Skyrim. It was important for the Guild to keep a finger on the pulse of what was happening in each hold, and while most of their clients had dried up, Brynjolf had managed to ensure that his contacts still sent him news about any notable changes in the country. 

The most concerning news was the rumors of a dragon attack in Helgen. Brynjolf had received reports on what had happened near the southern border, but it had been right before the situation at Goldenglow had escalated, and he hadn’t paid much attention to the rumors. There were, after all, more pressing matters to deal with. 

But now it seemed that Helgen really had been destroyed, and that not long after there’d been another attack in Whiterun. Only about a day later, by the accounts he was reading. He was only receiving the report now because his contact had feared traveling across the Rift with dragons on the loose. 

Brynjolf wasn’t sure what to make of the idea of dragons. He had initially thought the reports about Helgen were written in some kind of code, but once he’d disproven that theory he’d simply written them off as mere rumors. This latest report from Whiterun implied otherwise though, and Brynjolf couldn't help but think back to the stories his Ma had told him as a boy, about dragons and fire and the end of times. 

Still, despite the existential threat that the return of the dragons posed, he found something else in the report from Whiterun to be even more surprising.

He was sitting at his desk, staring down at the letter in disbelief when Delvin walked up to him. 

“Brynjolf, you’re never gonna guess who I just got a message from.” 

Brynjolf blinked, then shook his head. 

“Sorry old man, what was that?” 

“You got wax in your ears or somethin’?” Delvin asked. “I said I just got a message in from Whiterun, and you’re never gonna guess from who. Olfrid Battle-Born himself. Says he’s heard we were active in the city again, and that he’s got a job for us. We haven’t had a break like this in months.”

“We haven’t,” Brynjolf muttered, more to himself than to Delvin, and the old man snapped his fingers in front of Brynjolf’s face.

“You awake in there, Bryn? What’s got your head in the clouds?” 

Brynjolf just passed the Whiterun report to him, and pointed at the last paragraph that he’d been reading and rereading for the past several minutes. 

Delvin huffed, but took the paper and read aloud:

“A final note: word is that you’re making moves in Whiterun again. Be aware that the jarl has appointed a new Thane to his court, an imperial by the name of…Ariene Anneius? It is unknown at this time how amenable she is to persuasion, or whether or not she will seek to take Justice into her own hands. Proceed with caution.” 

Delvin lowered the paper and stared at Brynjolf. 

“I know,” Brynjolf said, his mouth a grim line as he took the page back.  

“Why on earth would a Thane join up with the Guild?” Delvin wondered aloud. “Could she be tryin’ to take us down? Gather evidence against us?”

“I wondered the same thing, but if that were her goal then she’s seen more than enough to incriminate the lot of us. Instead, she just…keeps doing jobs,” Brynjolf said. 

“Besides, if a Thane were to try and take us down, why would it be one from Whiterun?” Delvin added. “We haven’t had a strong foothold there in years, and it’s only because of her that our reputation is gettin’ stronger in the first place. Maybe she wants somethin’ from us? A cut of the action in exchange for her silence?” 

“Maybe…” Brynjolf trailed off, something Delvin said sticking out in his mind. “Except…wait a moment.” 

He pushed a stack of papers aside, digging through the older pile of reports until he found what he was looking for. 

“Except she’s not from Whiterun. I knew I’d heard that last name somewhere before. Look,” he said, passing over a crumpled note bearing the Imperial seal. 

Delvin took it and read aloud again. 

“Wanted: Renegade Imperial Soldier Ariene Anneius. It is believed she is headed for the northern border with Skyrim. Likely armed and dangerous, DO NOT ENGAGE alone. If spotted or captured, inform the nearest Imperial outpost.” 

He let out a low whistle and passed the note back to Brynjolf.

“This came in around three weeks ago, but I didn’t give it much attention.” Brynjolf said. “By the time I saw Ariene in the market and offered her a job, I’d already forgotten about it.” 

He shook his head in disbelief. 

“No wonder she was so nervous about Maven knowing her name. Maven’s ties with the Imperials are well known, if Ariene is on the run from the law in Cyrodiil…” he trailed off as another thought came across his mind. “Hang on. If she’s a wanted renegade, then-” 

“How on earth did she end up gettin’ named Thane of Whiterun?” Delvin said, completing Brynjolf’s thought. “Jarl Balgruuf is a man of honor, so much so that it makes things difficult for us on occasion. He wouldn’t just award a wanted criminal the highest position in his court without a damn good reason.” 

“Whatever the reason, I don’t think we should send anyone out there to meet Olfrid Battle-Born just yet,” Brynjolf said. “Not until we get some answers.” 

Delvin nodded in agreement. 

“And how do you intend to get those answers?” he asked and Brynjolf grimaced. 

“The only way I can. I’ll have to ask the lass myself.” 

— — — 

Brynjolf found Ariene in the training room. He stood in the entryway, hovering just out of sight and watching her with renewed curiosity. 

She stood in the center of the room, her bow drawn and an arrow knocked at the string. She took a deep breath, then in one smooth motion she lifted the bow up, pulled back the string and fired, not even waiting to see where the arrow landed before reaching back and drawing another. Over and over, she let the arrows fly through the air, her movements quick and fluid and her face a mask of cool concentration. 

Brynjolf edged closer, tearing his eyes away from her to look at the targets, each with a mass of arrows clustered around the bullseye. Not a single shot had flown astray, and his mind drifted back to her wanted notice.

Possibly armed and dangerous, DO NOT ENGAGE alone. 

“How long are you planning on skulking there in the shadows?”

Brynjolf tensed, but Ariene’s tone was light and playful, and as he turned his attention back to her, he saw her bow was lowered, the quiver empty at her back. She was smiling an easy smile, and Brynjolf took a deep breath. 

“How long did you know I was there?” he asked, stepping into the room, and Ariene smirked. 

“The whole time. You’re not as stealthy as you think you are, Brynjolf,” she said, and Brynjolf raised an eyebrow. 

“Or maybe you’re just more observant than the average mark,” he countered. 

Ariene laughed, and Brynjolf found a part of himself wishing that he could just ignore the mysteries of her past and enjoy her company for the sake of it. 

But he knew that if he did that, he’d never quite trust the lass again, and that would be far worse in the long run than whatever fallout would come out of this confrontation. Better to face the issue head on while he still had a chance to. 

“Got a problem, lass,” he said, forcing his voice to remain even. “Was hoping you could give me a hand.” 

“Sure,” Ariene said, stowing her bow over her shoulder and looking at Brynjolf expectantly. 

Silently, he pulled the folded wanted slip out of his pocket. He passed the paper over to her, and carefully watched her reaction as she unfolded it. Her shoulders tensed and her eyes darted around the room, lingering for a moment on the daggers on Brynjolf’s belt before settling back on his face. 

“The criminal organization have a problem with criminal pasts now?” she asked, a challenge in her tone.

Brynjolf couldn’t help the half smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth at that, and he shook his head. 

“No, lass. And I’d be a damn hypocrite if I said otherwise. Your past is your own business, so long as it doesn’t affect the rest of the Guild.” 

“So what’s the problem? Have you decided the price on my head is greater than the amount of gold I can make you?” 

“No, it’s nothing like that,” Brynjolf said. “You’re not the only member with a bounty, and the Guild never would betray one of our own for coin. The problem is this.” 

Brynjolf pulled out the Whiterun report, and Ariene narrowed her eyes. She grabbed the paper and scanned it quickly, and when she looked up, her expression had gone stone cold.

“I still don’t see the issue,” she said evenly, and Brynjolf scoffed. 

“Then you’re not as good a thief as I thought you were. We’re all entitled to our fair share of anonymity, but this? This is something I needed to know about, especially before I let you take a job in Whiterun.”  

“I don’t owe you an explanation-” Ariene began, but Brynjolf cut her off.

“You don’t owe me an explanation for how or why you’re wanted by the Imperial government. That’s not my business. But secretly being a member of a Jarl’s court? Even if it’s in another hold, that could affect the Guild in any number of ways. And that means that it is my business.”

“You make it sound like it’s some crazy conspiracy,” Ariene growled. “Maybe I just like my privacy.” 

“A normal thing for a thief to say; a very odd thing for a Thane to say,” Brynjolf countered. 

Ariene glared at him and he tensed, fighting the instinct to reach for his daggers. Her quiver was empty; as deadly as she could apparently be with a bow, the weapon was useless to her now. He glanced quickly at her belt, where her own dagger sat in its sheath. He’d never seen her use the weapon before, and had no idea whether her skill with it matched his own. Even if he couldn’t stop her alone she’d likely be bottlenecked in the cistern, but he’d still prefer to keep his blood inside his body, thank you very much. 

Still, Ariene made no move to attack him, or to try and escape. Instead, she folded her arms over her chest and kept her glare trained on him. 

“Who says I even wanted to be a Thane?” she demanded. “Why would I come to Riften in the first place, break the law multiple times and crawl through a sewer to join a failing Guild if I was set for life in another hold?”

At that, Brynjolf forgot his apprehension and glared right back at her.

“That,” he said, his voice low. “Is exactly what I’d like to know.”  

Ariene sighed and turned away, walking over to the archery targets. She began pulling the arrows free and Brynjolf tensed, but she still made no hostile movements. She stowed the arrows back in her quiver and glanced back at Brynjolf, raising an eyebrow. 

“You’re not going to be satisfied until you get an answer, are you?” she asked. 

Brynjolf folded his arms. 

“I’ve had questions about you since the first day you showed up here,” he admitted. “But there’s a difference between personal curiosity and business. This isn’t about me, lass. It’s about the Guild.”

Ariene leaned up against a bale of hay that one of the targets was standing on and gave him a long look. Silence hung heavy in the air between them, the tension in the room a nearly physical thing before she let out a breath and looked down at her boots. 

“Fine. What do you want to know?” 

“Why are you here?” Brynjolf said immediately. 

“Here in Riften, or here in Skyrim?” she asked, then she shook her head. “No, I suppose that doesn’t matter. The answer is the same either way. I’m running.” 

Brynjolf raised an eyebrow at that.

“Running?” he repeated, and Ariene rolled her eyes. 

“Well, trying to, anyway. It seems no matter where I run to, I find something else to add to the long list of things I’m running from.” 

She looked distant for a moment, and Brynjolf waited for her to continue. After a spell, she shook herself, and held up her wanted page. 

“I’ve been on the run from the Imperial Legion for nearly two months. I tried to cross the border into Skyrim a few weeks ago, but I got tangled up in an ambush that the forces here had set for the Stormcloaks. I was captured, and very nearly executed.”

Her expression was casual, but there was a detectable tightness to her voice, and despite everything, Brynjolf couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy for her.

“They execute folks for deserting now?” he asked, and Ariene huffed. 

“For deserting, for illegally crossing the border, for what I did before I deserted, maybe for all of it wrapped into one, who knows. It doesn’t matter anyway. I escaped Helgen and-”

“Wait,” Brynjolf interrupted suddenly. “You were at Helgen? When?” 

Ariene grimaced. 

“If you’re asking that, then you already know the answer.” 

“So you saw a-”

“Yes,” she nodded. “Believe it or not, I’d be dead now if it weren’t for that dragon. I was able to slip away during all the confusion, with the help of one of the other prisoners. We laid low with some relatives of his for a day or so, but the price for their hospitality was a message to Jarl Balgruuf about the dragon attack. I took the message to him and was going to just move on, but he offered me a contract to retrieve an item from an old barrow in the mountains. And as much as I didn’t want to waste my time dancing on a jarl’s strings…well, the Imperials took my money, and all my gear. I didn’t really have a choice.”

“You don’t expect me to believe he named you Thane because you ran one job for him,” Brynjolf said, and Ariene rubbed her eyes. 

“No. No, he named me Thane because right after I returned from fetching the artifact for his wizard, there was another dragon attack.” 

Brynjolf’s eyes widened at the implication. 

“Are you saying that…you killed the beast?” he asked in disbelief. 

Ariene gave a wry smile. 

“Not alone, no. But my contributions to the fight weren’t insignificant. I’m sure you noticed, but I’m a hell of a shot.” 

Brynjolf nodded, a smile of his own tugging at the edge of his lips despite himself. 

“When the battle was over, my, ah, prowess was noted by the other guards, and that is when Balgruuf named me his Thane. I left the city not long after.” 

Brynjolf stared at her, trying to wrap his head around the revelation. He’d assumed the lass was capable in combat– she’d made it out of Goldenglow, after all– but taking down a dragon…that was something else. No wonder the jarl had ignored her criminal past and given her a title. A thought occurred to him then, and his brow furrowed.

“There’s something I still don’t quite understand, lass,” he said. “After all of that, why leave Whiterun at all? Why come here?”

The smile slid from Ariene’s face, and she fiddled with the hilt of the dagger at her hip. 

“Whiterun was never my planned destination. And Balgruuf…” she sighed, and a look somewhere between a smile and a grimace crossed her face. “He’s an honorable man, for better or for worse. If an imperial officer tried to capture me there?” she shook her head. “I can’t be certain he’d refuse them.” 

“So he doesn’t know about your criminal history?” Brynjolf asked, and Ariene shrugged.

“I’m not sure what exactly he knows, but to be honest, it doesn’t matter. Regardless of whether I’d be safe from arrest there, I’m not too keen on spending the rest of my life carrying out the orders of yet another man who thinks he can use me for his own gain.”

She tilted her chin up and looked straight at Brynjolf.

“Like I said,” she said evenly. “One more thing to run from.” 

Brynjolf read the challenge in her eyes, but he held her gaze.

“And that running took you here, of all places,” he said. “Why?” 

Ariene raised an eyebrow.

“It’s not as though I planned it. I ended up in Ivarstead, and had no desire to go back around the mountains, so I headed east instead. I’d planned on spending a day or two in town here to scrape up enough money to hire a carriage north, but then–”

“Then I offered you a job,” Brynjolf finished. “At this point I’m surprised you said yes. It sounds like following orders isn’t high on your list of favorite activities.”

“Maybe not,” Ariene admitted. “But you didn’t give me an order, you gave me an offer. One that was my choice to accept. Besides,” she added with a half-smile. “You were right. My pockets were pretty light on coin. And in my experience, larceny is the quickest cure for that particular ailment.” 

“Aye,” Brynjolf agreed with a chuckle. “You’re not wrong there, lass.” 

There was a beat of silence, and Ariene shifted her weight so that she was no longer leaning against the hay bale. 

“So…” she said carefully. “What happens now?” 

“Now?” he repeated, and she nodded.

“That’s it. You gonna run me out of the Guild or hand me over to the Imperials now?” 

Her voice was light, but she carried a tension in her body like a coiled spring, still ready to run or fight at a moment’s notice. Brynjolf watched her for a long moment, then he shook his head no, and she blinked in surprise.

“I said it before, lass. We don’t turn in our own for gold.”

“But if I lied about my background–”

“Look. The only thing that worried me was the question of your allegiances,” Brynjolf explained. “If what you’ve told me is true, and you joined the Guild because you honestly wanted to, no ulterior motives besides getting rich? Then that’s no longer a concern of mine.” 

Ariene nodded slowly. 

“My allegiance has always been to myself, first and foremost,” she said. “Never to the law, either in Cyrodiil or Skyrim. But the Guild’s done right by me, which is more than I can say about the Legion, or…anyone else, really. So I intend to keep doing right by the Guild, as long as it’ll still have me.” 

Brynjolf inclined his head to her, letting an easy smile slide onto his face. 

“And we’ll keep doing right by you, as long as you do the same for us,” he said. 

Ariene nodded, then looked at him for a moment, her expression thoughtful. 

“There’s more you want to know, isn’t there.” 

It was not a question, but a statement; one they both knew was true. Brynjolf’s mind was turning over all the information she’d given him, throwing up dozens of questions in response.

Why had Ariene fled to Skyrim after deserting? What had she done that made the Imperials so determined to hunt her down? Hell, why had she, who bristled at authority and walked her own path wherever she went, joined the Legion in the first place? What was she– someone who could hold her own in a fight against two dozen men and take down a dragon– really running from? 

Each question fought to jump forward to the tip of his tongue, but Brynjolf pushed them all down with another smile. 

“Like I said, lass. This isn't about me. Unless there’s something else that would affect the Guild, there’s nothing more you need to tell me.” 

“That,” said Ariene, giving him a pointed look, “was not a no.” 

“Aye, it wasn’t,” Brynjolf agreed with a chuckle. “Sharp as ever, aren’t you lass? But I meant it. Your business is your own, and my curiosity is mine. You’re under no obligation to satisfy it.” 

Ariene regarded him for a moment, then a smile– small and more than a little cautious but there nonetheless– spread across her face and the tension finally bled out of her posture. 

“Well,” she said. “Maybe one of these days, I’ll tell you the rest of the story…if you don’t mind telling me a story or two about yourself in return?” 

Brynjolf grinned.

“You know lass? I don’t think I’d mind that at all.”

--- --- ---

Previous: Ch.4 - Bedlam and Burglary || Next: Ch.6 - Unhindered Insights

Author's Note: Sorry this chapter took awhile! Things have been busy at work and I haven't had a lot of energy lately, BUT I'm back at it and more excited than ever about where this story is going! Hope you enjoyed a peek at our Dragonborn's backstory! Please reblog if you liked it, it'd mean a lot to me! <3

[jiubilant]

thought it might be interesting to map out ravi's travels during his employment with the east empire company. two hundred years is such a long time

narsis (3E 430-4E 15): ravi's born and raised in narsis. lives through the red year and the accession war

khefrem (4E 15-22): seventeen-year-old ravi quarrels with his family and ships out with the east empire company. later in life he remembers khefrem and its company chapter (which was mostly staffed by locals) very fondly for being hospitable to a terrified and angry child. at twenty-four he's sent on to a company chapterhouse in stros m'kai

stros m'kai (4E 22-26): the party years

alcaire, gods help him (4E 26-40): he scrapes out a decently respectable living here, then destroys his prospects by having an affair with the factor's wife. pressed into shipping out again to take up a posting in bravil

sovereign state of leyawin (4E 40-48): he was stuck here for some time while leyawin, which had recently declared independence and struck up a war with bravil, impounded merchant vessels and closed off the niben to trade

bravil (4E 48-70): he finally made it to bravil after mede i reconquered both warring states and reopened the niben. hated it there. briefly quit his job (!) for a gigolo sort of gig, then took on several other odd jobs and gambled away most of his money before the bravil company chapter (understaffed and desperate) hired him back on for slightly better pay

the ruby city (4E 70-92): comfortable posting, but he didn't get along with his employers. a nasty argument with the factor he scribed for finally saw him off to skyrim

winterhold (4E 92-94): he didn't spend much time here, but the city (populated by almost an even split of wintring nords and redoran velothi) left a profound impression on him; he hadn't been in the company of so many other dunmer since leaving home

windhelm (4E 94-128): worse than the bravil years. incurred some steep debts, made some friends in low places, reunited with his sister and fell out with her even more badly than the first time

the ruby city, again (4E 128-157) quit his job with the east empire company a second time (!) after only two years back in the city. spent some time as a notary, then as a bank teller, then as an accountant for a soliciting firm before being contacted about a job by an old acquaintance in bravil

bravil, again (4E 157-158): hired back on by the bravil east empire company chapter, but without his former benefits

leyawin, again (4E 158-163): the "stressed and depressed" years

solitude (4E 163-201): keeps his head down during the great war. good things happen during these years—he reconciles with his sister, takes on apprentices, adopts his daughter—but he has come to hate his job with the fury of a thousand burning suns

winterhold (4E 201-present): and now he's pretending to be a wizard. man

[5starprocess]

An Overview of Social Gaming Merchant Account

Gaming has become a huge market and a rapidly growing business with almost 2 billion + gamers worldwide. This has become a huge market and people are connected continuously worldwide are being connected to this profession with great speed. This sector has shaped very broad social, cultural, and business trends and made way for many companies and many individuals to earn and make a career in it.

We always expect this sector to grow regardless of age group and for those cashless methods for payments or contactless methods for payments are important. For this change need for growing customer contactless and cashless transactions solutions should be in the future to make this online business grow.

There are many Online Gaming Merchant Accounts that can make this possible with ease your Social Gaming Merchant Account can grow with ease and you can accept any kind of online cashless payment with ease.

What is a merchant account?

A merchant account is basically a kind of bank account that allows a business to accept payments majorly in debit cards and credit card forms. It is established with a mutual agreement between the acceptor and bank for cashless transactions.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

•  A vendor account is a ledger explicitly settled for business purposes where organizations can make and acknowledge instalments.

•  Vendor accounts permit, for example, a business to acknowledge Visas or different types of electronic instalments.

•  Vendor account benefits frequently accompany added expenses, yet in addition a variety of administrations.

Is the gaming industry a high-risk industry?

The following points can explain why the gaming industry is called a high-risk industry -

The gaming business has a     high-volume turnover which is viewed as a gambling factor by banks and     shipper account suppliers who are giving them a credit line.

The gaming organizations     are based seaward and there have been occasions of tax evasion and     misrepresentation making it a high-risk business.

The item presented by the     gaming industry is a high-risk item as there is a potential for various     chargebacks and discounts, expanding the obligation the processor would     probably cause while handling the business.

The gaming business     vendors might be somewhat new in their fields and in this way have no     credit line, expanding the possibilities of bankruptcy and hence setting     the bank/shipper account supplier guaranteeing them at a monetary risk.

Conclusion

With 5 Star Processing, you can get an Online Gaming Merchant Account or a Social Gaming Merchant Account with ease. We lead the way in helping small businesses grow.  We offer a variety of products and services that fit our business owners’ needs every day either your goal is to accept credit card payments, or you are looking for a sense of direction on how to get started. We can help!

[high-risk-merchant-account]

Understanding The Key Elements That Make a Business High-Risk

When it comes to operating a business, one of the critical aspects that entrepreneurs need to consider is the risk associated with their industry. Certain businesses are classified as high-risk due to various factors that make them more prone to financial instability, legal issues, or other challenges. Understanding what makes a business high-risk is essential for entrepreneurs looking to navigate this landscape successfully. In this article, we will delve into the key elements contributing to a business being classified as high-risk and explore the importance of securing the best high-risk merchant account to manage payment processing effectively.

What Makes a Business High-Risk?

Industry Type: Certain industries inherently carry more risk than others. Businesses operating in sectors such as adult entertainment, gambling, pharmaceuticals, and travel are often classified as high-risk due to regulatory scrutiny, chargeback potential, or other factors specific to the industry.

High Chargeback Rates: A high volume of chargebacks can signal potential issues with customer satisfaction, service quality, or product reliability. Businesses with excessive chargebacks are often deemed high-risk as they pose a financial risk to payment processors.

Poor Credit History: For businesses with a history of financial instability, bankruptcy, or late payments, obtaining traditional merchant accounts can be challenging. Such businesses are considered high-risk due to the increased likelihood of payment defaults.

Reputation and Compliance Concerns: Businesses with a tarnished reputation, legal issues, or compliance violations are often labeled high-risk. Maintaining a clean record and adhering to industry regulations are crucial for mitigating risk.

International Operations: Companies that operate globally or deal with international customers face additional risks such as currency fluctuations, cross-border regulations, and fraud. These factors contribute to the high-risk classification.

Importance of a High-Risk Merchant Account

Specialized Services: High-risk merchant accounts are tailored to meet the unique needs of businesses operating in risky industries. These accounts offer specialized services such as chargeback management, fraud protection, and risk mitigation strategies.

Risk Management: By partnering with a provider offering the best high-risk merchant account, businesses can access tools and resources to effectively manage risk. These accounts often have robust security measures and monitoring systems to prevent fraud and chargebacks.

Payment Processing Solutions: High-risk merchant accounts provide businesses with reliable payment processing solutions that cater to their specific industry requirements. These accounts support a wide range of payment methods, currencies, and transaction types to facilitate seamless transactions.

Regulatory Compliance: High-risk merchant account providers are well-versed in industry regulations and compliance standards. By working with a reputable provider, businesses can ensure that they meet all legal requirements and avoid potential penalties or fines.

Business Growth: Securing a high-risk merchant account enables businesses to expand their operations, reach a broader customer base, and increase revenue. These accounts offer scalability and flexibility to support growth and adapt to changing market dynamics.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, understanding the key elements that make a business high-risk is crucial for entrepreneurs seeking to navigate the complexities of the business landscape effectively. By recognizing the factors that contribute to this classification and securing the high-risk merchant account, businesses can mitigate risks, optimize payment processing, and drive sustainable growth in their respective industries.

[robertswang39]

Profitable Major in Macau 5D: Secrets of the Productive

The Greatest Guide to Toto Macau and Kikototo Are you a fan of online lotto game titles? In that case, you could have heard about Toto Macau and Kikototo. These well-known game titles provide players the ability to succeed large awards by guessing the end result of diverse situations. In this particular ultimate guideline, we are going to look into the world of macau 5d, discovering the direction they operate, the regulations, strategies for enjoying, and more. Whether you're a skilled participant or even a newbie looking to try out your fortune, this informative guide has everything you should know. Toto Macau is actually a well-liked online lottery online game that came from in Macau. Gamers can spot bets on various situations such as athletics matches, horse backrounds, plus more. The overall game offers different gambling options, letting athletes to choose their desired degree of threat and possible prize. Kikototo is another online lottery activity that is similar to Toto Macau but with its unique distinctive capabilities. Both video games provide interesting gameplay and the opportunity to succeed big prizes. To play Toto Macau or Kikototo, athletes must very first generate a merchant account with a accredited online system that gives these game titles. Once authorized, gamers can select from many different situations to guess on and select their ideal wager quantity. The outcomes are then determined in accordance with the results of the big event, with victors obtaining payouts in accordance with the odds set with the platform. When playing Toto Macau or Kikototo, it's vital that you familiarize yourself with the rules and regulations in the online game. Each foundation may have its own certain suggestions relating to playing restrictions, payment procedures, plus more. By knowing these rules beforehand, gamers can ensure a smooth gaming practical experience and steer clear of any possible misunderstandings. For people a new comer to Toto Macau or Kikototo, it's useful in the first place smaller wagers till you come to be more comfortable with the gameplay. Moreover, studying prior effects and tendencies will help notify your decisions when positioning wagers. Keep in mind that these game titles derive from opportunity, so there is not any foolproof technique for successful constantly. However, by staying knowledgeable and producing well-informed selections, you may raise the likelihood of success. Bottom line: In conclusion, Toto Macau and Kikototo are interesting on the web lotto video games that offer participants the chance to succeed major awards by forecasting the actual end result of numerous occasions. Whether or not you're a seasoned person or only starting out, these game titles provide enjoyment and enjoyment for all types of game players. Following the tips layed out in this particular guide and keeping educated regarding the policies of each activity, you are able to improve your game playing expertise and potentially leave with some worthwhile winnings. Why not give Toto Macau or Kikototo a test right now? All the best!

[reginap5]

The Multi-Accounting Threat: Why KYC UAE is Your Best Defense

The digital landscape is booming, offering a wealth of online services – carsharing, e-commerce, travel booking, the list goes on. But with convenience comes vulnerability. Multi-accounting, where a single user creates multiple accounts to exploit online services, is a growing concern. This fraudulent activity can lead to financial losses, unfair advantages, and even security risks.  Fortunately, advanced KYC (Know Your Customer) solutions like those offered by KYC UAE can help businesses combat this threat.

Understanding Multi-Accounting Fraud

Multi-accounting might seem harmless on the surface, used to snag a free trial or discount. However, it can have serious consequences. Here's how:

Promotion Abuse: Fraudsters create multiple accounts to claim welcome bonuses, referral codes, or discounts repeatedly, draining resources from legitimate users.

Affiliate Fraud: Fake accounts can be used to inflate affiliate clicks or generate fraudulent sales, harming both merchants and genuine affiliates.

Money Laundering: Multi-accounting allows criminals to funnel illicit funds through numerous accounts, masking the source and destination of the money.

Smurfing: This technique involves dividing large sums into smaller deposits across many accounts to avoid anti-money laundering (AML) detection.

Industries Most Impacted

Multi-accounting poses a threat across various online industries:

Travel and Food Delivery: Fraudsters might exploit welcome bonuses for flights or hotels, or manipulate loyalty programs for free meals.

Dating and Social Media: Fake profiles can be used for harassment, spam, or even romance scams.

Gambling and Gaming: Multiple accounts can give players unfair advantages, manipulate rewards programs, or exploit sign-up bonuses.

E-commerce and Carsharing: Fraudsters may use fake accounts to make fraudulent purchases with stolen credit cards or exploit loopholes in rental agreements.

The Challenge of Detection

Identifying multi-accounting networks is a significant challenge. Traditional methods like IP address checks can be easily bypassed by using proxies or VPNs. Here's where advanced KYC solutions come in.

KYC UAE: Your Multi-Accounting Defense

KYC UAE offers a comprehensive suite of KYC and AML solutions, helping businesses mitigate the risks of multi-accounting. Here's how:

Liveness Detection: This technology verifies user presence and prevents the use of deepfakes or pre-recorded videos for account creation.

Fraud Network Detection: Advanced algorithms analyze user data to identify suspicious account activity and potential connections between seemingly unrelated accounts.

KYC for Emirati Businesses: KYC UAE caters specifically to businesses operating in the UAE, ensuring compliance with UAE Sanction Compliance regulations.

Digital Identity Verification (eKYC): KYC UAE streamlines customer onboarding with secure eKYC solutions, verifying user identities electronically and efficiently.

Beyond KYC: A Multi-Layered Approach

While KYC UAE's solutions are a powerful tool, a multi-layered approach is crucial for tackling multi-accounting. Here are some additional strategies:

Device Fingerprinting: Analyzing device characteristics can help identify linked accounts accessed from the same device.

Behavioral Analysis: Monitoring user activity for suspicious patterns, like rapid account creation or unusual purchasing habits, can raise red flags.

Data Analysis: Advanced analytics can reveal hidden connections between accounts based on shared information or similar activity patterns.

Conclusion

Multi-accounting is a complex threat to online businesses. By implementing robust KYC solutions like those offered by KYC UAE, businesses can significantly enhance their defenses. KYC UAE's commitment to compliance, cutting-edge technology, and regional expertise makes them a valuable partner in the fight against multi-accounting fraud.  With a combination of KYC solutions and additional security measures, businesses can create a safer and more secure online environment for all users.

Looking for a KYC solution provider in the UAE?  Look no further than KYC UAE.  Contact them today to learn more about their comprehensive KYC and AML services, and ensure your business is protected against the ever-evolving threats of the digital landscape.

[immediatebitwave1]

How Immediate Bitwave Works

At its center, Immediate Bitwave works through manual exchanging on their natural exchanging stage, utilizing graphing instruments and market bits of knowledge to assess the

digital currency market. To work with more intelligent exchanging, the stage gives a free demo account, facilitated store and withdrawal choices, and every minute of every day

client assistance.

While unequivocal insights regarding Immediate Bitwave's expense structure are inaccessible, the stage probably takes special care of merchants of all experience levels with flexible exchanging

choices. Immediate Bitwave likewise gives an assortment of exchanging methodologies for your record, for example,

long haul holding day exchanging scalping swing exchanging position exchanging The resulting subsections investigate key parts of Immediate Bitwave's activity, zeroing in on exchanging mechanization, an assortment of digital money choices, and a demo account

highlight

Exchanging Mechanization Immediate Bitwave offers mechanized exchanging, planning to wipe out potential human mistake while executing Bitcoin and digital currency exchanges. The stage's exchanging mechanization

highlight empowers clients, including amateur brokers, to direct various exchanges all the while, saving them time and exertion.

The creator has tried Immediate Bitwave and can affirm its ability to productively and really execute exchanges utilizing its robotized exchanging framework.

This framework is intended to offer a complete climate for investigating exchanging open doors and gives a Immediate Bitwave record to clients to work on exchanging.

Various Digital currency Choices

One of the fundamental advantages of Immediate Bitwave is its help for various digital currencies, permitting merchants to enhance their portfolios.

The stage gives an broad choice of digital currencies for exchanging, including:

Bitcoin Ethereum Swell Litecoin Bitcoin Money Cardano Heavenly EOS furthermore, some more Exchanging different digital forms of money on Immediate Bitwave adds to portfolio broadening by permitting brokers to spread their gamble across various crypto resources.

https://www.instagram.com/immediate_bitwave/ https://www.facebook.com/immediatebitwave1/ https://twitter.com/IBitwave https://www.pinterest.co.uk/immediatebitwave1/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/immediatebitwave1/

[hdfhdfrhy]

PAMM Trading Platform PAMM is a trading system that lets investors invest..

PAMM Trading Platform PAMM is a trading system that lets investors invest..

Financial backers themselves can't make exchanges, they just get benefit or misfortune from the expert record with respect to their ventures. The stage can be involved both with a rating of systems for retail clients, and secretly with remarkable conveyance settings for every chief.

are broadly utilized by merchants who have a cash the executives permit and who utilize capital escalated that can't be carried out on little records.

The Forex trading strategy known as PAMM (Percentage Allocation Management Module) involves pooling funds. A financial backer will apportion their cash to the certified merchants/supervisors of their decision. To better understand what the PAMM trading platform is, let's look at its main players: "recommended product for investing in PAMM (Percentage Allocation Management Module) accounts"

In short

- Gives a protected stage that permits directors and financial backers to connect and works with the exchanging exercises of chiefs inside permitted rules. Investors can also use the forex broker to manage their accounts, make deposits, withdraw funds, and do other related things. Notwithstanding the typical , it permits financial backers and directors to pick and collaborate with one another through straightforward survey, criticism, rating and related instruments.

The investors want to make money by trading forex, but either they don't have enough time or they don't know enough about it.

- proficient administrators who have mastery in exchanging and overseeing others' cash, alongside their singular exchanging capital. The forex exchanging firm signs them ready for overseeing other financial backers' cash. "recommended product for investing in PAMM (Percentage Allocation Management Module) accounts"

People can select their money managers for Forex trading using PAMM accounts, which are an easy and convenient option. With these records, financial backers create a gain with negligible support

Nonetheless, PAMM accounts likewise convey the gamble of capital misfortune relying upon the productivity of the cash chief. Having perceived the ideal benefit and hazard potential, people ought to practice a reasonable level of effort while picking a PAMM account representative and cash supervisor.

PAMM accounts enjoy benefits to offer, how about we investigate them:

insured, so you need to take this into account when investing money in an account.

A PAMM account is an exceptionally helpful item that permits financial backers to bring in cash without exchanging. You can put your assets in dealers' (supervisors) accounts, which get as a prize a level of the benefits got from exchanging with your assets. "recommended product for investing in PAMM (Percentage Allocation Management Module) accounts"

Yet again eventually, I might want to remind you, The principal rule of an effective financial backer is risk enhancement. To minimize future monetary losses, it is necessary to evenly divide assets among multiple PAMM accounts using various trading strategies. Contributing over 40% of your capital in PAMM records would be a rash decisionThe human consider the speculation cycle influences the dangers related with this monetary resource. Even though this financial asset makes a lot of money, it's considered to be very risky.

Capital venture should essentially be completed in a few distinct records, in which a few supervisors are involved. The human element is effectively eliminated through this risk diversification strategy, and none of the capital is exposed to a single factor's risk.