Chapter 53: The Grand Opening of the Bilva Hotel
BERTINE resumed her busy life after her return to the Federation’s capital of Ybit. Furniture, linens, tableware. There was just so much to buy. She chose simple, light furniture boasting gentle lines that would suit the hotel. The plan was to transport them via ship as far as the hinterlands and then load them onto a carriage for final delivery to the hotel. When Franz received everything, he sent her a letter noting how the structure was feeling more and more like a hotel.
The Karina was seeing greater use lately by wealthy merchants heading to the south. Initially, she intended the riverboat to be used only by herself, her people, and hotel guests. But she had changed her mind when the ship’s crew complained that too much free time on their hands would make them less capable. So the boat was placed into regular service.
To no one’s surprise, the Karina’s first passengers were all men. But after those men told their wives and daughters about the vessel, the women themselves and the friends they spoke to were eager to journey on it as well. Eventually, more and more women also embarked on river trips. And so, the Karina satisfied the desires of the Federation’s wealthy women as they enjoyed sailing and dining in luxury on the beautiful, elegant vessel.
While rumors of the stingers spread mainly among men, rumors of the boat spread among women. From the Federation’s north to its southern reaches. The women were delighted by the opportunity to set off on a short cruise in the morning, enjoy lunch abroad, and return to their families by nightfall. Bertine hadn’t anticipated the demand for such excursions.
Preparations continued apace for the hotel’s grand opening. Bertine herself stayed at the hotel several times to make sure there were no problems with the facilities or service. At long last, the time drew near to welcome customers.
“Dorothée, I’m not sure who we should invite as the hotel’s very first guests. What do you think?” Bertine asked her trusted friend. “I would love to ask my father to attend the opening since he’s an expert on hotel management, but I don’t think it’ll be possible.”
“I agree. My lord wouldn’t be able to leave his duties as chancellor unattended for very long. How about Lady Dalila?”
“That’s a great idea. I might be too optimistic, but I’ll ask her.”
Bertine penned a letter to the older woman right away.
“We recently finished work on a new hotel in the Federation hinterlands, so won’t you grace us with your presence as its first guests? I promise you that you have never seen anything like it before. We have our own boat ready at your disposal. It will take you from the Empire to the Federation and back again. You can board it at the border between the countries.”
It wasn’t long before she received a reply from Lady Dalila. “I gladly accept your invitation,” it said. Bertine felt heartened by the thought of receiving the woman’s thoughts on the hotel. After all, her mother’s friend had attained the position of mistress of the robes by the time she retired from imperial service, so she could counsel Bertine on what the hotel might be lacking in terms of facilities and service. Lady Dalila would arrive the day after tomorrow.
✦ ✦ ✦
THAT night, Bertine and everyone else involved in the hotel’s construction celebrated its grand opening. Its name was the Bilva Hotel, in honor of the district in which it stood. Evance cried happy tears the whole night. Watching him, the hotel manager, Franz, and his wife, Elise, wept happily. Eckhart smiled ruefully at them all, knowing how quick Evance was to cry when he was overjoyed.
“Eckhart, does this mean you’ll be returning to the Empire now?” Bertine asked.
“Not at all, Bertine. This was the first time I have had so much fun on a job. I enjoyed myself even more than when I built my first building. I would like to be here when Evance builds his second, third, and even more buildings. I’ll be in charge of the calculations, making sure they stand good and strong. Would you happen to have any plans to commission him for more, perchance?”
“I do indeed, but first, we have to get this hotel started on the right track,” she said.
Smiling, Eckhart looked up at Bertine, who was just a smidge taller than him. “Right you are. Then I shall travel the length and breadth of this country until you’re ready for more. I’ve grown so fond of my life here that I wonder if it’s the reason I worked recklessly and saved piles of money. And thanks to this country’s climate, I have yet to feel any pain in my knees or back since my arrival here. I almost feel like I’ve gone back in time!”
“Oh, my, I’m so glad to hear that. Please, do enjoy your travels. I feel so reassured to know you’ll still be helping Evance the next time I ask him to make something for me.”
“Professor, I’ll act as your bodyguard and guide on your trip,” Evance said.
Bertine realized it didn’t need to be another hotel. What about a library? She would pay for it herself because it was her honor to do what she could to make this country a better place. Moreover, she found the thought of seeing Evance’s buildings all over the Federation highly entertaining.
She stood in front of the hotel after everyone else said their farewell and went home to their beds. Bertine hadn’t stopped running toward her goal since the day she swore to herself that she would create a place for herself with her own hands. And finally, the day arrived when her vow took shape. She made a plan, gathered the necessary people, negotiated, and accumulated the funds. The money for this hotel was a product of this country’s resources and its people’s efforts.
“I was born to come here.”
She could say that now. The memory of the day she left San Luenne came to her, how defeated she had felt then. Bertine wanted to tell her past self, “Don’t worry. Plenty of good things will happen after this. So chin up.”
✦ ✦ ✦
THE day of the hotel’s grand opening arrived at long last. Bertine had stayed overnight in the administrative building located in the forest not far from the hotel. She was on pins and needles waiting for the first guest to arrive, when she finally heard the sound of a carriage rolling in. Lady Dalila was here. She stepped down with a smile, accompanied by two of her attendants.
“Welcome, Lady Dalila! I trust your journey was pleasant?”
Led by Bertine, all the uniformed employees greeted their guests.
“Oh, yes, I did. The boat was fantastic, Bertine. I was a bit nervous about traveling in anything other than a carriage, but the river journey was absolutely sublime. And what a marvelous hotel! It looks like a fairy’s house!”
“Fascinating design, isn’t it?”
“It is indeed. So intriguing.”
“I’m so grateful I was lucky enough to meet the genius who thought of it.”
“Having fortune favor you might be one of your special powers, hm?”
Bertine accepted the compliment graciously and then showed Lady Dalila to her suite. Because of its construction, one of the walls on the first floor was the giant tree’s trunk, so a guest could touch the bark while inside the room. Lady Dalila found that feature interesting.
“Ahhh, I should have brought a painter with me!” she opined.
“Oh, I can’t believe I didn’t think of that,” Bertine responded. “I’ll have to hire one right away and have them paint many images of this hotel, so I can show its charms to people far and wide.”
“Do that. If possible, please have them make two extra copies of everything and bind them into collections for me. I’ll use one to introduce your hotel to the aristocracy back in the Empire.”
“Thank you, I’d appreciate it! I’ll make the arrangements as soon as possible.”
Then Bertine led her to the remaining rooms.
“Are you sure about this? These walkways up in the air won’t shake?”
Lady Dalila was afraid of using the floating corridors at first. But once Bertine assured her that the wisteria vines fixed them firmly in place as they twined their length, she climbed up to the third floor.
“Incredible… This forest stretches on for ages, doesn’t it? I see so much greenery that doesn’t grow anywhere in the Empire.”
She leaned over the railing and stared out into the distance.