“Following Valentina Envoy's ascension to Guild Master, she instituted a platform of rapid reforms and improvements of the Guild: introducing the use of portals, growing the standing fleet and, most importantly, setting up elections for the highest positions in the Guild. Within the next few years she was re-elected almost unanimously: and with this mandate led the guild into a new found era of regrowth and prosperity. The errant guild branches were brought in line, and new stewards appointed by her to push the influence of the Guild further to the East. Apart from her contributions to the Guild leadership, which obviously can not be overstated, she was also most notable for the proliferation of Valentine blue wine. This, following an endorsement from St. Arnold himself, swept through Europe to become one of the foremost types of wine.

Over the years, one got the feeling that Valentina was almost hoping that she wasn't going to be re-elected to the position of Guild Master, but if this is true it was never something that became public knowledge. The Guild Council never had anything bad to say about Valentina for her entire service, aside from her habit of offering guests to her office a variety of frozen fruit and vegetables. This was quite well appreciated, if unusual in the hot Byzantine summer, but something that definitely earned her a few odd looks in the dead of winter. By the time she retired to a small villa in Sicily, with her husband, Isaac Angelos, the guild had grown well beyond Valentina's wildest dream.”

— A History of Commerce in Europe

Valentina fidgets with her hands while sitting in Isaac Angelos's office in Constantinople. If you were a clueless outside, you would think that she was the greenest of new merchants, and not the Guild Master, coming to check up on an old partner, and dear friend. Moments later Isaac enters and gets straight down to business; Valentina's face falls slightly. The conversation carries on for a little bit longer before Isaac asks in passing why Valentina always insists upon coming to Constantinople herself: surely she has much better things to do. The Guild Master flushes scarlet.

“I don't have to visit any more if you don't want me to.” The words are rushed and mumbled under Valentina's breath, but Isaac still picks up on them. He sits back in his chair and sighs slightly, processing what has just been said, before looking up at Valentina and smiling.

“Of course you're welcome to visit any time you like, I just thought that you would want to do so in a slightly more unofficial capacity.”

There is a moment's pause before Isaac opens his mouth again and immediately trips over his words.

“I— If you want to, that is?”

Valentina beams, wearing a smile that fills her whole face.

“I would love to. You absolutely must show me what you know of this fair city… sadly I have seen enough of its sewers to last a lifetime…”

The two continue talking for a good hour, and many would say that this is where their beautiful friendship and love truly started.