NOVEL NEXT Chapter 192: Oh yeah, the academy!
Queen Mira’s lawyer added, “We recommend that you cooperate.”
The Lavender relatives were shocked.
“Your Majesty, respectfully asking, what is the reason for this? We haven’t done anything that would warrant this—”
“This is merely a temporary measure while we determine who’s guilty,” Queen Mira said. “The Capital Investigators have found some evidence of criminal activity. However, if the investigations go well, you may be able to retain control of the fief.”
Some faces paled; others went red.
Who was guilty?
Guilty of what?
Who slipped?!
“As I said, I’ll be leaving tomorrow. Please cooperate with Lady Indigo in the meanwhile,” Queen Mira said.
Lady Indigo was her lady-in-waiting and secretary that had come on this trip.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” the Lavender relatives were forced to say.
The Lavenders found it very hard to eat dinner that evening. That night was destined to be a stressful one, full of uncertainty and choices to be made.
Back in the Capital, King Edric had organised the house arrest of Baron Lavender, along with the members of the Lavender family present there. Royal Guards marched out and surrounded the Lavender house, while a senior head of law-enforcement put down an anti-communication shield around the property.
Shock rippled through the Capital.
Something happened, something really happened! What did Baron Lavender do?
Was Queen Mira at the Lavender fief already?
The nobles started to relax, until someone offhandedly asked, “Do you think there would be more arrests?”
More arrests??!!!
The nobles became restless once more!
After dinner that evening, Queen Mira called Rian in for a meeting.
“You were right,” Queen Mira said.
Rian dipped his head in acknowledgement. “I trust my information.”
“Now that I’ve taken control and the investigations are underway, there’s no need for you remain here any longer,” Queen Mira said. “If you leave now, you’ll be able to return by Sunday evening, in time for classes next week.”
It was now Thursday evening, which meant Rian and Earl Rosewood had missed almost an entire week of classes already.
“Imperial Mother, I beg to differ,” Rian said.
“How so?”
“Earl Rosewood and I are concerned about the people’s wellbeing,” Rian said. “We have experience working with the people and can support you.”
“Rian—”
“The common people can be apathetic about their lieges because their lives don’t change. This is our chance to change their perspectives.”
Queen Mira gave Rian a piercing look, but he didn’t flinch. “Rian, not every place has people like those in the Rosewood fief or in the Capital. The people here are harder and harsher.”
“I know. Earl Rosewood tells me that we must harness the diverse knowledge and skills of people across the kingdom.”
“I’m telling you that not everyone will be grateful or happy. People like stability, and stability is one of the key things we must provide.”
Rian smiled faintly. “Imperial Mother, I’m still young. Can I not have a more optimistic view on life?”
Queen Mira was not amused. “You worked so hard to start an alternative education stream at the academy, and now you’re abandoning it?”
“Let us stay here for just three weeks, one week per fief,” Rian said.
“No.”
“Two weeks,” Rian tried. “Please, Imperial Mother.”
“What do you plan to do?”
“For those who have been directly affected, heal them and temporarily compensate them. For the general people, distribute food, ensure access to clean water sources and sufficient heating. Finally, we hope to lay the groundwork for a branch of the Royal Healers’ Association here and await a team from the Royal Agricultural Development and Food Security Program.”
The Lavender, Dravite and Coral fiefs were not poorest fiefs in the kingdom. The Lavender fief had animal husbandry, the Dravite fief had mines, and the Coral fief had fishing and a few rare sea products.
The fiefs to their north-west were poorer and had been the focus of Rian’s reformation efforts. They had opened trade routes and had a branch of the Royal Healers’ Association and the Royal Agricultural Development and Food Security Program. It would be straightforward to borrow people from those fiefs to operate here, until something more permanent was established.
“You can’t heal affected persons until all relevant evidence has been collected by the Investigators,” Queen Mira said.
Rian’s eyes brightened. “Yes, Imperial Mother.”
“And one week only. This work isn’t something you need to do personally.”
Rian bowed his head. “I accept your arrangements, Imperial Mother. Is there anything else?”
“You’re dismissed.”
“Have a good evening, Imperial Mother!” Rian walked out, leaving Queen Mira to sigh to herself.
Rian and Ren Xiyang followed Queen Mira onward to the Dravite fief and then the Coral fief.
Baron Dravite’s face was ugly when Queen Mira’s contingent entered his fief.
Earl Coral’s face was indignant when he was told he was being put under house arrest, back in the Capital.
But they had to comply. What else could they do, revolt?
The entire Capital was tense, the nobles unclear if even more people would be arrested.
While Queen Mira handled the nobles and the Capital Investigators took evidence, Rian and Ren Xiyang spoke with the commoners.
After Earl Coral was put under house arrest, they began doing what they said they would. Rian went around magically purifying various drinking-water sources and water vessels. Ren Xiyang commandeered the nobles’ fields, under Queen Mira’s permission, and magically grew and ripen entire fields of winter wheat and other crops which were then distributed among the farmers, with a portion allocated for soup kitchens that winter. They spent money to hire the farmers to fertilise and re-sow those fields. Their staff helped distribute out heating lamps, technically on loan, to families that needed them the most. Meanwhile, the healers from the Association and Capital Hospital attended to those who had been directly affected.
Small teams from the Royal Healers’ Association and the Royal Agricultural Development and Food Security Program in the nearest fiefs were already on their way.
Then, while Queen Mira organised matters at the Coral fief, Rian, Ren Xiyang, and their staff returned to the Dravite fief, then the Lavender fief, repeating what they had done.
The farmers in the Lavender fief felt bewildered when Earl Rosewood and Prince Rian returned to the fief once more.
In the space of a week, Queen Mira from the Capital came, Baron Lavender was put under arrest, and now Earl Rosewood was making crops grow, mature, and ripen right in front of their eyes!
Speaking directly to Earl Rosewood was too intimidating. But some of Earl Rosewood’s staff seemed more approachable. Two women directed the farmers to take the ripened and dried wheat to the local mill to grind into flour.
“My lady, may I ask a question?” one of the farmers asked. Her name was Isbell, and she had been the one who had been brave enough to show Earl Rosewood around the fields a week previous.
The woman laughed. “Just call me Maria. And this is my good friend, Kel. What’s your name?”
“Isbell, Ms Maria.”
“What do you want to ask, Ms Isbell?”
“Ms Maria, do you know what’s happening?” Isbell asked.
“Baron Lavender has been arrested for several things, including preventing people from leaving,” Ms Maria said.
Isbell’s heart skipped a beat.
“You’re allowed to leave the fief according to Imperial law,” Ms Maria said. “Nobles in the surrounding fiefs can’t stop you either, unless you’re involved in criminal activity.”
The farmers who were all listening looked at each other.
The other woman—Ms Kel—spoke up, “This fief is temporarily under the control of Her Majesty Queen Mira. Excellent people from the Royal Healers’ Association and the Royal Agricultural Development and Food Security Program will arrive soon and help improve the fief.”
“Is it true that no one goes hungry in the Rosewood fief?” another farmer asked.
“We try our best,” Ms Kel said.
“Can we go to the Rosewood fief?” yet another farmer asked.
“If you wish,” Ms Maria said. “However, it’s a bit far.”
Bolstered by the friendly atmosphere, one person asked jokingly, “Can we follow you?”
Another farmer gave a dry laugh. “Did you see their floating carriages? There’s no way you can keep up.”
Yet, Ms Maria and Ms Kel weren’t laughing.
Ms Maria looked at them thoughtfully. “Earl Rosewood would agree. As long as you can organise a cart or wooden platform of some kind, he’ll take you. You wouldn’t need to worry about keeping up.”
The farmers looked at her in bewilderment.
Ms Kel nodded. “Earl Rosewood is a good lord. Since we have to return to the Capital regardless, he’ll certainly agree to take you along. You need a cart or a wooden platform to sit in, so that he can levitate it.”
The farmers heard human words and yet they couldn’t understand what they meant. Wooden platform? Levitate? What did that have anything to do with keeping up?
But the key points were grasped: yes, they could go, and yes, they could follow Earl Rosewood’s convoy.
“When are you leaving?”
Ms Maria gave an apologetic look. “We’re leaving tomorrow.”
The sense of excitement and grand possibility became sour as reality set in.
That wouldn’t be much time to decide and prepare. Although they had heard good things about the Rosewood fief, not everything was true. It was a new place with new people they didn’t know. They weren’t rich and they had never travelled outside the fief before. How would they survive along the trip? How would they survive once they arrived at the Rosewood fief?
But on the converse, this was a very rare opportunity to travel with Earl Rosewood. They won’t get lost, and they’d be much safer on the road.
However, their home was here, their families, their loved ones, and graves of their ancestors…
Ultimately, most of them didn’t want to travel halfway across the country. And they had heard Ms Maria and Ms Kel—their own fief was going to be improved!
However, there were a small few with thoughts in their hearts.
Over the rest of the day, Kel and Maria and other staff were quizzed about the Rosewood fief. They learned more about the processes in the Rosewood fief, but that didn’t make it easier to decide.
They had to think, they had to consider their families, their jobs, their savings, and whether they could pack and organise a cart in time…!
This news about being able to ‘catch a ride’ with Earl Rosewood and Prince Rian spread into the nearby main town. Although most people had no intention of going, there were always some who had thoughts otherwise.
Next morning, when everyone was preparing to leave, Maria approached Ren Xiyang.
Rian, who was standing next to him, stepped to the side to allow Maria to speak.
“What’s the matter?” Ren Xiyang asked. His eyes went to a group of people with familiar heat sources (familiar in the sense that he had scanned most of the Lavender fief just in case).
“There are a group of farmers, villagers and townsfolk who heard about your return trip and would like to come along. I told them that you would be willing to levitate their vehicles along with the rest of the fleet,” Maria said.
“Alright,” Ren Xiyang said.
Maria grinned. “Thank you, my Lord.” She went to the group of people to share the good news.
Rian elbowed Ren Xiyang playfully. “What a generous lord, if only other lords could be like you.”
“If other lords were like me, the kingdom would be an unrecognisable place,” Ren Xiyang said seriously.
Rian had that look in his eye, like he wanted to poke Ren Xiyang for being so cute.
Ren Xiyang’s face was deadpan. “Your Highness, will you kindly ensure they are protected from the wind during travel?”
“Asking me, a Crown Prince, to do so?”
“Yes. Please, Your Highness.”
“If you put it that way, of course,” Rian said.
The Royal Guards: We heard nothing, we heard nothing.
And so, although Queen Mira and all her people were staying, as well as the two healers, the group of people returning to the Capital was larger than the group that had come.
Ren Xiyang and Rian sat on the outside front seat of the Imperial carriage to lead the way. Maria and Kel sat in the Rosewood carriage, bringing up the rear of the convoy—this way, Ren Xiyang could easily detect where their group started and ended.
The people who had tagged along now understood what Maria had meant. At the speeds they were going, they could hardly believe that their carts were still holding up!! And during the first morning, none of them dared to move, in case they fell down and died horribly.
They could only relax after Maria told them that they didn’t feel any wind was because Prince Rian encapsulated everyone in a shield, which would also catch them if they fell.
One of the farmers who had come along was the one who had asked jokingly Maria about coming in the first place. This farmer—Lamond—felt like he was dreaming. If Lamond hadn’t asked, he and some of his friends wouldn’t be here…Look, the people from the Coral fief and the Dravite fief didn’t ask, so they weren’t coming along. Look at how small the world looked below them…it felt like a dream.
“Hey, pinch me,” Lamond asked his friend.
“Sure.”
“Ow!”
It wasn’t a dream. “—You didn’t have to pinch so hard!”
“Eh? You never said.”
Rian: Making nobles stressed and shocked is quite interesting, isn’t it?
Queen Mira: Agreed.
King Edric: ………. (Am I the odd one out here???!)
Yes, Kel and Maria where there in the background the entire time, as well as Ren Xiyang’s self-declared knights u_u
Thank you to Ria for the kofi!!!! -`♡´-
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