Chapter Forty Nine
1581 Words
We have to wait until the festivities were over before the Crown Prince and I could go to the man that the Royal Guards caught and put in the dried well. The townspeople did not want the Crown Prince to disappear from their sight as it was already the last part of the celebration. Prince Kao had to give them a public message and this was the part of the festivities which everyone seemed to be looking forward to.
"It is because the people here love him," said Millicent to me with pride when I commented how as it gets darker here outside the people got thicker instead of a lot of them went home to avoid the extreme cold. "As this town is far from the Palace, we seldom get attention so it is always nice when a member of the Royal Family comes here and shows to us that we matter too."
That hit differently because Millicent was right. She might not be nice to me most of the time but she is not lying. "So the people anticipated this celebration because of the presence of the Crown Prince?"
Millicent nodded. "Precisely. Everyone was excited when they heard that Prince Kao was coming here. They wanted to show to him why he has to listen to their silent pleas."
"Silent pleas?" I repeated because I could not understand what he was talking about. "What do you mean by that?"
"I meant that the people here wanted the Crown Prince to see with his own eyes how terrible the cold gets here since this is a coastal town. The sea breeze is terrible here and when the Ruthless Blizzards' season starts, the cold doubles."
"Oh. I see."
"My parents and the townspeople have been lobbying for the commencement of a project that will help reduce the cold during the Ruthless Blizzards season. We proposed that a high wall be built on the stretch of the shore tall enough to break the icy breeze coming here from the frozen sea. That way, we would be protected from the cold."
I was surprised that Millicent and the people here have an agenda like that. I always thought that they were just happy that Prince Kao was here, but more than that, they really wanted to show the Crown Prince how cold was in here in contrast to the other towns of Aure and that got me. Suddenly, I saw Millicent in a different light.
"Wow, I hope he approves that project," I just said to Millicent as the two of us looked at the Crown Prince who was still mingling with the people while sharing the food and drinks now. He was talking about how Aure has to be untied so that we would find a common ground to solve our number one problem.
"He will most likely approve it," said Millicent. "Prince Kao is a kind man, but he can only make a difference if he becomes the King. That's why everyone wants him to get married already. His becoming the King will make everything easier for us. But not everyone could wait for him to become the King, you know. A lot of the elderly here will never experience the warmer climate from building that seawall, and that's why I try my best to help. Did you know that the life expectancy here is shorter than in any other town in the kingdom? Palace Researchers attribute the low expectancy with the colder conditions here."
"That's not good," I said thinking. "The King needs to do something about it."
"I already lost hope when it comes to King Luander, but the Crown Prince might be able to do it. That's why I wanted to ask you a favor, Rainha."
"What favor?" I said, startled that Millicent suddenly became kind to me all of the sudden and now she is asking me a favor that I think is vital to her and her community.
"Help us send the message to the Crown Prince," she said sincerely and I could see that she was trying her best to compose herself from that. "You seem to be close to him more than you should have. To be honest, I don't like your relationship with him, but if you are the way to make him hear what we want him to do, then I am willing to swallow my pride and ask you this favor humbly."
I shook my head violently. "But I am just a court servant," I said defensively to her. "I am not sure if he will really listen to everything that I will say, especially with an important subject as that."
She smirked at me. "You don't have to hide it from me. I know that you two have a bond that not everyone knows of. You talked for ages at the bath a while ago. That's not something a Royal Family member and a court servant would do."
My face went red when she told me that, but it also made me feel giddy for some reason. I was about to defend myself again from her but she was suddenly called by one of the elders in this town and she left me there waiting for Prince Kao to finish his speech.
And when the festivities were all over, we were now on the Royal snow carriage heading to the man in the well. I talked to him about what Millicent just told me and he was surprised that something like that was the reason why Millicent keeps on being close with him, though rather inappropriately.
"I did not know that she had that kind of mission with her. She never mentioned it to me," he said. Prince Kao looked like he was suddenly contemplating about the said seawall. "But her idea of building a seawall is sensible. Though it will cost a lot of money."
I nodded. "But would it not be worth it if it will save the town from colder conditions? Isn't that the goal of the Royal Family?"
He nodded. "Yes, Rainha, I want to help them with their problem too. But Millicent is right. Until I became the King I literally can do nothing about it."
That disappointed me. "You could suggest it to your father and the council. Surely, they will think like you right? They will consider it if it means that it will save from Plumba from the harsher cold?"
Prince Kao looked at me as if he wanted to avoid answering my question. "The problem with the council and my father is that big projects like that usually are planned years in advance, Rainha. Even if we unanimously agree to a project like that, it will not materialize in the next few years. We have to allocate a huge budget for that too."
"But that is the point!" I argued. "If you discuss it right now with the council and approve it as soon as possible, then maybe in the next ten years the seawall would be built!"
"That is true," he said. "Don't worry, once the council resumes agenda, I will personally suggest it to them."
"Thank you, Prince Kao. I knew that you would not let the people of Plumba down." I was happy that he did listen to reason. This only made me love him more.
"But I will tell you now, Rainha, suggesting it to the council will be extremely difficult. I expect only two votes in favor with that," he told me with a sad smile. "This is the problem with politics. The fate of everyone relies on the votes of a group of people who are usually detached from reality. Do you think the leaders of other towns will approve it? I tell you, they are the most selfish people I know. They will likely shoot down the proposal at their first chance."
"That's possible," I told him sadly. "I don't know why I even believed for a moment that the proposal would prosper in the council when you are right. Those people will never care about what is happening in a faraway town. Now, it makes sense to me while Millicent and her family wanted you to get married to them. That would make another two votes just in case."
"Yeah, I kind of understand them too right now," he agreed and I thought how it was so sensible to just let Millicent marry the Crown Prince. Through that, it would not only his father become a member of the council, but also Millicent and her mother as the immediate family of the Crowned Queen automatically becomes part of the council. It was the easiest route to build the seawall and suddenly I feel bad for previously thinking how ambitious the Forresters were. I would have done the same if I was in their shoes.
"I know that it will be difficult to sway the whole council, Prince Kao," I suddenly told him. "But I believe in you. You are the reason why I still believe that politics don't matter. So please, can you promise me that you will do your best to build that seawall?"
He nodded while smiling at me. "I promise, Rainha, I will do anything for that to happen. However, there is another way for Plumba to get absolved from that sad situation."
"What way?"
"Bringing back the fire in Aure," he said simply with his familiar handsome smile.
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