'Til Kingdom Comes - The Banished Prince Vol 2: Here Comes The Witches

Defending Champions

The anticipated day came as the community completed their work on a high note at 3 in the afternoon that day. They returned their tools and cleared the ground and helped to set up the arena.

The rest of the wrestler were in their ready tents as they waited for their names to be picked for the singles, tag team, handicap and lastly for the Royal Rumble itself.

The champions were edgy as they had to defend their championship title and the one that was on a nervous wreck was the King Of The Ring. He was one of the contenders for the singles match, and if he goes through, he would enter the handicaps match and lastly to defend his title in the Royal rumble. Its a total of 3 matches. The same goes for the tag team members, its also a 3 match for them that day.

The King of the Ring was not disturbed much about the matches for the singles and handicap but he was praying hard not to be picked to be the first contender to be climbing the ropes in the Royal Rumble.

Besides, he would be then tired out and have to fight 29 others to defend his crown, sceptre and dignity. Wuwuwu. Such a dilemma these people were facing even though its fun and entertainment for everyone.

There wasn't any exhibition match this time as the Shadow members were either busied with the planning for the factories, the mini-map, the model of the houses as well as the calculations and charting of new lands.

But safety was not compromised as medical staffs and ample referees were deployed. As usual, there would be intermission and sales of the food from the makeshift stalls would be going on as usual.

The matches started at 5 in the evening and ended by around 11 this time. As usual, the courtyard was littered with bamboo cups, food scraps, broken mugs and lots of halves eaten as it was accidentally thrown in the air when the crowd roared for their favourites.

As for the twins? They are not bothered with the noise as they hugged their toy animals and slept soundly after being fed by Heather. We watched the match from the balcony and I ended up having some bruises as Heather was too excited and she punched and kicked the spectator beside her as she shouted, "Bite him...Kick his nuts... Bash his head... Kill... Kill... Kill... Jump higher... Quick get up to your feet...!"

My God, Heather... We were watching a friendly family entertainment. There's no killing and this was not a Greek Gladiator's match even...! She was sure looked fit to be a wrestler's manager close at ringside...!

In the end, the championship belts for the Singles, Tag Team and Handicap Match changed hands and even the favoured King of the Ring was defeated three-quarters of the way due to an injury he sustained.

Ah well... Time for me to reward the winners with the silvers and congratulate the winners. There's always a next time, by the end of June, next month.

"There's going to be an announcement tomorrow in the morning meeting. So wait for the news." I finally said and everyone perked up and asked themselves what was there to announce tomorrow and how important was it as everyone packed the courtyard and cleared the place to look clean as before.

=*=

"Thank you for your time to attend this morning meeting. Usually, I won't say much during these times but I wanted to send a message across. Actually several messages. One day, in about 2 to 3 months time or even 6 months time down the road, you would be moving out from the single-storey thatched house into a brand new semi brick and wooden double-storey house. "

I let the speech sink in as they whispered among themselves. "You mean that these houses would be replaced to be a better and bigger house?" someone asked among the crowd.

"Yes, it would be built on clay bricks, it would have a dining, living and kitchen with a T&B attached. On the second floor, you would have a master bedroom and 2 other rooms for your children."

I then emphasise on the next subject, "The kitchen area would have a fireplace with a connecting chimney right to the rooftop."

"The kitchen would have a sink so you could do your washings there as well. And all houses with have a Standing Icebox, a rocket stove complete with a cauldron, a wok and a steamer basket."

The crowd was whispering to themselves and I raised my voice again to the community, "Anyone is free to speak up and ask if you do have any questions or doubts to raise."

I let everyone discuss among themselves and seems they were introverted to ask me any question so far. So I had to continue to initiate their thoughts as my own.

"A lot of you may ask this — I've got my own kitchen, so I have to make my own meals? The answer is Yes and No. You would prepare your own breakfast, and those who work in this area which we would call the Town Square would be provided with lunch which the ladies would prepare. "

"Now tell me, everyone works here in the fields, production areas, livestock, delivery and basically within this compound, right?"

Some of them answered affirmatively since everyone is a worker here in Gracehaven. So they would still be getting their lunches prepared here. "How about dinner?" someone squeaked a question.

"You may go home to prepare your own dinner or spend some coppers and spend it at Gracehaven's Greasy Spoon." There were some oohs and aahs as they got their message through. It was just some slight changes in their meal routine after all. Not much difference for most of the town folks.

"Alright, this Town Square would also be expanded which means the areas that the houses now would be replaced with more crop fields. We have 300 houses here which would give way to 300 croon fields instead of houses. So everyone has a piece of work to do, is everyone clear about it?"

The community, the moment they hear about bountiful harvests we're raising their arms in the air because they knew, no one gets hungry.

"Our monthly pay remains the same, Your Majesty?" another voice spoke up somewhere in the crowd.

"Definitely. Why should I reduce your 5 silvers a month unless there was an emergency and we need to use the silvers to garner more militia to protect us? Their salary would be 2 to 3 silvers a month and you, my citizens of Gracehaven, are paid much higher than them, do you agree? "

There were some commotion and a lot of affirmative answers from the crowd. I took a wooden staff and walked towards them. I walked in between the community and place the staff upright in the middle of the courtyard.

"This staff marks the centre of the Town Square. There would be a lot of moving about such as making this place to be much bigger than now. A place where would for 2,000 to 3,000 spectators watching a wrestling match...!"

The crowd burst into roars of elation.

"From this point, the Town Square would extend 1 mile up that way, 1 mile up this way, another mile here and another mile here. So this Town Square would have no houses except to do business, trade, commerce, legislative duties, governance, security and also plant crops and raise livestock where every single one of you would be paid to ensure that we would make it happen...! "

The crowd roared once again and I hope that the end of the day, no one would come up to me and say, "Excuse me, Your Majesty, we weren't really paying attention. What did you say from start to finish?"

I would pull out his ears from the side of his head...!!!

"But of course, the changes would not be right now. We would be preparing the land first, make the low walls around the perimeter of the Town Square and then we would be making another 1-mile space for the second cluster which would be your new homeland."

"Do you understand what I am trying to say?"

I looked around and they seemed to be lost so I told them, "The engineers would be making a small map to show you which area is the Town Square, and where your new home would be, so on and so forth. Plus, we would ensure that you would have access to the market to buy your necessities and need not travel back here to buy them."

"The market is optional because, after wheen you lived, the next cluster beyond would be your new neighbours, the new Immigrants. They would take over the current houses you are living in as you move to the new homes."

"As we grow, we would expand our lands and there would be more people and more things for us to do. At the meantime, we would be getting more citizens to come and fill the current houses where they would, in turn, be the ones staying in new 2 storey homes when the time comes."

By this time some got the whole picture of changes in their minds. Changes for the better, land expansion, new homes, new jobs, stable income and improved lives and standardised living.

Some were arguing but were soon corrected as they had a misconception or misunderstanding that they were forced out from GraceHaven but they were well informed that we are going to convert the whole 4 square miles within the Town Square to be a Commercial and  Business District and fielded by first-class citizens and fielded once more by second class citizens.

After some half an hour later, everyone got back to work but with a twinkle in their eyes as they would be expecting some new changes in the future very soon.