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

Set The Bait To Reel In The Big Fish

"Hmm, we should have a proper carriage in case we need to visit some neighbouring towns, don't you think, dear? At least your mind doesn't have to be fixed to only one mode of transportation only. Hehe."

Heather highlighted to me since we only have wagons all over the town for our use to transport goods by none to transport people across.

"What are you trying to imply, dear? You mean you need us to have a carriage so that you could go around and do some shopping with the ladies here, is that it? Hahaha. I didn't know you would still hold on to my words about shopping."

I smirked at Heather and made a funny face when she mentioned about carriage and I perceived as her going shopping instead.

"No silly... It is not that I'm going off gallivanting to other towns to shop. There's plenty here to shop and I could get the dresses made by Innes cheaper than elsewhere."

"Besides, Michelle has a good taste in clothes and fashion and she had made several suggestions on bodices and I am interested to get one made myself. I think Imelda had gotten one for herself because she's nearly the same size as me."

"So what do you need a carriage for? Besides, we had not left this place as Eagle had opposed me going with him to Darlington months ago."

"Furthermore our town's general work progress is rather autonomous now and the works at the kiln for drying grains would be ready soon as the works for the cold storage would commence after that."

"It is for retrieving the senior citizens over at Adewera, remember. You told me some time back that you would be getting those senior citizens here and then use the welfare benefit systems for them."

"Why not make a trip there today and bring some goodies there for them as well?" Heather suggested as I instantly reached out for an invisible itch under my chin.

"Sounds like a good idea, let me discuss with Eagle so he could make a trip with us there and then have Marcel along too with Wendy and Penelope since Penelope had finished 'talking' to the harvest and Wendy had no specific duties at all."

Heather laughed hysterically when she heard I mentioned about Penelope 'talking' to the crops. Besides, a tremendous burden had lifted off from my chest when I discovered what Penelope had done to hasten the crops to be harvested weeks ahead.

Penelope did explain to us that anything that requires a harvest in 30 days would be ready in 3 days. As for the 4 banyan trees that would be grown in 3 seasons could be matured in 3 months at the proposed duck pond.

3 months would be a great time to welcome spring as well as migratory ducks over. Hope they would be able to notice the heart-shaped islet in the middle of the duck pond and this would make them enticing to land and breed.

Likewise, the fruit trees that were planted in the orchard behind the domain all would be matured in about 3 month's time.

=*=

"Seems fair to me, Your Majesty. It had been like 9 months since last late winter that you had stepped out from your comfort zone. It seems peaceful enough to travel a short distance away."

"Well, at least Old Jack and Old Kayla would be riding with you along with Wendy and Penelope as well as our members too. It's about 2 hours ride from here to Adewera and we will head there after lunch and back by dinner time."

"We ride in 2 wagons, would that be alright?" Eagle suggested and everyone who was involved in the little expedition was excited and immediately agreed.

It had been ages since we last stepped out from GraceHaven and were expecting to meet other nearby civilisation even though it would offer them nothing in return. As for me, it would be just an excuse to get out for some fresh air.

Hehe. But seriously, I would very much like to see how Adewera looks like since it had a few inhabitants left as most of them had abandoned their residences. Besides, it's time to expand the population and have some elders in since they definitely had eaten more salt than us.

Having said that, Eagle assembled some of his men as escorts and we all took an early lunch. Heather had a few coins with her and she bought a few tins of biscuits as a giveaway gift.

Fortunately, biscuits from Gracehaven's Finest Bakery would not break the teeth of senior citizens when they sink their teeth in...!

Heather and I ride with Eagle at the reins while old Kayla and Old Jack took the reins of the other. Wendy and Penelope were thoughtful enough to load a few complimentary loaves of bread to give away to the residents there as Jennings doesn't know how many residents would there be.

Our horses slowly plodded along the path that leads out to the northern gates and as we cleared the barricades, I let out a whoop which surprises Eagle.

Since we were wearing our workday clothes, we could easily mask our identities as territorial King and Queen since there won't be much influential impact that we could make in Adewera.

=*=

"Hey, old Mann...! Come out here to the front, will ya? I think we have some merchants coming over to visit. We could see what they have for us since we had not been visited by any of them in months...!"

The one who shouted from the yard was called Old Laura and she had just called her husband out who was busying himself at a small vegetable patch beside their house.

It was small but was able to sustain them ever since the rest of the folks had left the town for either better pastures or to join the ranks of the militia to serve under King Henry VI army.

Old Mann placed his small 3 forked prongs that he used to scrap the small patch of land, clearing the pesky weeds that grew abundantly in the vegetable garden.

It had been 5 years since old Mann had left the militia as he had served many years during the Hundred Years War and seen quite a lot of actions during his time. He was from the Elite Pikeman division back then and was a drill sergeant too back in the old days.

His build and physique were good and he had a fairly good stature that had an added advantage when he was in the Elite Pikeman division before. His two sons had long gone to other towns to look for better pastures as there was nothing to be reckoned with in the sleepy town of Adewera.

He sauntered over to the front yard where his wife was sitting on a rocking chair made from liana and was slightly squinting to see the so-called merchants that were approaching in her direction.

Since most of the townsfolks had left Adewera, the remaining ones who stayed behind had delegated the duties of safeguarding the town to Old Mann and there's a huge piece of scrap metal of some sort hanging at the side of the house which he hammered a few times to signal the rest of incoming visitors.

It's quite effective in this manner than hollering to them one at a time. Hearing the 'town bell' as what the residents termed it, they slowly gathered around old Mann's small yard as the house was the focal point for any travellers passing by.

=*=

The wagons reached a gravel path and we slowly traversed the wagons aside so that we could be able to turn the wagons in a small arc to head back later on. Moreover, our wagons were the dray models which means its on 2 wheels instead of 4 which made the traversing around in a sharper angle much easier.

We all ambled down from the wagons as Old Kayla and Old Jack went ahead to address the inhabitants of Adewera as the rest of us trudged behind with armful of goodies for them.

I counted off about 20 inhabitants present, most were middle-aged senior citizens while some were in bandages, which I presumed they got discharged from the militia with disabilities or injuries sustained.

Those who suffered injuries during their tour of duty were not reassigned back but were paid a one-time payment as compensation. From then on, the army would forget them as the injured militiamen had to fend for themselves from then on.

"Would we be able to benefit if we take in those who were injured?" Heather asked and suddenly she shuddered when she saw me glaring with an indescribable intent at her. "We are here not to turn them into benefits for us, Heather. What do you think we are here for in the first place?"

I stopped in my tracks and flanked Heather aside who seemed rather terrified at my stern words and my piercing glare. "I'm sorry dear, I guessed I never put my mind into gear first before I open up my mouth," she confessed her mistake as I regained my composure after stating some serious remarks.

The rest behind me stopped walking, leaving old Kayla and Old Jack to be sauntering together without realising that we had stopped in our tracks some distance away.

"We are not here to take advantage of others. But we are here to somehow alleviate their issues if any. In turn, this little village and the last 2 villages that we had passed earlier would soon be under our land acquisition or reclamation, if we have the capabilities to do it."

"We don't have an army to conquer other lands and call them our own yet. In this manner, we would be able to procure more lands and expand our town into inner towns and outer towns. If we are able to do that, Gracehaven would no longer be a town but a city altogether."

"This is what subtle diplomacy means, Her Majesty. His Majesty is right in pointing out about the land acquisition and reclamation of other towns, villages or even settlements in order to have an expansion for Gracehaven to grow into a city."

Eagle highlighted his views since he realised that I had been poring over the books he had brought back from the Royal Library in Darlington. At least his efforts back then didn't come to waste.

Heather hugged my arm and buried her face within to hide her shame since she had misunderstood the whole idea of this visitation.

I patted her head just like what I used to do with Sir Blackie as she looked and remarked, "I'm not Sir Blackie..." as if she could read my thought bubble right now...!

=*=

"Good morrow, fellow English men... I am Jack and this is my old lady, Kayla. We hail from a town yonder and may we bade you peace upon thee." Jack made the opening speech as the two elders approached the group of inhabitants where some were shuffling their feet with a sense of anticipation.

"Aye...welcome to Adewera there mate. Ain't nothing much to look at around here 'cept for silver hairs, wrinkly skins and persons with bandages all 'ver 'em. Come, I am Mann and this is my wife, Laura." Old Jack was welcomed rather warmly by Old Mann as if they were drinking buddies that had not seen each other for ages.

From the distance, I saw that Old Jack and Old Kayla were already started their initial phase of mingling with the inhabitants and we made haste to join them.

Seeing us approaching and had joined the group, old Kayla highlighted to them, "We are here to bring and share with you, our bundles of joys and happiness around. Would there be a place where we could all congregate and have a sit-around?"

The bait had been set, the line had been cast and now it was time to wait for the fish to strike. No matter how big or small the fish was going to be, the most important was to capture their attention first and instil interests in their hearts as the rest should follow.