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Thin, green hands reach,
and creep skyward,
From these hands they build,
and forever building they thirst,
Only having what’s given,
the quest is always limited,
The potential is grand,
but hunger never relinquishes.
“Today,” Antoine bellowed, hands on his hips, “we discuss trade and commerce.” He slammed a huge, dusty volume onto the table, the sound echoing throughout the library.
Madeleine coughed, waving the dust away with her hand. “Can’t we learn about something more interesting, like when we discussed past civil wars in Venwick?”
Antoine opened the atlas, stopping at a page with a map of Elderian on it, looking amused. “We’ve been meeting here for weeks now, Madi, and you still don’t trust my lesson plans?”
“I do, it’s just…” She groaned. “Trade is so boring.” She looked at him for sympathy, but his stern face won out. “Fine.”
He smiled brightly, and the contrast made her even grumpier. “Don’t worry. We can still make it interesting. First, let’s review geography.”
“Geography? Whatever for?”
“Knowing a country’s location on a map is not enough, Madi.” He poked her nose and she swiped at his finger, clicking her tongue. “You need to know how trade works in other countries and how the geography affects it. I bet you didn’t even know it takes two weeks to get a shipment of cocoa beans from Andveltica to Nebrasia. This is because of geographical limitations, or in other words, the Andveltican mountain range.”
She exhaled quickly. “Why in Elderian would I need to know that?”
“Well, maybe you don’t need to know about that specifically, but for example, Venwick is a desert and therefore, there is minimal farming, so their main source of food is imported from other countries. Because Venwick is so enormous, not only does it take longer to have things imported to everyone, but the climate also makes the journey long and difficult. Getting food to their people is rough, but they also can’t afford what they need in the first place. They’re desperate, Madi.”
She searched his face. “You said Venwick still does some farming? How do they have the irrigation to support it and where could they possibly plant anything?”
“Ah ha! Now you’re thinking more geographically! There are a few key rivers on the Venwickin border that they completely rely on for water.” He sat beside her, crossing one of his legs over the other while resting his arm over the back of her chair. “So then, tell me how Andveltica’s geography affects their agriculture.”
She considered the question, taking a moment to get her thoughts together. “Of all the southern Elderian countries, Andveltica has one of the lowest agricultural profits due to the lack of space for farms. It’s a jungle after all. Nebrasia on the other hand, has an impressive agricultural economy and is the literal center of trade. See here.” She pointed to Nebrasia, which was in the dead center of the map, tapping hardly on it. “Nebrasia’s income is higher than any other and has access to miles and miles of open land for farming. Andveltica doesn’t have anything like that.”
“Yes, but as we’ve discussedin the past, Nebrasia’s military is small and spread out.”
“Between the two, however, Nebrasia is more prosperous.”
“I believe there is more than one way to measure the prosperity of a country, and money does not have everything to do with it.”
She considered him. “Elucidate.”
“Your people are not as rich, but they are not struggling either. I would much rather be living in Andveltica right now if I could, then be here in Nebrasia, the center of every Elderian conflict.”
“True, though,” she let out a small sigh, “lesson aside, I would give anything to stay here and never return to Andveltica.”
He searched her face. “Whatever for? Is Andveltica so terrible?”
There was a pause. “You don’t realize how freeing it is for me to be here, far away from the hunt for suitors.”
He snorted. “I am fortunate my father never pushed suitors on me. It’s almost unfair that Adrian was burdened with Nebrasia while I, for the most part, am able to come and go as I please.” He looked over at her kindly. “Don’t lose hope, Madi. You have more power over your life than you may think. I realize your mother played a big part in putting you on the council, but it was your interest and passion for politics made it possible. You have more to offer than marriage prospects.”
She blinked. “Thank you for saying that, Tony, but no matter what, once I return to Andveltica, there is nothing more I can do.” She looked down in defeat.
He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Perhaps if you prove yourself enough during these months at the political meetings, you can become an honorary council member, and then you may find your life there instead. You are the youngest royal in your family after all. Your marriage is not as crucial as your siblings, and a place in the council would keep your mother and her chosen suitors away.”
Her mouth dropped slightly. “You really think it could turn out that way?”
“It’s certainly possible.”
Her heart leapt. “Would that be enough for me to take my time with suitors?”
He raised an eyebrow, giving a truly perplexed expression. “Wait, so you want suitors? I think I’m misunderstanding.”
“I don’t hate the idea of finding a partner,” she said slowly, “but I do hate the fast-paced courting atmosphere and the arranged marriages. How can I spend my life with someone when I barely know them? Everything is so formal; how can I possibly make a decision of the heart with all of that duty in place?”
He considered her. “I see what you mean. You wish for something more than a formal alliance with someone you don’t know.” He grinned. “What a concept, right?”
“It sounds like a reasonable desire on the surface.” Her face became more serious. “It’s not foolish to wish for a love match, is it?”
His eyes never left hers. “No, it’s not.”
Brown eyes searched green before she sighed, looking down at the book again.
He followed her gaze. “We’ve gone on quite a tangent, haven’t we?”
She breathed out a short laugh. “Sorry…”
“Why are you sorry? You can talk to me about anything you want.”
She took in his kind expression. “That means a lot, Tony. Thank you.”
“Of course.”
There was a pause and Madeleine’s eyes fell back onto the map. She squinted at the tiny little country on the far right, then pointed at it. “Wait, that’s Tyrus, the country you brought up in the meeting, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“It’s no wonder I’d never heard of it before. It’s positively miniscule. It hardly appears on the map why, it’s so tiny I can barely—” Antoine rapped his fingers on the table in annoyance. “Er, I mean,” she corrected, clearing her throat, “I can see why you brought it up at the council meetings. Seems, uh, really promising.”
“Alright, that’s enough,” he said grumpily, though a smile played at his lips.
“What’s so great about it, anyway?”
He considered the question. “Tyrus relies heavily on export. They’re another country Venwick regularly trades with, or at least, they used to. Obviously now things are different, what with Venwick acting aggressively towards them.”
“Does Tyrus have a decent military in spite of being so small? I just imagine they must since they seem to do so well on their own.”
“I’ve heard they have quite the spirited military. I’d say they have an excellent chance of fighting back against Venwick—”
“I don’t want to cut you short, Brother,” a booming voice behind them made them both jump, “but I’m afraid that is no longer the case.”
They both whipped around to see King Adrian in a bold red and golden robe, standing with one hand on his hip.
“Oh, hello,” Antoine said in an annoyed tone. “Nice of you to announce your presence, Your Highness.”
“What do you mean, King Adrian?” Madeleine’s voice wavered slightly. “Did something happen?”
“It’s Tyrus,” the king said, and Antoine stood abruptly. “I knew you’d storm into my quarters the moment I sent a messenger, Tony, so I thought it’d be best if I sought you out first.”
“What about Tyrus?” Antoine demanded.
He hesitated. “Venwick has massed on the border. They gave Tyrus an ultimatum to surrender and join their forces or be killed on site.”
Antoine sank back into his chair, breathing out a large sigh as he ran a hand through brown curls. “I guess I should feel flattered for being so right in my prediction.”
Madeleine bit her lip in thought. “That’s a strange coincidence, isn’t it?”
Adrian’s blue eyes were on her.
“What is?” Antoine asked.
“Only a few weeks ago you brought up the small country, Tony, and then Tyrus is quickly seized up soon after? If you ask me, the timing is impeccable.”
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“What are you suggesting?” Adrian asked.
“I am just stating the oddness in timing. Venwick had indeed been aggressive towards the small country for some time, but I don’t think anyone expected it to be taken so suddenly, and seemingly right after it was discussed in the council. Perhaps Tony, you were just very accurate in your prediction, but it is most peculiar.”
Adrian considered her.
“Then, it would have to be someone inside the council who spilled the information if that were the case, wouldn’t it?” Antoine asked.
“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” Adrian warned.
Antoine nodded. “I know, I know. I don’t even know how in Elderian someone would’ve been able to inform Venwick so quickly.”
“I was told the Venwickin army has been seen receiving regular passenger pigeons.”
“How long does it take for a passenger pigeon to travel between West Nebrasia and Venwick?” Madeleine asked.
“Not very long,” Adrian answered. “The person or someone under the guilty person would have to travel to the north Nebrasian border first, and from there, send the pigeon to the Tyrus border. That would take a few days perhaps? However,” Adrian’s voice became sterner, “I cannot be suspicious of the people whom I am trying to build an alliance with, and even if I did bring it up and someone at the council was in fact guilty, would that person really come forward? It’s better to not let any possible intruder know that they are suspected then raise all alarms. That is, if there’s an intruder.”
Antoine sighed. “I suppose.”
“More evidence of this matter must be uncovered first.” Adrian pulled up a chair, sitting himself between Madeleine and his brother.
Antoine exchanged a look with her, and they both glanced down at the open book awkwardly.
Adrian looked between them. “What?” He sounded perplexed. “It is of the utmost importance that I trust those who—”
“Oh, it’s not that, er King Adrian,” Madeleine interrupted.
“Yeah,” Antoine added. “We are both just surprised that you are, well…”
“That I’m…what?” Adrian looked more and more worried.
“Well, that you’re in a library, in the sunlit hours of all things.” Antoine let out a small snicker.
Adrian’s face fell. “I’ll have you know I come to the library quite often, and I’m not always working during the day. The library is a favorite place of mine.”
Antoine snorted. “Sure, it is.”
“You may not be present every time I take breaks, Tony, but maybe there’s a reason for that.” He glanced in Madeleine’s direction. “Not everyone has the amount of free time that you do.”
“Oh Adi, you’re so clueless. I’m here strictly on educational business.” He gestured to the book. “We were discussing trade.”
“Tony was very kind to offer me aid if I had any questions about the meetings,” Madeleine chimed in, “and he’s been very helpful indeed.”
“Ah,” Adrian said understandingly. “I can only imagine how overwhelmed you must be at the meetings.” Madeleine could barely meet his eyes. “You know, Queen Nicole is very persuasive. I had no idea how passionate you were about politics. Frankly, I was shocked at your interest and previous knowledge, but from what she told me, you are a quick learner and as she put it, have a new outlook to offer.”
She blinked. “She said that?”
He nodded. “I cannot tell you how much of a relief it is to have a younger voice that isn’t my own brother or that difficult man, Prince Bryson in the council.”
“T-thank you for saying that.” She could barely meet the confident blue eyes. “I must admit, I’m a little shocked that you agreed to let me join the council, especially after…” Her words trailed off and she looked away.
“After what?” Antoine looked between them.
Adrian ignored his brother as he said, “A lot has changed since you last visited, Princess. I hope you’ve realized by now that I cannot play tennis or attend plays with you like we once did. As the king, I must always be looking forward.”
Antoine placed a hand under his chin. “Whatever happened, Madi, you’ve got him on one of his kingly monologues.”
“I understand, Your Majesty,” Madeleine said, ignoring Antoine’s comment.
“Please, call me Adrian. I get enough formalities on a daily basis. It’s a relief when I don’t have to hear them.” She nodded. “Continue with your studies and soon enough the court will have already forgotten about your slip up from yesterday, if you’re at all worried, Princess.”
A small smile appeared on her face. “Please, call me Madi.”
A light similar to her own shown in the king’s eyes as he searched her face.
“Everyone just calls me Tony,” Antoine butted in flatly.
There was an awkward silence.
“Does this mean Tyrus will turn out like Minoka?” Madeleine finally asked, looking down at the book and tracing her finger over the page. “Must they really be absorbed into Venwick?”
“I’m afraid so,” Adrian said, leaning forward to examine the map. “There’s very little chance they could fight off an army as large and fierce as Venwick’s with their numbers, no matter how good their fighters are.” Adrian was very close now, so close that Madeleine could feel the warmth coming off his skin. “You would need an older map to see Minoka’s original shape, but if you look at this little chunk of Venwick,” he pointed to the leftmost part of the huge country, “there’s a town called New Minoka.”
“Yes, I know,” she interjected, placing her own finger over it, trying to ignore how her wrist touched his. “That’s where the country of Minoka once was, before being conquered.”
“That’s right. It will turn out the same for Tyrus as it did for Minoka.”
She took her hand back. “That really is such a shame.”
He held her gaze, and from this close, she could see a small splatter of freckles on his nose. “Such is war, I suppose.”
She could not look away from the stunning blue eyes and there was a moment’s pause as they searched each other's faces in silence.
Antoine stood up from his chair abruptly, pointing at a clock in the corner. “It’s about time we went over to the hall, don’t you think?”
They both looked up at him.
“It’s not quite time, Tony,” she said. “What’s the rush?”
He looked between them, then glanced to the side. “Should we not call a meeting early, Adrian? This news about Tyrus is huge. We should discuss it as soon as possible.”
Adrian gazed at him. “I suppose you’re right. Why don’t we head there together?” He looked at Madeleine as he said this.
She blinked at him then nodded. “If you wish.” She took his outstretched arm.
“Thanks for inviting us along, Adi,” Antoine said gruffly, standing with his arms folded. He followed after them grumpily as they excited the library.
♛♚♛
When the three entered the council room, everyone was already seated. Madeleine walked importantly alongside the king and prince of Nebrasia. A few of the members stared at her as she sat down.
As soon as Adrian sat, he opened with the news of Tyrus. There were some gasps and the princess felt smug for already knowing.
“How could they take Tyrus so quickly?” Prince Bryson asked indignantly. “We knew the small country might eventually be conquered, but this is very sudden.”
“This is a sign is it not?” Vauquelin said. “Venwick has become incredibly strong, and they will not stop in conquering everything until they have Nebrasia in their grasp.”
“That’s odd.” Queen Nicole sat calmly in her chair, looking at the cardinal thoughtfully. “I was under the impression the other day that you had deemed Tyrus insignificant and unworthy of our attention, Cardinal. Now you are using the country’s demise as a sign that Venwick is uncontrollable?”
There was a pause, and everyone looked at him.
“While Tyrus is in fact small and insignificant,” he said, “this sudden aggression shows us that Venwick is not interested in any kind of peaceful interaction, and we should be ready for anything. We should be especially concerned about the east Nebrasian castle since it is right below Tyrus.”
“I agree,” Bryson chimed in. “Why should we wait for them to grow in power and attack us while we sit here and accomplish nothing?”
“Before we all get too excited,” Adrian cut in, “let’s discuss how we can work together to move food and supplies to the east Nebrasian castle and set up additional fortifications.”
“Andveltica can offer supplies,” King Abel said immediately. “We can also move a portion of our forces already to be stationed in West Nebrasia over to East Nebrasia for additional support.”
“Cappeland can offer this as well,” Vauquelin said. “This is a wise decision, King Adrian. Venwick will surely attack there next, and any reinforcements would be vital.”
“I see an issue with this,” Prince Antoine cut in. “If we send all our resources to East Nebrasia, we would leave ourselves vulnerable to an attack here in West Nebrasia. Perhaps Venwick means to distract us with Tyrus so as to sneak around the main stronghold.”
There were a few grunts of agreement.
“Venwick will attack Nebrasia no matter what, from any direction or location,” Vauquelin said gravely, glaring at the prince with his nearly black eyes.
“What then, would you propose we do, Cardinal?” Adrian asked calmly.
“I suggest we make a decision soon before it is too late.”
“And what decision is that?”
“To declare war.”
There was a small outcry, and Adrian calmly tapered it back down.
“You’re suggesting,” Count Alexandre said, “that with our combined forces we throw our people into the offensive with numbers we do not have?”
Vauquelin folded his arms. “Oh, what little faith you have. This war has been impending for years now. Why let it surprise us when we could rise to meet it?” Duke Adam was nodding in agreement. “Nebrasia may not have a strong military, but Cappeland and Andveltica and their people are strong. They will not go down without a fight and will surely win.”
There was another moment of chaos as cries of support came from a few while others argued against it, and Madeleine found herself standing up, her hand slamming down a bit roughly on the table.
“This plan is as thoughtless as it is risky.” She did not recognize her own voice as the room quieted. “You’re so intent that war is going to happen, you haven’t stopped to think whether it actually is or not.” She could feel everyone’s eyes on her, most especially Adrian’s. “Is it truly inevitable, or should we step back and think about what is best for our people and if throwing ourselves into a messy war will benefit anyone?” She sat back down.
“Are you suggesting we do nothing and hope the problem goes away?” Bryson sneered. “That’s not how it works in real life.”
“We’ve already done something,” she said unphased, gesturing to Adrian. “We have this alliance and the three strongest countries in Elderian are working together as one. Do you think Venwick has overlooked this?” Bryson opened his mouth, but she cut him off. “What we all decide to do next affects the lives of thousands of people. How can we forsake ourselves so easily and put their lives in peril when there is yet hope to avoid a tragic outcome? Not to mention, it would be much safer to go on the defensive as already discussed. I am the most inexperienced member here, and yet even I can see how foolish this is. Are we really out of options to act so rashly and desperately?”
“We are not forsaking ourselves, Princess.” Vauquelin’s voice sent a shiver up her spine, and she found she could barely meet his powerful gaze. “Life is messy and while war is a terrible thing, it is not always avoidable as you say it is. A more experienced royal would be more realistic about the situation.”
“I must disagree, Cardinal,” Antoine said, shooting the princess a glance. “Venwick could have declared war many times on Nebrasia in the past decades, but every time they came close, there was another military coup, or a famine and they would collapse. They are not in any way stable and could easily destroy themselves at any point without our help.”
Everyone paused to consider.
“If Venwick was not a threat,” it was King Jean of Cappeland who spoke and everyone was silent out of pure shock at the sound of his voice, “King Adrian would not have asked for this alliance in the first place.” He laced pale fingers on the table. “I’m afraid I must trust my advisor, Vauquelin on this particular matter. We could in fact be thrown into an unforgivable war at any moment, and I want to be on the winning side.” Vauquelin grinned triumphantly, but the king did not meet his gaze. “If it is at all possible to avoid, however, I would like to solve this matter without a war being involved.”
Madeleine could not tell which side he was supporting, and from the expressions of the other members, it was obvious they were not sure either. Things had been tense between the king of Cappeland and his advisor since he had disagreed with Vauquelin regarding Madeleine’s seat on the council. It was obvious in the way they sat slightly further apart than usual and how King Jean avoided eye contact with the other.
The council muttered to themselves then, and Adrian took this opportunity to pull everyone’s attention back to him. “It would appear the three monarchs are not keen on declaring war, and we will not discuss it further unless King Abel or King Jean have any objections.” The two monarchs shook their heads. “We must then decide how to move forward to protect East and West Nebrasia properly from any potential attacks.”
“It is necessary to discuss scouting armies then,” Duke Bourgeois said, the jowls on his face threatening to fall off as they wobbled back and forth. “Nebrasia must be informed of Venwick’s presence at all times. On fast horses, they could patrol the perimeter, reporting back any hostile conduct. They would be able to see Venwick playing wargames, and then we could be prepared and not turn out like Tyrus did.” He paused looking at nothing in particular. “It’s a shame really, that Tyrus met such an outcome. I tell you, something like this happened in the year 205 A.S. and the town of Torttil was under threat—”
“Thank you, Duke Bourgeois,” Adrian interrupted, and Madeleine breathed out in relief. “Let’s discuss avenues where Nebrasia could be weak or that Venwick could cross over easily. Perhaps we can strengthen areas previously protected only with skeletal forces and other less protected areas.”
“Perhaps we should send more troops to the East Nebrasian castle as well,” King Abel offered. “Tyrus and East Nebrasia had a massive trade route established. I believe this will have a great effect on Nebrasia’s economy.”
Madeleine glanced at Antoine who mouthed the word ‘trade’ and raised his eyebrows in a knowing manner. She stifled a grin.
“Indeed.” Adrian rubbed his eyes as he spoke. “We must think of our people and how we can feed and support them.”
As different members spoke up, Adrian seemed to grow more and more tired, the seriousness of everything obviously taking a toll on him. She wondered if he had been struggling to sleep at night, but the dark circles under his eyes seemed to answer that question.
As brave as she had felt for speaking up earlier, she couldn’t imagine doing it multiple times every day as Adrian did with every decision resting on his shoulders. She gazed at him in admiration, hoping one day that she could be as brave as this young King of Nebrasia.