Retrieve the Kingdom

Be My Guest

“s*****y?”

Phoebe asked again as she looks at the serious face of Belle. “You didn’t mishear it. One of the province’s towns is suffering and no one knows it. Maybe someone here knows it, but it is so hidden even the kingdom’s newspaper doesn’t have an article on it.” 

Her fist was clenched, she is venting the anger she has been hiding from the world. “My aunt didn’t just let me put here to reach my dreams like those privileged schoolmates.” Phoebe keeps listening to her, “Tell me, what happened?”

“I thought you are like them.” Belle sighs as she calms herself, she took a sip and ate the beef on her soup to ease her anger. “Well, I am like them that doesn’t know this…” Phoebe said in a low-tone, a bit embarrassed at her own situation. “It’s fine.” Belle giggles sarcastically. “You are from Mottram, and the kingdom’s newspaper does nothing.” She just shook her head in dismay. 

“Anyway, Hawthorne has been like this for 7 years. 8 years after King Dougal’s reign. I don’t know how they managed to keep it a secret for that damn long!” She exclaimed which invites some people’s attention to them. Belle stayed quiet for a while as Phoebe play along. As soon as their schoolmates mind their own business, the brunette girl in front of her continued to her speech.

“For 7 years, Hawthorne’s people have been bankrupt, but it was never before. It is just as propagated like Mires, your hometown, right?” Phoebe nods, as she remembers the military terror there, which made her worry about the other people there. “Like, every taxes worth gold in the early days. Since Hawthorne is surrounded by a lot of valleys, people suffer on transportation, so no one in Hawthorne goes to Lalonde, other villages in Henrikus, even in Enoch itself. Unless they have an important business or they are the traders.”

“What’s the significance of it?” Phoebe asked as they kept consuming their lunch. “Well, communications are cut in Hawthorne, it’s like the most isolated place in Henrikus. The king used that weakness to them, he slowly taxes away from the riches of the people, even tho there is not really many. That is why the kingdom’s riches peaked 5-6 years ago, one of its underlying reason is the aurels never circle back to Hawthorne.”

“Slowly, Hawthorne falls on its feet, no more aurels left, maybe there are but they were never seen because the military who conquered the village kept stealing them away from people. People fear for their lives, and not so sooner, they became slaves under the king’s wrath.”

“How has he done this? I mean, I would understand it if it’s other people, like in other kingdoms, such as Preaya.” Belle sighs, “That’s the thing, Phoebe, why his people? Hawthorne has not harmed the kingdom. They are still the largest producer of some root crops. But instead, they became slaves. Some are being sold secretly to other kingdoms. I came here to finally reveal it to all, I just need to be trustworthy to this institution. I don’t care if this will get me killed.”

“I’ll help you.” Belle’s face enlightens, it’s like her word gave her hope. “Really? I thought you would call me a blasphemer for saying ill of the king.” Phoebe shook her head, “I hate his guts too. I have witnessed his military’s wrath, and the thing why they are so brave about it is maybe, just maybe, the king is tolerating them.”

“He really is tolerating them. What happened to your village? I mean, I am guessing you spent your childhood in Mires, right?” Phoebe nods, “We just moved in Oliver just months ago, but before we went away there, I have witnessed a father and a son getting murdered just defending the fish they caught.” 

“It seems it’s the next Hawthorne. This is devastating to hear, if they can do this, they can do more.”

“What they can do more?” Phoebe froze as she heard a familiar voice and looked at the source of the voice. The familiar black-haired figure with his optimistic smile plastered on his face. “Hi, Phoebe! And her friend.” 

“Aren’t you that archduke’s son?” Belle squints at him, investigating every part of him. Phoebe was shocked, the archduke’s son? How could he be the archduke’s son if his brother is the son of the king? Something doesn’t add up well. 

“Yep! Andrei’s my name! And you, beautiful lady?” Belle blushed a bit but ignored it, “I am Belle of Lalonde.” She said as Andrei made an interesting face like he always does. “Nice to meet you Belle! The name suits you, it means beauty and you are too!”

Phoebe raised her eyebrows, is he really flirting in front of her? But she dismissed it and let his happy persona conquer their serious conversation. “I think you were having a serious talk, I am sorry about interrupting you.”

“How long have you been eavesdropping on us?” Phoebe looks at him, hoping that he isn’t for too long. “Not really, just heard this lady saying that they can do more. I don’t really have the context and impulsively interrupted the conversation. I am sorry about that, again.” He scratched his nape in embarrassment. 

“It’s okay, but please don’t do that again, you scared me.” Belle holds her chest, implying she was scared. “And it is quite disrespectful, I am not gonna pull this out, but I needed to. You are the ki—archduke’s son, it seems a bad influence seeing you like that. You are the future archduke, isn’t it a bad habit to just eavesdrop on people’s conversations?”

Andrei sighed, “I am sorry, okay? I didn’t mean to. Anyway, I’m gonna go to my uncle’s house later, so can I go with you, Phoebe?” Phoebe was a bit confused, she knows that the archduke was his uncle, but then on Belle, he’s his father? And based on what he said, he seemed revealed accidentally that the archduke was his uncle instead of his father.

She raised her eyebrows at him and he realized what he said wrong. “Is Phoebe residing in the king’s castle?” Belle asked as Andrei denies it. “No! No, of course. I have a better chance of being in the castle than her, what made you think of that Belle? What I meant was, if she can go with me.”

“Like, a date?” Belle teased as Phoebe blushed a bit but shrugged that feeling. She shouldn’t feel this way, Andrei and her were related of some sort in the past, her past life. He is her past life’s cousin, Desiree’s cousin. “Belle…” The braided girl giggles. “Fine, fine.”

“Maybe you can go with us to assure it’s not a date.” Andrei offered her, it seems he is interested in the girl, but she hated his father, the king. It will be a trap for her if she fell in love with the king’s son who seems to neglect the idea he is the king’s second son, one of the heirs of the throne, or even the high positions. 

“What…? The archduke’s house is only for those he is connected to. I am not connected to him in any way. And I feel he will scold you bringing a friend there with no business at all, so I refuse and thank you for the offer, Andrei.” 

“I mean, I am his scholar and he is his son, maybe he could let you pass, and you are privileged to meet the high honor and even step on his mansion!” Phoebe insisted, she wants to have an in-depth talk with her and it’s more private in the mansion, no one could ditch them and say that they are forming a rebellion against the officials. 

Belle was been forced by two people as she sighs and raised her white flag metaphorically. “Fine, just don’t blame me if you got shouted by the archduke.” Phoebe smiles as Andrei celebrates. “See you two later in the gates!” 

After their class, students start to board their carriages and leave one by one. Some walked their way home, the two girls stayed in the gate even Phoebe’s carriage, or she should say a borrowed cart from the archduke, is waiting. 

They saw a masculine figure in the distance running towards them. Phoebe raised her eyebrow in confusion, he could have just walked the thing. “I am here!” He pants, catching his breath. “Hold on—a sec…” He keeps breathing heavily as he fixes his hair and wipes the dirt that can’t be really noticed on his blazer. 

“Let’s go?” Phoebe asked him as he nods, “Wait first.” He said as he runs to a fancy carriage and talks to the coachman. They waited for a minute as the carriage of his starts going and he went back to them. “Let’s go!”

They board Phoebe’s carriage which can hold 4 people in its seats. Belle looks around, “I never rode a personal carriage before, just travel carts.” She is fascinated by how the interior stands out even it's just a simple one, not like those carriages of their rich, noble schoolmates.

“And also Andrei, why aren’t you called a prince?” Belle asked the boy in front of them. “Oh! I mean, I am getting called prince at home, but I rather not around some of my friends. A title just makes my name longer. But sometimes I just let people call me, it’s still courtesy.”

“Prince Andrei of Eshecaea? Like that?” Belle asked as Andrei shook his head, “More like Prince Andrei of Driessen, I mean the king is my uncle but I am not really a part of the royal family like directly.” 

Phoebe is looking at him and still wondering about something. Few people know Andrei’s existence and even fewer people knew that he is the second son of the king himself, the emergency king, as others would call them. But why he would neglect him being the second son of the king? It is one of the greatest you would have, you have fewer chances to be the son of the king. Like how she was the daughter of the king before. 

“So that makes you a normal prince?” Belle asked once again, but this time, Phoebe answered her. “Not really, he is still part of the bigger royal family. The late King Marcus, Archduke Bermin, and King Dougal are brothers. He is still related to Prince Andres of Eshecaea, the new heir to the throne and the late Princess Desiree, the one who supposed to be the new ruler, but was killed.” Her heart aches a bit as she speaks of her past life’s name. 

As they continue conversing about Eshecaean politics, the carriage stops implying they arrived at their destination. Andrei opened the door for the ladies as they went out of the carriage. Belle was fascinated that in front of her eyes, there is the archduke’s mansion, one of the places that only privileged people step on. 

They went inside as they were welcomed by the servants. They found the archduke talking to someone in the living room. They were stopped and looked at the two figures. 

“Oh! You are already home Phoebe.” Bermin smiles as he looked at the other two teens. “And Andrei and… What’s the name of this lady?” He asked and looks at Phoebe. “She is Belle. Belle of Lalonde.” 

“Nice to meet you, Belle. I cannot welcome you thoroughly because I have an important business here. You can take up your bedrooms or even the gardens if you want, if you may leave us in private, please?”

They all nod and went to the right side of the room and entered the halls leading away from it. They closed the door as Phoebe thinks of a plan. “Hey, I forgot something on the carriage.” She excused herself. “Okay, we will just be in the garden.” They went on their way as Phoebe secretly eavesdropped in the conversation. 

“How’s Hawthorne?” Bermin asked his visitor. It was a perfect topic for her. “Still in that misery, but, the military is weakening, sooner or later, we can help them out of that hell hole.”

“Good, then we will deal with the councils.”