Accidental king 2, p.2
Accidental King 2, page 2
“Thanks.” I grinned. “I really appreciate it.”
“We’re going to team up with Basttrum?” Yori asked with excitement. “I bet they’ve got a huge army!”
“They do,” I chuckled. “I figured we should have allies in the north. Vannesh’s spies have reported some shady shit going down in the Haktorian Empire. There’s a chance we’re going to have problems with them in the future, and I’d like to have as many soldiers on our side as possible.”
Even Serra couldn’t hide her surprise, and Yori gasped dramatically.
“Whoa,” she said. “Then we definitely need some friends with big armies!”
“Indeed,” Serra said coldly. “But there is current business to attend to. We were searching for you because the Master of Agriculture is looking for you.”
“He’s so excited,” Yori said. “I still can’t believe you’ve got a peasant in your court!”
Serra opened her mouth, but Tanell shot her a sharp look that stopped her in her tracks.
“Kashiann was the best man for the job,” I said. “It wouldn’t make sense to hire some noble guy who’d never dirtied his hands in the mud before. I want a working man who really knows farming, and he’s the perfect fit.”
“I suppose that makes sense,” Serra said as she avoided my gaze. “Well, he is in one of the meeting rooms waiting for you.”
“Lead the way,” I said, and I offered her my most charming smile. “I still haven’t memorized every one of these rooms. It’s going to take forever to learn the layout.”
“We’ll show you!” Yori said excitedly, and she grabbed my hand and pulled me with her ridiculous strength.
I snorted with laughter as I followed the small powerhouse, and the other women strode along beside me.
Yori led the way around the maze-like halls of the ground floor until she stopped outside an open doorway that led into a large, cozy room. A fire blazed in the fireplace, and several armchairs were seated around a central table. Bookcases lined the walls, and the red carpet was thick under my boots.
Kashiann sprang to his feet when he saw me, and I grinned at the new outfit that had replaced the old clothing he always wore in his village. He had been given tailored, dark-green robes that stood out against his tanned skin, and a new pair of leather boots without a scrap of mud covered his feet. His hair had been trimmed along with his facial hair, and his dark eyes creased with happiness as he bowed deeply.
“Your highness,” he said. “Thank you for this gift you have given me. I still can’t believe I’m here.”
“Please,” I said with a wave of my hand. “Call me Ken, and I’m the one who should be thanking you. There’s so much to do around here. Your knowledge of the kingdom’s agriculture is going to be so valuable.”
The man looked like he was going to faint from happiness as we sat in the comfortable armchairs around the table. I gestured for him to take his seat again, and he cleared his throat as he did.
“You asked me what should be done with the Plains of Duulg,” he said. “Thanks to your victory over them, we now have access to a whole land that was sitting in ruin and waste.”
I shuddered as I remembered how brutal and rabid the Drolg fighters had been. Killing their leader had appointed me as their new ruler, and now we had a large stretch of land to figure out what to do with.
I already had my most capable and vicious soldiers out making sure order was kept among them, and we’d been given maps of the land we now had access to. I’d appointed Kashiann to mull over what he thought was best since he understood the crops and farming opportunities better than anyone.
“What have you decided?” I asked.
“This is going to cause huge changes to our kingdom,” my Master of Agriculture said quietly. “I have a few changes in mind. If we implement them, I believe we will have enough crops and animals to trade with other kingdoms.”
I shot up in my seat, and Tanell’s blue eyes widened.
“We’ve never had an overflow like that,” she said. “That could change our whole economy if we were able to start a trade with other lands.”
“That’s amazing.” I grinned. “I’d been planning to set up some trade agreements, but I wasn’t sure where we could begin. You reckon we have the resources to make it happen?”
Kashiann gave me a confident nod.
“If you are willing to fund my plans,” he said. “Then yes. But it will require the building of many more plows, shelters for animals, and smaller expenses such as troughs and watering cans.”
“It’ll be pricey, I bet,” I said. “But if it’s going to create more opportunities for our kingdom, then it’s a smart investment.”
“I have planned out each farming area,” Kashiann said as he smoothed down parchment in front of us with a scribbled map. “There are different soil types in the east and west of the Plains of Duulg. The west will be best for heartier crops such as corn, potatoes, and other root vegetables. The east would be best to grow grain, sow grass for grazing animals, and more delicate crops.”
“Okay,” I said. “What’s this area here?”
I pointed to a large stretch of land in the center of the Plains of Duulg that was colored red. There were no notes scribbled on it, and Kashiann sighed.
“That is unusable land,” he said. “Sadly, it is a drought area. There are no nearby water sources for miles. It was not tended to properly, and it dried up completely.”
“Could you make the land usable again?” I asked. “If we could get water to it?”
“It’s technically possible,” Kashiann said. “But the amount of water we would need would take hundreds of carriages to transport. It would take several trips and many months.”
I frowned as I studied the map and thought of what I knew of farming from my life on Earth. There were several things that this new world was behind on, and I was starting to realize just how much I could teach them.
“Have you heard of irrigation?” I asked. “Aqueducts?”
The Master of Agriculture blinked at me, and the women seemed just as nonplussed.
“An aqueduct is a structure,” I said. “It’s used to transport large amounts of water from one place to another. Think of it like a road for water to flow along until it reaches the fields.”
“I have never heard of such a thing,” Kashiann said slowly. “How would we even begin to build it?”
“I’ve got a basic idea,” I said. “It’s something I knew about from my realm, but I’d need someone with construction knowledge to actually plan it.”
“What a wonderful idea,” Tanell said happily. “We can get the Master of Architecture involved in that. She’ll be thrilled to have a new project!”
“We’ll need a lot of workers for these plans,” I said. “It’s going to create a good amount of well-paying jobs for people of the kingdom.”
“You plan to pay a lot for this work?” Kashiann asked.
“Of course,” I said. “Good labor deserves a good wage.”
“That’s amazing,” Yori said. “I bet loads of folk from the village will be eager for the work.”
“We have enough workers to spare a good few for the new plans,” the Master of Agriculture said. “But we’ll need many more to get everything moving. Especially for this new structure you speak of.”
“The aqueduct will take a long time to get finalized,” I said. “I imagine Refi will need a few weeks to properly plan out a structure so huge. But we can organize workers for the farming work to get started.”
“I can ask Gelm to do it,” Tanell said. “The Master of Publicity can put a bulletin out for anyone looking for a job. I have no doubt we will have plenty of interest.”
“I’d like to speak with some of the farmers in your village,” I said. “We can have a public meeting about any concerns or ideas they have. I’d like to float the idea of these new jobs to them in person to see how they react.”
“I can get the carriages arranged,” Kashiann said as he got to his feet. “My people will be so excited to see you again!”
“I can’t wait,” I chuckled. “It’s nice to get out of the palace every once in a while.”
My Master of Agriculture bowed deeply before he rolled up his parchment and hurried out of the meeting room. I watched the crackling fire and grinned as Yori punched the air.
“Another win for the peasants,” she whooped. “More well-paying jobs rolling in for the farming people? You’d better watch out, or the snooty nobles will get jealous!”
“I doubt it,” Serra sniffed. “Digging holes for potatoes is hardly a role a nobleman would want.”
“He might when he sees the salary,” I said with a wink. “I’m going to make sure the workers are paid well for their hard labor. Guys shoveling shit and sweating under the hot sun should have plenty of money to provide for themselves and have some left over for luxuries.”
“Luxuries!” Serra said, and her brown eyes looked ready to burst from her head.
“Yes,” I said. “Why shouldn’t a farmer be able to buy his wife a beautiful necklace? Or get himself something delicious to eat from the market?”
“Yeah,” Yori said. “How come people like me aren’t worth paying properly in your eyes?”
“I didn’t say that,” Serra spluttered. “It’s just that things are changing very quickly!”
“Good,” Tanell said firmly. “It’s about time.”
Yori grinned at the blonde queen, and Serra flushed under her layers of makeup. I got to my feet and stretched.
“Who wants to come?” I asked, and Yori leaped to her feet right away.
“I do,” she said eagerly. “I can’t wait to see their faces when they hear about your plans!”
“I shall attend,” Tanell said as she gracefully stood up. “I do love watching how involved you get with your subjects. It’s given me a newfound love for royal business.”
I glanced at Serra, and she stuck out her chin as she stood up.
“I shall remain here,” she said. “To draft the letter to the King and Queen of Basttrum. Would you like to see it before it is sent?”
“I trust you,” I said, and Serra’s eyes widened slightly.
“Very well,” she said airily, and she cleared her throat as she marched out of the room.
Her heels clipped against the stone corridor outside as I ran a hand through my hair.
“I don’t think she’s ever going to like me,” I said. “I really thought she’d enjoy that job of writing to royalty.”
“She’ll love it!” Yori said. “That’s just who Serra is. She’s stuck-up and snooty. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen her actually smile.”
“I don’t mind if she doesn’t want the closeness we have,” I said. “But I just want her to feel comfortable and enjoy her role.”
“Her loss.” Yori grinned as she slid into my arms.
She looked up at me and batted her dark eyelashes. I chuckled as she stood on her tiptoes and eagerly presented her lips. My hands gently cradled her soft cheeks as I leaned down and kissed her, and she sighed happily against me.
“She reeeally doesn’t know what she’s missing,” Yori giggled as we pulled apart.
“Let’s go to the stables,” I chuckled. “Before you two beauties get me sidetracked.”
We left the cozy room and strolled out to find our carriage already waiting outside. Two black horses stood in front of it, and their coats glistened with every toss of their heads.
A smaller carriage sat in front of ours, and a dozen guards on horseback were lined up and ready for action. Each man had an array of blades on his belt, and they all had a longsword attached to their backs with leather straps. I was grateful to have such badass soldiers watching my back as we traveled, and it put me at ease to be taking my women on the road with me.
Kashiann waved from the smaller carriage in front of ours, and I grinned as our driver stood beside the door and opened it for us.
“Thanks,” I said, and the bearded man smiled brightly.
I let my two ladies enter first, and I climbed in behind them onto the comfortable leather seat. Our driver bowed as he closed the door, and he climbed quickly to the seat at the front of the carriage. There was still something thrilling about traveling in such an old-timey way in my mind. Especially when I had two gorgeous women on either side.
“This is going to be so great!” Yori said. “Ken’s next move as king!”
“Expanding the farmlands is a very wise choice,” Tanell said as she adjusted her cloak. “The wealth it could bring the kingdom will be just as valuable as the belief and further respect it will bring Ken from his people.”
“Both are important,” I said with a nod. “We’ve just claimed a whole stretch of land. It makes sense to use every inch of it we can.”
“You make me excited to live in this kingdom,” Tanell said with a smile, and she leaned over to place a gentle kiss on my cheek.
“You make me excited about everything,” Yori said. “I’d be riding you right now if there weren’t so many people around.”
“You have such a way with words.” Tanell smirked, and both women burst into bright laughter.
The horses whinnied as we began to move, and we started to gather speed as we were led away from the palace. A few of the gardeners waved as we passed, and I smiled as I returned the gesture. Bright flowers lined our way as the carriage sped out to the gates, and we eventually left the grounds behind.
I sat back and enjoyed the view as the sound of horseshoes on the ground rang out around us. The sky was bright, and my mind raced with all the information I’d learned in such a short amount of time. I was so proud of everything I’d accomplished as king so far, and it was only the beginning. I saw something in my people that the previous king never had.
The carriage sped up as we headed off for Kashiann’s village, and I couldn’t wait to begin the next chapter of my rule as king.
Chapter 2
The beautiful landscape of Nalatria was bright with emerald-green hills and glistening creeks. Yori leaned her elbows on the carriage window and sighed happily as she watched the stunning views roll by, and Tanell’s blue eyes were transfixed on the other window.
I had a feeling my blonde queen was still thinking about how she’d been left out of Oberis’ plans, and I worried more surprises of a similar nature were waiting to be dug up.
But it was such a beautiful day that I allowed myself to push those thoughts away for a while.
Yori had packed us some apples for the journey, and I enjoyed the sweet fruit as the landscape outside started to change color. The green hills began to become more sporadic, and stretches of orange soil came into view as we entered the farmlands. Cattle grazed in fields as farmers pushed plows through their crops, and the carriage turned again and again to lead us past distant villages and farmhouses.
“We’re close.” I grinned as I recognized a small bridge as we crossed over.
“You’re learning the land!” Yori grinned as she grabbed my arm.
“Slowly,” I chuckled.
The carriage finally turned down the last road that led us straight to Kashiann’s village, and Yori clapped as we rolled to a halt. Our driver parked and quickly jumped down to get the door, and he bowed as he swung it open on Tanell’s side. She smiled at him as he helped her out, and I helped Yori down before I followed.
I was hit with the smell of manure as I stretched my limbs, but I barely noticed the stink as my gaze settled on the village. The resources I’d sent to get the village up and running again had done wonders, and I had to double-check we’d come to the right place. But the excited locals who ran to embrace Kashiann were all the confirmation I needed.
The houses that had been burned were almost completely rebuilt, and the scorched soil was nowhere to be seen. The farmers must have worked tirelessly to start the process of getting new fields ready to plant. The old burned fields had been turned, and men were out repairing the fences. It looked like it wouldn’t be long until seeds could be sown once more, and there was a general buzz of excitement in the air as we went over to join them.
“Your Majesty,” one man said as he shook Kashiann’s hand. “We’re getting truly spoiled by all of your visits!”
“You’re not getting rid of me that easily,” I chuckled, and the locals grinned from ear to ear.
“King Kenneth would like a village meeting,” Kashiann said. “He has ideas on how to help our village.”
The way my Master of Agriculture spoke was so much more confident and proud than when I’d met him a few weeks ago. He held his head high but still had all of his previous warmth, and I was thrilled I’d chosen him for the job.
“We’ll get everyone right away,” one of the men said. “Give us a few moments, and we’ll gather in the square.”
They hurried off as I took in our surroundings and studied how beautifully they’d fixed up their homes. The repairs blended in so seamlessly with the original structures that it was impossible to tell where the burned areas had been.
“There’s no shortage of skill in this place,” I said. “I can’t see any hints that there was ever a fire here.”
“Farmers work fast,” Yori said as we strode over to the center of the village.
People had already gathered, and there were even a few kids eagerly watching us. They waved excitedly at Kashiann as two women brought out wooden seats for our party. We sat down as more chairs were brought outside, and we eventually had an eager audience opposite us as we took our seats.
“Thank you for meeting with me,” I said. “I’d like to start by congratulating you all on your impressive recovery from the fire damage.”
“We couldn’t have done it without your support,” one man said.
The crowd nodded eagerly, and Kashiann shot me a grateful smile.
“That might be true,” I said. “But the supplies would have done nothing without skilled people here to do the work. I’ve actually come here today because I have some ideas to get things moving more quickly across the kingdom.”
“King Kenneth brings knowledge from his land,” Kashiann said. “A way to bring water to our crops quickly.”
