A Flavorful Box

The Magic Flower Path 2

After taking a ten minutes walk in a leisurely manner, Princess Alice and Prince Damien arrived at the market, in which the Spring Bazaar was on its full swing.

People were selling food of many kinds, candies and chocolates, drinks with flower essence in it, silk and sarees, gowns and armours, lanterns and jewels, and many other fascinating things that originated from different kingdoms within the continents.

For Alice, it was a common occasion, one she had seen all her life, but it was special for Damien.

Corragioso had a bazaar as well. But Bellisima had it 4 times a year, while Corragioso only had it once a year, in the middle of summer.

"So this is how Bellisima Kingdom is. I wouldn't understand how rich you all are if I've never come here."

"It's a dear old place for me," Alice countered. "I've never been anywhere else my whole life. Tell me, what's different here and in your country?"

"Everyeone seemed to be wearing gold and other gems so casually here."

Alice looked around. Even the waitresses wore at least a gold ring.

"Is it a rare sight in your country?"

"Yes. Only the rich wear jewels."

He wore an opal ring, but he's a prince, so she guessed he's part of the minority.

"What else strikes you as very different?"

"The number of dishes on one's table. People in Corragioso have simpler meals. People have double the variations per table here. Even the smallest tavern in Bellisima serves double amount of food compares to my kingdom."

Their orders have arrived. Alice ordered chili soup with bread and salad, as Damien ordered steak.

"I'll be brutally honest, then. Is your kingdom poor, Sir?"

Alice could see a flash of anger in his eyes.

"Arrogance somehow looks appealing on you."

"You're the one who said you intend to marry me for my wealth, what's the use of beating around the bush?"

"Corragioso is huge. And the wealth is not equally divided between provinces. Farming and trading are our main income. But famine could happen when there's bad weather."

"Is that the reason why you keep having wars, taking your neighboring kingdoms one by one?"

"If we have more land, we'll have more resources."

"Will you? Wars are expensive, Sir. And soldiers need to be fed," Alice replied.

"True. We've been moving resources between kingdoms. But......."

"You ran out of resources?" Alice asked accurately.

"Not yet. But we might really be bankrupt in a year or two."

Alice scoffed and ordered a glass of white wine.

"So why not marry the heiress of a rich kingdom, right?"

"Exactly. Why not?" Damien asked back.

Alice was silent as she sipped her wine. It calmed her down, indeed.

"I can't decide I am offended or intrigued by you, Sir."

"You're allowed to feel both, I should say."

"All the other suitors try to flatter me and give me gifts. They don't say outright that they need my wealth."

"And yet what they wish from you is the same. Your wealth. We can spend days on needless flirtations, but you are most appealing because you are the future queen of Bellisima, the richest kingdom in the continent."