Feral Regality

Chapter - 24

"And what about the shifter merchants? Has the city's condition improved since we last visited it?"

Being a queen was not that hard. At least not the part where I was just supposed to sit and ask questions to the hoard of subjects that I now daily met in the court room, my throne situated on the higher grounds right beside Cassius, which had been very overwhelming to get used to during the first months.

Valin, the half lion- half man general who was the general of the shapeshifting community started on about the city that had been in near ruins during our touring to it last winter, the state of the city merchants the most horrible of all the lives.

"Yes your highness, we have established royal conduct in the city to make sure the local businesses do not collapse and while the trading business has started blooming steadily there are other problems coming up." Cassius asked for details as he briefed through a few manuscripts with keen interest, the fact that he could multitask and still acquire everything with great detail still baffling me.

His mind was a devious wonderful thing.

One that I had come to love.

Thalia and Kyra, the latter one being half-shifter and half goblin, the woman a very peculiar species to look at, her brown yet greenish skin a fascinating look on her, the blonde hair completely contrasting with her skin tone but in a way that made her unique and elegant, her hair never out of the bun she kept them in, suddenly started speaking in unison, the witches' general gesturing to continue.

"Your highness we've had several complains rising from all around the empire about various reasons. Soil has turned completely infertile in the farming fields, the husks of all the tress have gone completely bad and similar such problems." That is weird.

"Bring out the map and mark the affected areas." I laid back in my thoughts as my order was taken into action, thinking about how in hell's name could acres of fertile land suddenly turn barren in a matter of days. "Move the farming to the southeastern fields, bring down a few hectares of the forest on the western sides if need be, cut of the barren lands and establish a small living village and a few working mils to provide a choice to the humans to settle there if they wish to. The date palms and higher vegetation trees that are in the east can be moved a little to the north, closer to the arid zones. I believe this should be enough at least for the time being till we figure out why lands are going bad."

"This is not the only city facing this problem your highness." I pursed my lips when a dozen more maps were rolled open onto the tables placed on the grounds, my eyes narrowing the more Thalia and a few others explained the situation.

This does not seem natural.

It's as if the entire expanse of the empire was turning barren.

This wasn't natural.

"Ah. It's like that then." I muttered, finally turning to face the king who had already been staring at me. "Visiting time?" I murmured almost tauntingly, aware that he could use a lightening up. He wouldn't be very happy about this.

"So it seems Csilla. When should we?" I gave it a second of thought before I turned back to the people below, smirking in my mind.

"Go ahead with the plans as I have just mentioned, let's draw this out for a few weeks more. Provide the places affected with sufficient requirements, but let the few major cities get a hit and show loss. If destruction has to be shown, let's make sure we have all the justification we need to express it." I let a small smirk graze my face when I felt Cassius grin at me, knowing he would be happy by the predicament.

I live to please.

"As you wish your highness. The royal treasury will make the needed expenses." I nodded at the royal treasurer and his team, dismissing them silently to get to work, raising my brow when I heard Adrastos rushing towards here a few miles away.