The Prince of the Republic

Chapter Three

It was a hard morning. Oyster Cookie's outrage at the engagement left everyone scrambling for where to stand, but the insistent claim that Financier Cookie and Clotted Cream Cookie genuinely cared for each other was accepted, and Oyster Cookie sadly returned home to comfort her son. The conflict was brushed off as an emotional outburst, and no further rifts within the Convocation came to light.

"I don't believe him!" Royal Milk Tea Cookie sobbed into his mother's arms, tears falling to the floor. "I thought we loved each other!"

"Oh, I know darling," Oyster Cookie soothed her son to the best of her ability, stroking his head softly. "So did everyone else in the Convocation. The arranged marriage wasn't fair to anyone."

(It was true. As children, the pair had been nearly inseparable before Financier Cookie was named as the young Consul's bodyguard. They ate every meal sitting beside each other, played together, and often slept over with each other at Oyster Manor since Custard Cookie refused to allow such a feminine boy into his home. He had called it "against the Divines' plan" whenever it was brought up.

Oyster Cookie truly did believe that Clotted Cream Cookie would take Royal Milk Tea Cookie's hand over anyone else's, but alas, it wasn't meant to be.)

The pair were checked on often by servants in shifts, always bringing water to drink and snacks to fill up on as Royal Milk Tea Cookie dehydrated himself from the number of tears that he let fall from his tired, heartbroken, blue eyes.

After a full night of crying, the young heir was finally calmed and ready to face the morning.

It was the first day after his initiation, and his mother had already left the house at a much earlier hour to begin discussing the financial situations within the Republic. Being a member of the high-ranking group was no light task, and there were issues daily that had to be dealt with. Lower-city Cookies often attended weekly council meetings to ask for improvements or greater funding for the towns below, as well as better living conditions for sailors on Captain Caviar Cookie's boats. Oyster Cookie's main priority was investing in the trade of the nation, so Royal Milk Tea Cookie was also pertinent to any financial matters at hand as the head of House Oyster's son.

Nearly every plea toward Oyster Cookie was answered with a resounding yes, as it was her way of not only soothing the nation's citizens that her spot in the political lineup was wise but because trust lead to secrets that were spilled that gave Oyster Cookie higher ground to stand on.

Royal Milk Tea Cookie dressed in the usual dress, cloak, and gloves combination and made his way out of the house toward the Republic's town hall, ready to provide input as an official member of the Convocation.

The Pearl Legion guards bowed their heads calmly, uncrossing the spears they held, and allowed the young heir to enter the town hall, shutting the doors behind him. The dark-haired Cookie heard a commotion in the main room of the building, where public meetings were held to hear Cookies' complaints and suggestions for the Republic's well-being.

"But doesn't less funding for the seafaring folk mean we'll go back to worse conditions in the boats?"

"There isn't going to be less funding, just a different allocation as to where the funding goes within the seafaring Cookies' allowance," Oyster Cookie replied. "We are directing our funds not toward the betterment of the boats, but to the purchasing of all-new ships entirely!"

Cheers were heard. "New ships? That's much better than just improving on the old ones! Thank you, Oyster Cookie!"

Royal Milk Tea Cookie happily walked around the large body of Cookies that were approaching the stand to speak, walking up a ramp to find his spot amongst the elders, right beside his mother.