The Love That Bonds Us

Chapter 37 : Change Is In The Air

AGNARR

"So you think a crop field should be set up on the West side of the mountain village?" Heimdall inquired of Iduna as we sat in the boardroom for yet another meeting.

Iduna nodded, "Yes. With the right farmer, I know that field will thrive. It's in a good place for sun and water. If you set it up in the East it will fail before we have a chance to harvest anything."

"Well. Agnarr, why didn't you pick the girl up sooner!" Sigurd, one of the higher Lieutenants, laughed heartily. He could be quite easygoing and laid back, and often made quirky comments like that one. He was one of Iduna's favourites on the council and she felt easiest in his presence.

I shrugged and smiled lovingly at the girl, knowing all to well that I'd had plenty of opportunities to make a move but had never taken them before now.

She joined in the laughter and nudged me when she caught me staring at her, before turning back to the paperwork we were looking over together.

It was a sprawled mess of parchments, including reports from Lyone that didn't seem to be getting us anywhere; trades which needed to be refined with favourable Kingdoms; people who showed potential to receive promotions within their current ranks; arrangements for the upcoming Winter Festival; reports on how Iduna was doing as Queen, which all produced positive results; and updates on what was happening in the Alliance, which seemed to be solely based on Lyone's betrayal at the moment.

Only, there was something about the Lyone reports that didn't sit right with me. Lyone had no reason to betray us, especially considering the fact that before they got involved in the Alliance they had been a vulnerable Kingdom. It wasn't right that they'd try and jeopardise their connections because they'd fall back into their old ways.

Colden and the other Royal Guards just smoothed that over by saying they were specifically stealing information that would allow them to stand alone; apparently they hated being dependent on everyone else and didn't like being weak either. While that was certainly plausible, it still didn't quite add up.

Maybe I was being naive, maybe there really was something wrong ... but I'd been so sure that Queen Adeline was trustworthy.

"What's this about asking Westleton for coal instead of their usual fruits?" Iduna suddenly asked, pointing down at the parchment, directing my eyes towards it.

I hadn't noticed that yet, but now that I did, I realised how aimless such a proposal was. "Yes. That doesn't make sense. We get coal from Whitlington." I shuffled the trade papers and found the one for that Kingdom, "Severing trade completely? Don't you people understand economy?" I threw the papers back down in frustration, "We need trade with Whitlington."

Colden shook his head, "With all due respect, I would beg to disagree, Your Majesty. We do not actually need trade with Whitlington."

"Why not? If we cut trade we risk their Alliance." I argued, rage boiling in my blood until Iduna's hand squeezed mine.

"And would that be such a shame? Whitlington doesn't actually offer any benefits to the Alliance. Their involvement in it is futile. If they are no longer a member I wonder if any difference would be made."

"But you're missing the point Colden." Iduna said, pressing one finger against the table to accentuate her words, "The whole point of the Alliance is to build a framework of connections between Kingdoms. It will remove the threats of war and create a harmonic peace. Do you really want to put all that out of the window? Whitlington has been part of this Alliance since it was first initiated. If we disrupt it's loyalty now, who knows how they'll retaliate."