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PHYSIENTS WILL ALWAYS OFFER BEST STORIES AND LIVE STREAMING ALL TIME
THE FORGOTTEN PRINCESS
C447 Tarmac’s Other Side (1)
447 Tarmac’s Other Side (1)
“You are not asking for yourself as well?” Regaleon asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I am also at fault with knowing and not reporting to it to your majesty sooner.” Arnold bowed his head. “I will take any punishment you see fit, your majesty.”
There was silence for a while. I can see that Arnold’s hands were shaking. He maybe willing to take responsibility for his father and brother’s action, but he is still only a young man that has not come of age just yet. He can still be classified as a kid in high society.
“I admire your sense of responsibility, young lord Arnold.” Regaleon said. “But you are not at fault with your father and brother’s own decision. I will not hold those who have not sinned accountable for other people’s sin. Or do you think I am such a tyrant ruler that I would punish your whole family with the sins of your father and brother?” Regaleon’s countenance was that of a ruler.
“N-No, your majesty.” Arnold said with trembling voice. “I would never…” He continued.
“Then let us continue to what we came here for.” Regaleon said. “You said you would lead the way.”
“O-Of course, your majesty.” Arnold replied instantly. He straightened his posture. “It is this way.” He gestured.
Regaleon nodded. He took my hand and we walked behind Arnold who showed us the way.
“You frightened the poor kid.” I whispered to Regaleon. “He was shaking when he asked to be punished as well for being ignorant.”
“That is to be expected as a ruler. He must see that I am not that soft hearted of a ruler.” Regaleon replied.
“But I know you will not punish the poor kid and his mother and half sister.” I said with a smile. “You are a wise ruler that will not punish those that have not sinned.”
“I am not such a tyrant. I have been past that.” Regaleon smiled back. “But still, being ignorant does not mean you are free of sin. They must still pay the price for being ignorant.”
I know that Regaleon still need to pass down some form of punishment to the countess even though she was ignorant of her husbands misdeeds. Regaleon still needs to be a good example of a ruler for others to see. But I am sure that he will give the countess and the children of the Forger family that has not sinned a proper punishment. I am not worried because my husband is a just ruler.
“But still, knowing what the countess had gone thru.” I said. “She has endured quite a lot.”
“Yes, you are right.” Regaleon replied. “Do not worry, I will make sure that the countess will at least have a good and happy life after this.”
“I know you will.” I replied with a smile.
We followed Arnold’s lead and walked along the streets of the city. We used the back streets to avoid detection from the count’s men.
Not long, I realized that the buildings started to change. The beautiful buildings from the central area changed when we were getting farther. It was changed with old and run down buildings. The lively atmosphere changed to gloomy and dark one.
The people we walk past also differ from the ones in the central part of the city. They were wearing poor clothing. I was stunned with the changes in the scenery. If I put it into words, the central part was the bright part while this part of the city was the shadow and gloomy part.
“The people here…” I said with a low voice.
“Yes.” Regaleon replied with a knowing look.
The people in this part of the city looked poor. They were poorly dressed and there faces were devoid of life. It was as if they werr struggling to survive.
“Can you please spare me a few pennies.” A man who was all skin and bones jumped in front of us. “Please, I beg you. Just some spare change to buy something to eat.”
“You cannot just jump onto others like that.” Arnold said. “I am sorry, your majesty.” He whispered.
Regaleon raised his hand lightly as to say it was alright. Arnold took off his hood and took his wallet out of his pocket.
“Here, take this.” Arnold gave the man some pennies.
“I-It is you, young lord.” The man said. “T-Thank you, as always.” The man bowed and left.
“He know you?” I asked.
“I frequent these parts.” Arnold replied. “I sometimes do some charity work here whenever I have a chance. Distributing food and clothed, that stuff. But what I give is just a means for them to survive for a short time. What they need is a long term solution for they proverty.”
“Doesn’t the city hold many job opportunities because of your brother’s so called ‘business’?” Regaleon asked.
“Well, yes…” Arnold replied.
“Look, its Arnold.” A little child shouted.
“Arnold… its Arnold.” Young children started to flock around Arnold.
“Hello kids.” Arnold smiled.
“Have you come to play with us today?” One chiled asked.
“Have you brought candies for us today?” Another chiled asked.
The children’s faces were bright while looking at Arnold. It was evident that he takes care of these children.
“Sorry kids, I cannot play with you today.” Arnold replied. “I am here on business today.”
“Awww…” The children replied in unison. There face showed dissapointment looked kind of cute.
“I will drop by next time and bring many candies, okay?” Arnold said with a smile.
“And you are going to play with us?” One child asked.
“Of course I will.” Arnold patted the child’s head.
“Yey!” The children laughed. “See you later then Arnold.”
The children waved goodbye to Arnold and he waved back.
“The children’s smiled brightens up this gloomy place at least.” Arnold said to us.
“But seeing their frail little bodies is quite sad.” I said. “They are all too skinny for their age. Not only them but some adults here as well.”
“I thought your brother’s business is producing jobs.” Regaleon asked. “But why are the people here in poor condition?”
“Many people here do work in my brother’s business. These children’s fathers work there.” Arnold replied. “But the pay I believe is not much. And many of them are burried in debt. The wages they get only pays for their debts and only a fee of their income remain. And so they get loans from my brother with unreasonable high interests which are addition to the debts that need to pay. The list keeps going on and on. In fact I won’t be surprised if they live the rest of their lives paying their debts.”
“That is just awful.” I said.
“I never thought that Tarmac was this kind of city.” Regaleon said. “I have worked hard to eliminate such poverty, but seeing with my own eyes let me know it still exists.” I can see his other hand balled into fists.
“It was not always like this in the past, your majesty.” Arnold said. “When my grandfather was the one managing the city, he at least had done a good job. The city’s budget might not be that big back then but he made sure that no family were starving. My father at first had followed his footsteps, but now…” He fell silent.
“Your brother’s influence changed him?” Regaleon asked.
“My brother was not like that in the past.” Arnold replied. “He was a bright kid and the pride of my father. But when he went to the ryal academy, he changed. He started to get gloomier everytime he went back on vacations. I thought maybe something might be happening in the academy that we do not know of, but my brother only shrugs when asked. Until one day he changed. The gloominess in him disappeared but he did not revert back to his bright self. I thought that he will go back to his usual self once he graduated from the academy, but that was not the case.”
“Your brother was bullied back at the academy.” Regaleon said. “I was in my last year when I met him by chance.”
“That explains it then.” Arnold said with a knowing look. “But he changed all of a sudden.”
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“I might have something to do with his change.” Regaleon replied. “I have said… a few things to him that I now regret saying.”
“I am sure that your majesty had what you thought would be best to my brother at that time. And I believe you are not the main factor of my brother’s change.” Arnold replied. “As I recall, his major change happened after he graduated from the academy and had came back here. Your majesty has left the adacemy by that time and took the throne and became king of Grandcrest. My brother he… just changed recently.”
“Do you mean he did not change a lot when he came back from the academy?” I asked.
“Yes. He still had his former self in him until the war ended.” Arnold replied. “The war with Jennovia had hit us hard economically, like all other places at that time. My father and brother were at there wits end and was in a hige anount of debt. One day my brother was out on the forest to deal with animals that were preying the livestocks of our people. And he, just did not came back the same again.”
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THE FORGOTTEN PRINCESS
Chapter 448 Tarmac’s Other Side (2)
448 Tarmac’s Other Side (2)
“One day my brother was out on the forest to deal with animals that were preying on the livestock of our people. And he, just did not came back the same again.” Arnold said.
“This forest, is it the one that borders Alvannia and parts of Jennovia?” I asked.
“Yes, that is correct your majesty. It is the big thick forest that borders the city.” Arnold replied. Regaleon and my eyes met, and we had that knowing look. “I-Is there something about that forest, your majesties?” Arnold looked at us with a confused expression.
Regaleon and I knew that this forest was the one we traveled on in the past. This was where we met the sirens, a race that lived in ancient times. I have remember asking Anatalia about other beings like them and the Lycans, if there are others that still exists in this time. She answered me that ancient being like them seldom contact each other and always keep to their own race. They do not know if there are others out there that survived from the purge of the Almighty One.
“Tell us about the details on your brother’s trip to this forest.” Regaleon said.
“As you well know your majesty, Tarmac is not a rich city. And so, we were hit hard economically when the war with Jennovia started. Like other cities, our economy declined.” Arnold explained. “We were just picking up economically when the war ended when attacks on out livestock started. As you know, livestock and farming are one of the main products that a countryside city such as ours produce and trade.”
“The war also affected many cities economically.” I said. “It was a war we really did not want.”
“When we were just picking up, wild animals were attacking our livestock and destroying our crops.” Arnold explained. “Sighting had suggested that these wile animals came from the forest. The edge of the forest is just some distance away from the outskirts of Tarmac. We made sure to make necessary precautionary measure against the animal attacks, but it only escalated.”
“Escalated to what?” Regaleon asked.
“The animals started to attack humans as well. Children started to go missing and after those attacks on adults started.” Arnold replied. “The fear that people felt intensified.”
“Are there sightings of these wild animals you are talking about?” Regaleon asked. “Do they look like big hideous wolf like features?”
“There were sighting, but they were not wolf like as you have said your majesty.” Arnold replied. “The sightings said the animals looked like big birds with big wings and stands in two feet. These birds were featherless, and their skin were scaly as the sightings said. What kind of bird grows that big and hunts livestock and also humans?”
“I see.” Regaleon said.
‘So, these were not the creatures called wargs that attacked the Lycan settlement.’ I thought. ‘But what kind of creature could this be? How many of these creatures survived until today?’
“What did your father do after?” Regaleon asked.
“My father did not have the means to hire mercenary groups, so we decided that the city’s soldiers lead by my brother would hunt these animals.” Arnold replied.
“But you could have asked help from the capital.” I said. “Why did your father not send a letter of assistance to the capital. I am sure we would have sent the empire’s soldiers to help, right your majesty?” I asked Regaleon.
“Hmm.” Regaleon nodded his head and agreed to my words.
“That is what I suggested to father, but my brother refused to ask for help. He said that others will see the weakness of our domain and others will look down on us.” Arnold replied. “He suggested the animal hunt and if it was not successful then that is the time, we call for assistance from the capital.”
“So, your brother and a group of soldiers headed to the forest to hunt these creatures?” Regaleon asked.
“Yes, your majesty. They were well armed and was optimistic with the hunt.” Arnold replied. “They departed the city early in the morning. But three days passed after their departure, and we did not hear any word from their group. My father was getting worried and was forming a search group to follow the first group on the fourth day, but on the night of the third day the hunting group came back.”
“How did the hunt go?” I asked.
“There were many casualties, your majesty.” Arnold replied. “Many soldiers were injured gravely; some also lost their lives. My brother also returned gravely injured. Once he recovered, that was when he changed. It was like another person returned and not him.”
“Did he tell you what happened with the hunt? What happened in that forest?” Regaleon asked.
“He said that they were successful in containing the wild animals, your majesty.” Arnold replied. “He also said that we can gain much with these creatures, that they were a blessing in disguise.”
“What does he mean by that?” I asked. “How can creatures that terrorized the people and the city be a blessing?” I was confused.
“My brother said that time when they were about to wrap things up with these creatures, a group of Xing merchants passed by. They called these creatures wyvern and offered my brother a huge amount if we can ship these creatures to Xing.” Arnold explained. “My brother saw these as an opportunity, and so he started the wyvern business. Father backed my brother and agreed to this business, and they erected a facility by the edge of the forest. They started to breed these wyverns and ship them to the country of Xing while they were still younglings.”
“How did they get business permits for this?” I asked. “This is a shady business.”
“Because of the war, many had gone bankrupt due to the decrease in economy.” Regaleon replied. “I have given permission for those small businesses to start without business permits while starting but they need to get one after a year had passed.”
Economic affairs are one that the emperor’s office holds, and so I do not have that much knowledge in them. I only heard that many businesses closed while the war was ongoing. After the war, there was a budget that was given to help business owners to get back up.
“Your father and brother had done something shady.” Regaleon said.
“That is why as a Forger myself, it is my duty to report this to you, your majesty.” Arnold replied and bowed his head solemnly.
“I understand. Thank you for telling me.” Regaleon said. “And as I promised, I will only persecute those that are proven guilty.”
“Thank you, your majesty.” Arnold replied. “I will always be in your debt.”
“These creatures are dangerous.” I added. “If they are the same as the ones we have encountered, then they pose a threat here in the city of Tarmac.”
“We will deal with this once we get back.” Regaleon said.
We walked a little more around the city with Arnold leading us. We switched with our replicas without the men of Count Forger noticing.
We came back to the Forger residence right after the sun had just set.
“Thank you for showing us the city, young lord Arnold.” Regaleon said. “We saw many ‘interesting’ things.”
“It is a pleasure serving you, your majesties.” Arnold replied. “I will not hold you for too long because I know you need to rest. We will send word to your quarters when dinner is ready.”
“Thank you so much once again, young lord Arnold.” I said.
Regaleon and I walked down the halls and towards our quarters.
“We need to do something about that facility.” I said to Regaleon. “The danger it poses to the people of Tarmac is great.”
“I know.” Regaleon replied. “I will meet with my men and get more intel from the shadow guards I have put on the facility to watch.”
“Those creatures that they call wyverns, do you think it is the same as the wargs we encountered in the Lycan settlement?” I asked.
“That may be the case.” Regaleon replied. “We need to get ore details on these creatures. I think we may need to go thru the archives about such creatures. The Lycans home that was once an Atlantian’s palace might have some books and writings left.”
“My mother might know of some stories from the ancient times as well.” I said. “The Almighty One might have left some personal notes.”
We walked towards our quarters when I saw the door next to ours.
“I will go and take a look at the twins before going inside.” I said.
“Okay.” Regaleon gave me a peck on my cheek. “I will talk to the shadow guard for a while.”
I opened the door and saw the twins taking a nap on the bed. Tricia was by the bedside reading a book silently while watching over the twins.
“Your majesty.” Tricia greeted.
“Shhh…” I gestured to Tricia. “You can go and rest for a while. I will watch over them for now.” I whispered.
“Of course, your majesty.” Tricia bowed and silently left the room.
I looked at my children and a felt warm inside. I gave them both a kiss on the forehead.
“I love you my sweet babies.” I said with a smile.
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