There was nothing I could say to that. Eli and I had both had our hands full dealing with the fallout since she’d returned to the palace, but I was constantly being whisked from council to council as the acting king, so I had little time to spend in my office. It soon came to my attention that Eli had been working through the pile of documents awaiting my action while I was away. I could tell because it was being whittled down as swiftly as if Alexei were around. She determined which matters should be brought up at the councils, which decisions required my personal attention, and which could be delegated to another minister.
Alex’s subordinates were as competent as their boss. They were well trained and the cream of the crop. Still, many of the decisions that needed to be made at the moment required someone higher up, and Elianna was the one filling that role in Alex’s place. Even before this, she had often been called upon to assist Alexei. His men had observed her in those instances and thus knew what she was capable of. This was the inevitable result.
Alfred seemed to be criticizing me for that. He was saying that as long as she stayed at the royal palace—as long as she remained by my side—she would never have the chance to rest. I chewed on my lip, swallowing down my own feelings of inadequacy.
Of course, I’d tried to stop her the moment I’d noticed. Eli had her own work to do; she had been put in charge of containing the infection, which meant overseeing the Pharmacy Lab’s full-scale production of the cure, as well as handling the arrangements and final reviews of everything related to the disease, such as the doctors, the nurses, and the sick. Asking her to handle my workload on top of that would have been putting too much on her shoulders.
Yet she’d only smiled and said, “We are in a crisis. Please allow me to do whatever I can to help, Your Highness.”
Allowing the cases coming before me to pile up would hamper my ability to govern, which would inevitably have consequences for the common folk. I could see that she was strongly determined not to let things come to that.
In the short time we were apart, Elianna had become so much stronger and more radiant. I wanted to ask her what all had happened, but I knew I had to put my own affairs in order first.
Dragging myself out of my reverie with a small huff, I asked what had become of Eli’s workload, only to hear that those resourceful Bernsteins had worked their magic; it had already been delegated to trustworthy officials. I instructed Alfred to leave the final reviews to me before heading into the room where the meeting was to be held.
I briefly considered arranging for Eli to rest somewhere in the royal palace, but I knew how she was. She wouldn’t be able to relax on her own while the rest of us were toiling away. Though I told myself this was how things had to be for the time being, I still burned with the desire to run to her side and check on how she was feeling.
My next meeting was going to be about military reforms. Elements of the eastern defenses and the Black Wing Knights had played a part in the recent scandal. General Bakula, who had just returned from escorting the Malduran delegation around the palace, was present as their supervisor, along with the general of the imperial guard and several nobles from the pro-war faction. I couldn’t afford to show any weakness.
Just as I had shifted mindsets, Alfred whispered in my ear from where he’d tagged along behind me. He told me he had one piece of good news.
“Things at the harbor are proceeding as planned.”
He was reporting that one of the matters I’d been keeping an eye on was heading toward a resolution. Once that was settled, all my lingering worries would be put to rest—concerns for Elianna’s safety being the most important among them.
I gave a small nod of acknowledgment before striding to my seat. All eyes in the room were focused on one place—the throne of the king of Sauslind, where all final decisions would be made.
~.~.~.~
To my dearest Miss Eli,
The Ralshen Region is still trapped in the bitter cold of the dead of winter, but I imagine you’re beginning to see signs of spring in Saoura. I—Lilia—am doing quite well for myself here in Modzth.
Ever since you left, gossip about the goings-on in the royal capital has spread like wildfire. By the sound of it, Prince Christopher trounced the villains with a countenance less that of a Hero King than a demon lord, you showed the false saint the error of her ways with a slap, and you beat an assassin with an oversized steel book until your manservant had to step in to stop you, calling you a madwoman... Please tell me it’s all made up.
In any case, the rumors about you are simply outrageous. I’ve also heard that you and the prince received the blessing of King Karl, and now a mere glimpse of the two of you can make one go blind. Quite ironic, considering you’ve been mistaken for a ghost in the past... Ahem.
Oh, that’s right! General Bakula was alive all along, wasn’t he? You should have heard the cheers of the Black Wing Knights when they found out! I was afraid the whole town might explode. It took me by surprise too. Lord Alexei told me it was kept secret even from the other knights, so I’m assuming you had no idea either? I can just imagine the look on your face when you heard the news.
Whatever the case, it’s wonderful that he made it out all right.
Now then. First things first—I’m sure you’re most interested in hearing how things are going here in the Ralshen Region and the town of Modzth. No doubt Lord Alexei has been sending you extensive reports on the afflicted, so I won’t bore you with too many details. Overall...well, I’d say things could be worse. Sadly, there are some whom the cure didn’t help. Still, according to Gene and the doctors, the most likely explanation is that they had already grown too weak to be saved. I don’t believe there was anything anyone could have done for them. Please don’t blame yourself too much.
Modzth is slowly but surely becoming a happier place. Someone dies every day...but others get better. Everyone is doing their best to make a fresh start, while still mourning those they’ve lost and watching the columns of smoke rise to the snow clouds each day. They’re all thinking, “We can stop the spread of the disease. We won’t let their deaths have been for nothing. We won’t let anyone feel this despair ever again.” It’s the same sort of determination you once expressed to them.
I bet you’re going to claim you don’t remember saying that, but I’ve got it on record from the people who were there. Something tells me you blurted it out without even thinking about it. It sounded to me like just the sort of thing you’d say.
Oh, also! About that boulder of a man! Oops, that was a rude way to refer to him. Erm, I meant Raqqa Arkto. You know, the ringleader of the rebels. He’s been drafted into working for the town, along with the rest of the rioters. Workers from Hersche and the neighboring areas have been flocking to Modzth in droves, but Raqqa and his men are the only ones who aren’t being compensated for their labor. First, they’re to do all they can to help rebuild the town. Then, once the snow has melted and it’s deemed safe, they’re going to do forced labor in the mines. That’s the verdict Earl Ralshen and the town dignitaries decided on.
On the one hand, I suppose it’s a fair punishment? But I really don’t like how those men start roaring with laughter every time we hear one of those rumors about you—like how you slapped the saint or went on a rampage with a steel book! Okay, I’ll admit I had a bit of a chuckle myself. Still, you’re the crown prince’s betrothed, our future queen. Wouldn’t you say they’re acting a little too familiar with you? They could give a little more thought to your majesty or social standing, or... Hmm. Even I can tell how silly that sounds, so I’ll just drop it.
Um, what comes next? The second thing? No, we’re on to the third one now.