“I must discuss how to proceed with my brother,” Claudia declared.
Helen passed along her intentions to a knight outside. After several rounds of exchanging correspondence through their knights, the siblings resolved to step out and meet the crowd together. The people just wanted answers.
The knights formed a protective barrier between the people and the carriages as Virgil and Claudia alighted, rendezvousing with each other. The previous chaos of overlapping voices lapsed into total silence once Claudia and Virgil appeared. Commoners weren’t normally allowed to speak directly to the regional lord (or their children, for that matter). The fact that Virgil and Claudia came out personally made them recognize their own impertinence.
Good. At least they’re still rational. Losing oneself to rage would make objectivity impossible. It was a relief that they were calm enough to have a genuine dialogue with her and Virgil.
“Here we are!” Virgil’s voice thundered around them. “We shall hear you out!”
The people nervously glanced at one another. Virgil’s natural gravitas had worked against him; his people feared saying anything that might offend him or Claudia. There was no point in coming out to meet them if they weren’t going to speak, though.
At a loss for what to do, Claudia scanned the crowd, spotting a young boy among them. The man standing behind him was probably his father. The boy was scrunching up his face, confused as to why the adults had suddenly turned so meek after their initial vehement disapproval.
When the boy’s gaze met hers, Claudia smiled reassuringly at him. That was enough to encourage him to break the silence when the adults couldn’t find the same courage.
“What’ll happen to us now that there are refugees coming in?”
“Quiet!” the boy’s father snapped.
“It’s all right,” Claudia interceded. “It’s true that we’re accepting refugees, but your lives will not change. Could you tell me precisely what you’re concerned about?”
“Dad and the other grown-ups said that our lives’ll be harder,” said the boy. “We won’t be able to buy the stuff we want anymore.”
Flustered, the father stammered, “Uh, well, I…”
The boy had given her the exact information she wanted. Claudia couldn’t assuage her people’s concern without knowing what they were upset and anxious about.
So the people have already started to worry about the refugee crisis. That was probably because of the saint’s address, which had called more attention to the issue.
The saint had argued that it was natural to help those in need, and her words had helped bring the crisis to the forefront of people’s minds. However, she spoke from the seat of the Holy See. It was always those with the loudest voices who had the least direct interaction with the refugees. As Sylvester had pointed out to Claudia previously, the region, its people, and its leaders were wholly responsible for the refugees. The person preaching ideals was far removed from those dealing with the reality of the crisis. Naturally, there were some exceptions, some who preached and helped—but the saint was not among them.
It’s our fault for not being more proactive.
Word of the massive influx of refugees had spread before Claudia or her family could act, and the people were fussing over the potential sacrifice of their livelihoods for the sake of accommodating them.
Claudia stood straighter, her attention on not just the boy but the entire crowd. “As I already expressed a moment ago, your lives will not be affected. The refugees require immediate support, this is true, but we’re committed to protecting your livelihood first and foremost.”
Virgil picked up where she left off. “It’s only natural for you to feel anxious about the unknown. I promise we’ll provide as much support for all of you as we do the refugees. However, I must inform you that to accomplish this, we will have to increase taxes—which I’m sure is one of your chief concerns.”
Dismay rippled through the crowd at the mention of increased taxes.
Undeterred, Virgil pressed on. “That said, we don’t intend to make your lives impossibly difficult! The saint said those with the means should be the ones helping people in need. That is our objective as well. We want your aid, not your sacrifice. Allow me to assure you that we will not demand more of you than you’re able to give, least of all without transparency about what we’re trying to accomplish.”
His voice and words were reassuring. Since he was the heir, his promises carried substantial weight and soothed the people’s fears. The Lindsays had never increased taxes without properly communicating the reason. It helped that they had fostered a solid foundation of trust with their people.
“Remember, we have welcomed people from abroad into our region before,” Virgil said, referring to when they allowed islanders from Arakaner to come and learn about agriculture in the Lindsays’ territory. That wouldn’t have been possible without the people’s support, as they were the ones doing the teaching. In the process, no one had been forced to sacrifice anything. “The situation is different this time, but what we ask of you is the same. Rumors have a habit of taking on a life of their own and inviting suspicion. But as you can see, I’m here now. My younger sister Claudia is here as well. We will do everything in our power to make sure you have nothing to worry about.”
Their willingness to be transparent was evident by how they had left the safety of their carriages to speak directly to the people, regardless of the knights positioned between them for their security.
“I will repeat this once more for emphasis: What we need from you is not sacrifice but your assistance. Join us once again, and together, let us create a future where those in dire straits can have the help they so desperately need!”
Virgil was appealing for the same thing they had given once before, not something new.
Trepidation about the future disappeared from the people’s faces. Their voices echoed with eager agreement at Virgil’s call to action. Soon enough, they were welcoming the siblings as warmly as they ever had.
As Claudia returned to her carriage, she stroked the bracelet at her wrist and considered her position. On top of being the crown prince’s betrothed, she was also A Priori, assistant to the saint.
What can I do to contribute?
Comforting as it was that the people had backed down and trusted them, this wouldn’t be the last time they were confronted about the refugee crisis. Once they reached their ancestral home, a collection of regional leadership would be waiting to meet them. They would probably share the same worries the people had. Claudia needed to rise to their expectations.