“You’re an idiot.” Trev rolled his eyes, needing a way to hide his unexpected blush. “Are we leaving for Oakefor or not?”
Drake held up his hands in a gesture of defeat, then stood from the table and gathered his things. “I was just waiting for you.”
“Our tests have shown contamination in our water supply for two weeks now. And each day, the contamination levels grow worse.” Oakefor’s Mayor Agribba pulled the test tube out of the well and held it up for Trev. There was a crowd of people gathered around them in the city square. Everyone was curious to see what Prince Ezra would say about their water problem.
Trev looked at the murky water in the glass tube. “Why haven’t you petitioned for help?”
“We have. As soon as our well water tested contaminated, we wrote to King Carver asking for the proper chlorinated chemicals to flush the contamination out. A week later, when we still hadn’t heard anything, we sent a few men to the ruler’s palace to speak to the king personally. They haven’t returned yet.” The mayor pulled nervously at his thick, brown beard as he spoke.
Trev frowned. He didn’t understand why his father hadn’t done anything for the people of Oakefor. Water contamination was a big problem, although he had a feeling that his father didn’t care much about that. Still, a king who didn’t answer his people’s petitions was bad optics, and his father certainly cared about that. Why hadn’t he sent aid?
“What has your city done for water over the past two weeks?”
“We boil our drinking water. Even after boiling, though, a lot of folks have come down with fevers. Most still fear drinking the water. Luckily, the Domans brought huge containers of fresh water. They have been our saviors.”
Trev shot a concerned look to Drake standing next to him. So Maxwell and Joniss had been here before them. For the people of Oakefor’s sake, Trev was glad. The city needed that water. But this wasn’t going to help Trev’s election campaign. Joniss was clearly trying to gain momentum and votes any way he could.
“We’re concerned about our crops. Irrigation water has been affected. Contamination levels have risen to the point that we stopped flooding our fields as a precaution. We can’t afford to risk the harvest. It rained two days ago, but if this goes on much longer, we’ll lose our crops for the season.”
Trev nodded and motioned to one of his men standing behind him. “Zarek, take a man with you to the ruler’s palace immediately. Tell my father’s advisors that Prince Ezra is demanding chlorine for Oakefor’s water at once. Bring the chlorine back as quick as you can.” He turned to the crowd so all could hear him. “We’ll have this problem fixed in two to three days at most. Do you have enough drinking water to last you until then?”
Mayor Agribba nodded. “Yes. The water the Doman’s brought should last at least that long, and we still have the option of boiling if we need to.”
“What if our crops don’t recover?” a thin man shouted from the crowd. His skin was tanned and weathered, likely from hours of sun exposure.
“First, let’s see how the crops do before we make any plans. But be assured that King Carver and I are willing to provide for your city in whatever way we can. “
Trev walked through the crowd of people that circled the city well, shaking their hands and answering any other questions they had. He was stopped by an elderly woman, her gray head barely reaching the middle of his chest.
“Bless you for coming, Prince Ezra.” The old woman squeezed Trev’s hand as she spoke. Her wrinkly skin was coarse against his fingers. “We’ve had a Trevenna king since the first Council of Essentials. I think you’ll be the best king yet out of all the kings since Desolation.”
Trev stared back at the woman, humbled to see how much faith she had in him. “Thank you for saying that. I hope I can live up to your expectations.”
“I know you will. I can see it in your eyes.”
“My eyes?”
“Yes. They’re kind.”
“I hope so,” Trev said with a smile.
“Prince Ezra?” A little girl ducked through the crowd and tugged on his jacket. She wore a tattered cream dress and had scraggly blonde hair tied back at her neck. “Are you going to marry a princess?”
Trev thought about Renna, and, for once, he didn’t hate answering the question. “Yes, I am.”
“Will you bring her back to Oakefor so we can meet her? I’ve never seen a real princess before.”
He patted the girl on the top of her head. “Well, she actually looks a lot like you.”
The little girl beamed.
“We’re all really excited about your upcoming marriage, Your Highness,” another onlooker said.
“I am too.” For the first time, Trev actually meant it.
8
Trev
Trev and Drake arrived in Albana city at the ruler’s palace the next morning. Trev could see his father’s watchful eye from his balcony above the courtyard. He gestured with his hand for Trev to join him upstairs. It wasn’t going to be the typical father and son joyful reunion. King Carver had always shied away from emotional connection.
Trev entered his father’s office to find him seated at his desk, poring over a stack of papers. The room was lavish, with stained woodwork and trim covering the walls. Rich leather couches were positioned in front of a large stone fireplace with several smaller leather chairs facing the king’s mahogany desk.
“You’re late,” King Carver said, barely glancing up from his work. His dark hair and beard were peppered with silver, and his face held deep lines.
“Good to see you too, Father.” Trev casually sat on a couch next to the fireplace, rummaging through a nearby tray of food that had been brought in for his father.
“You were supposed to be here last night.”
Trev picked up a piece of fruit and put it in his mouth. “We got held up.”
“A messenger sent word that the New Hope princess will arrive this afternoon.” His father looked up from his desk. “Do I have to remind you how important this alliance is?”
Trev already knew, of course, but was sure his father would tell him anyway.
“You need the princess to help get you votes in the election. Some factions believe our family has ruled this country too long.”
More like people think you have ruled too long.
“They want change. They want Joniss Doman, which we know is a terrible choice. He only wants power and control.”
And you don’t?
“It will be harder for people to vote against you once you’re married to the New Hope princess. Joniss doesn’t have New Hope.” His father smirked. “We do.”
The marriage alliance was something King Carver liked to brag about—how ten years ago he’d had the forethought to arrange a marriage alliance with New Hope and plan the ceremony just a few months before the election.
“What if people don’t vote based on New Hope? What if they vote based on who is helping them right now?”
“Bah! New Hope has the strongest military in all seven kingdoms. People will vote based on the fact that New Hope’s military, combined with ours, will keep them safe from Tolsten’s attacks.”