Love and Revolt

Chapter 17 - a Wonderland of mirrors

The next day, Princess Quinn, Queen Sofia, King Scott, and Prince Alexander gathered once again in the meeting room to discuss the events of the previous night.

The meeting room was tense as Princess Quinn, Queen Sofia, King Scott, and Prince Alexander gathered once again to discuss the outbreak that happened the night before. Quinn was the first to speak, "We need to get rid of these new laws. They're only making things worse for the people."

Prince Alexander, however, had a different opinion, "Last night's outbreak was just a side effect of the system. If we give it enough time, things will become balanced."

Quinn shot back, "Balanced? How can things be balanced when people are suffering? We need to take action now."

Queen Sofia, who had remained quiet until now, spoke up, "I agree with Quinn. Putting all these laws in place has only made things worse. We need to begin the preparations to remove them and return Eldriador back to how it was before."

Prince Alexander crossed his arms, looking unconvinced. "And what about the military tax law? It has generated a multitude of jobs. We can't just remove it overnight."

Quinn was quick to reply, "We don't have to remove it overnight, but we can start the paperwork to make it happen. We need to show the people that we're taking action to help them."

King Scott interjected, "I agree with Quinn, we need to start with the military tax law. Our first priority should be removing the laws that are causing the most harm."

Prince Alexander still seemed hesitant, "But what about the consequences? If we remove these laws, Eldriador will simply return back to how it was. All the progress made would have been for nothing".

Quinn rolled her eyes, "Who cares about progress? We need to think about the people. They're the ones who are suffering."

Quinn could sense the frustration emanating from Prince Alexander. She knew he was unhappy with their decision, but she couldn't help but feel that they were doing the right thing. As the tension eased, she watched as Alexander leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, a clear sign of his annoyance.

But then, to her surprise, he took a deep breath and spoke calmly, "Fine, we shall start paperwork to revoke the military tax law." His body language softened as he uncrossed his arms and leaned forward in his chair.

King Scott nodded in agreement with Alexander's proposal and then Quinn spoke up once again, this time about the law banning magic. "Um... What about the law banning magic? Everyone now knows that the royals are magic users. It would not be fair to keep magic illegal."

King Scott pondered for a moment before replying, "We will consider it, but our first action should be to start paperwork to remove the military tax law."

Quinn nodded in understanding, but Prince Alexander's frustration grew. He clenched his fists and looked away, trying to hide his annoyance. But he knew that arguing would get them nowhere. So, he stood up from his chair and approached his servant, Robert, who was standing by the door.

He whispered something into Robert's ear, and Robert swiftly left the room. Within moments, he returned with a plate of desserts and delicacies. As Prince Alexander walked back to the table, he offered the plate to Quinn and her family, saying, "Please accept this as a token of my apology. I know that my stubbornness caused you all trouble. This is the least I can do."

Quinn and her family looked at the plate of pastries and tarts filled with purple Merioid filling with surprise. They had not expected such a kind gesture from Alexander. As they ate, they felt light-hearted, happy, almost light-headed, the taste of the Merioid filling like a burst of sunshine in their mouths.