Winter Affliction

Part 36

The Kingdom of Rowoon was uniquely positioned for peace times for hundreds of years. Their position on the continent offered no strategic value for aspiring empires, they had nothing unique or worthy to offer the rest of the world, they were small and mediocre.

And so, the government was largely unprepared for the tension at the southern borders. The Mogoru Empire's recent instability, uprising, and upheaval of government left neighboring kingdoms uneasy as to what their next move would be. It was possible that they would choose to focus on their internal matters and isolate themselves from the world stage and it was equally possible that they would attempt to unite their economy under the umbrella of war.

For every neighboring kingdom, the threat of the Mogoru Empire loomed but none as heavily as the Rowoon Kingdom.

Cale Henituse's public engagement to Imperial Prince Adin and Crown Prince Alver's actions against the Bell Tower's slave trade left an uncomfortable link between the two kingdoms that could cause any reasonable person to speculate were they involved?

It wouldn't take very much propaganda at all to sway the current discontent the citizens felt towards their sudden changes in government and recent upheaval and reveal of the Bell Tower. A common enemy that they could blame for everything that changed? It wouldn't make sense, not in a logical way, to blame the Rowoon Kingdom for everything awful that happened. Especially with regards to the Bell Tower. But it wouldn't need to make sense.

It would only need to sway hearts.

Those who were politically minded enough to understand that the Rowoon Kingdom's long mediocre peace might come to an end had their own machinations. There were those who were nervous or scared. There were those who considered how to appease the Mogoru Empire before it ever became an issue. If Alver Crossman is deposed and the third prince is instated, then wouldn't that solve everything? Some might naively ask.

And there was no calculating how the neighbors affected by the Mogoru Kingdom's crimes would respond.

The Western Continent was in disarray, but a quiet sort of disarray. The internal scream of a man forced to smile while his world fell apart in front of him.

To put it simply, the Royal Palace was tense and Alver needed every second of his day and every resource in his possession in order to remain afloat. It was lucky that he'd managed to prepare a bit for this scenario, when he was unaware of just how successful the rebels would be and merely wanted to cover his involvement, but now it hardly made a difference. The situation was ever evolving and his position as Crown Prince quaked under his own weight. To top it off, Alver had issued a decree to strictly regulate literature regarding alphas and omegas, which caused a certain amount of discord within those who quite liked the narrative as is. It wasn't enough to change the situations of those affected but it was an important first step. A first step that Alver should have taken years ago.

In these circumstances, there was hardly a free moment for Alver to sleep or eat, therefore he ought not have the time to think about troubling or heartbreaking matters.

Unfortunately, he'd mastered the art of multitasking at a very young age and even while he attempted to pour all of his focus into the paperwork in front of him, his thoughts still drifted to the Henituse Territory.

It would be winter soon.

The thought pinched his heart in a way he couldn't describe or properly cope with. But his quill moved smoothly along the adjusted trade agreement with the new Mogoru government.

It rarely snowed in the capital but it snowed in the Henituse Territory every year. If Alver was still engaged to Cale, he would currently be preparing his carriage for departure and traveling the significant distance to the Henituse Territory. Leaving behind his aunt and dealing with political matters remotely.