Growing Lilies

Prince Revan Cornet was excited. Excited may even not be strong enough of a word. His country, Dorum, was going to war against the neighboring Telemere. But, more importantly, his father and elder brother were going to war. He wasn’t concerned for the outcome. It was all but assured that Dorum’s forces would come out on top. They had a stronger military by far, and even if other nations joined the fray it shouldn’t impact his plans at all.

As for what those plans were, well, Revan was in for a busy war. He paced around his room impatiently. It was a nice room, though suited more to practicality than lavishness. Revan enjoyed the pleasures and delights of the world and his position, but he was at his heart, very focused on his work. Those that knew him would have expected his room to be a hedonistic paradise, for all he played the part in public.

But, that was a veil, and under it lie more or less what this room represented. Apart from his bed, the room was dedicated to his work above everything else. It was spacious, and the decor was of the finest quality. But, at a glance one might mistake the room for an office rather than a bedroom. The centerpiece was a large and luxurious desk, with a very comfortable chair placed at it. Behind that was a large map that covered a good portion of the wall, and covering the desk itself there were stacks and stacks of papers. In another corner of the room was a small sofa in front of a small table similarly covered.

Revan was quite a hard worker, despite stereotypes about princes. The reason was simple. Revan was a second prince. Since childhood, he had excelled at every task set before him. So, it was only natural for life to place such a challenge in front of him as well.

While many in his position would be content to laze about and enjoy the high life without the pressure of actually ruling, Revan was very much not. He was aware that he had been born with a platinum spoon in his mouth, but he would not be content until he had graduated to one cut of diamond instead. 

Compounding his desire to work upwards, his father and brother were war minded fools. His father, King Cornet had been born the only male child to a very competent king. Revan’s grandfather had taken the country of Dorum from a tiny blip on the map, struggling to stay relevant economically, to a thriving giant of a nation through a series of defensive wars that he had miraculously won despite all odds.

Now, two generations later Dorum was flourishing as it’s people and economies grew to fill their taken land. Unfortunately, what his father had learned from his grandfather was that winning wars was the key to prosperity. How myopic his fathers vision was.

Dorum had not won those wars because it had been a sleeping dragon until it had been attacked. No, it had won those wars because Revan’s grandfather had been a genius. First in economic and political maneuvering, and later in military strategy.

Now his father and brother were off to war, and Revan would have opportunities at home as a result. The first thing he had done was call for Lintel, his personal steward. When the man had arrived, Revan had sent him off to grab a number of items and documents. Now he was waiting impatiently, and pacing.

After an eternal five minute wait, there came a soft knock at the door. Lintel entered and found a seat on the sofa.

“My Lord?”

Revan cleared his throat. Lintel was an old friend as much as an attendant. As a result, he was the one and only person Revan intended to trust with his plans. He would need a faithful administrator to carry them out.

“Lintel, my Father left this morning.”

“Yes, My Lord. I watched him leave the castle myself.”

Revan smiled.

“I intend to make a number of moves in the next few days. I’ll need you to do some things for me. For starters, we’re going to create a wartime food initiative.”

“What does that entail?”

“Dip into the treasury. We’re going to subsidize feeding the city. Turn away no one. Hire cooks to make sure everyone eats. Don’t be shy about mentioning that this is to combat the rise in food prices. In fact, make an announcement. There is an artificial famine as food gets shipped out to aid the war effort. Prince Revan assures the public that they will not suffer unduly. The crown will reach into its coffers to drive prices down. Something to that effect.”

Lintel hesitated.

“My Lord, may I speak freely?”

“I wouldn’t have brought you here for any other reason.”

“Your father and the nobility will not like you doing this without permission. How are you going to handle them?”

A grin spread across Revan’s face.

“Father is going to be busy with the war for quite some time, and the old dullard isn’t going to understand what I’m doing anyways. As for the nobles, let them come to me with their complaints. I’ll handle them.”

“You will? How do you intend to do that?”

“It’s simple. I’m going to give them things they want. I’m going to make allies at cost to myself. For starters, I’ll be dealing with only the older Lords and the Ladies that were left behind. The Lords will have to be taken care of on a case by case basis, but I’m thinking of making a compelling offer to the Ladies that come to see me.”

“What is that, My Lord?”

“I’ll offer to institute a policy that only sees one fighting age male from each noble house going off for mandatory wartime service, and assure them that if for some reason their husbands and sons all die in the line of service during this war, I will ensure they keep their houses and titles for their loyalty to me.”

“Hmm. That may hold some sway. Although, the way you’re talking about this sounds an awful lot like a coup.”

“A coup? How uncouth. If you want to call it that, you can. But you might as well call all the colors of the sunset ‘orange’. No, this is more than that.”

Lintel looked at Revan with surprise, clearly having thought he would deny the implication.

“My Lord?”

“I will let my Father march off to war, and as always suck the resources of his kingdom dry for the effort of it. Let him enjoy his glory born of parasitism. I will be here, undoing all of the wrongs he has caused. I will be here, and I will have all of the wives, daughters, feeble, and frail know that while Father’s war was sucking them dry, I am the reason they have food on their tables. I am the reason they are not forced to work themselves to death. I am the reason that they are not falling into despair.”

Revan smiled brightly, and then continued.

“Lintel, I will pay whatever cost necessary from our treasury and with favors to make sure that by the time my Father returns, this kingdom understands that all good things come from me. I will have my people look upon me as supplicants to a god, and be rewarded for it. Husbands and sons will return to a city where every citizen knows my name and speaks it with hope and love in their hearts. Lords and Lordlings will return to Ladies who have already pledged themselves to me. This is a kingdom divided. My Father believes he has taken the stronger portion to go out and have himself a fight. But, on fighting men’s backs alone the world does not move. I will claim the hearts and minds of those left behind.”

He turned and pointed a finger at Lintel.

“Starting with you, old friend. Will you help me?”

Author's Note: Thanks for sticking with me through these interludes folks! Next chapter: Lily time! <3