The Next Steps

THIRD PERSON POV

Days passed as the castle was eventually repaired and fortified to withstand both the elements and raids from any hostile party, though its role has yet to be determined. Which was the exact reason Regulus had summoned Lucius.

"You called for me?" Lucius said as he gently closed the door behind him.

"Ah yes, please have a seat." Regulus said as eyed a chair in front of him for Lucius to sit at. 

Lucius nodded in reply as he sat down, Regulus soon followed as he set aside some paperwork he had been doing beforehand.

"I have called you today to discuss an…. Something quite urgent." Regulus spoke out as he placed the last piece of paper aside.

"Is it about the castle my lord?" Lucius asked as he knew exactly why he had been summoned.

"Yes, it is….. I've thought about it but I wanted to hear your thoughts." Regulus said as he silently leaned back on the padded seat.

"Well… .considering that everything around is covered by a large forest. Making it into a trading outpost would not be a good idea. On the other hand, we could turn it into a mill to bolster our economy and food." 

"Hm… I've never thought of turning it into a mill!" Regulus said so loud that it shook Lucius. "Ah sorry about that, I was quite excited and surprised about your proposal." 

"Well it would only be necessary to boost our economy since imposing taxes would not be enough. But how about you? Have you thought of something as well?" Lucius inquired as he wanted to hear the thoughts of his king. 

"I was thinking of turning it into a seat of power for a vassal. From the books that I've recently read in the library, I found out that having too many responsibilities is bad for a ruler such as myself. Thus there are vassals to equally share the responsibilities." The young man spoke out. 

Lucius had his worries that the young king was going to be too power hungry when he decided to raid on all three bandit territories. Although it seems he underestimated his knowledge and wits.

"To add more, we could build a small settlement around it, which could be the home for the residents of other villages once they become too overpopulated. Or to refugees looking for a new home, considering we are not far from Stahkh and Eisenhauer. Those two kingdoms have terrible relations considering the number of war's they've had over the years." The young ruler said, a tone of disappointment clearly present in those last few years.

"War is something that we can not escape from, but if we maintain good relations with our neighbours then we can prevent it from happening to us." Lucius said in a soothing tone.

"Hm… maybe you're right. But who would be a suitable vassal? I doubt Sir Eadic would accept it, he's not one to join in on political affairs. How about y-" 

Regulus attempted to suggest but was instantly cut off. "No, I'm afraid I've had enough of that. I would recommend Leif, his family was once a noble house in Stahkh. He would be a great ally, though I have yet to see him manage over something bigger than an army." 

Lucius suggested, as Leif was indeed someone Regulus thought would be deserving of being a vassal as he too was a noble. 

"Hm… It is decided then. I'll have to write the official order but inform Leif as soon as possible. To add as well, have some of our troops help in transporting the materials needed for the repair of the damaged homes in Elise and Harlet. Finally, have some of our lumberjacks transferred to the castle. It would be much better to prepare the materials as soon as possible." The young king commanded as he stood up and dusted off some dirt from his clothes. 

"Very well, would that be all my lord?" 

Lucius asked as Regulus responded by shaking his head. "Then I shall take my leave." Lucius said, bowing down and leaving the room quietly.

Now alone, Regulus leaned back on his chair and rubbed his temples. "Auh…. How much paperwork do I have to do!?" He said as he looked back at the amount of paperwork he had to finish. They were mostly composed of greetings from nearby kingdoms and settlements or complaints from the villagers. 

"Blagh, I'll do them tomorrow!" Regulus said as he neatly compiled them into two groups and left the room. 

Walking the halls of the castle he was greeted by a few servants and maids, but apart from that everybody seemed to be asleep. 

"I never realized how quiet it is here… quite the opposite of Roste." The young king said as he went up a flight of stairs, which led to the rooms. They were spread quite far from each other, so that each one has their own privacy. His was at the end of the corridor, quite far from his sister's which was right in the middle. 

"Mhm… I should have the castle refurbished, it isn't quite fitting for a king." Regulus said as he touched the wooden walls of the castle. They were quite worn, evident from the chips and stains it had.

"Though I can't imagine how expensive it would be to have someo-" Freezing in his tracks he was interrupted by what sounded like sobbing. 

He stood still for a moment but everything was silent. "Seems I-" But again there it was, a woman's whimper emanated from one of the rooms, specifically Alicia's room.

"Why is she crying at this time of the night?" Regulus murmured as he slowly walked away from the door not bothering to ask. But something felt different inside of him, something he wasn't too familiar with. 

Standing still he clicked his tongue and faced the door from where the sounds originated from. "I'll regret this later…. But I should see if I can help." He said this as he slowly knocked on the door.