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2.27

Aвтор: M. F.
last update Последнее обновление: 2025-07-22 09:19:42

Book 2: Crown of Shadows

Chapter 27: The Voice of the Crown

The final preparations for departure to Vaelthorne had stretched into their second day when Lord Chancellor Marcus raised the concern that would change everything. They were reviewing logistics in the main council chamber when he cleared his throat with diplomatic hesitation.

"Your Majesty, there's been some... feedback... regarding the transition announcement," he said carefully. "Several territorial authorities have expressed uncertainty about the scope of royal expectations without formal documentation of new policies."

Xalara looked up from the travel manifests she'd been reviewing, genuine curiosity in her expression. "Uncertainty about what, specifically?"

"The three-month timeline for demonstrating improvements," Valeria interjected with similar diplomatic care. "Some local officials are requesting written clarification of what constitutes 'visible improvement' and formal documentation of consequences for... insufficie
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  • Shadow's Essence    2.27

    Book 2: Crown of ShadowsChapter 27: The Voice of the CrownThe final preparations for departure to Vaelthorne had stretched into their second day when Lord Chancellor Marcus raised the concern that would change everything. They were reviewing logistics in the main council chamber when he cleared his throat with diplomatic hesitation."Your Majesty, there's been some... feedback... regarding the transition announcement," he said carefully. "Several territorial authorities have expressed uncertainty about the scope of royal expectations without formal documentation of new policies."Xalara looked up from the travel manifests she'd been reviewing, genuine curiosity in her expression. "Uncertainty about what, specifically?""The three-month timeline for demonstrating improvements," Valeria interjected with similar diplomatic care. "Some local officials are requesting written clarification of what constitutes 'visible improvement' and formal documentation of consequences for... insufficie

  • Shadow's Essence    2.26

    Book 2: Crown of ShadowsChapter 26: The People's VoiceThe return journey gave Xalara plenty of time to think. Every mile back toward the palace, her mind worked through what kind of response her actions at Millhaven might generate. The frantic activity around the crystal communication arrays when their carriage approached the gates told her which possibility was playing out."Busy day," she observed as Prince Rowan helped her from the carriage, servants scurrying between buildings with obvious urgency."More than usual," he agreed, watching the controlled chaos with what looked like genuine surprise.Inside, staff members were coordinating responses to overwhelming demand, their faces mixing excitement with panic. "Seventeen delegations requesting royal audience," announced a harried clerk as they passed. "Forty-three formal petitions, and that's just this morning."Xalara nodded thoughtfully, filing away the numbers while noting which of her companions looked genuinely surprised ve

  • Shadow's Essence    2.25

    Book 2: Crown of ShadowsChapter 25: The Weight of a CrownThe journey to Millhaven started with Xalara doing something her traveling companions hadn't expected—asking detailed questions about things they assumed she wouldn't think to consider."How far is it from Millhaven to the nearest territorial court?" she asked as their carriage rolled through the pre-dawn darkness.Lord Chancellor Marcus blinked in surprise. "Perhaps two days' hard travel, Your Highness. Why do you ask?""If these families needed legal resolution and couldn't get it locally, where would they go next? What would that cost them? How long would they be away from their farms?" She was genuinely curious, not testing him, but her questions revealed thinking that went beyond simple royal intervention.Prince Rowan leaned forward slightly. "Most farmers can't afford to leave their land for extended periods, especially during growing season.""Exactly." She settled back against the cushions. "So when local systems fail

  • Shadow's Essence    2.24

    Book 2: Crown of ShadowsChapter 24: Royal InitiativeThe morning brought news that made Xalara set down her breakfast with sudden determination. A messenger had arrived from the village of Millhaven with reports of a border dispute that was escalating toward violence—families displaced, crops destroyed, and local magistrates unable to resolve conflicting territorial claims between two neighboring settlements."The situation requires careful administrative review," Master Aldwin explained as he presented the formal complaint that had been routed through proper channels. "Such disputes typically take weeks to investigate thoroughly before appropriate mediation can be arranged."Weeks to investigate while families remained displaced and tensions mounted toward potential bloodshed. Xalara studied the documents that painted pictures of people caught between competing claims, suffering while bureaucratic processes followed established protocols."The disputed territory involves how many fa

  • Shadow's Essence    2.23

    Book 2: Crown of ShadowsChapter 23: Deeper CurrentsThe morning brought Xalara's boldest investigation yet—following the servant who had delivered yesterday's "misfiled" letter to see where such documents actually originated.She'd feigned morning sickness to avoid her scheduled lesson with Master Aldwin, then used her pregnancy as excuse to wander the palace corridors in search of "fresh air and gentle exercise." What she found instead was a wing of the palace she'd never been shown during any tour.The administrative corridors hummed with activity that had nothing to do with maintaining an exile court and everything to do with running an empire. Scribes worked at crystal desks, copying correspondence in handwriting she recognized from the forged letter. Communication arrays blazed with constant activity, coordinating with locations across distances that dwarfed anything she'd been taught about their supposed limitations.And at the center of it all, a woman whose introduction chang

  • Shadow's Essence    2.22

    Book 2: Crown of ShadowsChapter 22: Shifting GroundThe morning brought unexpected visitors—and a carefully orchestrated performance that Xalara almost missed entirely.Representatives from three kingdoms she'd never heard mentioned arrived with precise timing, their rich clothing and confident postures suggesting power that went far beyond simple diplomatic courtesy. But it was the brief exchange of glances between Ambassador Selene and Regent Councilor Valeria that caught her attention—recognition that spoke of prior coordination rather than spontaneous diplomatic contact."Your Highness," said Ambassador Selene of the Maritime Coalition, "we've come to discuss the transition of certain... agreements... that will require your personal attention once you assume full authority at Vaelthorne."The word 'transition' hung in the air with weight that suggested this meeting had been planned to coincide with her departure preparations. Not coincidence, but careful staging designed to demon

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