CHAPTER 390: THE GENEROUS GIFT OF ELANDRIA

[To His Majesty, King Edmund of the Kingdom of Noctvaris,

May the light of peace and wisdom forever shine upon your realm. I write to you today regarding the matters of alliance and mutual aid between our kingdoms.

Her Majesty, Queen Primrose of the Kingdom of Noctvaris, is not only a close friend of my Queen, but also the daughter of the very person who became the reason behind my blessed union with my wife.

As a gesture of friendship and in repayment of the endless kindness Her Majesty the Queen has shown to my beloved, I shall send 1,000 sacks of beans from our southern fields and 2,000 crates of root crops harvested from the fertile mountains of Elandria.

To accompany them, 10 chests of our finest spices and 50 barrels of wildflower honey shall also be delivered, a humble symbol of Elandria’s goodwill and lasting friendship toward Noctvaris.

May these humble gifts nourish your people during the coming season and serve as a reminder that the bonds between our thrones shall remain unbroken.

With respect and sincerity,

King Rowan of Elandria]

Primrose couldn’t help but widen her eyes after finishing the letter from the King of Elandria.

"He’s so generous!" she exclaimed, then looked up to meet her husband’s gaze. "This amount of goods should be enough for our winter, right?"

"It should be," Edmund replied with a small smile. "With half of our current stock still remaining, this will surely help us get through the winter peacefully."

The supplies weren’t just for the people living in the palace but also for those in the surrounding villages.

As for the people outside the capital, Edmund had assigned each local leader to take care of their own region, though still under his supervision.

If anyone reported a shortage of supplies during the winter, the palace would send additional provisions to cover the gap.

That was why no one could afford to slack off because if they failed to meet the expected winter quota, others would end up suffering for it.

"Tell the soldiers to keep an eye on the route between Noctvaris and Elandria," Edmund immediately ordered the soldier who had delivered the message to him. "Do not let any bandits take advantage of the situation to steal the gifts from the King of Elandria."

"Understood, Your Majesty." The soldier quickly left the training ground to deliver Edmund’s orders to the troops assigned to escort the important goods.

On the other side, Primrose felt her heart grow warm as she finally got to exchange letters again with Rowena, her old friend.

But even so, a small part of her felt a little sad because Rowena hadn’t written the first letter herself.

The King of Elandria’s message was thoughtful and meaningful, but it was also so formal and filled with politics, while Primrose had hoped for something more personal, something that sounded like the Rowena she used to know.

"Wife, I think there’s another page," Edmund said as he peeked inside the wooden tube that carried the letter.

He noticed a folded sheet still stuck at the bottom, pulled it out, and after glancing at the first line, handed it to her. "I think this one’s for you."

[Dear my friend, Rosie,]

The corners of Primrose’s lips instantly curved up. The greeting alone felt warm because it wasn’t the voice of a queen, but of a friend. She quickly began to read.

[I was so happy when I finally received your letter. But honestly ... the phoenix was a little scary. For a moment, I thought it wanted to burn down my palace.]

Primrose giggled because that made sense, considering Penny could be quite terrifying for anyone not used to seeing a mystical creature like a phoenix.

[But my fear disappeared the moment it dropped your letter from the sky. I can’t even describe how happy I was when I read that the King of Noctvaris has been treating you so gently.

I was so worried when I heard you married His Majesty, but truly, Rosie, I’m so relieved to know that all those rumors about him were completely false.

I hope your marriage continues to grow strong and be filled with happiness, just like what you always dreamed of.

Also, I’ll be visiting the Azmeria Kingdom this winter.

If you can make it there, maybe we can finally see each other again.

With love,

Rowena.]

Primrose almost screamed in excitement when she saw that Rowena was planning to visit the Azmeria Kingdom.

She was probably invited by the King of Azmeria as well because she always received an invitation every year but never attended. Maybe it was because the trip was too long, and maybe she was just too lazy to travel that far.

The only reason she was coming this time was probably to meet Primrose and catch up on all the gossip about the Beastland.

It would’ve been easier if Rowena visited the Beastland instead, but well ... even though Primrose had written that Edmund was kind and gentle, Rowena still probably didn’t want to risk traveling somewhere beyond her knowledge.

"Husband! We really have to go to Azmeria later!" Primrose said excitedly. "Lady Rowena will be there too! We might finally see each other again after so long!"

Edmund nodded and gently patted her head. "We will," he said with a reassuring smile. "I’ve already prepared the carriage and asked the soldiers to find the safest route for us this winter." He paused for a moment before adding softly, "Don’t worry, my wife. I’ll protect you and make sure you return safely to your homeland."

[It’s been so long since my wife last set foot in her homeland,] Edmund thought, his gaze softening as he looked at her. [She must miss everything about that place. That’s why, no matter what happens this winter, I’ll make sure she gets to Azmeria.]

[She truly deserves to go home after all these years.]

Primrose held her breath for a moment, her heart growing warm and tender. She felt deeply moved knowing that her husband cared for her so sincerely.

"Husband, I really ... really love you." Primrose whispered before throwing herself into his arms, hugging him so tightly it felt like she never wanted to let go.

Edmund smiled softly, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head as he stroked her back. "I love you even more," he murmured, his voice warm and full of affection.

===

Two weeks later, all the goods sent by the King of Elandria arrived safely in Noctvaris. The beans and root crops were still in perfect condition, as if freshly harvested.

It seemed that Elandria used some kind of magic stones that could preserve the quality of the crops during the long journey.

As for the prisoners, most of them had finally collapsed and could no longer move, so Edmund decided to end their lives. A few were still barely standing, but it was clear they wouldn’t last much longer.

There were only ten of them, yet after hunting day and night without rest, they managed to fill the freezing chambers with meat, even more than what had been stored there before.

With that much food in reserve, Edmund and the soldiers no longer needed to hunt every day. They could finally turn their attention to other preparations, like strengthening the palace walls with magic, stacking piles of firewood, and storing them carefully in dry shelters for the coming winter.

Meanwhile, Primrose now had to take care of not only the stock reports but also a pile of letters from the leaders of other cities, making sure that each of them had enough food reserves to last through the winter.

Since Edmund was busy handling other matters, she ended up managing those affairs herself. Besides, as the queen, it was also her duty to maintain good relationships with the nobles in the kingdom.

"The Duke of Cindralis said that rats have eaten through their wheat stock." Primrose frowned and turned to Sevrin. "Does that even make sense? Most beasts are able to track down rats, so the guards at his warehouse should’ve been able to prevent that from happening, right?"

"Then, we need to check with their local farmers," Sevrin replied calmly, flipping through another report. "See if they’ve noticed anything strange, like unusual rat activity, missing crops, or signs of sabotage. If the number doesn’t add up, it might not be the rats we’re dealing with."

Primrose’s brows furrowed deeper. "You mean someone might be stealing their food supply?"

"It’s possible," Sevrin said. "We’ve had thieves before, especially when winter is close. But I hope it’s not the Duke of Cindralis himself sabotaging his own crops and selling them elsewhere for a higher price."

Primrose hissed under her breath. "That would be awful." She paused for a moment, then added, "Lady Mirelle told me that the Duchess of Cindralis just bought a rare gemstone ring. It looked really expensive."

After living in Noctvaris for so long, Primrose had finally begun to mingle more with the other noblewomen, most of them were familiar faces from her tea parties, like Lady Mirelle.

But that alone was already quite an achievement, considering Mirelle was known as the queen of gossip.

There wasn’t a single secret in the kingdom that could slip past her sharp eyes.