Banished Prince Charming

Chapter 101 - Compensation? How About Reimburs.e.m.e.nts?

"Hey Jennings, are you sure both you and Chadwell are going to clarify the matter if being paid or not? I mean... We have gone this far and yet we dare to question the integrity of Our Majesty. It is weird, right? I mean there's logic to it but then, don't you think it would create unrest of an uprising?"

Hereford was truly in a fix as he both wanted to be rewarded and yet afraid to ask for it. He needs clarification but at the same time, he was afraid that he might offend His Majesty.

The whole group had been instigated by Warwick and they wanted to get the truth or some kind of answers that could pacify and justify their queries. Even how much these nagging thoughts were pulling at their hearts and poisoning their minds, they can't wait to raise several questions.

Maybe not just to answer their doubts, but to also questions the other citizens of Gracehaven too.

They had to plan a certain kind of strategy before they could raise the question and have to find the right moment to present them. At the back of the wagon, there were a total of 4 sacks of ores and 1 sack of coal that would be enough to start a conversation piece with their Majesty, that's what they thought it would be.

The clippity-clop of the horse's hooves on the ground and the squeaks of the wagon's wheels accompanied the men as they made their way back to their village. They stayed silent, each with their own thoughts as they slowly reached their destination.

Sir Victory's gave a sudden snort and neigh and this woke up the men out of their stupor as they inched closer to the main entrance of Gracehaven. They saw a scout on the top of the watchtower and saw someone move the barricade aside to make way for the arriving wagon.

It was just around midday when the miners arrived and parked their wagon in the parking area of the courtyard. They left the sacks of ores and coal but instead, brought down their pickaxe and their equipment down and store them at the tools shed.

They unhooked Sir Victory from the wagon and brought it back to the temporary paddock where they helped to bring in buckets of water to fill the trough and to get the bread feed from the bakery and fed the horse.

The men tried to be merry in their return, as shown on their faces but were unable to hide their turmoil that was in the hearts and minds.

Since midday lunch's timing was not fixed, anyone who felt hungry could start eating even one foot away from midday's shadow or even after. In fact, they could stop anytime they wished to have their meals.

The miners saw the group of Irish Travellers that they had met en route to the mines and greeted them. They exchanged pleasantries and the miners soon discovered 2 red deer carcass was trussed up after dressing for tonight's meal.

This however enlightened their overall mood that was otherwise cast with a dark cloud.

=*=

"Hey guys, welcome back. How's the harvest for the ores and coal so far? All of you don't look too good though, is everything alright?"

I greeted the men after I had emerged from the house carrying my usual journal to keep entries in them as well as the census populace. I had already adjusted the straws in a small clay jar that indicated the number of days in a month that had passed.

"Well Sir, we had managed to acquire 4 sacks of 50 pounders worth of ores and 1 sack of 50 pounders worth of coal. We weren't able to get more maybe due to the fact that there were other renegade miners who had reached before us."

"The mines that we entered was a very old mine and the yield was much lower than before. Thus we weren't able to fulfil our basic requirements but we hope it would suffice."

"By the way, Sir, we all would like to confirm with you regards to our standings here in Gracehaven. What I mean to say is our compensation, as a whole."

"This is going to be interesting. It had been a while since these men had interacted with the outside world and maybe they did share somethings and some people totally wrecked their brains out." I thought to myself as I rubbed my chin, looking for the nonexistent itch.

"Alright, I can see where this is coming through. First of all, Chadwell...i want you to stay and observe that both I and Lady Heather did no touch any of the papers in front of us. Secondly, for the rest of you guys, go and stop the work and gather all the citizens all to the courtyard."

"We have an emergency and right now assemble everyone and inform the pioneers to be by mu side here as well."

"Macintosh, I am terribly sorry to disrupt the day's activities here but I would like you to observe how we actually govern the system and our citizens."

The leader of the Irish Travellers nodded his head and then they chatted in their secret language as if they were saying that, "nwod og ot tuoba si tihs". (you may read this from right to left to get the whole meaning)

Soon after, the citizens were surprised that work had been ordered to be stopped as there was an emergency meeting that required their utmost attention. Furthermore, the pioneers were also asking me about what actually happened to cause this disruption.

After everyone had settled down, the 6 miners were made to sit in the from row, as our citizens sat on the outdoor dining table due to lack of seating space.

"My dear citizens of Gracehaven, I am sorry to announce that today work seemed to be put on hold due to an important disclosure that needs to be shared with every one of you."

"These 6 men before us are the head of the families that had come right after Ashworths and Burns and there is something they need to share with us. Gentlemen, please don't be shy. Proceed... "

The 6 miners were totally stumped as they did not expect to make a public announcement of their queries in compensation before the test of the citizens and therefore no one made any move to begin.

"Aren't you going to speak your mind, gentlemen or would you like me to announce it for you in front of your families instead? If the cat has got your tongue, then so be it. This is not public humiliation but bears in mind that everything that had been spoken here is the truth."

"Kensington, Jennings, Innes, Hereford, Chadwell and Edinburgh...you had approached me earlier and was mentioning about the status of compensation. This does not imply only to you but to the rest of the community and citizens of Gracehaven. What does the Kensington family have to say on this?"

"Husband! Have you forgotten how your daughter and I had been treated back at our own town, huh? We have to make do in order to survive."

"I was not working and have to take care of our daughter. Do you still remember the time that your daughter was pushed by those nobles there and she fell?"

"Her head nearly got crushed under the wheels of the carriages and here you are talking about compensation?!" the wife of Kensington hollered at her husband when he realised the impudence of her husband asking for compensation for his contribution of work!

"Husband...! Your grown-up children and I decided to follow you to better pastures here because you told us there's a future for both the children and I here. It's true, from doing nothing before we have something to do."

"You want to talk about compensation? Think about what our Lord has done to put food on our tables, clothes on our back and a roof over our heads without asking anything back. He doesn't even order us to make a certain target in a day!" wife of Innes shrieked at her husband after finding that her husband was sort of demanding for compensation.

"Husband... You really have forgotten and even dare to bite the hand that feeds you. You simply forgot all the goodness and kindness our Lord has given you and not even asking any compensation back. He provided a job for me not in exchange for food but to service to the community."

"Do you think being a miner is a great deal to you in helping this community? I think you would better be off helping around the community and stop totally being a miner. Do you think being in that previous towns is more beneficial than here?"

"Husband...! You are like C-O-C-K-R-O-A-C-H...! You've gone out once and come back with this type of nonsense...! I will beg Our Lord not to allow any of you to go out anymore and be poisoned by those instigators. God knows who you had met until you started to turn your backs against Our Lord...!"

Bellowed the wife of Chadwells as she recalled the events she and her children had suffered ever since her husband had gambled his month's earnings that resulted in the starvation and death of their infant baby.

The citizens gathered there realised that all the miners' wife was anguished at their husband's behaviour and was thinking why their husband's minds could easily be corrupted just being once out of the village to do the mining.

In fact, it was due to their persuading to go mining instead of the Lord's because there is practically no need for any men to go mining at all.

"Chadwell, as you can see I didn't touch these journal in front of me, right? I don't need to find a volunteer, so why don't you find someone who can read so that the person can read the very first page of this census in front of the citizens here as well as our guests?"

In a short while, one of the miners had found the youngest engineer who had just arrived in the village and asked him to come forward. "Ah, good. A young engineer. Please come forward and with your loud and clear voice, I want you to read the first page on the contents of this census."

The young engineer held the census journal in his hand and turned to the first page. His voice boomed over the gathering citizens and the guests. It rang clear as his voice resounded and echoed in those hearts and minds.

"Hear Ye...! From the date it has been recorded, a family is entitled to a 2s monthly reimburs.e.m.e.nt per family member instead of a household, for their contributions towards building the economy, the military as well as this settlement until it becomes a kingdom of at least 5,000 citizens."

"Ahem...therefore, the payout of these reimburs.e.m.e.nts would be acc.u.mulated and paid in full if other then reaching a total population of 5,000 citizens, having economic influences on all 4 zones or a monthly nett income of 100 gold coins per month."

"This date that was made into entry is being witnessed by the heavens and earth."

The young engineer cleared his throat, handed the census journal back to me, saluted and stayed at the aides for further instructions.

The Ashworths were the first families with the Burns and if they calculated their wealth, their household has 8 silvers while Burns would have 10 silvers a month.

In 10 months time, if this village could earn a 100 gold a month through its sales, the amount from the day the family was induced and till the day the nett growth hits its target, the Ashworths would have 80 silvers while Burns would have a 100 silvers...!

Subsequently, they would be earning the same amount every month for as long as they contribute to the community. They were talking to themselves and without realising, those two families jumped, raised their hands in the air and let out a joyous whoop amidst the confused onlookers....!

Everyone was astounded, no one had expected that the Lord in front of them had put up plans for the citizens before a kingdom or even its development. The 6 miners hung their head in shame. The guests were pleasantly surprised at the capabilities of the Lord in front of them.

"Lady Heather, what is our nett income for this fortnight alone? Tell these citizens so they knew that we have nothing up our sleeves."

"Ahem...12 gold 28 silvers 9 coppers before deducting an expenditure of only 1 gold 1 silver 90 coppers." Heather voice was soft but it reached to every corner of the courtyard. The guests were shocked and in disbelief that this little village was able to have an output sales of 12 gold in a fortnight!

"So, do you still want to talk about compensations? Go ask why those Ashworths and Burns are so happy about...!"