Banished Prince Charming

Chapter 54 - Music For The Masses.

Gwen resumed her progress report that her two assistants, as well as her, had managed to fabricate parts at least more than 20 hunting bows today. She would be curing the wood before she fit them into a bow by using the hide glue to stick the 3 pieces of bamboo together.

"For your information, I would be using a clamp to hold on those pieces together. It would be bonded for 3 days before it is ready. See, I told you... We three would be able to produce the number of bows needed before the timeline. In fact, I myself is looking forward to bond those in the first half of the day while preparing the parts on the second half of the day."

"Great job Justice Minister Gwen. We are proud of you for your contribution to the community. By the way, would there be any chances of any wild boar hunting in the next few days?"

"I'm hoping to witness a wild boar getting impaled in one of those defensive structures. It would surely be another morale booster for everyone to see the effectiveness of the barricades as well as a feast that we surely would look forward to. Hahaha."

"Some wild boars are nocturnal creatures, young master. Definitely... I would also be hoping to hunt these wild boars down at night but I need a few assistants to carry them back. They are definitely not small like rabbits that could fit into my pouch. Hahaha."

Well, I bet we can expect another rampage in the next coming few days because the ripe vegetables from the farmlands entice these wild boars to come out from hiding and rampage them. However, Sir Blackie would alert us of any intrusion, right?"

Sir Blackie, hearing its voice being mentioned, raised his head and gave a sharp bark in response as if it understood what Gwen was pointing out. Today Sir Blackie had been seen digging and burying the wild boar bones that he had gnawed. I wonder why dogs would do that.

Everyone laughed at Sir Blackie's immediate response as the new families remarked at how it is able to understand human words.

Next to report was the Edinburgh family that was in charge of tending to the farmlands in the first half of the day along with the 2 boys from the Ashworths.

She reported that with the bamboo irrigation devices, she and the two boys were able to water the crops on a much efficient manner and perform weeding thereafter.

Once she had done the task of watering and weeding, she and the two boys headed to the bamboo production area as well as the weaving stations respectively. Kayla would then go to the garden to pick the necessary vegetables like the ones that were growing at an accelerated pace would be long beans which she thought were strong beans instead.

The stalks from shallots and garlic grew abundantly and she was able to use them as a garnish for the gruel today. As for ginger, it was simply a once a year harvest, where once you plant, you could ignore it for a year without much attention to it except providing enough shade and water.

When everyone had reported their progress, I called for 4 kegs of ale to congratulate the engineers for the completion of the windmill. "Citizens of GraceHaven, without these engineers, there would be no windmill and if there's no windmill, we won't be able to produce our own flour and use these hulls as part of the feed for the horses and pigs."

"Tonight, there would be 4 kegs of ale to share around and the children and for those juveniles, you would be entitled to 4 jars of milk too. Would there be enough to go round, Crystal?"

Since she had alternated the days in the operations of making cheese, she stored 8 jars of milk instead and intends to use 4 jars to make cheese on a small scale when she was free.

Furthermore, she had stored the milk in an airtight jar inside a cool shed so it would be good for a few days before she could turn it into sour milk or yoghurt that could be used in sourdough bread too...! Goat's milk is the most ideal to make sour milk since it has a distinctive taste to it. If not sour milk, she would make curds for preparations of cheese.

Such would be an advantage to have a livestock herder who was also appointed as the Agriculture Minister as well.

Before I concluded the conference and get the ministers to bring out the kegs and milk, I announce to the citizens that everyone would be at the windmill area the day after breakfast since there would be something to be learnt there.

"A long coil of rope, a long bamboo pole and 2 pieces of bamboo strips is required. A banner from the house is to be taken down and brought to the windmill the next following day. A spade would also be needed. This would be used as a temporary flag for our beloved GraceHaven."

"Alright ministers, please bring out the spoils of war..." upon hearing those words, all the men cheered and cups that were used to drink tea earlier was washed at the riverbanks as everyone waited in anticipation for the arrival of the ale and the children, for their share of goat's milk.

I saw the Chadwell's boy peering at me within the crowd as he was holding his cup and was looking rather expectant and joy could be seen lighting up in his face. We happened to lock eyes and he ever so slightly bowed at me and raised his empty cup as if he wanted to show his appreciation. I smiled back at him and Heather smiling at the crowd and asked me the reason with a hint of jealousy as if I was looking and smiling at some of the daughters in the crowd.

"Look at that Chadwell's son. He's three years of age but he seemed to m.a.t.u.r.e slightly older than his age. He bowed at me and then raised his cup at me when I happen to look into his direction. I wonder why but it seems that I might play an important role in his life."

"His sister did tell me their predicament that their mother would some days go hungry just to have the two kids to have something rather than join her plight."

"I never knew hardship before on my life, without having any money or food on the table and basically nothing to forage in the wilds unlike us. Even when we are together in the tiny settlement, we have something to eat rather than nothing at all."

"I never knew the feeling of impoverished could be this bad. With the young infant and all, how could she have the strength taking care of the children and if I put myself in that boy's shoes, unable to hear or speak his mind, how could he tell his parents that he is hungry or sick...! "

I felt an overwhelmed feeling of heartbroken as a tear jerked at the corners of my eye when I tried to imagine how the poor could survive. Even the poorest of the poor in the kingdom of Darlington was taken cared for.

The unity of people depends on the fairness of the ruler. That's the reason of resistance performed by the citizens against those rebels that delayed the advancement towards the Manor.

They would prefer to die defending the one that they who had defended them before without considering ranks, mobility or classes.

Maybe that act was loyalty and right now it was an act of humanity. I let the tear fell and Heather wiped it away as I froze the smile on my face. "It starts with one and it ends with many."

"What's that?"

"Humanity..."

"Little by numbers but lethal by hearts... Our citizens will take arms to defend this little piece of land for sure. One word and everyone would pour their hearts or even die for it..."

"Don't think too much about it for now, Mars. The barricades have to be up first, right? What's next on your mind?"

"It would be hunting bows, bricks, woven mats, brooms, weave baskets, bakery, bread and more bread and many many more bread. Heh... Can't wait to see Marcel's face. He sure would horde and gobble every single variety of bread for himself."

I turned my head towards Heather and she smiled at me as she had managed to lift my heavy heart.

When the kegs of ale arrived, they formed an orderly queue to receive their ale. Same goes to the children and the Chadwell's boy was actually first in line...! For those who don't drink would be after the tea instead.

Everyone held their cups when someone wanted to give a speech and interestingly enough it was Burns. "We would like to thank the engineers for without them we won't have ale tonight... Hahahaha." and waves of laughter washed over the crowd.

"I would like to propose a toast to our young master, for his vision in improvising things, making work simpler, lives simpler but one thing is missing..." Ben spoke up but when his last sentence was mentioned all eyes were trained on him.

"In times of joy and merriment, THIS IS WHAT WE ARE MISSING..." he hollered as he whipped out 3 flutes that he had fashioned from reed and he passed to those who knew how to use them.

"MUSIC... My young master. In the markets, Inn, taverns and in every corner of the street, we could hear flutes and lutes dissipating our weariness and filled them with vigour... Hahaha."

I clapped my hands furiously and whooped in joy at the thought of having music which had been missing in my life for nearly 2 months since early spring. Normally I would hear that music regularly during banquets when my father would be entertaining some diplomatic guests. There would be ballroom dancing as well. How I missed those days...!

"Cheers everyone to good health and prosperity to GraceHaven...!" I too raised my cup and sipped a bit while I poured the rest over the ground where I stood. I won't expect anyone to follow my act and luckily no one did.

This was a customary act of an offering to Mother Earth for the bountiful resources She had given us for our survival right up to this day. It was taught by a shaman before in our Manor and many other revelations that he had made to reveal our past, present and future.