The Forgotten Princess

"You are not asking for yourself as well?" Regaleon asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I am also at fault with knowing and not reporting to it to your majesty sooner." Arnold bowed his head. "I will take any punishment you see fit, your majesty."

There was silence for a while. I can see that Arnold's hands were shaking. He maybe willing to take responsibility for his father and brother's action, but he is still only a young man that has not come of age just yet. He can still be classified as a kid in high society.

"I admire your sense of responsibility, young lord Arnold." Regaleon said. "But you are not at fault with your father and brother's own decision. I will not hold those who have not sinned accountable for other people's sin. Or do you think I am such a tyrant ruler that I would punish your whole family with the sins of your father and brother?" Regaleon's countenance was that of a ruler.

"N-No, your majesty." Arnold said with trembling voice. "I would never..." He continued.

"Then let us continue to what we came here for." Regaleon said. "You said you would lead the way."

"O-Of course, your majesty." Arnold replied instantly. He straightened his posture. "It is this way." He gestured.

Regaleon nodded. He took my hand and we walked behind Arnold who showed us the way.

"You frightened the poor kid." I whispered to Regaleon. "He was shaking when he asked to be punished as well for being ignorant."

"That is to be expected as a ruler. He must see that I am not that soft hearted of a ruler." Regaleon replied.

"But I know you will not punish the poor kid and his mother and half sister." I said with a smile. "You are a wise ruler that will not punish those that have not sinned."

"I am not such a tyrant. I have been past that." Regaleon smiled back. "But still, being ignorant does not mean you are free of sin. They must still pay the price for being ignorant."

I know that Regaleon still need to pass down some form of punishment to the countess even though she was ignorant of her husbands misdeeds. Regaleon still needs to be a good example of a ruler for others to see. But I am sure that he will give the countess and the children of the Forger family that has not sinned a proper punishment. I am not worried because my husband is a just ruler.

"But still, knowing what the countess had gone thru." I said. "She has endured quite a lot."

"Yes, you are right." Regaleon replied. "Do not worry, I will make sure that the countess will at least have a good and happy life after this."

"I know you will." I replied with a smile.

We followed Arnold's lead and walked along the streets of the city. We used the back streets to avoid detection from the count's men.

Not long, I realized that the buildings started to change. The beautiful buildings from the central area changed when we were getting farther. It was changed with old and run down buildings. The lively atmosphere changed to gloomy and dark one.

The people we walk past also differ from the ones in the central part of the city. They were wearing poor clothing. I was stunned with the changes in the scenery. If I put it into words, the central part was the bright part while this part of the city was the shadow and gloomy part.

"The people here..." I said with a low voice.

"Yes." Regaleon replied with a knowing look.

The people in this part of the city looked poor. They were poorly dressed and there faces were devoid of life. It was as if they werr struggling to survive.

"Can you please spare me a few pennies." A man who was all skin and bones jumped in front of us. "Please, I beg you. Just some spare change to buy something to eat."

"You cannot just jump onto others like that." Arnold said. "I am sorry, your majesty." He whispered.

Regaleon raised his hand lightly as to say it was alright. Arnold took off his hood and took his wallet out of his pocket.

"Here, take this." Arnold gave the man some pennies.

"I-It is you, young lord." The man said. "T-Thank you, as always." The man bowed and left.

"He know you?" I asked.

"I frequent these parts." Arnold replied. "I sometimes do some charity work here whenever I have a chance. Distributing food and clothed, that stuff. But what I give is just a means for them to survive for a short time. What they need is a long term solution for they proverty."

"Doesn't the city hold many job opportunities because of your brother's so called 'business'?" Regaleon asked.

"Well, yes..." Arnold replied.

"Look, its Arnold." A little child shouted.

"Arnold... its Arnold." Young children started to flock around Arnold.

"Hello kids." Arnold smiled.

"Have you come to play with us today?" One chiled asked.

"Have you brought candies for us today?" Another chiled asked.

The children's faces were bright while looking at Arnold. It was evident that he takes care of these children.

"Sorry kids, I cannot play with you today." Arnold replied. "I am here on business today."

"Awww..." The children replied in unison. There face showed dissapointment looked kind of cute.

"I will drop by next time and bring many candies, okay?" Arnold said with a smile.

"And you are going to play with us?" One child asked.

"Of course I will." Arnold patted the child's head.

"Yey!" The children laughed. "See you later then Arnold."

The children waved goodbye to Arnold and he waved back.

"The children's smiled brightens up this gloomy place at least." Arnold said to us.

"But seeing their frail little bodies is quite sad." I said. "They are all too skinny for their age. Not only them but some adults here as well."

"I thought your brother's business is producing jobs." Regaleon asked. "But why are the people here in poor condition?"

"Many people here do work in my brother's business. These children's fathers work there." Arnold replied. "But the pay I believe is not much. And many of them are burried in debt. The wages they get only pays for their debts and only a fee of their income remain. And so they get loans from my brother with unreasonable high interests which are addition to the debts that need to pay. The list keeps going on and on. In fact I won't be surprised if they live the rest of their lives paying their debts."

"That is just awful." I said.

"I never thought that Tarmac was this kind of city." Regaleon said. "I have worked hard to eliminate such poverty, but seeing with my own eyes let me know it still exists." I can see his other hand balled into fists.

"It was not always like this in the past, your majesty." Arnold said. "When my grandfather was the one managing the city, he at least had done a good job. The city's budget might not be that big back then but he made sure that no family were starving. My father at first had followed his footsteps, but now..." He fell silent.

"Your brother's influence changed him?" Regaleon asked.

"My brother was not like that in the past." Arnold replied. "He was a bright kid and the pride of my father. But when he went to the ryal academy, he changed. He started to get gloomier everytime he went back on vacations. I thought maybe something might be happening in the academy that we do not know of, but my brother only shrugs when asked. Until one day he changed. The gloominess in him disappeared but he did not revert back to his bright self. I thought that he will go back to his usual self once he graduated from the academy, but that was not the case."

"Your brother was bullied back at the academy." Regaleon said. "I was in my last year when I met him by chance."

"That explains it then." Arnold said with a knowing look. "But he changed all of a sudden."

"I might have something to do with his change." Regaleon replied. "I have said... a few things to him that I now regret saying."

"I am sure that your majesty had what you thought would be best to my brother at that time. And I believe you are not the main factor of my brother's change." Arnold replied. "As I recall, his major change happened after he graduated from the academy and had came back here. Your majesty has left the adacemy by that time and took the throne and became king of Grandcrest. My brother he... just changed recently."

"Do you mean he did not change a lot when he came back from the academy?" I asked.

"Yes. He still had his former self in him until the war ended." Arnold replied. "The war with Jennovia had hit us hard economically, like all other places at that time. My father and brother were at there wits end and was in a hige anount of debt. One day my brother was out on the forest to deal with animals that were preying the livestocks of our people. And he, just did not came back the same again."