He’d found that humor was usually a great leveler. Plus, there wasn’t always enough laughter in people’s lives, and Tor thought that if the one thing that he managed to do as a prince was bring some levity to them, then it would still be a life well spent, never mind what his brother said.
Pelun’s expression said he might think the same as Varex, unfortunately, but attempt at courting or not, Tor wasn’t going to change how he approached people.
“Now,” Tor said with an open smile, “why don’t you tell me what you like best about working the land?”
At the end of the day, Tor awaited Pelun’s verdict with bated breath—while trying not to look as though he were the least bit concerned.
Pelun eyed him, and then said reluctantly, “That wasn’t as completely terrible as I thought it would be.”
Wow.
“You really know how to roll out the compliments,” Tor said, kind of impressed.
Pelun shrugged. “I’d be willing to do it again.”
Tor was going to leap at the chance, despite the fact that he’d just been insulted.
He grinned. “It’s almost as if you like spending time with me.”
Pelun scoffed. “When I go with you, they don’t spend as much time going on and on and onaboutyou.”
And Tor could do nothing but laugh, a curious feeling of elation filling him, especially when he caught the small quirk of Pelun’s lips and realized that he was suppressing a smile.
Theyweremaking progress, and they continued to make progress over the next few days. It also helped that when Tor was out visiting the people, Larexa and Bavil were allowed to go about their days in the way they preferred. Tor was a little surprised that Forex didn’t want them to escort him, but he was pretty sure it showed the value the King put on the task. He let Tor get away with it because Tor couched it as his duty as the High Prince. And the man never seemed to notice what his middle child was doing.
Tor was pretty sure that he’d have punched Forex in the face long since—but he didn’t have to live with the man long-term.
While Pelun spent a lot of time checking in with the farmers, who were a bit further away and thus had a harder time getting to the castle to report any issues, he also checked in with the villagers and townsfolk. When it came down to it, most people had broadly similar preoccupations. They wanted to be safe, healthy, and well fed. Given the option, they’d prefer to have more wealth rather than less, but comfortable people tended to be happier people.
These people were… mostly happy. But just like the farmers felt like it was getting harder to farm, that the work was getting harder and the yield smaller, Tor couldn’t mistake the underlying sentiment that things were wearing out and weren’t being replaced as quickly as they could. Baless… wasn’t what Tor had come to expect from a capital city, though he reminded himself that Nexa was the capital city of the United Realms, not just Alossa. Maybe he was just spoiled.
The school roof leaked, though, and with the large amount of rain they’d had so far this spring, the concerned townsfolk weren’t sure that a patch job was going to fix it again. Pelun was clearly uncomfortable with Tor hearing all of this, though he assured them that the patch would be inspected.
Tor was certain that if Pelun had his way, there would have been a new roof on the schoolhouse long since. Tor didn’t think there was a lack of funds, but he didn’t actually know the state of King Forex’s coffers.
Tor believed firmly in the education of children, and so after dinner that night, he went on a ten-minute monologue about all the work the High King was doing to make sure that the schools in Alossa were the best they could be.
“I know there’s that old nonsense about keeping people illiterate so they don’t think for themselves, but the truth of the matter is that people always think for themselves. If we give them the tools to do so wisely, then they’re making smarter decisions. So yes, maybe a blacksmith’s child realizes they want to bake or a farmer’s daughter is good at sums—but figuring that out and getting them into the right job means they’re more productive.” He flashed a grin at the King. “And who doesn’t want more productive taxpayers, right?”
Forex’s dark eyes bore into his for a moment, and then he nodded. “Yes, productive taxpayers are something we always need more of. We actually just received a request for school improvements and have approved them.”
Tor flashed him another grin. “It seems that great minds think alike.”
The King seemed well satisfied with that, Tor was well pleased with his work, and Pelun… glowered.
Tor had really thought he’d appreciate that particular bit of fancy wording, but the next day, the other man told him, “I could have sorted it out,” and Tor realized that he’d stepped on a different set of toes than those he’d been carefully avoiding.
And Tor didn’t want to call the other man a liar, but it was pretty clear the King didn’t heed a lot of what Pelun was saying.
“Of course you could have,” Tor agreed instead. “I assume that’s what you’ve been doing for years.”
It had been obvious from the start that Pelun cared a great deal about these people.
Carefully, Tor suggested, “But isn’t it nice if occasionally, you don’t have to?”
Pelun looked at him like he couldn’t quite figure out what to do with him.
Several days later, Pelun confessed, “I thought you were just being silly at first. But I can see that it works for you to set people at ease with humor. And you actually listen. Lots of people don’t.”
