UPRISING AND REVOLUTION
News of the King's popularity was spreading about the land.
It was Alexander who was always out there opening up buildings and hospitals in the public.
He recognized the military and was awarding medals whereas the Queen mother took on most of his kingly duties.
Alexander once more dominated the Newspapers whereas Valerian on the other hand still living simply attracted enough attention.
He always mused at the ocean.
It had been about two months apart and the marriage there was between the two had slowly crumbled.
Valerian made an attempt to write letters to his husband.
About a hundred and more, there was never a single one that came back in reply.
The Queen beloved by all people spent a rather solitary time in marriage.
Many times he would smile to the audiences of children and common townspeople but once alone he'd grieve in his own solitude.
He stood every morning at the beach to watch the sunrise and also every evening to watch the sunset.
It reminded him of the early years of his marriage and this propelled him to break down in tears.
The final blow came one of the unfortunate evenings when Valerian stood along the shore.
Many of the people who had brought along fruits and vegetables from the gardens dropped them at the palace and were sent away.
They did not protest but for many they had a feeling of suspicion.
It must have been difficult for their Queen living far away from his dearest husband.
Alexander whose popularity despite growing large enough had not succeeded in overshadowing his Queen's felt a little bit too angry.
Not every thing was working out because even in the silence, the Queen's actions were one step ahead of the public Spectre compared to his.
If there was one thing that Valerian was very good at then it was winning over the hearts of many.
The young and vibrant Queen had not only blossomed in wisdom but in heart as well and as it had been predicted, there were uprisings.
Instability broke out within the Scoln Kingdom shortly after as the people demanded their Queen be restored to the palace.
There was a rather aggressive move that came from Court after the land had produced so much harvests.
Trade following the ideas of the suspended Queen and agriculture on the Royal estates And other common farmlands had become fruitful.
Parliament gathered and under the patronage of the Queen Mother who had at the time ceased the reins of power, they saw that the people were becoming wealthier.
A wealthier people meant that there was a possibility of the Crown to be wealthier as well.
The wealth of which Valerian had acquired from investing into common farms and changing the ordinary and idle Royal estates to farmlands gave the Crown so much wealth.
The major problem came with the fact that the Crown was not content with it's own wealth.
It wanted more and the aftermath was raising taxes by fifty percent.
The tax raise was rather unpredicted and many of the Scolns who had already budgeted their expenditures felt they had been robbed.
They did not pay the taxes and this resulted into the siezure of private and public estates of land.
The News spread about the country and the people felt that the burden was shifted onto them by the officials.
For Valerian who had long earned the Scoln trust it was necessary to call him back.
The people loved him and the land had been stable with him as Queen.
Many believed the King was being swayed by his nobles and the others that he was rather ignoring their pleas.
Under the leadership of John Creed, a rich and wealthy farmer, the revolution began in the Western lands.
Most of the farmers there attacked the Royal estates and burnt them as well as their buildings.
Afterwards, those who worked on them quit their jobs and stole all the property that belonged to the Royal household.
The resistance was an underground one, it was top secret and it's members were not known but rather heard of.
When the News arrived in the palace, the Queen mother who still wielding power in the position of her son ordered all common farmers be rounded up.
They were and all on her order were thrown into prison with the expectation that if they were locked away, the resistance would fall.
It was a rather baffling back fire when the result of the situation was the soldiers joining forces with the farmers.
The army had failed to be stable and their monthly wages and allowances had been cut down.
For the first time in Scoln History, the King was seated in his study when Charles arrived sweating profusely.
He had been running around the entire place trying to maintain order in the Royal household since the Queen was absent.
The moment he stepped in on the King, he placed a large blue envelope of the King's desk.
"What is it Charles?" The King asked curious of Charles' sudden presence.
"I have a bit of bad News your Majesty." Charles said.
"Concerning the rebels?" Alexander asked.
"Yes but not entirely." Charles replied.
"What more is there, do they plan on beheading me?" Alexander asked.
"Not really." Charles replied.
"I am afraid that it is worse than that." Charles said as he pointed at the envelope.
"What is in it?" Alexander asked.
"Let his Majesty see for himself." Charles replied as Alexander took hold of the envelope.
He unsealed it and pulled out a large cream parchment of paper and read through it.
His expression was that of shock and he was dumbfounded after he had finished.
He placed it down.
"What nonsense is this?" Alexander asked.
"The public offers a petition to their King." Charles said.
"And why should I care?" Alexander asked.
"It seems your mother along with Parliament have done a good job playing with the temper of the masses.
It is a good thing however that the people who are under this torment believe you have no hand in what is. Going on.
My plea is that you plan on keeping it that way your Majesty, the people want Valerian to be restored to the throne.
Additionally, they would prefer that the Queen be granted the power to intervene in the political sphere once more." Charles said.
"How do you call me?" Alexander asked.
"My King, your Majesty." Charles replied.
"To whom am I answerable?" Alexander asked.
"No one." Charles replied.
"Then you know very well that I do not take any orders from any other person and I shall do as I please." Alexander said.
"Yes your Majesty." Charles said.
"I was hoping that you might reconsider calming down this revolution before it gets out of hand.
It would be best to gain the support of these people than to lose it at this very moment." Charles said.
"I shouldn't have let myself into that light in the first place.
The Queen mother was right, when you liberalise the Crown, it becomes a joke and threatens a thousand years if tradition." Alexander said.
"Your Majesty." Charles said.
"Isn't there anything else that we can do?" Alexander asked.
"How willing are you your Majesty?" Charles asked.
"I must save this throne if I must." Alexander said.
"Then your Majesty must make all ends meet to end the relationship that prevails between you and your Queen." Charles replied.
"What are you trying to say here?" Alexander asked.
"No more should Valerian come to your presence as your Queen." Charles replied.
Alexander went into silence.
"How shall that be of help to me?" Alexander asked.
"If the state no longer acknowledges Valerian as it's Queen, it will be no use calling for an invasion.
He might be your first cousin but you can as well find another consort.
If he is Queen no more, the rebels and revolters will have no choice but to put their guards down." Charles said.
"And what will that mean on Valerian's side?" Alexander asked.
"It would mean that his Majesty would be relieved of his duty as Queen and he would be from now on a free man." Charles replied.
Alexander kept quiet.
"This is unacceptable." Alexander said.
"You have a choice your Majesty." Charles said.
"Either bring Valerian back into this palace as your Queen and dress him with all the honours he was stripped of.
Or you can on the other hand strip him of his last title and Grant him freedom as well." Charles replied.
"This is so hopeless." Alexander said.
"It rests with you sure, even with Valerian as your Queen, you can not be sure he is a person that you can control." Charles said.
"He will be more popular either way unless he is a common person." Alexander said.
"I'll need some time to think about this." Alexander added.
"Feel free your Majesty." Charles said.
"You may leave." Alexander said as he waved Charles away.
Immediately Charles bowed his head and left the king alone in his own solitude.
He needed to think fast of a way that could suppress the uprising and revolution even if it meant giving up what he loved the most.