Simplicity

Gisa

"Look, I'm still not… still not very excited about this, or to even be near you… But I… I understand." Gisa said tensely. Each word was a struggle. But Prince Michael listened, his expression solemn. "Here, just read this. It's a letter from someone on the island. But it describes the problem."

She watched him inhale a sharp breath as he scanned the paragraph she pointed to. Once. Twice. He handed it back, his facial features still engraved with shock. "Wow, Gisa I— has it always been this bad?"

Gisa shrugged. "There's always been homeless people on the island. Kids included. But Camden told me it was different. He says there are boatloads. Never been that many. And it gets very cold due to the lack of sun and the barrier. I don't know how well it is going to go for them. Camden instructed everyone from our— family to take in who they could, but twenty kids are not anywhere close to the two hundred displaced children." She watched him inhale a sharp breath and grab the back of his neck in contemplation. "They're just kids Michael. You have to do something. Or get me an audience with your father or—"

"I know, I know…" He sighed. "I don't know what to do. Because of what you said I don't trust any foster care program we'd start. Group homes and orphanages don't provide the love support or even the physical needs of children sometimes…"

"Michael,"

"I know. Gisa I'm sorry. I'm trying so hard. So hard. But my best just isn't good enough. I'm sorry for not believing you and your friends and I know it isn't a good excuse but Annabelle has just been in my ear since you all came. I think she's just insecure sometimes. Look, I just… I'm sorry. I can't do all of this on my own. Maybe I'm not cut out to be king." he sighed heavily. "And now I have two hundred half starved kids who I don't know how to care for."

Gisa sighed. Maybe… maybe, "Look, I don't think you're approaching this right."

He turned to her, his honey brown eyes almost defeated. His eyes were so similar to Camden's. It was remarkable. "What do you think I should do?" No mockery in his voice. Only genuine interest, and something like despair.

She took a steadying breath. "You can't do everything on your own. You're right. But you're not supposed to. Your father has an enormous panel of advisors. He has dukes, lords, and princes over all of the provinces. Your father isn't doing it alone. He knew how much he could take. And whatever he couldn't do to the best of his ability, he parceled off to the advisors and other rulers. Nobody said you have to do it on your own. It's not failure to ask for help. It's human. Michael, if you have to ask your father for help, so what? That makes you a better ruler. If there were two kingdoms, with the same problem, which one is a better king, the king who asks for advice and help to solve the problem? Or the one who tries to solve it on his own but fails?" She smiled halfway. "I know that it can feel like failure, but it's not. You're not. You're anything but that. You made one mistake, two, a hundred, so what? We're human. Be the better king and do what's best for your people."

She finally met his eyes, wet with tears. He smiled at her slightly. "Let's go meet my father then."

Gisa had expected some giant meeting hall with a thousand nobles staring her down, but instead they were seated in a cluttered office before a big desk stacked with never ending piles of files. And behind the desk the king sat, peering down his glasses at them. He had his hands steepled under his chin as Michael explained the predicament.

"I just can't solve this one alone. And these kids are more important than the building project. That's why I wanted to meet on such short notice. You understand?"

The king looked over to Gisa who nodded. "It's true. It was bad enough before. They're becoming pickpockets and thieves to feed themselves. They don't know any other way. Then someone catches them, and it just gets worse. But they can't not steal. Otherwise they'll just die… it's forcing them to put their lives on the line for food enough to feed themselves again. Then there are the injured and sick ones. Without someone or someplace they die within a week."

The king nodded. "I see." he handed back the letter from Camden. "Well… what would either of you say?"

"I brought up the idea of a foster program, group homes, orphanages, but those won't cover most of the problems. Not well at least. Foster homes can be very beneficial, but they can also be very terrible. Group homes… I just don't think children get the love they need. Too many children, too few adults. Same with orphan homes," Michael sighed.

"There are shelters, but again, most children won't go there. Nothing is structured. They'll teach themselves how to survive, and most of those ways are not legal and sometimes not ethical, because they know nothing but self-preservation." Gisa said. "Even if you have to choose one of Michael's options, it will still be better than them starving or caught stealing and… well, let's say that everyone looks the other way when a thief is caught."

The king stared at her a moment. "Are none of the nation's laws enforced there?"

"No highness, I won't lie. The island is run by a few large gangs fighting for control. They make the laws and enforce them. Nobody enforces the King's law. Children drop out of schools as early as third grade. Camden said that the night school for adults who did just that is working well, but it doesn't stop the young kids from leaving early." Gisa said.

"I see your point. Kids need guidance. They don't yet know right from wrong." He sighed. "I don't want to, but we might have to have a children's home. At least until we could secure them permanent and proper lodging. It would be completely funded with food and clothing for every child, they'd all be sent to school."

"I have a contact with the gang who runs the island docks. I'll make sure nothing from the shipment gets stolen." Gisa said. A contact with a gang, she'd said. Gisa almost laughed aloud. She used to lead it.

"We can have construction begin in a few days, guards brought in…" the king said more to himself. "Michael, I need you to get the inner cabinet of the advisors here as soon as possible. The second conference room. You both are welcome to come, but it will only be budgets and logistics. We can call the two of you back when we need the details on certain things about the island. I'll have Maryetta prepare you both a picnic. The enchanted lake is only about a mile's hike from the palace. Go enjoy it." He waved them off before either could protest.

Outside of the study, Michael turned to Gisa. "Look, we don't have to go if you don't want to. I know that you're still angry with me."

"I'm not angry," Gisa said. "I was, but our parents' reputations precede us. It makes sense. But I don't want to be Audenzitios's child from the island. I want to be Gisa." She nervously tugged on the loose sleeves of her blouse.

"It was unfair of me to judge you that way. So why don't we take this picnic time so that I can learn who Gisa is, and she can learn who Michael is?"

Gisa smiled. "Yeah. That sounds nice."

The two found themselves walking a well worn path to an old stone pavilion by a glittering lake. Michael threw out the blanket, setting the basket in a corner. The sun filtered through the green leaves casting friendly afternoon shadows on the surface of the silvery lake stretching off to a far shore. Michael pulled little bowls and plates of food from the basket, completing the picturesque scene.

She sighed happily. "This looks so good. I'm not even sure what half of it is though." She scanned her eyes over the purple, pink and yellow fruits along with a green salad. There was a small dish of something white with purple. "Like that." she pointed.

"Rice pudding," he laughed. "It's sweet rice with raisins. One of my favorite dishes." He laughed. "Maryetta outdid herself. Here, these are mangos, and that's dragon fruit. Tropical fruits. They're really tasty. Um, that's fish, and that's quinoa, kale and brussel sprouts in a salad. And… yes!" he chuckled. "Maryetta remembered that my favorite salad dressing is raspberry vinaigrette."

"Vinaigrette?" Gisa asked, examining the dark pink liquid with a few seeds floating in the oily substance.

"Oh, it's essentially just vinegar, oil and raspberries. But it tastes very good on a salad." he smiled, but it disappeared slowly as he saw her examining the food closely, not tasting it. "You've never had any of this before?"

"I mean, kind of. The vegetables were packaged and frozen. Most everything else was tasteless and colorless. It was a rare day when you found a piece of fruit or candy or something. On Christmas they deliver candy to all of the school children, but that's the only time I ever had it. I had freeze dried apples once, we got a box of food shipped to the island instead of somewhere else." She shrugged. "We all got rations of food that was just enough to keep us all nourished and all. Supply of vitamins too. Jugs of water to drink for the week. Tap water wasn't drinkable."

"I see." Michael said. "You know, when they made the island, they weren't very smart with what to do when they inevitably repopulated… I never really thought about that. You guys had no phones, little food, you didn't finish school, Jamison came all covered in bruises the first day and Ron… looked like he slept in a field…"

Gisa shrugged. "Not my story to tell." Then with a laugh, "What should I try first?"

"Mango. It's my favorite. And these are super ripe." he took one of the slices, putting the whole piece in his mouth.

Gisa grinned, "Okay sure," she picked up one of the yellow pieces in her mouth and took a bite. Her taste buds nearly exploded… "Oh my… Oh…" she took another piece. "This is absolutely heavenly…"

"Hey leave some for me! And leave some room for the other foods," Michael chuckled, pulling the plate away from her. "Try the pudding! Or the dragonfruit."

They laughed for another hour or so, swapping stories, Michael teasing Gisa for eating more than half the food.

"I know you aren't supposed to go swimming until a half hour after you've eaten, but did you want to wade into the pool with me? It's enchanted you know... The water is said to do wonders for your skin, and it can null almost any spell as far as I know." Michael pulled off his shoes and socks.

"I actually am kind of afraid of water. Can't swim." Gisa said, her cheeks heating. "I almost drowned in the river on the island once. I won't go into any water more than a few inches deep now." Gisa shrugged, conveniently forgetting to add that her mother shoved her in after Gisa had undermined one of her relations with another mob. She shivered, remembering when she hacked up a gallon of filthy water, after a few people hauled her out.

"Not even gonna dip your toes in?" he joked.

"No I'd… I'd prefer if we kind of left that topic alone." she shrugged, "but you go, I'll stay back to finish the pudding." She watched him hop off of the stone pavilion, landing in knee deep water. He crouched down, pulling out a few glittering stones and shells. She smiled. If only everything was this simple…