Chapter 7: The Unseen Hand

The grand feast the night before had been a spectacle of triumph and celebration, with the nobles, advisors, and ministers offering endless praises to Asher for his strategic victory over the would-be conspirators. The air was thick with whispers of admiration, and the wine flowed freely as the guests reveled in the fall of Lord Eryx and the rise of the new heir.

But Asher sat alone in the corner of the grand hall, his face unreadable, eyes focused on the distant horizon beyond the towering windows. He had no taste for praise. He had no desire to be a figurehead. What he cared about were the hidden currents beneath the surface—what schemes and secrets lay beyond the politics, and what threats would soon reveal themselves.

The next day, in the quiet council chambers, Asher sat with his advisors and ministers, the mood far more somber than the previous night's revelry. He had ordered a new meeting to assess the state of the estate and to address the underlying issues that had plagued his father's reign.

"Lord Asher," began the Minister of Agriculture, a tall, gaunt man named Bartholomew, with deep worry etched across his brow. "I regret to inform you of a matter far more pressing than any noble dispute. We are facing a significant shortage of food across the estate. Crops are failing, livestock are dwindling, and there is growing unrest among the peasantry. This has been building for months, but the situation has worsened in recent weeks."

Asher leaned forward, his eyes narrowing with concern. "What caused this? The weather has been stable, and we should have had enough to sustain the people for the time being. Has something gone wrong with the harvest?"

Bartholomew hesitated, clearly struggling with how to present the full scope of the issue. "It's not just the harvest, Lord Asher. There's a deeper, more insidious factor at play. We've discovered that much of the grain meant for the estate has been redirected under mysterious circumstances. It's as though someone is deliberately hoarding supplies, and it's not just our land."

"Who could be behind this?" Asher's voice was cold, a note of steel lacing his words. "Are we dealing with bandits or thieves?"

The minister shook his head. "No, Lord Asher. This is something far more insidious. The royal family has been holding secret meetings in the palace, but not for reasons of control. The meetings were called by the royals as a response to the crisis. The nobles from all over the kingdom have been gathering to discuss the growing food scarcity and to come up with potential solutions. What we've learned, however, is that there's a lot more at stake here. The royal family seems to be trying to maintain order by discussing and implementing measures to manage the kingdom's resources."

Asher listened intently, his thoughts racing. The royal family wasn't responsible for the food shortage, but their involvement had certainly raised concerns. The fact that they had summoned the nobility to discuss the matter meant that the issue was much bigger than a simple crop failure. This was a crisis that could affect every noble house and every corner of the kingdom.

"So, they are trying to solve the problem," Asher mused, more to himself than anyone else. "But why does this involve our kingdom land and supplies? Who stands to gain from this crisis?"

"That's what we're still trying to figure out," Bartholomew replied. "But there are rumors of strange activities around the royal estates. Supplies are being moved, but we don't know where they're going. And there's talk of the royals being pressured by other influential houses, forcing them to make difficult decisions regarding the distribution of resources."

Asher's brow furrowed. "So, the royals are involved, but not in a direct malicious way. They're trying to manage the situation. But what about the other nobles? Are they involved in this scarcity? Could they be causing it to destabilize us for their own gain?"

The minister of trade, Lord Darnell, a sharp-minded but cautious man, nodded. "It's possible, Lord Asher. Some nobles have been hoarding grain, pushing prices up, and controlling the distribution of supplies. The situation is becoming volatile. If we don't act soon, there could be revolts in the streets, and the entire estate could fall into chaos."

Asher took a deep breath. His father's legacy had left him with a fractured kingdom—one with powerful enemies, secret agendas, and now a critical food crisis that could tear the entire realm apart. The royal family may not have orchestrated the crisis, but they had taken steps to address it, and their involvement would make it far harder to resolve. And the other nobles? They were clearly playing a dangerous game of their own.

"

Lady Alys, the Minister of the People, spoke up. "And the people, Lord Asher? The common folk are already growing restless. We must do something to feed them, or we risk losing them to the royals or any other house that promises salvation."

Asher nodded. "We will find a way to alleviate their suffering. But our priority must be to uncover the truth behind the food shortage. If it's a matter of political power, we need to cut off the supply chain of those responsible and take the advantage from them before they can take it from us."