A meek silence shrouded the mahogany table as it sat surrounded by twelve chairs. Marcellus' chair was still vacant. The nagging thought of his existence put me at unease. Annabelle still occupied the next chair over. Her face was ashen, suggesting that she too was worried. The grey, stone cold walls that lined the long room failed to lift the atmosphere. I waited for the last nobleman to take a seat before convening, something that the royal secretary would have done had I not requested that he take leave today.

"Thank you for joining us today this morning, gentlemen and... lady." I nodded at Annabelle. "I would like to discuss the state of welfare in our kingdom."

"Your majesty, I humbly ask for clarification on the subject because as I see it, the state of pubic welfare in Sedalia exceeds those of surrounding nations."

"Mr. Thornton, when was the last time you visited another land to cite that notion?"

He paused, racking his brain trying to remember. A smug smile decorated my face.

"Precisely. You can't remember! We have been saying such things for decades, simply because it was precedent at the time. We simply don't know the status of our land anymore, but there are obvious discrepancies that must be worked on."

"What sort of discrepancies, your majesty?" A plump man at the end of the table spoke up.

I immediately recognized the name on the plate that stood on the table before him.

"I'm referring to the class differences, Mr. Hansbury. We, the nobility, are making an unworldly amount more than say, laborers for example, despite the amount of work they put in to keep this kingdom running. The rewards ratio is disproportionate with the work done. This is driving many of our citizens away, some even find life to be more comfortable in no man's land!"

He scoffed, "Your majesty, it is hardly fair to value manual labor with labor of the mind."

My smile twitched at his backhanded comment, "Well, Mr. Hansbury, if you insist on that, then I suppose you need not compensate your bookkeeper because as per the records... you failed to pay your duties for the past ten years, citing poor return on crops while market records indicate that you sold an above average number of bundles all those years. Why is that? That's hardly fair."

Ash failed to suppress a chuckle next to me, prompting scowls to spread around the table.

"When you are in a position of power, you must use it in a responsible manner, lest it be stripped from you." Ash spoke up while pointedly looking at Mr. Hansbury.

"Your majesty, say we do pay our duties as citizens. That only makes nine of us. That'll hardly dent anything. The nobility extends beyond this table."

"It may, but the common classes extend even further. They are the majority of the land I rule, and therefore their best interests hold more value as a populous than the upper classes. The purpose of this meeting is to push the development of this kingdom forward, not that of a single community." Ash continued, "We must help the masses."

Annabelle nodded, "I completely understand where these points are coming from, your majesties, but how will compliance be enforced?"

"We will be looking through the records from the past decade and tallying up the skipped taxes. Everyone will receive copies of the taxes they owe to the Crown, plus an added percentage due to inflation. Each individual will have a month to pay what he or she owes. Undoubtedly, this will result in an influx of funds, which will be used on public infrastructure first and foremost. The villages are highly lacking even basic necessities, such as wells for drinking water and proper waste disposal." I explained.

A man slapped the table, "My wealth was not accumulated to quench the thirst of peasants! I worked hard to reach the position I am at right now."

I narrowed my eyes at the man, "How many times have you worked out in your own fields, sir? Is it not these very peasants who put bread and butter on your table?"

He grumbled to himself as he leaned back into his chair.

Ash stood up, "If there is any opposition to this intervention, which will henceforth be known as the Parity Clause, you will be dismissed from your court positions due to non-compliance."

"This is tyranny!" Another man fussed from the corner of the room.

"Tyranny has developed because the Crown has been so lenient with its consociates. The only real tyranny is the appropriation of nine-tenths of the wealth by a tenth of the kingdom." Ash pressed, "You should be grateful that I haven't thrown you in prison yet for tax evasion, which is a considerable crime in itself."

Once a submissive silence fell over the room, Ash spoke again, "Court is dismissed for today. Collections will be visiting each and every family on the list personally, and any actions to evade them will be treated as treason."

With that, we walked out. I gently took his hand into my own as I studied his stoic expression.

"Do you think they will comply?" I asked.

He shrugged, "There will be a price to pay, regardless."

Witnessing Ash's courtly presence made my heart flutter in ways I couldn't explain.