At Jo tral Square,
The midday su down mercilessly on the bustliral Square, where life moved with a sense of newfound purpose. Workers bored uhe scorg heat, strug sturdy walls to fortify their homes and cultivating farmnd enriched by seabed soil. The farming experiment had proven somewhat effective, and now, hope bloomed alongside the crops. he coastlieams tirelessly purified seawater, ferrying barrels bad forth. Fishermen hauled in their daily catch with the help of eager volunteers, while others teo the children, ensuring they learned valuable skills.
In the midst of this anized chaos, the rhythmic ctter of hooves sighe arrival of an imperial carriage. The sleek, jet-bck vehicle advanced slowly, fnked by knights in gleaming armor. As it approached, a ripple of motiohrough the crowd. One by ohe people of Jo Isnd k, their expressions a mixture of gratitude and reverence. Even the Herptian priests, distinguishable by their flowing white robes, paused their efforts to care for the sid the young, bowing deeply.
Though the influence of the Herptian clergy had waned in the eastern ti, Jo Isnd remained a stronghold of their faith. Here, their presendured as a legacy of the isnd’s historical signifi the east.
The carriage came to a halt, and Ravenna Sorius stepped out, her anding presence radiating like the heat of the sun. Her jet-bck hair framed her face like a curtain of shadow, and her sharp, dising gaze swept over the kneeling popuce. elegant attire befittiatus, she asded the stage at the square’s ter with an air of practiced authority.
“The people of this isnd have remarkable manners,” she murmured, her lips curling into a faint smile as she observed the deference shown to her.
Hughes, her loyal knight captain, stepped forward, his booming voice cutting through the murmurs of the crowd. “Her Highness, Ravenna Sorius, has arrived! Gather around! Her Highness has an important annouo make!”
The message spread quickly. Those who were not already present hurried to the square, joining the gathering throng. Within mihe crowd swelled to several hundred, each person ing their o catch sight of their enigmatic ruler.
Among them was Sarah, rushing over from the distributioe, where she had been managing records of food rations and job allocations. She had been summohe moment Ravened the castle, informed that the annou would involve signifit administrative ges.
As the crowd settled, Ravenna stood motionless, surveying her people with a pierg gaze. After fifteen minutes of patient waiting, she reached into her robes and produced a single jasmine flower inscribed with faint magical runes. Crushing it between her fingers, she pced the remnants on a sleick, amplifying her voice with its entment.
“My citizens!” she began, her voiing across the square, anding immediate silence. “You know me as Princess Ravenna Sorius, Duchess of this nd. In the past month, I have brought forth ges to this barren isnd—from distributing food to initiating the soil extra project for farming. But let me tell you this: what you have seen is not the end. It is only the beginning!”
Her tone was ced with authority, firm yet strangely f. The people of Jo Isnd, aced to years of and exploitation, found her words stirring a mix of trepidation and anticipation. Though Ravenna was known for her fiery temper and sharp tongue, her as in the past month had proven transformative. Eveern demeanor couldn’t overshadow the tangible improvements she had brought to their lives.
“I have held dominiohis isnd for a month now,” she tinued, her voice resolute. “Yet, I have not ged its administrative or military policy. That will ge today!”
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. For many, her words reignited painful memories of the oppressive taxes imposed by the previous hose taxes had driven tless families to ruin, their debts paid in blood or impriso. The thought of further reforms, however well-iioned, filled them with dread.
Sensing their unease, Ravenna raised her hand, sileng the whispers. Her expression remained calm, yet her words struck like a hammer. “Do not misuand me,” she decred. “Just because I distributed free food and initiated farming projects does not mean I care for you peasants.”
The crowd stiffened as her gaze swept over them, her voice sharp as steel. “The only thing I care about,” she said, pausing for effect, “is myself.”
Her words nded heavily, and a wave of despair washed over the crowd. For a brief moment, the hope that had taken root in their hearts felt as though it might wither.
Her words struck the crowd like a hammer blow, and a wave of despair rippled through the square. The hope that had cautiously taken root in their hearts trembled uhe weight of her decration. For a moment, it seemed as though the budding faith in their new ruler might wither entirely.
But then Ravenna spoke again, her voice clear and resolute. “It means that if a reform allows the people of this isnd to better care for me, then it shall be done! If proteg you ehat you live another day to serve my needs, then you shall have my prote!” Her words echoed sharply, resonating in the ears of every listener, filling their minds with fusion.
What was the princess getting at? Was she saying that as long as they were useful to her, she would safeguard them? Did she truly mean that her favor depended on their be to her? The crowd exged wary ghe weight of her iions unclear.
Ravenna tinued without hesitatioone anding. “With that in mind, I am announg the tralization of power in Jo City!” She reached into her robes and produced an official-looking dot, holding it high for all to see.
The crowd leaned forward, straining to catch a glimpse of the title. Many could read it, thanks to the Herptian religion’s emphasis on education, and their eyes widened in disbelief.
“In this system,” Ravenna decred, her voiyielding, “every single grain of food harvested, every product crafted, and every service provided by the people of this nd will belong to the Dukedom. And the Dukedom,” she added, her gaze sharp and unyielding, “is me.”
A ripple of murmurs coursed through the crowd, their voices rising in arm and disbelief. The idea was staggering: every resource, every piece of bor, and every form of erce would now be under her trol.
Notig the u, Ravenna’s eyes narrowed. Her gre cut through the noise like a bde, sileng the growing otion. “Every citizen who works will receive a fair sary, calcuted based on their skill, bor, and other evaluations specified in this dot,” she announced firmly. “There will be no privately owned businesses iy. Every shop, every trade, every store that sells goods will belong to the Dukedom. And the Dukedom,” she repeated with finality, “is me.”
The weight of her procmatioled over the square like a thiany in the crowd struggled to process what they had just heard. Feions, some families had thrived on small trading businesses, even if those ventures had withered totally by now. Now, Ravenna roposing to abolish private enterprise altogether, pg everything under her direct authority.
“The details of this reformed governance,” Ravenna tinued, raising the dot higher, “are outlined here. Copies will be distributed to every household in the ing days. Read it. Uand it. Know that this system will rebuild the isnd and secure its future!”
Her tone shifted then, growing sharper and more frontational. She sed the crowd, her sharp gaze daring ao challenge her. “Now, to those who might oppose me,” she said, her voice cutting through the stillness like a whip. “To those who think I don’t deserve to owhing on this isnd, I ask you this: Do you truly believe you fix this nd without my leadership? Do you think your petty squabbles and fragmented efforts could aplish what I have done?”
Her voice grew louder, a challehat hung heavily in the air. “If you dare to think otherwise, step forward now! Show yourselves, if you have the ce!”
Her final words rang out like a a, leaving the square in charged silehe people exged uneasy gnces, unsure of how to respond. The weight of her authority pressed down on them, daring ao rise against it.
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