“Today you were all summoned here, the day that you came to my territory was your lucky day! As long as you work hard, you can break away from your current status and place!”
“That is right, I will give you a chance to get rid of your status as slaves, becoming free people!”
Hearing this within the serfs an uproar broke out. The serfs clearly knew what a status as a free person meant, they could no longer be cruelly abused by their owners, without any rest always forced to carry on farming endlessly, and they would no longer have to turn over the crops they produced on their fields to their owners, their sons and daughters would no longer be turned into the next generation of serfs.
Roland waited for a moment to let them calm down then he continued, “From tomorrow onward, each of you will get a fixed field assigned to him, and at the same time someone will guide you in the process to get a better harvest. In the first year, 30 % of your harvest will belong to you, while the other 70 % will belong to Border Town. The people who get the best harvest results will be promoted to free people!“
“After becoming a freeman, your family will be exempted from slavery, and then you can decide if you want to continue farming or if you want to find another occupation in the town, it will be your own decision. If you choose to continue farming, 20 % of your harvest will belong to Border Town as rent, while the other 80 % will belong to yourself. Later you can buy the land from the Lord and then you will no longer have to transfer any food to the castle! “
After his last word faded away, only the sound of breathing could be heard, until someone shouted, “Your Royal Highness, was what you said was really the truth?”
“Of course,” Roland answered, stressing every word. “As a Lord, I would never deceive my own people.“
“His Royal Highness is merciful,” some people couldn’t help themselves from saying out loud, then the sound quickly became louder, “Long live His Royal Highness the Prince!”
Suddenly the first serf in front of him kneeled down, followed soon by the second person, then the third person…
Until the whole mass of people kneeled in front of him, still calling his name, getting louder and louder. Until the thousands of voices turned into the same rhythm, “His Royal Highness the Prince!” “Long live the Prince!”
Hearing the crowd so clearly understanding his intent, there was no need for him to drag things out for any longer, the Prince thought to himself.
He clapped his hands then said to the bodyguard behind him, “Bring the meal!”
When Roland fell asleep, Nightingale emerged out of the fog, stepped to the side of his bed and gently straightening the quilt, covering an exposed arm. Then for a moment she quietly stood beside the bed watching the sleeping Roland, she then quietly slid through the floor, back to her own room.
“You’re not already asleep?” Seeing Wendy sitting on the bed and reading, Nightingale was slightly surprised.
“I’m afraid you would do something stupid!” Wendy glared at her, “His Royal Highness is not a child, is it really necessary for you to take care of him until he finally fell asleep?”
“His Royal Highness has sent people to other towns to spread the news that the Witch Cooperation Association is here, so I have to be at his side in the case someone heard the news of the witches and now wants to harm His Highness.”
Nightingale picked up a wet towel and cleaned her face with it. Followed by unlocking the red belt around her hip, taking off the bands of her leather wrist and body armor, then finally slipped out of her white clothes — this dress was His Highness’ newest creation, with a pure white hood coat she wouldn’t gather too much attention and thus it was the right clothes for an assassin, at least it was what he thought.
Nightingale carefully hung up her clothes, the smoothed out every fold. Afterward, she wrapped her sexy and curvy body within a piece of light muslin. On her flat stomach and thighs not even a single trace of fat could be seen.
“There is no possibility an accident could happen,” said Wendy, putting down the book, “There are sisters within the castle and there guards outside patrolling and furthermore, didn’t you yourself put a stone under his pillow? I can never understand how you can touch such a thing.”
“Well, I’m still responsible for ensuring his safety,” Nightingale said while sitting down on the edge of the bed, taking off her boots and revealing her young and slender legs, then laying down and turning in Wendy’s direction.
“Didn’t you listen to what I said last time,” Wendy sighed. “Veronica, we are witches.”
