It was morning already, for the first time Isobel was completely ready before mark came in. She could barely sleep, the thought of how she would manage the meeting the next day kept her awake.
" My queen" he said after bowing to her along with some maids who came in with him.
" Am ready mark, we need to leave now".
" Oh" mark was quite surprised by her enthusiasm. He led her out of the room as he followed suit.
Isobel majestically walked into the noisy hall. Where all the ministers where having their own different conversation until she came in. They all kept quiet at the site of her and bowed.
" Well, we have all been given chance to deliberate on this topic so now I will give you all the opportunity to state your mind before this honorable court".
After her words, they where all quiet but silent whispers could still be heard from them.
A minister slowly walked front amongst them. "My queen" he bowed. " We have all thought on this issue and we think for us to survive this plight then we must do as Aias suggested we must increase the people tax" he bowed after finishing his speech.
Isobel watched them all quiet but no one protested it was obvious that they all came down with the same solution. "So does anyone here has any other solution". They all looked at one another but no one stepped forward.
After a while of silence, Isobel cleared her throat, " I have decided, I would not increase the tax and on the contrary I would like to reduce the tax".
Her words uprose loud murmur within the council members, as they all looked confused.
" But my queen, that would make the kingdom bankrupt" one of the ministers said.
" I know that that's why I sent a letter to chaali kingdom, since they have decided to increase the price of food, we won't buy from them".
Now, the ministers where even more confused than ever.
" But I also told them, that we won't sell goods to them anymore, I have decided to break the contract with them".
"My queen" a loud voice from within the ministers distracted her. Aias slowly came out. " We can't do that my queen, we have been brothers with the chaali kingdom for centuries, you can't just break it and this would spoil our relationship with them, this could lead to more wars".
Though he tried to be polite while saying all these, he was obviously raising his voice.
" Yes minister Aias, that's why I gave them a choice, if they want us to continue to do business with them then they have to take the price of food back to the way it was, so we are yet to receive their response".
The whole ministers where quiet as they where all speechless.
" My queen what if they refuse and we stop the business contract, where do we get the food" minister Peter asked.
" About that, in the meantime we would have to buy from far kingdoms while I create a nation farm" they all murmured within themselves.
" But my queen most of our men are soldiers so we would not have men to farm enough to feed the nation" Aias said.
" I know that, that's why I have decided to introduce a woman farm. All women interested would farm and any woman who farms for the kingdom would have her family taxes reduce and the kingdom would always supply them with enough food for as long as them farm with us".
Isobel could already see the strong disapproval as they where loud murmur within them.
" My queen that can't happen, we can't submit our wives to such hard work like farming that's just impossible, how would our daughters stay beautiful if we let them farm" one of the ministers protested.
" You don't have to work too this is just for them to support their husbands and who ever choose to farm for their family would be always provided with surplus food".
The ministers where all speechless but based on their faces it was obvious that they had a lot to say.
" My queen, if we allow our wives into such suffering, how would they have time to take care of the family if they will always be tired from hard work" one of the minister asked.
" No I won't let them over work themselves, my right hand man her would carefully monitor the process and make sure each women won't spend more than 2 hours on the farm so they will have enough time to take care of their family".
They all became speechless, though they don't accept this but they have no other argument.
" My queen this is unacceptable" they all protested.
The hall was getting too loud from all the people quarries.
"Enough!!" Isobel shouted when the noise was getting unbearable, " first I want you all to tell me reasons or the law that states women are not allowed to farm and secondly I want you all to give us a permanent solution to the food problem in the kingdom that would also make us prosper".
After her questions, they all went silent they had not answers to any of her questions.
" Listen to me, just because it has never happened in history doesn't mean it's impossible, and history started in a day so am going to start a history here today and that's my decision, if you still protest I want you to come out and give your reason, if none then this meeting is over".
Isobel stood up after a while of waiting for their response but no one could give a response. The murmurs within them increased after she left but Isobel didn't mind it.
"Well done" Mark rang in her ears continually, for the first time, he was complimenting her, Isobel couldn't help but feel good about it. She looked at him with a smile.
Mark didn't bother looking at her expression when he opened the door for her. His frawn made Isobel wondered if he really meant what he just said.
Isobel fell tiredly on the bed. " Do you think the people will agree, it's one thing to convince the minister but it's a different thing to convince the women to work in the farm".
" You don't have to worry about that". A voice came from the door. It was Andrea, she slowly walked up to them. "While you were at the meeting, I took the opportunity to have my men spread rumors about the national farm and that would tell the women why they should join the farm".
Isobel smiled in appreciation as she looked at Andrea and then mark.
" Good, well done" Mark nod his head in approval.
" Mark send my imperial decree to the people, let them know of this development".
" So where you able to sense the mastermind of the plan amongst the people" Andrea asked before mark left the room. Both Isobel and mark remained silent for a while.
" I couldn't notice anything suspicious, they all disapproved" mark said.
"So how do we find him now, I strongly believe Angelica is behind these because she has been too silent which is not supposed to be".
Isobel looked at Mark but he was completely silent. She stood up from the bed, walked slowly to the window. " You are right Angelica has been too quiet but she is in prison so she must have someone doing her deeds".
" Aias" Andrea said. Isobel nodded her head in agreement.
" Mark I want you to send your trusted man to follow Aias, I need to know to know what's happening and Andrea I want to know about every one who goes to visit Angelica at the prison cell". Andrea bowed to receive the order alongside mark before leaving the room.
Isobel lay on her bed staring straight at the ceiling. She felt really lonely at that moment, the thought of her life back at the city ran through her mind. It was a beautiful life before the death of fred but now she is always alone. Isobel closed her eyes trying not to think about it.