Three more days had passed since Richard had returned, the Kingdom was as quiet as ever and everyday it snowed more and more, making the people of the Kingdom wish that the spring would come quickly.
Alaric was still a busy as ever, with Liam gone to the North, his duties had increased more, but he decided to stay in the castle, he could not go out in the cold as this time, so he sent some of the guards to represent him.
"This is not good at all" said Alaric to himself as he sighed and read something.
"The blacksmiths no longer have sufficient iron to create tools" said Alaric.
He had spent his whole day looking at the queries and problems that the people of the kingdom had sent to him.
He could as well have delegated this duty to one of the scholars or scribes, but Alaric wanted to know what was going on in his kingdom first hand, he was a man of the people by the people, he wanted to know their worries and concerns so he could consider ways to solve such.
He wanted to feel a personal connection with his people, and so far for the past years of his reign he had done exactly that, when Alaric first ascended the throne from his father, Wyverdale was not as big as it was now, and even then the management of the Kingdom was poor.
Alaric father was not a man of the people, he delegated his duties to the dukes and scholars who ended up eating all the Kingdom's finances.
You could have said that when Alaric became King Wyverdale was more or less the weakest Kingdom that could have been overthrown at any moment in time, but Alaric was determined to make Wyverdale great, and he did, with lots of help.
And now as the times were changing, so were the problems, not only were there now rumors of war in the north, but the people in the city were suffering too.
"We need to trade for iron and soon" said Alaric, he knew that one of the major resources the Kingdom was dependent on was Iron, they used it for their weapons, for horseshoes for their horses and for household tools.
Without them having no source to iron, they were as good as dead, if war was to break they would be left defensless.
Wyverdale no longer had many weapons, they had all been used in the war against the fallen kingdom which is now in the east of Wyverdale, his brave son had led the troops well, and he had made Wyverdale victorious.
"This cannot do" said Alaric to himself as he shook his head.
"This cannot do at all" he said.
"Come in" said Alaric as he heard a knock on his door.
"Sorry to bother you your Majesty" said a guard as he walked into Alaric's office and he bowed himself to the ground.
"It is no trouble, please rise" said Alaric as he looked down.
"Thank you your Majesty" said the guard as he bowed one more time and he stood up.
"Your Majesty, I come with good tidings" said the guard with a happy smile.
"Crowned Prince Liam had returned from the north" he said.
"He has now??" asked Alaric as he could not believe it, he thought that with the extremely cold weather, Liam would return in more than a week, and yet his son had already returned, he really was a man of valour.
"Yes your Majesty, he is keeping his horse in the stables" said the guard.
"Thank you for brining me these good tidings" said Alaric as he smiled.
"It is my pleasure your Majesty" said the guard.
"I will be going now" he said as he bowed once again and left the room.
Alaric could not lie to himself, he had missed Liam dearly, he was his boy, his only son, and the only family he had left in this life, and Liam was a good son, he always did what was best for Alaric, and Alaric really appreciated that.
He could say that his boy was much more mature than he was at his age, and Alaric was sure that, that was a good thing, or else if Liam was like him, well let us just say that things would have been different.
Not that he was bragging, but back in his day, he was what they called a ladies man, and well Liam, Liam was not like that at all, his son was not like that, and he could not tell if it was a good thing, or if he should be worried that war did something to him.
"Father, I have returned" said Liam as he walked into his father's office with a smile.
"Liam my boy, welcome home" said Alaric as he smiled.
"How was your journey my boy?" asked Alaric as Liam gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"My Journey was well father" said Liam.
"And how were you father?" asked Liam.
"My boy, I cannot lie, I was extremely worried about you my son" said Alaric.
"Father, you should not have been, I am alright" said Liam.
"Yes, I can see that my boy" said Alaric as he smiled.
"So my boy how are things in the north?" asked Alaric.
"Well father" said Liam as he looked serious now.
"The rumors of war in the north were false" said Liam as he sighed.
"False? how come?" asked Alaric.
"Well father it turned out to be a misunderstanding with one of the duke families residing there" said Liam.
"And you believe that?" asked Alaric.
"I only told you what I was told, I never said that I believed it" said Liam.
"So what do you think?" asked Alaric.
"I perceive a conspiracy father" said Liam.
"The Likelihood of war breaking out in the north that had been a Wyverdale state for a long time now is unbelievable, not to consider the newly acquired east that has still not accepted being a Wyverdale state" Liam.
"I thought so too" said Alaric as he had the same suspicions.
"So what do you suggest that we do?" asked Alaric.
"Nothing" said Liam.
"For now there is not a huge threat" said Liam
"And we need to find out what is going on, and the best way to do that is not to raise any suspicion, and carry on like normal" said Liam.
"You are right my boy" said Liam.
"We will carry on" he said.
"Yes father" said Liam as he had some other important things on his mind, especially a certain maiden.