"You are," Soleia corrected through gritted teeth. "Did you think that your fief is rolling in riches?"
Crystals didn't come by easily. The royal family had an absolute monopoly over the sales and distribution of these magical stones― after all, the feats and wonders that could be accomplished with its help weren't something King Godwin wanted to share with his citizens.
Besides, the common folk didn't have any ability to harness the stones' magical properties― giving them these crystals would be as useful as giving them to the livestock. Even the ugliest, smallest, and most clouded stone would still cost the average citizen an arm and leg through the black market.
However, Soleia wasn't as poorly off as the common folk, even if she, like them, couldn't channel any powers with these semi-precious stones. She had dismantled some of her jewelry and sold off whatever she couldn't use.
