[Southern Draconia Kingdom - The White King's Hostead - Not so distant future]
A mixed family lived with twenty other families in a thriving Hostead of farrs and traders who traveled north to Stormwatch Port to sell their goods to the many rchants. The head of the community was an elf man, Caelum Greenleaf.
Draconia Interior Minister Bayla Brightwater assigned him to lead the White King's Hostead. Caelum knew the King and Queen personally gave her the position, so everyone had to listen, even though she was a young elf compared to him and his wife.
But he was thankful that the days were peaceful, and they didn't have to worry about bandits or monster raids because they were on an island, and the Hoguard was constantly patrolling the area. Caelum was initially confused as nurous soldiers passed by at all tis of the day.
Thousands would be marching past the Hostead, and rumors would spread of their king's endless ambition and how the kingdom would soon be a mighty empire able to dominate the world.
This would encourage the younger generation to join the Draconian Army in the thousands with their parents' permission. Even though he had three children in the army, two sons joined the Sixth Dragon Legion.
His daughter joined the Dragon Marines assigned to the Royal Draconia Navy, which filled his heart with pride. Even his four youngest, born in the king's domain during the Great Peace, wanted to be soldiers like their siblings.
Caelum tended to his duties in the fields, planting more Sunfire Corn, Darkmist Rye, and Hearthgrain Wheat, which all grew perfectly. He was shocked at the yield, which allowed them to earn extra inco in Stormwatch Port.
Today, he and his wife were headed to Drakonia to pay their taxes and shop while the neighbor's daughter watched four children. After inspecting the crops, Caelum finished up in the fields.
He was amazed as the Draconia Governnt handed out the seeds the king stole from the Novgorod Empire. Once Caelum reached his ho, he noticed his wife was outside waiting for him.
When he saw her, a smile appeared. ''Hello, my love. Are you ready to head to Stormwatch? The wagon is loaded, and Mary will watch the children for three days.''
''Yes darling, the earlier we go, the earlier we can return,'' his wife Fiona nodded.
Caelum smiled at her and rembered their eting in the Solari Empire during the invasion. When the enemy besieged their town, a massive white dragon appeared and destroyed the enemy soldiers.
After the sudden attack, a woman appeared, inviting people to her lord domain; everyone in the town accepted her offer and was taken to a peaceful realm where they could relax and not worry about the threats that plagued their lives.
While walking, Fiona comnted, admiring the fields that stretched as far as the eye could see: ''I wonder when the governnt will finish the towns and cities,'' she said. ''They've been building them for months now.''
Caelum shrugged in response, ''lvin and Radial said the army has 4.5 million soldiers while most are training. The rest are either on that island up north or constructing roads, buildings, and many other things all over the kingdom.''
''How are they affording all this? I know the officials pay the Hostead 200 gold a month. Where is the coin coming from?'' Fiona questioned while preparing for the journey,
''Rumors say the king gave the kingdom most of his wealth, which reached in the billions, and Queen Aisha is a wise ruler and has invested it into the land,'' Caelum spoke while motioning to the land. ''Rember when the soldiers were readying the land for us?''
Fiona nodded, ''Yes, why are there so many fortresses? Solari didn't have this many.''
Caelum laughed before pointing out several castles dotting the land. ''Well, the kingdom has to house millions of soldiers while protecting us from the monsters that roam the land, but I also think the king is a paranoid young man.''
''At least he cares for the common people unlike any other ruler I've heard of; look at The Draconian Agricultural Support Sche and Family Support Initiative Caelum. Those are extraordinary and have benefited everyone we know. I know at least one hundred won who have settled down and given birth to at least three children.''
Once Caelum prepared the horses and climbed into his seat, the wagon left the Hostead. As they rode through the picturesque countryside of the Southern Draconia Kingdom, the gentle breeze carried the scent of blooming flowers and freshly tilled earth.
Green hills stretched before them, with colorful wildflowers growing everywhere. It was a setting straight out of a book, which caused the couple to admire it while they slowly traveled down the road.
He noticed the sun casting a golden glow over them as their wagon trundled along the winding road. Birds chirped nearby as the distant sound of rushing water could be heard from a stream just past the trees.
They were approaching a bend that would lead them to the bridge north. But the couple soon encountered a bustling construction site. The clang of hamrs and the scrape of shovels against earth filled the air, accompanied by the occasional shout of instructions from foren.
Caelum turned his gaze toward the activity hive as wooden fras rose from the ground, and people on the rooftops were laying thatch and securing beams. While that was happening, other n were laboring on the building's foundations.
After admiring the scene, they continued their journey and encountered similar scenes. It took them a few hours of non-
stop traveling until they arrived at the Dreamwood Jungle, the city of Wildefalls, where rchants and traders took a break from their travels.
The couple arrived at the busy city, where they saw the Hoguard Soldiers inspecting the cargo of hundreds of rchants who were waiting until they got inside. Fiona turned to Caelum, confused, ''Was it always this busy, darling?''
He shook his head, ''No, more port cities must have been completed for Draconia to have this many people wanting to trade with it,'' he said while gazing around. ''Well, Stormwatch Port was in the northern part. Maybe the southern ports are operational now.''
Fiona nodded as they started to wait, and after an hour of boredom, the Hoguard was finally checking their wagon. Caelum noticed a board-shoulders dragonkin man stepping forward, ordering more soldiers to handle their cargo.
The commander looked at him and questioned, ''What is your purpose here, Sir?''
''We are here to get dinner before heading to Drakonia to pay our taxes, sell so of our excess crops, and buy so stuff the Hostead needs,'' Caelum explained while taking out his Hostead Leader token and showing it to the man.
When the commander noticed the token, he bowed his head. ''Sorry, sir,'' he said. We have to check everything that cos into Wildefall City, as a group of traders caused trouble recently and destroyed an inn, causing the governnt to punish us soldiers.''
Caelim and Fiona nodded in understanding before the soldiers were done with their inspection. One man approached the commander. ''Only Sunfire Corn, Darkmist Rye, and Hearthgrain Wheat, Sir,'' he reported. ''It looks like they are going to sell it.''
''Very good,'' the dragonkin man said, reviewing a paper he held before continuing. ''You may continue.''
The couple thanked the soldiers before entering Wildefalls City, which amazed them. They had never been here since it was completed two weeks ago, so this was their first ti seeing such a city.
Most of it was made from stone but was decorated with beautiful redwood. Fiona's gaze scanned the streets and the many stores that were open or in the process of opening, which amazed her.
Turning to Caelum, who was studying a city map obtained from one of the n back at the Hostead, she suggested, "Why don't we grab a bite to eat before we continue?"
Caelum nodded in agreent, and the two started exploring the city after taking their wagon to a rchants' Depot, which would look after their wagon and cargo. Hours passed, and the couple found a good, cheap al.
They exited the restaurant as Caelum had a confused expression crossing his face, causing Fiona to giggle as she spoke, ''40 silver coins for such a al was a rip-off; I feel like I stole from them.''
''Well, the manager did say they buy all their ingredients locally, and you already know the crops are extraordinary,'' Caelum replied. ''One seed would cost 5 gold, but the governnt just hands out bags of them for free.''
Just as Fiona was about to start talking, a voice interrupted, ''They aren't free, and you know that the governnt expects you to rember the favor after my husband gave you all farrs the seeds.''
Caelum turned to find a girl adorned in overalls, her attire stained with dirt from her labor. Her lustrous brown hair was neatly tied up in a high ponytail, accentuating the glow of her eyes whenever the sunlight graced them.
Despite her petite stature—just under five feet tall—she exuded a presence far beyond her appearance. To the casual observer, she might appear as a re young girl. However, Caelum knew better.
Her image decorated the walls of Drakonia's city hall—a portrait depicting her as Queen Llyniel Oakwood, the woodland elf wife of the king, renowned for her affinity with plants and nature.
Fiona also thought similarly, and the couple knelt before the girl. Caelum greeted her, ''Your Majesty, sorry we didn't recognize you imdiately.''
Llyniel waved them away with a sweet smile as she asked, ''I assu you're heading to Drakonia?''
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