"Welcome, friends. It's time for us all to mediate the dispute between Edel Zolli and Jan Aedro."
Perfuma's voice hung in the soft breeze, as the blooming branches of the Heart Blossom swayed above her head. The people of Plumeria, dressed in their simple and colorful robes, sat quietly in a small crowd around her.
"First, Edel will tell us what her dispute is. Edel, if you would?"
"Thank you, Princess Perfuma."
A short lady in a blue robe, with a long red braid over her left shoulder, stood up.
"For ages the Zollis have grown strawberries in June. Everyone here knows that, don't they? Zolli strawberries have a long history in Plumeria. My grandmother started planting them before even the Horde War. It has only been in recent years, however, that the founding of Angellia has allowed me to sell a surplus crop and earn more money than my family has ever seen before. Etheria is a fast-changing place, and not just in the big city centers. What I mean to say is this: for me to grow a successful strawberry crop, when farmers all over Plumeria and all over the planet are competing in this new market, I need to ensure that my strawberry crop is safe somehow or another. Jan Aedro, and I know they are not a mean-spirited person or anything like that, nevertheless cannot be allowed to take what's rightfully mine again, and it is for that reason that I have fenced around my strawberry field and blocked their access."
A murmur went through the crowd.
"Thank you, Edel. There will be order in the court, everyone, please."
Perfuma inhaled and exhaled deeply. Almost out of reflex, some people in the crowd did the same.
"Jan, would you mind giving your side of the story?"
"Of course, your Highness."
A lanky youngster, with a shock of white hair and a short green tunic, stood up.
"My tent is very near to the meadow over Rushing Creek. Naturally enough, I travel through there every day to get fresh water. In recent months, I noticed strawberries growing in the meadow. It wasn't unusual for there to be wild strawberries anyway, and so I had guessed it would not have made a difference if I took a handful to snack on. Soon enough, Edel visited my tent to tell me that she had planted those strawberries. I told her that her strawberries were quite good, and indeed they were. She got frustrated with me. Your Highness, I don't understand why she did. People around here have never been so possessive of what they plant, unless sometimes if it's a particular decorative flower or something… What confused me even more is why Edel built a fence. I have only ever seen one fence before today, and it was while travelling in Brightmoon, not ever here in Plumeria. Now, with this fence up, not only am I not free to eat Edel's strawberries, but I am not even free to walk down to Rushing Creek for the water I need!"
The murmuring from the crowd got even louder. Jan may have been young, but they were playing to people's sense of Plumerian tradition as it had been for longer than anyone could remember. Even Edel's grandma wasn't that old, surely. Perfuma cleared her throat loudly.
"Please, everyone, there's no need to make this any more difficult. Surely there is a possibility of compromise, isn't there? Look, all there needs to be is a way for both to get what they need: Edel to keep her strawberries, Jan to walk to the creek."
"Your Highness," Edel spoke up again, "I think it's very straightforward. There is enough space in the meadow that I could put up my fence around a smaller area. I would still grow the same crop, but there would be enough space for Jan to use a footpath."
"That seems like it could work, as long as Jan and everyone else are happy with it. Jan, do you have anything to add?"
Jan frowned a bit. "I can accept it if you command it, your Highness, but to have to walk past a fence every day is gonna give me the chills. I'm telling you, Princess Perfuma, it's not the right solution in the long term. This will change everything our ancestors worked to build. Are we ready to see Plumeria covered in fences?"
Perfuma pondered on the question. "I know it's not ideal, Jan. Still, I have an obligation to protect Edel's claims just like yours. Unless a better compromise can be reached, this is what must be done."
Plumeria was in the full swing of summer, and the sun was beating down on the heads of the farmers in the fields. Perfuma was atop a hill outside of town, taking a siesta under a sprawling birch tree. A horse cart made its way up the side of the hill, stopped very near to the top, and unloaded a single passenger before turning back around. Scorpia made her way over to her wife and sat down beside her, gently nudging her shoulder to get her attention.
"Hey, sleepyhead, guess who's home?"
Perfuma's eyes blinked open to look at Scorpia. She grinned wide and reached up to embrace her wife. "Scorpia, you're back! Oh, it's been too long, how have you been?"
"Things aren't going so well for me in Angellia, actually. I've decided to retire."
"Retire? What do you mean, retire?"
As Scorpia began telling the story from beginning to end, Perfuma listened intently. She went a little pale once Scorpia brought up the mysterious newspaper. She nodded solemnly.
"I think I understand now. That sounds horrible. I would rather you stay here after all, if it's to keep you away from these people."
Scorpia sat down beside Perfuma and leaned back on the tree trunk. She stared out over the valley and took in the summer breeze. Her head leaned over onto Perfuma's shoulder.
"I felt so odd about leaving my runestone and the place I grew up, but it hardly bothers me now that I'm back here. No place on the planet is as relaxing as Plumeria, and most of all because I get to stay here with you, sweetpea."
Perfuma giggled at the floral pet-name. After dealing with Zolli and Aedro, having Scorpia back with her was a welcome refreshment. They stayed on that hill for what felt like hours, though the sun hung high and seemed to hardly move. Soon it was too hot even to sit in the shrinking shadow of the birch tree, and Scorpia helpfully suggested they go back to Perfuma's royal tent in the village to cool off a bit.
As Perfuma and Scorpia strolled leisurely down the winding lane, Perfuma's parasol above their heads, they went over the Rushing Creek footbridge and past the Zolli strawberry field. The fence had almost completely been redone by now, and Edel was on the far end finishing the last few meters. There was one other thing Perfuma noticed that was out of place in this field: a one-story, thatched-roof house. It wasn't a Plumerian tent, it was a permanent building. She said nothing, but she bristled enough that Scorpia could sense it. Scorpia gently squeezed Perfuma's shoulders. "Tough day at work today?"
"A bit, yeah."
Orange and pink stretched across the sky from the west as the sun crept closer to the horizon. The crickets in the fields were just starting to chirp. A special feast had been quickly planned and laid out for the whole village to join in, to celebrate the return of Princess Scorpia. The air filled with the murmur and chatter of the guests, sitting on colorful rugs in a great circle around the bonfire. Perfuma stood up from her rug and tapped her glass with her fork, and at once the people quieted and turned their heads.
"First, I'd like to congratulate the hard-working farmers of Plumeria, who have helped to make this planting season the most successful in decades! Our humble valley has never seen such bounty. Here's to you, farmers!"
Perfuma raised her glass. The Plumerians clapped and raised their glasses to one another, producing a chorus of clinks all around the bonfire.
"Second, Princess Scorpia has retired from her post as the regent of Angellia, leaving the city in the capable hands of her old friend Mayor Lonnie. Scorpia has chosen to stay here with us, and is our honored guest. Everyone, please raise a toast to the love of my life—Her Royal Highness, Princess Scorpia!"
Scorpia made her exit from the nearby royal tent, dressed in her old prom outfit and a whole lot of wildflowers. She stepped, first slowly then a bit quicker, toward the bonfire and Perfuma. She smiled wide and gave a curtsy, quietly hoping her stage fright wasn't showing. "How do I look?" The audience cheered and applauded, and Scorpia blushed at the attention. Perfuma kissed her wife on the cheek. "You look marvelous, your Highness." They both sat on the rug and Perfuma leaned on Scorpia's shoulder.
As the feast went on and the sun set, the galaxy's great shimmering band of stars spread out across the evening. The musicians played soft on the lute and accordion, and the fire danced and crackled in the slow breeze. Scorpia was beginning to doze off just sitting on the rug. Perfuma shifted and let Scorpia rest her head on her lap. She brushed Scorpia's bangs away from her eyes and sighed deeply.
"You okay, honey?" Scorpia's voice was low and sleepy.
"I'm okay."
"Are you sure?"
Perfuma paused. "No."
"Is it because I came here?"
"You coming here is the best thing about today. Don't even think about it."
Scorpia smiled gently. "What is it then?"
"It's because of the reason you came. I was really scared to hear about it all, you know. I think you have real enemies in Angellia."
"I gave them what they wanted, didn't I? It's not like I loved my job or anything. You know Lonnie's better at this stuff. I love you, and I'm with you, and that's what matters, isn't it?"
"Do you think… do you think it could ever spread from there?"
"What could?"
"These ideas. People wanting to get rid of their princesses and all that."
"These people love you too, you know."
Perfuma looked out at the Plumerians, who had more or less finished feasting. Some had gone to their tents. Others had fallen asleep right on their rugs. The crickets were much louder than the people now, and the fire had shrunk.
"Yeah, I guess they do."