It’s been several days since the council meeting, and I haven’t heard back from Timit. It’d better not be because he’s finding problems with the tax changes.
My ladies-in-waiting are gathered in my sitting room. Jem has taken the far chair again, with Inyi next to her. The rest are spread out in different seats than before. It makes it harder to remember their names, but I try. I've been practicing in my free time.
I get right to business. “How are the people handling the change in taxes?”
Jem surprises me by looking thoughtful instead of irritated. She surprises me more by answering. “The people I visited with were the lowest class. They have nothing but good things to say about you.”
I'm shocked she went to speak to the lower class. But how much do I know about Jem, anyway? Only that she's been hostile to me since I arrived. That Borkus, Ranen, and Faya thought they could control her as the queen. That she tried to help me, though it seemed begrudging. Until now.
“What sorts of things are they saying about the taxes?” I ask.
“That you are meant to be queen, with what you've done.” Her eyebrows are drawn together.
Hmm. “What about others? Did anyone else visit the Poruah?”
“I went with Jem, Your Majesty,” Inyi says.
Not surprising.
“The people were as Jem said,” she continues. “Their praise toward you was extraordinary.”
I shift. Not what I was going for. I just want to ease their burdens, so they can buy food. Clothes. Shelter. Things that have been hard for them to obtain.
“I also went to the Poruah,” Lipla says. “They were rather greedy, Your Highness.”
This puzzles me. “In what way?”
“They wanted all that tax money and to surround themselves with things they don't need, and they are taking advantage of you to do it.”
I press my lips together. It's better I don't respond to that. Wanting necessities or even the occasional luxury is not taking advantage of me. Then again, without seeing it for myself, who am I to know what they really do want or not?
“I went to many of the Medi, Your Majesty.” Freza is closest to me on the left. The spot of honor, though she placed herself there.
I wonder if that means anything. “What did they have to say?”
“They think you're brilliant, as well. They can now afford to continue on as Medi and not fall to Poruah, at least the ones I talked to.”
“Those I spoke with as well,” Pina, the youngest, adds. “They were all very pleased, Your Majesty.”
Hmm. “And the Kurah?”
“Forgive me, Your Majesty,” Suyla says. “They aren't pleased. They feel it's unfair for them to take the brunt of the taxes.”
Maybe it is, but they can afford the most without their quality of life taking a hit. “And what does everyone here think? Do you think it's unfair for me to tax the rich?”
There's a lot of fidgeting and avoiding eye contact.
Finally, Jem says, “I think it's hard to say what's fair.”
This surprises me. Not the words, but that they’re coming from her. Maybe she has more to offer than I first thought? “What do you mean?”
“What may be fair to one person may be unfair to another. It’s hard to judge for an entire people what’s fair when it varies from person to person.”
“What else do you ladies think?” I ask.
“You should change things back to how they were,” Lipla says. “This won’t benefit the crown in any way.”
“What if I'm not trying to benefit the crown? What if I'm trying to benefit the people?”
She narrows her eyes before she looks to the floor. The skin around her mouth is tense. She's not happy with my answer.
“It's a nice aspiration, Your Highness, but I'm not sure it's realistic.” Benala is the oldest left of my ladies-in-waiting, in her forties. She has bright-blue eyes, brown hair, and a usually happy countenance that's subdued today.
“Why is that?” I ask.
“Because the Kurah are sure to rebel. They aren't going to stand for having higher taxes. The Poruah and Medi need to do their part as well.”
“I'm not saying they shouldn't, but their share wasn’t fair in this.”
“Who are you to decide what's fair?”
I'm surprised the question comes from Lipla, not Jem. I give her a piercing gaze. “I am the queen.”
“Rightly so, Your Majesty.” Jem's voice isn't as hostile as I'm used to. I don't know what to make of it. “But I think, given that you didn't train with us, there is the question of whether you should have sought our council before making such a decision.”
Not hostile, but not on my side either.
I don't trust her change. I plan on keeping her close, so I can pay attention to her. I don't want another Faya.
“I’ve lived among the people.” For a short time anyway. “I’ve seen their struggles. Seen what the lack of essentials looks like. Everyone has a right to life. To more than only starving on the streets.” That quiets them, but there’s more I need to know. “How's productivity?”
“The work load is up,” Pina says. “The people are happier and buying more at the market. Not just food, either. I think this is a real success, Your Majesty.”
This coming from the youngest. I'm not sure what to think. Except that it's time for another outing.