CHAPTER 82: THE CROWN'S RELUCTANT ATTENTION

Marcus spent the morning reviewing his presentation materials with Kalu Dean, Lord Hammond's aide who understood court politics better than anyone Marcus had met. The royal audience could determine the fate of thousands of people, and Marcus felt the weight of that responsibility pressing down on him like a physical burden.

"Remember, the King respects directness, but not disrespect," Kalu explained as they walked toward the palace. "Present your evidence clearly, but don't challenge his advisors directly. Let the facts speak for themselves."

The royal court occupied the same great hall where Marcus had been tried for treason months earlier. The stone walls and high windows looked exactly the same, but the atmosphere felt different. Where Lord Varek had once wielded influence through fear and manipulation, a new group of advisors now surrounded the young King with their own agendas and blindspots.

King Aldwin sat on his throne, looking older than his years but more decisive than Marcus remembered. The burden of leadership had matured him considerably since their last meeting. Beside him stood Sister Korra Brightshield, now wearing the robes of a royal advisor. She caught Marcus's eye and offered a subtle smile of encouragement.

"Esteemed Lord Hammond, it is good to see you again," the King said as Hammond's party settled into position with Marcus beside his patron.

"It is our honor to be in your presence, Your Highness," Lord Hammond replied with a formal bow.

"My advisors have briefed me somewhat, but I would very much like to hear the details from you directly."

Lord Hammond cleared his throat and began his carefully prepared presentation. "My King, as you know, the city's population has almost doubled in the past year. My province, along with the Satr and Karmond provinces, were major food providers for Drakmoor's supply lines. Now that most of the royal settlements and my family's lands have been lost to Malachar, we who have departed from our homeland produce nothing while depending entirely on the King's grace."

The King's expression remained neutral. "It has been nearly a year like this, and we have managed adequately. I understand your concerns, but we have been adapting to the circumstances."

Hammond pressed forward with diplomatic persistence. "Your Grace, the wretched deal between Lord Varek and General Koroth, however awful it was, did bring food supplies to the city. Without that source, and with our growing population, we face serious challenges."

The King's face darkened at the mention of Varek's betrayal. "That collaboration was a dagger in my heart. I trusted him completely, and he sold us to our enemies."

"But if current trends continue, we will have famine, disease, and death starting quite soon," Hammond continued.

A short, fat advisor standing behind the King interrupted with obvious irritation. "Preposterous! Lord Satr is providing everything he promised and more."

Another advisor chimed in, "Lord Karmond is also contributing beyond his original commitments." Marcus realized these men had been placed by their respective lords to influence royal policy. Their advice was compromised by self interest, making the King blind to the real situation in his own city.

Lord Hammond continued politely explaining the city's decline, but each point was deflected by advisors who either couldn't understand basic mathematics or refused to acknowledge problems that might require sacrifice from their patrons. Marcus watched the futile exchange with growing frustration.

Finally, Marcus couldn't contain himself any longer. The political niceties were preventing any real communication while people starved outside the palace walls. "You advisors are either too stupid to do basic math, or your mouths are so swollen from kissing ass that you can't see what's happening to the city!"

The room fell completely silent. Even the guards stopped moving.

Lord Hammond turned to Marcus with obvious dismay. "I apologize deeply, my King." He addressed Marcus with sharp disappointment. "Our brief interactions made you seem intelligent. You cannot speak like that in this setting."

Before the King could respond with anger, Sister Korra stepped forward. "My King, if I may speak. I know Marcus very well. If you remember, he was instrumental in resolving the Lord Varek situation by helping capture General Koroth alongside Lord Hammond's forces. Perhaps we could give him time to explain his concerns more appropriately."

The King studied Marcus with calculating eyes. The young ruler had learned to read people carefully since assuming power, and he could see the genuine desperation behind Marcus's outburst.

"Very well. But choose your words more carefully, young man."

Marcus took a deep breath and pulled out the detailed calculations he'd prepared. "Your Majesty, let me show you the numbers. Before the refugee crisis, Drakmoor fed approximately five hundred thousand people using grain supplies from three major provinces plus local production." He spread charts on a small table brought forward by a servant.

"Current population is close to nine hundred thousand people. We've lost two and a half of our three major food producing regions. Local production has actually decreased because many farmers are now refugees living in the city instead of working their land."

The fat advisor tried to interrupt again, but the King raised his hand for silence.

Marcus continued, "Lord Satr and Lord Karmond are contributing more than before, but even if they doubled their previous output, which is impossible, we'd still face a massive shortage. Here's the mathematical reality." He pointed to specific numbers on his charts.

"Currently, we're consuming approximately fifteen thousand tons of grain monthly. Our current supply chain provides maybe eight thousand tons. We're surviving on reserves that are almost depleted. Within three months, people will start dying of hunger."

The room was quiet as Marcus's numbers sank in. Even the compromised advisors couldn't argue with basic arithmetic when it was presented so clearly.

"But you're not just here to tell us about problems," the King said. "Lord Hammond mentioned solutions."

Marcus gestured toward samples of the mushrooms he'd brought. "Your Majesty, this is the short term solution. These mushrooms can be grown in abandoned warehouses, using materials that would otherwise be wasted. They produce protein rich food quickly, without requiring farmland we don't have access to."

He demonstrated the mushroom cultivation process, explaining how controlled environments could produce large quantities of nutritious food in weeks rather than months. Several court members leaned forward with genuine interest as Marcus described the nutritional benefits and rapid growth cycles.

"This is impressive," the King admitted, "but mushrooms alone cannot feed four hundred thousand people."

"You're absolutely right, Your Majesty. The long term solution requires nationwide mobilization for grain and legume production. We need to seize and cultivate every available acre on the western provinces, implementing advanced farming techniques that can triple normal yields."

The compromised advisors immediately began objecting, citing territorial rights and political complications.

Marcus pressed on, "I also have designs for food preservation systems that can maintain harvests for multiple years. When Malachar attacks, and he will attack, we'll need stockpiled supplies to survive siege conditions."

"You're asking for enormous commitments of resources and labor," one advisor pointed out.

"I'm asking you to choose between enormous effort now or mass starvation later," Marcus replied bluntly.

The King considered everything he'd heard, weighing political realities against the mathematical certainties Marcus had presented. "I am impressed by your mushroom cultivation success. It demonstrates that your ideas have practical value."

Marcus felt hope rising in his chest.

"Therefore, I will authorize a limited trial of your farming methods. You may establish mushroom cultivation in three additional locations within the city. If those prove successful, we will consider broader implementation."

The hope crashed immediately. "Your Majesty, with respect, three locations won't prevent famine. We need massive agricultural mobilization across multiple provinces."

"I understand your concerns, but I cannot mobilize the entire kingdom based on one successful mushroom harvest. Prove that your methods work on a larger scale, and we will discuss further expansion."

Marcus realized he was facing the same political caution that had paralyzed the kingdom's response to Malachar's growing threat. Leaders who couldn't take decisive action when small problems developed were incapable of responding appropriately when those problems became existential crises.

"Your Majesty, how many people need to die of hunger before the crown takes comprehensive action?" Marcus asked quietly.

"That's enough," Lord Hammond warned.

But the King answered seriously. "Hopefully none. But I cannot risk destabilizing the entire kingdom for problems that might resolve themselves through other means."

As they left the royal court, Marcus felt both frustration and determination. The limited authorization was better than nothing, but nowhere near sufficient for the challenges ahead. He'd gained some credibility with the crown, but not enough trust for the large scale changes that were desperately needed.

The political establishment would continue making inadequate responses to growing threats until those threats became overwhelming. Marcus needed to build his own capabilities and resources, because waiting for official support could mean waiting until it was too late to save anyone.

At least Sister Korra was positioned to advocate for his ideas from within the royal circle. And the mushroom cultivation success had demonstrated that his approaches worked in practice, not just in theory. Small victories could be leveraged into larger ones, if he remained patient and strategic.

The crown's reluctant attention was better than being ignored entirely. But Marcus was learning that sometimes you had to save people despite their leaders, not because of them.