Theanore and the elven woman, Lyn, went from stand to stand and spread the news that the children of the Apple Grotto could be adopted. Closed signs were placed on the stands and more than one merchant went to see this good deed being done.

When the merchants gathered in the Eomis district, they saw grandpa and grandma Thinker giving pamphlets to the shoppers with pictures of children on them.

The childless elves quickened their steps and, after they asked Theanore where the matron was, they went straight for her hut. Claudia did not know what to do with so many people coming to her. All of whom were elves.

“There is a quota of how many adoptions could be allowed to foreigners per year,” said Claudia sadly. She looked to Crassus and Esmer, who were accepting the applications, and they nodded.

“How many are allowed?” Asked Crassus. He hoped it was 300.

“Fifty,” the elves who hadn’t given their applications yet, began to write faster. They wanted a child, and they were not missing their chance.

“Perhaps, if we ask the emperor, he will allow us to give more children to prospective parents?” Esmer had an idea. She was going to ask Orlena instead of Casimir. That should smooth things over.

“Yes, we could explain ourselves. The children will be happy to travel to somewhere new and get parents, moreover,” Crassus was happy with the idea. Once again, he was reminded that Esmer was as bright in intelligence as she was in looks.

Esmer placed her stack of papers down on the desk and went to write to Orlena.

Empress Orlena von Eomis,

We have a bit of a situation here. The citizens of the forest of plenty want to adopt the children of the Apple Grotto. It would make the ankle-biters pleased if they can have a more permanent home. One with their parents.

Could you talk Emperor Casimir into allowing it? I know that, if something has to do with Theanore, he is instantly against it. But this time there are little children involved. Surely, he can see that leniency is needed, just this once?

Kind regards,

Esmer von Kleindorf.

Moments later, Empress Orlena received the letter. She read it and a smile blossomed on her lips. She rushed, as much as her bulging stomach would allow, towards Casimir’s study, and she opened the door without knocking.

“The children of the Apple Grotto are getting adopted!” Exclaimed Orlena instead of a greeting.

“Good, good,” Casimir didn’t look up but rather he kept writing in his notebook. He was planning a new law that made taxes easier on those with income lesser than 1000 gold coins per month.

“But, there is something. It requires a royal decree to be possible,” His wife sounded hopeful, and he looked at her. She was smiling just as brightly as the day he had proposed to her. As a mother, she must have truly felt for the motherless and fatherless children of the orphanage.

“Who wants to adopt them?” Casimir felt that this was where the problem was coming from. For, if the applicants were from Eomis, there wouldn’t be an issue.

“The elves of the forest of plenty,” Orlena waited for him to say something with bated breath, but he remained quiet. He rested his chin on his hands and huffed a breath.

“That nymph has something to do with this, does she not?” If the little girl wanted to lose him subjects by getting rid of the extra mouths around her dungeon…

“Children should have parents, Cas,” There was a hard edge in Orlena’s eyes. She was ready to argue and Casimir was ready to listen.

“Yes, and my subjects should remain just that, my subject. The forest of plenty has a population and aging concern, Orlena. They have been searching for someone to steal children from for a long time,” Orlena sucked in a breath and began to scream.

“Casimir von Eomis! How could you say something so insensitive? Steal children? What kind of future does the Dawn Empire give these children. Do you remember the old building in Mirstone where they used to live? Theanore gave them a home, and now she is doing the appropriate thing and giving them a family. What have you done for these children, husband?”

Orlena was heaving, and her fists were balled. Casimir looked down at his notebook. What she said was the truth. He felt shame for thinking the way he did. As always, he couldn’t face the wrath of his wife.

“Fine, I’ll sign the decree. Do you want to go and see the fair? I hear our district is doing better these past days,” it was a weak attempt to placate her, he knew. But she nodded and went to a side table to begin making the decree.

When she was done, she slammed it on his desk and he signed it without complaint or reading it. After his shameful words, she could have put forward his abdication and he would have still signed the decree.

“I’ll go get Cassius and Eliza. They will be happy to see Theanore again. Marinus, less so, I think,” Orlena turned around and went searching for the children without another word.

Emperor Casimir was left alone in his study. He would be about 300 potential subjects short soon. Unless, he did something to make them come back to the Dawn Empire when they grew up?

Funded higher education once they turned 18? Free housing? But, if he did this for the former orphans, he would need to do it for everyone. He was not in the business of making utopias, however.

Just free higher education was enough. That was expensive everywhere. And, maybe he would make it free for foreigners, too. The people of No Man’s Land had proved that they weren’t the savages for which everyone took them for.

Yes, he’ll give a little and get new subjects. Better educated ones that would move his empire into an age of plenty. That nymph was not the only one who would be loved in the empire!