Alren Revya looked at the two people in front of him with a keen eye. Hoglen and the princess had just arrived and had sought refuge in his territory.
The large bonfire in front of them cracked noisily as the hares kept roasting above it. One of Alren's men approached the fire and with his sword turned one of the hares over so that the other side could as well start cooking.
"Thank you Margon," Alren thanked the soldier.
"So how long did you say you've been here ?" Hoglen asked as Hazel pulled the blanket around her tighter to keep away the cold. She was still shaken from the traumatic events.
"A year , I think ," Alren answered, his eyes still locked on Hoglen .
"Thank you for taking us in last night , Mr. Chief. We will repay you," Hazel was able to stammer.
When they left the capital and fled south, news had reached them on their way that the ministers had assumed control of the government and were working with the Drakonians. Even a fool could tell that this had been a well orchestrated plan to overthrow the royal family.
What baffled Hazel though , was the fact that information of the attack was kept secret until the very moment that the plan was carried out. It was most definitely an inside job that had the support of a powerful third party.
Given that prince Crimson had caused Hazel to be absent when her paAlrents were murdered and the fact that his presence at the dinner table wasn't even being acknowledged by the ministers who had assumed power , it was not difficult to piece out the puzzle.
"You're welcome princess," Alren smiled at her, a complete contrast to the look he had been giving Hoglen.
"I am still shocked, how were you able to turn this place around?" Hoglen asked, his eyes doing a sweep of the beautiful villa backyard that they were in.
His question was indeed a valid one. The south of Aropia , unlike the other regions , was largely autonomous and chaotic. Many people feared putting up their businesses around this region despite how lucrative the fishing industry could have been.
They did this to avoid the regular raids usually carried out by bandits and pirates who came by sea.
This reality had left the south sparsely populated with the few inhabitants unable to leave living in constant fear and abject poverty.
The central government, seeing as how it already had its hands full with the larger national crisis, had seemingly decided to give up on the South.
"It's a good question ," Alren started , standing up from the log he had been sitting on.
"When I got here , this place was no more than a nomadic zone where the only feasible economic activity was livestock pastoralism. The people kept moving and relocating , not because of the weather , but because the security here was so poor that staying in one place for more than a week was considered reckless," Alren was reminded of how hard he'd worked to bring stability to the place.
"And yet what we found was a thriving town that even had a fortified wall around it . The only way I see this happening in the space of one year is if you had outside help from a foreign country ," Hoglen continued , his eyes following Alren .
"Did you?" Hazel gasped , her mind starting to label Alren as a traitor to the country as well.
Alren sighed .
"If that were the case , then your father wouldn't have sent you to me now would he?" He was a little disappointed at them.
"I suppose you're right. So was it my father who helped you rebuild this place then? Seems you two knew each other , albeit secretly," Hazel continued, wondering if she could use him to get back the kingdom.
"Yes , no matter what the condition the country was in , rebuilding a small village is still an easy task for the king ," Hoglen agreed with Hazel.
Alren was not the kind of person who would go bragging about his accomplishments in pursuit of fame. Telling Hazel and Hoglen that he was the one who has single handedly built Haven town would have served him no purpose. On the contrary , it would only have attracted obligations he knew he wasn't ready for just yet. Giving credit to the king was a wise lie.
"You two nobles clearly know nothing.The chief built this place on his own without help from anybody," Margon corrected , feeling angry that Hoglen was giving the king the glory and praise that was meant for his chief.
Alren gave him an irritated look that disappeared before Hoglen and Hazel could catch it.