The news about Queen Freya’s sudden rise to power took Arlenheim and its neighboring feudal lords by waves.
Many gossiped about her powerful assassins after what happened to the three princes and the royal consorts.
She was feared by her enemies, and loved by the commoners as more and more corrupt noble families were being eliminated. Meanwhile, those who remain royal to the throne were granted peerage titles according to their lineages and meritorious deeds for managing their fiefdoms.
After years of being plagued by corruption, the people of Arlenheim Kingdom could see a ray of hope and bright future once more.
Andariel initially thought that remodelling Arlenheim Kingdom’s constitution and laws would be a quick work, and she could complete it within a week or two.
However, she was struck by reality. It took her and Andariel three years to rearrange the capital’s governance from top to the very bottom ladder of power.
The former parliamentary kingdom was reverted to centralised monarchy once again. The throne held supreme control in both executive and legislative functions.
It caused many controversies but it needed to be done to cut down the remaining rebels who sided with the late princes and royal consorts before they could spread negative rumors about the Queen and cause a full-scale civil war.
The most notable change of law was the Slavery Laws and Legibility.
The citizens who still have slaves under their name from the previous constitution were encouraged by the laws to release their slaves voluntarily or pay an exorbitant amount of money to apply for a Slave Ownership Certificate.
Each slave’s owner must apply for the certificate for 10,000 Gold Coins up to 50,000 Gold Coins for each slave that they owned depending on their age and race.
The certificate was only valid for one year and must be renewed on time, or the slave’s owner would be fined another 100,000 Gold Coins. If they failed to pay, their assets and property would be confiscated by the state or imprisoned until their debt was paid.
With this controversial decision, Queen Freya directly discouraged the slavers from coming to Arlenheim’s soil.
Once the Kingdom’s new constitution and laws were enforced nationwide, Andariel granted a temporary or permanent citizenship to the Beastkinds who wanted to move to Arlenheim Kingdom and live alongside humans.
The rumours about Queen Freya’s alliance with the demi-human race soon spread throughout the entire region. And it was well received by the nobles and commoners. Furthermore, the succubi and incubi were now allowed to do their business within Nidaross, their presence alone speak volumes of Queen Freya’s influence and power.
Much to her surprise, the people of Arlenheim accepted and adapted to live with the Beastkind pretty well. Some skirmishes were still happening due to miscommunication in the rural area, but it quickly resolved with mediation by the official envoys.
Enforcing the laws and constitution were easy as Alice personally ordered Catharina to assist Andariel in Arlenheim Kingdom’s reform. She tirelessly worked behind the screen, eliminating any hindrance silently.
Many feudal overlords from the neighboring regions have heard about the rising Queen of Arlenheim. They sent many envoys and tons of gifts to impress the queen, hoping that they would have a chance to ask Freya’s hands in marriage.
However, Freya was still in conundrum about Emperor Peter Romanov’s marriage proposal. She was aware that the kingdom needs to prepare for the worst case scenario.
After having a night long sex with Andariel, Freya finally muttered her thoughts.
“Andariel, I have been thinking about this for a while now… Can we postpone our marriage for another year or two? According to my assessment, Arlenheim is not yet ready for a full scale war… We need to strengthen our defense and military might before anything else. Because, rejecting Romanov’s proposal is akin to challenging the Holy Church after all.”
“I second your decision…” Andariel said. Caressing Freya’s exhausted yet satisfied face. “But that's not all, I presume? What is it?”
“Erm… it's embarrassing to ask you this… But the kingdom would need a considerable amount of funds for the construction and to recruit more soldiers. Henceforth, can we take a loan from Tusa Village?”
“Loaning from Tusa Village? Why? We could just send you the funds right away though. Five Primordial Stones are more than enough to recruit more soldiers and arming them with fresh steels.”
Freya sighed, holding Andariel's hand gently. “It's not that simple, my dearest. Remember, I didn't attend any auction in Tusa village, ever. Besides, as the Queen of Arlenheim, I must maintain my image as the monarch. Furthermore, if Tusa Village deliberately gives us the funds without anything in exchange, people would think that I’m being controlled by demi-humans through financial means. I can not let that happen.”
Andariel finally caught up with Freya’s thoughts. “You’re right… Sorry, I didn't think that through. If that is the case, I think we should ask Cydaea’s opinion regarding this matter.”
“My treasurer… She's an introvert and rarely shows herself in public unless I told her so. In any case, she's an expert in arithmetical and an excellent treasurer.”
“Intriguing… I can’t wait to see her!”
Andariel smiled wryly. “Err, you better prepare yourself… Her appearance is quite terrifying for a normal human.”
“Terrfiying? Does she have a scarred face or something?”
“Not really. But you’ll understand once you meet her.”
“Oh okay…” Freya shoved her puzzled imagination aside. “Anyway… How about Alice? Since she's your daughter, will she accept her status as the Princess of Arlenheim? She is eligible to inherit the throne once we are married.”
“I can't say for certain… She is strong-willed and can be quite stubborn. I think it's better to ask her directly instead of forcing the title upon her name.”
“Alright… I will come with you to the village then. Fufufu.” Freya giggled coquettishly while hugging Freya’s breasts. “After years of rearranging the laws, I think it's time for you to rearrange something else down here, my dear.”
Andariel rolled her eyes. Even though she’s the succubus one, Freya always found her way to successfully rizz Andariel.
“Don't start… Or you are going to regret it in the morning.” Andariel climbed on top of Freya’s thighs.
The queen bit her plush lips lewdly. Her desire was still burning. “I will be very disappointed if you don't make me unable to walk in the morning.”
“Fufufu… I love you too.” Freya stole a kiss from Andariel’s lips.
“You're definitely going to regret this…”
“Ahhhnn~ I love it when you rough me up.”