The supervisors from the knight panel and the civilians panel were riding a little behind the trio they weren’t allowed to interrupt or help the Prince but just observe and making their assessments which was why they remained mostly silent but still couldn’t help but comment among themselves about how the Earldom was and how well the Prince was adjusting to it.

Eric, Drac and Thaddeus were going at a relatively slower pace, Eric looked around the fields that they crossed and he could see that despite the spring the fields were mostly barren.

He turned to Thaddeus who was silently riding and asked.

"Isn’t spring the sowing season for your corn and carrot crops, Lord Castermere?"

Thaddeus looked at him and then at the fields.

"Yes, and actually that’s the trouble we are facing." Thaddeus said making Eric become attentive.

"The thing is," Thaddeus began, "since last year’s harvest we haven’t been receiving enough water for our territory."

Eric tilted his head a little, "But your territory has Casmere river flowing through it, then how come you are facing the problem?"

Thaddeus smiled, happy that Eric had knowledge about his little territory’s crops and geography.

"We do have the river but..." Thaddeus said before he came to a stop looking in the distance.

"That’s the problem." He said pointing far east.

Eric and Drac followed his gesture and noticed the small stream with weak flow running over the dry land. Eric was shocked, he had read that Casmere river was one of the prominent rivers of the kingdom that flowed right from the western mountain belt to the south east before meeting the sea. But watching this stream now, Eric could see that it was a bigger problem than he had assumed.

"How long has the river been like this?" Drac asked.

"Since the last two years the flow has been decreasing steadily," Thaddeus said, "during last winter it was completely non-existent, leaving us to borrow water from the other territories just to keep the people from dying of thirst and cold. But even with the spring, the water is not enough. We can’t sow the seeds since the fields can’t be irrigated and this water is barely enough for drinking."

"Are you still borrowing water?" Eric asked.

Thaddeus nodded, "But it’s causing a financial strain on us. We thought of asking Hillford the town upstream but they are facing the similar problem. They are managing to irrigate but they don’t have enough water too."

Eric pondered over it a little watching the stream again and then the empty fields.

"We could arrange for an artificial lake if we could study the areas around for a bit." Eric muttered.

"I tried that, but the other closest river belongs to the Marquisate of Glines, their territory is a little troubled after Marquis Glines... disappeared and even his family was exiled so, we couldn’t ask for the water from them."

Eric frowned at that, "But that territory is now officially handled by the royal palace so, you could have sent a petition."

Thaddeus shook his head, "I did but, there was no response."

Eric found it odd but then he recalled that the Marquisate was still partially under the hold of Duke Esmertia and he would die than let the resource of his territory to be used by anyone else.

Eric sighed, "All right, then, I’ll study the place and the territory a little more. I’d also like to go upstream to Hillford and see how things are there before we could find a solution for both the towns."

Thaddeus smiled, "I’ll provide with any help that you need, Your Highness."

Eric grinned before looking at Drac who stared off in the direction where the river flowed from.

"Let’s head to the town now, shall we?" Eric asked and Thaddeus nodded.

"Yes, please."

The trio with the small entourage behind them rode off in the other direction where the township was.

Back in the Castermere mansion, everyone was in a frenzy, the servants and maids ran around the mansion and everywhere around the premises looking for the two Young Masters.

Chelsea cradled her throbbing head as she walked down the corridor hearing several maids and servants calling for her sons.

She met up with the nanny of the kids Ivy, aged in her late forties.

"Did you find them?" Chelsea asked her and Ivy shook her head but then she pursed her lips as if she wanted to add something else.

"What is it?" Chelsea asked noticing her expression.

"I think the Young Masters followed His Highness and My Lord out of the mansion." Ivy said making Chelsea’s headache grow even more.

"Oh, these boys are so..." She released an exasperated sigh before she shook her head giving a serious gaze.

"Where’s Anne?" She asked.

"Miss Lysanne is in the library, My Lady." Ivy informed her before asking, "Are you planning on asking Young Miss to..."

Chelsea nodded, "Yes, she’s the only one who could drag those two back before they could create any trouble. Go and get her-"

Chelsea had only ordered Ivy when Ivy tilted her head looking past Chelsea’s shoulder.

"Miss Lysanne."

Chelsea turned watching Lysanne walk towards her dressed in a simple purple dress.

"Mother, have Leo and Nico left the mansion without informing again?" She asked right away and Chelsea sighed.

"Yes, and I’m afraid they have gone behind His Highness and your father."

Lysanne ran a hand through her hair, her graceful lady like expression dissolving for a moment replaced by a stern and intimidating glare.

"I’ll go get them now." She announced before turning to leave.

"Anne." Chelsea’s voice stopped her and she turned slightly, "Don’t create any ruckus while bringing them back."

Lysanne couldn’t promise that as the trio were famous for being the most troublesome kids of the whole Earldom. Even when Lysanne was young she had a habit of running off to the town and creating such frequent headaches for her mother.

"Fine," she muttered before she hurried out of the mansion towards the stables to get her horse.

But once she got there she found the stal of Angus empty, she looked around before approaching the young stable boy.

"Hey, where’s Angus?" She asked.

The young boy went pale for a moment but then he bowed apologising profusely making Lysanne confused.

"Why on earth are you apologising?" She asked but then she gasped, "Wait, don’t tell me, did Leo and Nico take Angus?"

The boy shook his head, "Actually, I... mistakenly gave My Lady’s horse to Mr Rayburn."

Lysanne frowned, shocked that someone else took her horse. Her horse that was called a beast by the other servants who wouldn’t even approach him because he was so unpredictable and antisocial.

"And Angus went?"

The boy nodded, "Yes..."

The young stable boy then explained the whole thing that had happened in the morning shocking Lysanne even more as Angus would never let anyone ride him but her.

She was tempted to ask more but she didn’t have time.

"Fine, just get me a saddle." She said before she went towards one of the stalls and got a grey horse with black mane.

"Let’s go, Silver." Lysanne spoke.

The horse let out and whinny and after a few minutes, Lysanne rode Silver out of the mansion. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Eric, Drac and Thaddeus reached at the town market of Lowmere.

The common people who were working around, approached them after spotting Thaddeus and Eric.

They bowed to them in greeting and Eric smiled.

"It’s an honor to have Your Highness visit our town."

Eric talked to the people amicably keeping a polite tone while Drac and the supervisors stood behind him.

The townsfolk showed Eric around their market and telling him about various things. Eric could see that things were tough here because of the river drying up, they had been facing a lot of problems.

As they moved further and further away from the market it was only a handful of the townsfolk who walked with Eric and his small entourage.

Eric walked around the fields watching as how the lands needed water.

"I guess we should first, have a look upstream. We need to see what the actual problem is to know how to solve it."

"Will you be going to Hillford then, Your Highness?" One of the old men asked.

"Yes," Eric said.

The silence followed by which made Eric frown a little.

"Is something wrong?" Eric asked.

Thaddeus looked at the people and then sighed, "Actually, since the beginning of this scarcity of water, we have been having a little friction from the people of Hillford."

Eric nodded before he announced, "Then, I guess only you, Drac, myself and..."

He looked at the entourage who didn’t give any indication of backing away.

"The knights and civilians panels will go along. Rest of you all should head home."

The people looked at each other and Thaddeus gave them a nod before they all started dispersing.

"Are we heading there now, Your Highness?" Thaddeus asked.

"Yes, the sooner I know of the problem, the sooner I’ll be able to find a solution to help you."

Thaddeus couldn’t help but smile at this young man before the trio mounted their horses again and then made their journey upstream.

It wasn’t a long journey before Drac came to a stop making Eric and Thaddeus look at him.

"What’s wrong, Mr Rayburn?" Thaddeus asked.

Drac looked in the direction of a forest before he spoke, "I hear children screaming."

The knights from the knight panel frowned looking around perking their ears but apart from the sounds of the forest they couldn’t hear anything.

Eric’s expression hardened and he asked, "Where?"

Drac gestured in the direction where he was already staring in.

"Let’s go and check." Eric said turning his horse.

Drac’s horse was the fastest among them as he rode ahead of the whole group eyes focusing on the scene that was still not visible to the others.

It was after riding some yards that the others were finally able to hear the shouting.

Angus jumped from the treeline out in what seemed like the outskirts of a town. Drac didn’t stop as he kept going until he saw a horse which came running towards them.

He passed it by and then made his way towards where a few young kids were gathered around a tree laughing.

Drac reached near the tree, upon stopping, Angus neighed loudly kicking its front legs in the air making the laughing kids to scream and run away.

Drac then looked up where the familiar two faces were hanging over the branch.

"Young Masters." Drac spoke and Leonard and Nicolas looked at him with teary faces.

"Big Brother." They whimpered.

Drac stretched his arms out, "Jump."

The twins looked a little weary but they jumped, Drac grabbed both of the kids gently before placing them on Angus’ back right in front of himself.

"Thank you so much, Big Brother."

"I thought it’s the end of our life."

"We couldn’t control the horse once it came up to here."

The twins cried clinging to Drac and he patted their backs quietly.

Behind him, the rest of the people finally caught up and Thaddeus’s eyes widened.

"Leo?! Nico?!"

The twins looked at their father’s furious face before they gulped.

"Um... We can explain."