Page 31 of Kiss of Ice

Kam didn’t answer. He chewed on his food, trying to think.

During his father’s reign, poverty was only an issue in the most rural regions. In the cities, everyone had work if they wanted it. Education was freely provided, and the sick and less-abled were looked after by healers.

Clearly things had changed in the fifty years he’d been away. His father had let things slip.

“When did the healers start charging for their services?” he asked.

“About a decade ago. Your father was very sick. His advisors were mostly running the palace by then and things started to change.”

Kam was silent. Shade had spent a few weeks living in the Gilded Palace when it was thought he’d take the throne. He’d fired all the advisors.

Kam had presumed he’d wanted his own people around him, but now he wondered. Had Shade got rid of them for another reason?

He resolved to speak to his friend. Maybe he should have asked earlier. But in all the chaos of his return – coming to terms with what had happened, fielding endless questions, organising the coronation – he’d missed the bigger picture. Somehow, he hadn’t realised that Nush’aldaam had developed deep social problems.

But he was damned if he was going to admit that to Salaq’s daughter of all people. He took a gulp of wine.

Ren watched him out of the corner of her eye as she ate. The fact that he was even asking questions encouraged her. Maybe she could persuade him to do some good?

“It would help if people in those run-down areas were better nourished,” she said casually. “Many of them don’t get enough to eat so it’s hard for them to stay healthy.”

Kam was surprised.

“My father ruled that surplus food products were to be distributed daily to disadvantaged households. That law is still in place.”

“There hasn’t been surplus food for years,” said Ren. “Not enough’s being produced.”

“Why not?”

“There was a drought a few years back which badly affected the harvests. And the price of grain shot up.”

“But there are contingency plans. Emergency stores.”

“I don’t know about that. I just know food supplies have never been the same since.” She glanced at her plate. “Well, not for the poor.”

Slow anger began to burn in Kam’s chest. People were starving?

“I’m sure there’ll be a straightforward solution. I’ll look into it.”

“I have some ideas, actually,” Ren said eagerly. “I thought perhaps the Crown could set up a program to…”

“I said, I’ll look into it.”

Kam’s face was granite.Back to his grumpy persona,she thought. She knew she should leave well enough alone. But she couldn’t help herself.

“Could I at least send some food to the family of the youngling? The one who had sickle fever? I mean, there’s so much food right here, we’ll never eat all this. If I could just pack some up and take it over…”

Kam slammed his fist down on the table.

“Enough! I don’t need your half-baked ideas on how to run the empire. Not from a woman whose father created the very problems I now have to deal with.”

“Excuse me?” She couldn’t believe it. “My father wanted to be Emperor preciselybecauseof the problems. He wanted to solve them.”

“Yeah, sure he did.”

“Why do you hate him so much? He’s done nothing to you. Do you feel threatened by him? Is that it? Are you scared people would prefer to seehimon the throne?”

Kam’s face hardened.

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