Twisted-Games

looked healthy. However, I noticed half of the stalls were empty. “Are the
other cows with the farmhands?”
Behind us, Alfred’s camera clicked and whirred. The Part-Time Princess
headlines, which were already fading thanks to my dates with Steffan, had all
but disappeared during the tour, replaced with pictures of me touring
factories and reading to schoolchildren.
I would’ve done the tour even if no one covered it, though. I enjoyed
meeting with locals, far more than I did another tedious gala.
“No.” Ida shook her head. “The dairy industry isn’t doing so well. Milk
prices have gone down over the years, and a lot of farms in the area have shut
down. We had to sell some of our cows for extra cash. Plus, there isn’t
enough demand for milk to justify keeping so many of them around.”
Despite her words, sadness flitted across her face. The farm had belonged
to her family for generations, and I could only imagine how difficult it must
be to see it shrink year after year.
“Have you contacted your minister about the issue?”
According to my briefing materials, the drop in milk prices resulted from
a trade fight between Eldorra and a few other countries in Europe. Trade and
tariff policies fell under Parliament’s purview.
Ida shrugged, looking resigned. “We used to write to our officials, but we
only got form responses, so we stopped. No one listens to us anyway.”
I frowned. The whole point of Parliament was to represent constituents’
concerns. What were they doing if not their job?
“You can write to me,” I said on impulse. “All of your friends and
neighbors can write to me. If you have an issue you want addressed, write or
email me and I’ll bring it up with Parliament. I can’t guarantee legislation,
but I can at least make sure your voices are heard.”
Elin coughed, and Henrik the reporter scribbled furiously in his notepad.
Ida blinked. “Oh, I couldn’t possibly—”
“I insist,” I said firmly. “Elin, can you please share the mailing and email
addresses with Ida before we leave? Actually, please share them with
everyone we’ve met so far.”
Elin rubbed her temple. “Yes, Your Highness.”
She waited until we returned to the inn that night before laying into me.
“Princess Bridget, the point of this tour is to create goodwill,” she said.
“Not make things more complicated with Parliament. Do you really want
random people writing to you about the smallest problem?”