Popularity War
Prologue
Lady Rosaline was a Carvahall legend. The daughter of a seamstress and a carpenter, she grew up as an average common girl. Well-liked by her community, Rosaline led a decent life, but she was still unsatisfied. One day, at the age of sixteen, she bid farewell to the small village to live with her aunt in Uru’baen, the capital of Alagaesia. She was gone for several years until she came back with a husband and a beautiful baby girl named Eva.
Her husband, Lord Whikim, was extraordinary handsome and very rich. The story of their romance had captivated the villagers; it made them believe in true love and hope, ideas that seemed fanciful to them until Rosaline proved its existence. She had managed to achieve the fairy-tale dream and that made her the most popular woman in the village. Lady Rosaline and her husband lived in a large house outside the village where they hosted grand parties, inviting everyone. Carvahall had become alive, but it had come at a cost.
Rich merchants who collaborated with Lord Whikim learned about the fertile land that grew around his new home, and so, within several years, more wealthy families settled in Carvahall. The villagers became uncomfortable with the sudden popularity, but there was nothing they could do. The rich began to take over and only Lord Whikim kept them in their place. He was a good man despite his wealth; he loved communicating with the people and made sure to buy their goods, giving back to the ones who raised his fair wife.
There were many speculations about his generosity, yet no one had ever uncovered the real truth. Instead, they gave him the utmost respect, thankful that they had someone like him looking after their village. The latter became essential when the King sent a new tax collector to Carvahall. He was a round man by the name of Hamish, and many were surprised to learn that he had a young wife and a daughter.
Lord Whikim was able to smooth the transition of Hamish’s arrival, but he was unable to have the taxes lowered. Apparently the King thought that the villagers had money to spare, so he made sure that they paid a large sum. To offset the money they paid, Lord Whikim and his wife became even more involved with the villagers’ finances. Everything was going all right until the day that Rosaline passed away.
Eva was only eight years old at the time, the villagers pouring all their sympathy upon her. Her mother had fallen ill and died within a week. It took Lord Whikim a while to compose himself after his wife’s sudden death. He continued with his business, but he was never the same, and neither was his daughter.