Adventures In Deltonia
The Tide Turns

The merging of the Northwest Kingdom and Deltonia was progressing. King Richard’s dream of the largest Kingdom in the world was taking shape. But there was still one pesky detail that had to be taken care of.

The ideas of the unionistas were spreading. Every day brought news from the provinces of more Deltonians embracing the unionista cause. This had to be crushed. Richard held council with Prince Bastian and Earl Michael of Campbell. They called the Court’s Leadership Team (CLT) into session.

Money and the promise of land had always worked in the past to divide the peasants and allow King Richard to squash the peasant uprisings. When the artisans, mechanics and guilds of the Northwest Kingdom had shown signs of rebellion, Richard had showered them with gifts and praise. “You are better than the rest of the peasants and I will give you each 1,000 golden ducats to show how much I think of you” he had told them. They began to believe they were better and when the time was right he turned others against them and then chopped off their heads.

The Earl Michael of Campbell came up with what they thought was a clever plan. “We will tell the Deltonian peasants we will grant them each 9.4 acres of land in October when the harvest is done because we care so much about them. Then we must tell the unionistas they will each get the same 9.4 acres of land, but only if they give up their swords and shields. Once disarmed we can do with all of them as we please. There will be no land in October.” At this the CLT laughed uproariously and they broke into song.

There was much debate in the Kingdom over the King’s proposal. A few were taken in by the ruse. “I can finally have enough to feed my family” said one poor peasant. Many others understood it for exactly what it was. “Without our swords and shields and our unionista ideals” they said, “we will be defenseless against the King – the very same King who has chopped off the heads of peasants in the past without a thought. In October there will be no land” they said.

King Richard and his CLT were dismayed. Not only had the ruse not worked, it had made the unionistas stronger, as more and more peasants saw through the plan. The time was rapidly approaching when Deltonia would become a republic and the reign of King Richard would be broken.

[This story is fictional. Any similarity between the characters and events portrayed here and real people and events is strictly coincidental.]