Demeter Erde, an Earth elf, recalls her past in Maladoreias before it was destroyed by a meteor. She fled with her younger brother Bramble and they have struggled to adjust in their new home of Arkadia. Bramble has embraced the human culture while Demeter hopes to preserve their elf traditions. Bramble owns a successful flower shop and is dating River Vesi's sister Lake. River is a Water elf who was formerly in love with Princess Anne in Maladoreias. Prince Nemo is working to encourage economic growth in Arkadia and help the elf families integrate, such as by allowing River to gain nobility if he opens two successful businesses.

2. It would seem that the prince has found someone to go up in the hot air balloon and
take aerial shots of his kingdom. He insisted I give it a look-see. My name is Demeter
Erde, if you remember I am an Earth elf. One of the two elven clans who reside in
Arkadia. We started out in Maladoreias before…before the fire from the sky destroyed
it. I miss my parents and I did not even get a chance to give them their proper burial
as our custom dictated.

3. This is the only picture I have of my mother Gaia with my little brother Bramble. He
barely remembers our parents, I had to raise him on the road when we fled Maladoreias.
My poor little brother…my biggest regret was that he would never remember life before
traveling.

4. He was barely a child and I doubt very much that he remembers our father Anteas
either. They were wonderful parents, highly honoured in our clan. When we left to
come to Maladoreias, they were supposed to be an advance group to get the lay of the
land before more of our clan came. I do not even know where they are now, I feel like I
have lost my entire culture…and Bramble, he will never have a chance to take the Rite
of Passage now. I am not qualified to give it to him either. It was supposed to be done
by the head of the household, our father.

5. I am thankful that His Royal Highness and my lowly self were able to become friends.
I would not have been able to make it through this journey without him leading us.
Maybe he knows what became of our clans, he is after all an elf like me. I shall have to
ask him if he knows what happened to them.

6. I shall never forget the moment when I felt like something more than just the
daughter of a Merchant elf, His Royal Highness has always been approachable. But I
doubt he would remember this moment as well as I do even now…he has so much on
his mind after all.

7. Forgive me, I was lost in memory. Now here in Arkadia I have found that mother’s talent for
flower arranging has been passed on to me. I told Bramble that I wish to revive the flower shop
our father had began in honour of my mother. I will even call it Gaia’s Green Earth as he did. I
however cannot own it myself and Bramble has become accustomed to life as a human, he even
adopted their values and traditions. I fear he may never know that our own culture as Earth elves
deserves just as much honour. Perhaps his children or mine will be able to adapt to both sides of
their heritage.

8. Bramble wanted to join the Royal Police force and he brought home his co-worker
Benjamin Long one day. I must admit he is rather dashing, since I am not the heir I am
allowed to marry a Townie but Bramble is not. His only option is River Vesi’s sister
Lake. I do not know much about Water Elves, our two clans did not have much contact
in the old world. All I do know is that his mother was from the Ice clan and they have a
matriarchal line. It will conflict with the patriarchal system of this land unfortunately.

9. Is it wicked of me to imagine Benjamin is the prince? He does bear the same golden,
sun kissed coloured hair as His Royal Highness…

10. I am very proud of my little brother, our business is the first one to reach Rank 10 in
Arkadia! He seems to have inherited father’s natural salesmanship and the prince is
one of our regular patrons too. Once I have made enough flower arrangements for the
store I will give them to Bramble as new stock.

11. My only concern is that Bramble’s sales girl Shelby Barret loves to use the Hard
Sell on the prince. Does she not know who he is?

12. Prince Nemo: Alright, alright fine!! I’ll take the planter. Just…don’t get too close to me.
Personal space is something I rather enjoy.
Shelby: I knew you’d see things my way cutey. So you’ll take three then?
Prince Nemo: Three? But…whatever. Just back up about two feet first.
******

13. Lake: Big brother, why do we have to read? I am not very good at it.
River: It’s just something we have to do, and just take it slow little sister. You’ll
get it eventually.

14. My name is River Vesi, I am the oldest son of Aqua and Miru Vesi who are Water and Ice elves.
Like the Erde family we came here as an advanced scouting party to find out if the human world
was safe enough for our people to leave our realm to live in it. My report was that it wasn’t; you
see a huge meteor crashed into Maladoreias from space and made it unlivable. The prince told us
all to pack up what we needed and to run from the only home we had known. I was born in our
elven realm but my little sister Lake was not. I don’t even know if she can go back to our realm,
she may no longer be suited to it.

15. My father Aqua was best friends with Anteas back in our realm so they both packed
up their new wives and young children to come here. They did everything together
growing up. I remember him telling me all sorts of stories about our realm and how
beautiful it was. The only reason why they chose to leave was that it was getting too
crowded. Elves have longer lifespans than other lifeforms and it was long past time
when they needed to spread out.

16. I was fitting in nicely in Maladoreias, I even remember my first kiss with the
princess. Her clan was one I had never seen before, I mean I heard the tales of the
Solidore elves but I had never met one, until then. And it’s a little embarrassing but I
can’t remember which twin this was, Princess Jennifer or Princess Anne. I didn’t get
a good look at their eyes; Princess Anne has purple eyes and Princess Jennifer has
green ones.

17. My problem was that I kept being dropped off everywhere, even at the Prescott house for
Catherine. She was cute, but too hung up on marrying the prince to really notice me. And I
couldn’t have been with her anyway, I’m a Merchant’s son; she’s a Noble born. Also she’s the
oldest girl in her family, I know she has twin sisters and I heard one of them married into the
Crane family. I am still trying to figure out what elven clan Isaac and Starlight belong to, I
don’t remember any elves who looked like them.

18. Anyway, it seems the prince remembers me and I was surprised to see him outside my
house, alone and unescorted. I guess he was alone because there’s no royal guard yet.

19. Prince Nemo: Your father had two level ten businesses if I recall, are you planning to
carrying that on?
River: Eventually Your Highness, I need to save up some money first before I can
purchase a lot. I do want to bring my father’s businesses back.
Prince Nemo: I am glad, I rather miss shopping for a fountain. The Royal Courtyard is so
empty without them.

20. River: I’ll be honest Your Highness, I was afraid that your visit here was about the
princess, we were close back in Maladoreias…
Prince Nemo: Yes I remember, and so does my sister Princess Anne. Occasionally she still
speaks of you.
River: I am quite flattered Sire; I would think that Her Highness would have forgotten
about me by now.

21. Prince Nemo: You were her first love, and first kiss. I think that my other sister’s
wedding to Duke Connor has made her nostalgic as of late.
River: She was my first love and kiss as well Sire.
Prince Nemo: I have been thinking about love recently, and I have come up with a new
law that will allow a Merchant heir to achieve Nobility status if he can hold two level ten
businesses. It is a chance to change classes, something that my father King Vayne was in
the process of working out before we left.

22. River: Truly Sire? I thought that one needed five level ten businesses to advance to
Nobility class.
Prince Nemo: Under the old law, that was the only requirement for a Merchant to
advance and I have lowered that number to two. Peasants however, that is another
matter. I will make it official soon, since your family and the Erde family are my only
Merchants right now. I want to encourage more economy in Arkadia.
River: I will not let you down Your Highness.

23. I thought getting father’s businesses back to rank ten was going to be my only
concern, that was until I had heard Lake and Bramble had met the same way I had
met the princess. Bramble has the only rank ten business in Arkadia right now so I
am confident he will provide a good life for my little sister. If I am to achieve Nobility
status it will definitely be beneficial in the future. And I do admit, I miss Her
Highness Princess Anne…

24. I can take one concern off my mind, my little sister will be taken care of and I can
focus on building back up our family’s fortune. I whole heartedly approve of Bramble
for my sister.
******

25. And another week comes to an end. This one is shorter since I didn’t take as many
pictures of my Merchants this round (and I added in some old pictures). I was worried
I’d lost all of the Erde’s week pictures since I couldn’t see them in the neighbourhood
folder. Turns out I did move them to my jump drive and forgot. This is what happens
when I play at 3 am…I forget where I put things.
Next up is my Peasants, which you have not seen yet so expect more filler and back
story pictures from Maladoreias to be in the next chapter. Don’t go away, there’s more
coming right up.