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Adralys led Lathan to one of the Imperial storehouses. “Have you ever seen a storehouse, Your Imperial Highness?” she asked.

Lathan shook his head. “My aunt makes sure they stay stocked, and I’ve seen her reports, but I’ve never actually seen one of them in person. I’m sure there are several on the Throne World but I never left the palace until I went on my tour of the empire.”

Adralys nodded. “Let me show you something.” She led him to the door. “Hello Haron.”

“Hi Lys. Who’s this?” an aging man in an outfit that looked vaguely like a uniform asked.

“Imperial Prince Lathan. He’s never seen a storehouse before and I thought I’d show him what Her Imperial Highness actually gives us,” Adralys told him.

“Ah, yeah, he’s probably never seen what we actually have to eat during emergencies,” Haron said. He unlocked the door. “Go on in.”

Adralys walked in and tapped the panel that turned on the lights. They switched on in sequence, illuminating bins and crates. “What is all this?” Lathan asked.

“Staples for every day living, for the working class and the poor,” Adralys told him. “The wealthy take priority and can ship in luxuries even while ordinary people struggle to put food on the table.”

“That’s horrible,” Lathan told her.

Adralys shrugged. “That’s normal, Your Imperial Highness. It’s the privilege of wealth.” She led him over to one of the bins. “This one is -” She opened the bin. “-Ah. It’s lentils.” She opened another bin. “This one’s dried milk.” A third bin yielded powdered eggs. A fourth yielded flour. A large crate proved to be full of five gallon jugs of distilled water.

“How much of this do families get?” Lathan asked.

“Enough to serve a single meal for each member of the family for one week,” Adralys told him. “It’s enough to keep you from starving, but you’re always hungry. There are one hundred and fifty storehouses on Streinus. They’re supposed to support a population of 2.3 billion. It’s not enough and the last time we had an emergency, we lost a quarter of our population to starvation because the storehouses couldn’t keep up with the need.”

“Didn’t the Lord Governor do anything?” Lathan asked.

Aadralys snorted. “He made sure the wealthy kept their luxuries. That was all he cared about. He shot and killed any of the poor who approached the neighborhoods where the rich lived.” She looked at him. “The wealth of the noble families on Streinus could have bought extra food supplies that would have supplemented the storehouses and kept those who died alive. Instead they spent it on expensive foods, entertainments, and elaborate clothing and left the poor and working class to fend for themselves.”

“The wealthy are so disconnected from the working class. I know me, my father, and my grandfather have done what we could to support them, but it never seems to be enough.” Lathan sighed.

“The three of you have done more in your lives for the good of the poor and working class than any emperor before you aside from the first emperor,” Adralys said. “You are greatly appreciated for your compassion and your consideration.” She smiled at him. “Don’t think your efforts have gone unnoticed by the people you’ve helped.” They headed out of the storehouse and continued their tour of the city.