July, 1361 DR, Wyvernwater, aboard the Suzail Navy warship Soundshot.
The scorching sun shone down on the churning waters of Wyvernwater. Surging waves battered the warship's bow, and beneath the brilliant daylight, no secret could remain hidden.
After bidding farewell to Alusair and Charlotte, Aaron Salian, the Sunset Viscount, officially set out for his fief, the Sunset Lands, to take up his seat. He also resigned his position as Blackstaff Ceremonial Officer, retaining only his office as Lord Chamberlain.
Before leaving, he arranged for Alusair to visit his lands the following year together with Charlotte. He would give the two of them an "unforgettable experience."
Alusair gladly agreed, and she and Charlotte reluctantly said their goodbyes to Aaron.
At the same time Aaron left Suzail, the Princess Regent issued a proclamation throughout the country, formally establishing her supreme authority.
Alusair then issued three major decrees.
First, a land survey.
The Princess Regent announced that all registered land throughout Cormyr, from top to bottom, would be surveyed. She ordered a single standardized method to be used nationwide, untangling the old, complicated web of land ownership and updating the land system. Every noble estate, including royal fiefs, had to undergo the same survey, with excess holdings returned to the common people.
This decree became known to history as the "Princess's Land Survey."
The survey employed three methods. First, nobles would report their own holdings as landowners. Second, independent farmers and the small number of landowning townspeople would be investigated. Third, Alusair would send officials to conduct inspections jointly with the churches.
The measure had nobles across the kingdom howling in protest. Many great nobles would have to surrender nearly half the crown lands they had illegally seized, but their complaints were useless. Alusair was adamant. She now possessed ample political capital and