55 Fitting Punishmen (1/2)
”You have got to tell us how you became king!”
Mattias has been entirely too reticent about that particular detail, but as we all eat together on the balcony where I was thoroughly punished, I press him for the details.
I am curled up in Alexios' lap as Mattias starts to tell his story.
”The war was vicious but short-lived. Once they realized you were gone, there was little point fighting it.”
”Really? What about the control of the city?”
”San Antonio and Houston were depleting their resources far too fast to maintain their own holdings. War is expensive, and their treasuries were light. The sheriff spent most of Dallas' revenue on himself, there wasn't a great deal to win, and they were risking becoming vulnerable to other city-states. Both were on the verge of being invaded themselves when I made a diplomatic arrangement between the pair of them. Increased trade, open borders between the cities, and open harems.”
”Open harems?”
”The women of the Dallas harem may now travel to other cities, find the noblemen they wish to breed with. They are no longer captive, but they are protected.”
”That's what I wanted to do!” I exclaim, looking at Oren and Silver and Alexios. ”Remember! That's what I was saying!”
”Well, that's what I did,” Mattias smiles. ”And you, my wild little thing, I take by your previous attire, you returned to the place you were born.”
”I did,” I admit. ”You didn't come after me?”
”I considered it,” Mattias admits. ”But you told me so often you wanted your freedom. I was willing to grant it.”
”So you knew I'd escaped. And you let me go.”
I am impressed by that. He could have sent soldiers for us. He could have killed my mercenaries and dragged me back to be his tool. Instead, he set about improving the lives of the people of the city, and he gave me what I spent so long saying I wanted.
”Mhm. Until, of course, you returned,” Mattias smiles. ”Now, you belong to the crown.”
”Well, I don't think they're going to like that,” I say, jerking my thumb toward Alexios, Silver, and the very, very grim-looking Pharaoh.
”Oh, we like it just fine,” Silver says. ”It's going to take the resources of a king to keep you in check, apparently.”