Filia, Esme, Maria, and myself teleported to the hill overlooking Heimdal. We set up an escape door, just in case the emperor tried something underhanded. After that, it was an easy walk to the orange barrier that protected the city.
There was a long line to enter the barrier. All manner of people were waiting in this line, wearing all sorts of strange clothes. Perhaps they’d come from the other countries of this world.
Heimdal itself looked impressive behind the barrier. Its stone towers and buildings loomed large. The three crescent moons adorned the purple banners draped from many of the buildings.
There was a second, much smaller line. The people standing in it were wearing brocade. We headed for that one.
Soon enough, a city guardsman approached us.
“Papers, please,” he said.
“This is King Remy,” Filia said, “and we are his wives. We’re here to see Emperor Dukas.”
The guard looked at us in obvious shock. He went to speak to another guard. Then a third guard came, and a fourth.
Finally, we were let inside the city, but not without an escort of guards.
The guards took us away from the busy, main streets of the city and onto a bridge that connected directly with the central castle. The whole way was lined by yet more guards.
When we arrived at the orange barrier that protected the castle, we were made to wait for ten minutes. When they allowed us in, the number of guards escorting us had increased to thirty, and there were others among them, as well: robed sorcerers.
“Is this a meeting, or an ambush?” Esme whispered to me.
“Don’t worry,” I whispered back. “We’re prepared for anything.”
Maria took my arm. It seemed she was afraid. I patted her head to reassure her.
Mosaics depicting great battles of sorcerers against monsters covered the walls within the castle.
“What are those?” I asked Filia.
“That was when Dukas led the people against the hordes of the Shadowsoul,” Filia said. “It all happened shortly after the Calamity.”
They took us to a room with a table full of refreshments, then left us alone. I wondered if I ought to put a fast travel point in the room. No, it wasn’t the right place. Too contained. I needed to find a better spot.
We enjoyed some orange grapes and a pastry that reminded me of cheesecake. Then a courtier took us to meet the emperor.
He was sitting at the far end of a very large table. Between us and him were about a dozen sorcerers, standing beside the table.
“Welcome to my home, Remy,” he said. Even though he was far away, his voice projected toward us, probably by magic.
We sat at the other end of the massive table.
“Since you came to mine, I thought I ought to come to yours,” I said. “You have a lovely home.”
“Heimdal is indeed lovely,” the emperor said. “But it wasn’t always this way. After the Shadowsoul descended, wyverns and behemoths from the depths of hell murdered most of the population. There wasn’t a stone left standing. Ever since then, I’ve resolved to do one thing above all else — protect my home.”
He obviously saw me as a threat. He must’ve believed I was like those monsters he’d fought. That I’d come to take his home from him.
But I only intended to give my wives a home. And with the island as my dominion, I’d done that.
“I say we make a pact,” I said, getting to the point. “You don’t hurt my home, and I don’t hurt yours.”
“The island is my home, too,” he said. “It might be a room that I never go to and almost forgot existed, but it’s still in my house.”
I shook my head. “You can’t neglect the people of the island and expect them to honor your claim to rule.”
“Fair enough,” replied the emperor. “But you did murder my nephew in the process of claiming a throne that simply is not yours.”
I could see his side of things. I’d literally come out of nowhere and taken one of the rooms of his house. I’d proclaimed it mine, and to any great king, such a thing was an affront.
“I took it by right of conquest,” I said.
“What is earned by conquest can be lost by conquest,” Dukas replied.
I wished we were closer so I could look into his eyes. Till now, we hadn’t truly been able to talk to each other without something in the way.
But to earn his trust, I had to give him some of mine. I had to take a step to show him I wasn’t trying to harm him.
I stood up. That caused the sorcerers standing between us to face my way.
“Dukas,” I said. “I’d like to speak with you face to face. No barriers or distance between us.”
“Is that why you came here?” he said. “To get close to me? But fool is the man who lets a cobra come near.”
“I am no snake. To prove it, I will send away the source of my powers. I will send away my wives.”
I threw down the escape orb. The door materialized.
“You can’t!” Esme objected.
“Don’t do this, Remy,” Filia said.
“He’ll hurt you!” exclaimed Maria.
I pointed to the door. “Go. I’ll be fine.”
Esme shook her head. “You can’t trust these people.”
“She’s right,” Filia said. “The moment you let your guard down…”
“I’ll be fine,” I repeated. “I promise.”
The three women reluctantly approached the escape door, then went through it.
I was now alone with an army of sorcerers and the emperor who commanded them.
I took off my rings and put them in my soul storage. I showed everyone that I was entirely unarmed.
Dukas stood and pushed in his chair. It took him half a minute to walk across the room to reach me.
Finally, we were standing face to face. He held out his hand.
I shook it.
We took a walk in his garden. It was filled with all sorts of fragrant flowers and colorful birds. It would have been romantic, were he a sexy young woman and not an old man.
“Here’s the truth of it, Remy. I’ve ruled for almost twenty years, now. I’m getting old, and others are sensing that. They’re seeing weakness in my gray hair. If I don’t punish the murderer of my nephew, then the power-hungry nobles beneath me will take it as an opening to act against my rule.”
That was a fair argument. I couldn’t deny the need to project strength.
“What if…” I recalled Filia’s marriage idea. It wasn’t the right time to bring it up, but I could at least begin laying out the necessary framing to propose it. “What if I pledged obedience to you, in name?”
“You seemed rather unwilling to do that last we met.”
“Right… because it’s not the kind of obedience you’re thinking of.”
“Oh? What kind of obedience are you implying?”
“The obedience of a son to a father.”
Dukas grinned. “You sly bastard. You want to marry my daughter.” He wagged his finger at me. “You want my throne, but you want to get it by fucking, not fighting.”
I couldn’t argue with that logic. “Here’s the thing, emperor. I’m well on my way to becoming the strongest man in Lumaria. It would be awkward if the strongest man in Lumaria was merely the ruler of some backwater island, wouldn’t it?”
“Indeed. Strength creates a lust for power. I can understand how you feel, believe me.”
Strength creates all kinds of lusts, that was for sure.
Things seemed to be going well. Dukas was not entirely disinclined to the idea of me marrying into his family. That would create peace, and also relieve him of the headache of having to punish me and retake the island by force.
“Let me think on it,” Dukas said. “Oh, and if I do agree, I will be choosing which of my daughters you’re going to marry. Is that clear?”
I could only hope he would chose the prettiest one. “Perfectly clear.”
“And since you have several other wives, let me remind you that you have no right to neglect my daughter’s needs.”
What a strange way to phrase it.
“I’m all about fulfilling needs, emperor. I spend half my nights fulfilling needs, let me assure you.”
“Keep your strength stat up, Remy.” Dukas patted me on the shoulder. “It helps with that.”
So it was the strength stat, after all. Good to know.
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Filia, Esme, Maria, and myself teleported to the hill overlooking Heimdal. We set up an escape door, just in case the emperor tried something underhanded. After that, it was an easy walk to the orange barrier that protected the city.
There was a long line to enter the barrier. All manner of people were waiting in this line, wearing all sorts of strange clothes. Perhaps they’d come from the other countries of this world.
Heimdal itself looked impressive behind the barrier. Its stone towers and buildings loomed large. The three crescent moons adorned the purple banners draped from many of the buildings.
There was a second, much smaller line. The people standing in it were wearing brocade. We headed for that one.
Soon enough, a city guardsman approached us.
“Papers, please,” he said.
“This is King Remy,” Filia said, “and we are his wives. We’re here to see Emperor Dukas.”
The guard looked at us in obvious shock. He went to speak to another guard. Then a third guard came, and a fourth.
Finally, we were let inside the city, but not without an escort of guards.
The guards took us away from the busy, main streets of the city and onto a bridge that connected directly with the central castle. The whole way was lined by yet more guards.
When we arrived at the orange barrier that protected the castle, we were made to wait for ten minutes. When they allowed us in, the number of guards escorting us had increased to thirty, and there were others among them, as well: robed sorcerers.
“Is this a meeting, or an ambush?” Esme whispered to me.
“Don’t worry,” I whispered back. “We’re prepared for anything.”
Maria took my arm. It seemed she was afraid. I patted her head to reassure her.
Mosaics depicting great battles of sorcerers against monsters covered the walls within the castle.
“What are those?” I asked Filia.
“That was when Dukas led the people against the hordes of the Shadowsoul,” Filia said. “It all happened shortly after the Calamity.”
They took us to a room with a table full of refreshments, then left us alone. I wondered if I ought to put a fast travel point in the room. No, it wasn’t the right place. Too contained. I needed to find a better spot.
We enjoyed some orange grapes and a pastry that reminded me of cheesecake. Then a courtier took us to meet the emperor.
He was sitting at the far end of a very large table. Between us and him were about a dozen sorcerers, standing beside the table.
“Welcome to my home, Remy,” he said. Even though he was far away, his voice projected toward us, probably by magic.
We sat at the other end of the massive table.
“Since you came to mine, I thought I ought to come to yours,” I said. “You have a lovely home.”
“Heimdal is indeed lovely,” the emperor said. “But it wasn’t always this way. After the Shadowsoul descended, wyverns and behemoths from the depths of hell murdered most of the population. There wasn’t a stone left standing. Ever since then, I’ve resolved to do one thing above all else — protect my home.”
He obviously saw me as a threat. He must’ve believed I was like those monsters he’d fought. That I’d come to take his home from him.
But I only intended to give my wives a home. And with the island as my dominion, I’d done that.
“I say we make a pact,” I said, getting to the point. “You don’t hurt my home, and I don’t hurt yours.”
“The island is my home, too,” he said. “It might be a room that I never go to and almost forgot existed, but it’s still in my house.”
I shook my head. “You can’t neglect the people of the island and expect them to honor your claim to rule.”
“Fair enough,” replied the emperor. “But you did murder my nephew in the process of claiming a throne that simply is not yours.”
I could see his side of things. I’d literally come out of nowhere and taken one of the rooms of his house. I’d proclaimed it mine, and to any great king, such a thing was an affront.
“I took it by right of conquest,” I said.
“What is earned by conquest can be lost by conquest,” Dukas replied.
I wished we were closer so I could look into his eyes. Till now, we hadn’t truly been able to talk to each other without something in the way.
But to earn his trust, I had to give him some of mine. I had to take a step to show him I wasn’t trying to harm him.
I stood up. That caused the sorcerers standing between us to face my way.
“Dukas,” I said. “I’d like to speak with you face to face. No barriers or distance between us.”
“Is that why you came here?” he said. “To get close to me? But fool is the man who lets a cobra come near.”
“I am no snake. To prove it, I will send away the source of my powers. I will send away my wives.”
I threw down the escape orb. The door materialized.
“You can’t!” Esme objected.
“Don’t do this, Remy,” Filia said.
“He’ll hurt you!” exclaimed Maria.
I pointed to the door. “Go. I’ll be fine.”
Esme shook her head. “You can’t trust these people.”
“She’s right,” Filia said. “The moment you let your guard down…”
“I’ll be fine,” I repeated. “I promise.”
The three women reluctantly approached the escape door, then went through it.
I was now alone with an army of sorcerers and the emperor who commanded them.
I took off my rings and put them in my soul storage. I showed everyone that I was entirely unarmed.
Dukas stood and pushed in his chair. It took him half a minute to walk across the room to reach me.
Finally, we were standing face to face. He held out his hand.
I shook it.
We took a walk in his garden. It was filled with all sorts of fragrant flowers and colorful birds. It would have been romantic, were he a sexy young woman and not an old man.
“Here’s the truth of it, Remy. I’ve ruled for almost twenty years, now. I’m getting old, and others are sensing that. They’re seeing weakness in my gray hair. If I don’t punish the murderer of my nephew, then the power-hungry nobles beneath me will take it as an opening to act against my rule.”
That was a fair argument. I couldn’t deny the need to project strength.
“What if…” I recalled Filia’s marriage idea. It wasn’t the right time to bring it up, but I could at least begin laying out the necessary framing to propose it. “What if I pledged obedience to you, in name?”
“You seemed rather unwilling to do that last we met.”
“Right… because it’s not the kind of obedience you’re thinking of.”
“Oh? What kind of obedience are you implying?”
“The obedience of a son to a father.”
Dukas grinned. “You sly bastard. You want to marry my daughter.” He wagged his finger at me. “You want my throne, but you want to get it by fucking, not fighting.”
I couldn’t argue with that logic. “Here’s the thing, emperor. I’m well on my way to becoming the strongest man in Lumaria. It would be awkward if the strongest man in Lumaria was merely the ruler of some backwater island, wouldn’t it?”
“Indeed. Strength creates a lust for power. I can understand how you feel, believe me.”
Strength creates all kinds of lusts, that was for sure.
Things seemed to be going well. Dukas was not entirely disinclined to the idea of me marrying into his family. That would create peace, and also relieve him of the headache of having to punish me and retake the island by force.
“Let me think on it,” Dukas said. “Oh, and if I do agree, I will be choosing which of my daughters you’re going to marry. Is that clear?”
I could only hope he would chose the prettiest one. “Perfectly clear.”
“And since you have several other wives, let me remind you that you have no right to neglect my daughter’s needs.”
What a strange way to phrase it.
“I’m all about fulfilling needs, emperor. I spend half my nights fulfilling needs, let me assure you.”
“Keep your strength stat up, Remy.” Dukas patted me on the shoulder. “It helps with that.”
So it was the strength stat, after all. Good to know.
Announcement Hey there! Go up to 10 chapters ahead by joining my PATREON, and get exclusive chapters as well as clothed and nude art of the girls!