The coastal wind sent a nice chill throughout Midhanhal. The citizens mostly were made up of monsters or beasts hybrids. Midhanhal made money through fishing and trading with other kingdoms. It was a very peaceful time when King Gragas Fewlos ruled. Once his son, Ragar, took the throne, the whole nation changed. Security was enhanced, walls erected, and the second biggest project was the arena. The first was the rebuilding of both Towers. The law of the land changed, and King Ragar despised the humans with all his heart. The second day after his ascension, he made slavery legal, but only towards humans. Throughout the city, all humans were arrested, branded, and then sold.
"Lord Gritle, Lord of Molar, has arrived." Droken said, entering the hall.
"Bring him and his daughters here." Ragar said.
"Of course, my lord." Droken said.
Klouse walked in and a man and three girls followed. They all knelt down in front of him.
"Rise! Welcome to my kingdom." Ragar said, sipping his wine.
"My lord, you summoned me?" Gritle asked.
"Yes, I heard that you are willing to wed one of your daughters to me. Now which one?" Ragar said.
"I have brought with me Jayn, Lyra, and Kelly. All around your age." Lord Gritle said.
Jayn was the tallest out of the three. She looked much like her father. Had the same color fur and eyes. She wore a black dress with black shoes. Lyra resembled her mother. Lighter fur and blue eyes. She had an extremely feminine face and had a mature body. She wore a colorful dress and simple shoes. Kelly was a mix of both parents. She was also the smallest. She wore fine fabric with beautiful designs. Ragar's eyes scanned all three of them.
"You choosing one of my daughters to marry really makes me proud." Lord Gritle said.
"Hm? Oh, I'm sure it does." Ragar said, brushing off what he said.
Ragar stared at Lyra's bosom and slyly smiled. He pointed at her and stood up.
"Lyra is the one I will marry. And for your daughter, I offer you ten thousand gold coins and priority in protection." Ragar said.
"O, my great King! Thank you!" Lord Gritle praised.
"The marriage will take place in two days. Please invite whoever and rooms have been prepared for you." Ragar said.
"Thank you." Lord Gritle said.
"Thank you, my lord." Lyra said.
Ragar walked up to her and gently grabbed her hand.
"My future Queen." Ragar whispered.
Lyra's face flushed red as he kissed her hand. Lord Gritle and his daughters left the hall. Gritle looked back and saw Ragar stare at her behind as she walked away. He chuckled and continued walking.
"My lord, how did you choose that one?" Klouse asked.
"None of them matter. All I want is an heir." Ragar simply said.
"I see." Klouse said.
"Where is Eriessa?" Ragar asked.
"I do not know, sir." Klouse said.
"Excuse me, I need to talk to her." Ragar said.
"Of course, sir. I'll be at the barracks." Klouse said.
Ragar nodded and wandered into the castle. He found his way to her room and knocked on the door.
"Come in." she said.
He opened the door and saw her sitting on her bed. She looked away from him and stood up.
"You are not allowed in here." Eriessa said.
"Oh please, still mad?" he asked.
"Why did you come here?" she asked.
"To tell you something." he said, stepping closer to her.
"Tell me already." she said, still looking away.
"I wanted to apologize for how I acted. You mean the world to me." Ragar said, putting his hand on her cheek.
She shyly makes eye contact.
"I forgive you." she said.
"I also will be getting married in two days to Lyra Gritle." he blatantly said.
"Oh... I see." she said.
"Remember, this is for us! We need her to bear a child so yours can be born without question. I'll simply say she had twins, or we will switch the babes." Ragar said.
"What about it being a girl?" she asked.
Ragar remained quiet. Her face turned cold.
"It does not matter." he said.
"You swear?" she asked.
"Yes." he said.
"I also have a question." she said, embracing him.
"Yes, my love?" he said.
"The law you made... won't it cause problems?" she asked.
"I was advised to do it." Ragar said.
"By whom?" she asked.
"A close friend." he said.
"One of the council members?" she asked.
"No, but they all agreed to my plan." he said.
"What is your plan?" she asked, looking in his eyes.
"The arena will be built within the next few months. Some of the enslaved disgusting humans will be forced to fight each other for our entertainment. It will be glorious! Watching those pigs slaughter each other! *laughing* Oh I can't wait!" he said with a chuckle.
Eriessa just looked at him in disgust and pushed him away.
"So, you made this law so you could profit off of their suffering?" she asked.
"How dare you question me!" he shouted.
"It's just a question. You do realize that other kingdoms and cities will have a problem with this." she said.
"Fuck them! I will show them how powerful Midhanhal is! This is the beginning of a new era!" he shouted.
"But you are only causing conflict and hostility." she pleaded.
"Oh please! Monsters like us have been hunted for sport by Adventurers. How come none of them have said anything?" he argued.
"That was a long time ago." she said.
"No... not that long ago. Some are still going around and destroying goblin villages, and other monster villages, and stealing their food and gold. Where is the justice? Where is the human's suffering?" he asked.
She pondered for a moment before answering.
"You make a good point." she said.
"I always do." he said.
He leaned in and kissed her lips. She put her hands on his chest and gently pushed him back.
"I just need time." she said.
"Of course, my love." he said, turning to leave.
As he walked down the hallway, he smirked and headed back towards the hall. He poured himself a glass of wine and drank it quickly. His mind was racing with the possibilities of his kingdom's future. He looked out a window and began laughing. Klouse walked up to him.
"What is so funny?" Klouse asked.
"Today has been a glorious day." Ragar said.
Klouse gave him a questioning look.
"That law is brilliant. We will make so much money off of those humans." Ragar said.
"As you say, sir." Klouse said.
"Stay by my side, Klouse. You have proven yourself to me." Ragar said, patting his shoulder.
"Thank you, my lord." Klouse said, with a forced smile.
"Where are they?" Ragar asked.
"The humans? I'm not sure. Commander Zovlor was put in charge of this whole thing." Klouse said.
"Bring him to the throne room. I will be there shortly." Ragar said.
"Yes, my lord." Klouse bowed his head and walked away.
The day finally came for King Ragar and Lyra Gritle to be wed. The whole kingdom was in uproar as they were celebrating their King's marriage. People gathered in the town square. Ragar stood proud by the altar and watched as Lyra walked up with her father. Lord Gritle had a grin on his face and sat in the front row. The priest opened a book and began reading it aloud. Ragar and Lyra said their vows and were officially married. The citizens cheered and danced all night long.
After the ceremony, royalty, friends, and family gathered at the great hall for a feast. Ragar and Lyra sat at the head of the table. Lord Gritle sat beside his daughter and the other daughters sat on the same side as their father. Eriessa sat by Ragar. The council sat on the same side as Eriessa. Ragar began drinking and soon was intoxicated. He grabbed Eriessa's hand and held it tightly. She turned away from him and focused on her meal. Lord Gritle leaned over and whispered to her.
"He seems a little... unhinged." he said.
"Just keep quiet and drink your wine." she whispered back.
Lord Gritle laughed and began toasting with other Lords and Ladies. The evening went on until it was time for Ragar and Lyra to consummate their marriage. Ragar and Lyra retreated to their bedroom. Eriessa was standing on the balcony and watched the festivities. She looked at her belly and wondered what her future would hold. She was angry and disgusted by Ragar's actions, but she knew that it was her duty to stay by his side. Klouse and Commander Zovlor walked up to her.
"Good evening, Princess." they said.
"Hello Klouse and Harvey. What a strange night it is." Eriessa said.
"A happy one." Harvey said.
"Hm..." Eriessa said.
"How are you holding up?" Klouse asked.
"So much is changing. It frightens me." Eriessa admitted.
"The change or him?" Klouse asked.
"Both. I have a bad feeling about this. He should have treated the humans as equals. Not as a lower being. Now the other humans will continue to hunt beasts." Eriessa pointed out.
"He does not look at the big picture. He looks at the small ones and then pieces them together at the end. If he doesn't like what he sees, then he will rip it apart. If he does like it though, then he shall continue down that path, no matter what the cost is." Klouse said.
"There are too many problems in this world. He is adding more and more." Harvey added.
"But why? Who told him to do this?" she asked.
"What? I assumed he made the choice himself." Klouse said.
"No, he told me a friend suggested this plan." she said.
"Interesting... I don't know. I thought he did this because of what is happening in Elysian." Klouse said.
"What's happening?" she asked.
"Some sort of revolt. Nothing major yet." Harvey piped in.
"Oh, is it because of the change in kings?" she asked.
"Most likely." Klouse and Harvey said.
"Hmm... I see." she said, pacing the balcony.
The three of them were quiet for a moment and enjoyed the party below them. Eriessa was lost in her thoughts and was not paying attention to what Klouse and Harvey were saying.
'A revolt in Elysian... what if they come here?' she thought.
Klouse and Harvey excused themselves and went back to the festivities. She placed her hands on the cold marble railings and sighed as she looked up into the night sky. She wondered how her life would end up and if the Kingdom would survive. She prayed to the Gods and hoped that they would protect them from any danger that was to come. She then looked at the moon and smiled as it shined its light down on her.
"My Lady, your bath is ready." a maid said, standing in the doorway.
"I will be right there." she said, walking back inside.
She undressed and sunk into the warm water. The scent of lavender filled the air and relaxed her tense muscles. She closed her eyes and slowly drifted away.