The private training room in the palace felt rather empty to Leon as he walked in. Most of his retainers were off doing other important things, leaving only a mere handful of people left to fill the space.
Valeria was there, as she was essentially in charge of his retinue, though the number of people she was responsible for had shrunk considerably. Marcus and Lucianus were there, too, as were Red and Anzu, but everyone else that made up Leonâs retinue was gone, now, off seeing to their other duties.
Alix and Alcander were in charge of the Tempest Knights; Anshu was off somewhere in the Indra Raj; Gaiusâ duties as Leonâs top secretary meant he usually trained on his own; and Anna was training her war beasts with Eirene. Running the household, meeting guests, managing Leonâs official relationship with Heavenâs Eye, and organizing alms were full-time duties that Elise took to with gusto, while Maia had her pod of lesser nymphs to manage. Cassandra, finally, typically acted as Leonâs unofficial top diplomat, though the way she took her sister showing up as the Sacred Golden Empireâs envoy had him rethinking matters.
Regardless, those that he could count on as being part of his retinue had become so few that he was tempted to stop thinking about them in those termsâespecially since he was about to shrink it even further.
âMarcus!â Leon called out as he entered the training room. Marcus had been busy monitoring Lucianusâ sword forms, but as soon as Leon called out, Marcus ordered the younger man to keep going without him and ran over.
âKing Leon,â he said with a respectful and incredibly formal bow.
Leon glared at him. âWhatâs this? Getting crusty and traditional in your old age?â
Marcus smirked as he straightened up. âJust trying to set a good example for the kid.â
Leon nodded as he glanced at Rolandâs son. âHowâs he doing?â
âSir Roland made sure Luke had a good foundation to work with, but heâs no great mage or swordmaster. Yet. But I can see his potential; give him a decade or two, and heâll be a real terror on the battlefield, if given the chance.â
âGood,â Leon said appreciatively. Lucianus was still only third-tier, though, so it would be a while before he could be anything on a battlefield where Leon was present. Still, hearing that he had potential from Marcus was as good of a recommendation as Leon would ever consider.
âHowâve you been, Marcus?â Leon asked, his tone lightening as his posture relaxed; a subtle signal for Marcus to relax, as well.
âAbout as well as can be expected,â Marcus replied with a slightly downturned tone.
âBored?â Leon inquired.
âI⊠guess you could say that,â Marcus admitted.
âI understand. Seeing everyone else getting positions must be frustrating.â
âItâs fine,â Marcus hurried to state. âIâm not jealous, Iâm just⊠I feel like I can do more.â
âI know you can; thereâs no need for you to prove yourself. Not to me, anyway.â Leon gave his retainer a comforting smile, but it was clear from Marcusâ expression that he considered the words to be little more than platitudes. But before that thought could really sink into the scion of House Aeneasâ head, Leon continued, âBut if you ever wanted an opportunity to prove yourself, then one will soon present itself.â
âOh?â Marcus whispered, his eyebrows rising as he locked his eyes on Leon. âIâm all ears, Your Majesty.â
Leon sighed at the use of his style, but let it slide. Aloud, he stated, âIâve given orders for a new government position to be created, one Iâm sure youâll be familiar with from the name alone: Exarch.â
Marcusâ eyes widened even further. âWould these Exarchs possibly be like those back home?â
âOf course they would,â Leon confirmed. âThe Common Lands in the east are going to be put under Royal management. The land is quite sparsely populated, but most of the islandâs Titanstone quarries are found there. The way that Titanstone is extracted from the earth, refined, and added to Kataigidaâs market is chaotic at best. The Exarchate I establish in the Common Lands will have one overarching duty: streamline the acquisition of this critical resource.â
âIâve seen maps of the Common Lands,â Marcus whispered almost to himself as he scrunched his eyes up in thought. âItâs true there are few large settlements and most of the rural population is engaged in mining Titanstone, but these settlements are spread out and not connected by many roads. Add to that the dominance of the Booming Brown Bears in the region, and keeping those lands organized will be a serious challenge for anyone you appoint.â
âGood thing Iâm sending someone I trust,â Leon said. âAs I said, this is your opportunity. I am considering no one else for this post but you, so Iâm going to be put out if you turn me down. Iâll have to put together a list of candidates and weigh the pros and cons of each and maybe even interview them before making a decision. Donât make me do that. I donât have the time or patience for that.â Leon finished his plea with a sarcastic smile, to which Marcus responded with a quiet chuckle.
âDonât worry, my King! Your knight is here to relieve you of the horrors of paperwork!â Marcus gave Leon an exaggerated genuflection, and though he typically hated to see it, Leon still laughed. âIn all seriousness, though,â Marcus continued as he straightened up again, âIâd be honored to receive the offer, and I would most certainly accept.â
Leon clapped his friend on the shoulder and gave him a wide smile. âFantastic!â
âWhat about Luke?â Marcus asked.
âTake him, too,â Leon stated, his tone almost disbelieving that Marcus thought it needed to be asked. âHeâs your squire, isnât he? Unless youâre sick of himâŠâ
âNo, no,â Marcus hurriedly stated as he looked over his shoulder at the still-training Lucianus. âI was more worried I would have to leave him behind. He needs his training, and I donât like leaving a job only partway finished.â
âThen it sounds like we have a plan,â Leon said. âExpect a formal offer for the position within a month. Iâll have to work with the elders and my ministers to codify the position of Exarch, but I donât think itâll take much longer than a few weeks. Maybe if the Tribes pitch a fit, but I think I can bring them around quickly enough.â
âIâm ready when you need me,â Marcus confirmed.
âYou people spoil me,â Leon said as he laid a hand on Marcusâ shoulder and started pulling him further into the training room, intent on getting in a little bit of sparring time. âHow can anyone else hope to enter my service if they have to live up to your example?â
âTheyâll just have to content themselves with the knowledge that theyâre just inferior,â Marcus replied, readily taking to Leonâs game.
Leon grinned and continued the exchange for a little while longer before he and Marcus began their training spar. He didnât push himself too hard, though, especially since he wanted to have a good fight with everyone else in the room before leaving again, but by the end, both his and Marcusâ desire for a good fight had been sated.
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Leon sighed in contentment as he once more found himself sinking into the bath. It had been a long day, but he was much more relaxed now than heâd been the night before. He mightâve preferred to delegate his responsibilities, but now that heâd taken care of quite a few of them, he had far less weighing on his mind.
But, of course, the day had given him new worries and concerns, and of his four bathmates, one of them was the focus of one of his new concerns.
However, it wasnât Leon who first broached the subject, as heâd been more inclined to wait until the steaming hot bath had relaxed his ladies before gently bringing the issue up. Instead, Elise was the one to bring it up.
While he immersed himself in the water hot enough to have been quite uncomfortable to a mortal, Elise, Cassandra, and Valeriaâthe latter of whom wore a towel around herselfâwere sitting on the edge of the bath soaking their feet and calves in the water, chatting about their day, while Maia swam around the large bath quickly enough to give it a gentle current. A few pleasantries were spoken, small complaints about people theyâd had to deal with were aired, and Valeria expressed her approval of Marcusâ upcoming appointment as Leonâs first Exarch. And then Elise asked her question to Cassandra.
âSo, you finally met with Princess Andromache. How did the meeting go?â
Cassandra froze for a moment as her expression rapidly morphed from relaxed contentment to panic, then anger, and finally settled into neutral with a slight hint of bitterness.
âAs well as Iâd expect dealing with that bitch,â she growled.
Leonâs heart sank as he heard the brief exchange. As subtly as he could, he returned to his ladies at the edge of the bath.
âBusiness was hardly handled,â Leon said before any further questions could be asked. He could tell Elise knew more about the exchange than her earlier statement let on, and that she wasnât happy about it. The last thing he needed, though, was a fight between his official Queens. âI was a bit blindsided by the reveal of whoâd come,â he continued, sending both women a reproachful look.
âApologies, husband,â Elise said with genuine contrition. âIâd thought to leave it for Cassie.â
Cassandra clicked her tongue in displeasure before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. When she opened them again, sheâd crossed both her arms and legs and looked like she wouldâve rather been almost anywhere else.
âI shouldâve told you,â she admitted. As if it excused her oversight, she said, âI donât like thinking about her.â
âIs your relationship that bad?â Valeria asked, her sapphire eyes crinkling up a bit in confusion. âYouâve never said anything about this.â
âAndromache has hardly ever been in my life,â Cassandra stated. âIâve rarely brought her up because sheâs practically a stranger to me. Sheâs family, but on the few times weâve interacted, sheâs always been the bitchiest bitch whoâs ever bitched. Weâve not had a single conversation where she hasnât reminded me that sheâs Motherâs heir!â
She paused and huffed, a look of unrestrained anger racing across her face. Leon, Elise, and Valeria remained silent, while Maia just kept nonchalantly swimming, hardly seeming to pay any attention to the conversation at all, even though Leon could feel her attention.
Breaking the silent moment, Leon said, âSounds like you have a lot of thoughts about this.â
Cassandra practically snarled. âShe comes all the way here, stick firmly lodged so far up her ass sheâs coughing up sawdust, and still acts like a superior bitch! Sheâs the one whoâs going to be Empress, so why does she have to come here to remind me?!â
âYou know,â Elise quietly stated with a mischievous look in her emerald eyes, âsheâs only a Princess, but youâre a Queen. You outrank her, now.â
âI know that,â Cassandra exclaimed. âAnd it means nothing to her!â
âWhat do you want from Andromache?â Leon asked. Cassandra scowled and remained quiet for a long enough moment that Leon continued. âWe never did get around to whatever business brought her here, though I donât think there was much aside from a simple introduction and reiteration of our nonaggression pact.â He gave Elise a questioning look, and she nodded in agreement; he wasnât wrong in his assumption. âShe didnât mention sticking around as a full-time ambassador, so⊠weâve had our introduction. She can leave now, if you want.â
Cassandraâs look of anger softened into something more contemplative. âIt would be fun to kick her out on her perfect ass, wouldnât it? Maybe itâll dislodge that stick up here a bitâŠâ
âHave you always been stronger than her?â Valeria asked.
âWell, no,â Cassandra admitted. âBut I surpassed her when I was twenty-six. Not long before we met, actually. I reached eighth-tier before she did. I always excelled in martial arts, but she was the perfect little demure Princess, being all good and smart and attractive and⊠She was never around because Mother always had her assigned as a druid, governing a city or province. I was twelve before she was recalled to Evergold to finally meet me.â
âThatâs terrible,â Elise said as she rubbed Cassandraâs back. âI canât imagine a family forcing siblings to be so distant!â
Leon quietly agreed. He, Elise, and Valeria were all only children, and having any siblings at all would beâŠ
âOr maybeâŠ?â Leon silently thought as he considered that he was nearing forty. He was still an infant when his mother had been taken. Forty years was a long time, long enough for anything to have happened to his mother. âMaybe I do have siblings?â
After a momentâs consideration, though, he scowled and shook his head, forcing the thought to leave. Artorias and Serana loved each other. He didnât want to think that his mother mightâve abandoned them.
âButâŠâ
He scowled again, and by chance, made eye contact with Valeria. She was in the same boat as he was, and he could tell that his thoughts were echoing in her head, too. He quietly reached out and took her hand, and they gave each other a reassuring squeeze. No use getting worked up over something that may or may not have happened, over something that was nothing more than an idea.
Together, they turned their attention back to Cassandra.
âThereâs no reason for us to host Andromache for long,â Elise stated. âIâll meet with her tomorrow and handle whatever business she has, and then make her see that sheâs no longer welcome.â
âI donât want to just kick her out,â Cassandra complained. âSheâd just make a big deal about it to Mother, and then Iâd have to hear about it!â
Leon reached out with his free hand and laid it on Cassandraâs still-crossed arms. âWhatâs the worst thatâll happen?â he asked. âEndure a lecture? Youâre a Queen now; you can use any excuse you want to get out of it. And if your Mother tries to pressure you into staying for her lecture, Iâll head to Evergold myself and challenge her to a duel! Get her right off your finely-shaped ass!â
Cassandra stared at Leon for a long moment, her expression slowly softening, before a look of pride crossed her gorgeous features and she said, âI do have a nice ass, donât I?â
âOne of the best,â Leon definitively said.
Cassandra shared a look with Elise, and both of Leonâs wives turned over, giving him quite a view of their rear ends. A little shuffling gave them the perfect lighting and posture for derriere appreciation, and Leon almost pulled himself up against the side of the bath to get a better glimpse at their physical perfection.
And then, Cassandra asked him a question that sent ice running through his veins and any potential arousal growing within him fleeing for the hills.
âSo, Leon⊠Whose ass is best?â
Leonâs smile thinned, and Valeria answered his look of panic with a wink, then leaned over and peeled her towel back enough for him to see just a hint of her flawless assets. With a look of betrayal, Leon pushed himself away from the edge of the bath, exclaiming, âThatâs a trap! I will not take this bait!â
All three ladies lost themselves to a fit of giggles before pushing themselves back up. Cassandra laughed harder than all of them, and when she stopped, she looked like sheâd come to some kind of resolution.
âIf I must,â she stated, âI will⊠bury my animosity for Andromache. We wonât be interacting that much, anyway.â
âNo, fuck her,â Elise said with a dismissive flick of her radiant red hair. âIf sheâs going to come here and condescend to our family, then sheâs unwanted here.â She gave Leon a look that stated this wasnât up for debate, though since Leon agreed, he didnât care about the look.
Cassandra threw her arms around Elise and whispered, âThanks.â
âYour mother and grandmother can find someone else to scrape for our approval,â Elise continued as she returned Cassandraâs hug. âWhat we have to offer them is too valuable for them to just ignore us. And the next time I see them, Iâm going to give them a real piece of my mind for how theyâve raised their children!â
âIâd love to see that,â Cassandra said as she lost herself to another laughing fit.
Leon was about to agree when he found the water surging underneath him. He recognized Maiaâs power, and while he was curious as to what she was doing, he didnât try to stop her.
He almost immediately regretted not interfering when he was almost thrown out of the bath; he caught himself on the edge of the bath, his legs still submerged, but everything above his hips was hanging out to dry. Surprise kept him hanging there for a second, but by the time he was about to move again, Maia rose out of the water until her face was mere inches away from his rear-facing cheeks.
Her lake-blue eyes wandered over his naked form, taking in his highly defined back muscles down to his sculpted and somewhat prominent backside.
âYours is best,â Maia stated before sinking back into the water.
The other three ladies once more all but exploded with laughter, becoming almost more hyena than human.
And Leon, though mildly embarrassed, almost joined them as he sank back into the water.
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