Chapter 3 #2
“Not if you really think about it. Wait times for proper healers will grow exponentially because more people will be able to treat their own wounds long enough to survive the initial accident. That’ll lead to more disabled people existing too, so then the very structure of the city will need to be redone.
And of course, those people will need to be taken care of even though they can’t work.
That will add a further drain to our royal services.
Taxes are high enough as it is. So you see, it would be best for Raza if we nip this thing in the bud. ”
“By nipping it in the bud,” I say, wanting to be sure I’m understanding this, “do you mean deliberately letting people die?”
“Yes. But it’s not like I can’t just bring back the ones we want.”
“For a fee.”
“Of course for a fee. I’m not a charity. A girl’s got to eat.” She grins. “Well, in this case, feast, but I’ve earned the right to charge so much. It’s not easy, necromancy. Besides, why would we want the poor people back?”
“But these are people’s lives,” I push. “Surely, they should not have to pay to be able to live?”
She looks at me as if I’m too stupid to understand. “We all have to pay in order to live, Your Majesty.” Her smile is mocking. “Or are you suggesting we make housing, food, and clothing all free too?”
I blink. “Well, yes.” That’s how it works in Brownston. Everyone pitches in to help everybody. If someone wants something in a shop, they just take it. If they need a house, then the whole village comes together to build one.
“Don’t be silly.” She flicks her shoulder-length pale-green hair out of her face. “That would be ridiculous – something you would know if you –”
“Enough, Deirdre. Keep disrespecting my wife, and I don’t care what family you come from. I will execute you in the square myself.”
“Okay, no,” I say, jumping to my feet and moving in front of Richard, hopefully blocking his fly-down-and-stab-her-in-the-gut path. “No one is executing anyone. And she isn’t disrespecting me. We’re just having a conversation. Right, Deirdre?”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
I smile at my king; he doesn’t return it.
Stepping towards him, I turn and sit on his knee.
I don’t care if this is vastly against protocol.
He might not have a slug dick fetish now, but if he stabs enough people, he might very well develop one.
Now there is no way he can jump up from underneath me.
As I wriggle back on his lap, heat fills me at the feel of his cock rising against my ass.
He wraps an arm around me, holding me still.
His breath against my ear, he murmurs, “Tease me if you wish, my queen, but if you think I won’t take you in front of people, you’re wrong.
” His voice lowers, sending chills down my neck.
“And don’t think I’m not going to punish you tonight for how you’ve been looking at Jace. ”
My breathing heavy, I whisper back, “Careful or you might condition me to come just by thinking about him.”
His teeth sink into my shoulder. His fingers tighten on my hip. “Don’t make me execute my only friend,” he growls against my flesh.
Jerking away from him, I turn to face him. “You wouldn’t really do that, would you?”
“No.” His lips in a thin line, he grabs my chin and forces me to look straight ahead.
“The deal was free trade between our three kingdoms,” Richard says loud enough for the others to hear.
“When the market opens today, it’ll be the first time people from Raza, Vlya, and Brownston have come together in harmony.
We will not be restricting that in any way.
If this seller wishes to open up shop here, I will not deny him. ”
Deirdre’s lips purse in disapproval.
“You are dismissed.”
She bows sharply. “Thank you, Your Majesties.”
As she starts to leave, I call out, “Wait, please. I have a question I didn’t get to ask yet.”
She spins back around gracefully. “Yes, Your Majesty?”
“Does cum count as a soul?”
She blinks.
Remembering that no one can know that my king just survived an assassination attempt or else the Court will execute Fabia, I add, “Just out of curiosity.” I swallow, the lie burning on my tongue.
“Because in Brownston… we keep everyone’s cum.
.. in jars.” I wince. Idiot! We have too many orgies!
That’d be insane! “The jars are really starting to take up a lot of space, as you can imagine given how much sex we have. There are whole shops now just covered in cum-filled jars. All the way to the ceiling.”
Richard’s fingers dig into my hip.
“And I told them” –I shake my head– “that I don’t think it works like that, so we can start.
.. eating them to clear up some space,” I choke out, “but they don’t believe me.
So I told them the next chance I get, I’ll ask a necromancer.
And well, here you are. So… uh, do you need to feed people their cum to bring them back from the dead? ”
I hold my eyes open wide as I wait for her to answer.
Her gaze flickers to Richard, then drifts back to me. “No, Your Majesty.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes… I don’t have to wank corpses or finger them before resurrecting them.”
“Ah. Ah, yes, of course not.” That sounds so obvious now that she’s said it. But at the time, terrified of losing Richard, I would’ve tried anything. Swallowing, I nod. “That is all, Deirdre. Thank you.”
A smile splits her face. “No, Your Majesty, thank you.”
Bowing low, she takes her leave.
As she disappears into the crowd outside, I exhale as I sag, thankful she believed me. I would feel terrible if I got Fabia killed.