Chapter Thirty-Six
The throne room vibrated with nervous energy given off by both the Sea Dragons and the hundreds of slaves gathered before them.
Jucai was on his throne, his dread filling the dais around him.
I stood off to the side on the dais, leaning against a wall, a silent witness to the proceedings.
I had said all I could say on the matter of slavery.
Now, it was up to the Ilshi Dread to fix things.
It was a good thing the throne room was larger than the dining hall—an echoing space so enormous that even with the hundreds of palace slaves in attendance, there was still room to spare.
I'd known there were a lot of slaves in the palace, but their number still surprised me.
Some wore less than others, but even the household slaves wore pants that announced their sexual orientation.
It made my stomach turn to see them all, but I comforted myself with the knowledge that it would be over soon.
King Jucai stood up. He wore his crown and royal robes, his hair gleaming like a cascade of moonlight down his back. He stepped up to the edge of the dais and looked out across the room. “My people, we of the Ilshi Dread stand before you today, ashamed.”
The slaves went still, all of them gaping up at their king.
“We've mistreated you, and you don't even know why,” Jucai went on.
“We've failed you. I have failed you. And it's time to correct my mistakes.
First, I owe you an explanation. Hibernation deprived us of all the joys of the body.
Our hunger grew, and when we awoke, we found ourselves ruled by lust and glutony.
If we don't attend to our needs, our bodies rebel, and we experience terrible pain.”
The crowd shifted, mouths closing and eyes widening.
“I see your shock,” Jucai went on. “This is why we haven't told you.
We didn't want to lose your respect. We didn't want you to know that your heroes are ruled by their beasts. But by not telling you, we have become beasts. You have suffered and feared confronting us.” Jucai went down a few steps and held out his arms. “Never fear us, my people. We care deeply about you. We would never punish you for speaking the truth.” He shifted his gaze over the crowd.
“But this is not your fault. It is ours. We withheld truths that you deserved to hear and made you feel as if you had to withhold your truths as well. For that, we apologize.”
The Sea King and his dread bowed in unison.
There were gasps, and slaves swayed in shock to see their rulers, the most powerful people under the sea, bowing to them. And the Sea Dragons continued to bow, waiting for a response.
The slaves murmured, and then a Gashi man at the front said, “We humbly accept your apologies, Your Majesty.”
The Sea Dragons straightened.
“Thank you,” Jucai said. “But we are the ones who are humbled by your generosity. Now that I have explained our behavior, we intend to change things. Starting this very second, we will no longer treat you as property to be used. Please know that treating you poorly was never our intent. We deeply regret making you feel worthless. That is not true. You are precious, each and every one of you. We appreciate your service, and will endeavor to show you how much we treasure you. As for sex, we will return to the old ways. Lovers deserve to be courted and given time to accept or refuse. We will not punish anyone for rejecting one of us. You may serve us, but your bodies belong to you alone. Sex will no longer be permitted in public places, and we will replace your clothing with more appropriate uniforms. You will be free to serve without fear.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty!” someone shouted.
Then another person cried out in gratitude, and another.
The King held up his hand for silence. “Do not thank me. You should not have to give up your rights as a citizen of Ilshi just because you come to serve us. Service should come with reward, not suffering. All of you deserve respect. In the future, if you have any concerns or need assistance in any way, go to Lord Hisan, our new Head of Palace Staff, or approach any Sea Dragon. We will help you. That is a promise.”
The entire group of slaves bowed in unison.
“There is one more thing.” Jucai went down the steps.
“All who wish to end their contracts and leave may do so now without repercussion of any kind. I set you free, all of you. It will be your choice to stay or go. No contracts this time. If you stay, you may decide to leave at any time. If you go now, Lord Hisan will see you safely home with a gift and our gratitude.” He motioned behind him, and a Sea Dragon man stepped forward.
“Gifts will not make up for what you endured, but we hope they offer some solace.” Lord Hisan stepped down into the crowd. “I will wait outside for anyone who decides to leave.”
The slaves made an aisle for him and watched him pass by and leave the room. No one moved other than that.
“Please, do not fear us.” Jucai climbed up a few steps so he could see everyone.
“I swear to you, you will not be harmed if you choose to leave. Nor will your village or family suffer. We will protect all the people of Ilshi. And there is one last thing. I have freed you. So, if you stay, you will no longer be slaves. You will be voluntary members of the palace staff, serving with honor.”
The slaves shared shocked looks.
Then a Kaikeyo woman stepped forward. She wore a transparent garment with a jeweled harness that barely covered her breasts and a triangle of silk over her womanhood. “Sire, will you allow us bed slaves to serve as palace staff?”
“Only if you wish to stay.” Jucai went down to her, took off his outer robe, and helped her into it. “You may choose how you wish to serve. If one of us wants to make you their lover, they will have to court your affection, and you will have to give clear consent.”
She started to cry.
“Oh, Gods, I'm so sorry.” He drew her into his arms. “I'm so very sorry that we were oblivious to your pain.” He stroked her hair. “Do you wish to go home?”
The woman sniffed and stepped back. “No, Your Majesty. If you return the court to what it once was, I will gladly serve.”
Ex-slaves murmured and nodded.
Jucai bent his head. When he looked up, his eyes were wet with tears. “We do not deserve your kindness. Thank you for giving us another chance.”
The freed slaves bowed to him, and as they did, Jucai looked over at me. I smiled and nodded. He beamed back, but there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. Even after I had told him how his slaves felt, Jucai hadn't truly understood how bad it was. Not until now.
The rest of his dread descended the steps and went out among the people, most going to their bed slaves to speak with them. And then I noticed a large group of bed slaves making their way to the King. I recognized a few from Jucai's harems.
“That son of a bitch,” I hissed. “He said he would dismiss them!”
As if he could hear me, Jucai's gaze shot to me and then to his bed slaves.
He spoke with them, but he kept glancing at me.
I folded my arms and glared at him. Grimacing, Jucai gave up on me and focused on them.
He stroked their hair and kissed their cheeks as he spoke with them, stoking the fires of my fury.
At last, they bowed to him and left. Only then did Jucai head my way.
I turned around and left the throne room through his private door.