{Empress}
I felt relieved the next day. The male that saved me was full of vitality and vigor. He may have some undesirable thoughts about my body, but I guess I can permit them from now on. After all, he’s my savior and liberator, not to mention he’s seriously worried about my future. It’s even to the point that I’m considering whether I should abandon him or not to favor myself. Perhaps it’s the lack of those kind of feelings over my twelve years of slavery3slaverytheme that made me feel that way. I paused to then think about my past before becoming a slave. I was a knight in my pure breed masters care. He was one of the last pure bred dragon1dragonspeciess. I shook my head as I recalled my previous masters lifeless body being butchered like a common boar in front of my eyes as I was put into chains.
For a moment, my heart longed for vengeance before my thoughts turned back to my savior. Even with my slave mark, I could faintly hear his thoughts when we first met, but after he took my curse onto himself, my power became free. The dragonnewts are the descendants of dragons. We learn to commune with the mind, as well as the body because our blood kin can’t speak with their body. That ability has become blocked with the tattoo. Even now, I’m reaching out with my mind to listen to the whispers that I was giving. The three closest dragonnewts near me are from the market that me and my former master were going to before the bandit attack.
That pig got less than what he deserved after planting his seed inside me like he has so many times. I paused from thinking about how enjoyable it would have been to skewer him to try and think about my savior again. I didn’t even know his name. I have heard about the practices of the hero summoning from my great blood kin during my training under him though. The detestable act of kidnapping and enslaving a stranger from another world to further their own gains. I gently moved his head fur to uncover his face. It wasn’t handsome by my standards, or likely those of his own race either. It was probably some villager who was sacrificed for their ritual, and now the soul of this otherworlder resides inside him. I felt pity for him. I smiled gently, feeling his free thoughts of satisfaction in his dreams.
His thoughts told me that he’s never been with a woman before. It also told me that his world had no subspecies or the pure breeds that spawn them, but there were stories of them, and he always wanted to meet one. For what he’s done for me, it’s a small penitence to give him my body. Especially the fact that he was an acceptable male to me. Maybe if he manages to survive in this cruel world long enough to where we can find a place to settle in peace, I will gift him a child. I felt his longing for one only for a moment before, but it was unmistakable. There will be a lot of things we must do before that can occur though. I sighed as I closed my eyes. When it’s the heart, the burden is heavy, but he will still carry it with a smile. I decided in that moment; if he’s the one to carry that burden, then I’ll be the one who makes safe places to rest his weariness.
It wasn’t long after my selfish thoughts, did he wake up with a smile. It didn’t last long, as he immediately went to work preparing for the day. He began to cook food, then wash our dirty wearings. Because it’s warm and I accepted being with him, I hadn’t redressed myself and I only had my leather chest armor on as I made something with the wolf leather I had, so I left to go tan it. Normally, the beast would be unwise to hunt alone, as they normally go in packs, but this one was injured and was apparently already abandoned by his pack. Even then, with only a small and weak blade, it wouldn’t have been good to fight it, but I’m a dragonnewt knight after all. I have hunted much greater beasts bare handed for mere training. I used the pelt and made it into our bedding, the leather I made into shoes for him, and the rest of it was used for a pouch for lace bindings. By the time I had finished, he had returned with several medical herbs and started making potions and putting them into Meko nut shells. It was a clever practice. Their shells are strong, and they can help keep potions fresh for a longer amount of time. We both remained busy until the stew that was left to simmer was finished.
We each got a third of the pot, then ate it.
‘Now that we can communicate to a certain degree, we should discuss what we’ll do now.’ (Emperor)
I then set the wooden bowl that was in my hand down.
“I wish to thank you for saving my life and freeing me of that curse. I have decided that my life is yours.” (Empress)
He sadly looked at me when I said that.
‘I see. Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t want your life like that.’ (Emperor)
I felt insulted as he continued.
‘I would rather we both be happy with our arrangement. Don’t think that I’m trying to deceive you by saying I wasn’t joyed by us coupling, but I think it would better when both of us want it. If we can do what we both want, then I’ll be happy.’ (Emperor)
I paused after hearing him, or rather, understanding him. Based off what he said, I noticed that I was forcing myself onto him. I believe I may have been a slave for so long that I lost my control of my instincts. I looked away slightly, then he put a gentle finger under my chin.
‘I do want you, and I do want you to be with me, but I don’t want you to feel like you’re obligated to be with me when you don’t want to be. Do you understand?’ (Emperor)
I let him move my face until we were directly facing one another again. He’s a rather strange one.
“All my life I’ve been known to either be over someone, or under them. I’ve never had someone around me that I can call my equal.” (Empress)
He seemed to turn red as he took his hand back, then put it behind his head. He was embarrassed. ‘In truth, I’m a selfish and self centered individual. I have always led my life without a defined purpose. Until now….’ (Emperor)
I became curious when he said that.
“What is your purpose now then?” (Empress)
He blushed even more.
‘Making you happy…. You looked like you were really happy yesterday when we were together. It was if a great burden was lifted and you had peace of mind.’ (Emperor)
I became blank when he said that, then my thoughts became clouded. I must have been overcome with lust when he saw me like that.
There was an awkward pause. He then took my bowl and put the remaining soup into it.
‘Here.’ (Emperor)
He tried to give me the bowl, but I denied it by shaking my head.
“You deserve it more than me.” (Empress)
He looked at me seriously.
‘It’s not as kind as you make it out. I’m level one and you’re much higher. If we’re to survive, then our best option is to make our strongest one most fit. I will eat enough to be well, but you must have the energy to do more than me since you’re more qualified.’ (Emperor)
His argument made sense, so I took the bowl from his hands. It was obvious that he was looking into the future as he went to remove my bandages. To his surprise, only small scars remained. By now, our clothing was done drying, so we quickly got dressed. As it was getting dark, he looked away from me and rubbed his chin.
‘We really must consider our future. I don’t care if I act like a slave for the rest of my life, as long as I’m yours. Where would a fine place for you to live be though?’ (Emperor)
I paused at the question. I really didn’t have an answer to that, and he quickly saw my hesitation.
‘I see. Then, what must we do in order for us to make a place for you to live?’ (Emperor)
I ran the question in my head, unsure of the answer, then he sighed.
‘People, supplies, information, and time. We need those four things right now if we want to build a place for us to live. Right now, we have only us two. Our supply is the nature’s bounty around us. Our information is what we know, and winter is our best time to do so. We have enough food right now for us two, but we can’t buy time. The most sure thing we need right now is information. I’m something of a smart person when it comes to setting future plans. What we want right now is a way to spend our lives happily. By my calculations; we can either become hermits, bandits, or revolutionaries.’ (Emperor)
He had me curious now.
“I assume being hermits is what we’re doing now. It’s not a good plan though. Even if we have a happy and gentle life.” (Empress)
I then stopped talking, leaving the left unsaid. I skipped over the bandit option, as they normally only live in the moment and never have a gentle ending in life. They are hollow existences.
‘We free other slaves. We also cast revenge on those that wronged us and create a new nation.’ (Emperor)
I almost laughed at how easy he made that sound. However, I didn’t hear any hints of a bluff.
“How will we start something like that then?” (Empress)
He closed his eyes while thinking.
‘With an ideal!’ (Emperor)
{Narrator}
“The citizens of the empire hold their traditions and ideals in their heart very firmly. It would be like asking a fish not to swim or a human not to be greedy.” (Empress)
This is something a diplomat of a foreign nation once said in the not so distant future. The empire was founded three hundred years since the diaries were written. It quickly became a world power with its ideals. The primary and founding principle of the empire was a simple one. It wasn’t easy to follow, nor was it hard to practice. In the empires history, it has fallen seven times to near complete destruction, but held on due to their ideals. It’s citizens understood this founding ideal over any other as almost every original citizen had been a slave. In fact, it’s so ingrained in them, that the empire uses this ideal in their marriage rituals.
It made it so that if a spouse broke this ideal, the punishment and shunning from society would equal death in a best case scenario. The first couple of the empire became so infamous for their founding ideal, that later struggles in their lives amounted to kill only orders. It’s because that ideal was, ‘I will choose who I give my freedom to’ which is what the founded empire was based on. There has never been a prisoner exchange, nor slaves in the empire after the founders passed on, because they would rather die than lose their right to freedom.
