AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Well, I can’t imagine that what you have to say will have any bearing on my campaign strategy, but I’ll allow it.” Arcai sat in the chair behind his desk and began opening his devices, dark plum-colored robe swirling about as he made a flourish with every movement.
“Thank you. I’ve considered what you said about my Queen. Jade. My only Queen. I don’t want another. I not only enjoy Jade’s ability to have my cubs, but I enjoy her love. I love her in return. I don’t see the need to take another Queen whom I will never make happy and who will be sad and bitter as a figurehead that I’ll never love and never allow to be the mother to my cubs.”
Arcai put down his gold stylus. “What did you just say?”
“I will not take another Queen. I will not marry one. I am married to Jade, and I love her. If you want this district to change, then instead of covering up her existence or using her as a pawn, use her as a real asset for change. We could live here next year and help other human Queens who are looking for love and better lives come to this district. We could innovate our offerings by making Rekiwe a hub for intergalactic travel.”
“You mean let a lot of foreigners into our beautiful, sacred district?” Arcai rose from his chair, fangs on display.
“Yes! Foreigners with money to invest and skills to offer. I’m sure if you found a doctor who was willing to learn from Doctor Marcus, this could also become an outpost for Felid-human couples looking to have cubs. Medical tourism is making Craddix rich—why not us?” Ardol held his breath.
He let it out in a gasp as his father threw a heavy electronic tablet at him, hitting him squarely in the abdomen.
“You... You will stop this foolishness. You will do as I say. I have a plan that doesn’t involve being faithless to our values.”
“What values?”
“Leopardines first! Separation between the sexes. Queens in their place.”
“Sweet Bastet, Father. Queens are to be cherished and treasured! How does my idea ruin that?”
“By placing human Queens above our own kind!”
“There aren’t any of our kind!” Ardol snapped the tablet he was holding over his knee and hurled the pieces back at his father’s enraged face. “There aren’t any of our kind because you hoarded them. You penned the Queens in together! You took their sons from them and used their daughters like breeding machines or pawns to make alliances between houses! You—you called my mother a failure because she didn’t pop out more cubs for you after she gave you three beautiful, healthy babies! My sisters— do you even know their names? Did you know which ones were which when you buried them?”
“Stop this emotional vomit, Ardol.” Rage simmered down to cold fury. “You’re mixing all the issues together.”
“Because they all relate to each other, Father. I cannot treat Queens like this anymore. I don’t want my daughter to grow up wondering if her husband really loves her or if he’ll get a younger, tighter model. I don’t want her to think her only value is to have babies!”
“That stupid human Queen. Stupid Cala. They’ve corrupted you. You are not speaking like my son—but you had better act like it, Ardol. I don’t care if you have radical ideas as long as you keep them in your own head. As for Tasha—she’s an understanding, competent sort of Queen, and all you have to do is take her with you for public appearances. You can tell her about your... fetish for humans. It’s a Queen’s job to give her husband what he desires, so I’m sure she’ll take her place in the Queen suites without complaint.” Arcai sat back down and looked at Ardol as he folded his paws on the desk. “Here is why you will do it. If you do not—you will be banned from this estate and your brother will be appointed as my successor.”
Ardol nodded, a sudden calm and clarity steeping into his soul. “That’s all right.”
Surprise washed over Arcai’s features. “I beg your pardon?”
“That’s okay. Let my brother marry his half-cousin next year and settle down with a Queen he doesn't love and who can’t have a family with him. Parade them around while you try to get elected and the district loses money. Yank him out of the academy before his degree is finished so that your opposition can pick apart his lack of education and career, not to mention his ‘cowardice’ for abandoning his potential military commission.”
“You obviously don’t want that to happen, Ardol.”
“No, of course I don’t!”
“So, I’m calling your bluff. I know that after a year aboard some floating warehouse with unruly humans and Canids, you’ll be ready to come back home and do precisely what I say.”
“Um. No. Nope. That’s not what’s happening here.”
“You played this game as a child. You were stubborn but easily bribed with treats. What do you want? A new speeder? Another media system?”
“I want you to treat Jade as my equal and let me rule with her proudly by my side, with our cubs living under one roof, like a real family should.”
“That is not our way!”
“We could make it our way!” Ardol pleaded, fists clenched.
“Out!” Arcai blasted up from his chair and a gold stylus came flying past Ardol’s ear.
“Goodbye, Dad.”
“Lord and Leader! You will address me as Lord and Leader.”
