Herald of Steel

Seeing the large amount of amenities laid out in the room, Alexander could not help but get a brand new appreciation for the Cairan nobility- they really enjoyed tasting the finer things in life.

The room was filled with all sorts of drinks, gym equipment, and expensive furniture, all illuminated by natural sunlight drifting in through the many open holes on the roof.

And this golden light particularly shimmered off the two baths, sparkling against the rising steam.

Alexander recalled Claude telling him about this.

The two baths were not on the same level as each other but connected with a small channel at a slanted angle that allowed water from the heated pool to slowly pour down to the cold pool.

That way the nobles could enjoy baths at different temperatures, from piping hot to mild lukewarm depending on their mood.

...

Alexander and the ladies wasted little time in jumping into the hot and surprisingly there was little frolicking involved there.

The trio were so hot that all they wanted to do was just get their bodies washed of all the sweat and then move on to the actual relaxing pool.

So using the wooden mugs near them, they quickly washed themselves from head to toe with the quite warm water, washing off all the grime.

As the flowing water took away all the sweat and uncomfortable stickiness, the heavenly sensation once again made Alexander see why the people here loved to sweat… the payoff was definitely worth it.

Then when he got out and rinsed himself dry, he found his skin to be also glowing a healthy red as the heat and friction had stimulated the blood vessels underneath.

It made his entire body feel like it had just woken up.

…..

Once the trio were dried, they quickly dipped their bodies back into the much cooler second pool, initially slightly shivering as the stimulated muscles suddenly contracted.

"Ahhhh! So refreshing! This is why I came here for…"

But it was a comfortable kind of shiver, as Lady Nanazin moaned while arching her head back until it went below the water, finding the cool sensation on her nape very pleasant.

"Mmmm! There is also no need to wear those thick sandals. It feels good to stand on the cool floor," Lady Parthia standing next to her agreed, wiggling her toes underwater in joy.

"*Splash*, it's just a shame we don't have this in Zanzan. Alexander, you really have to build one as soon as we get back!" Lady Nanazin then quickly commented, her eyes turning bright with anticipation.

"Yes, I already intend to." Alexander lightly nodded in a matter of fact tone, "It is not only healthy but also provides a good distraction for the people."

"Indeed!" Lady Parthia chose to focus on the latter part of the sentence more, taking a big gulp of sweet, diluted wine from a nearby copper glass, "I then also suggest you ask Lady Miranda for the blueprints of the place before your leave. It will make things much faster."

Alexander turned to give the drinking lady a surprised look hearing this- he had not thought about that.

Then as the trio settled down in the pool, with Lady Parthia instead of Alexander in the center, the man decided to return to the topic at hand,

"Is my lady really that against Perikles marrying Lady Miranda?"

"...." Facing Alexander's impassive face, the queen in question only took a large sip, thus causing the temperature in the room to drop.

"Alexander, if you are so worried about Lady Miranda, why don't you promise one of your own children to marry hers? Alexandria or Ophenia can marry if it is a boy and Philip… no that's not appropriate, Afsan can marry if it is a girl."

So Lady Nanazin decided to step in with this idea, trying her utmost to keep things from going downhill.

"...." Alexander did not immediately react to this.

In principle, this was not a bad idea.

Even if the timeline was a bit long, it was not unheard of for children as young as five or six to get engaged.

Alexander did not believe anything would happen in such a short time- the Margrave's lands were far too ravaged.

The only hiccup in the whole matter was his stance on the matter.

"No! I will never promise an engagement with any of my children without their consent. I want my children to be able to choose their own partners. Or at least have a say in it." He seriously announced.

This was a child's basic human right he believed, to be able to choose the partner they would spend the rest of his life with,

Thus he personally detested how many parents used their children as mere political pawns.

The problem with this kind of thinking was although this was very common knowledge in Alexander's era, here, it was the complete opposite.

Children simply took it as a fact that they had to always follow their parent's arrangement for that was what they were taught to do from the day they entered this world.

While parents believed it was their god given right to determine their child's fate for bearing, clothing, feeding, and housing them till adulthood.

The whole thing was the most basic transaction in the world.

Hence hearing Alexander's 'novel' perspective, both Lady Parthia and Lady Nanazin gave him a very weird look.

Lady Nanazin's lips quivered like crazy as she desperately struggled to keep a straight face to not appear rude while Lady Parthia had to quickly hide her disdainful smirk under the guise of taking a drink.

"Your children are lucky to have a father who spoils them this much, my lord." The Tibian queen then humorously mumbled, the tone very clearly filled with sarcasm and ridicule.

"..." Alexander certainly did not bother to argue about his choice with the two, recognizing their perspective were far too different.

The only thing that surprised him was how even Lady Nanazin seemed to agree with Lady Parthia, thinking he was being too naive. Continue your journey with empire

Alexander had thought after being forcefully married to Ptolomy and the unhappy life that followed, she would be the one most sympathetic to his idea.

But he was wrong- Lady Nanazin did not think there was anything wrong with how she was married, only who she was married to. Her father had simply miscalculated.

Following Lady Nanazin's offer, there ensured a long drawn out silence, as the three parties simply relaxed their bodies and ate and drank.

To Alexander, it seemed that he was not going to able to reach a deal with Lady Parthia today.

That was why when Lady Parthia released a small spooky sigh, Alexander instantly turned around to pay attention,

"My lord, you said all mothers want what is best for their child. Heh… not necessarily. There was many mothers who would sell their child for the most trivial of benefits."

"But you are right. I do feel uncomfortable letting Perikles marry Lady Miranda. I think it is far better that he stays in Zanzan with me and simply remains as part of your parliament."

"You know what… let's forget about the whole marriage thing. You can choose someone else as Lady Miranda's suitor, like Theony. Rather, in exchange for helping you here, I would like a seat in your private council!"

Lady Parthia had thought about it for quite a long time before making this demand.

And the one who reacted most strongly at this was Lady Nanazin, whose eyes instantly lit up with blazing anger and she gritted her teeth in anger.

She could not believe she was trying to befriend such a 'dragon'.

Alexander on the other hand had a much milder reaction, simply lightly smiling, "Perikles already is part of the senate. He can easily bring up any concerns you have. So why ask for the same thing twice?"

"*Snort*, do not take me for a fool Lord Alexander. That parliament of yours is exactly the same as the royal court just with a different name. Do you expect me to believe that the true decisions are made there? It is your personal council that holds true power…. the other part is just for show. And I would like for my family to have a say there!"

"......." Alexander's face did not change at the ask, but the gears inside his head started to rapidly turn.

Letting the royal family attend his council meetings had its problems, but at the same time, Tibias made up the largest chunk of his territory, so it was almost necessary for him to give them a voice if he wanted to rule the place peacefully.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Lady Parthia and Lady Nanazin kept a close on Alexander as he ruminated on the matter.

The former was sure Alexander would snap for such a bold ask while the latter was readying herself to defend and argue her case following the inevitable rejection that was sure to come.

"My lady, given the skill you have shown in statecraft, I was already considering having you as one of my advisors. I have come to value your advice that much! So are you sure you want to give up on your son's marriage? I can offer both!"

Hence Alexander's extremely generous response made both of them thunderstruck- they could not believe how easily he had given in.

Let us say no to piracy! Don't take part in a crime! Don't patronize thieves!

Please come Here!

=>Link to the original site:

/book/herald-of-steel_24388579605084705