Game of Thrones: King of Magic

Chapter 57

Shiro Kotomine. Close to Qohor.

Khalasar again made a stop at Qohor, another Free City near the Koina River, to resupply and water the horses, but this time at a decent distance from it. The reason was that this particular city had an army of "Unsullied," eunuch slaves who had been trained from childhood to fight and were skilled warriors, as well as a small fleet of gaels.

The Dothraki had tried to pressure Qohor once before, but to no avail, and so the Khalasars preferred to stay away from it, lest they lose their men in vain.

At the moment, Semi and I were in my tent, waiting patiently for the princess, who had to be given an answer.

The appointed day had come, and in case she did not come before sunset, which I felt was a couple of hours away, we would simply leave, Semi was adamant about that. Circumstances didn't matter, only the response and desire of the princess, as she put it.

I, on the other hand, supported this decision, not because I didn't care, but just the opposite. My desire, both in life and as a Servant and Master, was world peace. Happiness for everyone, for if everyone was happy, but no wars, no hunger, no troubles. And the Princess was at this moment choosing what happiness meant to her and the path to it.

- Did she forget, Semi?

- That's not our problem, Shiro.

- You're right," I sighed, "You know, I've never understood the desire to rule. Why do people need imaginary power over other people? Isn't it silly?

- People like you and the Ringbearer don't understand that," she said, grinning. - And you called me stupid?

- No, I'm sorry," I shook my head. - But I just don't understand it. The reign of any ruler, in one way or another, involves blood. Wars, rebellions, assassinations, conspiracies. All of these things bring a lot of suffering to the people, far more than if everyone were equal.

- So your desire in the Grail War was to make everyone happy? Well, that's certainly silly. That's not how humans work," Semi said, twirling her wine glass in her hand. - Everyone has desires. They can and will contradict the desires of others, and conflict is sure to follow.

- I know that, but still... Why did you become ruler? And why did you say that I and King Solomon couldn't understand it?

- The answer comes directly from my previous words. In conflict, the one who is superior to his opponent wins, whether it be beauty, intelligence, military skill, desire, or anything else. And that is the reason why I became queen of Assyria, simply because I was superior to my ex-husband, Nin. And any excuses are meaningless, for you know my story.

I nodded briefly as Semi paused and rested her head on the back of her palm, taking a sip of wine.

Semi was the daughter of an unknown mortal and the Syrian goddess Derketo, or Atargatis. Her mother had abandoned her immediately after birth on the shore of a body of water, where the infant was fed and raised by pigeons. Semi was then found by the shepherd Sima, which gave her a name and education. And to summarize it all, her words meant that she had achieved everything on her own, with little to nothing behind her.

After all, in her lifetime she managed to marry a general and later an Assyrian king, winning his favor with original military plans and officially becoming queen.

- This is why I consider you a fool, Shiro, though your foolishness is less now. A ruler must be superior to all other men in all things, hence more desires. Every ruler is a tyrant by his rule alone, no matter what he says or how he behaves, because his desires suppress the desires of his subordinates.