Bree stood next to Zane on the high tower, both of them standing in between the turrets.The breeze was warm and strong and it was blowing their clothes around them. Bree’s hair was tied up but many strands of it had gotten loose and were whipping around her face.They were gazing at the expansive grounds and gardens and fields and the great land that lie beyond.Purple snow capped mountains, rolling green fields, rich forests, and the great, wide river lazy on the horizon reflecting the light of the sky.
Slaves could be seen working in the fields, their bodies looking small so far below, some merely dots moving in the crops or tending to the cattle. Garden slaves moved about slowly as they pruned and cut grass and watered. Zane had his hand on the back of Bree’s neck in a protective gesture, and he was massaging it. She turned to look at him. He looked back down at her and smiled.As if sensing what she was thinking, he spoke. “Keeping tabs on all of those slaves isn’t easy.In fact, it can be rather frustrating.It only adds to my ill feelings toward them.”
“How, exactly, do you keep tabs on them all?”
“I can’t.If I catch one disobeying, it is purely by chance.But chance is something that I would think they wouldn’t want to bank their lives on.Yet, they do.To me, it is rather arrogant.”
“True.” Bree sighed. “You’ve never really divulged to me how you do it.How you keep them all in line.”To her surprise, Zane threw his head back and laughed. “But, just asking isn’t meddling…. is it… Vampire?”Bree suddenly sounded timid.
“No.It isn’t.Asking isn’t.” Zane wrapped his arm around Bree and pulled her to him. His leather sleeve felt cool against her bare arm, but she didn’t mind because the sun had been shining on her arm, making it sweat. “How do I check on them, you ask?I just make surprise visits to their quarters and huts by day, or even sometimes at night.”
“Night?” Bree reached out and toyed with the buckles of his jacket, following them down to his waist. She picked up his pewter alchemy pendant that hung from a silver chain fastened with a hook to his studded belt. Holding it in her hand, she looked at it absently, then dropped it before speaking again. “Why night?”
“To eavesdrop.” Zane looked down at the pendant and sighed.“And you will find it much to your surprise, it is sometimes to decide who I am going to eat or feed from next.”
“You feed from them without killing them?You? I didn’t know that was possible.” Zane looked down into Bree’s gentle face, gazing into her warm, innocent eyes.
“It is possible.And sometimes, yes, I do it.As a warning more or less.” Bree looked out again at the view. “Jasper and Darius help me with things a lot.Keeping this empire running smoothly isn’t that easy, and ruling by fear takes a lot of the time-consuming diplomacy out of the picture.I don’t want it to be like it is in your world, where presidents and kings have to spend all of their time fooling around with meetings and press conferences and world affairs and god knows what else. Here, there is one ruler.One empire. And I don’t have to negotiate laws.Ruling by fear has great advantages.I want to enjoy my life, all that I have made and earned. And now, I want to spend my time with you and Jasper and Darius and my friends without having to worry about being targeted wherever I go.”
“Zane,” Bree stood away and rubbed his arm, “you don’t have to worry about being targeted because anyone that does this will never have a chance at succeeding in harming you and they will certainly be punished severely if caught. And, with you, they would always get caught.”
Zane laughed low, then smiled at Bree.“Ruling by fear.See?”
“But everyone already knows how powerful you are. Besides, I thought you were going to try to be nicer to your slaves.”
