Free Web NovelChapter 101: City Of Matriachs
Sunlit market squares bustled with morning trade.
Kane walked beside Seraphine, easily keeping pace with her strides.
Everywhere he looked, the cultural inversion was glaringly apparent.
Women shouted prices from produce stalls, haggled over silks, and forged steel weapons over open fires.
Meanwhile, men scurried past with woven grocery baskets.
They kept their heads bowed, eyes fixed firmly on the cobblestones.
One nervous husband stood on a balcony, carefully folding linens while a female guard below gave him a dismissive nod.
’It takes a very specific kind of conditioning to break half a population like that,’ Kane mused, watching a male servant flinch when Seraphine walked too close.
"Do any of the men here actually hold a sword?" Kane asked, casually hooking his thumbs into his belt.
"Only the ones guarding the border camps," Seraphine answered.
She kept her eyes scanning the crowds, ever the vigilant paladin.
"Inside the capital, they manage the households. The Goddess dictates that women hold the divine mandate to rule and protect."
"I guess that gets very boring for you," Kane remarked.
Stepping slightly out of the main walking path, he forced her to slow down.
He leaned close enough to catch her familiar scent, like winter pine.
"Knowing every man you meet is trained to just nod and clean your floors."
"It maintains order," Seraphine shot back, though she didn’t step away from his proximity.
"Order breeds strength."
"Order breeds complacency," Kane corrected.
"If your opponents never fight back, you forget how to properly swing a sword."
Seeking a brief respite from the midday sun, they stepped into a busy local tavern.
Laughter echoed off the wooden beams.
Groups of armored women sat around large tables, drinking ale and boasting about patrol routes.
Finding a secluded booth in the corner, Kane slid into the wooden bench.
Seraphine sat opposite him, sitting ramrod straight.
A timid male server quickly scurried over, setting down two cups of spiced wine before practically bowing his way backward into the kitchen. fгeewebnovёl.com
’He looked like he expected Seraphine to strike him just for breathing near her,’ Kane noted, picking up his cup.
Taking a slow sip, Kane rested his elbows on the sticky wood.
"So, First Blade. Tell me the truth."
"About what?" she asked suspiciously, wrapping her gauntleted fingers around her cup.
Kane pressed forward, sliding his cup across the table until it almost touched hers.
"Do you really want a husband who just washes your armor and stays quiet?"
"It’s the law of our culture," she argued defensively.
Despite her rigid words, her eyes dropped involuntarily to his lips for a fraction of a second.
"That’s not an answer," Kane smiled, his voice low enough that only she could hear it over the tavern noise.
"Laws dictate how you act in public. They do not dictate what you crave when the lights go out."
Seraphine tightened her grip on her cup.
"You speak treason very casually, Barbarian."
"I guess you want someone who pushes back," Kane continued, completely ignoring her weak threat.
"Someone who pins you to a wall and makes you forget the Goddess."
’She’s trembling,’ Kane thought with a smirk, watching a deep flush spread rapidly across her chest and creep up her neck.
’The First Blade of the Empire is desperate for a real challenge.’
Seraphine took a sharp breath, her silver eyes flashing with a sudden, competitive fire.
"I’m not like the other women. You would have to try more than that."
"Is that an invitation?" Kane murmured, reaching across the table to casually run his index finger over her armored knuckles.
"Because I always accept a challenge from a beautiful paladin."
Pulling her hand back, she offered a tight, flustered glare.
"You are betrothed to the Princess."
"Betrothals are just ink on parchment," Kane shrugged, leaning back against the wooden bench.
"They secure fleets and armies. They do not dictate who I take to my bed."
"You are insufferable."
"I’m honest," Kane corrected.
"Which is something you rarely encounter in this city. Everyone here tells you exactly what you want to hear because they fear your blade. I do not fear you, Seraphine. And that is why you cannot stop thinking about me."
Her jaw clenched tight.
She wanted to argue, to quote scripture or threaten him with imperial punishment. But she couldn’t.
Her pulse raced visibly at her throat, betraying her strict training.
"Drink your wine," she finally muttered, breaking eye contact to stare firmly at the tavern wall.
Kane chuckled softly, taking a long drink.
The spiced wine tasted excellent, but the victory tasted much sweeter.
[Cultural Analysis Complete: Milfheim Dynamics]
[New Insight Gained: Recognizing societal pressure points grants a tactical advantage in conversation.]
Finishing his drink, Kane watched the tavern patrons.
Two female soldiers were arm-wrestling near the hearth, cheering loudly while their male companions silently refilled their mugs.
"If your Empress expects me to act like these local husbands, she’s going to be severely disappointed," Kane said casually.
"She does not expect you to wash clothes," Seraphine replied, her composure slowly returning.
"She expects you to provide a strong bloodline and a secure border."
"And what do you expect from me?" Kane asked, tilting his head.
"I expect you to sink Morvak’s ships," she answered flatly.
"I will," Kane promised.
"But after the ships burn, and the war is won, what then? Are you going to go back to standing beside a throne, pretending you do not want a man who can put you on your back?"
"Stop talking like that in public," she whispered, glancing nervously at the nearby tables.
"Make me," Kane challenged.
Seraphine leaned across the table, her face mere inches from his.
"If we were not in the middle of my capital, I would draw my sword and teach you some manners."
"If we were not in the middle of your capital," Kane whispered back, his gaze fixed on her lips, "you would not be reaching for your sword."
Letting the tension hang in the air for a long moment, Kane finally stood up.
He tossed a few silver coins onto the table to cover the wine.
"Show me the rest of your city," Kane ordered softly.
"We have a lot of ground to cover before sunset."
Grabbing her cup, Seraphine downed the rest of her wine in a single, unladylike gulp.
She practically stormed out of the booth, her white cape billowing behind her.
