Empires of Ashes Reboot

"She is indeed formidable."

Theresa pauses. Something about what she just said to Yenn hasn't sat easy with her. After another, deep swig of wine, she finally answers.
"Aye. That she is."

Yenn swirls the wine around in her glass, observing the patterns. "A good vintage, this. Where did you find it?"

Theresa: loot from Khasut, had it a few months now.

Yenn: "Ahh Khasut. It was quite the city before you burned it."

Theresa: You visit the slave slums there? *spits* Gilded cage with wealthy guards. Nothin more.

Yenn: "Slaves are slaves the world over. Guards or no."

Theresa: Not in Dracia they aint. We aint got em there.

Yenn: "Peasants starve and freeze just like slaves. Words bind, just as chains and whips."

Theresa: less of em in Dracia than anywhere else. Prince or peasent, rich or poor, everyone can find food work n pay in the legions.

Yenn: "And what will you do when you conquer the whole continent?" Yenn sips her wine and mumbles to hereslf "Yes... quite good." Looking back up, she continues her train of thought "What use will the mighty legions be, when all other armies are crushed?"

Theresa: dunno. Taken a thousand years to get this far, they'll prolly have some solution by the time we're done. 's above my pay grade anyhow.

Yenn: "There will always be the rich, and the poor. Dracia cannot change that."

Dracia: aye, but poor and slave aint the same thing, and we look after our poor.

Yenn: "I dislike Dracian authoratarianism. I see you all as slaves to your senate. Willingly so, which perhaps makes it all the worse."

Theresa: The senate rule us. N we control who gets t' be a senator. If there's some berk doin stuff the people don't like, we can vote 'im out. Aint gotta put up wit' cunts in charge fer life wi' absolute power.

Yenn: "Ah yes, elections. Because those are never bought are they."

Theresa: not anymore.

Yenn: "So you say."

Theresa: Last time anythin like that happened there were a...purge. Corrupt politicians killed in their homes n all that. I aint familiar with all th' details.

Yenn: "The same everywhere. Cruel and corrupt jarls are sent to the tree by the high king, a noble family cut down, senators dragged into the streets. What is the difference?"

Theresa: I aint exactly t' person to debate politics lass. Aint got the mind for it. I know war, n' I know what I seen. *she pauses, glancing down at a scar on her wrist* 'n what I felt. N' I know they don't do that shite to people in the empire.

Yenn: "So you think. But i have seen Khasut. You left a great plenty of corpses, and maimed men there."

"All soldiers lass. Didn't kill civilians. We don't do that."

Yenn: "So what did you do with them? I saw no merchants, no farmers, in the ruins."

Theresa: Poor ones we re-settled in the empire. Rich ones, we took their wealth n told em to start runnin.

Yenn: "Forcing them from their homes and stealing their silver, its no surprise the Kelthrovi dispise you with a passion now is it?"

Theresa's eyes narrow.
"After that they did t' me, I don't give a damn. Ask t' centurion if he gives a damn after they dragged the only person he cared about off in chains t' be raped n tortured. Ask LI if she gives a damn after the hell those bastards put her through. T' free people of Khasut were outnumbered three t' one by those in bondage. It's a mercy that we didn't put every one o those bastards to the sword while we were busy freein the people they called property, n' treat like their damn playthings."

Yenn smiles "Finally." she points at theresa with her free hand "Now i know what you want. Why does everyone have to hide it?"

Theresa: cause it's not somethin I particurlarly enjoy relivin lass. Ye can see fer yerself. I'm 'pretty' *she almost spits the word* 'specially if ye take away the scars. I aint gotta explain what they did t' me.

Yenn: "So you want revenge. Good. You'll have plenty."

Theresa: Aint 'bout revenge. The fuckers who violated me're dead or worse now, Justinian made sure o' that. 's about savin any other poor fuckers who're goin through the same shit I did.

The prince smirks and nods, visibly lowering his guard.

Yenn shrugs. "There are slaves in my household, you know."

Theresa:...*eyes narrow* I'd be quiet bout tha' round 'ere lass.

Trajan smiles at that. He then turns back to the men. "I won't keep you any longer. Enjoy your drinking, boys." *the men salute him, and he salutes back, before he begins walking deeper into the camp*

"They're treated well. But i do not tell you this for no reason, i tell you so i can ask, what will you do with them when you storm my home?"

Theresa: Can't speak for what other dracians do. Can speak for what the IVth does.

Yenn: "So when they draw blades to defend my property you will...?"

Theresa: if we can take em alive, we will. If we do that, same as the other slaves we take from yer lot. Consul's bought up massive amounts of land back home in t' empire. He pays out o pocket for em to be found homes there, n have money to start a new life there.

Yenn smirks a little "But you wont take them alive. That is their home as much as it is mine. Silver they have earned, they will not hand over meekly."

Theresa: In that case, ye shouldn't be wonderin what'll happen to em. Not happy 'bout it, but most o the fuckers we kill in battle with the kelthrovi are slaves aint they? Same deal. Nothin t' be done bout it.

Yenn: "Battle and looting are rather different things."

Theresa: the lads'll defend emselves. If they won't surrender, and they're armed, we both know how that ends.

"Self defense is an interesting justification for looting my house."

Theresa: ye tryin to lecture me on what does n don't go in war? 's war lass. 's ugly, n 's brutal, n bad shit happens.

"It is indeed. I am well enough aqquainted with it, but, in my experiance, a war of liberation, such as you appear to be espousing, does not usually involve killing or forcibly transplanting the populace, and looting everything."

Theresa: 's not what we always do. If they surrender n wanna stay put, we let em, after freein em anyway.

"Would you also be freeing them from... oh, as an example, their rather expensive collars?" She swirls her wine "The craftsmanship is truly impressive i must say."

Theresa: *frowns* Up to them. Once they're free, they choose.

"And say... whatever assets the head of my household has amassed in my name? Through shrewd trading and such?"

Theresa: put it this way lass. If yer people agree to let their slaves go, those guilty of puttin em through hell get punished, and any who wanna relocate do so, we tend to leave em be save make em follow our laws. Khasut n stuff like that was...a special case.