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Leon and the rest of his party, including Red and those elders left behind at the rally point, had just returned to the Jaguar Tribe’s enclave. Waiting for them there was the rest of the Jaguar Tribe’s high leadership, along with the leaders of the Tribes sworn to him that were in the city.

“Learned of some with a… flexible definition of ‘oath’,” Leon replied, his fury more subdued than the Jaguar’s, but no less hot. In short, he was furious, but such a thing happening was almost inevitable as far as he saw it. That the Tribes were swearing themselves to him so quickly, even after he did them favors, had always struck him as almost suspicious.

That it was the elders who didn’t bear any power from their Ancestors likewise wasn’t that surprising. It was their weak link, arguably their most overlooked demographic. After all, it was easy to think of the Jaguar Tribe and think only of those who bore the power of the Blood-Thunder Jaguar, especially since they largely formed the ruling class of Chiefs and elders. However, there were only about a million of them in total, whereas the Jaguar Tribe’s total population was on par with that of the Bull Kingdom, numbering in the hundreds of millions.

The vast majority of those in the Ten Tribes were not bearers of awakened blood despite their leaders almost exclusively being of that class.

With a deep scowl but otherwise restrained emotions, Leon took a seat and explained what they had found. When he revealed the six oathbreakers, reactions around the room were quite similar to the Jaguar’s. Menander immediately rose from his seat, fury and killing intent radiating from his body more intensely than his aura. At his side were the other Lion ninth-tier elders. Sar was perhaps the most subdued, but Leon still detected a flash of anger and killing intent from him, as well.

But by far, Exallos Aetos had the most intense reaction. He didn’t rise from his seat, but his aura darkened, and a look of such intense wrath crossed his face that for a moment he appeared like a completely different person.

“We will find these traitors,” he darkly promised. “When we do…” He didn’t finish his vow aloud but it was clear what he was thinking from the ferocity of his aura alone.

Despite how obvious it seemed, however, Red seemed to need to confirm it.

“… You’ll eat them?” she asked.

The entire room looked at her, most with nonplussed looks. Menander and the Lions, however, brightened up a little, and one of them that Leon didn’t know so well even burst out laughing, lightening the mood a tad.

“No, we’re not going to eat them,” Leon said with amusement. “Yet.”

Red grinned.

“Your Majesty,” Menander said, “I hate to say it, but there won’t be enough left to eat once we’ve finished cleaning house.”

His statement was echoed with vicious chuckles from Xanthippe and the other Lion elders.

“Is that wise?” Cassandra asked, drawing all the attention in the room, with few in the room regarding her warmly. Reacting not at all, she asked, “If these elders are not brought back onto our side, then we reduce the size of our voting bloc, don’t we?”

“Right now,” Menander responded without too much condescension, “they are apparently voting with our opponent. Our bloc has already been reduced. Trusting them again would be foolhardy; eliminating them entirely would be the safer move.”

“And more satisfying,” Xanthippe added with a savage grin.

“If we kill everyone who isn’t on our side,” Cassandra pressed, “then how can we hope to find any more allies?”

“How would you deal with them, then?” Sar asked, his tone not quite hostile but not too far from it, either.

“Imprison them,” Cassandra suggested. “Leave them alive, but don’t allow them to vote. Say that something came up. When my husband is declared King, let them out when they can no longer exert any influence.”

“An elder can always exert influence,” Menander growled. “When one betrays the rest of the Tribe, they can no longer serve upon the Tribal Council. They have lost the trust of us all. To continue to tolerate their existence is abhorrent. They will be eliminated.”

Cassandra sighed and looked to Leon to back her up.

Leon, however, frowned and remained silent for a moment, turning the thought in his head over a couple times.

“While my wife makes a valid point,” Leon began, “it is all of you who know your people the best. When I came to you for support, it was with the understanding that I would not destroy your way of life. Division weakens us, so if you believe that these elders can be reasoned with and returned to our side, then it would be my preference that an attempt to do so is made. If you do not believe this is possible, then deal with the oathbreakers in accordance with your Tribal laws.”

Menander and the Lions practically roared in approval, while Leon received looks of support from the other Tribes—especially from the Jaguars. Cassandra, however, looked disappointed and he knew he’d likely be hearing about this again soon.

“Now,” he continued as the rest of the Tribes settled down, “how many elders do we currently have in our ranks who might be convinced to join the Thunderer? It doesn’t seem like a coincidence that of those that Hector trotted out, all were elders who had no awakened blood.”

“In our elder ranks?” Sar began. “Four.”

“Seven here,” Exallos added after a quick consultation with Ipatameni and Chrysi.

“Three,” Menander said.

“Six for the Jaguars,” Nikolaos said.

“So twenty in total?” Leon said. “Any idea about the Ravens and Hawks?”

“Perhaps another ten at most,” Nikolaos said. “But there might not be as much of a reason to fear it from their side; they won’t be in the city until just before the vote, which means that the Thunderer won’t have the time to corrupt them.”

Leon almost found himself nodding in agreement, but something that Nikolaos said struck a chord in him and he fell silent.

“… Your Majesty?” Nikolaos asked after a moment, pulling Leon out of his thoughts.

With mild irritation, Leon waved his hand and said, “Just drop the ‘Your Majesty’ shit. Honestly, it does tickle my ego a bit when it’s used, but just leave it be. Maybe I’ll allow it after the vote, but only if I feel like it and especially only if I win. I have no need for fancy styles and a never-ending list of titles; my name will do.”

Nikolaos gave him a thin-lipped grin and nodded.

Continuing his thought, Leon slowly explained, “I wonder at the perpetrator of all this. It was Hector at this meeting, Hector whom Solomon accused of calling the Elder Council.”

“Leon,” the Jaguar whispered, his earlier anger still there if a little faded, “Whatever Hector’s dealings, it is with the consent of the Thunderer. Do not doubt this. He is a ruthless and ambitious man, devoted to tearing down our institutions and rebuilding us in his own image. This is what we’re fighting against.”

“Speak for yourself, cub,” Menander growled. “The Lions are here for Leon.”

“As are the Harts, and for the Thunderbird Clan as a whole,” Sar added.

“Fine, fine,” the Jaguar said with annoyance. “The point is that the Thunderer is too ambitious to be let off for the actions of his subordinates, even if they are acting independently, which I doubt. The Thunderer is the enemy.”

“I will still speak with him at least once more,” Leon announced. “It may be as productive as yesterday’s meeting, and if so, then so be it. But I will look that man in the eye one last time before we head to the Elder Council and see what it is he wants.” The Jaguar appeared like he wanted to interject again, but Leon powered on ahead, speaking just a little bit louder and faster to make his point. “Furthermore, I will hold a meeting with the leaders of the Bison Tribe, and with Solomon if given the chance. Perhaps even the Spiders and the Bears. I have little hope for the outcomes—especially in the latter two cases—but I would be remiss to simply write off the other four Tribes as die-hard supporters of the Thunderer. If even a few of their elders were to switch to supporting me, it would be a powerful statement. And since they’re trying to poach our elders, well, turnabout’s fair play.”

“There is logic in this,” Sar said in support. “Morality, too.”

“While I’m doing this,” Leon said with a quick smile of thanks sent Sar’s way, “I want the rest of you to meet with the other elders in your Tribes again and make sure that we’re a solid bloc. I floated this idea yesterday, but it’s become even more important today. Get your Tribes in order.”

He spoke sternly, especially his final sentence, and to his relief, the elders looked more ashamed and embarrassed than angry—at least, angry at him. He certainly didn’t envy what the turncoat elders were going to put through…

As it was, he was mentally tired, so as a way of wrapping the meeting up, he said, “We still need more information on what exactly is going to be brought up during the council itself. I would prefer to have as much information on that as we can get before the council meets. And with that, why don’t we break for the day, unless anyone has anything else they wish to bring up?”

For a moment, everyone was silent, until Valeria asked, “What about the Bears?”

Leon cocked an eyebrow and glanced at his silver-haired lover. He didn’t need to speak aloud for her to know what he was asking.

“The Beast Lord,” she explained. “He said he had beasts ‘earning their reputation’ right now. Should we be worried about that?”

“We can look into that as well,” Nikolaos said.

“Good,” Leon responded. “That the Bears also apparently lost some of their more powerful beasts ‘recently’ was interesting to hear. More circumstantial evidence that they were—or are—purposefully attempting to sabotage the Hawks?”

“I’ll get in touch with Singer-in-Caves tonight,” Nikolaos offered.

“Do it,” Leon ordered. “Anything else?”

Silence was his answer.

“Good. Then until tomorrow at the latest.”

He stood up and, with his family and retainers, left the meeting room, making for his guest palace where he could collapse for a while with his family and friends and mentally relax for what was sure to be a long and patience-trying day.

---

Leon sighed in contentment as he slid into the massive marble bath, his eyes swiftly closing to give them some rest. The bath was more like a small swimming pool, but with complex control enchantments designed to heat the water, create a whirlpool, fill it with bubbles, and all sorts of other functions that Leon didn’t care to experiment with at the moment. He just wanted to soak in hot water for an hour or so.

Maia had beaten him in, which she made apparent as she appeared from the water and snuggled up against him, her body solidifying in the crook of his arm.

Leon was all too happy to accept the naked river nymph into his embrace and pulled her closer, letting the fragrance of her hair and the feel of her skin gliding against his beneath the water become the entirety of his existence for a short while, but that existence was disturbed when Cassandra and Valeria entered the bathroom.

Not that Leon was complaining given both wore little—Cassandra was fully bare while Valeria had wrapped a towel around herself.

Without much grace, Cassandra giggled in glee and slipped into the water without much grace.

“Ahhh,” she sighed. “A bit warm, Val, but how can it not be with these two in here first?”

Leon cracked an eye open and found her leering at them—mostly at him, he noticed. Not that he cared; nor did Maia.

Valeria just smiled before just sitting on the edge of the bath and soaking her legs up to her knees in the water.

Leon let his cracked eye close again and though he knew he would’ve enjoyed it, he tuned out Cassandra doing her best to get Valeria fully into the bath, even to the point of light wrestling. He almost fell asleep like that until he felt a finger poke him in the cheek.

Again, he cracked an eye open and again saw Cassandra. She’d moved next to him and was now staring at him softly, but with a more serious expression than she’d worn a moment before. Valeria had been dragged into the water, though she’d managed to retain her towel he noticed and quietly regretted.

“Need something?” he asked as he lifted his arm and pulled her closer, filling both of his arms with a gorgeous lady.

Cassandra slid into the offered position before speaking her mind.

“Are we really just going to let those elders do what they want with the oathbreakers?”

Leon’s smile faded slightly as he rubbed her arm and pressed a quick kiss into her golden hair. However, it was Valeria who responded first.

“Is there something you think we should do, Cassie?”

“Letting allies be tortured and executed is a little much, don’t you think Val?”

“Sure, but what can we do?”

“Forbid such methods? If these people are claiming Leon to be their King, then they will follow his lead on this matter.”

Leon interjected, “Tradition is important to the Tribes. As is the—at least, nominal—autonomy they are to enjoy. They are to be vassals, not directly annexed into the Thunderbird Clan. Dealing with internal matters is to be left to them, as they see fit.”

“And you will do nothing to prevent such horrible treatment of those who were counted as trusted friends, or even family, just a few hours ago?” Cassandra pulled away from him slightly as her tone turned accusatory.

Leon straightened up a bit and fixed her in his gaze. “I don’t support such methods; as I said, I would prefer they find another way to deal with this that doesn’t shed blood.”

“Then why not push harder for it?” Cassandra insisted.

“Because this isn’t the Sacred Golden Empire,” Leon growled. “My word is not law. Not yet, anyway. Allowing the Tribes to deal with their own problem-makers is a good way to make them see that I don’t want to turn them into puppets.”

“For those in that room, sure,” Cassandra grumbled.

“What would you rather we do, Cassie?” Valeria wondered. “They swore oaths to Leon, which they’re now breaking. I’m sure if this meeting of the Elder Council turns bloody, they would’ve happily seen us dead along with Leon. What should their punishment be?”

“Something other than ‘torture and execution’, maybe?”

“How does your Empire handle such affairs?” Leon asked.

Cassandra scowled and averted her eyes. “Not… exactly the same…”

“But close, I’m sure. Traitors aren’t well-received anywhere they go. These elders have lost the trust of their Tribes. They’ve gone against the consensus of their Tribes without using the channels that they’re supposed to use for such dissent. They willingly pledged themselves to us and then, as soon as they saw an opportunity, betrayed those pledges. Should they be let off with a slap on the wrist and an understanding nod of the head? They’re eighth-tier mages, all of them hundreds of years old. They should know better than to subvert the will of their Tribes like this outside of their established systems.”

Leon sighed and rubbed Cassandra’s arm again.

“If they had come to me with any concerns they had, I would’ve listened and done my best to solve any problem they laid before me. I’m not here to be some rarely-seen god-emperor, I want the elders to feel free to speak their minds to me. Instead, these elders have run off to join those who would see us all dead without so much as a word. That’s quite a messy bed to make, and now they have to lay in it.”

Cassandra pouted for a moment before asking, “Maia, what do you think? You’ve been silent this whole time.”

Aloud and without hesitation, Maia responded, “They deserve to die.”

Cassandra made a noise of frustration before splashing some water at Maia, who ignored it completely.

“This sort of thing wasn’t going to be clean,” Leon mused as he slouched down into the bath, taking both Maia and Cassandra with him, neither of whom fought him. “Becoming a King, that is. So far, it’s been so remarkably clean that, honestly, I’ve kind of felt like there’s been a sword hanging over my head, and I’ve been waiting for it to fall. This feels a bit like the edge is touching the top of my head, now. It’s actually a little relieving, honestly. Like your opponent is finally putting their plan into motion and you can stop guessing and start responding.”

“I just wish our response was a little less bloody,” Cassandra murmured.

“We all do,” Leon said as he kissed her hair again. “Unfortunately, that’s just not going to be feasible. And if we let this go, then we risk looking weak. There’s value in mercy, but for sedition like this…”

“I get it, I get it,” Cassandra whispered.

“You’d do the same thing if you had to,” Valeria stated.

Cassandra shot her a glare and asked, “So sure of that, are you?”

“The elders would’ve pressed you harder if you wanted the traitors to escape the justice of their peers,” Valeria replied. “Eventually, you would’ve given in. That’s just the reality of where we’re at. Let the Tribes dole out their internal justice. If we can change things in the future, then we can revisit the matter. But for now, treason will be punished under the elders’ will.”

“Downer,” Cassandra accused.

Valeria grinned before a sly look crossed her face as her eyes slid from Cassandra to Leon.

“If I’ve brought everyone down,” she said as she slowly, tantalizingly, peeled off her towel, “I know how to… lighten the mood…”

She didn’t rise above the waterline, keeping her body rather obscured even sans towel, and she slunk over to Leon and climbed into his lap, only then rising. She pulled Leon’s face into her breasts for a moment before leaning back down and capturing his lips, which a somewhat surprised Leon enthusiastically responded to.

After several moments of this, Cassandra asked, “Are you actually going to go further?”

Valeria pulled back, her face flush with both arousal and some embarrassment. When she failed to respond in time, Cassandra snaked out of Leon’s grasp and slid her arms around Valeria’s waist, throwing the silver-haired woman off Leon.

“In that case, I think I’ll assert myself…” She gave Leon a ravenous look, now standing in front of him, her perfect body exposed from the hips and up. However, she barely took a single step forward before Valeria surged out of the water, seized Cassandra, and dragged her down into the bath’s depths. They were both lost in a mess of flailing limbs and frothing water. Leon might’ve been concerned if either of them were less than seventh-tier and still had a corresponding need to breathe, but as it was, he just laid back and watched.

For only a moment.

He found a bronze hand roaming his body, rubbing against his highly-defined abs, moving upwards to his well-built chest, and then moving back down again, to his sculpted thighs, finally coming to a rest between them.

He looked at Maia, now staring back at him with unabashed lust clouding her lake-blue eyes. With an equally-lascivious grin, he gave her the invitation that she was waiting for, and in a moment, they began their own wrestling match… though it was of a rather different nature than the one going on just a few feet away from them…