Lin says “No you aren’t! I can tell from your breathing that you are mad. I am not forcing you into anything. This would be as much for me and Myria as it is for you. So you need to consider it seriously.”

  Bella says “Should I leave?”

  Lin says “No, it’s fine.”

  “Alright, I’m calm. Give me your pitch.”

  Lin says “Alright. First I want you to agree that Myria and I would not make good rulers. I am far too focused on magic and Myria would make a decent military commander, just not a civil leader.”

  “I can agree to that as things stand. You both would make good rulers, it would just take some effort and changes.”

  Lin says “Maybe, but they are changes that we would not make willingly.”

  “That’s probably true. For the sake of argument, I will agree that the two of you would not make ideal rulers.”

  Lin says “Even if we did make changes we would at best be okay rulers. The kingdom you are building will need a great ruler to make it survive beyond your death. This is something that Myria and I have discussed and we agree that you need another queen. One that will be a great ruler and be able to hold things together after you die.”

  “Alright, logically I can see your point. Emotionally, I don’t want to even consider having a third wife.”

  Lin says “Well then it is time to put emotion aside and think like a king.”

  “Are you telling me to take a wife just because she would be good for my people?”

  Lin says “Yes, I guess I am. I wouldn’t do so if I didn’t think that she already loves you and you could grow to love her.”

  “Alright, enough teasing! Who are you talking about?!”

  Lin says “You haven’t guessed yet?! I am pretty sure that would hurt her feelings!”

  “I didn’t know that I was supposed to guess. Is this a game now? Just tell me who it is.”

  Lin says “Nope! If I can’t get you to think about it, I know that your curiosity will make you think about it!”

  “Gah! You know me too well! Hm, you mentioned that she had experience as a queen, that can only be a few people. The only queen I know is Amercy, but it can’t be her. The only other person I can think of would be the emperor’s daughter, but I have never met her.”

  Lin says “Wait! Why can’t it be Amercy?!”

  “Because she has a kingdom to rule and she can’t possibly be in love with me! She doesn’t even really know me!”

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  Bella says “Since when do you need to know someone to fall in love?”

  Lin says “Right? That is just an excuse! I didn’t really know you when I fell in love with you. Besides, from what I have heard, you spent quite a bit of time with her and helped save her and her kingdom several times. That would have been more than enough. As for her being a ruler, that just means that if you marry her you gain another kingdom. She is probably really lonely ruling all on her own.”

  “She isn’t alone. She has her sister and several other trustworthy people around her!”

  Lin says “That isn’t what I meant and you know it!”

  “Why are you so worked up about this? You are acting like you know Amercy, but you have never even met her. Or have you?”

  Lin says “Um, technically I haven’t.”

  “So, you have met her, but not in person? The soulscape?”

  Lin sighs and says “Yes. She asked to talk when she replied to the wedding invitation. So Myria and I met her in the soulscape.”

  “Just how did she convince you to not only let her try and marry me, but also to help plead her case?”

  Lin says “She took the time to get to know us and let us get to know her. She is a good person and we both like her alot. Enough that we would be happy to be sister-wives with her.”

  “Well, it is true that she is a good person and a good ruler. She is good to her people and they love her for it. Even during the rebellion, those with her were almost fanatically loyal to her. I can’t argue that in that aspect she would be a good choice for a wife.”

  Lin says “I sense a but coming.”

  “But I am not even sure that I can keep you and Myria happy. So how am I going to keep another woman happy?”

  Lin says “We have had this conversation before! In truth, having Amercy around to help run things will make it easier for Myria and I to be happy. As I have said before, we can help each other so that there is less required of you. All three of us understand that you won’t be able to be around much and that you have a limit on your life. Myria and I entered into relationships with you knowing all of that and Amercy knows it as well. Yet she still wants to, so stop using that as an excuse.”

  Bella says “Wow, you didn’t hold back at all, did you?”

  Lin says “I can’t. This is the only way to get through to Ash when it comes to emotional issues.”

  “You are right, it is the only way. Alright, I will meet with Amercy and give her a fair chance to convince me. I can’t promise anything more than that.”

  Lin says “I am not asking for anything more than that. I am pretty sure that as long as you give her a chance, Mercy will convince you.”

  “You do realize that if I marry Mercy and take the kingdom as my own, I will end up unifying the entire peninsula into an empire, right?”

  Lin says “I am pretty sure that that is going to happen no matter what. At least this way we will have Mercy’s help in running the empire.”

  Bella says “Wait, you are going to conquer the empire? Does that mean you are going to marry that daughter you mentioned?!”

  “No! I will just crush them militarily, it will be easier. Three wives is going to be hard enough to deal with!”

  Lin says “Three? So, you are already thinking about it!”

  “I guess I am, but it is all your fault!”

  Lin smiles and says “Knowing you, getting you to think about it is more than half the battle! I will leave things there. Trying to push any more would have the opposite effect.”

  Bella says “Ash, does Lin knowing you so well worry you?”

  “No, not really. If anything, it actually reassures me.”

  Bella says “You find it reassuring? Why?”

  “Because it means she really loves me. You only pay that much attention to someone you love.”

  Bella says “So you could manipulate her as easily?”

  “Oh, even easier. All it takes is a book she hasn’t read.”

  Bella laughs and Lin says “Hey, don’t go spilling my secrets!”

  “That is no secret to anyone who knows you. Besides, how many of my secrets have you told Bella?”

  Lin says “Um, so anyway, when are you supposed to meet with Mercy?”