Until the next chapter, there will be a time jump of 3 years. Originally, I'd written a chapter but happened to hate it. I've re-written it several times and still hated it so I chose to go with a way that I hope you'll be fine with: I'll tell you what happens. Lean back as some Amazon goddess or god who watches the lives of the unworthy mortals with a lenient smile. Life at the compound is rather calm. Penthesilea still trains the warriors so she isn't always there which, to be honest, probably provides to the main part of calmness. And we all know Io, she is happy when everyone else is happy. The queen has been pondering a lot over her past mistakes and possible ways to make up for them. In the council, things are mainly well. Zeuxippe has finally come around and Penthesilea and her have reconciled. Now they benefit from their common interests since together they achieve a lot more against the men. Serkon however still avoids her, they haven't spoken a word in all that time. He even deliberately misses some council meetings and when he attends, he always is of opposite opinion. So the meetings are more relaxed these days when he isn't present and give the two queens the opportunity to gush over their little daughters until Boras and Deipyros, the two kings without heir yet, carefully advise a change of topic. The princess thrives and prospers even without knowing her father. Well, she has three people around who care for and love her. She's easily twisted Protego (and everyone else) around her finger. Who can blame them? Isn't she cute? And so spoilt that she's happy most of the time. But honestly, she's a handful. Never stands still, Io's garden has to suffer a lot. When she doesn't immediately get what she wants, her mood swings are terrible and her tantrums feared by everyone. A real little queen, demanding at the utmost... ... which sometimes leads to her most funny "kneel before me, incompetent one" face. Her favorite hobbies are keeping others from work... ... bossing them around for no reason... ... and harassing the master slave. This one's her very favorite pastime. And it's the most fun when the situation looks like it's Haimon's fault and the queen comes to Lyta's help. She's not hard to convince though when you're her daughter. Anyone still wondering why Haimon doesn't like the princess too much? Sometimes Lyta becomes very scary, even for a busy sim-goddess. Or does that look like an innocent child's gaze? She can be a real monster! "I want your blood!" From whom has she inherited that? Even her mother is suspicious. And more annoying the master slave. "You won't come near my mother. I won't let you. Mpf." That girl's a real pain in the neck, but behold Penthesilea's proud look! Sometimes they make an attempt to reconcile but neither one has an idea what to say or do. It's kinda cute, actually how helpless they both are when they try. "Uuuuuuugh, what do I do with you now?" Lyta... is being sweet, but not helpful. "So, what do toddlers like, huh?" Side glance. I bet there's nothing she'd like to do with him. Well, Haimon. In the meantime he has decided that not being alone among the women is worth being nice to Protego. Especially because the other slave willingly carries out the tasks Haimon dislikes which is, in fact, almost all of them. At least the ones that include some kind of dirt, toddlers or work. Protego doesn't mind too much though as long as he finally has a friend. Or, let's face reality, as long as he has a friend most of the time. And he desperately needs one. The darkness in their basement room gets to him, not because he'd be afraid of it but because waking up means a short time of confusion whether he's back in the temple cell - a thought he can quickly dismiss again when he hears another breath nearby. Since it's Protego he's of course still pining for queen Zeuxippe, their trustful relationship and lazy afternoons. That makes his other duties a bit more difficult to like Most time he gladly leaves that to someone else though and everyone's happy including Penthesilea because Haimon doesn't have that I'm-so-forced-and-suffering look. Sometimes there are still more serious matters though. Lyta may be tired of fighting, Protego may get used to his new life and usually, Haimon listens to Io. She takes him aside and talks into his conscience until he sees reason. And yet – the queen is it whom the provider can’t warn from mistakes without being silenced in the end with a masterful gesture. All she can do is to see to calmness and peace within the boundaries of the compound and the limits of her own position. Only that sometimes, that doesn’t suffice. Because no one - no one! - and nothing can convince the queen otherwise when she got something into her head... ← Chapter 33 Chapter 34 →
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