“Those Kaikeyo were behind the enchantments failing,” I said. Then I looked at Jucai to add, “And they've been disrupting Sea Dragon Magic as well.”
“Sea Dragon Magic?” Jucai narrowed his eyes. “With those machines?”
“Yes, they moved around the city in a carriage with the disruptors. But, Jucai, don't you see what this means?”
“They are the ones who have been stopping us from mating.”
“Yes.”
“Mating?” the other Sea Dragon asked. “You have found your mate, sire?”
“We have yet to settle the bond.” Jucai glanced at him. “But now that we have the magic disruptors, that will change.” Then he went still. “This explains why I couldn't shift the other night when I went for a swim.”
I grabbed his hand. “You didn't tell me you couldn't shift.”
“I thought it was because I was upset. My sea dragon seemed upset as well. Damn those bastards!”
“Jucai, they want to abolish slavery.” I looked from the Sea King to the Sea Dragons who'd been drawing in around us. “They don't understand why your needs have changed. They feel abused.”
“Then why haven't they said so?” Jucai growled.
“For fear of your punishing them or withdrawing your protection.” I held up a hand when he started to speak. “I know it was foolish. I told them their plan had flaws. But they were desperate, and they weren't the only people unhappy with the service you've been demanding of them. You need to speak with your slaves. Explain why you've been behaving this way. Listen to them. Give them the courage to speak honestly.”
The Sea Dragons looked from me to their king. All of them were covered in blood, and it made them look terrifying, even when their expressions shifted to concern.
“You could have prevented this,” I went on. “If only you had told them why you were different. You assumed they would know. But how could they?” I looked at Jucai. “I'm not asking you to end slavery. I'm asking you to be sure that these are willing slaves. Just speak to them. You say you care for your people. Show them that. Maybe you can stop another uprising.”
Jucai nodded and looked at his dread. “He's right. We've been so engrossed in ourselves that we've forgotten to tell the people who see to our needs why they've increased.”
“So we just talk to them?” a Sea Dragon woman asked.
“Why do you say that as if it's difficult?” I asked. “You claim that you care for these people, so show them. Speak to them as people, not slaves. But first, you should free them.”
“Allof them?” a Sea Dragon man asked.
“Yes, all of them. What are you afraid of—that they'll leave? If you fear that, then you don't truly believe that they're serving you willingly.”
The Sea Dragons looked at each other.
“We will speak to them first,” Jucai said. “We will address all of them together. After I finish explaining, I will free all who wish to be freed. I will also make sure they know that no repercussions will follow if they choose to leave. Only then will we be certain that those who serve us wish to do so.”
“And what if they all leave?” someone asked.
“Then we will hire servants,” Jucai said. “This is the only path forward. If we don't change our ways now, they won't just leave; they'll revolt. More importantly, if we continue as we are, knowing what we do now, we will be the monsters that these rebels believed us to be.”
They went quiet.
I looked down. I was still holding Jucai's hand. It felt right. If we mated, these people would be my people. So, I spoke to them as if they were. “You are not monsters. I know thatnow, but when I first arrived in Kansu, I was horrified by what I saw in your court. Without explanation, your actions appear monstrous. You need to explain and apologize.”
“Apologize?” a woman asked.
“Yes, apologize. You have done wrong. You've abused people who look to you for protection. The very least you could do is apologize.”
Jucai held up a hand when they started to mutter. “Sea Dragon pride is no small thing, but is it not honorable to admit when you're wrong? We need to correct our mistakes immediately.”
“These people love you,” I added. “Even these Kaikeyo who rebelled. They told me they had once longed to serve you. The Ilshi Court was known to be a place of sanctuary and romance. You used to seduce them into your beds. You made slavery magical. Now, you just crook your finger and expect them to bend over. Is that really what you want? We Land Dragons enjoy a good hunt. We don't want lovers who make it easy for us. Anything easily won isn't worth much. Don't you want to hunt? Give chase? Pursue your lovers with the chance that you might not catch them? I know you have needs to fulfill, but isn't it time to move past them?”
“We are stronger than our primal urges,” Jucai said. “And it's time we behaved as such. It's time that we remembered who we are.”
