Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 284: The matter of ruling(2)

Chapter 284: The matter of ruling(2)

Two weeks had passed since the confrontation in the hutt. Geowulf stood by the narrow window of his chamber, looking out over the city he had conquered and now ruled. The streets bustled with life, though quieter than before his arrival. The people of Sarlan had quickly adapted to their new overlords, their shoulders hunched and gazes averted whenever one of Geowulf's warriors strode past. 

He rested his hand on the cold stone of the windowsill, his calloused fingers tracing the rough edges. He would be lying if he claimed not to feel anxious. The weight of what he had wrought bore heavily upon him. There was no precedent for what he sought to achieve. Never in the history of the tribes had rulership passed through blood. The traditions of their people were unyielding—leadership was earned, not inherited.

The memory of those ceremonies came unbidden to his mind: brutal fights to the death, held beneath the open sky, where contenders laid claim to their right to lead. No matter the alliances, no matter the lineage, it was the blood spilled and the strength displayed that crowned a ruler. He sighed, his breath misting in the cold air of the chamber.

"And yet," he muttered, "here I am, trying to plant roots where none have ever grown." His gaze fell on the streets below, watching the interplay of daily life.

He knew full well that what he contemplated went against everything their people held sacred. To name an heir by blood, to pass rulership from father to son—or in this case, from grandfather to grandson—was an affront to their traditions. Leadership was earned not in blood but through it. The tribes would resist, perhaps even violently. He would not be surprised if blades were drawn and challenges issued before he could see his vision realized.