Vol.6 Ch.13.1 – Control I
Chapter 13: Control
I had never seen Melinoe as sure of herself as right then, when she was showing us around her village.
From what she shared along the way I had gathered that she had been involved in the village's development for several centuries at this point, making sure everything ran exactly as she wanted it to, meaning the fact that there were no dirt-poor peasants in the entire village was thanks to her. There was also a large and very well-built school that she seemed particularly proud of, where children could get a basic education and then branch out into whatever they wanted to learn. Nobody here was obligated to inherit their parents' work unless they chose to.
“I wish it were like this everywhere,” Alisha said as Meli explained this to us.
Meli's expression turned wistful then. “As I told Felix before, I can't change the whole world. Can't and won't. Even this village... I sometimes wish I'd never gotten involved.”
“But why?” Alisha asked. “It seems like a paradise.”
“You've had a lot of push-back, haven't you?” I asked gently.
“Yes,” Meli said, all but sagging with relief that I was getting it.
“What kind of push-back?” Alisha asked.
I looked at Meli. “You said there is a council. Do they rule in your place? Do you get a veto on whatever they decide? Or do they just do what you tell them to?”
“It used to be that I ruled the place on my own,” Meli said. “But that breeds resentment. Some of the more influential families were upset that I was making decisions for them.”
“But you're a demigoddess,” Alisha protested.
“Exactly,” Meli said. “Just a demigoddess, not that special. Every one of the thousands of bastard offspring that Zeus sired can claim the same. Many people are fine with letting a god dictate their actions but someone like me? Maybe not as individuals but when we count influence as power then most merchants are stronger than any demigod.”
“I suppose it also didn't help that you've made the place run so efficiently,” I mused.
“Yes, that was the worst part,” she said.
“I don't get it,” Alisha said.
“If I had been doing a terrible job, they would have had grounds to oust me,” Meli said. “But I didn't. All my decisions worked out. And so, if they had tried to rebel against me they would have had to admit that it was just about growing their own influence, not about the people. But that made the most influential people even more upset.”
“Ah,” Alisha said.
“But you eventually relinquished control over the village,” I said. I didn't bother making it a question.
“Eventually I realized I had to decide: Either keep the village expanding the way I wanted and risk open rebellion or allow them a measure of control.”
“What made you choose the latter?” I asked.
“My mother,” Meli said. She'd barely spoken of her parents so far. It was obvious she loved them but it had seemed clear even then that she didn't like living in their shadow, that she wanted to make a name for herself, on her own accord. “About control. About wanting everything to bend to our desires. She admitted to me that she has that urge, too. Something we got from my grandmother. She told me that she chose to not be like her, and that she would continue to choose to not be like her.”
“And you chose the same,” Alisha said.
“Was that when you gave up on the vine plant?” I asked.
Meli chuckled. “I didn't think you'd remember that. But yes. I both gave up on the plant and relinquished my death grip on the village.” She paused, then added: “Of course the irony is that doing so actually grew my influence. Because rather than an iron-fisted ruler they now see me as a benevolent deity watching over them, which makes it even harder for the council to go against my wishes.”
“Yeah,” I said. “I can see that.”
“And this brings us to the last place I wanted to show you,” Meli said, finally pausing at a gated off area. There was a metal fence built atop a foot-tall stone wall, and it surrounded a small graveyard.
“I thought there would be more graves here,” Alisha said. “The village seems bigger than this.”
Meli nodded. “You're right. This isn't the main graveyard. This here is a memorial. To all the adventurers who gave their lives trying to help this village. Most of these graves are symbolic. Those who die out there rarely leave bodies behind. But we still make note of everyone who gave their life in service to this place. Whether they protected the place from trolls or risked themselves trying to hunt food. If there is one thing I do wish I could force the rest of the world to adopt, this would be it. So many places treat adventurers like a nuisance or a necessary evil but they aren't. They are people risking life and limb. For fortune and glory, of course, but also for everyone else.”
I smiled at her. “Thank you for showing us this,” I said, then pulled her into a gentle hug.
**
We made it back to Meli's mansion without any further emotional outbursts. However unfortunately, neither of us were feeling particularly peckish yet. The skewers and mead hadn't been the only food Meli had wanted us to try along the way and while I didn't feel full, I also didn't think I'd need a big meal. I was hungry but it wasn't for food.
Whenever we'd paused for Meli to show us something I'd seen her adjusting herself and it had given me a few tantalizing glimpses of what I had to look forward to later. Both of them had noticed the way I'd looked at Meli. Alisha had taken it as a challenge and had tried her best to show off for me, stretching to let me look at her cute bare tummy and leaning forward far enough that I could see just how loose her tie-up top truly was. Meli, on the other hand, had taken it as an excuse to let her eyes roam as well, and her glances had gotten even hungrier after we'd hugged.
“I shouldn't be thinking about this now,” I heard her mutter to herself. It would have been in good taste to not acknowledge it but good taste had gone out the window about three blocks ago.
“Don't worry,” I said, keeping my voice just as low, “I'm thinking about it, too.”
Her face turned red but rather than stammer excuses she just swallowed, hard. “My chef will have dinner ready soon and I don't want to tell him we won't be eating yet.”
“We can eat,” I said. “I even promise to keep my hands to myself.” When I saw her looking the littlest bit disappointed I amended: “Mostly.”
Instead of answering she walked past us and opened the front door, though I did catch her biting her lip.
**
The way Meli's maid greeted her made me think of a dog.
You know how a dog is always excited to see you, no matter if you were gone for five minutes or five days? Yeah, I got the exact same feeling from Lucille. The way she greeted Meli when we returned was just as ecstatic as when we'd first arrived down here.
“Lady Melinoe, welcome back,” she said, all but vibrating in place. “How was your trip?”
“Comforting,” Meli told her. “It was good to see that the town works perfectly even when I am gone for a while.”
“So you are set on leaving, then?” Lucille asked.
“I am,” Meli said. “I will visit but I need this.”
“I understand,” the maid said and rushed off.
“We could invite her to come with us,” I said very quietly once I was sure she was out of earshot.
Meli gave a very small shake of her head.
Alisha replied, just as quietly: “That may be what she wants, but it's the last thing she needs.”
I nodded. I didn't know if it was just adoration and hero worship or if the maid actually carried a torch but allowing her to come along and be Meli's maid in our mansion would be beyond unhealthy, and not just because I would be worried of her poisoning me out of jealousy.