All Comments on 'At His Majesty's Pleasure Ch. 03'

when will u submit the nxt chapter?

it was really awesome. great writing! please dont make us wait too long for the next chapter

Please don't make us wait for the next chapter. Really enjoying this story

Hey question to everyone is there a way to have the site email you when a new chapter is out? Saves me from constantly refreshing literotica lol.

If not author can you set up a quick mailing list we can subscribe to and you just send alerts when a new ch comes out? It would be soooo convenient

Love the story!! This is somehow so much hotter than those ARGH EXPLICIT DOGGY STYLE XXX stuff. This has class lol

Thank you all - we're flattered that you're enjoying it! And no, we're not sadists...much. :P

I'm not sure if there's a way the site sends notifications. As for a mailing list - it seems simple enough to send an alert when a new chapter is posted, so we don't mind setting one up if there's interest!

It met my expectations, as always! This has quickly become my favorite series on here. I check daily for updates. Anxiously awaiting the next chapter! Thanks for continuing!!!

Just beat them to death. It would be more interesting. And get an editor. Cutting this down in length might help.

Please update the next chapters faster. .. after a hard day at work, reading such stories takes me to another world. .. :)

Love it ! It brightens my day to see more chapters ! And I love how they aren't only one page ! Can't wait for more ! Thank you :D Also can't wait for it to steam up !!!

another great chapter, i thought you made alexander a bit soft in this chapter, but then comes the last part with poor edmure. that man is truly cruel with his opponents. i also love alais's reactions with him, especially the letter, so funny and creative. keep up the good work :)

No. Don't exempt all the detail as previous anonymous stated and don't know where sci-fy came from, but thanks for the sex slave, considering site writing for. Keep her intelligence and sass. You're doing a great job. The only two things I'll beg 1) finish the story, even if you get an offer to publish! Lit erotica apparently doesn't have a delete, so 5stars can go to 1 star easily enough and many authors try and come back with limited success. 2. Sex...personally I can go 4 chapters per scene, some 3, but beyond 5 only avid readers stay tuned. We come here for what we can't buy off the shelf. Well, not for less than $17 - $35 US .

I love the length, and everything about this series! I really enjoyed how we got little snippets from the king, and how it did not focus entirely on one perspective over another. I like the little glimpses of perspectives. This is so enjoyable! Thank you for sharing the story with us, and am so looking forward to this continuing. I am always checking the site specifically for this story! :) Keep going!

Echoing other anon, yes please! I'm not an avid literotica reader but stumbled on this story...I pretty much come here to see if there are updates. So if it's not too hard to set something up, it would spare me a lot of checking!!

I think Alexander was soft but in a way that I think was totally calculated...tending her wound was a powerplay on his part, in my opinion. Like hey, see how much control I have? See how nice I can be if you're obedient?

Pychopath. Sadist. Murderer. Rapist. Having a difficult time seeing any positive outcome that does not include his death.

Praises for another excellent chapter. Loved the glimpse in Alexander's head and his twisted thought process. Well, his excuse for what he's done. I think he's lying to himself with "I'd rather not deal with uncertainty." He's proven himself shrewd and knows that playing the political game would still have gotten him his prize. There would have been consequences for his actions either way and I don't buy this was logically the easiest. There's a line that stated "A long time ago, the princess herself had had such an arrangement with his brother, after all." I wonder if there's more to it that we don't know, and if that's swirling in his subconscious, subtly driving his actions.

How will his country like having a princess from another country as their queen?

Still adore Alais. The postscript to her letter had me howling with laughter. I trust that the illustration was far more than a doodle and can't wait to see what it really stood for. I admire her pragmatism but don't think she is incapable of hating a person. Love, hate, fear, shame, lust - these are primal emotions and deep, deep down seeds get sown. We can try and logically talk ourselves out of a behavior or a feeling but we're still going to experience it.

The bath/ bandage redressing scene was just hot. Perfect blend of threatening, seduction, tenderness, and banter. Mmmpf. The postponement of physical contact between the two that doesn't end up in stabbing heightens the anticipation. (Another part of the story I can't wait for!)

Jeers for the cliffhanger! Ugh. My heart is in my throat. (I suspect she'll be able to work up some hate for Alex now.) I'm hoping you can upload the next chapter very, very soon. Like tomorrow? Thank you both!

Soooooo update?? It's good. Continue writing!!

I was so excited to see another chapter post! Wow. It was great getting to read some plotty stuff about Alexander's reasonings - I was wrong completely about him planning to take her. It was kind of endearing actually that he just rocked up to the party and went "ooh! She's hot and smart, must have her!" and stole her. Also I adored how he just has this band of minstrels who accompany him everywhere just in case he feels the need to like, abduct a princess or something. He's got all contingencies covered ya know? getting to read some of his POV was great, and he was pissing me the hell off with his annoying banter about her arm. I wanted to punch him in the face, so nice work there. I adore Alais, the note in lemon juice made me laugh out loud. I love how spunky she is! And omg what an awesome cliffhanger! I'll go on record and say I actually ADORE cliffhangers, so I was super yay here. And I loved how he stood there in the bathroom and was a complete dick and checked her out. I love guys who are dicks and I so hope he keeps that up.

As to the mailing list thing, no Lit doesn't do anything where you get notified when a story updates. I'd like the mailing list although let's face it, I'm already here every day checking for this thing to post, so it won't make much difference for me 😝

Thank you to the two of you for another high quality awesome delicious chapter. You've got me hanging for the next bit, but take your time and do it when you can.

He's not soft but very calculating. I am loving the way he keeps her on tender hooks emotionally with his sadistic games and taunting. It's nice we are getting to see his kind side too as that will ease the path to the eventual HEA..:-))

Nice work ladies and roll on the next chappie.

After what he had done to that knight alone,... if it were my heroine,... there would have to be a lot of regret and redemption involved on his part for her to be able to develop any positive feelings for this man....

Ahhh, thank you guys so much - will reply to individual comments in more detail later! To the anons who asked for email alerts, I set up something quick: http://literotica.us13.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=11e888efdab6a516dbec31751&id=240ca1b370

Feel free to subscribe if you want to get notifications when a new chapter in this series is out!

Loved it, can't wait to see her reaction to her former fiancée, I don't think it will be good? Want more, soon!

C ant wait for updates and steamy parts .... You are doing a fabulous job of keeping us hooked !!

I love the snippets of Obsivia you gave us in this chapter, makes me wonder what happened to Alexander's brother? Or the late queen? It seems like Obsivia harbours so much informations which Alais (hopefully) can use to her advantages. When are we going to have the next chapter? I practically check this site everyday just to see if there is an update :)))

After years on Literotica, I have always avoided commenting, but I must say that this story is PERFECTION! It is everything that I love (harsh king kidnaps a feisty girl, with amazing banter and world building). Please do not leave me hanging for long, I normally stay clear of stories that are recent because I have little patience lol. One comment though, the link provided for the email notification (which I will be signing up for immediately!!!) leads to a not existing page, according to mail chimp. Could you provide a different link so I can sign up?

Keep on being amazing ladies!

Impressed by the good story. A no sex-tale on a site that hosts a lot of the more Wham Bam thank you Madam-type of stories and nevertheless captures so many readers.

Thank you so much for all your comments! It's incredibly flattering to hear that some of you check the site daily for updates, and that our story offers some small distraction in your lives. It's also giving us plenty of incentive to edit quickly. Steamy parts coming very soon! ;) We're thinking it'll be a few days before we submit, as one of us is going to be delayed with a flight/jetlag.

Feel free to subscribe if you want to get an email alert when the next chapter is published: http://bit.ly/hismajesty (thanks to the Anon who pointed out the broken link before - it turns out Literotica added a line break for a longer address, that's why!)

@Anon "another great chapter"

Poor Edmure, indeed! And we haven't even gotten to just exactly how he died yet, which is probaaably even worse. Alexander can be soft (or calculatedly soft, as another commenter noted) and he can also be very cruel - he has a tendency to operate at extremes, you could say!

@Anon "Not even in Sci/fi"

Glad that you hate the story so much to keep on stopping by! :P

@Anon "Still interested..."

Not sure where the sci-fi came from either, but thanks for your vote of confidence! I think we'll stick with our level of detail, as the characterization of our protagonists is something we're particularly interested in ourselves. And thanks for the tips! There will be sex very very soon. We haven't forgotten it's an erotica site!

@Anon "Fantastic"

Thank you! We had last minute doubts about the perspective changes, so it's great to hear that it added something for you. Hopefully getting a glimpse into Alexander's head cleared up some things!

@Anon "Hmmm"

Heeee's a good kisser too? Haha no, that doesn't quite balance out the other stuff. I guess we'll see!

@AEisMe

Yay! Glad you're still digging it, and that you found the bath scene exactly how we intended! :D And wow, your analysis is incredibly on point, and you picked up on a lot of things that we were setting up for. Without going into too much detail (because spoilers!), I will say that both Alexander and Alais can be unreliable narrators, and you can definitely read between the lines for some of their thought processes. Alexander is mostly pragmatic, but he does have his flares of irrational impulses that he rationalizes away. He is probably more fascinated with Alais than he realizes/acknowledges. And Alais in turn may or may not be using detachment as a coping mechanism.

Marriage between different kingdoms isn't too uncommon in this world, so his people won't be averse to it. As you noticed, Alais also used to be engaged to Alexander's brother, before Edmure. (And yes, there's more to that as well!)

@Clare

Thanks, Clare! Ahaha, you're right actually - it's kind of hilarious that he has an entourage of fake minstrels, now that we think about it. You never know when you need to abduct someone in a very convoluted way! And yeah, his decision to steal her away was pretty impulsive, even if it was couched in some strategic reasoning as well...it definitely originated more personally though, and it hadn't really occurred to him until he was charmed by her. Not the best way to go about expressing it, but he knows no other way! He is pretty dickish and will continue to be dickish. :D

Oh good, because we're foreseeing more cliffhangers! We just can't help ourselves.

@Masterfuljim

You're right, it's definitely calculated! And sort of a game for him too - that's just how he operates. Thanks for continuing to read!

@Anon "Cruelty..."

He's done things a lot worse than what he did with the knight, sadly. But yeah, this isn't a story where she'll magically start liking him after a night of passion or anything like that. They have a long road ahead of them!

@Anon "snippets of obsivia"

Glad to hear! We're trying to introduce information bit by bit, and hopefully drawing you guys into the mystery a bit. There's definitely some intense backstory with Alexander's family, and it'll be revealed as we go.

@Anon "First Comment Ever!"

Oh man, thank you so much! So flattered that we're your first comment. :D And yeah, we focus a lot on world-building and banter, so it's great to hear that it's working for you! And thanks for pointing out the incorrect link - the new one up there should work now.

@RubiaLaFaye

Thank you! We're plugging along with just copious sexual tension first, though it won't be no sex for long now. :)

I practically squealed to see this story updated. The dynamics and development of the relationship between the two main characters is so addictive to read about. The power play has become something of a guilty pleasure of mine that I just want to keep indulging in it.

Makes me feel like both a sadist and masochist for enjoying this, but then again the writing is undeniably terrific.

Everything is just so intriguing and all the more so with every tidbit you throw our way. Even without sex scenes, it still manages to feel intense yet entertaining.

My only agony is not being able to predict when the next chapter should come and worrying over the possibility that you might leave this story unfinished like so many other online authors.

To end on a more positive note: thank you for this latest chapter as it has truly made my day.

This is so exactly right somehow. This is my favorite. I want to be friends with you guys because apparently you already know some of my deepest secrets for yourselves.

I'm usually a bit turned off by overly detailed narratives but this is perfect. You have the right amount of detail for the right amount of time. You guys take time painting what is important to the story and easily breeze passed the spots that don't need the excess description. This is beautifully written and I cannot wait to read more. I actually have it bookmarked and check every couple days. You make a great team! Sex or not this is extremely steamy ;)

Don't change a thang! Perfect details, perfect pace, perfect story. Great job ladies. And I'm loving Alexander's multi-faceted personality. Keep on following your Muse!

Super great

Wow...I wish I was Alais and someone would take control of me like this...she is incredibly lucky. Even though we haven't seen "sex" yet, there's something really hot about all these chapters, and especially about Alexander. He's such a complicated figure and I love love love how casually cruel he can be... there's something exciting about a man who can feel intensely dangerous just by his very presence.... needless to say my boyfriend has you guys to thank last night :P

Great character development, enjoying the slow tease and build of the story and can't wait for the next chapter. Seriously....when is the next chapter ready?

First, YAY UPDATE!!!!! Second, HURRAY ALAIS!!!!!! And ALEXANDER IS AN ASS!!!!!!

Lot's of people said it, and I'm piling on - Alais is awesome. You guys really took the effort to be consistent in your world building and characterizations and kept it all dynamic instead of 2D, so thanks so much for that! I have a hard time accepting overwrought, plot-convenient 'quirks' or events. The end where Alais forgets herself and is desperate to -something- (I assume she wants the pin back as a keep sake, or maybe she'll even demand he be buried...) feels like a confirmation that Alais did care deeply for Edmure. I love the lay up where she thought of him with mostly pragmatic language, but she probably also spent a lot of time with him growing up - well done!!! Alais continues to be badass in her limited capacity. The lemon juice thing once again shows her to not only be aware of her adversary's resources and capabilities, but her pragmatism and quirkiness. I feel like this is another showcase of her on equal footing with Alexander mentally. Once again, I'm really looking forward to her creativity showing more and evolving.

Actually, I want to go as far as saying she's Alexander's better. I said this before, but her experience of life as a woman makes her very different from Alexander, and it shows. She HAD to empathize, relate, understand people quite different from herself, whereas Alexander has the luxury of steam rolling over what he doesn't like.

I say like, because once again, diplomacy is more profitable than war. Vvaria will never truly be his ally because of how this marriage came about. Vvaria's was pragmatic enough to invite Obsivia - they're at least considering an alliance of some kind at that point. But no, he had to stick it up to an old, powerful country with many allies of its own. No country or culture that old and respected by others got that way by being weak, and no matter how pragmatic its ruling body, they'd be too proud to let it go. He's too shrewd not to know that, but I don't trust him to leave Vvaria's sovereignty in peace anyway. Maybe he's ignoring all that, and will end up a crazy, violent, paranoid old bat like all fear hammering dictators.

You guys were clear in the chapters previous that Alexander didn't introduce slaver - sorry for the confusion. My derision for him comes from, yes my trendy humanitarian views, but also handy-dandy hindsight. You guys mentioned that slavery was on its way out or already gone in most other countries, and Alexander brought back practices in Obsivia that are considered barbaric even by some of the most conservative of Obsivia's society. It's true that war and slavery can look economically sound at first, but it's not like winning the lottery. Once you conquer a land, you have to govern it. You can enslave a people, but they're still people, and you have to deal with them. I appreciate you guys basing him off of Alexander the Great and Ancient Rome without being too on the nose about it. What frustrates me about Alexander is that he ISN'T completely ignorant, he just craves absolute control. His society was already changing when he brought it 50 steps backwards. I get that he had political reasons, but it's so frustrating that he'd ignore all the positive ways that Obsivia has changed. You guys so far has characterized him to be smart enough to know better, to be aware of different possibilities... but much prefer the 'certainty' of strong arming and pulverizing. That was really brought home this chapter, making him all the more aggravating, meaning you guys are doing an excellent job as usual. Also, the only people who think of war and harsh methods as effective and expedient and reliable and blah blah blah are all the people who never had to deal with the clean up. Alexander the Great sort of had repercussions when his army quit on him. I'm really curious what kind of consequences this Alexander will face, if he'll be able to connect the dots, if he'll bother trying to change, if he thinks he can change.

The sexual tension you guys have built up is, once again, much sexier than stale play-by-play. I know this story is under non-con and all, but can't help thinking about in in realistic terms. There's a novel called Even the Stones by Marie Jakober (apparently it isn't that popular, but if you haven't read it, please check it out, it's WONDERFUL!!!!!) where the protagonist talked about how she can't forgive and forget the violence done onto her. Her abductor kidnapped and raped her and fell in love with her (in so much as he's capable of love), but in her words, "There's somethings you can't come back from." One of those things being rape. While the book isn't a completely accurate portrayal of getting over rape, that first part, of not being able to come back from somethings, was consistent with all the literature I've read on the subject. Alexander is smarmy enough to think it's funny to tease Alais with the possibility of rape, and I have little hope he'll be capable of not following through. Not to mention his fantasy of what he'll do to Alais made him come off as a very selfish lover. Again, I'm fascinated to see where you guys will take everything. You said and showed several times there will be no short cuts to a rainbow, and I'm firmly hooked... even if I'm peeking through my fingers at times. (I KNOW this is non-con, but you guys just write so friggin well!!!!!)

And lastly, the bandage scene is surreal. That's a kind of weird I can more than get behind. I'm assuming he was more relaxed and wanting to converse with Alais because he felt no one else was watching.

Anyway, keep up the great work!!!!!!

So excited for the next chapter! Stories on here that have plot and characterization and build up are the BEST and I don't see them here too often, so I love yours. I'm excited for the audience to get to know Alexander more as a person and see how Alais interacts with him once we do!

How is the audience going to be seduced if he is such an enthusiastic sadist? Tone it down, please.

Directed at person who demands Alexander be toned down, but also a lot of other comments. Seems to be a general trend for readers to bossily dictate to the authors what they should be writing, and it's getting really old. There's a difference between making suggestions and making entitled demands, or even passive aggressive driving in the backseat. Trust them with the story, let them write how they want. They're the ones doing the heavy lifting here.

Can u plz comment when the next update is coming out !

I love love love this story so far. I love both the characters, and I can't WAIT for the next chapter. Everything is being set up so perfectly! I will check frequently for updates!

This has quickly become my most favorite story here in literotica so far. The writing is impeccable and the witty repartee between the princess and the emperor makes me look forward to more of their banter in the future chapters. Pleaaase update soon!! This is beautiful work!

I not-so-secretly wish I'd get to read up until the end of this story. Too many good stories here end up unfinished and sitting in dust. :(

Thank you for all your comments - we'll reply soon!

Just wanted to update you guys on our status and let you know we're hard at work! We are almost done with both Chapter 4 and Chapter 5, which we wanted to release at the same time for narrative purposes. Our aim is to submit them by Wednesday at the latest!

3 chapters and you are still claiming this is literotica...pick another site to tell you story of Kings and Princesses engaged in mindless drivel with little of the erotica you claimed your story would lead to, after the longest set up in literotica history !!

I am absolutely captivated by this story! I love it when this happens. Can't wait for the rest! I have very high hopes for the rest of it. Thanks for sharing.

can't wait to read more and see their wedding I'm loving it so far! Love that you wrote in Alexander's POV also.

Thank you for interacting with your readers! It is very encouraging when we hear your replies! :) [Especially when they are story updates - LOL]

Both Chapter 4 and 5 were submitted this morning, so hopefully Literotica sees them through soon! We'll also send an email to subscribers (check out profile for info) to let people know when both are up.

@kitten_in_heat

Aww, thank you! Glad you're digging the characterization and relationship - I know we're spending a good chunk of time on that, and it's for people who like to explore power dynamics as much as we do. And hey, we're sadists/masochists for writing this story, so you're in good company! We have no intention of leaving the story unfinished, and we try to assuage concerns by posting updates.

@Anon "I..well...geeze guys"

Oh wow, that's incredibly flattering. And if that's the case, then we want to be friends with you too!

@Anon "Amazing!"

Awesome! We love fleshing details out, but we also want to keep the pace brisk enough to sustain interest, of course. And the wait for sex should be over as soon as the next two chapters are published!

@Absinth3

Thank you so much! There's certainly a lot of facets to Alexander, and his trajectory will only get more complicated as time goes on.

@Anon "Mmmm"

I think you got exactly what we were going for. ;)

@Chumbo

Appreciate the love you have for Alais! Yeah, she's been placed in a position of very limited capacity (for now), but she's also resourceful and canny; our intent isn't at all for her to be passive, though of course within logical constraints. She's also definitely better than Alexander at some things, by way of her upbringing and identity (as you mentioned) and also her temperament. As the first chapter demonstrated, Alexander wasn't good at even feigning deference, for one. He's been able to exercise his power directly, whereas she - and most other women in this world - must exert their will through influence and suggestion.

I wouldn't say Vvaria is too proud to let it go, per se, as Alais's grandfather is both cool-headed and something of a pacifist, which is partially what Alexander factored into his decision. Obsivia is currently a war machine on the rampage, and Vvaria is more than happy to sidestep what calamities were visited on previous enemies. Thaaat's not to say it won't leave a sour taste in their mouth, and what they choose to do down the road to express their frustration will remain to be seen!

Right, slavery has been alive and well, but he's swelled these ranks through his wars, and he's also brought back crueler punishments and violent gladiator spectacles. There are pros and cons - cheap (well, free) labor is great, and violent entertainment sates the masses. Peasants think this is the resurgence of their power/culture/etc. But these practices aren't without their drawbacks too! The repercussions for his actions will have presence in the story, some more personal than others, though I'll refrain from going into details for the sake of spoilers. There is also a reason - besides simple temperament, though that's part of it too - that Alexander has chosen the most violent/forceful path, which will also be explored and deconstructed etc.

Haven't read that book, but will put it on a list! Yeah, I've no doubt of the traumatic consequences of rape in real life, and it's not something than can be come back from (or should be come back from) in a relationship. All I can say is that this story is essentially a fantasy, though we do try to make the characters and their emotions as realistic as possible - and we're flattered that you do find it realistic!

Thank you for a lovely and thoughtful comment, as always!!

@Anon "So excited for the next chapter!"

Thank you! Always great to see another person who enjoys plot and characterization as much as we do!

@Anon "Sadism"

Haha, some people like sadism! No, but I understand. It seems some commenters find Alexander too harsh, and other find him too soft, and a difference in opinion/preferences is only natural. We'll always keep an ear out for what you guys think, but since this issue seems so divisive, we're going to forge ahead with the characterization and arc we've already determined.

@Anon "Let the authors be authors"

Thank you for your confidence in us! Not to say we don't love hearing speculations and thoughts, of course, when they're more suggestions than presumptions.

@letsnotmeet

That's really gratifying to hear! We love writing the repartee too, and it's always a relief to know that we aren't the only ones finding ourselves funny, ahaha. (Alexander would also be super pleased to hear himself called emperor!)

@fictionsBFF

Thank you! Wedding is coming up in chapter 5, so you won't have to wait for long!

@Anon "Just wanted to say"

We love reading comments, so it's only fair for us to respond to them too - which we enjoy doing! And glad to provide story updates too. :D

Can piss off. It's nice having stories on here that actually have a plot and build up to the sexual parts, as not everyone wants to read about people just fucking.

I love this story, thank you for writing.

I'm a captivated fan indeed of this story and your writing! My gosh what a splendid pair of characters!

Was Edmure Alexander's brother?

@Anon "Anon down there vvv"

Ahaha, thank you! My sentiments exactly - there are too many trolls around these parts sometimes.

@EuphoriaSlam69

Aww, thank you so much! We tried to make each character interesting to follow, and their dynamics between each other the same.

@Anon "I'm a bit confused"

Oh no, Alexander's brother is Cassius (though his name hasn't been mentioned in the story yet). Alais was engaged to Cassius first, then Edmure. Edmure got killed by Alexander in a recent war, and we don't know what happened with Cassius yet, though he was older than Alexander and should have inherited the throne.

Keep up the good work.

Oh poor thing, could this get even worst for her. Great story. Encore!!!!

So far, the story has been excellent in terms of character development, and the creating romantic tension between the main characters.

This chapter ends in a cliff-hanger, when the princess sees the pin she gave to her suitor -- this creates an opportunity for the princess to be rebellious in the next chapter, and I look forward to the king "setting her straight".

Great job so far, and looking forward to getting to the next chapters!

This is a masterpiece

But I still want her to stick it to him. If not her then karma.

Very well thought out episodes. Enjoyed each and everyone of them. Fanatic build up of character and love your story telling style. Can't wait to get to next chapter.

I love the story on one hand but get so wound up angry knowing that she's going to fall for the pathological asshole.

this is an incredibly well-developed story, far above the bar set by most porn without piot. both characters are compelling and frankly, as much as want the princess to simply escape because let's be real nobody deserves this I know enough about history to know that this sort of thing happens all the time. And there are plenty of royal slaves who have somehow leveraged their assets into incredible power even becoming the next ruler.

Also, i am fascinated by motivations and as much as a POS as his Imperil Majesty is, its nothing out of the ordinary historically speaking (i mean king henry the 8th murdered 6 of his wives for god sake). I have a feeling that the princess is going to end up turning the tables or even ruling as a true equal alongside Alexander despite their extremely rough beginning as he respects her intelligence and capability and already has some deep respect for her at least on an intellectual level. He is just so used to having to exert dominance all the time to keep the rablle and nobles in check that he has never lowered his guard before and actually truly enjoyed a genuine relationship. That glimpse on just how bad things where under the previous king give you a lot on why he is as ruthless as he is, he has seen his kingdom starve under a soft king and clearly has deep trauma from that. He never wants that to happen again and the horrible acts are at their core to protect his people at all costs, whatever the cost. this clearly can go both ways and in this case, it has created a merciless conquerer in a world that has shown no room for mercy. but I think that this relationship will slowly mellow him out and teach him that if you use that excuse forever you will always be surrounded by those who fear and hate you not true allies.

Well written but Alexander is too much of a sadist for it to be enjoyable