princejackal

[princejackal]

Can we recruit humans into our army in return them and their descendants will never be enslaved again basically giving them freedom and making human slavery punishable by death and the reason I'm asking this I can see the vengeful and ruthless MC willing to pull any string that give them more numbers in

Hi anon

This has been in my inbox for so long. But I think I can answer it more confidently now.

So the short answer to your question is yes. And I think its actually a smart strategy.

While jinn have magical powers, they do have a weakness. And that is iron. Guess what, humans can use iron weapons and iron arrowheads in battle. This will give your army a huge advantage.

Currently in Jinnestan, all jinn in the army use bronze weapons. Even neighbouring kingdoms still rely on bronze but iron is slowly emerging.

The Philistines are masters of iron so maybe your MC can find some kind of an alliance or strike trade deal to get ironworking into the kingdom.

For the humans in your army, the promise of freedom for themselves and their descendants would be an incredible incentive.

But don't forget to share the loot of war fairly with them lol

Humans in your army will be a valuable asset and will give you an advantage against your uncle, the vizier.

Most jinn, including your allies or neutral factions, will tolerate your alliance with the human tribes. However they won't accept equality with the humans.

So managing an army with a mix of humans and jinn won't be easy. The jinn will want a larger share of the spoils of war compared to the humans. The jinn will expect human soldiers to do the menial work tasks like cooking and cleaning around the base and even expect the humans to do the dirty work of digging up trenches and setting up tents.

Your MC has other options for winning the war against your uncle. Your MC can be very pious and believe that taking back the throne is a divine task from the gods and so anyone who follows the MC can become zealous in fighting for the MC's divine mission.

There will be different pathways for your MC to take back their throne. Each with their own pros and cons.

A rather ruthless and cruel MC can assassinate supporters of your uncle. They can put entire towns or fortified settlements that remain loyal to your uncle to the sword and sell survivors into slavery to fund the war effort. So long as your MC wins battles and is seen as a strong leader, people will fall under their banner. They could join you out of fear (and to avoid being on the losing side) or they join you because they want the loot from your victorious battles.

Thanks for the question anon

[princejackal]

Hi.

I've seen the messages in my inbox informing me that Dashingdon is shutting down. Thank you.

I'll admit that I'm surprised. I didn't think anyone was still waiting for Jinn of Arabia since it's been awhile since I last updated the game.

I totally went past the deadline I promised you guys. Sorry about that.

So I moved the game to cogdemos.

I don't know when the next update is coming. I'm writing so slowly.

Part of the problem is that I keep second guessing myself. I've been wasting so much time rewriting sentences over and over again hoping to refine it better.

I know the game is a wip, so its not expected to be perfect from the get go and yet I feel like I need to refine it more. Which I know is unnecessary. The pursuit for perfection really does drain me.

So to give you some writing progress (I've still been writing), I did say that the beginning structure of the game no longer starts with the MC in prison and having them recall their life as a crown heir.

Rather now the game begins with the MC at age 10 and the reader lives through the life of being a royal.

The beginning childhood chapter is not going to be long. However it is necessary for the player to get the feel of being royalty.

You get to live the good, bad and ugly of being a crown heir of a young kingdom.

Growing up in opulence and riches is surely nice. But of course a young kingdom formed through war leaves a bitter taste in many people's mouths, especially the losing side.

Your MC will meet the consorts in the harem who are married to the sultan (MC's father). They are married to the sultan because their side lost the war and their clans had to submit unconditionally to your father.

Then of course you're going to exposed to the ugly. Your MC is a jinn and the servants who have cared for the MC their whole lives are human slaves. The eunuchs, maids and even the wet nurse is a slave. Jinn tend not to look fondly to humans but you get to decide how your MC views humans.

When your MC is trying to get their throne back, you can form alliances with human tribes/clans.

Honestly, I'm more excited about the fight scenes. Even the training scene with young MC feels fun... at least to me.

Even with the rewrite, the fundamentals stay the same. You know what happens to the MC on their 12th birthday.

Again, can't tell when I'll be ready to release something finally to you all.

For now, here is the link to the dashingdon version of Jinn of Arabia that has been moved to cogdemos.

If you'd like something to be explored in MC's childhood, don't be shy to send a suggestion.

Again thanks. And stay well!

[princejackal]

The most spoiled and cruel little brat 😮‍💨😂

I probably won't play that evil MC, but it's nice there are such options.

Will it be possible for MC to not be…too enthusiastic about being a ruler? That they would rather build a different life after they escape from prison?

Even if they probably have to fight for the throne and/or revenge anyway, because that's the main goal of the story, I presume

The main goal of the story for now will be to take back the throne.

And yes, your MC can be unenthusiastic about being a ruler. The story will begin with the MC being 10 years old, before the imprisonment.

The young MC can try to resist the immense pressure that is expected on them as the Crown Heir. Or embrace the role of being a spoiled and cruel little brat XD

The dream of a different life...

After years of being locked up, maybe a nice vacation is deserved. Alas, your MC first and foremost has to defeat the vizier before entertaining dreams of a different life lol

By the way, I don't plan on writing an evil MC. So an MC who kicks puppies for fun is not happening.

But a cruel MC, the kind of person who has no problem killing a perceived traitor and their entire family is a definite path.

Of course where you draw the line between evil and cruelty is up to you.

Thanks for the question anon

[princejackal]

April '24 Writing Progress

Greetings

I've been silent for some time. Don't worry, I'm still working on the WIP. I can confidently state that the rewrite will be published next month in May (not sure the exact day).

Funnily enough, last week I got an eyelid inflammation out of nowhere. I think it was blepharitis, but I'm no doctor. Thankfully now it's gone after a week of daily warm compressions over the eye and ointments.

But overall I've made good progress from last month. The surprising thing I've noticed is how mean your MC can be.

You can be mean as Joffrey... minus the sadism... probably

I've always thought the MC (and the player of course) would want to defeat the vizier because vizier is evil and is the bad guy. But so far, I think that is simplistic as a player can want to defeat the vizier for less noble goals.

Your MC could want to defeat the vizier out of cold revenge, or because they believe the throne is their birthright and therefore they're entitled to be in power or.... something along the line of believing that removing the vizier is just and an end in itself.

There is one scene I'm still re-writing and not satisfied with. And that is the fight scene with the Prison Commander. I know the feeling I'm trying to achieve with it but I've yet to nail it. Hopefully this coming week will be fruitful in completing that fight scene.

Anyway, that's it for now. I'm hopeful that next month will be the actual update. Fingers crossed.

Thanks

[princejackal]

Progress Report 17 March

Hi everyone!

So the re-write is going well. As I said before, the major change in the upcoming re-write is the chronology of events. Currently, your MC starts in prison and then through flashbacks they reminisce about their previous life. But I'm going to change that.

I believe the story will be better if the player goes through the life of their MC and how that leads to that betrayal at their 12th birthday.

Don't worry, you're not going to start with MC being a baby or something. You'll start as a ten years old and the player will experience the pressure and the huge expectations placed on them as the royal heir.

You'll also get a chance to get close to the vizier before the day of betrayal and understand his character a bit more. It will be interesting if MC was close to their uncle, the vizier, and then the betrayal happened. How would one cope with such treachery? Could you ever trust others.

That's it for now. Thanks for all your support

[princejackal]

Thank you for answering my question about the pets and I also have a question can the MC become strong enough to be the equivalent of a literal natural disaster

...a literal natural disaster

All I can say is that your MC can become very powerful. That is, if MC chooses to train and become stronger.

On the other hand, your MC could choose to spend their time forming connections and alliances. Being adept in royal politics is also powerful.

Thanks anon

[princejackal]

Quick question when the MC regain their throne would they be able to abolish slavery and gives the humans equal rights

Partially yes but overall no.

Equal rights sound good on paper but would fail in practice. The lived experiences of people in the kingdom makes it unimaginable.

For example, if someone stole your cattle, who do you go to for help? The central government? No, the kingdom is very decentralized. Even if you could get your case to the vizier or the ruler, it would take time to resolve.

In the meantime, who do rely on when your livelihood is stolen?

Your family. Your tribe.

Arabia is a harsh place. To survive, you need your family for protection and they're your safety net. Intense kinship networks criss-cross the kingdom.

If you belong to a weak tribe that has few members, good luck fighting up against some dude who belongs to a powerful tribe. Equality isn't going to get you anywhere. But the threat of real retaliation from ones family instructs the behavior of others.

And even in your own tribe, are you equal to an elder or even an older cousin? No. Socially, obeying your betters would be ingrained from birth.

The kingdom is very hierarchical. Obedience and conformity is enforced. And guess what, this is also true in neighboring kingdoms. Equality that we understand from our modern world doesn't exist.

Humans are known to even worship some jinn. And jinn can cast magic while humans usually can't. Passing a law stating that jinn and humans are equal would be laughable to everyday people. No royal official is going to enforce said law.

Coming back to slavery. Could your MC ban it outright after retaking the throne.

Not outright. Because the institution of slavery is ingrained in society and also around the world currently.

Even the humans have slaves. They'll also protest any attempt to ban the institution.

But I did say you could ban it partially. Banning debt slavery is possible in the game. Effectively, MC will be banning someone from selling themselves or their children into bondage in order to repay debts.

However, even banning debt slavery will be an uphill battle. Those currently benefitting from the status quo will fight tooth and nail to preserve their privileges.

Usually, kings during this time period chose to forgive the debts of everyone across their kingdom from time to time. This allowed those in debt bondage to go back home. It also provided comfort to the poor who usually inherited unpayable levels of debts from previous generations.

That's another avenue for your MC to take.

There's no magic bullet anon. Don't forget the game takes place around 1000 BC. So what was common place back then is alien to us.

Thanks for the interesting question anon

[princejackal]

Can the MC keep multiple pets

Isn't the pet rat enough for you anon haha

Currently in the rewrite, a young MC can have one pet. The list the player can choose is broken into two types.

The first type of pets are ordinary animals that we all know and love: a dog, cat or a monkey.

The second type the player can choose instead is mythical animals:

Rukh: It's like a giant bird. But MC will get a youngling that is small.

Almiraj: it's a bunny with a horn on its head.

So all in all, you get five options. Getting multiple pets is likely going to happen after MC retakes the throne.

I'm open to other pet suggestions if you think they'd be interesting to add. Don't forget your MC is going to be imprisoned so their poor pet friend will have to wait a long time for a reunion. That is if you're able to defeat the vizier

Thanks for the question anon

[princejackal]

how and when will the "man that looks like a woman" come into play? 👀

...

Characters will take note of it. How they'll respond will depend on the person of course. Your friends and close allies won't care. Your detractors on the other hand will use it against you.

The kingdom (and the rest of the world) is patriarchal and a male mc who looks feminine is not going to be seen as the 'standard' strong masculine ruler.

But don't worry, it won't affect the story to the point where MC is going to be harassed constantly about it.

So when will it come into play? I've already written a scene of a young MC meeting a foreign delegation. The foreign envoy will be professional and not say anything to MC. But his children... not so much

So anon, just wait and see. You'll see how it will play out

Thanx for the question

[princejackal]

I want to know can we wish to be the most powerful sorcerer in the world like jafar did I want to know the imitations of The wishes like can MC wish to be a strong as a God or not and and why do I feel it's a monkey paw scenario with the wishes

You're asking for some serious spoilers anon lol

I'll try answering your question without revealing much of what will happen in the future parts of the story

Let's not forget that the lamp is not yours! MC made a deal with the snake. So the snake released MC in exchange for two promises: MC will find and bring the lamp to the snake; and most importantly the MC MUST NOT RUB THAT LAMP

The genie in the lamp is not going to dish out monkey paw wishes. That's why the snake REALLY wants to find that lamp.

The real question is why a powerful being like the snake wants the MC to find the lamp instead of the snake finding it itself. What's so special about the MC that the snake is willing to make a deal with them?

No spoilers of course XD

I'm going to entertain the scenario that the MC gets a wish from the lamp. Could MC ask to be as powerful as a deity. Yes and no. Yes, MC could be granted the wish to be an immortal divine being.

But also no. The lamp can't make MC a powerful god. The power of the gods come from their followers and how devote those followers are. So the lamp can't force people to become suddenly devote to MC or create followers out of nowhere.

Whether the MC can wish to be an immortal divine being in the first place is interesting but you'll have to stick around to see how the story unfolds lol

Thanks for the question anon

[princejackal]

Will there be other appearance options except skin tone?

I think so.

I'm not the best descriptive writer out there lol. I tend to focus mostly on the plot.

But the appearance options won't affect the plot much. My focus is on the elemental powers that the player chooses.

Thanks for the question anon!

[princejackal]

The RO List

This is a long time coming.

This is a list of confirmed ROs in the game. So far I’ve focused on love interests who your MC will meet early on in the game. Love interests from other kingdoms like Assyria, Babylon and one of the Aramean states have yet to be included.

In the game, marriage is about political gain. So your MC is suppose to marry for an alliance and not because they simply love the other person. While most love interests can be romanced by both male and female MCs, a marriage will only be recognised between heterosexual couples. But gay couples can have a private ceremony to affirm their relationship.

DISCLAIMER! Your MC can choose not to marry and be single. They can choose to monogamous to one person. Or they can decide to have numerous nameless concubines to bear children for them. It’s really up to you.

Now on to the list.

The Companions:

The first group of ROs are your three companions you’ll meet shortly after getting out of prison.

Name: Najim/Najima [M/F]

Race: Ghoul

Magic Type: Blood Manipulation, Shapeshifting

Description: Your friendly neighbourhood ghoul. N is the one who helps you out after you escape from prison. He/She sees your potential and is willing to go the extra mile for you. N doesn’t mind cracking a few skulls or eggs in order to secure back your throne. But don’t expect them to open up to you in the beginning. N has a past that they’d like to keep hidden.

Political Power: N doesn’t have a family to help you. In fact, N would be reluctant to marry your MC because it would cause a scandal. Even though N is a jinn, they are a wrong type of jinn. Ghouls are not seen in the best of light in the kingdom. Their shapeshifting ability has given them a bad reputation because shapeshifting is mostly used for espionage and assassination jobs.

Name: Leila [F]

Race: Qarin

Magic: Earth Manipulation

Description: Leila comes from a merchant family. But times have been hard for her family as trade routes have been monopolised in the kingdom and only those politically connected to the elites get good trade routes.

Leila is an excellent negotiator and can sell anything to anyone. Like any good merchant she has detractors who accuse her of being a charlatan and swindler who sells fake jewelry at highly inflated prices. But she never let’s criticism get in her way of securing the bag.

Political Power: Leila has contacts around the kingdom. Even though her family isn’t super rich, their wealthy enough and well-connected enough to assist you in reclaiming your throne. They won’t help you out for free but they expect the MC to pay them back.

Name: Zaki [M]

Race: Marid

Magic: Water Manipulation

Description: Zaki is currently a fisherman. He comes from a family of mercenaries. He spent years fighting for others in foreign lands. But he got sick and tired of the bloodshed. After the death of his younger brother, he decided to return to Jinnestan and live a simple life. But his simple life will become complicated when he helps the MC out and gets embroiled in the conflict between the MC and the vizier.

Political Power: Zaki comes from a good family. His family knows how to fight and can help the MC out in a war situation. The tribe Zaki comes from is known for their bravery. That’s why in the kingdom they’re hired to protect caravan routes from bandits.

The Betrothed:

You’ll first meet these two ROs during your twelfth birthday party. Your father wants to solidify your right to the throne. And has decided a good betrothal will put you in a good position.

The player is not forced to marry the person they’re betrothed to. After the incident that occurred in MC’s birthday party, the player is free to choose whoever they feel will secure them the throne.

Name: Raita [F]

Race: [Depends on MC’s Race Choice]

Magic: [Depends on MC’s First Elemental Power]

Description: Raita is your cousin from your father’s side. She’s known to be reserved and mostly keeps to herself. Raita is an excellent gardener and spends her free time tending to the plants in the palace. Surprisingly, your uncle finds Raita to be so non-threatening that she can go in and out of the royal palace without first seeking permission . But even though she’s quiet, she’s aware of her precarious position in court and tries hard to not arouse attention to herself. Raita however makes sure to keep notes on what goes on in the palace.

Political Power: Raita comes from the MC’s family tribe but is from a different clan than the MC. She’s your second cousin to be specific. A marriage with her would solidify your family’s support of you and de-legitimise the vizier.

Name: Qaus [M] (*NB: I’ve yet to change his name currently in demo)

Race: Half-Jinn, Half-Nephilim

Magic: Levitation

Description: Qaus is the second eldest son of the king of Edom. He believes he’s better than his brother and therefore should rule Edom. But his father has other plans. So most of the time his bored and spends reading scrolls from scholars. He longs for adventure and a chance to prove himself to his father.

Political Power: Qaus is a prince. A marriage with him would create an alliance between two kingdoms. Such an alliance would be beneficial for the MC. But it also poses a risk as Edom frequently comes into conflict with Israel and could drag Jinnestan into it if the MC is not careful.

High Risk, High Reward:

So this marriage would be very controversial and has many pitfalls for the MC. But if MC plays their cards right, you can end up on top. So here are two siblings from the second powerful tribe in the kingdom.

Name: Suhail [M]

Race: Hinn

Magic: Wind Manipulation

Description: Suhail is known to be carefree. He loves going out and partying hard. Coming from a very rich and powerful family, he organises a party every week in his house. Most people don’t take him seriously. He’s seen as a goofball, a guy who likes cracking jokes at inappropriate times. And Suhail prefers having people think he’s not a serious threat.

Political Power: Suhail belongs to the second most powerful tribe in the kingdom. During the war of unification, Suhail’s tribe opposed MC’s father and allied themselves with other tribes who didn’t want Arabia to be united. But at the final battle against your father, Suhail’s tribe switched sides in the middle of fighting. They betrayed their allies and launched a surprise attack from the rear against their former allies.

This would hand a total victory to your father. And MC’s father decided to reward Suhail’s tribe for switching sides. Over time, the tribe became more powerful and richer. They’re pretty much distrusted by most people in the kingdom for their dishonorable act. But a marriage with them will give you a powerful ally. So powerful that they could consume the MC in their web if the player is not careful.

Name: Samar [F]

Race: Hinn

Magic: Wind Manipulation

Description: Unlike her brother, Suhail, who enjoys partying all the time, Samar tries to get people to take her seriously. She spends her free time writing and publishing poems and stories. She organises poetry competitions at her home and provides financial support for young artists in the capital. Samar uses most of her income for charitable ventures like building orphanages and giving aid to poor widows.

She’s trying hard to repair her family reputation the best she can. But she can be vindictive. She’ll use her power and influence to crush anyone who mocks or speaks ill of her family.

Political Power: Again just like her brother, she belongs to a powerful tribe. A tribe that could help MC instead of supporting the vizier.

And that's it for now. The re-write is chugging along well

[princejackal]

Good to see you back again and also I have a question is the snake a Ro or not and will it betray us when we get it the oil lamp and also can we use the wishes from the oil lamp to make ourselves ridiculously Op and also how many wishes will we get from the oil lamp is it the standard three wishes or because of the economy these days it reduced to one wish

I can't answer everything anon as that would be too spoilery

But I can tell you that the snake is not a RO lol. Whether the snake will betray you... I can't answer that.

The lamp in this story is inspired by the one in the original 1001 Nights tale. Thus the person who has the lamp has unlimited wishes.

Great, right. There's a catch however. Your MC will discover the secrets of the lamp after finding it

Thanks for the question anon

[princejackal]

Silas are extremely good-looking? Author, I now respectfully demand you make MC have such beauty even the gods envy them, please and thank you 🧎‍♀️🧎😩

LOL!!!

You know, in the Epic of Gilgamesh, the goddess Ishtar didn't take no for an answer.

She wanted Gilgamesh so much that when he rejected her (for good reason), she asked for a bull to be released from heaven to attack Gilgamesh even though by releasing the beast she knew it would cause drought.

Then let's not forget the Greek gods, some of them turn themselves into animals so they can have their way with mortals.

The moral of the story: you don't want any god/goddess to envy your MC's beauty.

But alas, who am I to deny you of your wish anon. Don't worry, you'll have a choice to make your MC so good looking that they'll need a face mask to get by

[princejackal]

In the demo, the sultan mentioned MC being capable of controlling the four elements. Will this be possible? 🤞🥹 Also, will the Silas we encounter be a RO? Hope you’re doing ok, it’s been a long time since you’ve last been active. Please stay safe ❤️

It was always my intention to give the player a choice to learn more elements or focus on other things like using your time to build alliances.

So it's up to you. If you want to learn more elements then go for it. It will take time for the MC to learn all four elements but you can achieve it

I'm back now. Sorry for the absence. And thanks for the well wishes xD

[princejackal]

Hi, is it dead?

It's been awhile since I last updated the game.

I'm currently doing a re-write. Instead of starting with the MC in prison, I want to explore the life of the MC before the imprisonment.

I think I rushed the beginning of the game too much. So that's why I think I re-write is needed.

To answer your question, the story was dead but not anymore.

Thanx

[princejackal]

Long May He Reign

Jamaal groaned.

He couldn’t sleep. He had been in bed for hours and couldn’t fall asleep. He turned to look over the open window near his bed.

It was still dark outside and the full moon was illuminating the night sky.

He got up from bed and walked to his desk. He might as well get work done if he’s not going to sleep.

There were many scrolls on his desk. Mostly they were reports dealing with taxes, customs and appeals for tax relief.

Fortunately, Jamaal was adept with numbers. He never gets bored reading these reports. That’s why he’s a good vizier. He never shies away from work.

Unlike his late brother who was too fond of raiding and waging war. Thank goodness Jamaal got rid of him. The kingdom would’ve been bankrupt under the late sultan’s reign.

But now the kingdom was safe under his capable hands.

Knock. Knock.

Jamaal stared at the door. He pulled out his sword. One can never be too safe.

“Who is it?” he asked out loud.

“It’s me, Subhi, Your Lordship,” the chief eunuch responded behind the door. “I apologise for waking you up.”

“Come in, Subhi. I was already awake.”

The chief eunuch entered.

Jamaal noticed that Subhi’s face looked fearful.

“What’s the matter?” Jamaal sighed. “Did one of the servants steal your tea again?”

The chief eunuch didn’t smile.

“I bring grave news, Vizier,” Subhi said seriously. “It’s about the Royal Heir.”

“Are they asking for more food or more time out of their cell this time around?”

Jamaal wasn’t planning on giving MC anything. The Royal Heir was spoilt and time in prison will grow their character.

“No, Your Lordship. The Royal Heir hasn’t asked for that. Instead–”

Jamaal laughed and cut Subhi off, “Let me guess. They want to be set free, huh?”

“Vizier, please give me a chance to speak.”

“Subhi, relax. Look how stiff you are. You’re sending yourself to an early grave. Have some fun and humour me for once. I’ll try another guess. Did the Royal Heir ask for an allowance?”

Subhi stared at Jamaal in silence.

Jamaal grinned, “I got it right, huh? I always figure these things out. Send a letter to the prison commander and inform him that MC will get no special treatment. I no longer wish to hear from the Royal Heir. I’ve too much work to deal with the unreasonable requests from MC.”

“MC has escaped.”

Jamaal stared at Chief Eunuch Subhi. Did he hear him correctly?

“Pardon?” Jamaal asked, wanting the chief eunuch to repeat himself.

“The Royal Heir has escaped prison.”

[SCENARIO ONE: MC DELIVERED COMMANDER’S HEAD]

Subhi threw a bag on Jamaal’s desk.

“What’s this?” Jamaal asked.

“It’s best you open it, Your Lordship.”

So Jamaal did and looked inside the bag. A detached head stared blankly back at him.

“Well… this is an interesting development,” Jamaal admitted.

“What are you going to do?” asked Subhi.

“Bring the rest of the commander’s body to the capital so he can be buried honourably. It’s the least we can do for his family.”

“Of course, Vizier. But you selected this prison commander and now he’s dead.”

Jamaal shrugged, “He’s already dead, Subhi. Do you expect me to weep? The commander is useless to me now. I made a mistake in trusting his capabilities.”

[SCENARIO TWO: MC SIMPLY ESCAPED FROM PRISON]

Subhi threw a bag on Jamaal’s desk.

“What’s this?” Jamaal asked.

“Reports. Testimonies. Letters. More is expected in the coming days from the prison.”

Jamaal shrugged, “I’m not reading all those scrolls. The Royal Heir has already escaped.”

“Don’t you wish to know how MC escaped?”

“Did a foreign army capture the prison and set MC free?”

“No.”

“Did the gods descend from the heavens and open the cells of the prison.”

“No.”

“Then I’m not interested in reading the reports.”

[END OF SCENARIOS]

Jamaal didn’t expect MC to escape the prison. But now he had to deal with this mess.

“Will you organise a search party to find the MC?” asked the chief eunuch.

Jamaal shook his head, “Arabia is too vast to find one person.”

Subhi scratched his head, “You’re going to let MC run around the kingdom?”

Jamaal laughed, “A seed cannot grow in barren soil, Subhi.”

“Obviously, Your Lordship. But I don’t get how seeds and soil will help you deal with MC escaping.”

Jamaal shook his head and pulled out a scroll from his inner pocket. The scroll had a list of twenty names.

Subhi read the names. “Vizier, why are you keeping a list of names in your pocket?”

“I had hoped that this day would never come but unfortunately I must act. These are the names of persons who are likely to support MC in taking the throne.”

“Oh.”

“Yes. They have to die now, of course. Without a strong network of supporters, the Royal Heir will never be able to get the throne and the kingdom will remain safe in my hands.”

“I see. But how will you kill them before MC gets to them.”

“I’ll bring them to me and then get rid of them.”

Subhi laughed, “Have you forgotten what happened during MC’s twelfth birthday? I don’t think anyone will trust you if you call them to the capital.”

“I’m not going to call them to the capital. That would be too suspicious.”

“But how else will you get them to come to you?”

“War.”

“War?”

“War brings everyone together. The prospect of loot and adventure calls everyone. I’ll call everyone to the frontier.”

Subhi smiled, “So will you attack Sheba?”

“No. We trade with Sheba and I won’t interfere with them.”

“What about the Arameans? Pillaging Aram-Damascus could entice your enemies to join you in the war effort.”

“The Arameans are too poor. They won’t entice anyone to join me.”

“Israel then.”

Jamaal stared at Subhi in disbelief. “You want me to lose a war against David so that MC can take the throne easily?”

“Of course not, Vizier. David is unlikely to be on the battlefield as he usually sends his general instead. That’s why I suggested it.”

“Is that so?” Jamaal was suspicious.

“Yes, of course, Vizier. I’m loyal. I have a good word that the king of Israel is far more interested in women bathing on rooftops than going to battle. Rumour has it that the king is so lazy now that he did nothing when his eldest son forced himself on–”

“Subhi, that’s enough. I’m actually interested in pillaging Babylonia. They are weak but still have plenty of treasure in their capital of Babylon.”

“You are most wise, Your Lordship.”

Jamaal nodded. “That’s why I’m the Vizier and you are just a eunuch. The gods saw it fit to put us in different positions in life.”

Indeed, Your Lordship.”

Jamaal was satisfied with his plans. He’ll kill two birds at once. He’ll gather all potential MC supporters in one place. And secondly, he’ll have a standing army and MC won’t.

“Rumours will spread of his escape in the meantime,” Subhi warned.

“Suppress the rumours. Or at least sow confusion on whether MC escaped in the first place.”

“I won’t disappoint you, Vizier.”

“Good.”

Subhi left Jamaal’s chambers.

Jamaal returned to bed and yawned. He felt sleepy now. Even though MC escaped, it probably is a blessing in disguise.

He could use this opportunity to get rid of the Royal Heir once and for all. If Jamaal played his cards well, he could end up taking the throne for himself.

And that will be for the best. As sultan, Jamaal will keep the realm safe and peaceful.

Jamaal closed his eyes and fell asleep. He couldn’t wait to be sultan.

Long May He Reign.