Chapter 66: Absolute Bastard

The words had nearly broken her… How could they have not? They were so… antiquated… so absurd. And yet spoken so coldly and clinically.

Proposing an alliance through marriage? What was this the 11th century? Brooke’s immediate instinct was to reject it.

But she caught herself before she could. She was acting emotionally to a comment clearly designed to provoke such a response from her.

Assuming the sincerity of the offer, no matter how insane it was. This was actually a more favorable outcome than she had ever predicted.

Clearly the man wasn’t lusting after her, as he could not truly see her appearance, nor she his. This was a pragmatic offer of mutual survival through means of blood ties.

It was old world logic, but the new world was gone. And resorting to tribalism and raiding seemed to have made a comeback within the long winter.

If she accepted this offer, she would more or less be binding herself to this man for the rest of her life. She didn’t know him, she didn’t know what he looked like, hell she didn’t even know his name.

But none of that was important…. Not really, what mattered was what he could provide to her and the dozens of lives she was responsible for. This wasn’t just some rundown neighborhood that had barely survived the snow.

These people… They had built something atop the ruins of the old world, and they were exactly who she needed to retake what had been stolen from her.

It took a few moments of awkward silence between them, but eventually Brooke cleared her throat and looked the man in the eyes with the utmost determination.

“I accept your terms….”

The wind howled across the gate as seconds passed between them. One, two, three… Then his eyes twitched. And before Dean had even responded, Brooke knew she had fucked up.

“I mean… I was just trying to test your resolve. If my wife found out that I came home with a new fiancée, she’d probably kill me in my sleep.”

The statement was what it was… It sucked the oxygen out of the environment as Brooke’s people stared at the two of them with utter disbelief.

And Daniel who was standing by Dean’s side struggled not to laugh at the absurdity of it all. Brooke, however, stood still. Her hands trembling beneath her thick winter gloves. Her cheeks flushed just enough to become visible from behind her scarf.

She had overplayed her hand, and she realized it. This man had so shamelessly toyed with such a serious concept. All to test her sincerity. And she had fallen right into the trap he laid out for her.

In her own mind, she was cursing up a storm.

Brooke, you idiot! Of course he wasn’t serious! You have made an absolute fool of yourself and your position!

No… that wasn’t true… She wasn’t the one who had overplayed her hand, he was…. Brooke immediately shifted from a state of internal panic to a sinister smirk beneath her scarf.

“You are aware,” Brooke said slowly, “that most men do not test a negotiation by proposing marriage.”

Dean sighed and shook his head, not quite realizing the angle Brooke was playing. He nodded his head in understanding and shamelessly spoke with certainty in his eyes.

“Yeah… I know… but I’m not most men.”

Brooke did not relent, her eyes narrowed slightly.

“And since you have already placed such an offer on the table, you now have two options.”

Dean raised an eyebrow.

“Oh?”

“You may either honor the proposal… or compensate me for the damage done to my reputation.”

Dean stood there in complete and total silence for more than a few seconds. He had not expected in the slightest that this woman would try to hold him to such a remark.

Honor the proposal, or compensate her for the damage done to her reputation? What? Did she think she was a noble maiden whose purity held political significance? What was this, the goddamn 11th century?

It was absurd in the worst way possible, but Dean also knew that she was weaponizing his reputation in front of his own men… And when he understood that fact, a single thought flashed through his mind.

This little bitch…

He wasn’t angry… He was incredibly impressed. He had never met a woman in his life who had such pragmatic resolve. Well, that’s not entirely true. There was one, a business associate from his days as a private contractor for the public sector. But that was ancient history.

Dean shook his head, as if to scatter those ill memories from the back of his mind, and instantly reclaimed his agency of thought. He stared at her for a moment before a low chuckle escaped him.

“You know,” he said, “most people beg when they come to my gates.”

Brooke didn’t blink. She simply flung his own words back at him.

“Yeah… I know… but I am not most people.”

Daniel could no longer hold it in, and chuckled beneath his breath, causing Dean to shoot him a hostile glare. Instantly stilling the boy back to attention. Once he had done so, Dean thought about this matter carefully.

This girl was smart… smarter than he had given her credit for. And ruthlessly pragmatic. She was right… He really had two options. He could honor his word to her and take a second wife, and in doing so, no doubt cause a disruption in his domestic peace that he had just finally forged after so much trouble.

Or he could compensate the woman for the insult he had given her. This would be admitting weakness to a refugee at his own gates. That was simply unacceptable. His position as Archon relied on strength and the ability to project it. He couldn’t appear weak, not in front of his men.

In this brave new world, reputation was all… And to turn Brooke and her people away after such an offer would not only harm his reputation out there in the frozen wasteland beyond Elysium’s walls. But among his own men who maintained the order within his own domain.

He had come to a conclusion, and once he had done so, he would not stray from it. Dean stared at her for a long moment.

Then he shrugged.

“Fine.”

Brooke blinked.

“Fine?”

“It’s the apocalypse,” Dean said. “I doubt the laws against bigamy survived it.”

He turned toward the gate guards.

“Open the gates.”

Then he glanced back at Brooke.

“Welcome to Elysium… honey.”

Brooke stared in disbelief. Realizing that she had in the end been the one who had overplayed her hand.

All the while, Daniel patted Dean on the shoulder as he passed him by, and whispered a taunt in his ear. “Congratulations, Archon, on your betrothal. I am sure that Lady Yuki will be very pleased.”

Dean internally groaned as he trudged back through the gates utterly defeated. He didn’t realize it, but Brooke had heard Daniel’s words, and instantly realized Dean wasn’t bluffing. He really did already have a woman by his side. And a single thought hissed through her lips the moment she understood this.

“You absolute bastard….”

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