How I Accidentally Built a Kingdom

When I woke up the next morning Julia was still quietly sleeping in my arms.

The memories she had shared with me of her past, still fresh in my mind.

I had added a name to a list that hadn’t existed before last night.

A list of people that had to suffer for daring to hurt the woman I loved.

Even if they hadn’t succeeded, and at the very top of that list was this ’Duke Charles’ character, for even attempting to have Julia’s life taken, his own would be reaped.

And then there was that ’orphanage’, whoever was in charge of that place would suffer just as much, maybe even more.

I might be a very easygoing person, but I would not let any person threaten or endanger my wife.

Even if I had to go to the ends of the world to make them pay, I would do it.

I had been quietly pondering the torture I should inflict upon these people, and how I would achieve my goal of making them pay, when an incessant banging started on the door of our room.

Which of course startled Julia awake, yet another crime that should be punished.

I stormed to the door, preparing myself to give the person on the other side a piece of my mind as soon as I ripped open the door.

But those thoughts fled from my mind the moment I saw who was standing on the other side.

Before me stood a completely different Cat than I had met the previous day.

Gone was the elegant red dress, replaced by armor as dark as night, its edges decorated with a red that made it look like blood was dripping from the edges.

"When I say ’first thing in the morning’ I mean first thing in the morning." She said as she stormed past me into the room.

Plopping down on the bed next to a smiling Julia.

"Seriously sis, you’ve been way too soft on him." Cat said.

At that moment I decided that the best way to handle the situation was definitely to just ignore it.

I mean I really didn’t need to give Cat any more reason to hate me.

And since I now knew that she had saved Julia from that pig, she had earned my respect more than she had by simply being family.

I turned away from the two women sitting on the bed, ignoring as Cat went on about how Julia should have been a lot harder on me with my training.

Why that was necessary I had no idea, I mean I wasn’t planning on becoming a warrior, I just wanted to be able to protect myself, my family, and my businesses.

"Have you at least trained him in magic use in com—"

It was at that moment that I decided to pull off my shirt, reaching into my storage to pull out a new one.

I didn’t see anything wrong with this.

I mean it’s not like I was stripping myself down completely, I just wanted to put on a new shirt.

At least I turned my back on them right.

Apparently Cat didn’t see it like that.

The moment Cat’s voice drifted off mid-sentence, my senses flared up.

They screamed at me to do something.

That danger was approaching, and it was approaching rapidly.

I subconsciously raised a wall of water behind me, how I managed that I can’t tell you.

How I knew to do it, I have even less of an idea.

But I immediately heard something make contact with the water, and felt extreme heat on my back as the steam billowed toward me.

I turned around, my new shirt still around my neck, only to see a new fireball appear in Cat’s hand.

A blush crept up on Cat’s face when she saw me in that position.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Julia and I yelled at the same time, Julia even went as far as to slap the back of Cat’s head.

"Me!?" Cat responded, rubbing the back of her head. "What the hell are you doing, stripping in front of me?"

"Stripping?" I asked. "I’m just putting on a new shirt!"

"Well, why the hell are you taking your shirt off in front of me? It’s indecent!" Cat said.

"Indecent?" I asked, looking down at myself.

For a moment I even wondered if I actually looked that bad, I mean what was indecent about it?

In the little time I’ve spent with this woman she had shaken my boundless confidence twice.

Maybe that was a hidden talent of hers?

"What’s indecent about it?" I asked, quite serious, I mean where I was from for a man to be shirtless was pretty normal.

I could see Cat’s expression darkening with each moment I didn’t have a shirt on.

"You’re half naked!" She yelled.

I quickly pulled on my shirt when I saw her preparing another fireball, Julia once again slapping the back of her sister’s head.

"He doesn’t know better." She said, "Where he’s from it’s normal for men to go shirtless."

"Thank you!" I exclaimed, my wife truly understood me.

Finally it looked like Cat had calmed down a bit, slowly the brightness in her eyes dimmed a bit.

The fireballs in her hands dissipated.

"Where he’s from, eh?" She said, "So you are an other-worlder."

"Yes," I answered simply.

"Interesting," She muttered.

"What’s interesting about it? I’m here now, and I’m just another person." I said.

Cat’s gaze snapped back to me, surprise flickering through her eyes.

"So you’re not planning to start conquering countries? Changing civilisations? Become the most powerful man in this world? Any of that?" She asked.

Honestly all of those questions baffled me.

"Why would I want that?"

"I just want a quiet life, own a few businesses, and enjoy life with my beautiful wife." I answered. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Once again Cat’s expression showed surprise.

"Interesting," She whispered again.

Honestly I didn’t have any idea what she found so interesting about it all.

"Anyway, today you will be sparring with me." Cat said, standing from the bed. "And in our matches magic is allowed."

I couldn’t keep a complicated expression off my face at that moment.

"Do I have to spar with you?" I asked.

Immediately a frown appeared on Cat’s face.

"Why?" She asked. "Are you afraid?"

"No," I answered, my gaze drifting over to Julia. "It’s just I..."

My words drifted off, I had no idea how I should tell her that I was terrified of sparring against women, not because I was afraid of losing.

That didn’t bother me at all.

It was more that I was terrified of hurting them.

I didn’t think I would be able to take that.

"He doesn’t like hurting women." Julia answered for me.

"So what?" Cat asked, turning to face Julia as she got up from the bed. "He’s going to avoid all battles with women?"

"As far as I can, yes." I answered.

"You’re an even bigger idiot than I thought," Cat said again, turning back to me. "In this case you can’t avoid it, so you’re just going to have to man up and face me."

"Fine," I sighed, following after Cat as she walked out of the room, Julia right on her heels.

"Though I don’t find it very manly." I whispered.