The forgotten dictator

“Meilani?”

“Yes, Your Highness?”

“Why are humans so foolish?”

“... you are insulting yourself.”

“That’s besides the point.” She finally raised her head, her amethyst eyes attentively watching me as I rocked back and forth with a book tightly in my hands.

“What exactly do you mean?”

“Take this guy, Caius, for example.” I raised the book to show her the cover. “I don’t get why he makes it unnecessarily difficult for himself to get his hands on the crown. He could stop being such an asshole-“

“Language!”

“-I meant tyrant and try to win the hearts of his people over without any blood. Fear isn’t going to last forever. The oppressed are meant to rise from the ashes at some point. Just like phoenixes. This reign of tyranny won’t last for eternity, so why not find a healthy, sustainable way?”

“People like that are controlled by their hatred. They mean to punish the world for the wrongs of their past. They want to build one that aligns with their ideals by force, not stopping until satisfaction has come.” My teacher closed her journal and folded her hands in her lap. “They cannot see, blinded by the illusion they have created. This is a complex topic and you cannot say this about everything. Everybody has different reasons, different motivations. But they all reach a point where they have forgotten who they are.”

I lowered my book and peeked at her, grimacing.

“I’m not entirely satisfied with that answer”, I mumbled under my breath. “Do you know that dictator who lead an elimination war for eight consecutive years?” I stood up, leaning against the window of the carriage and tilted my head.

Meilani nodded in surprise.

“You know about him? That happened before the Great War.”

I pouted, feeling as though she was underestimating my knowledge, though I knew that anything from the First World was hardly known. “That old scholar we met at the borders told me a little about him, but since there wasn't a lot of information, I wrote a letter to Jin and asked him if he had heard about him before.”

She coughed in disbelief.

“His Highness Prince Jin told you about him?”

I grinned. “How come you’re so surprised? My brother’s an airhead sometimes but he studied history in one of the most prestigious academies and graduated with flying colors.”

“I did not mean to-“

“It’s fine. Anyway, that man’s reign lasted for eight years during which he committed genocide after genocide. His goal was to expand his empire to the east but while doing so he dug the grave of his country. His homeland was left in pieces, shallow shadows of what it once was, and when cornered by enemies, he committed suicide with his closest generals. That’s cowardice in my eyes.”

“How so? I think many would consider this a strong sense of honor.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Strong sense of honor? That’s pride getting in the way of something greater. He should have taken responsibility if he had any honor left. His people suffered because of him. Brainwashed, driven to near insanity. He should have admitted defeat and sign a peace treaty. Isn’t a ruler supposed to do what is best for the people?”

Meilani shook her head, causing her dark curls to bounce lightly. “But that is the thing: It was not the people he cared for. It was the nation. There is a difference. Also, he was not someone who would be willing to admit failure.”

I pouted, not wanting to accept that. “... As much as I hate to admit it, I have to say that he had a remarkable way of convincing others. That’s what makes it crueler. They were willing to follow him. And they all did, even in death.”

“And do you know how he did that?”, she asked, already knowing the answer.

I clicked with my tongue. “He took advantage of the dissatisfaction poisoning the land. Twisting the wishes of the people to something vicious and with that, his ideology was born. One that allowed him to annihilate millions.” I paused, turning around with my eyes narrowed in displeasure. “Now that I think about it, why did no one stop him earlier? The nations around him were just as powerful, they could have prevented the war from breaking out in the first place. Why didn’t they?”

“Why do you think they didn’t?”

“I am not sure. I was told there was a war before that and perhaps the world was afraid. Maybe they thought of it as nothing at first?” My voice went a pitch higher as I wasn’t completely satisfied with my own words and that possibility. Meilani nodded.

“Exactly. They thought this man would be satisfied after claiming some land and that would be it. They were wrong.”

“... that’s naïve. I get why he just went all the way after that. The lack of resistance proved his superiority.”

The dark-skinned woman raised an eyebrow. “Does that mean you would have done the same, then?”

I did the same. “I would have not started a dictatorship, in the first place. Besides, I’d prefer to destroy another nation from the inside out. It’s safer.”

“But safer is not always better”, she replied instantly.

“I never said that.” Her lips parted into an amused smile.

“So, you think you could have been a better ruler?”

I shrugged, twirling a long strand of silver hair around my fingers. “Sure, at least I wouldn’t have caused my people to suffer that much.”

“Are you certain?” My teacher’s eyes were fixated on me, observing my expression with the highest of attention.

“I would be a better sovereign that you think.”

The amused look on her face disappeared. There was a moment of silence between us when suddenly, she had found her voice again. “Your Highness, may I ask you something?”

I nodded, she sighed. “Being the ruler of an empire is not as easy as you seem to take it for. I know you mean well, you have grown to be a smart young man with a strong mind. These past seven years I have spent with you have taught me of your potential, but that alone and your beliefs of how an emperor is supposed to be might not be enough in the end. It takes so much more than that, my prince. And I am not certain if you can shoulder those. Your father, His Majesty Emperor Cyrill, will be announcing his successor in the next seven months, which is why I will ask you this now.” She took a breath and I knew what she was about to say.

“Will you fight for the Alexandrian throne?”