Chapter 13

After a chapter of down and dirty trench warfare (a taste of what I want to do for the big battles in the future   Maybe   ). I wanted to address our favorite star-crossed lovers/partners. Robert and Eli have this interesting sexual roleplay thing in their relationship, beyond just the BDSM stuff they experimented with. Here's the thing with sex, it's not just about the penis and an human orifice, there's a deeper connection and meaning. Pleasure is what everyone feels, if you're doing it right, but the connection that people feel with really good sex is beyond words. 

As for the silent presence of Francis Walsingham, let's just be honest, it's complex relationship when you have 3 lovers. I was thinking along the lines of Mary Renault's treatment of Alexander the Great with Hephaestion and Bagoas, sure they might bicker and want the attention of their mutual love, but in the novels, I think they found a compromise between bedroom, war room, and living. I don't know if real life poly couples can be as understanding as those 3 or are secretly trying to kill the others to be the only one, but I'm using her concept as my template. Of course, this is an open relationship, especially with Eli being an Omega  Eli doesn't cheat, but I am playing with Isekai rules   and gender is not an issue with partners. 

As for the historical stuff, yes I do know that historical Robert Dudley died 15 years before Elizabeth I. Interestingly he died about a month after the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. You can expect Eli will not let that happen to him, but you never know where the winds of fate might blow for these two. History doesn't repeat, but it does rhyme. They have 38 years to figure out how to deal with that and they're still teenagers.

This week law of power is the 7th law of power, “Get others to do the work for you, but always take the credit.” 

Consider the actions taken by Eli to secure Norwich first, while John Dudley went off to fight the rebels in a hard fought battle outside the city. While he was sure to win, the drain on his resources were severe, losing 1/3rd of his army in death and limiting 1/3rd by injuries, so his power is down to 1/3rd of his original historic strength. Eli gained the credit for the victory in the eye of those civilians in Norwich rather than the John Dudley, which is far more important. Also, administratively cleaning the cities numerous issues such as the various land disputes that spawned the conflict, holding trials for rebel leaders and sympathizers, and re-establishing trade as a major agricultural hub for Eastern England improves Eli's reputation as a good leader and judge of character.

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Notes:

1. Robert Dudley died on September 4th 1588 in history

2. The quote attributed to Kublai Khan's adviser is "I have heard that one can conquer the empire on horseback, but one cannot govern it on horseback." It's a famous adage for conquerors, who want to built nations.