A Sellsword's Wrath (The Seven Virtues #2)

by Jacob Peppers

Aaron fell back a step so that he was walking in line with the princess, the others lagging a few paces behind as they made their way through the city. “People are simple, selfish creatures, that’s all.” She turned to him, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear and trying a smile that didn’t come close to touching her eyes. “My brother wasn’t. He was a good man, and it seems only weeks after he died they’ve forgotten all about him. It’s as if they don’t even care that the man who killed him is ruling their city.” Aaron shrugged. “You have to understand, Adina, such matters are far above the average man. He spends his time worrying about what his family will eat or how to keep his wife from discovering he has a mistress on the side, maybe wondering if the crops’ll come in, or if he’ll be able to pay when the tax collectors come a calling. Such things leave little room for worrying about who’s sitting on a throne they’ve never seen and probably never will. Such things are too high up, too big. What’s an ant care for the decisions of men?” He shrugged again, “A man takes a step to the left instead of the right, and the ant gets squished where he might not’ve, but there’s no rhyme or reason to it—better to keep your head down and hope than to look up and see the boot coming.”