It was not only Alexander’s thoughts that were very different from everyone else’s but there was also the fact his worldview about the status of nobility and bloodline was also vastly incompatible.
While the people of this time saw the status of being a noble as a god-given honor and believed in the superiority of bloodlines, Alexander was half a technocrat, believing that the more knowledgeable a person was, the more respect and recognition he deserved.
He put science and reason on a pedestal, not dogma and ignorance.
Thus Alexander simply saw his noble title as a tool to control the populace and thus improve his life and those close to him.
So naturally, he would not fight over such a trivial thing as a nobleman’s honor.
And the only time Alexander would try to defend himself from being mocked would be if he was attacked publicly, as his prestige among the people was paramount. 𝘦𝘯𝑜𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝗇𝓔t
“So, should we just let them hit us? Wearing only armor makes one into a punching bag, Where’s our spear?’ Cambyses was reluctant to just take the beating.
And though Ophenia did not say anything, she too seemed to share Cambyses’s mindset.
“Haha, of course not,” Alexander chuckled, and then said, “What you should do depends on the context.”
Raising his index finger, he detailed, “If you are in a private setting, with just the two of you, call them names as they called you. I’m sure you know some choice ones that those stuck-up nobles have no idea of,” Alexander smirked, knowing that these refined nobles might not even understand some of the curses the lower-class people use.
Afterward came up his long finger, “If it’s in a type of social gathering like a party or banquet, or one like the dinners we have, simply ignore that person. Let them say their piece.”
And lastly came his ring finger, “But if it’s in front of your subordinates, if it’s in the public or in a place where people other than the nobility is watching, simply say, ‘We will talk when you have learned to talk like a noble’ and then simply terminate the exchange and walk out.”
And Alexander then gave his reason for this kind of action, “The reason why you must do the last option is because you must never appear weak or insulted in front of people who follow or idolize you.”
“Why, you ask?” Alexander himself asked the rhetorical question, and answered, “Because such a thing will eat at your powerbase.”
‘Powerbase?’ The girls wondered, where the word powerbase came from
And so Alexander clarified, “Remember Cam, you or I or anyone else at the top for that matter, they are only able to give commands and instructions, but they can’t do much else.”
He listed, “Leaders don’t wield swords, shields or spears. They don’t collect taxes, they don’t build roads, they don’t police the populace and they don’t even farm their own food. These are all done by men and women who the leaders command.”
Alexander then posed a series of philosophical questions, “But then why do men and women, fear, respect and obey your command? Isn’t anything you say just different vibrations of air coming out of your mouth? Everyone can blow air out of their mouth, so why should the men and women under you follow your voice and not any others? Why are you so special?”
“…” Neither Ophenia nor Cambyses had ever thought about it like that and these questions made them ask themselves, why they, possessing the same two eyes, hands, and legs, were any different from the slaves that slaved away in the fields under their orders.
Cambyses and Ophenia thought about the answer for a while but could not really figure out what made them special.
And so Alexander gave them the answer they were searching for, “People obey you because the people believe you are special. They obey because they believe you have the power to make them do it. They believe you are right and they must obey!”
He then pointed his thick fingers at Cambyses, “And the key point is -‘Believe’. They believe that the nobles are special.”
Alexander at last finished by saying, “But that belief will be shaken if they see their noble lord being bullied and humiliated by another. And if they lose respect, if they think their boss is not any different from them, if they will lose the reverence, they might begin to see the nobles as replaceable.”
“And then rebellion would soon follow!” Alexander gravely warned, causing the girls to shudder.
They also began to appreciate Alexander’s ability to deeply penetrate a core issue, past the flimsy outer layer of a circumstance, in this case, a noble’s seemingly vain way of life which had much greater social implications than one would imagine, and began to understand that this was one of the reasons why Alexander was able to break free of his shackles.
It was not just because he knew many things, but because he saw himself as not too different from his masters.
Whereas other slaves saw their masters as the end all be all, Alexander knew these so-called masters were just flesh and bones like him, and thus had a mindset to free himself.
Alexander believed the chains were only on him for the time being and so he worked to unshackle himself and voila, he was made free.
And this mindset was at play even now, as evidenced by his relationship with Ptolomy, whom he only saw as a transitionary master until he eventually usurped him.
Whereas the girls, who were also once subservient to others, always did whatever their superior told them to, without any questions or thoughts.
Even now, Ophenia and Cambyses, although would occasionally argue with Alexander, they would never dare to disobey one of his direct commands, even if they did not agree with it.
Thus, today’s lesson was a priceless lesson for the girls.
“*Sigh*, to think such simple things were so complicated,” Cambyses felt a slight headache at the intricacies of the nobility.
“As expected of master, to see such deep thought in such seemingly shallow actions. Tayin’s eyes have been opened,” Ophenia was very impressed by Alexander’s detailed analysis.
Alexander had managed to see things Ophenia, even as a noble was unable to see.
And knowing his background, naturally reinforced the girl’s belief in Alexander’s claimed divinity.
Alexander then continued for a while longer. teaching the girls a few more nuggets of life lessons and then suddenly pivoted to a topic that was swimming in his mind for quite some time.
“Ohh, Cam! So when do you wanna get married?” Alexander casually asked.
“Married?” Cambyses was confused because she had assumed that they were already married.
She did mate with him after all.
“Yeah! The ceremony,” Alexander clarified, saying, “I know that we consummated but I was still hoping for an official ceremony.”
“It would not only cement our relationship in a formal way but also let others know about us. The population would know you as my main wife, the nobles would know that your children will be my successors and it would be a special day for us.” Alexander very eagerly said.
According to the culture of Thesos, there were basically three types of marriage.
The first type was the known to all type, where a woman’s father would choose a suitable partner, pay her dowry to the man, and without any kind of opinion from the girl, would be shipped off to live with her in-laws.
All high-level marriages were of this sort.
The second type was the most unique one and would occur if a man fell in love with a woman and wanted to ask her hand in marriage.
The man would go to the woman’s father, ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage and if the father found the boy to his liking would name a price for his daughter.
The two would haggle and once the price had been set, the daughter would be ‘married’ off to the man.
The reason why this time the man paid the dowry was to prove to the father that he was financially capable of supporting his daughter and this money would be that woman’s exclusive right, unable to be touched by anyone- not her husband, nor her father or even her sons.
This was specifically a big deal in Thesos, because, without this exception, women were not allowed to own any other type of property.
And thus finding love marriages in Thesos was as rare as finding true love.
And the last type was called a marriage of convenience.
In this type of marriage, a couple would start living together in the same house and if they had continuously stayed together for more than a year, then they were declared as husbands and wives.
Almost all lower-class marriages were such because, well, they were cheap.
After all, poor peasants were already struggling to make ends meet and so expensive marriages were not exactly on their wish list.