• The Prouds 20

Chapter Three

Year 370.

King Matthew was born. His father, King Kendrick, was
feared by everyone in his kingdom and around it, the same
way prey feared lions.
Despite his massive power, King Kendrick had
never planned to expand his kingdom, but at the same time,
the philosophy underpinning his rule was to maintain
stability in his kingdom. Whenever someone assaulted him,
he would strike back fiercely in order to send a message
deterring others, which explained the rarity of assaults
launched against him.
He had all the traits that caused fear in the hearts of
others, yet that strength was undermined by the fact that he
had never had children, which weakened his image in the
eyes of his people and those living around Widea.
He was entirely obsessed with having children. He
married several women and sometimes made sure that he
married women who had given birth before. He also mated
with all the slaves he had, and there were many. He took
every medicine recommended by physicians and had every
kind of food people said would enhance virility. He
consulted with many people, including every physician,
scientist, and clergy he was able to find. He did everything,