FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

What I Deserve

Annihilate the enemy in a decisive battle with the majority of their forces behind it and all of a sudden we started getting messages formally welcoming our inevitable return to the capital.

By sheer coincidence as well, the reinforcements that were coming from the west showed up and pledged allegiance to us. No doubt their scouts had informed them of our grand victory and they decided that the winds had changed and it was time to adjust sails.

I'm sure Philippe would have appreciated that sailing metaphor.

The march from Udine to Vulpezzia was like one long orgy. Towns, desperate to show their appreciation towards the victors, offered up all they could give. I broke my promise to Luce not to fuck any vixens, but fuck her, it is perfectly normal for a healthy fox to sleep around while his mate is pregnant.

There was absolutely no resistance. A few garrisons turned to looting in the confusion but they stopped with nothing more than our presence and a finger-wag. There was no question as to who was the legitimate ruler of the Grand Republic now.

But we still had to go through the formalities of course...

The Senators needed to approve my ascension by whatever means necessary, non-violent of course. My scouts had intercepted a party escorting the daughter of the Senator of Normandie and brought her to me for safekeeping. I would never lay a claw on her but the Senator didn't know that and would be encouraged not to cause a fuss.

Likewise, I had Pietro of Dalmatia under lock and key. He had been unfaithful in the previous election but when he's surrounded by my loyal soldiers there really is no question as to who he would vote for.

Luce, of course, could be relied upon and she would use her influence to sway others.

What would come next, however, would be a series of passive-aggressive resistance measures that would make a strategist such as myself proud.

Upon reaching the ferry docks, we found it completely naked of boats.

"What is the meaning of this!?" I snarled, climbing off of my horse.

The ferry workers and their fennec slaves stared at me dumbstruck. My eye fixated on one who looked relatively well-dressed with a purple, linen shirt and I pointed my finger at him. Immediately, all of the other workers and slaves scattered across the docks, leaving the overseer alone.

"Ah, I'm afraid the Senate has called for a day of rest in honor of the fallen soldiers in the north!" the overseer chuckled nervously as I continued to approach. "N-n-no boats in or out of the capital today, I'm afraid."

Growling, I grabbed him by the throat and snapped my jaws at his face, forcing him to flinch.

"Call the boats over."

"I can't! The Senate..."

"Do you know who I am?" I pinched my claws into his neck. "I can make your life very miserable. Do you want to be known as the one who held up the Dictator?"

"If I let you in, I would be a traitor to the Senate!"

"And if you don't let me in, you'll be a traitor to me," I leaned in close and whispered, "before I drown you in the Adriatic and give your ferry to the first worker who signals the boats."

Whimpering, the overseer waved to one of the workers, who grabbed a torch and lit a series of braziers lining the docks. Off in the city, a few distant shapes broke off from it, slowly approaching us.

"Good tod," I released the overseer and scratched him behind the ear, "you'll have a long and healthy life."

It is considered in poor taste to bring an army into Vulpezzia itself, not to mention the vast canals and narrow roads of the city tended to make armies quite disorganized, so I merely brought in a small bodyguard detachment, including my favorite giant fox, Goliath.

As soon as we disembarked, landing on the same island that hosted the Prato della Valle forum, I pulled Laurent aside and whispered into his ear.

"There will be Senators who had gone into hiding or even fled the city, take a few soldiers and round them up. Bring them to the Senate," I paused, handing him a scroll. "Luce compiled a list of residences, that would be a good place to start."

"As you wish, Marshal."

I smiled, "That might be the last time you call me that."

"If Canis wills it," he said, bowing and leaving, taking a few soldiers aside.

"This is your home, my love?" Taj wrinkled her nose. "It reeks of old piss. I thought you said the canals of Vulpezzia were romantic?"

"That's what the poets say," I shrugged, "I never saw it, personally."

"I'd much rather ride in the open desert with you at my side."

I touched my nose to hers, "We must make sacrifices. At least we will be together."

Her tail was wagging. It was rare to see such pure glee from her.

There was no time to enjoy further romance, I grabbed Livio by the shoulder.

"Take a few foxes and head off into the city. Call for an emergency session of the Senate as loud as you can."

"Aye, give them a chance to head there peacefully," Livio sneered. "Personally, I'd rather be with Laurent's group and give them a bit of a roughing up."

"That's exactly why I gave it to him instead of you," I cleared my throat. "But if you were to encounter any on the street, feel free to drag them by the scruff with you."

Livio flashed a salute, slapped two of his underlings on the shoulder and they darted down the main road yowling as loud as they could for all Senators to report.

We waited for a few minutes and then followed, slowly marching down the road, surrounded by stone houses on all sides with their windows boarded shut. The occasional chalk drawing of me with red blood pouring out of my anus enraged me but I kept my emotions contained and covered up with perfume.

During my last return to Vulpezzia, I expected too much from the populace. I held no illusion of getting a warm welcome even if Philippe was the most incompetent ruler in the Republic's history. Vulpezzia was a town of seafaring merchants and those that benefited from them and Philippe had strongly courted those by rushing a peace with the wolves.

Why should they welcome me? For all they knew, I was merely another bloodthirsty warlord who would drag them into a pointless war? I did, after all, disrupt trade even further with my antics in Africa and the Suez.

My support would not be in the middle class who resided in this part of town, it would be in the poor, the veterans whose pensions were revoked by the pirate, and the hereditary Senators who desired their land back.

I would guide them and the merchants would follow, if they knew what was good for them. A chance for those veterans to get double of what the Doge promised in a grand war against the wolves would make them follow me without question and the merchants could not quiet them.

The forum was deserted and every step of my boot echoed fiercely. My hackles twitched as an eerie chill ran down my spine. Even at night the forum would be bustling but my approach had caused everyone to run for the hills.

The Senate, with its proud marble columns, beckoned us, but once again my eye was drawn to the Senator's Club instead.

"Senatora," I whispered to Luce, who was fanning herself with a paper fan. She had put down the pipe since her belly started to swell on the advice of a human doctor, "how many Senators do you think are still at the Club?"

"There's at least two I know of that would be dumb enough to still be there."

I rubbed my chin, "I'm going to guess three."

There were no lion mercenaries guarding the door this time but I found that it was barred shut when I put my paw upon it.

"Goliath!" I called out and stepped aside.

The massive fox crashed into the door, which fell flat upon the ground.

Senator Amadeo of Syrucuse was there, desperately trying to rouse a fox with no ears from his drunken rest on a table. The Senator's pupils went as thin as paper when he saw me in the doorway.

"Oh Gods!"

"Amadeo!" I smiled, baring my fangs in case it wasn't immediately obvious what my intentions were. "So glad to meet you again, who's your friend?"

The drunken fox lifted his head and tried to speak but quickly gave up on that and slammed his head back down on the table. It was enough for me to finally recognize him as Senator Bergland of the Hansa, apparently having finally torn his ears off in a fit of stress as the Northern League went to shit.

I looked back at Luce, "Well, isn't this a fine reunion! All of us here, remember that? When you all promised you'd vote for me?"

"You bitch!" Amadeo spat at Luce. "Have you no respect for the law?"

I pinched Amadeo's ear between my claws and yanked. The scrawny fox screamed like a kit, "That's no way to talk to my mate!"

"Fuck!" Amadeo cried. "S-sorry!"

"I'm a forgiving tod, you know that, don't you?" I smiled as I pulled the Senator by the ear out of the bar while some of my bodyguards helped pick up Bergland. "A lesser tod would have you strung up by your balls for insulting my mate and being a backstabbing little shit who voted against me despite my very generous promises and your vow that you would support me."

"She voted again you too!" Amadeo pointed a claw at Luce. "Did she tell you that?"

"Oh yes, she was very upfront about that!" I climbed the steps of the Senate and Amadeo fell, banging his knee on a step and crying out in pain. I picked him up by the scruff and continued dragging him, ignoring his pleas. "But she has done everything she could to make it up to me and more, while you? You did nothing, you didn't even try."

I pointed to the drink-bloated Senator behind us, hoisted up by two soldiers, "Even Bergland, though he fucked things up in the North, still voted for me! He did more for me than you ever did!"

Amadeo's eyes went wide as I leaned in and lapped him on the cheek, "But I'm a forgiving tod, as I've said. You're going to go into the Senate and vote me in and all will be forgiven. Say...where is Philippe anyway?"

"He's..." Amadeo swallowed, "...last we heard he sailed his pleasure ship far away from here and has abandoned us."

"You sure picked a winner," I slapped Amadeo lightly on the cheek, which he flinched away from, "great job, Senator."

We barged into the Senate chambers, a room surrounded with white columns all about with seats for all Senators of the thirty-three Republics resting underneath a dome dotted with white circles. I was not surprised to find that several seats were filled, including all of the Senators who voted for me except for Ceuta, who were no doubt a little upset that I cause so much havoc with the fennecs so close to them.

The hereditary Senators from Bulgar, Grecia, Constantine, Cyprus, and Creta were beaming almost as bright as the jewelry weighing them down. They were nobles in all but name, holding onto their position until their lands could be liberated, but without the economic resources of their land. They tended to compensate for their lack of land with jewelry and though they would be vulnerable to election should we defeat the wolves, they would still have more economic power with their liberation.

Normadie's Senator was there as well, a former opponent of mine, who clearly got the message that I had his daughter. He nervously looked away whenever I cast my eye upon him.

Fourteen,_I counted in my head, _assuming none of them do anything stupid.

We needed more. We could merely count the vote with all available Senators and list the others as abstaining, but with a majority not here it would hurt my legitimacy.

This was the first true test of my leadership as Dictator. I had to remain stone-faced as the Senators, both eager and unwilling supporters, looked me over for signs of weakness or impatience. I remained still, unwavering as I waited for more to arrive.

The two Senatoras of Sardinia and Corsica arrived peacefully. Just as I had suspected from the battle, they were clearly pragmatically sitting back and waiting to see who emerged on top. They took their seats without a word directed at me or any others.

Sixteen, almost there.

My head was swimming from all the perfumed foxes, each one seemingly with a different cocktail of scents to cover up their natural one. Politics was all about keeping a mask on and that's what I saw, a bunch of masked figures staring me down.

Finally, Laurent and Livio delivered their harvest.

First came Laurent with the Senators of Lombardia and Roma coming willingly while the Senator of Vulpezzia himself was dragged along with a leather leash running from Laurent's paw to his neck and wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his torso. Apparently he was caught in the middle of some sex act with his fennec slave, whom was wearing a giant steel phallus tied to her crotch.

That was already a majority enough for me but Livio brought it to an even twenty when he came barging in with the Senatora of Lisboa hoisted over his shoulder like a bandit who had kidnapped a fair maiden. She pounded on his back with her fists until he gently placed her on her seat.

"I think that's enough," I cleared my throat and Luce stood in the center of the room.

"Philippe has failed us. He has failed the populace and the Senate. He has proven himself unworthy of the absolute power of Dictator and has fled the city in its time of crisis. I hereby put it to vote that we revoke his emergency powers. All in favor?"

Every paw present raised.

"Twenty votes in favor with thirteen not present," Luce announced. "The motion passes."

There was no applause from the normally rambunctious Senate. All of their eyes were still trained on me.

"Next, we must decide whether to elect a Doge or transfer emergency powers over to another Dictator. The situation at the moment is tense and I feel it would be foolish to return to normal. We must elect another Dictator to help guide us in these trying times."

"And who's responsible for these trying times!?" the Vulpezzian Senator screamed out as his towel almost slipped off his shoulders.

Luce ignored him, "Do we have anyone who seconds the motion to elect another Dictator?"

"I second it!" Bergland drunkenly raised his paw.

"It will be put to vote. All in favor?"

Despite the Vulpezzian Senator's objection, the vote was once again unanimous.

"Twenty in favor, thirteen not present," Luce nodded. "Next we must nominate a candidate. Under normal circumstances this would be done over a period of time with great deliberation but I think we can all agree this is hardly the time or pl-"

"Just nominate your puppet already!" the Vulpezzian Senator shouted again.

"Agreed!" the Bulgarian Senatora banged her paw on her podium, her pearl earrings dangling wildly. "Lets get on with it!"

"I nominate Marco of Carpathia for the position. All in favor?"

Nineteen paws raised. The Vulpezzian Senator kept his down.

"All opposed?"

Predictably, the Vulpezzian Senator raised his.

"Nineteen in favor. One opposed. Twelve not present," Luce nodded. "The motion has passed. Marco, please step forward."

Luce stepped aside and I took my place on the podium. My heart was pounding. I was finally here, I was finally...

"Do you swear to protect the Republic and use your Senate-ordained powers to bring the Republic back to order and resign from the position as soon as you are able?"

I looked around the Senate. Disappointment, anger, glee, amusement; it was all on display from the clowns I had collected. But they were my clowns now.

"I do."

"In accordance with the laws of the Grand Republic, the Senate has declared you Dictator. Congratulations, Marco."

Luce began clapping slowly and the Senate followed suit. It was a slow, methodical clap, certainly not an eager one. Even those who truly supported me didn't want to be too eager to support my coup.

"I vow to right the wrongs of Philippe and not rest until he is found and brought to justice."

Just then, the applause approached something resembling enthusiasm.

"And I vow to finish the war the Doge started against the wolves."

The applause died down as I continued speaking.

"I will raise an army out of those Philippe spat on and those forgotten by the Republic. Fox and fennec alike will be recruited for a grand crusade against the Alphate and I give you this promise..."

I paused dramatically and inhaled slowly.

"In one years time we will march east and I will not return without marking my scent all over the Alphate's throne."