Crusader Kings: Prisoners of War.

Chapter 285 Origin

With the previous example of Ptolemy XIII's suspected suicide, Orville comforted her a little more, fearing that she would also be unable to get over it. If that happened, Orville would not be able to wash himself clean even if he jumped into the Nile River.

But it was obvious that Arsinoe's mentality was different from Ptolemy XIII's: "Is that so? That actually sounds pretty good. Can I ask in detail how much money you can approve for me every month?"

Such a realistic request made Orville stunned for a moment. After thinking about it, he said uncertainly: "How about 2,000 dinars per month for now? If there are any problems, we can discuss it."

This is already a huge sum of money, equivalent to maintaining an extra team of a hundred men. It is definitely too little for a princess, but it is quite a lot for a useless backup insurance.

Arsinoe was also very clear about his status: "No problem, I am very satisfied with this amount. I can fully accept your arrangements, just do it this way."

Orville was so happy that he didn't react. He frowned and thought for a while. He asked the other party directly: "Then why do you want a coup? Judging from the results, a coup or not will not benefit you at all."

He originally thought that Arsinoe must be an ambitious or at least politically ambitious person since she could lead the officers to launch a coup and then surrender to him, which was indeed the case from Cleopatra's description of her.

If this person had no ambition, there would be no need for her to act so coquettishly and try to win Orville's support.

Arsinoe laughed at himself and said, "Because I still had illusions until a few minutes ago. I thought I could win over my sister. It was that simple. I always thought that she succeeded simply because she knew you earlier and was so beautiful. Now it seems that this is not entirely the case."

If this was true, then Arsinoe felt that she had a chance. She had a lot of supporters in name. After Berdinos and others were purged, those fence-sitters were nominally under her command, which made her political power look stronger than Cleopatra. In addition, she felt that she was better at seducing men than Cleopatra, so she thought she could give it a try.

Now it seems that Orville is almost impervious to beauty, and judging from the exchanges between Cleopatra and Orville, he and Cleopatra do have some real friendship. She is quite familiar with her sister. The two grew up together. From childhood to adulthood, her sister only wrote to her so frequently. The exchange of interests is definitely one aspect, but personal friendship also accounts for a large factor.

She and Orville were almost strangers, and this was one of the few opportunities for her to have a face-to-face negotiation with Orville. However, Orville still adopted such a businesslike attitude, and the subtext was to say: she had no hope.

Although she has ambitions, Arsinoe is much more open-minded than her brother. On the one hand, she is older, and on the other hand, she is not the first heir to the throne. She does not have such a great chance and naturally will not be so disappointed.

Although she could not inherit the throne that everyone desired, she could still live a wealthy and comfortable life. In her opinion, there was nothing wrong with this. After all, she was still the respected princess who had no worries about food and clothing. She had nothing to complain or be dissatisfied with.

Besides, there will be opportunities in the future. She can also learn from her sister and try to establish a relationship with someone. There will always be a rift between Orwell and Cleopatra. She can find the right opportunity to take advantage of it. Arsinoe has a much broader vision than her brother. She accepted her fate calmly, but she still said half-jokingly: "Of course, if you want to have a kiss, I am always welcome. The title of His Royal Highness is indeed very attractive."

"Forget it, you'd better keep yourself clean," Orville decisively rejected the other party's suggestion, "Then let's make a deal."

Arsinoe quickly calmed down and said, "Of course, it's a deal. I have no objection to your arrangement, as long as you can fulfill your promise."

…………

As one of the birthplaces of civilization, there is no doubt that the banks of the Nile River are a place worth visiting.

Pyramids, temples, prosperous cities and endless fields constituted the picture in Dia's eyes. Growing up in the Sabine Mountains, she rarely saw such scenery. Although the land in northern Gaul was also mainly plains, most of them were undeveloped swamps and woods. In the world known to the Romans, the only lands that could be like this were probably Egypt and the Fertile Crescent.

Subconsciously stroking the handrail of the longboat beneath her, even though Tia had seen Caligula's Galleon (a super-large cruise ship built by Emperor Caligula for his grandiosity, one of the largest ships in the ancient world), she was still surprised by the wealth of the Ptolemaic royal family.

The size of this cruise ship is not large, but the overall workmanship is extremely luxurious. The type of wood used is not clear, but the overall texture is solid and light. Inlaid gold and silver or valuable-looking ornaments and daily necessities can be seen everywhere on the ship. The cruise ship is carved with dragons and phoenixes by skilled craftsmen from beginning to end, which can be said to reflect the highest level that Egyptian craftsmen can achieve.

Cleopatra keenly caught Tia's emotional fluctuations: "You don't seem to like it here very much. Is it because His Royal Highness the Prince didn't come with you?"

"That's not true!" Dia was a little flustered when her thoughts were exposed. She blurted out another thought in her mind, "I just think it would be more appropriate for you to use the money somewhere else. Of course, it's not just the Egyptians who have this problem. Some of us Romans do have the same problem. I treat everyone equally in this regard."

Cleopatra shook her head gently. "Your Highness once said something to me that I think is worth pondering - people are born in adversity and die in comfort. In fact, most of the magnificent things you see were built in the last hundred years. Without external threats, people will naturally become lazy. I think this is a universal truth, whether it is for the Romans or the Egyptians."

The last hundred years, when Egypt became a Roman vassal state, was also the time when Egypt's military became disorganized and extremely corrupt.

Seeing Cleopatra speaking to her seriously, Tia quickly corrected her attitude and began to think seriously: "That's right, Orville has some insights in this regard. I agree with you, but our foreign enemies have not disappeared completely, so it's not time to slack off. Compared to you Greeks, the Romans may have a simpler, more resolute, and more fearless character. Your intelligence and wisdom are not inferior to ours, but it is the lack of these qualities that has led to your current situation."

(End of this chapter)