Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely

'You can't do this to me?! I have a family to feed!' The man on his knees begged as he stared at the man towering over them all. The ruler of their little area of the world was tapping his fingers on the arm of his regal chair; a chair that probably cost more than all the serfs in the realm made in a year.

'I can do what I want because I am the duke of this realm, the only person I bow to is the King' the man explained and waved his hand. 'Alright, take him away' the Duke sighed and two men in gambesons and armed with swords stepped forward to drag the serf to the dungeon.

'You think you went a little far with him?' Asked his chief adviser, the Duke sighed and ran his finger through his long fringe.

'He stole, what else do you think I should do? Let him off and everyone then thinks it's okay to steal?' He asked before shaking his head. 'No, I'm going to have to leave his sentence and his family will have to deal with it' he added and stood up.

'Mike, come on, you know ever since you found out you were the heir to a duke, you've changed' Levi grumbled and looked away.

'I've changed? Of Course I've changed, I've had to change, I can't be some guard captain anymore, I'm a duke, I'm royalty. I have responsibilities' he added before leaving out the back room.

Levi remembered Mike how he was, three months ago, he was a better Duke; he never made sentences like the death of a serf, he never let anyone of his guards go unpaid and protected the civilians under his command.

Now he had changed, how he sentenced his serfs to death for any crime that he saw fit, he ordered his men to their deaths in hopeless fights against bandits or disgruntled serfs during the three uprisings that occurred in the eight months he'd been a Duke.

'Power corrupts and Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely' Levi mumbled to himself, he had to find a way to stop Mike, he may have to kill his best friend.