Page 200 of Kneel Before Me

Kronos was still watching her closely, his brows drawn. But eventually, he nodded. “Very well. What shall I talk about?”

Daphne gestured at the chaos around her. “Help me understand this. Tell me about…basilisk society.”

“What do you wish to know?”

Daphne glanced back at the women in the tower. The man was thrusting so hard that they were rapidly losing formation. “Who’s more important—men or women?”

“They are of equal value.”

Daphne raised an eyebrow.

“Do you not believe me?”

She shrugged. “It’s just…different from the way it is for humans.”

“And how is it for humans?”

“Men hold all the power.”

“I doubt that is true.”

“Of course it’s true. We’re all competing for the prince, aren’t we? He isn’t competing for us.”

“Ah,” said Kronos quietly. “But he is.”

Daphne frowned. “How?”

“If every girl in the competition decided not to compete, the prince would be wifeless. They hold the power. Not him.”

Daphne stared up at him. She’d never thought about it that way before. Kronos turned away from her, scanning the crowd. When he found what he was looking for, he pointed.

“Look at them,” he said. “Who would you say holds the power?”

Daphne followed his gaze to a couple on the edge of the courtyard. Both were male. One of them was on their knees, performing fellatio on the other. She blushed at the sight.

“The one who is standing,” she said immediately.

“Why would you say that?”

“Because he’s…” Daphne trailed off, searching for the right word. It seemed stupid to say taller. Now that she had to put it into words, she wasn’t sure how to say it.

“He’s standing. That puts him above the other.”

“Physically, perhaps. But height or stature do not constitute power.”

“Then what does?”

“Agency.”

“I don’t understand.”

Kronos turned to face her. “The man on his knees is the one who chooses how things progress. Without him, nothing happens. The man who is standing is only being pleasured because the man who is kneeling chose to open his mouth. He is the one who holds the power.”

Daphne frowned, considering this. There was nothing powerful about being on your knees. All her life, she’d been taught that men were in charge—that they were superior in every way. Every time she’d been on her knees, she certainly hadn’t felt powerful. Exactly the opposite. Whenever she performed fellatio, she felt…small. It wasn’t a good feeling.

“You do not agree,” said Kronos simply. It wasn’t a question.

“I just…haven’t found that to be true.”