That Durned Ring

"It's just a ring, it can't hurt you..."

"Are you kidding? How many fights have we had over who gets Mike?"

"The Ring won't solve who gets Mike dear, that's part of the problem..."

"Phaw! Those stupid rules!"

"I agree, and even Mike agrees they're stupid, but he's Prefectus, he can't go around and say he's not going to follow the rules. Most importantly, he's Head of Prefectus, he is there to teach them about the rules, if he tells them to ignore one, it sets a bad precedent."

Wanda growled.

"I had six children with that man, and you all agreed if only one of us was to marry him, it should be me. But I couldn't accept that."

"Why not?"

"It felt like a hand me down? It felt like he didn't really choose? After all, he had six kids with me, but he never really stopped trying with any of us... I just got lucky and ended up pregnant... It's too much of a lottery, that's not how you decide you'll be happy with someone..."

"How do you know you'll be happy with someone?"

"You don't know yet?"

"I'm... asking..."

"Listen Wanda, the only time I've been happy with Mike was when I wasn't worried if I was going to marry him or not. Just happy with his company, and yours... Now I know polygamy is not the most popular idea among the Senatorium Imperialis, but it's hardly unknown..."

"It's usually only allowed for High Lords."

"It shouldn't be a rank thing! It should be a what makes you happy thing!"

"Yeah, but most people can't afford multiple wives... Not on Terra anyway, the high lords are the only ones really likely to be able to afford it."