Laws of the Fiefdom
Suleiman smiled and gestured for Evelyn to write down what he said.
"Not only will I dictate how they drink water, I'll also dictate how they eat meat. All meat must be cooked before it can be eaten."
Evelyn was utterly speechless, her thoughts racing.
"Rules alone aren't enough." Suleiman's voice broke into her thoughts. "There must be rewards and punishments, so these rules can take root in their bones."
Suleiman took two steps, as if thinking. "I'll have the Three Chiefs oversee things. If a household breaks my rules—for instance, by dumping its waste carelessly—not only will that household be fined one copper coin, but the 'head' responsible for overseeing them will be punished too."
"If the offense is serious, or they refuse to mend their ways, all five households in that 'family' will be held jointly responsible. They'll all be fined, or made to haul the Military Fort's waste out of town."
Evelyn understood at once. Her breath caught, and a chill ran down her spine. She had almost forgotten Suleiman's Three-Chief System. Unlike the other lords of Westeros, Suleiman's power really could reach all the way down to the grassroots.
It was ruthless, and more effective than any whip. It used the mutual scrutiny and pressure between neighbors to turn the lord's decrees into rules the people followed of their own accord.
To avoid implicating their neighbors, and to avoid being rejected and ostracized by them, everyone would willingly obey these rules that seemed so inexplicable to them.
She looked at Suleiman, and for the first time felt an emotion called fear. This young man's methods were terrifying on the one hand, yet they also revealed his benevolence.
"I want you to compile and record all these hygiene regulations, along with the earlier