Kenneth let his eyes wander the room as the king started to speak. There was something particularly annoying about this manâ€™s abode from the get go. It took Kenneth a moment to understand why, of course: if this idiot actually had managed to tax his people, theyâ€™d be paying for the kingâ€™s meals, not for any protection. Kenneth mightâ€™ve known that he and Mathis were above any other human on the face of the world, but there was little he found more distasteful than a king that absolutely did not care for his people in the slightest. Sure, some of his iterations had been crueler than others, but his lands prospered well enough, usually.<br/><br/>Before responding to the kingâ€™s vivacious greeting, Kenneth leaned over for an aside with Mathis. â€œMathis, do you remember when you asked if itâ€™d been too long since I regenerated?â€<br/><br/>"Of course. Do you feel like changing your answer?"<br/><br/>Kenneth straightened himself up, looked down at his pocket-watch before closing it and replied â€œYes, I think I would.â€<br/><br/>Truthfully, Kenneth wanted nothing more than to see that crown melted to the bastard kingâ€™s skull. But Kenneth checked himself; there were still procedures for dealing with such people. â€œAh yes, well, the council might not be lacking in hospitality, but your guards could do with a lesson in proper diplomacy.â€ he responded, standing with typically exquisite posture. The air around him was already warming, even if Kenneth was not really aware of it. â€œI am Lord Kenneth Hughes, and this is my companion Lord Mathis Aevitus. We hail from one of the independent kingdoms that youâ€™ve so recently taken to taxing, yourâ€¦â€ Kenneth tugged on his sleeve a bit to straighten it. â€œHighness.â€<br/><br/>Kenneth folded his hands behind his back and continued to stare down the king with predatory anger. â€œWeâ€™re here to request that you do not send any more tax collectors our way. We are more than capable of defending ourselves without the scraps of an army that you might, if it strikes your fancy as king, send our way.â€<br/><br/>King Demetri, still sporting his unwavering smile, looked almost shocked at the accusation. He clearly wasn't expecting visitors from outside his dominion to arrive in the capitol itself with so little warning, though it was hardly surprising to the two lords at his table. The southern continent that they hailed from was a dangerous place to live, and most envoys who traveled deep enough into the monster-infested mainland rarely survived to bring news back to wherever they came from. His look of disbelief quickly faded, however, as he reminded himself of his own authority.<br/><br/>"Colen has maintained its agreement with every kingdom on this continent for decades. Surely you can't be from... the south? We've sent scouts that way, but the ones who return bring back news of nothing more than savage tribes, and tales of horrific beasts!"<br/><br/>Mathis, clearly amused by the question, decided to answer it himself. "All true, I'm afraid! Ten years since the attacks began and no contact... it's no surprise that you took us all for dead! Nonetheless, we have thrived in your absence, even if we can no longer afford to escort foreign scouts safely out of our territory. Surely you understand, having been unable to spare any aid yourself when our troubles began all those years before."<br/><br/>Kenneth had to fight the urge to smile fondly. After all, the wood at his feet was already starting to creak and crack from dryness. Heat almost rolled off of him at this point. Those scouts were always so excited to find a friendly human settlement. Why, if it werenâ€™t for the whole â€˜everything under the sun belongs to our kingâ€™ deal, they probably would have left as more than ashes in the wind.<br/><br/>Perhaps they hadnâ€™t deserved it; they were just doing their jobs. Kenneth could understand that; his guards did their duty and filled the next scout with arrows before he even made it across the border. Their lands would be discovered on their terms, and they certainly werenâ€™t going to be subject to any rulers beyond himself and Mathis.<br/><br/>â€œYes well, I donâ€™t think scouts will be fondly received if I actually made it known to the guards of our kingdom that youâ€™d want to tax them after we were written off so easily. After all, weâ€™ve long since considered ourselves autonomous and have prospered. We are more than capable of maintaining our own borders despite the beasts that would gobble up our peasantry.â€<br/><br/>Kenneth gave the king a moment to straighten himself up and express his annoyance at their lack of deference to his obviously vast power. Of course a king, and his young prince who was also present, couldnâ€™t even begin to grasp what real power was. All it would take was a lashing of fire and then they would know. This whole city could know the brilliant glory of a hungry flame.<br/><br/>It really had been too long since heâ€™d regenerated.<br/><br/>â€œWe are guests in your land, and we use the title of â€˜Lordâ€™ merely out of typical respect, and mostly to calm your already woefully stupid guards. I much prefer that my subjects properly refer to me as their king, and Iâ€™m sure they look at Mathis in a similar fashion.â€