King Demetri turned to the prince and whispered something into his ear, causing him to stand up and leave the room. The two self-proclaimed kings of the southern continent merely watched and grinned, confident in their ability to deal with the reaction that they had provoked. It had been quite some time since either of them had attended a court other than their own, but decades of experience were not so easily forgotten, and it was clear that they had worn out their welcome almost as quickly as they had earned it. Much less obvious was the air of discomfort throughout the room, or at least the portion of it that could not be attributed to Kenneth heating the place up to nearly unbearable levels. At least some of them believed the story, unlikely though it was, and even those who didn't still had to come to terms with a truth that they had kept buried for years.<br/><br/>His smile lingering through force of will alone, the king stroked his beard and wracked his brain for one last attempt to placate his two guests. He had to make at least one fair offer before he would be justified in sending them away, but the joviality in his voice was long gone.<br/><br/>"Please, be reasonable. Had we known that there was any trace of civilization left, we would have offered to trade with you immediately. You can't possibly expect to compete with the creatures that own a lion's share of your land and resources without our help."<br/><br/>"Well, we seem to have done just fine without your interference. Perhaps our lack of real difficulty with such matters can be attributed to a much more stable monarchy." Kenneth responded. "Honestly, it's absolutely unshakable. Hasn't had even a hiccup in ages and ages now."<br/><br/>"And you're content with letting them own everything a stone's throw from your walls? You would rather leave it to beasts than share with us?"<br/><br/>"You see, beasts are simple. They understand concrete things, like food, or water." Kenneth explained, folding his hands behind his back as the heat began to roll off of him in waves. "And most importantly, a beast understands power. Humans forget their place in the order of things far too often."<br/><br/>The king, sitting at the far end of the room, was only starting to feel its rather drastic change in temperature for the first time. A flicker of worry spread across his face, but he didn't act upon whatever troubled thoughts he seemed to be having.<br/><br/>"This farce is unbelievable. Literally. To think that two kings from a dead continent would travel all this way,<span style="font-style: italic">unescorted</span>, simply to mock me in my own castle. I don't know who you really are, but I'll not stand another moment of this. Guards!"<br/><br/>From a pair of doors flanking the throne on either side came two groups of six guardsmen each, along with the three guarding the door that Kenneth and Mathis had entered by. The ones in front formed a wall around the king while the others closed in on the two lords with their weapons drawn, allowing the assorted courtiers barely enough time to flee to safety before closing in and blocking off all escape from the room. The guard who had originally brought them to meet the council spoke up first, smirking even as small beads of sweat began to roll down his face.<br/><br/>"Will we be headed to the dungeon or the gallows, your majesty?" he asked, straining to keep himself steady through the heat. "Made these two a promise, I did, but I can ask them a few questions first if you wish."<br/><br/>The question went unanswered, however, as Mathis had plucked a long wooden spike out of the table before him and calmly thrust it through his partner's heart with one arm, treating the gesture like it was no more significant than an idle yawn. With the makeshift weapon left protruding from Kenneth's chest, he rose to his feet and looked around to admire the shock of his would-be captors, chuckling as though he were the sole admirer of some great joke. When he glimpsed the king's horrified expression, his smile cracked and he broke out laughing with one hand over his face, losing most of his practiced composure in the process. His fit of apparent insanity lasted several seconds, during which King Demetri's guards slowly closed in on him with their weapons drawn, and the king himself warily crept towards the nearest exit. All the while, the room gradually grew colder.<br/><br/>"Your<span style="font-style: italic">majesty!</span>" Mathis shouted to no-one in particular, failing to suppress yet another chuckle. "And...<span style="font-style: italic">hah!</span>And with such sincerity, too! Like he actually deserved it!"<br/><br/>He broke out laughing again as two guards seized his arms and started to drag him out of the room, offering no resistance to their violent tugging. In fact, he displayed no acknowledgement whatsoever of his own situation, merely laughing with his eyes shut throughout the whole ordeal. The king, visibly disgusted by his behavior, uttered a single command before leaving Mathis to the guards.<br/><br/>"Make it the gallows. There is nothing I wish to learn about this madman."