Sometimes, pondered the King, it must be easy to be Exodus; the heartless machine whose only use for the People was to oil it's gears with their blood. To be cold, uncaring, cruel... rather than wear the crown, carry it's weight and care at the same time. For, despite what some whispered, the King did care, and the latest news from his Kingdom could be nothing but sad. Still... The King lay one piece of paper to the side for now. There would be time to deal with that source of sorrow when he knew more of the wishes of the people involved.
He turned to Annabel Lee's report on Moonglow. Strange forces seemed to have undone all her good work in encouraging a more generous approach to the sentient wildlife of the land, and many creatures donated to the Zoo had found themselves oddly back in the woods and at risk of being slaughtered again. A shame; the King had ignored her "borrowing" of his potions for the task, but it would have been less concerning had it actually worked. There was time left though, perhaps the citizens would still do the Governor of that fair city proud.
Talking of cities... the King gave a deep sigh, and turned his eye to the map on the nearby wall... and focused upon Nujelm. It seemed that things there just went from bad to worse. That criminal Bladderstick had not just ambushed patrols attempting to apprehend him with Executioners and worse, but he had even been seen in cities with the King's own realms, even at the very door of the King's castle! Furthermore he'd been seen attacking honest traders at banks and markets, demanding they cease all such activity until he got his infamous pop up book of deadly practical jokes back. Something about "getting rich off (his) originality" Skaros had noted down here? As if that cursed Bladderstick had any to begin with...
But that wasn't what vexed Blackthorn most. Oafs and fools in the lands had claimed the King was becoming a tyrant, and so very few of the people sent to arrest a murderer had been able to resist murdering starving citizens in turn. And even those who were more virtuous, more decent seemed to distrust the servants of the realm now. Oh the King wasn't supposed to know about this, but his servants were efficient, and Blackthorn knew many of the details of Trinsic's attempts to open negotiations with a Gargoyle Faction, hide it from him as they may. Did the people still not understand that Chaos, as the King embraced it, was no more opposed to the Gargish Principle of Order than it was his good friend Lord British's own Virtues?
Perhaps... the King here drummed his fingers on the desk... perhaps some sort of guidance in diplomacy should be coincidentally sprung on his headstrong people? The potential of peace with the Gargoyles was too important a prize to allow to amateurs, even well meaning ones to ruin. But then, the King sighed again, chaos was individual freedom too. This circle never seemed to be able to be squared.
But on the other hand, most of his town Governors were proving to be an asset to the kingdom; so much so that by Royal Decree their term limits were to be expanded out from 3 to a 6 month period. And some of their suggestions truly were for the good of the community these days; the King hoped to ease his woes with judging a simple archery contest in Skara Brae soon, and yes, there was a huge missive from the Governor of Yew, Vincent Vega to work upon next...
Taking the crown from his head, Blackthorn stared with tired eyes into the jewels set within. Claiming the people, at least some of the time, were the real jewels would be trite, but perhaps there was a grain of truth there all the same. Time perhaps to summon the Council Du Roi and test the saying again.
He turned to Annabel Lee's report on Moonglow. Strange forces seemed to have undone all her good work in encouraging a more generous approach to the sentient wildlife of the land, and many creatures donated to the Zoo had found themselves oddly back in the woods and at risk of being slaughtered again. A shame; the King had ignored her "borrowing" of his potions for the task, but it would have been less concerning had it actually worked. There was time left though, perhaps the citizens would still do the Governor of that fair city proud.
Talking of cities... the King gave a deep sigh, and turned his eye to the map on the nearby wall... and focused upon Nujelm. It seemed that things there just went from bad to worse. That criminal Bladderstick had not just ambushed patrols attempting to apprehend him with Executioners and worse, but he had even been seen in cities with the King's own realms, even at the very door of the King's castle! Furthermore he'd been seen attacking honest traders at banks and markets, demanding they cease all such activity until he got his infamous pop up book of deadly practical jokes back. Something about "getting rich off (his) originality" Skaros had noted down here? As if that cursed Bladderstick had any to begin with...
But that wasn't what vexed Blackthorn most. Oafs and fools in the lands had claimed the King was becoming a tyrant, and so very few of the people sent to arrest a murderer had been able to resist murdering starving citizens in turn. And even those who were more virtuous, more decent seemed to distrust the servants of the realm now. Oh the King wasn't supposed to know about this, but his servants were efficient, and Blackthorn knew many of the details of Trinsic's attempts to open negotiations with a Gargoyle Faction, hide it from him as they may. Did the people still not understand that Chaos, as the King embraced it, was no more opposed to the Gargish Principle of Order than it was his good friend Lord British's own Virtues?
Perhaps... the King here drummed his fingers on the desk... perhaps some sort of guidance in diplomacy should be coincidentally sprung on his headstrong people? The potential of peace with the Gargoyles was too important a prize to allow to amateurs, even well meaning ones to ruin. But then, the King sighed again, chaos was individual freedom too. This circle never seemed to be able to be squared.
But on the other hand, most of his town Governors were proving to be an asset to the kingdom; so much so that by Royal Decree their term limits were to be expanded out from 3 to a 6 month period. And some of their suggestions truly were for the good of the community these days; the King hoped to ease his woes with judging a simple archery contest in Skara Brae soon, and yes, there was a huge missive from the Governor of Yew, Vincent Vega to work upon next...
Taking the crown from his head, Blackthorn stared with tired eyes into the jewels set within. Claiming the people, at least some of the time, were the real jewels would be trite, but perhaps there was a grain of truth there all the same. Time perhaps to summon the Council Du Roi and test the saying again.
