"Is the pottage stew of satisfying taste, your Lordship?" spoke Bryce the Chief Steward, most deferentially, while leaning over to hear.

"Could use a bit more salt" spoke the ruffian known as king.

Bryce applied salt to the stew until the king was satisfied. 

"See to it that my lady's pottage is given more salt, and that it is sufficiently warm. She is of distemper when it is not"

"I shall, my liege"

Bryce moved swifty to the far end of the table, where His Lordship's lady sat.

"Your Ladyship's stew. Does it require additional salt?" 

"It does not"

"Is it sufficiently warm?"

  "It is. Now go away"

Bryce glided over to where the lower ranking table attendants were standing, blending in with the wall. They stood at attention, eyes forward, yet would move in an instant should one of them be needed. 

"Bryce, leave us" spoke His Lordship. "They can see to the rest"

To this no answer was required. Bryce spun on his heels and beat a retreat to his other duties, which were to oversee the many chambers that made up living quarters of the castle. His Lordship usually retired to the king’s chamber within the keep after a meal, to sit by the fire. It would have to be burning well and throwing off great deals of heat to appease his master. 

Her Ladyship spoke. 

"Ruffian, your boorish behaviour has once again left us alone at table. I wish you would somehow curb the irrepressible impulse you have to continuously speak your mind"

The servants lining the walls knew a fight was coming. Perhaps a good one. They were stuck, obliged to stay until dismissed, but knew full well that the royals didn’t care who was in the room as the royals never refrained from speaking in the company of the lesser-born. 

His Lordship prodded his adversary.

"Say again, High Priestess? My name?"

"Ruffian!" she curtly responded. "I could call you worse!"

His Lordship sat unruffled. "Say what you will about my behaviour this afternoon. It was necessary for the barons to be verbally admonished"

    “Must they be?" questioned Her Ladyship, sharply. "Tomorrow we hold ceremony in The Great Hall. There is sure to be more murmuring, perhaps even from the general publik!"

    "Let them murmur"

    "But if one should have the courage to more than stay unknown and raise their voice!"

    "None would dare"

  "Are we prepared for that? You prod your subjects disdainfully and beg for rebuke!"

    "I am king! Any detractors will be swiftly removed!"

    "And then?"

    "Thrown in the dungeon, like the other malcontents". His Lordship took a long slurp of watery pottage. Excess dribbled down his chin. A servant instantly leapt into action, wiped His Lordship's chin, then blended back into the wall. 

"The dungeon? It was filled to overflowing last month! We have now resorted to confining contrarians in the stables! This cannot continue!"

    "It can, and it will" said the king, smugly. 

    "But who will work the fields? Conduct commerce in the shops? Range our lands to fight the wars? We must have subjects!"

    "There are plenty left" chuckled the king, almost laughing at her protestations.

    "You take me not seriously- but then when have you?" Her Ladyship looked down, searching. "Yes, there are many left- but they are now talking earnestly with each other. I have overheard their conversations"

    “You?!” chortled the king. “Who are loathe to leave your chamber, travel, or even be seen in one of the castle courtyards? I doubt you have been outside of the castle walls in months!"

    "I haven't. My agents have"

    "Your agents? I shall have them in the stables! What are their names?"

    Her Ladyship pushed back from her food. One servant quickly whisked the pottage bowl away while another rushed to fill her glass, for she motioned she would have it filled- with wine.

    Her Ladyship laughed, somewhat ruefully. "You will not have their names. I alone know who they are and they have roamed the kingdom, gathering the gossip of the barons and knights, as well as some of the vassals. You are despised"

  "Nay" replied the king. "I am loved! Honored, respected, and worshipped, even!"

  "That is what those closest to you say, but I hear differently. I find I am also despised, by association. This does not trouble me, I expected such when I assumed the crown but Ruffian, I speak thus because I fear our time upon the throne is short. You have far more enemies than friends"

"Be that thus, I am totally unconcerned with mere gossip and rumors"

"These be not rumors, they be facts!"

"Nay. Simply rumors. Chatter of no significance. I too have my agents. Are you surprised?"

"Would that your agents were impartial! Methinks they are afraid to speak their minds!"

"Princess, your words do greatly offend. Servants! Leave us!"

The servants quickly scattered, the last one to leave closing the dining chamber's doors on the way out. No need to tell them twice.

  His Lordship continued. "My close advisers bring to me truth, always. They are my friends. Winners, like me"

    "Oh, how I wish you would open your eyes!" urged Her Ladyship. "You have surrounded yourself with serpents! Vipers who appease you with words while the kingdom crumbles around us!"

"'Tis not 'crumbling'. 'Tis sound!"

"Will you not listen to even I, your wife?"

His Lordship stared at her without responding, as if searching for the right thing to say. Suddenly, he knew what it was.

"I am a Princeling, my unruly mate. Nothing can change that. I was born royal and like it or not, the baseborn must recognize that. I will not be admonished, humbled, swayed, or detered from satisfying whatever whims I have. My rule is absolute, unbounded, and forever. Kings don't listen to other's opinons, they only give theirs. Do it my way, or hit the highway! And all will, for all are loyal to the king"

  "They are loyal only to the king's purse!" shot back M'lady.

  "Of course they are loyal to the king's purse!” the king asserted, “'cuz the king and his kingdom is the only game in town! They know that without me they are nothing- and I aim to keep it that way". 

"You are a shortsighted fool!"

"A fool?! None dare call me that!" snarled the king, now red-faced.

"You obviously haven't been on the streets lately! Loyalties can shift simply because you can’t control absolutely everything. Haven't you learned that yet? Outside of your little circle, do you even have a clue of what's going on and being said? I'm worried about tomorrow! Trouble is that close to us. We could be deposed by bands of barons for they have their interests and those interests aren’t being served. They are in fact threatened for you are perceived as capricious and unstable. You are not seen as being loyal to their causes".

To that the king laughed and laughed. "Your anxieties are unfounded. The tomorrow you fear is not going to happen!"

Suddenly a commotion took place in the cobbled courtyard outside. The sounds of horses, heavy footsteps, and many men shouting echoed down the castle’s many stone corridors. Hearing this, Her Ladyship became highly alarmed. Banging quickly came upon the closed dining chamber's doors.

"Who dares disturb us?!" growled the Royal Ignoramus.

"Sire! Sire! It is I, your loyal manservant Bryce! You and Your Ladyship must make haste through the secret passageway to the far end of the castle, and then from there to the lands to the south- while there's still time!"