"Quiet," Rughoi growled, from his place at the far end of the room. "If all you can say is that my very name offends a dracon I care nothing about, then you have said nothing. It is my name, for Hetuis! My name! I do not care if a hundred dracon creatures have bore it before!" He sighed, and Ardasa thought perhaps it best now that she try not to intervene. Rughoi hissed, feeling the air slowly escape his throat, and continued, far more peaceably. "What sacrifices has your grand prince lost, by forfeiting the title of king? He could replace it with any word, but he knows in his heart that anything less than king tastes of ash when he speaks it." He waved at the door, staring at its knob instead of at Mazdak. "Get gone, emissary. I have enough peace already. I don't need protection. Commander Rebat, if you would show the guest the way out?"

"At once, Your Might," croaked the haggard kobold, hobbling over to Mazdak and gesturing for him to follow.

"Double tariffs on Hekaga," Rughoi ordered, when the guest was out of earshot. Kutur quickly noted the command down. "Let them dream their dreams of hegemony. My empire will have none of it, so long as I live."