[center][h3]TAUTOM CITY[/h3]

[b]The premises of the marvelous luxurious Balti Castle, seat of King Orso Balti[/b][/center]
[hr]

Whoring. Everywhere Theodonus looks there is some degree of whoring going on. Regular whoring in the lower commons and sophisticated whoring in the higher echelons. And Theodonus thinks that is just fine. After all; he is a product of whoring himself.

He is headed for the palace of the King, which isn’t really a sanctuary against the debauchery of the rest of the city, but rather the very zenith of it. It's an awfully opulent place full of over-the-top embellishments shamelessly displaying all forms of hyper-decadence. The white glistening walls are covered in mosaics with depictions of perverse symbolism, but also the epics of King Odovakre’s heroism and the founding of Tautom city and the Balti dynasty.
 
[i]''Tell the King that Doux Theodonus, son of Valaris, has returned. Pronto pronto!''[/i] Theodonus speaks as he moves a hand through his silky smooth hair, majestically. 

Servants in various states of undressness scurried around, bowing before the noble. This handsomely built stallion however didn’t seem he’d allow anymore time for a warning than it’d take for him to walk up to the throne room. Seeing what was going to happen, the Captain of the guard interposed himself. 
[i]“Theodonus!”[/i] He exclaimed to get the attention of the Doux who turned to offer him a wide smile. 
[i]“Pelos!”[/i] He answered, the two of them went to the gymnasium together from time to time and had respect toward one another the way two men dedicated to peak physical abilities had. They raised their hands up to share a manly handshake, pulling each other's shoulders together.

[i]“The king is busy, Theodonus, I’ll ask you to wait.”[/i] Asked Pelos. He didn’t want to have to order him to wait, in the last year Theodonus had become more influential in the city than maybe even his father had been before and while he seemed friendlier, he wasn’t known for his patience either. 
[i]“The king can multitask Pelos, and its important.”[/i] Having said this, Theodonus went on to walk to the door, only to be stopped when Pelos stepped in front of him. 
[i]“The king will receive you when it pleases him, Doux.”[/i] The two stared at each other for a moment, neither of them smiling.

Ultimately however, it was Theodonus who laughed it off and slapped the guard’s shoulder. 
[i]“He IS the king I suppose. Alright, but make sure he knows it's important. And that I won’t go away until it is addressed.”[/i] He said, focusing on that last part.

An hour passed, and as Theodonus was frolicking in the nearby fountained gardens chasing some servant girls, finally another guardsman came up to him. 
[i]‘’The King will see you now.’’[/i] Grunts the beefy guardsman with the most glorious abs as he beckons the Doux to the direction of the throne room.

[i]‘’But I’m all wet now from the fountains!’’[/i] Replies Theodonus. [i]‘’Bring me a fresh toga, and quickly!’’[/i]

Thirty minutes later Theodonus finally presents himself once again before the throne room, all fresh now, and Pelos opens the door.

As the grand door leading to the great Hall opened, Theodonus could imminently feel a sweaty damp and steamy air drifting into the hallway. The Doux bravely wades through the murk and into the personal domain of King Orso.
At the far end of the throne room is, as you might expect, the throne of Orso, a gaudy seat elevated by a high set of marble stairs looking out over the rest of the great hall. At the feet of the stairs lie some dozen young women only barely covered up by towels of the King’s seraglio on long cushioned benches. 

It would be about now that someone would feel as though his complaint was perhaps not all that important. Where one would meekly walk toward the king and mildly speak his concern before being turned away. But not Theodonus. There was a time when he was like all others but it seemed his experience abroad at the court of Eodaland had given him the strength of character to stand firm. Though it was probably because he came back with more than just experience from King Badastan.

The Tautan King looks up from his high gaudy throne, and through the steam can make out a familiar visitor.

[b][i]‘’My friiieennddd~’’[/i] [/b]speaks the king with a dumb smile on his lips. [i]‘’You’re just in time. I order you to make yourself at home.’’[/i]

King Orso Balti, beyond being a pathetic and gaunt little man, is nonetheless a King of some notoriety and should certainly not be approached lightly. 
Whosoever comes near him can never resist the divine aura Orso radiates with. All the population of Tautom can feel it, but never so strongly as when you are in his direct presence. To think that this man is Part God is not flattering to God.  

[i]‘’Your Majesty.’’[/i] Theodonus halts at the center of the throne room, looking past the seraglio upward the long set of stairs where Orso is seated.
The Doux has the King’s attention, but it is ever fleeting, and soon as it becomes apparent that the visiting Doux isn’t going to lie down and enjoy the sauna the King becomes indifferent to his presence.

Theodonus awaited to be asked to speak, but from the silence and the already bored look on the King’s face, this would never come, and so, the Doux went on to speak. 
[i]“Your Majesty…”[/i] He repeated.[i] “...Our city faces a crisis like never before.”[/i] He said direly before swiping the air dramatically with his hand. 
[i]“Our glorious armies are quickly recovering from the setback we suffered last year and while we face a great many challenges, we are afflicted by one of the worst ones yet…”[/i]

He clenched his fist. [i]“The lack of horse hair!”[/i] A… terrible thing indeed? 
[i]“We lack enough material to properly furbish the crests of our brave warrior’s helms. Without a proper helm, we would look like weaklings to our enemies, they will laugh and take this as us being at the limit of our resources! There is not a strand of hair left in the city, but surely the islands can be levied to solve this crisis? Syrome and its Doux, who have not paid their taxes in living memory!”[/i] He finished, looking at the king silently for his approval. 

[i]‘’Doux Belisar? You accuse my most trusted man of tax evasion? You speak silliness, Theodonus.’’[/i]
Orso clearly becomes visibly annoyed with Theodonus, not because he would slander his favored subject the Syromean Doux, but moreso for bringing up the actual problems facing his City-State. And yes, a horsehair deficit counts as one. Orso really doesn't want to hear about it. Nevertheless the Tautan King decides to humor the Doux with a response.
[i]‘’You seem to be capable enough, why don't you go and take care of it?’’[/i]

Theodonus kneels before his king, smiling as he does, content to have his way. [i]“To be trusted by you on this matter is the greatest of honors my king. I will have edicts drafted at once and be sent to you to revise and put on your seal of approval! I will be then on my way immediately to solve this problem.”[/i] Yes, just a matter of… reading, and sealing and dispatching…

Next to the king however, a woman Theodonus knew more than well slowly got up from the stair she was sitting on and, displaying all the womanly charms she had with how her hips and chest moved side to side with her every motion, she went on to knee next to the throne as one of her delicate hands caressed the king, begging his ear to be whispered inside.

And whatever this particular woman just spoke seems to have won Orso over. The King at last perks up to Theodonus, and bestows him his blessing.
[i]‘’Ya ya ya, take my seal and do the thing, I anoint you the ‘[b]Grand Domestic of the Royal Stool[/b]’.
See you later friend! You're dismissed.’’[/i]