A sensible king? Me? Could I get that in writing? Would you be willing to sign it?

[So that he can prance off to Zoya with the proof, of course. Then his airy tone settles into something more serious as his thoughts turn back over what she'd said.]

I also know something of not being taken seriously. I'm the younger son of the previous king, and my whole life I've been followed by the rumor that I'm not actually his son at all. My path to the throne was an upward climb. Winning the trust of the military, the approval of the church, the admiration of the people. My every choice was designed to bring me another step closer.

When I was crowned, I knew the battle was only just beginning. And when the monster reared its ugly head, I thought for the first time that maybe I wasn't meant to win this fight.

[A quiet exhale, contemplating the dark places he has slipped into over the last year or so.]

I suppose what I'm saying is...I understand, Gwenhwyfar. I know what it means to carry the weight of an entire country's hopes on your back.