Kings and Queens Unite

[rule63king]

Dear Mun, and all who read this, I ask of you:

What makes a king? And from where is a king's authority derived? I wonder. Can a king, through either action or inaction, lose her right to rule?

Comments

[rule63king]

Is such strife truly the sole alternative? I'm dismayed of thinking the subjection of cruelty upon the innocent to be the road to lasting peace.

[rule63king]

I'll never accept that. Making any group into a false antagonist is no way to lead a people. A king who cannot rule through fairness and equality does not deserve her crown.

[rule63king]

[She recalls being thrust reluctantly into power, after pulling the sword from the stone, and understands that this program speaks the truth. For anyone to know the plight of the people, they must experience it firsthand, as she had. Saber nods in assent to Master Computer's advice.]

Knowing the people, I shall not be prone to injustice against them. But I must know what they require of me as their leader, in order to deliver on that.

[spiral_king]

A true king does not balk at making painful choices. He must use his power, and that which is granted to him to preserve the safety of his people, no matter the cost. A king who refuses to act is no king at all.

[rule63king]

You are probably right. Even so, when hard choices are to be made, how is one to know which is the correct course of action?

[spiral_king]

You don't. You must use your own instincts to guide you to the correct course of action. Part of being king is accepting the consequences, whether for good or for ill, of every action you take. If your people die, you must feel every death in the depth of your soul, for their blood is on your hands.

[He says this with a small amount of bitterness, as it had been he who had killed much of earth's population, to prevent them from being noticed by the Spiral Nemesis. He felt the deaths of all those people every day of his immortal life.]

[rule63king]

[The Spiral King's words strike Arturia to her very core. She recalls with deep sorrow the tragic Battle of Camlann, in which she forsook her people at great cost, gaining naught but the release of death in the end.]

How can a king ever live with such bitterness?

[spiral_king]

Because he must. If you accept the responsibility of leadership, you must accept all that comes with it, even if it means suffering for eternity for your mistakes. With time, the suffering may lessen, if one makes an effort to correct their mistakes, but it will never fade completely.

[rule63king]

I suppose that is true. You speak as one who has felt this kind of suffering before.

[spiral_king]

I was a great ruler once. I led my people in opposition of a being who sought to wipe out all of humanity, but I failed, and humanity paid the ultimate price for my arrogance. I salvaged what I could from what was left, and took measures to ensure than humanity would continue to survive.

[Of course, he doesn't mention the centuries of genetic experiments and oppression he engaged in, in order to keep humanity's population low enough to escape the notice of the Anti-Spiral.]

[rule63king]

I believe my people, too, suffered for my pride. I thought that I could lead men with courage and honor. But I didn't know how to make the hard decisions, the ones which I now realize distinguish great kings from...whatever kind of kings we are.

[strongest_in_the_universe]

He who is the strongest makes the rules. As long they let no one surpass them in power, a ruler can do what they please to the subjects they've conquered, even kill them for sport as I have done many, many times. A ruler doesn't exist to serve weaklings, he exist to make them serve him and oblige his every whim. If they don't... Well, then they suffer and die most painfully.

The only real authority that matters in this universe is fear and one's own strength. The fear of what happens if others are stupid enough to displease me and the strength to carry out my threats and punishments aginst all who would defy me.

[rule63king]

You feel such wanton cruelty makes you a king? So the only thing that could undermine your authority, then, is for one to come along who is stronger than you?

[1st_superhero]

...Are you sure you want the answers?

[Though they were both based off of the same legend, this guy is definitely not the Gilgamesh that she is used to.]

[rule63king]

[Her reaction reveals the answer.] Of course! If it may make me a better king - should I receive such a chance as that - there is no way I would shrink away from knowing the truth.

[1st_superhero]

Fine

[He's not going to spare her any words then.]

First, what makes a king? Well, forget all the stuff that your mother and father probably poured into your head. The first thing a king needs are people to follow him. Then he needs people to follow him, an army to defend his kingdom, food to feed his people, and money to finance his kingdom's actions. In terms of character, he has to be willing to do anything for the sake of his kingdom. And I mean anything. Lie, murder, betray, give orders that lead to war or genocide...He has to be willing to give up everything, even his honor. Things like justice or mercy are but words to be used to fool others--a king has no place for them in his heart unless it works to his convenience. If it's good for him and his kingdom to play the part of a good man, then he does it. Conversely, if playing the monster is the only way to get something done, then he has to do it too. The key is knowing when to play which.

[He's speaking from experience here.]

As for the king's authority, again, forget everything your parents told you. The king has no more authority than what the people are willing to give him, or what he can either persuade or intimidate the people into giving him. Of course, you can push people quite far before they snap. Neither a king nor his power truly belongs to himself.

And the third question? Hell yeah. Mess up on the job and your right gets revoked. The key to not messing up is moderation. You can't be too much of a tyrant, but don't delude yourself into thinking that you can be a good king and a good person at the same time. If you manage to rule a kingdom successfully, chances are that when you're done, you'll have a closet full of skeletons.

[rule63king]

I see. So you believe that tyranny has its uses, so long as it does not turn followers away from one's leadership?

[1st_superhero]

Of course--tyranny, barbarism, whatever you like to call it. If it gets the job done, then it's a good method.

[rule63king]

But what about the people driven to sorrow by such methods? How can a king justify such sacrifices if her duty is to her people?

[1st_superhero]

How many of them will be driven to sorrow? If they're in the few, I say go for it. And if it's the majority...well, it depends. Do you wanna give them instant gratification or do you wanna give them happy and stable lives in the future? Make your kingdom last? It doesn't matter how smart people are individually--trying to control them while they're a mob makes you feel like you're trying to babysit an extremely rowdy kid. Sometimes, you just have to discipline them even if they don't like it.