The meeting has been dragging on for hours now, the volume of the room never once dipping below that of a busy market place. The cacophony of sounds is, in my personal opinion, needless and far beyond tiresome. My head is throbbing with an ache so intense I have half a mind to just order the guards to throw the entire council off the nearest cliff. Not that it would matter much in the long run, they would just be replaced anyway. 

After all, a king needs his council, especially one as new to all this ruling stuff as I am. They are here to lend valuable advice and, for lack of a better word, do as their namesake suggests and lend council to the king. Though I have to admit, with the way they are tediously shouting over one another and disregarding everything I say, I am finding it very hard to believe it. 

"I can not in good faith allow someone with such sinful inclinations to continue living, the law is very clear on what the punishment for such a crime should be." Sir Hyppolytus, one of my advisors, speaks over the rest as he paces around the room. How he manages this when he looks like a giant bulbous pumpkin is beyond me, but I suppose he would be pretty pitiful if he couldn't manage to make his sausage legs support his weight. Perhaps he is doing it out of sheer force of will then. 

"I know the laws very well. Just who do you think you are lecturing dear Hyppolytus?" I drawl snidely at him before turning my attention back to my nails. I should really get a manicure as soon as this thing ends, my cuticles could seriously use some extra care. 

"I am well aware of who it is I lecture." Hyppolytus huffs bitterly with a puff of his chest, looking very much like an overfed hen as he does so. "Just as I am well aware that you are not the person I am meant to be lecturing." 

"Are these words of treason I hear? Best to hold your tongue before I decide to hang you along side the criminal I apprehended earlier." I tell him coldly without ever removing my gaze from my hands. 

"I am sure Sir Hyppolytus meant no disrespect sire." Benjamin another of my useless advisors pipes up. He is much younger than the rest, barely older than myself and only recently appointed to the position. Even so, he handles himself much better than his senior, managing to bow quite deeply to me before bothering to speak. 

"Oh, don't bother apologizing in this old codger's place. It means nothing anyway if it doesn't come from his lips." I tell Benjamin offhandedly before sitting up straight and finally turning my attention on Hyppolytus. "And you, will you apologize or shall I change the objective of this meeting and make it about your punishment instead of my unfortunate guard's?"

"I apologize greatly for my allegations against you, I meant no harm by any of them." The pudgy old man who claims himself to be my advisor says smoothly. Honestly, I don't know why I still allow him to speak his mind. I should have his tongue cut out, he makes it far too obvious that his loyalties do not lie with me. Though I do think it has something to do with the fact that keeping him around most definitely has my father rolling over in his grave. Well that and his enormous amount of experience as an advisor.

"Can I get a yes your majesty?" I smirk at him and he turns beat red with indignation. His hatred is almost palpable as he stares at me and I can only imagine what look would cross my father's face if he ever saw anyone glaring at a member of the royal family in such a way.

"Yes your majesty." He growls between his teeth and a sour taste seems to fill his mouth, as if the words themselves are poisoning him. 

"Excellent! So glad we could settle that matter efficiently. Now back to more pressing matters." I declare with a flourish of my hand. "Jintao Min shall be trialed for his crimes, but the punishment shall not be death." I say my ruling like I intend it to be my final statement on the matter, which it is, but by the looks on the rest of the council's faces I can tell that they are very content to continue opposing it. 

"And I say I simply can't in good conscious allow it." Hyppolytus is once again the first person to appose my decision. "You are not thinking clearly my king." He adds that last part like a particularly foul afterthought and I have to hold myself back from rolling my eyes at him. 

"On the contrary, I seem to be the only one who is thinking clearly." I drawl back in boredom. It is not every day that I face so much apposition getting what I want, usually I just snap my fingers and poof, I get my way. It seems as though everyone tonight just wants to be contrary. Perhaps its because I dragged them from their beds in the dead of night to settle this issue. I'll have to keep this in mind the next time I want to hold a trial so late. 

"I'm afraid I must agree with Hyppolytus." Benjamin cuts in before I can do something rash like sentence that old hippopotamus to death for daring to insult and oppose me so many times in one night. 

"Do you?" I address him calmly even though having to deal with Hyppolytus has caused my head ache to pick up in intensity. 

"The laws are very clear on crimes such as these your majesty." The young man says with another impressive bow. How does he even manage to bend down so far without it looking strange? I know that if I tried it I would look like I was picking trash up off the floor, yet he manages to make it seem like a flawless show of respect. 

"I am aware of what the laws say, we only have eight important ones and those are not that hard to remember. The issue here is that I was unable to apprehend the second man in my haste to arrest Jintao and would like the chance to rectify it." I explain my reasoning while rubbing my thumb and pointer finger against my temples. Man this is taking forever. 

"With all due respect, I'm sure he will turn up eventually all on his own. Jintao Min is not needed in the apprehension of the other criminal." Hyppolytus says, his words clipped and certain as if he were some sort of expert on the matter. 

"You don't think so? Then should I entrust you with the arrest of the missing man?" I ask with a raised brow. "How about this, Jintao Min shall be hung from the post at dawn and I will put you in charge of locating the missing felon. You will have a full month to do so and when you fail, like I know you will, I will hang you from that same post." I finish with lightly narrowed eyes and a scowl that has Hyppolytus shifting in place. I know from experience just how terrifying the look can be, it is the same look my father used to give me when I was being disobedient or simply 'unprincely' as he deemed it. 

"Perhaps I was thinking too rashly. Of course Jintao Min could be a valuable asset. Perhaps he is even aware of more who share his unpleasant proclivities." Hyppolytus changes his stance so quickly that I am mildly curious as to why I didn't just threaten his life to begin with. I'm sure if I had realized how effective it is before now, this conversation would have ended much earlier and my head wouldn't be beating like a troll is trapped inside it. 

"So glad you were able to see things from my perspective. Is their anyone else who wishes to go against me?" All my other advisors shake their heads and begin fixing their attire in preparation for returning to their rooms, all except one, Benjamin. 

"My apologies your regalness, but I must admit I do not agree with this decision." He admonishes and I swear I am not the only person in the room who groans. Apparently I am not alone in my wish to leave the meeting behind and return to my chambers.  

"Fine. Have it your way, I shall offer you the same deal I gave Hyppolytus. Find the other man in one months time or face the same fate as poor Jintao Min. The choice is yours." I proclaim, far too sick of everything to care either way at this point. 

"On second thought I believe I have seen the value in your decision. Quite wise you are in deed my king." He says quickly like his life depends on it, which it sort of does. These people are far too easy to manipulate, I must remember this for next time. The outcome is astounding, you threaten a few peoples live and suddenly everyone agrees with you. 

"Watch yourself Benjamin, you're starting to lean closer to sycophant than you are flattery." I tell him before addressing the entire room. "meeting adjured." 

The rows of people dissipate fallowing my words and I happily fallow them. Only stopping once to instruct the guards waiting on the other side of the meeting room doors on what to do with Jintao, before practically running the rest of the way to my chambers and collapsing on my bed.