on any given day, he is constantly at war with his advisors.

"bread and soup, my leige. you need your strength for battle."

"the soup is poisoned. the bread grows mold."

"stay in your chambers. it is dangerous outside."

"their swords can only pierce you if your armor is damaged, you may adventure out but never lower your guard."

"eat that carcass."

the king had never known peace. for when he was only a child, these advisors were forged to withstand breath of fire and claws sharp as razors. the beast stood taller that the castle walls, peering through the windows at the knights asleep at their posts.

they were told there was no danger. no monsters had been seen in the kingdom for centuries. travelers came from far lands to trade our wares for gold. surely, they would have seen danger on the horizon.

but the danger arrived anyhow. on scaled wings, it circled thee skies above the kings chamber. he alone could not evade the dragons attacks. a bard from the neighboring town joined the fight and easily defeated it somehow.

from then on, the king had acquired a small collective of advisors and servants who divided the monarchs tasks to keepo the castle from collapsing. more townsfolk moved into the village, hearing stories of the dragon who once terrorized the king.

fear not! for the dragon had been slain by a mighty warrior and no danger would befall the kingdom again.

somehow, palpatine returned.

the dragon was back for a weekend visit bearing gifts after the king came home from sleepaway camp. the king believed the dragon had changed or maybe last time was a fluke or maybe it was all made up in his head i mean come on who would do that to a kid thats fucked up and there's no way he'd do it twice.

the king was locked away in the cellar, only hearing parts of the battle that commenced upstairs as his bravest soldiers protected the kingdom. the castle walls trembled and cracked, threatening collapseonce again.

a group of villagers snuck into the cellar and stacked themselves up to hold the structure together.

the fight seemed to go on for days, weeks, months. the king wondered how the knights could possible be stabbing and slicing and getting knocked down over and over yet still hold their ground. he could hear the roar in the dragons throat, swords slicing into thick scales as hard as steel, orders being barked from a leader who was clearly making it all up on the fly.

and then silence.

the villagers were scared there would be no one left to rule, and the king couldn't help but agree. so he stayed in the cellar.

however, the world outside rebuilt and developed and changed and grew and learned and laughed and suffered and lived. someone came to the cellar door, beckoning the old king to join them outside.

"we are safe now," they cried.

so he stepped into the 21st century and bought an iphone and the dragons still chase him.