“Michael.” I said absently, while looking at all the people in the room.

She laughed again. “It will be as you wish, but I doubt you will succeed in going by just your name now.”

“What of this? I am no ruler. I have little understanding of the things you do, let alone what drives you to do them. How can I be an emperor?” He was suddenly struck by how true that statement was. What had happened? When had he lost the perspective that let him understand the others? Suddenly it occurred to him that he was becoming more dragon than human.

She smiled. “You will be the best emperor, milord dragon. You care not for wealth or conquest, but for the safety of those around you. You do not ask to be worshiped or bowed down to, but ask people to rise up and treat with each other equally. You do not set laws, but let us set our own. You have done little save to guide us, not caring what you would profit from our work.”

I stared at her for a long time before I replied. “I cannot enforce your laws or set them down myself. That is not our way, as we barely understand what you find right or wrong. What good might I do for you if I take this role?”

“You would do good to guide us in a direction of your choosing. Before you gave your cattle so freely, this land was in constant conflict. Before you opened your city to us, we only traded with those from other lands, not trusting our own neighbors. The orcs crippled not only our lands but the lands around us as well. All the races here suffered. Then they sat in our city like a cancer to watch us waste away. You stopped that. Would we have dealt with drow or dwarf before? No. Would we even acknowledge another tribe of elves? No. You, with a simple act, opened the lands for us and gave us a common direction. We simple wish you to show us what else we have missed in our focus on just ourselves.”

  He thought to what he had learned in the song. He could see the desperation now and how his act of removing the orcs was more than just a simple thing to them. The idea of trade, made out of near desperation for want of something to do over the countless years, held an all new meaning when looked at from their perspective. He had shown them a way out of the bleak survival they were trapped in and then given them not only hope, but unified them into a common goal.

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“What would you wish to see come of this?” I asked quietly.

She smiled slightly again. “I would see all the lands fall under your spell and for us to be able to talk and trade with any kingdom, on any land or continent.”

My eyes widened. “You wish me to take over this world?”

“If it does even half the good that you have done here, the whole world would prosper as never before.” She replied.

“I see... You realize that this will not be a war to be fought. You cannot bring peace through strife, except for the final peace.”

“But that is the best part, lord dragon. Our warriors will become watchmen and their wives less likely to become widows. We will still need fighters for the dark races, but even then, there are a few of them who would join with us.”

I raised a brow. “Oh?”

“You have not noticed the drow that live here now?”

“I had wondered on that.”

“Should you accept, lord dragon, tomorrow you will meet with the king of the northsunward dwarves for him to pledge his service to you, as well as two queens of the underdark, both to the south and to the moonward lands. You will also meet with all the major leaders of every elven, dwarven and centaur towns between the moonward mountains and the sunward coast. From the northern darklands to the southward coast as well. We have received word that many others are heading this way as well.”

“I see. While this is a good portion of this continent, it is not even half. I cannot imagine all taking this peacefully.” I said levelly.

“We do not know what will happen past this moment. These lands have been left alone for a long time, so I would wonder if trouble came soon. Should we build up ourselves and trade fairly, mayhaps word would spread to them?”

  I thought is was a noble idea... but I also thought it rather over optimistic. Still, they were not wanting me to set laws or truly govern them in the classical sense. I chuckled to myself. Was this not what I had suggested to Arienach when I first started this? I had just not thought it would happen like this, or this soon, for that matter. At that thought, I had a reply.

“Do not seek my guidance in this, Michael. I can scarcely understand what you have done here. Never have I seen such as this and I have no idea where it will lead.” Then he chuckled “my council would be; you started it, you finish it.”

  Great, a dragon comedian. But his words did have merit. I was the one that started this, it just didn’t go how I had thought it would.  

Looking up at Haladoria I said. “I will accept under one condition.”

She looked at me curiously. “Condition?”

“Yes.” I said with a slight smile. “Call me Michael.”

Her face lit up in a broad smile. “As you will lord dragon.”

  I face palmed as the crowd began to cheer. I glanced over at Darhla and Shryke to see them whispering to each other, glancing my way. I took a sip of my brandy and looked that the people, elves, drow, dwarves, a fairy or three. I wondered if the centaurs had been invited, but thought the door too small. Funny how your mind wandered when you had no clue what to do.