Dream: Jun 16, 2019

Once upon a time, there were many kingdoms.  Each one was rich in history and culture, and each one had a variety of natural resources, but not all of them had everything they needed.

War was often the answer, in order to acquire those resources they so badly needed.  Over the course of many years, the borders changed often, sometimes to the point where an entire country ended up shifting completely out of its original territories.

One kingdom, a kingdom of monsters that was built up from one of the lowliest creatures who ascended through wisdom and power, came across an artifact.  It looked vaguely like a croissant in shape: the crescent sort of deal, but it also completed the circle at the thinnest points, and looked like it was wrapped, sort of.  Most of it was gold, looking like it was made of woven or wrapped wire, and it was quite thick at its thickest point.

Anyway, a bit of research finds that it's a very important artifact for a human kingdom almost all the way on the other side of the continent.  The monster king makes a sudden and shocking decision: the decision to return it.

They do.  The kingdom is wary at first when monsters show up at their border.  It's just a small entourage, but monsters are crazy powerful, and there's a reason that the monster kingdoms (few as they are) are typically given a wide berth.

After a few days of uncertainty, with the monsters just chilling to show they're not there with violence in mind, they're finally invited past the border by a curious border guard.  They make their way through to the capital, being patient and nonviolent, until they are invited by a very curious young king.

One of the monsters scolds him for being too trusting, but says that this time, his curiosity is to his benefit.  The king is confused, but after the monsters make a (fairly modest) show of presenting him with the artifact, he throws a banquet in their honor, with the monsters being the guests of honor, and he even invites the rulers from among allied kingdoms to celebrate.

Over just a few short years, the two kingdoms form a tight bond.  Denizens are allowed to move freely between the two kingdoms as long as they are documented, and this is done through a very large portal kept up in the capital city's inner ring.  The monster kingdom has a natural disaster during this time period, and asks for a loan from the human kingdom.  The young king gives it freely.

The monsters and the locals get along really well, but the human kingdom's allies, who thought this was just a temporary thing done as thanks start to realize that the young king hasn't set an end date for the alliance with the monster kingdom.  They all talk to him about it whenever they visit, at any time and not just when it's time for meetings, and it begins to stress him.

In the meantime, whenever the monster kingdom envoy comes to visit, they keep all political and official business and gossip to the meeting times, and aside from that, they're very good guests who clean up after themselves and are shockingly honest, while being at the same time quite formal.  They strive to be pleasant, despite tending to enjoy topics the humans find unpleasant, and they are eager to find common ground.

The young king ends up marrying a human woman who was a former slave, freed by the monsters in a raid they did against a kingdom that attacked their human allies.  Since she had no family, the monster kingdom's ruler offered her a job as a maid.  She gained promotions based on her abilities and was well-paid, and when she married the human king, it was the monster king who immediately and bluntly asked her if he could walk her down the aisle for the wedding.

The human king named her his queen, bestowing her with equal power to him.

Around the time the human king and queen's child was eight months old, the human allies finally all approached the young king and made a demand he _could not_ refuse, lest he endanger his entire country.

He in turn made a demand of those others, as well.  He demanded they five him as much of their wealth and might as their demand was worth to them.  They agreed and each sent these to him.

Then, he called for a meeting between himself and the monster king, who was surprised he wasn't asking about a 'visit', but instead a 'meeting' as though they weren't friends.  He was about to go to the portal when he got a report that the human king had massed an army on the other side, and was in full regalia.

The monster king did likewise, and both kings met on their respective sides of the portal.

After greetings and formalities that neither had done for the other in years, the human king declared suddenly that he was demanding the monster king pay off the loan he had taken 'immediately' and alert all human visitors that they must return in two days if they plan to use the portal, as otherwise they will close it.

The monster king feels like he's been slapped, but stands up straight as he demands to know why this sudden change in their nations' relationship.  He can see the regret in the human king's eyes for just a moment, and knows exactly what happened.  He again demands to know, even as a plan forms in his mind.

The human king tells him the blatant and honest truth: the rest of his allies have told him that they will go to war against both of their nations if he does not end his nation's friendly relationship with the monster kingdom.  He sweeps an open arm to one side, and a creature known as a Guardian slides into view.  It looks like multiple round-type jellies or slimes stacked on top of each other, unsteady and uneven.  There is also a collection of chests.  He tells the monster king that they are parting gifts, as an apology for severing ties so suddenly.  He explains he demanded them of his allies after they made their demand, and that 'this was what they thought their demand is worth.'

"I see," said the Monster King.  His own guardian is visible, having appeared as soon as the offered one appeared.  It's stacked four tall, all of the stacked slimes are even, and it is very steady and broad.  It looks formidible. "I will send one of my soldiers to inspect these offerings and see if they are sufficient."

The human king agrees, and with a glance and a nod to one side, one of the highest ranking members of the monster military, a half-monster, steps through the portal.  He looks at the offered Guardian and wealth and snorts in disgust, declaring them "Unworthy," with a single word before he walks up to the human king. "You will increase your offering," he demands, "And I will remain here regardless of my liege's wishes and ensure you offer something _sufficient_."

He stays both of the days, spending much of it with the royal family directly.  He's the only one whose appearance I know, and he's kind of a twink with short, curly blond hair and a very blunt attitude.  Slightly rude, but not blatantly hurtful.  It's clear he's bitter about the whole thing, but he doesn't make any moves against the royal family at all, even as they gather up and take up their artifact that the monsters returned to them.  At one point, he hears that 'this isn't the real one, we had to hide that, just in case—'

His mind goes empty, and though he's right there in the room with them, his gaze grows distant as his mind seems to be completely paused.

The human king doesn't notice as he pours oil into a sand-filled decorative (teapot? lamp? idk) beside his home's exist.  He draws the true artifact from within and hands it to the queen, stating that if either of them must do it, it must be her, for the safety of their kingdoms.

Only after she agrees does the monster representative snap out of it.  He's upset, and they're concerned about how long he was unresponsive.  The queen asks if he needs a doctor, and he denies it firmly.

The human king wonders why the representative was frozen in place like that, and a voice from the artifact says that it would never allow any enemy present or future to see it, and that the monsters would surely become enemies in the future.

The human king steels himself, and he escorts his queen out to close the portal, even as the monster representative begs them under his breath to stop.  They don't hear him, and the door closes behind them, leaving him in the royal castle while they go to use the artifact to not only close the portal, but shield their lands from ever being entered entered again by a foreign power.