The Great City's Dwarf Quarter was abuzz with the news. Deagrin Wrothiron had been recognized as Underking of Kogansunan, the first dwarf to wear a crown in centuries. The rest of the city, and indeed the rest of the realm, might be worried about reports of murderous slave revolts, bloody wars and monstrous killer trees. But in the dwarf quarter there were few to no slaves, scarcely any more trees, and thousands of miles between them and any battlefield. The new Underking was much more real, most dwarves in the quarter having seen him at the celebration of his children's engagements.
The city-dwarves did not have the satisfaction of seeing the new Underking stride majestically through their streets. He was far away in the forests of Galadriel, fighting alongside the allies of his new kin. Their disappointment was tempered by having the next best thing, his heir (and now Prince!) Deagrin Benthorn, and his fair young wife Żelisława.
Deagrin Wrothiron had never permitted his daughter to travel before the time came for her to be wed, but Żelisława's family was less rigid on such manners. She had assumed that when her husband went to court, she was to go with him. Benthorn had grown fond enough of his wife in the past few months to be glad of her company, and had learned enough to know she would chafe at being asked to remain idle in Kogansunan's citadel while he was gone. And so the two of them were ensconced in the master suite of the Deagrin manor.
"Remember, my prince, we're having guild elders over for dinner, so do be home in time to wash and change." Żelisława was still lounging in bed, her blonde hair fetchingly disheveled, as her husband dressed for the Assembly.
"Which guilds?"
"Chandlers, cobblers, and... well I forget the third one. It will come to me. I remember it was tedious. Their wives are coming over for luncheon, along with a daughter each. No doubt they'll be pushing them on me as handmaidens."
The leading class of city dwarves had been jockeying for position since word first came of Benthorn's approach. They all wanted something, mostly just to be seen with royalty but also to have their relations taken on as attendants, servants, and other followers. The entreaties were always made quite respectably and humbliy, but they were becoming bothersome nonetheless.
"Make sure to mention all the empty workshops and houses in Kogansunan, and how much we'd like more respectable dwarves to live there. Try to bring it up naturally." His father, and Deagrin Burntbeard before him, were eager to convince city dwarves to relocate to the Mountainhomes. Only a few families had been persuaded thus far. Benthorn hoped that these formal entertainments day after day might have more success. With unrest in the city, the idea of a trip to the mountains might not seem so risky, and then there was the allure of living in a true Dwarf kingdom, rather than just a small part of a city of humans.
"I've quite the speech worked out. I've been practicing making it not sound rehearsed." Benthorn walked over to the bead, stooping down to give her a kiss. "Try not to let the assembly upset you too much."
"I make no promises"