There once lived a king, King Myron, who ruled over a large land named Gafa. King Myron's conquests were formidable. He had built his realm from a small fiefdom into a large kingdom, annexing land after land. There came a time in the history of Gafa where this growth had exceded King Myron's ability to effectively administer the kingdom. Gafa contained a diverse population, and the lords of the realm were a fractious bunch. In a brief border altercation, the Flower Lords were defeated by the Black Lords, whereupon the Flower Lords hastened forth to plea their case to King Myron. "Why do these difficult vassals of mine continue to make trouble for me?" cried frustrated King Myron. "Do they not see that I have more important things to do?" Recognizing that these two petty factions would not cease to annoy him, King Myron dispatched his own forces and closed off all borders to their lands.The Black Lords, alpha males that they are, chaffed at the supression of their border rights and rose in revolt. One leader, Lord Marker, was exceptionally unreasonable. "What does Marker want?" fumed King Myron. "I welcome him into my realm and give him all the rights and privileges due someone of his station. By the claws of my mother I swear I have given these people my blood and my soul. Taxation in this realm is even voluntary. What more can they want?" The King, in his fury, ordered the rebellion suppressed. Lord Marker, hopelessly outclassed by the King's forces, relied on guerilla warfare, sniping from the sides of the roads, and other disruptive actions. Pride made the conflict worse. Meanwhile the King, who had given his all to Gafa, became sick and cranky. His back stooped, he seemed much older than his years, and he seemed desperately unhappy. As Lord Marker languished in exile, he realized that the King was Gafa, and that his presence, his leadership, was what made Gafa the strong and successful kingdom that it was. He realized that without King Myron, Gafa would fragment and disolve. How short-sighted he had been to argue with the King, to add to his stress. At a time when his king was screaming for help, begging for assistance and forebearance, he had let his monarch down. Sadness enveloped Lord Marker.In the end, Lord Marker realized that the King deserved his apology and his support. He realized the error of his ways, and on bended knee, proclaimed fealty to the sovereign and begged for forgiveness. "Let the Flower Lords complain endlessly and add to the burdens of their sovereign," swore Lord Marker, "I will join the other Black Lords and support our King. We will try to make his life, and his realm, as good as we can."Moral of the Story: If you're an asshole in public you have to apologize in public. I'm sorry Myr.