He stares at her with some disbelief of his own, studying her incredulously. Does she truly mean what she says? He cannot fathom such a place--surely it is capricious, and dangerous, for all her talk of freedom. A city require someone to rule it.

"Sorry-- what's better about your way?" he says, somewhat sharply, as he steps toward her. "No man has the power to unmake a king! Your city is weak without someone to rule it in the way that it needs. Any man that you choose to rule could be just as weak, just as foolish--just as mad. But a king is trained to rule from his birth. He is only cruel if he is raised cruel."