Actaea

Since Hector Pride was primarily a military man, and only secondarily a member of the Rex Ventorum elite, he easily overcame such difficulties. "In such forests, an unprepared person can easily get lost," the diplomat mused as he made his way to the palace, "just as easily as partisans can hide." The air here was much cleaner than at home. Upon arriving, Hector headed to meet with the kingdom's government without delay.

At the entrance, Hector was led through some kind of intricate device, like a metal detector, and asked to surrender his weapon. However, he didn't notice a large number of guards.
The king did not receive the envoy in the throne room. Instead, he chose one of his offices as the meeting place, which, however, could just as easily serve as a lounge. The room had bluish wallpaper depicting some prehistoric naval battles, matching curtains with lace trim and a gold-colored valance. From the window, the city was visible as if in the palm of your hand, and in the distance, here and there, glimpses of a dense forest could be seen. All the furniture in the room was made of wood, but it seemed very expensive.
The king sat at the table and was writing something. There was no one else in the room. Or rather... on one of the chairs sat a real cat. A fluffy one, with large ears, and it was diligently grooming itself.
The king raised his eyes:
— Thank you, Yarkimlan, I will call if you are needed, — the king nodded to the guide and pointed to the chair on the other side of the table. — Well, hello. I don't often have guests from Ventorum. Please, sit down. It seems to me that something interesting is brewing, since you were sent here instead of Amori Draco.