Two people at once, wanting to control him. A compound actor, carrying someone else's message. No, that made him a messenger. When did a King answer the summons of a chairman?

If he left, his kingdom would descend into anarchy. Possibly a rebellion would form; he knew how these stories went. But that was merely an excuse. An elegant excuse but an excuse nonetheless. He didn't want to see the chairman because even he knew that the chairman was the sun. The sun reigned over everything: life, death, sleep. The one entity who could exert control over the King.

"Tell your chairman that I'll go when I'm ready. My kingdom is not yet ready to govern itself in my absence."