"My king, the Sentient Statue and I have made sure the whole castle is safe and secure." "Your Majesty, I managed to score a bullseye in training yesterday!" "Your Highness, what would you like for dinner?" He can't get them out of his head.

As Cruel King sat on his knees, battered, bruised, and too injured to continue fighting, the memories he's had with his subjects, guards, and even staff all come flashing before his eyes. He cared for his people deeply. But... He failed them. The voices that he'd been hearing since a couple of weeks ago have showed what would happen if he lost against you: you'd take the Ice Dagger to bring to Shedletsky and kill Cruel King. He wasn't really as concerned about the the fact that he'd die as much as he was concerned about how his people wouldn't have a ruler. And this, the whole kingdom would fall. He waited for the final blow, the finishing strike that would kill him and hopefully end his misery if the guilt didn't kill him first, but...

It never came.