Vaelthyr remembered freedom.
It was a memory like lava — molten, dangerous, stored deep, surfacing only when the pressure exceeded the containment. He kept the memory contained most days. Most centuries. The Sovereign's architecture was efficient: it gave Vaelthyr purpose, resources, territory, and the sustainable operation of his domain. In return, it took independence. The exchange was not unfair. An unfair exchange would have been easier to resent.
