The empty wine glass that Aire had been drinking out of still rested in the hand that was not supporting his head. When the servant Rosemund approached, he straightened his posture and clutched the glass tighter in his fingers. Her head was bowed the entire time she spoke, and it was almost as if she were afraid. That was a thought to think, he couldn't help but muse. Rosemund, the entire day, had shown no mercy or fear until the Queen came along and decided to insult her appearance. A smirk played at Aire's lips; his hold on the glass loosened. Maybe this was something he could use to his advantage.

When he spoke, he was a bit appalled at his own, slurred speech. He said, "Ah, the policies," and then paused for a moment to grab his mental bearings. With drooping eyelids, he looked down at the servant from his soon to be throne. "I have been over them with my adviser, preparing. First of all, I'm going to propose, or rather enact, a lowering of taxes. For everyone, including the help." This time, a more genuine smile slipped through his expression.

"And involving the help, which I'm sure you are more concerned about than anything, your meals will be very much upgraded. No more peasant food - after all, if you work in this castle, I can almost consider you royalty."

Ah yes, he was very pleased with himself. How generous and caring of the lowly slaves he was being!

"Higher pay!" he said then, voice rising and drawing the attention of a few by-standing servants. "What do you all get paid now? I think it is, two silver pieces a day. That's the equivalent of a single loaf of bread in a week's worth of work!"

By now, his mind had tried to remind him that these were, indeed, [i]not[/i] the policies he was going to be enacting. However, the drunken part of him simply did not care. The filter on his mouth was gone. And then he sunk down on the throne, much like he had in his dining chair, and inhaled slowly. Deeply. Controlled breathing.

"I don't know, Rosemund," he said, voice lowered once again with no thought at all to the fact that he'd used the servant's name so casually. "You'll have to speak to me about such formal matters when I'm more sober. Why don't you tell me what you'd like to have changed in the castle, hm? Or in the kingdom. Maybe just in your life alone, it doesn't matter to me. Go on. Tell me."