Confront him

"I simply cannot imagine what the Blacksmith King was thinking when he allowed the unwashed masses in here," Pomeroy sneers as you approach him from behind his left shoulder.

"As I recall," you say dryly, "the idea was that they might become the washed masses instead."

Lord Bertrand jumps so suddenly that his loincloth falls from his waist, and he scrambles to pick it up. The men he was speaking with, clearly visitors from outside the city, look puzzled for a moment, then shocked, then a bit fearful as they realize who you are.

"Your Highness! I... did not see you there," Lord Bertrand stammers as he adjusts his cloth.

"Obviously," you reply. Then, to the two other men, you say, "As Lord Bertrand has so graciously demonstrated, we don't generally stand on ceremony here in the bathing pools, so I am pleased to introduce myself. I am King Xavier, formerly apprenticed to a blacksmith, but now I do my best to rule here in Elyssia. To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?"

One of the two visitors recovers quickly, and steps forward to bow slightly at the waist. "Visconte Gerardo de Caracci, sua Maestà - Your Majesty," he corrects himself, his voice thick with the accent of Rome. "Forgive me please, I have not spoken your tongue since I was a child."

The other seems a bit wary even as he introduces himself, as if he cannot fully accept that the naked man before him is the King. "Aldwyn, Earl of Shepforth," he says, and then bows from the neck almost as an afterthought.

"I'm most pleased to see that Lord Bertrand has seen fit to show you our bathing pools," you say conversationally. "We're quite proud of them, a natural wonder indeed. Each hour, the spring spews forth sufficient water to refill the pools twice over, and the water itself is said to have healing and rejuvenating powers. It does surprise me somewhat to see you here, Lord Bertrand... I didn't think you had ever actually used the pools."

"I prefer not to share my bath with the entire kingdom... Sire," he says, unable to entirely keep the sour taste of the last word from tainting his speech.

"If you would rather simply stand and watch as other men bathe, of course, that is your business," you reply, and have the satisfaction of seeing Bertrand's face go even redder. "As for myself, I believe I could benefit from a relaxing soak in the pools before the festivities begin. Visconte Gerardo... Earl Aldwyn... I do hope you will decide to indulge yourselves, the baths are crowded today but they really are not to be missed. And please, consider yourselves both invited to the feast at the Castle tonight. Lord Bertrand, I take my leave."

"Your Majesty?"

As you are leaving Lord Bertrand behind, a rather lovely young woman approaches you from the foliage to the side of the path. You have not seen her before... she is somewhat dark-skinned, though certainly not as much as M'Kubwa's people, with long black hair and large, full breasts. She is clearly not from Elyssia, but unlike many visitors who come to the pools, she seems unconcerned with her own nudity and yours.

"Yes?"

"You truly are the King?" she asks.

"I have that honor," you tell her, "but not the honor of knowing your name."

"I beg forgiveness for my impropriety, Your Majesty... I am called Yuri."

Her name is strange as well. You have some familiarity with the names and peoples from all over the known world, as many of their representatives are your subjects, but Yuri is something of a mystery. You have never seen a woman quite like her before, nor heard a name pronounced as she does hers. "Do not trouble yourself, Yuri; one does not generally expect to run into the King whilst having a bath." You bow to her and kiss her upon the hand.

She giggles, putting her other hand over her mouth. "I have never met a King before," she says, seemingly awestruck at the prospect. She glances momentarily down at your manhood (which would be rising in her presence were you not making a concentrated effort to prevent it). You can't blame her for that, either; any woman might naturally be curious to see whether kings are built as other men! "Is it true that you are the only man permitted to venture into the women's pools, Your Majesty?"

"True enough," you reply. "Stonemasons and engineers may enter to do needed work, and of course the Healer and his assistant if they are needed, but only I enter to use the pools themselves. It is not law, simply a custom which was foisted upon me and which I did not see fit to oppose."

She laughs again. "Then, could I be so bold as to invite Your Majesty to join myself and the ladies who came here with me? We would be honored and delighted to enjoy the company of the King."