Who is this?

Uh, we haven't met, just - my friend told me something you said and I wondered if it was true.

Uh, it probably was, but I don't want to take responsibility for your friend's interpretation without knowing what they told you.

King forced someone into contradicting oaths?

Yeah.

Oh.

It wasn't permanent even then and I've de-oathed him now.

If he did it openly it seems likely probably not the first time.

As far as I know it was the first time with that particular victim, although he's been mistreated in various lesser ways for centuries.

Everyone knows the King keeps him, but - forcing oaths is the thing we're fighting the Enemy over.

For some reason I thought it was all the torture.

Forcing contradictory oaths is torture. 

Yeah. So's cutting off an Elf's hair.

The King runs his hand through his consort's hair in public sometimes and he doesn't flinch, I think we sort of told ourselves it probably wasn't as bad as it looks like.

I can see that.

And if I were to say something to him apparently he might just order me into oaths -

I'm not sure if he's set up to do that with you, is he?

I - we're sworn to obey orders for the duration of our term of service, unless we have information the people giving orders don't have or we think they're compromised or we think their orders haven't been accurately conveyed. If I thought it were Enemy action I could ignore him - and yesterday if the King told me to swear something I'd have thought it was Enemy action -

I guess I didn't exactly do you a favor confirming that he did it, then.

I could have not asked but I needed to know.

Yeah.

How do you deoath people?

I paint them and the floor around them. Chant a bit.

How long does it take?

A few minutes if I'm quick.