When I had ten dwarves, one of them declared himself king. I hadn't had contact with my civ for a couple years -- two diplomat-merchants never left after the first autumn and have just been hanging around on the map. I had one migrant wave, but since then no migrants have come. My fort dropped to nine dwarves when I accidentally drown one by having him run a screw pump next to a river into a too-small channel. Now my problem dwarf is struck with melancholy, so I'm down to eight dwarves.
My king leads by example and works his jobs constantly. One edict, or whatever they're called, in the four-or-so years that he's been in charge. I've contacted some humans and other-civ dwarves by a one-time tribute demand and got my first real trade caravans just this year.
I'm just about to start my seventh year with this fort.
Just checked: My farmer/brewer/clothier/bookbinder/scholar has died from a terminal case of melancholy
Eight dwarves and three non-citizen resident humans.
I've sent a one-time tribute demand to some goblins with whom my civ has had no contact, figuring that maybe they'll want to trade. I've had friendly goblins hang out before, so maybe I'll get one who'll apply for citizenship. And if the goblins choose war, tough beans. Speaking of war, my civ went to war with some humans and made peace again without consulting with my king. I don't get it.
So I'm at a crossroads. Do I execute the diplomat-merchants who will neither leave, go berserk, or starve? Some Lord Consort keeps showing up to party with my dwarves, but that's not bringing me migrants or trade caravans. I'm not sure I can engineer a cave-in from below without killing my only miner/mason/stonecrafter, plus one of the two is on the edge of the map so I wouldn't know how to make that happen. I'm in the untamed wilds with monsters set to high on world-gen, along with a very short history, but not a titan, cyclops, nor roc in sight. It seems like a king should be able to execute officials for non-feasance.
I have an endless supply of camels, so my military is pretty good, if small, and my beekeeper/engraver/mechanic/presser/broker king has turned a sparsely treed desert into a heavily-forested map covered with highwood trees and saguaro. My now-legendary cook (and mason) has ensured that I can buy out any caravan with prepared meals. And if nobody snaps, I can keep this up until they die of old age. I have one female in the fort, so now if she has a baby it'll ride her to death...? That would be bad -- she's my legendary cook.
So that's what's going on in my fort: Shall I or shall I not execute a couple nobles for non-feasance?