Or rather, “A” king. The Ajshar (catfolk in my setting) have never been a unified people, with hundreds of tribes, small kingdoms and city states often fighting each other. Even when the Empire of Sirath ruled over vast areas of the continent, many lands were still vassal kingdoms with their own ruling class, begrudgingly paying taxes and sending troops.
When the human invasion of Sirath started, many of these vassal kingdoms immediately sided with the newcommers, hoping to obtain more lands, gain independence or simply have better “masters”. In some cases this was a decision they regretted later, while in others they obtained what they were looking for. While larger human kingdoms ruled more with an iron fist, smaller ones took a more cooperative approach with the native catfolk, leading to the rise of federations and alliances.

So, if you are a small-ish human kingdom, it’s imperative to form alliances and bonds of friendship with as many local rulers as you can. And firearms seem to be a generally well accepted gift…

(All of this was an excuse to work on some clothing design, by the way)