Ota's Tales

King and Poor - What about the kingdom?

And time went on its way. The king lay motionless in bed for days, turning white. And though his personal physician did not give him much chance of survival, he did survive.

Shadow kept him company those days, though the king did not ask for it. He read to him from statesman's books, played the harp or harpsichord. In addition to entertaining the king, he also took care of statesman's affairs, which, of course, were in abundance. And the king's sickness was kept secret from the public. But it was impossible to keep such a huge secret from everyone.

It was not long before Rudolph's eldest son, Philip, who had an extraordinary hatred of the king, learned the truth. He was eager to take the throne. He was a bickering, conceited, and unfriendly man. He wanted so much to be king that he could use the army. It was not enough for him that his father had conquered other states economically. He wanted to conquer them militarily. He wanted them to cheer him in all the countries of the world, to pray to him, and to celebrate his achievements.
And now, with his father in bad shape, it looked as if he might finally take the throne. But he had to act now, while he was weak. What if his health improved greatly? No, he couldn't risk it, he thought.
So Rudolph's eldest son arrived at the royal court, pretending to have only the best intentions. His face was sad, but his heart was filled with hate.

The king's aide, Shadow, sensed his bad intentions, and so he watched over the king whenever Philip approached the royal bedchamber where Rudolph was resting.
But Philip had invented a ruse for Shadow. His men in the court had provoked an argument, which Shadow learned of immediately afterward. To avoid any dispute, he ran as fast as he could, to where the conflict was bubbling up. Rudolph was left unguarded at that moment.

Philip leaped around the corner and walked hurriedly through the guards outside the bedchamber, who couldn't let him go. It was for his royal blood, which coursed through his veins.
At last he stood before his defenceless father, who looked like a corpse in his dreamless sleep. "At last we are alone," his son and father spoke in a low voice, then quietly but firmly closed the door, perhaps lest they be seen together. He knew he did not have much time, so he acted at once. He scurried to the bedside, his eyes never leaving his father's face. He sat down beside him, ran his fingers through his greying hair, and said, "Thank you for all you have done and not done for me. First of all, for being so hard on me. I asked for the love you were unable to give me. Instead, you were engaged in, as you put it, "noble pursuits." Isn't taking care of a family a noble pursuit?!" cried Phil, but his voice softened. "Father, don't think I'm doing this because I'd hate you. No. But your time is over. And after all, you can't lie here until worlds end. Someone has to do something. And that someone will be me. It's for your own good," he finally justified.

He took one last look at king's face. Before his shameful act, he said, "I won't miss you." Then he grabbed a large pillow and pressed it hard against his face, making it impossible for him to breathe.
Normally, he settled his disputes with a sword or a dagger, because he liked to spill blood. In this case, however, he had to choose another solution, so that there would be no marks left on the king's body after his visit. The guards could easily have convicted him of a crime, otherwise, since they were well aware of who they were letting into the bedroom.
A small moment passed, during which Phil clutched the pillow tightly in his massive hands. The unconscious victim offered no resistance.
When Phil was certain his work was done, he lifted the pillow and listened for his father's breathing. When he was satisfied, he returned everything to its place, smiled at the unconscious body of his father, and said, "Rest in peace." He left calmly, so that no one would suspect anything.

Meanwhile, the King's representative, Shadow, had settled the conflict that had been going on in the court. He ordered two men from Phil's entourage out of the castle, who, according to witnesses, had started the altercation. He suspected a foul play behind it. "The King!" he thought in his head, when his thoughts were as calm as those around him.
As he ran into the chamber, he wondered how good it would be to have another bodyguard for the King. But he rejected the suggestion, knowing that even such a bodyguard could be corrupt.