Bedtime Stories

Prince Derik of Carstairs

Once upon a time there was a young prince named Derik. Prince Deriks father, the king, was very sick so prince Derik had to prepare to become king. All Derik ever did after learning of his fathers impending death was take lessons and study. One day Derik was visiting his ill father and he asked him what the secret was to having a prosperous kingdom.
"Father, what did you do when you were young to prepare for your leadership?" Derik asked.
"I asked my father the same question when I was your age and he told me the same thing I'm going to tell you now. Pack all the things you will need for a journey, then take the strongest horse and ride to the Fair Forest on the other side of the Tarduckan mountains. There you will find the queen of the Fey. Ask her what you have just asked me and you will know the secret of running a prosperous kingdom."
So Prince Derik gathered his things and rode for three days through the Tarduckan Mountains, just south of where his kingdom ends. On the fourth day he came upon the Fair Forest. As he approached the fabled forest he recalled all the stories he had been told when he was a young boy, all of which seemed to have occurred in this forest. This forest was where the Fair Folk lived, or more commonly known as the Fey. These fairies had been the cause of most of the problems in all of his story books. The fey were a mischievous group. They liked to cause trouble and make deals with mortals. Fairies can't lie so they've adapted into the most sly and cunning creatures in the realm.
When Prince Derik reached the edge of the forest he was approached by two fairy Knights. They were his height, both with long white hair tucked behind their slightly pointed ears. They were each equipped with elaborately carved bows and a quiver of arrows.
"What's your purpose in coming through the forest" one asked him.
"Don't you know this part of the forest is occupied by the fey?" The other asked.
"I, Prince Derik of Carstairs, am here to speak to the Queen of the Fey" Derik said.
"Come with us and we will see if she chooses to speak with you." The first knight said.
The two Knights expertly wove through the trees leading Derik to the queens quarters. Derik noticed some of the thicker oak trees had doors and windows carved into them, making them look like beautifully ornate houses.
They finally reached a large redwood tree with two guards standing in front of it. The Knights said something to the guards and ordered Derik to stay outside while they spoke with the queen.
After ten minutes of waiting one of the Knights came back and told Derik that the queen had agreed to see him.
So the Knights led Derik through the large door carved into the enormous redwood tree into a large room with a single elaborate throne standing at the center. Seated on the throne was the most beautiful woman Derik had ever seen. She had floor-length white-purple hair with small braids. She wore a blue-green dress with flowers and butterflies on it but neither the flowers nor the butterflies were dead. Both moved and flowed and swayed in the material. When the Knights stopped Derik noticed that she too had slightly pointed ears and hazel eyes. Or were they blue? They might have been grey. Derik couldn't tell because the color seemed to change every moment without him realizing.
"What are you doing here Prince Derik of Carstairs?" The queen asked, "what is the purpose of your journey?"
"My father is very ill" Derik replied.
"I don't get involved with mortal men and their illnesses" the queen echoed back with her sweet yet stern voice, "especially kings," she added.
"I do not wish to ask you to heal him. His reign is coming to an end and my time will soon begin," Derik said, "The last words my father has said to me, and perhaps the last words he will ever speak to me for he is very ill, were to come to you looking for the answer to a question he and his father and his father have asked you. I have come in search of the answer as to how I can run a prosperous kingdom."
"Well Prince Derik I will tell you this, there is a difference between a prosperous kingdom and a just kingdom. In order to reign fairly and see peace in your land you must put yourself in your people's shoes before you make any decisions that could in any way affect them. Think about what you would want your king to do. Don't shut yourself up in the castle all the time. Let the people see you and know you as a kind king that isn't too good for them. Do all of these things and you will be known as a great ruler" the queen said.
"Thank you wise Queen for giving me your time" Derik said.
"Don't leave yet young prince. I do not give my time away for free. I can see that you will be a great ruler and ask that when your time has come and your son asks you the same question you have asked your father, and him his father, and him his father, that you would tell him to come visit me. If I see a great king in him I will tell him the same thing I told you, but if I see evil in his heart and the potential of a wicked king then I will take him as my prisoner and do with him things I cannot share with you. So it would be wise of you to have multiple sons and raise them up right because otherwise your bloodline will cease to be" the queen warned.
When Prince Derik returned home his father had been dead an hour. He went to his wife and told her of all the things the queen had told him.
"I guess I'm gonna be the king," He said.
"The queen was right Derik, I see a great and wise king in you, much like your father, and his father before him, and his father before him," his wife replied. "I do wonder," she said "do you think she's ever taken a prisoner?"
"I recall my father saying something about an older brother and something unspeakable happening to him."
"We should only hope that none of our sons will grow up wicked or cruel" she said.

THE END