The Unruly King

The Find an Heir

 “I need an heir to my throne, Measly!” The King sat in a golden chair, wafting his sliver chalice, licking his fingers from his latest meal. He touched his enormous belly and rubbed his goatee.

“I know, Sir, but we’ve been everywhere. This world is flat. We can’t afford to travel again considering we don’t know the boundaries. It might be our last, King,” Measly reminded.

“There has to be somewhere we haven’t been yet.”

Measly walked aside, pulled out a large map, and set it on the table. It was riddled with white and yellow strings. “According to the map, Sir, we’ve been everywhere…orphanages throughout the world and you still have yet to find a suitable candidate for your throne when you pass.”

“Hmmm?” The King leaned forward with his palms on the table. “What’s that area there?” He pointed to a spot on the map where it’s surrounding was completely black, like a void.

“We decided early that we weren’t going to go there, remember? It’s too perilous, and for all we know, Sir, that could be the edge of the Earth.”

“Measly!” The King roared. “I’m going to die anyway. I need to secure my throne and my legacy! I’ve never bore a son and quite frankly, I’m a little annoyed with killing my wives and their daughters.”

“Yes Sir, it’s possible the bloodshed will end, but we may lose our own lives!” He walked over to the wall to the left side of the King. It too was riddled in threads that connected pictures to one another. “Weren’t these your friends? They went there and never came back.”

The King hastily got up and walked to the door, leaving his room. He turned back to Measly, “You don’t have to come. There are others who want your job…and remember, I don’t have friends.”

The King walked out of his bright gold and blue palace. He breathed in deeply, then looked at his surroundings. There were people of every color and background walking by, carrying on as if the King wasn’t present.

“Peasants!!” He said loudly, even though there were many aristocrats present. “I am royalty, someone prepare my ship!”

“My liege,” an officer behind him began. “We have a naval ship that should fit your voyage well.”

“Thank you. I thought I’d have to start beheading people,” he arrogantly laughed.  

“That’s no longer necessary,” the officer responded. “Come with me.”

“Alright,” the King smirked and followed, but then easily became annoyed by the distance. “How far is this ship?”

“It’s a naval ship, Sir, it’s not in the public eye.” The officer kept forward, which annoyed the King further.

“Why won’t you stop and talk to me!” The King stomped and halted his movement.

The officer sighed, then turned to face him. “Measly made it our business to prepare this ship for you. He had a dream and told us ahead of time to prepare a vessel…in attempt to find an heir.” He turned around once more and continued walking.

“That Measly does come in handy sometime.”

“More than you think, Sir.” The officer signaled his associates, whom then worked in unison to open a large set of steel doors.

“This—this is mine?” The King was in awe. “Measly prepared this for me?”

“Yes I did, Sir!” Measly said, standing behind the King, panting as if he’d been running to catch up to him all that time. “No one can do this job better than I.”