So, This is Stuff

The Lonely King

*Written May 22, 2019. Updated June 19, 2019.

It is said that there lies a land not too far from here, a land ruled by a lonely king. Why a lonely king, you ask? Well, it is only fit that a lonely land be ruled by a king of similar nature. This land wasn't always lonely, however. It was once booming and buzzing with joy, happiness, and thrill. That all changed when the king's true love, the queen, was taken from the land. The king then dwelled in isolation and seeped in sadness for years. This atmosphere spread across the land, turning the joy that once roamed the streets into misery. "Well, why doesn't the king find another queen?" You ask. You see, the queen was no ordinary woman. Just as two jigsaw pieces fit within eachother, the queen was a perfect match for the king, for fate had written it so. With her removal, no mere woman could ever take her place. There is a prophecy written by the court mage describing the fateful day of the queen's return. Until that day, the lonely king sits somberly on his throne, rememessing his love; his queen. Years later, the king was pacing his throne room, when he spotted from his window a maiden, whos beauty rivaled his beloved queens. He set out to marry her at once, thinking this would surely restore his kingdom to its once grandiose glory, now faded. The two wed the next day, celebrating the future of the kingdom. For the following days, colorful banners hung from windows and flagpoles, flowers bloomed on every corner, the before rusted lampposts were restored and burned brightly with new flame to light the joyous city from dusk to dawn. However, it took but a fortnight for all that to change. As the city slept, the neighboring kingdom had silently invaded and was making their way to the castle. With 50,000 men and ladders, they climbed up the spire in which the king's chamber was held. With precision and complete silence, the king of the invading kingdom climbed through the window. He was an older gentleman, struggling slightly to push his way through the narrow opening in the wall. When he eventually contorted his way into the chamber, he awoke the newlywed queen and muffled her mouth to soften her screams. The king then maneuvered her out the window, allowing a handful of men to assist her in her descent. Before he himself exited, he knelt down by the sleeping king, and whispered, "such fate has fell upon you, my friend. Tis a shame you had to stumble upon my daughter. Allow your kingdom to succumb to misfortune and poverty, for my daughter will not share your throne". With that, he squeezed his way through the window and, with the rest of his men, left as quickly as they had come. At daybreak, as the king awoke, he saw no sign of his new queen. He cried to god and cursed fate, his weeping drowning the morning larks and the song birds, dragging the blanket of sorrow and sadness across the kingdom once more. Some believe the king is cursed by the fates, others believe he killed both his queens and is looking for his next victim. However you see it, the future for his kingdom will be filled with long lasting pain and sorrow, till a queen returns or another is found.