The Crown

Eleven.

The Crown

Charcoal remembered one night out from many nights when she had a strange dream. She explained her dream about flying over many mountains and each time she would fly over one mountain, the next one would be taller. Her mother explained that the mountains were her many stages in life and after completing each stage, she would go to the higher one.

Charcoal stared at her image in the mirror. Telling herself that it was possible. She had interpreted several of the maid's dreams back in the Manor, and her mother had interpreted most of her own. When Denissa had told Charcoal that the prince had a horrible dream and needed an interpreter, Denissa knew that nobody else could do it but her.

"Charcoal, are you ready?" Aaron stood at the door asking her. She nodded positively before walking out with him.

Charcoal remembered the story in the righteous King's book her mother once read to her about a man named Joseph, he was an interpreter and he interpreted many dreams, especially the Egyptian officer, Potiphar's own. And because of his great ability, he was placed in a high rank in Egypt.

I want to be like Joseph, Father help me to be like him. Give me boldness.

Charcoal made a silent prayer as she stood before Isabella the Queen, Rita the Queen mother and Manuel, the prince and soon to be King of Spain.
Aaron, his advisor, stood beside Manuel, giving Charcoal a positive look. Denissa sat beside her mother Helene in one of the front seats to the left of the room.

They were all gathered in the throne room, four royal seats were in front of her but only three were seated. How Denissa wished she could be seated in that fourth seat, amongst all the men and women with her husband by her side, ruling together. That was all she ever wanted.

Charcoal bowed before letting prince Manuel explain his nightmare of a dream.

"I was attacked by the evil witch, she hovered over my bed and I couldn't breathe nor see anything but her black figure. I also could not move, I felt death upon me already. But then the light came in from somewhere I did not recall and suddenly I was taken to a hill where several people were, some were crying and weeping, others were soldiers with long heavy spears."

Charcoal listened carefully.

"Then there were three men hanging on crosses, two had been hung with ropes but the one in the middle was hung with nails to his feet and nails to his hands. He had a crown on his head, of thorns as if it was some sort of mockery that he was a king. He had tears in his eyes and he made the last prayer as he looked up to the heavens. I remember his exact words, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they're doing."

Manuel looked down with hesitation before speaking again. "Then, the soldiers pierced his side and I felt it. I felt every fractured muscle being destroyed and it was so painful. I woke up immediately after that, but still was not able to move from the bed, the nightmare was all too much for me."

After several minutes Aaron stepped forward. "You may now speak Charcoal."

A vision was painting in her head as the Prince spoke. This was true, and it had happened over 2,000 years ago. The loving prince did die for all his people, but that was not what the vision was making her understand, she immediately knew what to say.

"To begin with my Lord, that indeed was the evil witch who came to kill you in your sleep-

People gasped in shock, whispering and talking, Isabella held her son's hand to comfort him like she always did but this time he let go and stared at her bitterly.

"But I don't understand, why did she want to kill me? Out of the many useless lives in this kingdom that she could have killed, why me?" Prince Manuel asked her.

"Because you are the one who had the most fear in your heart. You went to sleep last night with her words in your mind, am I correct?" Charcoal asked him.

"Well, certainly. Her words replayed over and over in my head." He confirmed.

"My Lord, the evil witch is no different from the enemy I used to read in the righteous King's book. He comes to steal, kill and destroy. The reason why she was trying to end your life yesterday was because you refused her the ruby stone. But thank Him, He saved you."

"My son, you are safe here in the kingdom. We have the guards guiding your chamber now as we speak." Rita told her grandson. But she did not know it was not a physical matter.

"Now, explain the rest of my dream," Manuel ordered.

"My Lord, you did not have a dream, or a nightmare but a revolution. It is another way of the righteous King speaking to us. He showed you what his son did for us 2,000 years ago. He showed you what he went through. He took our beatings, our pain, he was hung on that cross for our sins and although you might not understand that my Lord, the whole point of the revolution was to show you the meaning of a sacrifice."

"Sacrifice?" Manuel repeated, he was confused and needed more of an explanation.

"When you give something away that you love dearly or give yourself away to save someone or something, that is the love of sacrifice. The man that was hanging on that cross with a crown of thorns on His head is a prince that was sent down from his royal Kingdom to sacrifice his life for his people. He did it out of love, he did not complain. Those who pierced Him were those who were making fun of Him and mocking Him. Those who were crying were those who followed Him and loved Him, such as His mother and His decimal." Charcoal explained.

"What are you finally saying? That I ought to be like Him?" Manuel asked her.

"My Lord, blessed is a man that lays down his life for his friends, and even more blessed a king that lies down his life for his people. The righteous King was not asking you to be like Him, for no one can be as perfect as He is but He was telling you to follow His ways. Lead with love and peace, let the people of Spain see how righteous their King is by sacrificing the one thing he loves for them." Charcoal said.

All eyes were on Manuel as he made the decision. Give all the inheritance, the red ruby of Madrid away to save the lives of the people. Or refuse, travel elsewhere and start a new life. The red ruby was worth more than the kingdom anyway, he could build a new kingdom, find allies and become king.

"I am a prince and soon to be King. I do not need any righteous "so-called King" to remind me so. I will not sacrifice a fortune and my life to a bunch of useless scumbags you call 'people' they have no respect for me whatsoever. No... I simply cannot give it away, find me another interpreter." Manuel eventually said, before exiting his chamber. Aaron his advisor followed after him. Isabella, Rita, the Dutchess Helene, Denissa and even Charcoal herself were shocked.

Manuel's raging anger was making him bitter and cruel. Nothing like his father. His choice made the people of Spain even angrier with him and they wanted a new man to sit on the throne. What sort of man does not put his people first? What sort of man only loves himself?

Certainly a man not fit for the crown.

The Crown