A King's Tale

Let me tell you a story. It's about a king. He was a kind man who ruled over his people with a good heart and abundant fairness. His white beard gave him the appearance of a sage. Riding high upon his white stallion, his elegance and kindness radiated from him like the fires of the sun. His people were happy, they had plenty to eat and lived free of the maladies that plagued the neighboring kingdoms. It was on a dark grim day (much like today) he awoke to find that his noble stallion was taken from him in the middle of the night. With it the thief had also stolen the king's faith and trust in his people.
That morning the king made a most startling announcement.
"Plebians, heed me! I have always treated you justly, have I not? I have never overly taxed you, have I? I have never slaughtered you without a good day's warning, have I? A most hideous crime has been committed against me and I'm afraid that unless the culprit presents himself, you will all have to pay with your lives."
The women screamed, the children cried, the pigs squeeled, and the cats meowed.
"Please fool, present yourself!" an old man yelled at the top of his lungs.
"Doth thou call me fool?" the king retorted.
He raised his bow and shot an arrow through the old man's skull. The peasants began to run in all directions away from the cruel and bestial king.
"Guards, close the gates and corral them in the town square"
The enormous wooden doors were pulled shut enclosing the terrified people. Guards with axes and bows and arrows were posted throughout the circumference of the wall.
"Silence fools. Can't you see your screaming is only making me more angry.Inconsiderate swines. I trusted you all and now my precious horse is gone, taken in the night by you cowards. Come on FACE ME! TELL ME THE TRUTH. WHO TOOK MY STALLION!?"
A brave little boy spoke, "Sir. How could we take your horse. You keep him locked up in your armored stables guarded by two soldiers."
The king smiled and patted the boy on the head.
"Now boy, this information is correct. But I ask you, how would you know this, UNLESS YOU STOLE MY STALLION?!"
He picked the child up by his collar and shook him violently in the air. The crowd backed up as he threw him like a boulder into the mass of people. Bilko, the town idiot caught the child in his arms and set him down gently.
Above their heads the sky had blackened and thunder rumbled ominously in the clouds. A shot of lightning sparked through the sky illuminating the glint of lunacy that sparkled in the king's eyes. Like Satan on the pulpit, the king had morphed into a raving beast, over-run with anger and distrust. The people grew silent as the rain began to fall. The gentle pattering of water on the stone courtyard calmed them somewhat. Suddenly, a sound. A far off whinny followed by a giggle.
"This is no time for laughter!" The king yelled enraged. The giggling continued.
"Guards, did I not tell you to corral ALL the people into the courtyard?"
Another high pitched giggle followed his words.
"Where the hell is that coming from?"
A woman screamed and fainted as the king jumped down from his pulpit and cut through the crowd, seeking the source of the giggle. People moved aside giving way to his robes and armour. The king headed to an abandoned shack ina far corner of the town square. From outside he could smell wine and sweat. He peered in through one of the cracks and saw two guards nestled into the hay with their chain mail down to their knees. Three empty bottles of mead clanked at their feet.
"Won't you reach over and light my candle?" one knight told the other.
The knight reached for his piece of flint to light the candle when a rustling stirred the hay they lay on. The knights moved aside to let the creature appear. Two horse hooves revealed themselved from the hay, and tapped together quickly to create a spark.
"Babies, I'll light your candle any time."
The spark lit the wick aflame.
The king's heart withered like an old man's soul and dropped to the floor as his steed came in full view. He watched as his beautiful steed softly caressed the soldier's faces and whinnied into their ears,
"Babies, I'm so glad you found me."
"Slut, Tramp, Dirty no good whore!" The king muttered in fuming rage. He picked up a slab of wood and barred the door. By setting the shack, and his love, on fire, the king lost the last vestige of his humanity. The kingdom was no longer what it had once been. The king became an old man crippled by his distrust and hate and died one day dreaming of his youth and the white stallion that had filled his soul.

Currently 7.50/10
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Rating: 7.5 out of 4 votes cast