My gratitude, My death

MARIAN! MARIAN!!

There was a knock at the door. The knocking continued. The King gave no response. One of the guards outside opened the door and the Princess walked in. The opening of the door made the King turn his head. The King was sitting on his throne. He was sad. On his head, one of his crowns of glory. This one was silver. He was meditating.

“My daughter. My daughter...” He quickly replaced his soured face with gaiety as he saw Princess Stephanie walking towards him.

“Father,” she stood in front of him and looked at his eyes. The King tightened his eyes and his fake smile faded away. “I have been waiting for you since morning…”

“I knew.” Get nodded his head.

There was a brief silence. The King moved his face from the Princess and breathed out in fear. He blinked his eyes and it seemed that the King wanted the silence.

“I’m I not going again?” She stammered and broke the silence. The king’s facial expressions placed doubt on her heart.

“Go to your room first. I will call you when necessary.”

The princess didn’t know what to say. She turned and walked towards the door. When she was halfway to the door and she held the handle of the door and stopped. She looked at his father, then walked out of the court with a gloomy face.

The King’s mood showed a lack of enthusiasm and support for the Princess' mission. This was not the energy and zeal he had shown before this particular day. It became obvious that her tour might not hold. But the kingdom’s law bound up her hope; they were imitating the ancient laws of the Medes and Persians. The kingdom has been practicing this law under the kingship of King Oakley. This law did not favor the sorcerers in king Oakley’s day. Many thought that this practice had kept the kingdom firm, great and unbreakable. The laws of the Medes and Persians were unbreakable. Whatever the king had signed, nothing can change it, no matter any circumstance or pressure. When King Oakley approved the Medes and Persians laws, he could not stop the execution of his brother’s son caught with magic.

King Eric had signed the Princess’ movement and preparation was at its peak before the king’s vision.

The king’s research could not unravel what he had seen. He kept himself from the company of everyone including his wife. This might be the beginning of sorrow for him. He knew nothing about worries and tribulation since his reign.

The next day, he called Albert again to meet him in his room. To him, it was a sign of weakness and the breakdown of ancestral laws to summon his cabinet to terminate the Princess’ tour. It will indicate that he had no regard for the laws he met, no regard for his guests who saw the proclamation, and his words might lack authority in the future.

“Albert, is there any link between my vision and the impending adventure of my daughter?”

“My Lord, forgive me. I don’t know. Why not increase the men at the castle gate and our borders. Let’s prepare for war. That is the worst that can happen. Your daughter’s tour is a must and you know that. You have said it, and your words must come to pass. Your words are that of the gods’.”

“You are right. Let’s prepare for war. The worst thing that can happen to us is defeat.”

Albert's words gave him some confidence. Meanwhile, Princess Stephanie had refused to eat anything and was sad. When the king heard it, he invited her to his room.

“My daughter, my love.” The king was sitting at the left side of his wide bed. “Please, come to me.” The king embraced her, but the Princess was disheartened. She covered her face with her right hand. King Eric used his hands to remove her hands from her face. He touched her neck.

“Sit down with me. I have made a special arrangement for your seven days tour. By this time next week, everything were have been ready. You will go.”

The Princess smiled and tears come down her eyes. He cleaned the tears and she embraced father with great vigor. She ran out of the room excited.

“Marian! Marian!! Marian!!!

She ran straight to her room and entered without a knock. Marian was amending her blue garment with a short needle. The Princess ran and embraced her.

“We are still going…” She shouted. Marian opened her eyes wide.

“Be careful.” She kept the garment under the bed and placed the threaded needle on it.

“Wow… That’s great.” She made a fist with her two hands.

“From tomorrow, you can restart plans and gather all the clothes and items we need. I will go round Portsmouth and fill my lungs with the outside air, my eyes and my feet will see and step on new things.”

Marian looked at her with admiration and smiled.

“Together, we will tour Portsmouth.” The Princess left the room.

The Princess’ tour quickly got to the ears of the five kings as every town was preparing to welcome her. The five kings became anxious. This is what they have been waiting for.

The five kings we’re sitting around a square table in King Simeon's castle. King Benedict brought out the apple fruit and placed it on the table. A meeting they thought will not take much time started crawling in hours. They planned on how to deliver the poisoned fruit to Princess Stephanie, but their plans were futile. They plotted different plans, but all seemed unrealistic as they heard that Portsmouth has increased the military men at the borders. And King Eric has put a restriction on the movement across his borders.

“Men of one heart,” said King Robert. “The more we deliberate here, the more our precious time is going. Let’s meet those sorcerers again. They have always assured us to come when times are hard.”

The other kings nodded their heads and again, they sought the help of the sorcerers.

“Men of ancient wisdom, we are here to inquire how to deliver the fruit to the Princess. We have suggested various ways to deliver the fruit. But, we are afraid, our ways might fail us, not yours. And we might never have this opportunity again. The King of Portsmouth had increased his men at his borders. According to your prophecy, the Princess must eat the fruit. Her doom will bring about our victory. Days from now, she will be out of the shells of her home. And our days to attack will be drawing near,” said King Benedict.

“Humans! You will always remain humans. Your flesh has so many limitations. We know you will come back for this. But to help you, it will increase our demands when Portsmouth falls.” Said the sorcerer standing in the middle.

“Which demand? If it is within our reach we will give it to you,” said King Benedict.

"When Portsmouth falls, for seven days, we will stay in the castle. We want to dine at the table of King Eric. That pleasure will relieve us of the pains King Oakley has done to us and our forefathers."

“Just a week?” He turned to the other kings and they smiled. And King Benedict continued;

“Your wish is our delight.”

The sorcerers were so pleased and the middle one said.

“Because of what you just said, I will increase the pain of King Eric. One of you must defile the Princess sexually as a temporary cure. After two weeks, she will still die and Portsmouth will still be yours.”

The kings nodded their heads in satisfaction.

"Go, provide us a virgin girl without deformity.” The sorcerer stopped and put his left hand on his left ear. He bent his head and listened to the wind. There came a shouting of excitement, a crowd’s yell, rolling up and down which only he could hear.

“I can hear a loud shout,” he closed his eyes to receive the vision clearly and the sorcerer acclaimed at once.

“It is Marina, the home of hidden warriors. I see, the Princess in their sword feast, and there she will eat the meal of death. Go now and present to us a virgin girl. She will be used for this service.”

The kings left that evening and came at the dawn of the next day. They came with the girl and made her kneel before the sorcerers. The younger sorcerer blindfolded the girl's eyes with black stripes and her name was Sonia. She was in her early twenties and throughout the ritual, her eyes were closed.

“Upon you, we cast a temporary spell. Only the Princess' eyes will break this spell and she will find great joy in you. She must receive whatever you present to her. After presenting your gift, leave her presence immediately.” The sorcerer with the wooden staff stepped further, closer to the kings.

“On the day of the Princess’ coronation, we will consult the winds again. I see the King of Portsmouth handing over the staff of authority to the Princess. Woe to Portsmouth, for your King, will never regain his authority again. It will be within the vocal power of the Princess to make King Eric great again. His misguided speech will be his doom. The authority of the king will melt away and his lineage will forever be forgotten. His armies will lose faith in him. The people of Portsmouth will seek safety in your hands. Behold, his wife might fall for defilement when all her hope has gone.”