For this piece, I was asked to use the last line of a book I own as the last line of my writing. I will give credit for the last lines at the end.
K – A King’s Trust
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King Kaden sat on his throne, wondering what the inhabitants of his kingdom thought of him. Was he doing a good job? He had plenty of riches and trusted all of his advisors when it came to running the kingdom. But deep down, he felt a disconnect with the populace. He decided to try to find out firsthand what their thoughts were.
He changed his appearance as best he could. He would dress as a peasant and wander the kingdom.
For three days running, he announced that he had some important work to do alone and was not to be disturbed. He changed clothes in his chambers and exited the castle through a secret doorway.
Walking through the streets and alleyways of his kingdom was fascinating. There was so much that he had been unaware of. The places were all run down. He saw little cheer. Some people gave greetings when passing him, and others just ignored him. Periodically, he would stop and make conversation.
“I am a stranger to this land and am considering moving here. How fares the kingdom?” he would say.
The answers seemed rather consistent.
“Go back where you came from. You’ll find no joy here.”
“There is no communication with the one that rules here and his money-grubbing advisors. All they do is take from us.”
“Look around you; this place is a shadow of what it was and could be. Look at the palace, for that is where the money is spent. There is no thought to spend it on us.”
“We are insignificant; we may look well, but we struggle to survive.”
King Kaden had enough after three days of hearing these descriptions and complaints.
How could he have let this happen? It was time for things to change. But first, he needed to know why it happened. The king had trusted his advisors. They informed him of what was happening and told him all was well. Yes, they did ask for more money to be taken from the population, but, as it was explained to him, the people could afford it, for this was a rich and prosperous land.
It was time for another disguise. This one had to be more stealthy, for there would be contact with his advisors this time. He enlisted the aid of his closest friend, Sir Hector. Hector would infiltrate an advisor’s meeting and report back his findings.
What Hector found out supported the people’s claim. There was much talk during and after the advisors’ meetings about their wealth and how they could dupe the king into getting more for themselves. They even made fun of the King’s naivety and how easy it was to get what they wanted without reproach.
Of course, if King Kaden called his advisors out, they would deny it. How could he make change happen?
He decided he would again disguise himself and roam among the populace. Maybe something would inspire him. And as it happens, in these kinds of tales, something did happen.
As the king was walking past a tumbled-down cottage, an old woman stepped out and hailed him. “Stranger,” she called out with a knowing look. “You seem to be troubled. Why don’t you come inside for a bite to eat and some cool water and share what’s on your mind?”
The king looked the woman over, ignored misgivings, and took her up on her offer. He was quite surprised when she presented him with food and drink and said, “So, King Kaden, this is the fourth time I’ve seen you in this village in the last two weeks. What is it that you are so desperate to find?”
“How is it that you know who I am?” he asked.
“I’ve been following you since you were born. As I did your father and his father before,” she replied.
The king had heard stories of such guardian spirits, but up until now, they were just stories. Without any hesitation, the King unburdened himself to the old woman.
“The answer is simple, but not without risk.” She said, “You must do what your heart tells you and become the person you were meant to be.”
And so it was. King Kaden removed all of his advisors. He left them with some money and small plots of land, giving them each the choice to leave the kingdom if they desired. With insufficient funds to live in the luxury they were used to, most departed to find places elsewhere to work their lies. Once the truth is out, liars and cheats must pay the consequences.
King Kaden named Sir Hector his chief advisor, with the instructions that the populace choose his fellow advisors. The one criterion for the position of advisor was honesty and truth.
It took time for the people of the kingdom to change their opinions. When the king walked amongst them, he was not in disguise. He knew that trust had to be earned.
As King Kaden stood and looked up at the sky that shone over his kingdom, he could have seen the miserable place he had ruled. But the sky was bright, and he somehow felt he was headed in the right direction.*
As for the kingdom’s people, they eventually came to accept and enjoy their fate. They could only say it just “happened to happen” and was not very likely to happen again. **
The last lines are taken from:
* – Stuart Little by E. B. White
** – The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins by Dr. Seuss
