Three days journey across the great plains, west by the river and north by the lakes, beyond the great mountains and below the dancing sky, you will find the smallest of kingdoms, where the grass is evergreen, the rivers never stop flowing, and the mountains are so high they seem one with the sky above.
In this land lived a prince so fair his beauty was talked about in all the lands, and his hand was the most coveted prize one could imagine. When the time came for this young prince to find his mate, they came from all the lands in the realm, princes and knights and everyone in between, all seeking the greatest of all prizes.
From the highlands to the east came Sir Kevin, son of Richard, high knight and of noble birth, twenty men at his heels carrying all the riches one could imagine, a gift to the king for the hand of his son. From beyond the mountains in the west came Sir Howard, son of Dwaine, a strong and fearless man, whose claim to the throne seemed absolute after the mysterious disappearance of his elder cousin, the Crown Prince Lance. From the the north came Prince Justin of the Timberlakes, soon to be king, whose beauty was only overshadowed by one, the man he now came to claim for his own. From all the lands they came, each bringing more wealth than the last to present to the king, a token of stature disguising a bribe.
Sir Kevin, son of Richard, was the first to arrive, his horses so tired they fell where they stood. Tall, dark, and handsome, he entered the court, walking straight to the king and presenting a figure of pure solid gold, picturing himself atop of his horse. Taking the gift in his hand, the king could do nothing by smile as he called for his son, for a man such as this would be perfect for him. But even as he admired the beautiful work of the figure, his son arrived, none too impressed with neither the man nor his gift. “What is the most important thing in life?” he asked Sir Kevin, who thought long and hard before giving his answer. “To win every battle I set out to win,” he replied at last, confident in his answer. But the prince appeared impressed with neither the man nor his gift, and Sir Kevin was sent on his way.
Sir Howard, son of Dwaine, was the second to arrive, having saved little in regards to his horses, but held up by his plans against his cousin. His gift of golden tapestries impressed the king far more than that of Sir Kevinīs figure, and once again the prince was called in. He neither smiled not paid much attention to the tapestries, but instead asked Sir Howard the same question he had asked Sir Kevin. Hiding his surprise, Sir Howard did his best to appear to be thinking long and hard on the question, before he finally give his answer. “To rule my lands as king,” he replied, and once more the gifts were returned and the giver sent on his way by the prince.
Third to arrive was Prince Justin of the Timberlakes, who had taken his time and saved his horses, concerned more for his outward appearance than when he appeared. His gift to the king was a marvelous sight, the most beautiful armor a man had ever seen, and the prince was called in at once. Like twice before, a question was asked, and like the others, Prince Justin appeared to be giving it much thought. After an appropriate time had passed, he turned to look at the king to give his answer. “To have the hand of the most beautiful of all men,” he said, smiling as he inclined his head, his reply being a question as well as an answer. “Give him back his armor,” came the answer from the prince, as he turned and walked away.
For four more days suitors came from across the lands, everyone and all sent on their way by the prince, before on the fifth day, a young man walked into the courtyard. He carried his things on his back, accompanied by no one but a couple of filthy dogs, and looked to have not seen a bath in weeks. “Have you come for the prince?” a guard asked, having seen so many come and go he had lost count. “I suppose I am,” the young man replied, and soon found himself standing in front of the king. “What have you for me?” the king asked the young man, whoīs introduction gave only a first name, Chris. The young man set down his things and started to go through them, looking for a gift suitable for a king. He soon found what he had been looking for, and turned to hand the king a simple wooden flute. “What is this?” the king asked, his eyes going from the man to the flute. “Play it,” the young man replied, and when the king did the most beautiful tones filled the room, bringing tears to everyone's eyes, for no one had ever thought anything that simple looking could make such a beautiful sound.
“Ask for my son” the king said, wiping a single tear from his cheek as he put down the flute. As his son entered the room and walked to them, the young man turned to watch him as he approached. If the prince had any thought about the young manīs appearance, he didnīt let them show, and instead asked the same question he had asked everyone that had come before, “what is the most important thing in life?” Like everyone before, the young man did not answer right away, but unlike the others, when he did, there was not a smile on his face. Instead he looked almost sad when he answered. “I do not know,” was his reply, as he looked from the prince to the king. “What do you mean?” the prince asked him, coming a little closer. “Life itself is important, and to choose one thing above the rest is something I am not able to do” the young man explained. “So you say we should live as if everything we do is the most important thing we do?” the prince asked, and the young man only smiled in response. The prince then turned to his father, taking the flute from his hands and playing it softly.
Looking from his son to the young man, the king saw that beyond the dirty and poor appearance lay a wise and gentle soul, a man more fitting the hand of his son than any knight or prince in the realm. With a smile on his face he ordered a great feast in the young manīs honor, for his son had finally found someone who saw the world for what it was, someone who understood that the greatest thing in life was life itself.
Story Notes:
Written for Ninjetti as part of the Popslash SeSa (MtYG) 2008.
