Wonsaponatime*

Once upon a time, in a land far far away, lived a lonely King by the name of Gideon. Gideon had known a lot of miseries and in its wake he had forgotten how to laugh and be silly, and his days were filled with grumbling and moaning about his so sad life. Day in and day out he sat on his golden throne, barking orders and sighing. His face had a constant frown and to his entourage, this was the only facial expression they knew. Then, one day, the young and lonely King took a stroll through the gardens of his castle. Looking down the walls he saw the bustle and jollity of the market and he decided to visit his underlings. The sad King Gideon marched through the gates and at that moment a young unknown Prince fell from his horse in front of the lonely King’s feet in a rather clumsy manner. The King felt a strange sensation in his gut when he saw the rather handsome man, and it traveled up to his face. A twitch at the corners of his mouth and then a grimace appeared on his face, one that tugged the edges of his mouth upward. The King’s entourage froze and they were scandalized. They had never seen him with such an expression on his face and at once, the King was ushered back into his castle and a doctor was called. The fair doctor made the King undress and examined him from head to toe. He listened and he tapped, he pushed and he pulled and after a long time of humming and scratching his bearded chin, the bespectacled older man rubbed his bald head and shook it. He was rather helpless and had no cure for the King’s strange condition.

The young Prince, who had traveled for many moons, felt guilty about being the reason the mighty lonely King was sick and so, he had stayed at the castle and awaited the verdict off the good doctor and the King’s entourage. All of them were helpless and saddened about King Gideon’s state of health. The thick stone walls reverberated with sad wails and the Prince took all his courage and asked to see the King. He introduced himself – Prince Idris from the Kingdom of Cameronia, told the purpose of his visit – an apology and to bring the King a gift from his homeland, far far away, and he asked for permission to spend the next three nights at the court, in order to regain his own strengths after a strenuous journey. The audience and the stay were granted by the King’s personal counselor and the Prince was allowed to see the King in his throne room. A crowd had gathered to see the foreign Prince and to hear his public apology.
In his nervous state, Prince Idris held his hat in his hand and played with its rim, he didn’t dare raising his gaze to look at the sad and sick King and knelt on the steps that led up to the throne. The floor was cool and hard. Even through the thick leather of his pants he felt the cold in his knees.

“Dearest King, I owe you an apology,” the young man croaked. The King nodded for the Prince to go on and speak, but because of his bowed head he didn’t see it. A guard nudged his calf with his boot and the Prince lost his balance and just before he fell down the steps on which he knelt, he yelped. A mysterious sound escaped the King’s mouth and everyone present stared at him in astonishment. His face was contorted in that strange grimace again. Out of the crowd an anonymous voice screeched: “It’s the Prince. He has our lonely King bewitched.” Murmuring voiced agreed and heads nodded. “Beheaded he shall be!” Declared a counselor of the mighty King. The Prince was startled and kneeling anew, he made his way closer to the King.
“Mercy, your Majesty. Please, have mercy.” He pleaded and looked up into the King’s face for the first time. What he saw surprised him and he turned around to see the crowd cheering for his head to be speared at the marketplace. The King looked down and a frown installed itself on his forehead. It was deep as if it had been there for many years. It made the young King look old and tired. Another murmur went through the crowd. The King raised his hand and the crowd was silenced. “He’s back to normal,” the Prince heard a loud whisper coming from behind his back.
“Prince Idris, speak! What is that witchery that makes me feel odd here,” the King pointed to his belly, “and here,” he pointed to his face, “and that only happens when you are around? Speak and lift the maleficent spell.” The King’s voice boomed through the halls and the Prince cowered in front of the man.
“It’s not a spell, your Majesty. It is happiness, maybe even love, and you are smiling.” Loud whispers echoed in the hall.
“Love? Smiling?” The King got up from his throne and marched down the steps. He halted in front of the kneeling Prince and motioned him to get up too. “And that fluttery feeling in my belly? Is it going to kill me?” The King feared for his life, but the Prince smiled. The King laid a hand on his flat stomach, the fluttery feeling was back upon seeing the glint in the brown eyes of the young Prince. Prince Idris blushed. “You are not sick, your Majesty. Feeling love is not going to kill you. It is how people feel when they are in love. It’s normal.” The Prince had always known that he wasn’t made to take a bride and so he had visited many Kingdoms in the hopes to find the one where he could find a King for his own lonely heart. His heart had fluttered when he had seen King Gideon for the first time. A gorgeous man with a divine smile. Strange that he didn’t have a clue about the worldliest feelings. The King frowned and whispered: “But you are a man, I cannot make you my Queen, can I?”

The young Prince felt brave and faced the King again, this time he made their eyes meet. His own stomach felt the somersaults inside of him.
“You are the King. You make the rules. And if finding love, happiness and companionship with a man, is what makes you less sad and lonely, then you should change the dusty old rules.” The Prince smiled and lowered his eyes again. In the crowd, he heard sharp intakes of breaths. The halls were silent.
“We could never produce heirs,” the King looked at a counselor who shook his head in agreement.
“But with all due respect, your Highness, there are many orphans who would be happy to find a loving family,” the Prince objected. The King faced the crowd, then he scrutinized the young Prince.
“Right.” The King turned around and took a seat on his throne. He put his finger against his lips and the frown reappeared, but then a smile chased it away and the King stood up. The smile on his face became more and more comfortable and it was no longer a foreign grimace. Even the people in the hall saw how handsome their young King was when he wasn’t frowning.

“I hereby decree that I will take Prince Idris as my Queen. The wedding shall be held in seven days,” the King cleared his throat: “I will take Prince Idris as my King, of course.”
While he went over to his new fiancé, the crowd was confused. The King raised his voice one last time: “Go my beloved friends and arrange your Kings’ marriage. You’ll be invited to a magnificent feast.” King Gideon let his knuckles caress Prince Idris’s cheek. “Do you want to be my King?” The Prince nodded shyly. “Will you show me how to laugh and to love?” The King asked furthermore, and again, the Prince nodded. “Will you start with a kiss? I have never kissed anyone, apart from my mother.” This time, the Prince didn’t nod. He leaned closer to the King, their chests touched and then the Prince laid his lips on the King’s. The fluttering feeling in the King’s stomach intensified. Normal, he thought. I have never been normal before. He smiled again.

Seven days passed with Prince Idris teaching King Gideon about life and love. The wedding was held and a feudal feast was arranged.

Prince Idris had found his King and the King was finally not sad and lonely anymore. And the Kings adopted seven orphaned children and lived happily ever after.

FIN

*Wonsaponatime is not my wordcreation, but John Lennon’s. I burrowed it for this little fairy tale.