It's Monday and that means I have another free short story for you. Just my small way of trying to give back during these crazy times. Enjoy! Who Am I Today?
By Sheri Velarde Once I had a name, a purpose, a life. No more. Now I am just the man of many faces. People come and tell me who I am to be today, no one comes for the real me anymore. Does a real me even exist? I doubt it. There is a knock at my door. I answer, faceless and without purpose yet and ask, “Who as I today?” “His majesty is in need of wise council. Please proceed to the throne room immediately.” The squire turned and left and I felt my face forming for the day. I took on the guise of a knowledgeable wizard, at least I knew who I was now. I walked down the halls of the castle and entered the throne room to find the King pacing back and forth. “There you are! I need council. The Elordians are threatening to invade unless I meet their demands.” “What are they asking of you?” “The hand of my daughter in marriage so peace can reign between the kingdoms. A very large dowry. Two thousand mounted men for their army.” The King said, still pacing. “That does not seem like such a high price to avoid war and all but assure peace. Do you have objections to the marriage? Is the prince undesirable in some way?” “Well I don’t know the boy, but he should be a suitable match.” The King conceded. “Then what are your objections?” I asked out of what was expected of me, not out of any real curiosity. “I don’t like the Elordians forcing my hand! I am a King! How dare they threaten me into submission!” “So pride is what is the matter here.” I said, this was not the first time pride had been the issue with this King. He and his father before him had shed much blood due to their pride. Now I feared if I could talk reason to him, though the princess might be an ally here. “Why shouldn’t I be prideful? I am a king!” “As king you must think what is best for your kingdom. Have you talked to your daughter about this? You seem to keep her counsel.” The King seemed to calm a bit. “Yes, go fetch my daughter. She should decide if she wants to marry or not.” “As you wish.” I bowed and exited the room, my face going blank once more as I thought about how to best approach the princess. Who would be most likely to get her to talk sense to her father? What face should I wear to convince her? Who should I be for her? At last outside her chambers I knocked. “Princess, your father wants to speak with you. It’s important.” Before she opened the door I rearranged my face into that of a handsome and kindly gentleman, one a bit too old for her to fancy, but charming enough to keep her interested in his words. The princess threw her door open. “What does he want now? Last night he was going on and on about war. I don’t care for war talk. If he would just keep his temper in check we would never have to talk of it.” She complained. “Well preventing war is what I think you can do. The Elordians have made a proposal, one that includes your hand in marriage, which will all but ensure peace in our lifetime and for many after. However your father’s pride is threatening to ruin this treaty and bring war and destruction upon all of us.” “The Elordians want me to marry their prince? And father is refusing? The Elordian prince is supposed to be the handsomest, wisest, and kindest man that their kingdom has ever seen. Why would my father object? It would make both kingdoms more powerful.” I could see the princess already dreaming of being queen of two kingdoms. “Ah, but it was not his idea, it was theirs. His pride is hurting and he is not thinking about his kingdom, or his daughter’s future. Imagine being queen of not one, but two kingdoms. You and this mythical prince could make them prosper like no others, if only you can make your father see sense.” Squaring her shoulders, fantasy life in her eyes, the princess said, “Don’t worry. I will make my father take this treaty. Thank you for your good counsel.” “I live to serve Your Majesty.” With the princess dealing with the king, I returned to my room, faceless once more. Now to wait to see whom I would be called to be next. Someone once asked me who I was when all alone. Did I think? Did I feel? Not really, I just sit and wonder who I will be called to be next. Later that day another knock, another call through the door, “Your presence is requested in the throne room for a celebration.” Putting on my happy face, wide smile, dimples and all, I opened the door. “Then we shall not keep them waiting.” How easy it is to laugh and tell jokes, to pump up the moods of others while feeling no joy myself. People want to feel good themselves, they rarely think of the enjoyment of other. If I have my smile on, well then I must be happy too right? Ah human nature, only seeing what they want to see. The treaty went through. The princess married and eventually became queen of two kingdoms, though I didn’t see her often after her departure for Eldoria. The years passed and I continued to be whomever the King wanted me to be. Some days I was a jester, others days a wizard, still others a confidant and friend. Never was I ever really me. Then one day the King died and the new Queen and her husband were coming to claim their kingdom. I waited in my room, same as I did every day, for someone to come and tell me who I would be today. A soft knock came, not the usual loud and formal knock of a guard. No call came telling me what face to put on, I didn’t know what to do. Who would break my protocol like this and leave me with no identity to answer the door? That soft knock came again. “Who is it?” I called but there was no answer. Perplexed I did the only thing that I could, I opened the door with my face blank. I was a no one until I knew what I was supposed to be. “Yes?” The Queen stood there a smile upon her face. “Hello there my old friend, it’s been too long.” I smiled. I actually felt my lips form a smile. I had a face. From the way the Queen responded apparently I was her old confidant, her friend. A kind man with a sharp mind who only wanted the best for the kingdom. I remembered now, that was who I have always been, it was an enchantment of the King that kept me locked in my room and faceless without an identity, now that the Queen ruled I was free to be me at last.
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So I am part of a little author collaboration over on Facebook with five others indie authors, a group called Passions and Pentagrams. Each month we try to write a short story based on prompt words given by the members of the group. For February we had fae, weird and ubiquitous. Here is what I came up with! Enjoy! Awakening
“That’s weird.” Jack said to himself, looking towards the shore from the deck of his lobster boat. A naked woman walked out of the water, two giant lobsters following her. As if she could sense his stare, she turned to look at him and he knew she was not human. Her eyes glowed with unnatural light. She was one of the fae of legend. Jack had heard that her kind could enchant a human with just one glance, dooming them to forever want what they could never truly have. She smiled at him, beckoning him to come to shore with the wave of her hand. Not thinking he dove into the water and swam towards the beach. As he approached her, the giant lobsters moved away, allowing him to drop to his knees before her. Gently she reached out her hand and touched his cheek. A ubiquitous feeling overcame him. For the first time in his life he felt connected to something, to everything. The world opened up and shared its secrets with him. The last thing he remembered before he lost consciousness was her smiling down at him. Blackness overtook him and he knew no more. He opened his eyes to see the moon in the sky, his boat washed up on shore twenty feet from where he laid. Jack sat up, looking around for a sign of his savior. She was gone. Yelling he ran up and down the beach, no trace of anyone could be found. He was alone, but the encounter that had taken place had changed him forever. From then on Jack came to the beach every day, waiting for the time when his mystery woman to return to fulfill the promise that she had awakened in him. |
AuthorAuthor, artist, jewelry maker and all around creative person. I write in many genres and have a lot of fun doing so. Please take a look around and enjoy! Archives
January 2022
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