The Wonderful World of Words

Three: A Boring Throne

Genre: General Fiction/Fantasy

Thrones are uncomfortable. When I imagined this moment, it was much more glorious. Instead, I find myself bored.

"Guards," I call blandly. "Bring me Jean. I want to see her."

Ah, Jean. She was always so admirable. I'm sure she still is. It certainly would be against her nature to be anything but honorable.

Our feud started so long ago that I can't exactly remember what sparked it. We were raised together as friends, meant to be as close as brother and sister. However, that was not the case. Jean and I were born opposites. I remember quite vividly my first indication that our paths were not really meant to cross. I want to say that we were about twelve, though I might have been a little older.

It was the birthday of a servant child. Jean was weaving a daisy chain for the girl; something that I thought was amazingly stupid. She was already wearing a crown of flowers over her blond hair. "That's dumb." I told her. "She's just a servant."

Jean looked at me, quirking up one eyebrow. "You're dumb. She is just as important as me and you, Edwin."

The thing about Jean is that she's always been impossibly honorable and kind. I have always been the opposite.

I don't think it was a matter of our upbringing. I was fostered by Jean's father, a very beloved king. As Jean was his only child, the great king agreed to foster me, and if I grew into a fit heir, well, that would be that. Jean had only a small grasp of this concept as a child, so it didn't bother her then. However, the older we got, the harsher our rivalry became.

Jean was determined to prove herself the better person. She fed the hungry and read to the old and sang lullabies to children. She had the perfect picture of beauty and elegance and what not.

I, however, was building my own picture, one of a fierce leader. Jean never had to work hard to convince people she was wonderful; I did. I put a great deal of work into creating my personality, and the people loved it.

During this time, Jean's father had grown weary of our subtle war. Rather than name an heir, he did the absolutely unprecedented thing and said, "The people shall decide."

That was when Jean began crafting a quiet plan to remove my efforts for a royal title. She offered me a large sum of money and a beautiful abbey. I found it adorable that she really thought such an effort would work.

As they say, the rest is history. Our city became divided on the subject and for ten years, Jean and I have played reindeer games with each other. Frankly, I feel rather foolish for not realizing the ideal way to win sooner. Jean is a woman of thought. She had made no account in her strategies for brute force.

So, while she plotted on how to turn our people against me, I was gathering a small army, just small enough that they overtook her half of the castle in a few hours.

I won. I am the king. So why do I feel unfulfilled? Perhaps that is why I call for Jean. She will know. It would be like her to know.

She walks in with her chin tipped up and her back straight, just as she always does. Even though I am the king now, there is still a wide respect for Jean, for all of the good that she did. That's why the guards don't have chains on her wrists. That's why she walks right up to me and takes a seat on the top stair before the throne.

"Thank you, good people. That will be all. I'd like a moment with the king." Jean says to the guards. Of course, they listen to her. She has no authority, but they still listened to her. I find myself unsurprised.

Once my men leave, she turns her eyes up to me. "I thought you would miss me." She says. "Am I allowed out of my cage now?"

"I don't hate you." I tell her. "I had to do what I had to do, just as you did, Jean."

She smiles a little. "I never had you arrested. My power came from my people."

If there is one amazing talent that Jean has, it's that she can make anyone feel terrible. I suppose she's right. I may have reacted with bit more intensity than she ever did. "We... we let things out of hand, didn't we?"

She nods, but after growing up with her, I can tell perfectly well that there is much more she wants to say.

"You can speak, Jean. I... listen, the truth is, I asked you here-,"

"Sent your guards to bring me," she corrects snappily. As a woman of pride, this might be the most demeaning thing I could have done to her. Now I can begin to remember why I dislike her so much. She's just so... so Jean. No, I'm not very sorry in the end for what happened.

I sigh heavily, beginning to wish I had never asked for her. "This is boring." I admit. "I didn't think that it would be this boring."

"Boring?" She snaps. And, by the way she speaks; I know that this was some great affront to her. "You are the king. How on Earth could you possibly find it to be boring? Have you done nothing these past days? Have you worked on no programs for the people? Have you not met with any council? Lord, the people are in for it."

This has actually truly upset her. No, Jean, I have not worked on programs for the people or met with a council, and nor do I care to. I think if I actually tell her that, her head may explode. "Jean, tell me why I feel like this."

She shakes her head, clearly angry with me beyond words. "You want me to tell you why you're sad? Am I to be your council? You are a demeaning man. I'll tell you why you feel like this. You took this from me, Edwin. You wanted it because you had competition. You don't care about our people. You only care about yourself. There's nothing about this job that will make it fulfilling for you. It isn't in your nature to care enough. It... it's always been mine... I guess that's why you had to snatch it out from under me."

I hate to admit this. I mean, I cannot even begin to put into words how much this pains my soul. But Jean is right. Well, she's a little bit wrong. I didn't just want to be king because she wanted to be queen. I wanted it because it was something that I wasn't destined to have. So, I fought for it. Still, she's right about everything else. I don't care about the people of this city. The title is wonderful- King Edwin. It has a good ring to it.

"You know something? I hate that you know everything." When I say that, she smiles a little bit, the first time in a while. "Maybe Queen Jean wouldn't be so bad. Who am I kidding? It would, it really would. The Queen of Good Deeds... but... it will fit well on you."

1240 Words

Prompt Source: https://www.servicescape.com/blog/301-short-story-ideas-guaranteed-to-kick-your-writing-into-high-gear