What?! A Challenge? Bring It!
Alright, outside of the community, a personal friend of mine and I got into a debate over writing. Specifically, he argued there was nobody around who could write a good modern-day fable. I assert that not only do those people exist, but I can write a fable-like story that conveys a great message and within a couple hours' time. So without further adieu, here's another piece, experiment-style and with no editing, right here on the upload page. Current time: 8:30pm EST.
A Queen for the Prince
An aging king of a long-established dynasty had been fighting a long, losing battle for his life. He was, himself, relatively young, only just hitting middle age. Whispers grew amongst the people of the empire about the teenage prince. "How will such a young King rule our empire?" people asked in hushed whispers over a few drinks in dark corners and during late nights in their houses. People did not want to openly question it, but the king knew their doubts. Never before had the empire been so large, so powerful. During the days of his youthful vitality, the king had expanded their empire greatly. Everyone knows, however, it takes a great emperor to run a great empire.
So the king called on his young son, the prince. A boy really, having just hit his sixteenth birthday. When the prince arrived in the king's bedchamber, the smell of death clung to the air like a foul exclamation to his father's growing infimaty.
"Son," the king spoke, beckoning the prince closer. "You must marry."
"But father," the prince protested hotly. "I am too young for such things." It was true, the prince had not even courted or bothered to think of it.
"You will soon rule this empire I have created. The people must be comforted by the stability of a committed monarch."
"How will I ever find a bride, father?"
"There are many to choose from, many who would throw themselves at a young prince like you."
"How will I know which of them is right, though?"
"Son, you are wiser than I was at your age. You will find a solution to this dilemma with some meditation. I am sure of it."
The prince did not continue his protests. Instead, he did as his father said, and relegated himself to several days of solitary meditation. He only accepted food once every day, and only in meager portions. Finally, after three days of this, he stepped from his chamber, malnourished and weak, but with stern determination in his eyes.
"Call to every corner of the empire," he ordered the members of the court. "Any woman of marriagable age and distinction who desires to have me as their husband will arrive here at the palace in exactly two weeks. No others will be accepted into the courtyard on midnight of that evening."
The word went out. Messengers half-killed their horses in their efforts to carry the message as far and as wide as possible. Within four days, the message was spread throughout the empire. Once the two weeks passed, the courtyard was flooded with young women. Some of them were princesses themselves, many more were daughters of other lower royalty or products of families of distinction.
Once midnight fell, the doors were closed on the courtyard. The women were sealed in.
Standing over the courtyard on a high balcony, the prince came into view. The women all turned their heads skyward to him. "Welcome!" he announced, voice booming. "You all know why you are here, so I will make this brief. At noon you will all be put to a test of endurance. The girl who satisfies my terms will be my bride. That is all."
Whispers went through the crowd as the prince disappeared. Tents were brought out with beds for each of the women, and they slept in the courtyard that night.
Five minutes to noon, the prince emerged once again. The women had all been fed and tended to, and were all anxiously awaiting his return. Once again, their eyes turned skywards to him in adoration.
"This is the test!" He announced. "I request all of you go to your knees, and that you remain that way for as long as you possibly can." The women started muttering. Some sounded angry, particularly the princesses. The others were merely perplexed. Such an odd request for the prince to make! "I will stay here on the balcony to observe. You must remain on your knees as long as possible. How you do it doesn't matter. Up, down, whatever. All I ask is that both of your knees are resting fully on the ground."
Many women complied immediately, going to a subservient position on the hard, cobblestoned surface of the courtyard. Others did so reluctantly, particularly the women of higher distinction. Eventually, however, all followed the request, going to their knees. Some kept themselves upright, some sat back on their feet. Some, particularly those of the merchant class, had no problem with bending their bodies in various not-so-flattering poses to keep as little pressure on their knees as possible.
No matter what they did, however, the women found minutes, then hours pass without change. The prince merely sat idly by on the balcony, unmoved by the building commotion of women who could no longer remain in such a pose. Only a half hour had passed before the first woman could no longer bear it, and fell to her side. Attendees immediately saw to her, making sure she was ok, and lay her down in her tent.
Hours passed, and more and more women fell over. Knees were bloody, dehydration widespread. But when the women fell, they were well tended-to. It would be six hours before the last few would fall, leaving only one. She knelt in the back, a girl obviously of a lower order of class, and more durable for it. Then she, too, fell.
Standing, the prince applauded the women. Many stuck their heads out of their tents to see what he would say, others merely listened in the comfort of their tents.
"You have all performed marvelously. But I have not yet made a decision. I will return tomorrow."
And so the prince did, coming back at the same time. And he repeated the process. Women protested a little more in their murmers this time, but none openly objected to him. Once again, all women would eventually fall. There were many more bloody knees, many more crying out in pain, and some had simply begun losing hope. Still, the prince made no choice of bride.
This would go on for days. On the outside, rumors had gotten around to the people. They whispered things about how cruel the prince was. The king watched his son closely, but said nothing yet.
It was not until the fifth day that women gave up completely, loudly demanding their release from the courtyard. Instead of looking up at the prince adoringly, the way they did the first day, they largely ignored his words. Still, none openly defied him face-to-face.
The prince came out on the sixth day, looking out over the tents in the courtyard. Half the women had not bothered getting out of their beds, the rest looked discouraged and defeated. He held his hands out, then lowered his palms. Once again, the women went to their knees.
This day, however, would finally be the breaking point. The prince had only just sat down when he heard someone shout to him. "You are a terrible man!"
Gasps erupted throughout the tent city. Guards tensed up. The prince stood again, looking to the sea of women that still remained on their knees. There, in the back, was the working girl. She stood defiantly. Her knees were barely scraped up, but her dress hung from her like a rag, having faced six days of weather. "Excuse me?" The prince asked.
"You are a terrible man!" the girl said again, defiance still plain in her voice. "I will not remain on my knees for you. This act is without honor."
"And what would a working girl know about honor?"
"I know that while I may break my back and bruise my hands cleaning your floors, I still hold some dignity, as I am earning something when I do it. Here, I earn degredation and humiliation for getting my knees bloody, and possibly even permanent servitude to you, a cruel man. What honor is there in that?"
The prince ordered her up to his balcony. His face was dark, angry even. The girl marched forward, defiance still painted on her face and showing in her step. She was a martyr, and she knew it.
Once up on the balcony, the prince suddenly grabbed her by the neck, turning her outwards towards the audience, dangerously close to the edge. "You see this uppity little runt!?" He yelled with a commanding tone. The women only stared on. None were hiding away defeated in their tents anymore. They all wanted to see the girl who dared call the prince such a thing. "See her well! Because this is your new Queen!" With that, the prince released her, then knelt before her. "Forgive me," he said in a low, apologetic tone only she could hear. "I did this so I may have a voice of reason by my side. These women," he said, indicating those in the courtyard. "They are whores, plain and simple. They would spend their lives on their knees if they believed they would be rewarded with such power and wealth. You, my dear, you chose your self-respect. Would you be my queen?"
For the longest time, she stood there, unable to fully process what was going on. The young woman stood there, all eyes on her, with the prince kneeling at her feet. "You must make a promise."
"Anything."
"Never do such a thing to anyone, anywhere for as long as you live."
"Never, my queen," he swore. "I have found my queen amongst the throng of cattle."
It is now 9:18, and I am posting this. I hope you find it enjoyable.