Spoiler
Once upon a time, there lived a King called Prasanna; he was the ruler of the village Koref. The people of Koref loved their King, and the king loved his people. King Prasanna believed that the future of the village was in the hands of the farmers and the children. He built schools for the children and gave cows to the farmers.
One fine day, the ministers, seated behind a great wooden table, were talking in hushed tones, when King Prasanna came inside, the hushed tones died away. King Prasanna noticed but never questioned the silence. The ministers after looking at each other’s face for while began telling their King about the newly laid roads, and water canals. King Prasanna asked whether the people were using it and if it is of much use for them. All the ministers nodded, King Prasanna was ecstatic.
“Our people must be happy. They should not be deprived of anything.” Said King Prasanna, the ministers looked each other once again. King Prasanna lost his temper, “Now tell me, my honourable ministers, what’s bothering you all?” He said very patiently for he never liked unspoken words.
“Perhaps, we should talk in private, dear King.” Said a man in his early forties—King Prasanna stormed out of the room and walked to the balcony of the palace. He waited for the man to join him.
“What is it, dear Uncle? Have I done something wrong, are people not happy with my governance?” asked King Prasanna, his eyes pleading.
“They are very happy, son. They couldn’t have asked for more. They worship you.” Said the uncle, gesturing the King to come near him, he hugged his sister’s son, “Your father would be so proud. It’s just, my dear, the ministers think you are old enough to wed. The palace needs its Queen, don’t you think? The people have you, and don’t you think you need someone too, dear, to take care of you?”
“But, I’m happy just as I am. The people, the servants, the servants kids, they’ll all will take care of me, Uncle? Won’t you, I have you, won’t you take care of me?” asked the King.
“Of course!” Replied the uncle, kissing the King’s forehead.
“Then why must I wed, just why?” asked the King.
“Because, my dear, the people are talking.” The uncle, sitting down on a chair laid out in the balcony.
King Prasanna left the palace the same night. His Uncle told him about a woman who was locked away in a grey tower in a far away island. He rode on a horse to the woman with his machete. He longed to save the woman from the far away tower and bring her back to his people, and to make his people happy. He knew nothing of the woman than what his uncle has said. He had mentioned that the woman was cursed by a witch when she was just a child, he didn’t believe the story. He did not believe in witches. He thought maybe the woman’s parents didn’t like her, and that they didn’t want to invest their money on her well-being and so put her in tower, made up a story characterising her as a prize so that Princes and kings like him would fight for her hand in marriage, with no dowry. King Prasanna almost stopped his horse to ride back home, but he wanted to do it, if not for him, then for his people. His people wants a Queen, and Queen there shall be. And so, he rode for days and months, occasionally stopping for water and food. He met other women in his travel, he wondered if they were all cursed by witches too, since they all appeared sad as they did their chores. He promised himself that once he saves that woman from the tower, he would save these women as well.
The sun was up when he heard a growl from the mountain top. He was living in a cabin and was getting ready for the week’s journey. He walked down the road to have a look at the mountain, the mountain was so high, and he thought it might be the gateway to the heaven that his father used to tell him when he was a child. The clouds formed a circle on the crown of the mountain, and he at once knew that that’s where the woman’s tower was. But he had a sea to cross. He sold his beloved horse to buy a boat, the boat owner warned him of a beast that guarded the tower and the woman. King Prasanna held on to his machete.
It was a smooth sail, and King Prasanna was disappointed. There was no obstacle like his Uncle has warned him of. Not even the sea challenged his muscular arms or his rowing skill. He was worried that his people would not have a better story to tell their children. But as he heard another growl from the mountain top, he became hopeful.
There were ladders and stairs, and he climbed the mountain top at ease. Only the occasional growling and snaring would give him hope. A better story, he told himself. Must have a better story.
Once he reached the mountain top he was surprised to see the tower empty. He looked around, and feared he might not have a better story after all; he looked around only to find the tower more deserted. He dropped to his knees stared blankly into the darkness of the tower when a voice startled him. He turned back to see a silhouette of an animal-like at the entrance of the tower, he squinted his eyes to see clearly, the sun light blinding his vision.
“You should have worn shades, my dear lord.” Said the creature, its voice human-like.
His eyes followed where the creature went, completely taken aback to see a four-legged talk. The creature climbed the tower’s stair and sat on the first floor’s balcony, the sunlight revealing its face. It had an elongated face, eyes and a nose that resembled carrots. Its ears were that of a rabbit; tail that of a cat’s.
“Call me beast, apparently that should boost my ego.” Said the creature.
“You can talk?” asked the King, still in shock.
“Of course, I can! Why must it surprise you, dear lord? We have always talked but the humans only talk about our roar, which is quite sad really. But you should have known better.” said the creature, shaking its head.
“Why?” questioned the King.
“Because, you are in my place, don’t you learn about someone whom you are visiting, dear lord? Oh, how unwise of you.” Said the creature.
“Stop with your nonsense, you lizard-breed. Now tell me at once, what did you do to the woman that you were supposed to be guarding.” Demanded the King.
“Oh, how misguided are you. Now, if you don’t mind me asking, dear sir, what business do you have with the woman I’m supposed to be guarding?” asked the creature suppressing its laugh.
“I’m here to save her, you imbecile.” Said the king.
“Oh she’s been saved, dear lord. Many years back, I suppose, you were just a child when she left the tower.” Said the creature.
“Years?” asked the King.
“Yes, it’s been years. But nobody wants to believe, I don’t know why. I’ve seen so many young bloods and old hags, oh, not you sir, but they have all come, in high spirits, to save her. But you see, sir, she left the tower a long time back. I was so young then. But look at me now, I’m aging! Can you believe that, Lord? You have just met an aging dragon! Are you not excited, sir?” asked the creature.
“Not at the lest!” shouted the King. “My… my story.” Murmured the King.
“What story, dear sir?” asked the creature.
“The story that my people were supposed to tell their kids… about me! Now, I have nothing! I have nothing! They’ve already begun talking, I can’t stop them. If not now, then never.” Said the King, crouching on the floor.
“You can never stop them from talking, dear sir. It’s what they do; to stop them is like asking the sun to stop setting. Now, look at the sun, sir. It’s so beautiful. Why must you stop your people from talking anyway, sir? If they don’t talk there will never be a solution, just like the cold nights. If there are no hot days, there won’t be cold nights. Nothing raises until something sets off, dear sir.” Said the creature.
“Oh, enough with your ramblings. I’ve failed my people! I have no story, if there’s no story, there’s no history!” said the King, who was now on his back to floor, staring at the tower ceiling.
“Oh, don’t fret, kind sir. You have savings to do yourself.” Piqued the creature.
“What do you mean? Asked the king.
“Oh, the women, sir, the women in the village below. They need some saving, sir. You see, sir, not all the woman in tower need saving, and not all the woman in the street are free, sir. You should save these women. They were left here by their fathers and brothers and husbands sir, to buy the boats to come here and save the woman who was saved many years back. They always want to save someone was has already been saved. But not you sir, not you. You should save them all and take to your village and give them all a piece of land, sir. Women are good farmers, sir. They are good, you should just them a chance, sir…”
Even before the beast could finish its monologue, King Prasanna left the tower, down the ladders and the stairs and to the village. He sold his machete beaded with gems and diamonds, and freed them all. He sent a message to his Uncle to send him a chariot and they all went back to the village, where the King and the women were welcomed by singing and dancing. The women were all given a piece of land, and they were indeed good farmers, the women also taught in school, they told the children the story about a man who freed them.
The King adopted the beast and made it a minister of internal affairs. And once and for all, the King and his people lived happily ever after.
