No trumpets were blown this day….
The ladies of the house whispered excitedly to each other
The house maidens slowed their work pretending to be busy polishing the already gleaming silver
They set themselves diligently to sweep the already spotless floors with a quietness that betrayed their normal character
Extra care was taken to clean the corners that would normally be ignored
Even the mice sat quietly by their peep holes
With trembling noses and whiskers
The air was full of slander
Sly eyes wickedly shared knowing glances
The wicked could feel victory in the air
The moment had presented itself perfectly
It was as if lady luck had finally shone upon them
Evil excitement brought a skip to their step
The schemers who didn’t know they shared grievances
Saw connections between each other and bonded immediately
Callous laughter rang too loudly
Carried spite into the air
Overconfident, sharp and sneering
It skipped through gardens and stables
It bounced through courtyards and hallways
Jealousy had found it’s confidence at last
It always delighted in the pain of others
And hated others to delight
Today Jealousy began to reveal itself
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Many courtiers and the fine people in society , with whom held rank
Smiled toothless smiles that hid venomous teeth
They opened their arms to the Prince
Wined him and Dined him
They hid their scaly skins beneath lush rich cloaks
He therefore bestowed his love
His trust
His loyalty and his abundance upon them
But they had no love for Him
Their intent was to fill their own coffers
Eat from his table
Drink his wine
And enjoy his abundance
They gently curled themselves around him
Making him feel warm and protected
But they secretly relied on his youth, his fervour and his innocence to trick, confuse and suppress
They were snakily using his talents to their advantage
They saw him clearly as prey
Feigning protection
As they devoured the abundance he brought to their gaping mouths
He was the bait for their own terrible traps
And they gorged themselves on what he brought to them
They relied on his innocence and his desire to be loved
Using it as a weapon against him
They used their false care and their false offer of love and guidance as bait to keep him loyal and near.
They also used themselves as bait, enticing him with treats and a little bit of what he wanted and needed but careful never to leave him fulfilled. He was always left just a little unsatisfied and a little bit lacking. It made him want more, always needing more.
He was blinded by their warmth and the excitement he felt when he was with them
Trusting them as genuine
They made themselves appear sincere (Few could perceive otherwise such was their ability to hide their true skins, this was indeed a different type of magic that they possessed..a dark magic)
He didn’t see the threats that were all around him nor the coils that threatened and slowly tightened
They saw his power and the magic he held
They knew they had to keep him carefully controlled or else he would learn who he was.
They whispered love and nuture in his ear
But spat curses under their breath
Snarling and breathing fire from their bellies
Wishing for his death and praying for his downfall.
But the Prince had wisdom and magic that was being awoken from within him
He had Magic that was his destiny
And the Kingdom was his birthright
Today, the release of sensitive information about the Prince was released
It was deliberate and scandalous how it was slipped to select people whom spread this information to every corner of the Kingdom
His destruction was desired
His connections and his power and his magic envied
The false people saw he was growing and gaining in everything
His light shone upon them
But it had revealed their shadows and their ugliness
They were reminded of the their scaley skins
And they had suddenly discovered everything they didn’t have
They also became aware of all the things they couldn’t do, and all the things they didn’t know
They felt his magic, that he innocently waved in their faces hoping they would be as happy for him as he was happy for himself.
But it had angered those that surrounded him
They felt their lack of Magic and their lack of inheritance.
It didn’t seem fair to them that one person could have so much talent
So much charm
So much elegance
So much happiness
So much Magic
And still be kind and good and generous
He also carried a lightness and innocence that they could not share in
They felt themselves drawn to him
Like a moth to a flame
They felt the sting of him as they burned themselves up every time he passed by
Yet they could not pull themselves away
They found themselves emulating him
Speaking like him
Mimicking his every move
They became shadows of the Prince
They felt it when he left them
They felt their blood turn cold again
They felt the emptiness that sat in their stomaches
It slowly dawned upon them their own limitations and the Magic they had seemed simple and basic
They knew they were not even a tenth of what he was.
As they lay in their beds at night
They found they could not sleep or rest
His light shone even in their dreams
They realised they couldn’t come up with the idea’s he had
They couldn’t find the wit he had
or the courage
The conviction or the luck or the passion
They questioned in their hearts how he managed to make everything look so easy
Behind closed doors they paced and examined His every move
He could open doors that no one else could
He created alliances with neighbouring countries that brought wealth and vast abundance
He could tame wild beasts
And even bring the rain to barren places
And they were able to reap also from this abundance
But the more abundance he created
The greater the pacing and restlessness and disturbance grew within the hearts of those he entrusted
As time past, their initial admiration became envy
They wished to see some kind of wrong with the Prince
The greater he became the worse they felt
The more he received
The more they felt they deserved….and the more they felt he did not.
Rage began to build in them
It became harder and harder to hide their snapping teeth and their ugliness
Their energy became more and more drained
Which made them even more and more angry
and so soon they began to test him
They set small traps at first
To see what he would do
And he overcame each time
Then they tested his magic
And he overcame
Surely they thought to themselves, there are lies and crimes that are hidden, surely it is deviousness and not magic at all.
And so the challenge was set
The Prince was given tasks and tests and games that He worked diligently through
He also found the magic he had although it still worked seemed to be weakened
He noticed he was becoming tired and the work was becoming harder
His friends supported him though
So he worked even harder
…..but so did his ‘friends’
