Now, the rest of the story ...
"Sweetie, thank you so much for this priceless moment. Our kingdom has experienced an unprecedented three hundred years of peace now, but no greater peace does any king have than the inner peace a dad feels when experiencing the warmth of appreciation from a loving child."
King Lee no sooner speaks those words ...when his Royal Subject bursts onto the scene nearly out of breath, "Your Excellency, I've just received word from a messenger of King Aling."
King Lee is still feeling the warmth of the moment with his daughter, Shannon ..."Ah, yes, King Aling ...a very wise and dear friend. Often he has comforted me with his wise counsel ...what message does he send?"
The messenger does not seem as if he is going to share any comforting news, but is as one carrying a heavy burden. He catches his breath, "King Aling's daughter, Ting ...has up and vanished."
King Lee knows what this means, "I must go to him at once ...alone."
The Royal Subject, "Is that wise, Your Excellency?"
King Lee, "This urgency does not lend time for wisdom ...he is a loyal friend, and I must go at once. You are my loyal friend also, and I trust you will safely escort Shannon back to my castle immediately!"
King Lee talks softly to his horse, hoping his horse can somehow understand that his usual kindness in providing adequate rest for a journey ...is now being sacrificed. As he approaches Aling's kingdom, King Lee sees smoke billowing in the far distance. He must hurry!!
Just outside the castle walls, the devastation reveals itself. He stands strong and ready for battle, yet faint. There are fifteen who had stood bravely with undying courage for however long the battle, but now all that remains is a lifeless testimony to that which each had given their life to defend.
King Lee rushes beyond this point, swiftly moving within the castle walls ...looking for any sign of life, and his friend, Aling.
Suddenly, he sees movement ...and he hesitates, attempting to conceal his presence. He isn't sure if the person had also seen him ...yet, it appears the person has no weapon.
The young man kneels beside a motionless body ...with a crown!!
King Lee calls out, "King Aling!"
The young man looks up, sobbing, "They've killed my father!"
King Lee kneels down also, checking for signs of life ...but, there are none. He then stands there for quite some time, as the young man continues to kneel, holding his dear friend, King Aling, in his arms while sobbing over and over again, "Father ...Father ...."
Suddenly, there is cause for disturbance. Entering the room, covered in dirt and blood, is King Lee's Royal Subject. "They've taken Shannon!! I'm so sorry ...I am disgraced that I am still alive. I am not deserving to stand before you; with every breath of life, I should have prevented it. I have failed you, Your Excellency!"
King Lee is overcome with emotion, but takes a deep breath, "I know you did your best ...don't blame yourself."
King Lee realizes that it may be too dangerous to act impulsively with his present emotion. That could merely put Shannon's life more in danger. He takes the long painful journey back to his castle ...and the whole way back, he tries to devise a plan in his head.
As he returns to his castle, King Lee introduces the young man to his own son. "You will stand beside my son ...and be as my very own son."
King Lee's son hugs the young man, "It has been way too long since our families have been together ...and you have certainly grown since we last got together. I guess we both have ...but, oh, how insensitive of me to speak of trifling details at such a time as this. I am deeply sorry for what happened to your father."
The young man looks down, "Yes, it was horrible!! I wish I had been with the others in battle ...to prevent it."
King Lee's son rests his hand on the young man's shoulder, "I have been all these years an only son, but now you are my brother. We will stand together and fight. We've had peace so long, we have no army ...but, our people will come together now to fight ...and you will stand beside me in battle."
King Lee is proud of his son's bravery, but he chooses his words carefully, "We are not to be too hasty with our decisions. All the courage in the entire world will not account for much if not tempered with sought out wisdom. I am certain that we could take on the enemy and be assured of victory, but what are we to celebrate victory in? If we are to take up a noble cause, are we to lose sight of our goal? Most certainly, I believe that in achieving victory over the enemy, it would be at the cost of Shannon's life. They would not accept defeat without first taking her life."
That thought is cause for a long period of silence. Then the young man speaks up, "Yesterday, I lost my father. Today, you've accepted me as your son. I want to have a chance to prove I am worthy and deserving. I will go alone. I will have a better chance of rescuing Shannon if too much attention is not drawn. I know how to dress like a common person ...and I don't think they will suspect me."
King Lee nods, "I agree that we have the best chance with your plan. You may go alone, my son."
"No, I should go! They have my sister ...I will go alone!"
King Lee touches his son on the shoulder, "No, son, you look too much like me. You will have no chance in pulling it off. Today, you have gained a brother and I have gained a son. We have both gained a friend. We will accept his brave offer."
**************
Several weeks go by ...and hope becomes a distant subject, too painful to even discuss.
King Lee appears to be the only one to still hold hope in his heart, yet it is difficult to say, since they don't discuss it. Yet, at the dawning on each new day, there is no new news ...and King Lee knows his own hope is vanishing.
As the day is about spent, King Lee once again looks out his window from the highest point of his castle, as he does every evening just as the sun begins to set.
His eyes are tired. He has not slept much since Shannon has been gone.
It is a brilliant sunset this evening. The bright pinks and reds splash against a fading blue sky. Shadows reach out across the landscape, grasping for and gathering in the last remnants of light.
The trickery of the shadows have their last moment of frolic, before they play themselves out. And tired eyes lose touch with reality amongst a host of heartfelt wishful thinking.
One last moment of trickery ...before all is overcome with darkness.
Three deer find their way to feed at the edge of the meadow. The deer move slowly into the meadow ...taking on the form of mere shadows ...of humans? Can it be??
King Lee leaps down the castle stairs, skipping most of the steps ...and almost falling.
He stumbles out the castle doors, sprinting out into the meadow.
The young man has returned ...with Shannon!! And the third person ...is Ting!!
The sun has left them, but the castle chases out all the shadows as it lights up in celebration of their return.
*****************
The celebration carries on into the next day.
As the bird's sing to the dawning of another day, King Lee announces, "I believe our three celebrities must be in need of much sleep ...but, I do not believe they will get much rest unless we all agree to get some rest."
As everyone then beds down for not the night, but for the light ...the castle becomes very quiet. No one hears King Lee still moving about. He feels he must do one more thing before he can sleep.
He stands in the doorway for several minutes ...before the young man notices him. King Lee speaks softly, "I want to thank you again, my son. I know what a difficult thing it must have been for you."
The young man has tears in his eyes, "I have a confession to make. I was not going to return. I am not King Aling's son ...and I am not deserving to be adopted into your family, let alone for you to call me son."
King Lee smiles, "I knew from the very beginning that you were not King Aling's son. His fifteen sons were the ones I found outside the castle. I knew they would fight to their death in attempting to save their father."
The young man looks into King Lee's eyes, but says nothing.
King Lee asks, "You had the chance to escape from me, why did you not? You said you had intended not to return ...so, why did you?"
The young man looks deeply into the king's eyes, "I have never been good at anything. And I am not a good warrior. I returned to King Aling's side after all the other warriors left, not to console a dying king, but to rob him of his royal robe and crown. It is no fun being a warrior. Even the good ones are not happy. They drink all the time, but they can't wash away the memory of all that blood. I just wanted to imagine I could be happy. I wanted to put on the king's robe and crown to pretend for a while ...to pretend I had a good life. Then you came. I thought you had bought my story ...and I could pretend a bit longer. Then when you called me your son, I felt for that brief moment that my dream could become reality. I wanted so much to be your son. But, now ...it no longer feels good to pretend. Your son would never pretend and deceive."
King Lee persists, "But, you delivered ...and that is something no one else could have done."
The young man insists, "Yes, I told you I devised a plan to save Shannon ...but, instead I'd planned to save myself."
King Lee asks, "So, why didn't you?"
The young man cries with sincerity, "Because when I was no longer pretending, it brought me inescapable misery. My whole life I had been pretending ...and I realized the only thing that ever felt real to me was your love."
King Lee begins to cry, "I didn't understand why ---that at that horrific moment of finding my dear friend, King Aling, and his sons dead ---I felt a very strange mix of anger and rage that I hadn't felt in a very long time. We'd had peace for so long, it felt so very wrong to hate ...yet, it was even scarier how quickly I could be moved to rage. I'd read stories of the past ...of when people did nothing but hate one another. And sure, they all seemed like good reasons ...but it seemed only to bring about bad results. War is often misrepresented ...and used as a tool to dismiss the real reasons people find conflict with one another. Some people say that greed is a major contributing factor for war ...but, I believe the main reason people feel it is worth killing or being killed, is because so many have been taught hate. Hate is an ugly thing ...and war is a natural by-product of it. It is difficult not to hate those who brutally kill those we love, but as war wages on, people fight merely because that is the definition of war. We do what we are taught to do. And war is a condition of either killing, or being killed. So, how can war cease?? It can only cease if individuals can concede that the solution to hate is to cease war. A choice has to be made not to kill. I could have killed you, but I chose not to."
The young man asks, "Why did you chose not to?"
King Lee wipes a tear away, "I've asked myself that many times. I rehearsed many answers in my head ...but, overall I don't really know. As soon as I got word that my own daughter had also been abducted as a result of all the madness, the very hate that I thought was no longer a part of me ...was making a valiant return. My heart was already grieving so much, I was feeling so much anger ...then to hear of Shannon, the fires of rage had been rekindled. I realized that my anger was directed at something that was real ...horrifically real. Yet, it was not hate that I felt ...it was the type of anger that I feel anyone would have felt. It was circumstantial anger, not an all-consuming hate. And I knew that none of that would help me get Shannon back. I was angry ...but, I chose not to hate you. Whatever you were doing, or had done, was only what people of war do. The standard of a good warrior is judged only by the success of accomplishing that which creates the widest spread hatred of others. The greatest warrior does the most killing ...and though the most celebrated by one kingdom, that warrior is most hated by all others. I suppose now, you will be among those who are most hated ...for the humiliation you must have caused them by rescuing Shannon and Ting. You are probably viewed as committing a treasonous act. Why did you risk so much ...for those of us whom you don't really even know?"
The young man cries, "But, I did know what I was looking for, and what I found. I found that I had never felt so important in my entire life ...and I didn't want that feeling to go away. I was overcome by your acceptance of me. You could have hated me ...but, you chose instead to love me."
King Lee embraces the young man, "And you chose to love me in return. I want you to stay on ...as my son."
The young man cannot hold back the tears, "Once you accept love, you can't just keep it inside. I must give it as it has been given. I've decided that I must go back. I hope you understand."
King Lee cries, "I beg of you to stay. For you to return ...that would be sure death."
The young man cries, "There is nothing more that I'd like than to stay here with you. But, if I don't risk going back, they will without doubt consider attacking your kingdom next. Without help, they will not stop hating, and the war will continue. But, if I show them the love you've shown me ...love that often takes high risks in the showing of it. I want to share what you've shown me ...with those who need it the most. It's so easy to hate ...way too easy, but I want them to find love and inner peace, so the war will cease."
The young man is overcome with emotion. He takes a deep breath, before continuing, "The only hope is for me to try to make a difference ...like you did with me. If I fail, at least I will have tried ...and I can be satisfied with having experienced it. If I die, my wish would be that others would be curious enough to want to know why I was willing to sacrifice, risking everything to help them. Perhaps that would lead people to scratch their heads ...wondering whether I was mad, or whether there was more to it. Perhaps my love will be visible to them ...and they will give up hate too. But, before I am further compelled to stay ...I think I should depart. Please tell Shannon goodbye for me. You have a wonderful daughter. I am so honored, having been able to return her to you. She told me of a very special story ...and before I go, I must say, I agree with her that there is none quite like you, Poppy!"
They embrace again. King Lee doesn't want to let him go, but he knows he must.
********************
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http://theprincessandthepoppy.blogspot.com/http://theprincessandthepoppy.blogspot.com/http://theprincessandthepoppy.blogspot.com/
King Lee is still feeling the warmth of the moment with his daughter, Shannon ..."Ah, yes, King Aling ...a very wise and dear friend. Often he has comforted me with his wise counsel ...what message does he send?"
The messenger does not seem as if he is going to share any comforting news, but is as one carrying a heavy burden. He catches his breath, "King Aling's daughter, Ting ...has up and vanished."
King Lee knows what this means, "I must go to him at once ...alone."
The Royal Subject, "Is that wise, Your Excellency?"
King Lee, "This urgency does not lend time for wisdom ...he is a loyal friend, and I must go at once. You are my loyal friend also, and I trust you will safely escort Shannon back to my castle immediately!"
King Lee talks softly to his horse, hoping his horse can somehow understand that his usual kindness in providing adequate rest for a journey ...is now being sacrificed. As he approaches Aling's kingdom, King Lee sees smoke billowing in the far distance. He must hurry!!
Just outside the castle walls, the devastation reveals itself. He stands strong and ready for battle, yet faint. There are fifteen who had stood bravely with undying courage for however long the battle, but now all that remains is a lifeless testimony to that which each had given their life to defend.
King Lee rushes beyond this point, swiftly moving within the castle walls ...looking for any sign of life, and his friend, Aling.
Suddenly, he sees movement ...and he hesitates, attempting to conceal his presence. He isn't sure if the person had also seen him ...yet, it appears the person has no weapon.
The young man kneels beside a motionless body ...with a crown!!
King Lee calls out, "King Aling!"
The young man looks up, sobbing, "They've killed my father!"
King Lee kneels down also, checking for signs of life ...but, there are none. He then stands there for quite some time, as the young man continues to kneel, holding his dear friend, King Aling, in his arms while sobbing over and over again, "Father ...Father ...."
Suddenly, there is cause for disturbance. Entering the room, covered in dirt and blood, is King Lee's Royal Subject. "They've taken Shannon!! I'm so sorry ...I am disgraced that I am still alive. I am not deserving to stand before you; with every breath of life, I should have prevented it. I have failed you, Your Excellency!"
King Lee is overcome with emotion, but takes a deep breath, "I know you did your best ...don't blame yourself."
King Lee realizes that it may be too dangerous to act impulsively with his present emotion. That could merely put Shannon's life more in danger. He takes the long painful journey back to his castle ...and the whole way back, he tries to devise a plan in his head.
As he returns to his castle, King Lee introduces the young man to his own son. "You will stand beside my son ...and be as my very own son."
King Lee's son hugs the young man, "It has been way too long since our families have been together ...and you have certainly grown since we last got together. I guess we both have ...but, oh, how insensitive of me to speak of trifling details at such a time as this. I am deeply sorry for what happened to your father."
The young man looks down, "Yes, it was horrible!! I wish I had been with the others in battle ...to prevent it."
King Lee's son rests his hand on the young man's shoulder, "I have been all these years an only son, but now you are my brother. We will stand together and fight. We've had peace so long, we have no army ...but, our people will come together now to fight ...and you will stand beside me in battle."
King Lee is proud of his son's bravery, but he chooses his words carefully, "We are not to be too hasty with our decisions. All the courage in the entire world will not account for much if not tempered with sought out wisdom. I am certain that we could take on the enemy and be assured of victory, but what are we to celebrate victory in? If we are to take up a noble cause, are we to lose sight of our goal? Most certainly, I believe that in achieving victory over the enemy, it would be at the cost of Shannon's life. They would not accept defeat without first taking her life."
That thought is cause for a long period of silence. Then the young man speaks up, "Yesterday, I lost my father. Today, you've accepted me as your son. I want to have a chance to prove I am worthy and deserving. I will go alone. I will have a better chance of rescuing Shannon if too much attention is not drawn. I know how to dress like a common person ...and I don't think they will suspect me."
King Lee nods, "I agree that we have the best chance with your plan. You may go alone, my son."
"No, I should go! They have my sister ...I will go alone!"
King Lee touches his son on the shoulder, "No, son, you look too much like me. You will have no chance in pulling it off. Today, you have gained a brother and I have gained a son. We have both gained a friend. We will accept his brave offer."
**************
Several weeks go by ...and hope becomes a distant subject, too painful to even discuss.
King Lee appears to be the only one to still hold hope in his heart, yet it is difficult to say, since they don't discuss it. Yet, at the dawning on each new day, there is no new news ...and King Lee knows his own hope is vanishing.
As the day is about spent, King Lee once again looks out his window from the highest point of his castle, as he does every evening just as the sun begins to set.
His eyes are tired. He has not slept much since Shannon has been gone.
It is a brilliant sunset this evening. The bright pinks and reds splash against a fading blue sky. Shadows reach out across the landscape, grasping for and gathering in the last remnants of light.
The trickery of the shadows have their last moment of frolic, before they play themselves out. And tired eyes lose touch with reality amongst a host of heartfelt wishful thinking.
One last moment of trickery ...before all is overcome with darkness.
Three deer find their way to feed at the edge of the meadow. The deer move slowly into the meadow ...taking on the form of mere shadows ...of humans? Can it be??
King Lee leaps down the castle stairs, skipping most of the steps ...and almost falling.
He stumbles out the castle doors, sprinting out into the meadow.
The young man has returned ...with Shannon!! And the third person ...is Ting!!
The sun has left them, but the castle chases out all the shadows as it lights up in celebration of their return.
*****************
The celebration carries on into the next day.
As the bird's sing to the dawning of another day, King Lee announces, "I believe our three celebrities must be in need of much sleep ...but, I do not believe they will get much rest unless we all agree to get some rest."
As everyone then beds down for not the night, but for the light ...the castle becomes very quiet. No one hears King Lee still moving about. He feels he must do one more thing before he can sleep.
He stands in the doorway for several minutes ...before the young man notices him. King Lee speaks softly, "I want to thank you again, my son. I know what a difficult thing it must have been for you."
The young man has tears in his eyes, "I have a confession to make. I was not going to return. I am not King Aling's son ...and I am not deserving to be adopted into your family, let alone for you to call me son."
King Lee smiles, "I knew from the very beginning that you were not King Aling's son. His fifteen sons were the ones I found outside the castle. I knew they would fight to their death in attempting to save their father."
The young man looks into King Lee's eyes, but says nothing.
King Lee asks, "You had the chance to escape from me, why did you not? You said you had intended not to return ...so, why did you?"
The young man looks deeply into the king's eyes, "I have never been good at anything. And I am not a good warrior. I returned to King Aling's side after all the other warriors left, not to console a dying king, but to rob him of his royal robe and crown. It is no fun being a warrior. Even the good ones are not happy. They drink all the time, but they can't wash away the memory of all that blood. I just wanted to imagine I could be happy. I wanted to put on the king's robe and crown to pretend for a while ...to pretend I had a good life. Then you came. I thought you had bought my story ...and I could pretend a bit longer. Then when you called me your son, I felt for that brief moment that my dream could become reality. I wanted so much to be your son. But, now ...it no longer feels good to pretend. Your son would never pretend and deceive."
King Lee persists, "But, you delivered ...and that is something no one else could have done."
The young man insists, "Yes, I told you I devised a plan to save Shannon ...but, instead I'd planned to save myself."
King Lee asks, "So, why didn't you?"
The young man cries with sincerity, "Because when I was no longer pretending, it brought me inescapable misery. My whole life I had been pretending ...and I realized the only thing that ever felt real to me was your love."
King Lee begins to cry, "I didn't understand why ---that at that horrific moment of finding my dear friend, King Aling, and his sons dead ---I felt a very strange mix of anger and rage that I hadn't felt in a very long time. We'd had peace for so long, it felt so very wrong to hate ...yet, it was even scarier how quickly I could be moved to rage. I'd read stories of the past ...of when people did nothing but hate one another. And sure, they all seemed like good reasons ...but it seemed only to bring about bad results. War is often misrepresented ...and used as a tool to dismiss the real reasons people find conflict with one another. Some people say that greed is a major contributing factor for war ...but, I believe the main reason people feel it is worth killing or being killed, is because so many have been taught hate. Hate is an ugly thing ...and war is a natural by-product of it. It is difficult not to hate those who brutally kill those we love, but as war wages on, people fight merely because that is the definition of war. We do what we are taught to do. And war is a condition of either killing, or being killed. So, how can war cease?? It can only cease if individuals can concede that the solution to hate is to cease war. A choice has to be made not to kill. I could have killed you, but I chose not to."
The young man asks, "Why did you chose not to?"
King Lee wipes a tear away, "I've asked myself that many times. I rehearsed many answers in my head ...but, overall I don't really know. As soon as I got word that my own daughter had also been abducted as a result of all the madness, the very hate that I thought was no longer a part of me ...was making a valiant return. My heart was already grieving so much, I was feeling so much anger ...then to hear of Shannon, the fires of rage had been rekindled. I realized that my anger was directed at something that was real ...horrifically real. Yet, it was not hate that I felt ...it was the type of anger that I feel anyone would have felt. It was circumstantial anger, not an all-consuming hate. And I knew that none of that would help me get Shannon back. I was angry ...but, I chose not to hate you. Whatever you were doing, or had done, was only what people of war do. The standard of a good warrior is judged only by the success of accomplishing that which creates the widest spread hatred of others. The greatest warrior does the most killing ...and though the most celebrated by one kingdom, that warrior is most hated by all others. I suppose now, you will be among those who are most hated ...for the humiliation you must have caused them by rescuing Shannon and Ting. You are probably viewed as committing a treasonous act. Why did you risk so much ...for those of us whom you don't really even know?"
The young man cries, "But, I did know what I was looking for, and what I found. I found that I had never felt so important in my entire life ...and I didn't want that feeling to go away. I was overcome by your acceptance of me. You could have hated me ...but, you chose instead to love me."
King Lee embraces the young man, "And you chose to love me in return. I want you to stay on ...as my son."
The young man cannot hold back the tears, "Once you accept love, you can't just keep it inside. I must give it as it has been given. I've decided that I must go back. I hope you understand."
King Lee cries, "I beg of you to stay. For you to return ...that would be sure death."
The young man cries, "There is nothing more that I'd like than to stay here with you. But, if I don't risk going back, they will without doubt consider attacking your kingdom next. Without help, they will not stop hating, and the war will continue. But, if I show them the love you've shown me ...love that often takes high risks in the showing of it. I want to share what you've shown me ...with those who need it the most. It's so easy to hate ...way too easy, but I want them to find love and inner peace, so the war will cease."
The young man is overcome with emotion. He takes a deep breath, before continuing, "The only hope is for me to try to make a difference ...like you did with me. If I fail, at least I will have tried ...and I can be satisfied with having experienced it. If I die, my wish would be that others would be curious enough to want to know why I was willing to sacrifice, risking everything to help them. Perhaps that would lead people to scratch their heads ...wondering whether I was mad, or whether there was more to it. Perhaps my love will be visible to them ...and they will give up hate too. But, before I am further compelled to stay ...I think I should depart. Please tell Shannon goodbye for me. You have a wonderful daughter. I am so honored, having been able to return her to you. She told me of a very special story ...and before I go, I must say, I agree with her that there is none quite like you, Poppy!"
They embrace again. King Lee doesn't want to let him go, but he knows he must.
********************
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http://theprincessandthepoppy.blogspot.com/http://theprincessandthepoppy.blogspot.com/http://theprincessandthepoppy.blogspot.com/
