The Lonely Knight
Once there was a Knight in the service of a greedy king. The king was an evil tyrant who kept all the young women in his castle for his own…personal matters. One day the king sent out the Knight on a mission to bring him another woman. The Knight wanted to refuse, but he was honorable and decided to follow his Knightly vows.
The Knight went to his room to prepare for his upcoming journey. He looked around his house, remembering his wife and baby, who had died in a war the king had started, but he bore the king no ill will. He slept in silence thinking about his journey. The next day he started the quest with the kings words in mind. "Find me a queen at all costs. You are a young and handsome man, it shan't be hard." He set off without a single goodbye. All of his friends had died in the foolish war the king started. But he bore the king no ill will.
The Knight started his lonely journey by looking around the local villages. He searched and searched, but he couldn't find any young women. All the men he asked ignored him. The women glared, and walked away, and some would burst into tears. This confused the Knight because he had no idea that the king had taken all the young women. One day, the Lonely Knight asked a pub master where all the young women had gone. The pub master looked at him oddly, and said, "The king has taken all the women for himself."
The Knight looked at the pub master in disbelief. The greedy king couldn't have taken all the women, the Lonely Knight thought. He checked the next village, and once again all the young women were gone. He checked village after village, and they were all the same, every young woman taken by the greedy king. The Knight couldn't believe the king had done this. But he still bore the king no ill will.
The Knight decided to go to a different kingdom to find a young woman. He went to a neighboring kingdom, but all the villagers there had heard of the greedy king, and refused to let their friends and daughters go, the Lonely Knight wandered around the new kingdom disappointed. He had failed the king, and thus broken his knightly vows. He wandered far away from his king and the place he had so many fond memories, and found himself in another village. This time he did not look for any women, he just satin an alley, crying and sleeping. Living off the food the villagers would throw away, he survived. One day, a young woman sat next to him. "Why are you here?" She asked. The Lonely Knight looked at her with his lonely eyes, and told her his story. The young woman listened intently to him. The Lonely Knight was happy to have someone who would listen to him, and talk to him as well. The young woman would bring him food, and they would talk for hours.
One day, the Lonely Knight told the young woman he had no wish to go to his lonely home, in his lonely village, serving the greedy king. "Then I will go with you." The young woman said, smiling a smile the warmed the Lonely Knights heart. "Everyone should have a home to go to, with someone the care about in it." She said. The Lonely Knight had never thought of it like that. He stood up, and offered the young woman a hand. She took it and stood up, and together they went to the young woman's house to get the Knight cleaned up. Her neighbors came over while she was making dinner, and asked what the Lonely Knight he was doing. He told them of how he would take the young woman to live with him. They neighbors smiled widely, and hugged him, crying with joy. When the Lonely Knight asked why, they told him of how the young woman's parents had died when she was young, and she had never had any friends. The Lonely Knight had never known this, when the young woman came out of the kitchen, he just looked at her. She looked back at him, and smiled warmly.
How can she be so happy? The Knight asked himself. They ate together with the neighbors, and slept together peacefully.
In the morning, as they prepared to go back to the Knights home, he asked her how she could so happy all the time. "Because I can talk with someone like you." She said. The Lonely Knight was filled with happiness for the first time in a long time, and looked happily at the young womnn. They started walking together, and talked all the way.When they arrived at the Knight's house, they found the greedy king waiting. "Ah, you have found a lovely young lady for me." He said. The Knight looked at him curiously. He had completely forgotten about the mission the king had given him.
He told the king he could not have the young woman, that she wished to stay with him, and the king grew furious. He struck out at the Knight in anger, and missed. He stumbled, and fell towards a window. The Knight and the woman tried to save the king, but couldn't and he fell from the window. The Knight and the woman rushed out to see if the king was alright. He was not; he had died from the fall. He was not young anymore, and the shock had killed him. People rushed to see what had happened, and when they saw the greedy king was dead, began cheering. They rushed to the Knight and thanked him for ridding them of the evil king. They rushed to the castle, and set free all the young women. Over time a new king was chosen; a good king. The Knight helped rebuild the kingdom, with help of all the villagers, and the young woman. After it was complete, the Knight and the young woman decided to be married. One day, the new king showed up at the Knight's house, and asked if he would like to serve the new king. The Knight refused politely, deciding to live peacefully with his new wife.
Many years passed, and the Knight and his wife had grown old. They never had any children, but they were happy just being together. One day, the woman collapsed and had to stay in bed. She was sick and would soon die. She had been in pain for a long time, but refused to show it, because then the Knight would worry. Soon the bed she was confined too was to become her deathbed. The Knight stayed with her for the entire time, never once leaving her side. Just a few minutes before she died, the Knight kissed her forehead and whispered something in her ear that no one else in the room could hear. She used the last of her strength to smile at the Knight, and she passed peacefully, and happily. The last thing she heard was the Knight's voice saying "I love you."
The Knight died not long after, of a broken heart, and was buried with his beloved wife in the royal cemetery of the kingdom he had served so long.