"THE PRINCE AND THE KING" or "THE FLOWER AND THE SWORD" or (simply)
"HONEY".
NOTES AND DISCLAIMERS: Thanks to the lovely person who brought honey through my checkout at work today, inspiring this story.
All credits to Tolkien.
************
"Would you like honey on your bread, Aragorn?"
"No, not today."
"Oh."
"My palate desires something sweeter today."
"Jam?… A-Aragorn, let me go. I'm going to spill the tea."
"I tire of the boring taste of Man's honey. I have heard the honey of Elves is much sweeter."
"You have heard? Surely you know?"
"Oh yes! And I have tasted it many times, but I have yet to taste the nectar of the most lovely flower of all."
"You lose me, Aragorn…Would you like tea?"
"No. I would like something else – this flower to pluck and take for my own. I have long desired it, yet it is so rare. It grows only in Mirkwood in the palace of the King."
"Oh…... Oh!"
"I have heard the nectar from this bloom is the sweetest of all."
"And you would like to taste this?"
"Very much. But perhaps the prince would not like me to?"
"The prince would not deny the king his desire."
"Put the teapot down, Legolas, before you spill it and scald one of us. What about a ranger? What would he say if a mere ranger desired to taste his sweetness?"
"Neither would he deny a ranger."
"Then may the ranger be so forward to request that he taste it from the prince's own fingers?"
"He may, but perhaps the flower is overly covered? I shall reveal it for you as you would wish to see it…"
"Why, I must say the flower is twice as beautiful laid exposed before me. It's petals are pale as lilies yet they seem to glow."
"You wished to taste this?"
"Ah! It tastes as sweet upon your fair hand as I imagined."
"Does the king desire more?"
"Oh yes! Yes he does. Very much more."
"Then he must take it straight from the source this time. For the nectar flows readily for the bee with the right touch."
"But I wish to taste, not touch. And I am no bee. Perhaps the mouth of a man is too rough to draw forth the flow?"
"If the king were to bring forth his tongue then he would find out if he administers the correct motion. And if he is rough … Oh! Nay, the king's mouth is eloquent and softer than butterfly wings! This pleases the prince immensely!"
"And were I to now pull the archer's bow, would he release his arrow?"
"Oh, yes, he would!"
"And would he shoot far?"
"Oh yes! But I think perhaps the king should be silent and concentrate on the job at hand, lest he miss his target. Oh! and his mouth is more pleasing than summer rain! He should not stop now, or the flower may wilt!"
"Very well. But what of the prince? Would he not tell me his desires so he may keep me silent?"
"My desires?"
"Mmm."
"Ah! I see the king really does desire the flower so much that he wishes to swallow it whole!… The prince has heard the king's sword is the mightiest for miles around, and his desire is to see it. But perhaps he should unsheathe the sword himself, as the king is busy. I hear the weapon has been cold for some time now. Perhaps it would warm to my touch? Does the king permit this?"
"Mmmhmm."
"Ah! but it is not cold at all. In fact, it feels rather hot within my hand."
"And I am certain that should the prince bend to the king, then his sword would find a scabbard in which it would never be cold again. For the king desires to probe deeper inside this beautiful flower."
"It opens up to you willingly."
"And should the king put his sword within would he damage the tender petals?"
"Nay, for the flower is resilient despite its delicate guise, and though the sword is large and strikes with vigour, it is gentle. In fact, I am sure it desires the very action so much that is it willing to close around you right now. Yet the king should still support the flower lest it should collapse beneath the force."
"And would the flower spill its seed with more verve if the sword were thrust violently?"
"Oh! Indeed it would!"
"And if I were to bury deeper into the folds…"
"Yes!"
"And if I were to shake the head of the flower…"
"It would surely close around you tighter!"
"Oh! Indeed it does!"
"Aragorn…"
"I would love to feel the seed upon my hand now my prince, in fact I already can. Does the flower need some more provocation?"
"No, no! But it would not complain if more were given. And what of the king?"
"The… the king would only wish to be gripped tighter so he may too find his release."
"The prince desires the taste of the kings lips upon his own!"
"Then he shall have them…"
"Mmm. Oh, indeed the hands that dealt such vicious blows upon the battlefield are indeed still capable of milking honey! Aragorn!"
"And the flower that looks so soft to my eyes is indeed strong, for it clenches me in a vice of heat! Ah! and now the nectar spills into my hand hotter than molten gold!"
"And I will not stop until my king is satisfied!"
"Oh Legolas, Legolas, my resistance will hold up no more!"
"Then yield to it!"
"Oh Legolas! None so beautiful walk beneath sun or moon, even as spoiled as you look now."
"I fear you have shaken the flower so hard, my lord, that you have broken it and spoiled it for all others."
"Does this anger the prince?"
"Nay. For he loves his king with all his heart."
NOTES AND DISCLAIMERS: Thanks to the lovely person who brought honey through my checkout at work today, inspiring this story.
All credits to Tolkien.
************
"Would you like honey on your bread, Aragorn?"
"No, not today."
"Oh."
"My palate desires something sweeter today."
"Jam?… A-Aragorn, let me go. I'm going to spill the tea."
"I tire of the boring taste of Man's honey. I have heard the honey of Elves is much sweeter."
"You have heard? Surely you know?"
"Oh yes! And I have tasted it many times, but I have yet to taste the nectar of the most lovely flower of all."
"You lose me, Aragorn…Would you like tea?"
"No. I would like something else – this flower to pluck and take for my own. I have long desired it, yet it is so rare. It grows only in Mirkwood in the palace of the King."
"Oh…... Oh!"
"I have heard the nectar from this bloom is the sweetest of all."
"And you would like to taste this?"
"Very much. But perhaps the prince would not like me to?"
"The prince would not deny the king his desire."
"Put the teapot down, Legolas, before you spill it and scald one of us. What about a ranger? What would he say if a mere ranger desired to taste his sweetness?"
"Neither would he deny a ranger."
"Then may the ranger be so forward to request that he taste it from the prince's own fingers?"
"He may, but perhaps the flower is overly covered? I shall reveal it for you as you would wish to see it…"
"Why, I must say the flower is twice as beautiful laid exposed before me. It's petals are pale as lilies yet they seem to glow."
"You wished to taste this?"
"Ah! It tastes as sweet upon your fair hand as I imagined."
"Does the king desire more?"
"Oh yes! Yes he does. Very much more."
"Then he must take it straight from the source this time. For the nectar flows readily for the bee with the right touch."
"But I wish to taste, not touch. And I am no bee. Perhaps the mouth of a man is too rough to draw forth the flow?"
"If the king were to bring forth his tongue then he would find out if he administers the correct motion. And if he is rough … Oh! Nay, the king's mouth is eloquent and softer than butterfly wings! This pleases the prince immensely!"
"And were I to now pull the archer's bow, would he release his arrow?"
"Oh, yes, he would!"
"And would he shoot far?"
"Oh yes! But I think perhaps the king should be silent and concentrate on the job at hand, lest he miss his target. Oh! and his mouth is more pleasing than summer rain! He should not stop now, or the flower may wilt!"
"Very well. But what of the prince? Would he not tell me his desires so he may keep me silent?"
"My desires?"
"Mmm."
"Ah! I see the king really does desire the flower so much that he wishes to swallow it whole!… The prince has heard the king's sword is the mightiest for miles around, and his desire is to see it. But perhaps he should unsheathe the sword himself, as the king is busy. I hear the weapon has been cold for some time now. Perhaps it would warm to my touch? Does the king permit this?"
"Mmmhmm."
"Ah! but it is not cold at all. In fact, it feels rather hot within my hand."
"And I am certain that should the prince bend to the king, then his sword would find a scabbard in which it would never be cold again. For the king desires to probe deeper inside this beautiful flower."
"It opens up to you willingly."
"And should the king put his sword within would he damage the tender petals?"
"Nay, for the flower is resilient despite its delicate guise, and though the sword is large and strikes with vigour, it is gentle. In fact, I am sure it desires the very action so much that is it willing to close around you right now. Yet the king should still support the flower lest it should collapse beneath the force."
"And would the flower spill its seed with more verve if the sword were thrust violently?"
"Oh! Indeed it would!"
"And if I were to bury deeper into the folds…"
"Yes!"
"And if I were to shake the head of the flower…"
"It would surely close around you tighter!"
"Oh! Indeed it does!"
"Aragorn…"
"I would love to feel the seed upon my hand now my prince, in fact I already can. Does the flower need some more provocation?"
"No, no! But it would not complain if more were given. And what of the king?"
"The… the king would only wish to be gripped tighter so he may too find his release."
"The prince desires the taste of the kings lips upon his own!"
"Then he shall have them…"
"Mmm. Oh, indeed the hands that dealt such vicious blows upon the battlefield are indeed still capable of milking honey! Aragorn!"
"And the flower that looks so soft to my eyes is indeed strong, for it clenches me in a vice of heat! Ah! and now the nectar spills into my hand hotter than molten gold!"
"And I will not stop until my king is satisfied!"
"Oh Legolas, Legolas, my resistance will hold up no more!"
"Then yield to it!"
"Oh Legolas! None so beautiful walk beneath sun or moon, even as spoiled as you look now."
"I fear you have shaken the flower so hard, my lord, that you have broken it and spoiled it for all others."
"Does this anger the prince?"
"Nay. For he loves his king with all his heart."