Hello, guys, I'mNoOneSpecial is back,
I really wanted to throw the next chapter out, so I did, crappy life be damned! However, I kinda forced this out but I hope even so it didn't turn out too badly.
If I were to give this chapter a title, hypothetically speaking, I guess I would entitle it: "Yikes!"
"First off," began the young king, "I am thinking of taking a maiden of the common folk as my wife."
Again, the fair Zelda was surprised by the young king's words, "What prompted that idea in you, your highness?"
"You did, fair Zelda," replied the young king.
He took note of surprise on the fair maiden's face and went on, "Back when I was just a young swordsman, though my uncle was the king, I did not consider myself a noble. Nay, I thought I was more of a commoner than that. I had always thought that I knew what the life and troubles of a peasant were like...
"But I was wrong, you showed me this. All those pleasant, but few, talks and walks we shared when you were my guest they made it clear to me that I knew not that much of the common man's life. All those years, I have been merely a humble but naive prince with a fondness for the peasantry, I see that now. Which is why I think it a wise course if I were to take a maiden of the common folk as my wife.
"A knowledgeable one. She should now whether or not my decisions would better the lives of of the commonfolk. She should know whether or not a new tax would ensure order to the land or bring misery to the people. She should know whether or not my orders benefit all the people of Hyrule, or just the very few."
The wise, fair Zelda carefully thought over what she had just heard.
"At first glance this course seems indeed a wise path to choose..." started the prudent Zelda, "But you, your highness are the king of this land. Are you not obliged to wed a lady of noble descent?"
"No, I am not," replied the young king, "There is no law of Nayru's that forbids the union of a noble and a commoner. Before the goddesses, there are no nobles, there are no peasants. Before the goddesses, we are all the same, people, mortals. Nayru does not only impose laws to restrict us to preserve order, she also declares rights and freedoms so that we can enjoy our lives. And this freedom to wed out of love whomever you wish, is one such freedom declared by her."
"But what of the noble clans and families, your highness?" asked the prudent Zelda, "Will they not take insult if you do not marry one of their daughters?"
"They will, but there is nothing that they can do," answered the young king with a stern face, "Nayru's laws are absolute. Not even the king of Hyrule may do anything that goes against them.
"Furthermore, when I was crowned, I vowed that I would serve Hyrule for the rest of my life, and that I would protect this land and its people, and that I would do whatever is in my power to do what is good for this land and all this inhabitants. And taking the hand in marriage of one of those princesses or noble ladies I have met so far, I regret to say, would mean breaking my kingly vows.
Who is to become my wife, and the next queen of Hyrule is my decision. Mine and mine alone... Oh! And it is the maiden's decision as well of course," added the young king, "After all, I cannot force her to be my wife."
"But will such a choice not reflect badly on you, my lord?"
"Only if I choose a woman unworthy of the throne, or one who hated by the people and yet even so crown her."
"But where in Hyrule, or in all the lands, will you find a common maid worthy of the crown, milord?" asked the prudent Zelda, "What peasant girl would know how to rule a kingdom? Most common maids I would not even know how to speak you, your highness."
"You speak true, there probably is no such comonborn maiden anywhere," admitted the young king, "But then again, I have not found a maiden worthy of the crown among the nobility either..."
The young king took a moment to think.
"My councilors and I would have to train her until she is worthy to rule alongside me..."
Again, the fair Zelda looked at the young king with surprise.
"Can you learn how to be a queen, your highness? Can you learn how to rule a country?"
"Not quite," answered the young king, "There are many things that one has to know before he can rule. And these things can be taught and can be learned. But whether one becomes a good ruler ultimately rests on that person himself, on whether that person is worthy in the first place."
"And you think that you can find such a maiden among the peasantry?" asked the fair Zelda incredulously.
"Why should I be wrong to think such?" asked the young king, "You do not find jewels, all cut and sparkling, in beautiful flowerfields. Nay, you find them all dull and ugly in dirty mud or deep inside grey, dreary-looking rock. A rough diamond does not look like a diamond at all before you cut it, instead it looks like a dull, worthless piece of rockcrystal. It is only when you manage to to find this dirty crystal among all the other rocks and cut it and polish it that it comes to sparkly like a star."
"So you think that Hyrule's next queen could be hidden among the peasantry of Hyrule and all you have to do is find her and train her?"
"Indeed," replied the young king, "I myself was brought up to be a knight, not the next king, and I was not even very committed to my training for knighthood. That life was simply too... rigid for my taste. If I had not been under the strict guidance of the Lady Impa..." trailed the young king off nervously.
"In any case, nobody back then would have thought that I would be crowned the next king of Hyrule, and much less that I would make a good king, none more than myself, and yet I noww bear the crown and the people seem to accept me as their ruler."
"Indeed they do, your highness," assured him the wise, fair Zelda.
"Well then, if one such as I, a young knight-in-training who was only little committed his duties has learned how to rule a kingdom and so far makes a good king, then I honestly cannot see why a maid born of the common folk, with the right mind and the right heart and the right tutelage cannot make a good queen."
The prudent Zelda carefully thought over everything the young king had told her.
"And you are certain that you, your highness, and your advisers can teach a common maid everything that she must know to be a queen?"
The young king thought for a moment.
"Yes... we should be able to do so..." said the young king haltingly, "However, the maid in question would have to be a clever one, or else, not only would she not learn, the whole effort would be for naught."
The fair Zelda looked at the young king in a curious manner.
"What do you mean, your highness?"
"It is not enough that she learns everything we teach her and that she keeps everything in mind," began the young king to explain, "That knowledge that we would impart unto her is not just meant to be known, it is meant to be used, just as all knowledge should. even if the maid knows everything she must, even if she cares for her people and means well... if her mind is not sharp enough to put all that knowledge to the right use, for the good of her people, then she will still not make a good queen.
That is one reason I have decided against marrying any of the princesses and noble ladies who were introduced to me, you would not believe if I told you how simple-minded, and shallow-minded, some highborns are."
The prudent Zelda again thought carefully over everything that she had been told.
"The way you speak of this, your highness, this scheme of yours might just work..." said the wise, fair Zelda, "But there is still one matter, or rather problem. You, your highness, seek a maiden of common birth who is most knowledgeable of the commoner's life. You seek a maiden of common birth who is noble of character and true of heart. You seek a maiden of common birth who is most strong of mind and strong of will. You seek a maiden of common birth who will be a faithful wife to you and a loving mother to your children. You seek a maiden of common birth so intelligent that she can be taught to be a queen and will successfully fulfill that role and serve the people of Hyrule well.
"If you will forgive me for saying so your highness, where in Nayru's name will you find such a commonborn maiden?"
The young king took a moment before he replied, though it seemed as though he'd had the answer on hand the whole time.
"I may have already found her."
If I was the wise, fair Zelda I would quote Guybrush Threepwood now, "Yikes."
What would you girls among my readers do?
I hate repeating myself but...
Please review and comment. All forms of reviews, comments and criticisms are very welcomed and appreciated. You are also welcome to send me private messages.
If you do not have the time to leave behind such, a numerical ratings from 0-10 will suffice just as well.
0 = Delete this shit. 10 = Perfect.
PS: Although I personally don't mind, would you people please refrain from calling my story "Great Sh*t?"
Again, personally I don't care, but this is a child's story after all, a folktale. It just doesn't seem right to use the S-word as a form of a praise here. Besides; there ARE minors who are reading this... or at least there are minors who read here on FFN... hopefully, most kids today don't read anymore I fear.