"Once upon a time in a land far away from here, there were two lands torn by war. Both lands were fertile and prosperous in their own way, but years of warfare were wearing away at that prosperity and the population of both countries was dwindling. Still the kinds ordered armies formed and battles fought.
"One day, both kings disappeared from their beds and found themselves in the lair of a powerful sorcerer. His voice thundered as he said, 'You, O foolish kings, disturb my peace. I have given you time to resolve the matter but I see that you are both petty, feeble minded curs. Before the reign of such buffoons as yourselves, there was peace. There will be again.'
"Both kings moved to protest but they found themselves as soundless and motionless as marble statues. The sorcerer continued. 'My lands lie between yours and your quarrel now affects me, and thus will I solve it.'
"He turned onto them a terrible countenance made bestial by a rictus of a smile. 'You, my fine Caliph, have a daughter. She is, and will remain, your only child. You will give her to this, your erstwhile rival. He will treat her as his own, for so she shall become.' And the Caliph trembled, for he loved his daughter and feared for her safety. 'And you, little Czar... Your fine, healthy son will remain so, in the care of the Caliph. Just as you will care for the Jewel of Rebia, so shall your counterpart care for the Pride of Rus.'
"The frantic kings found they could once again move and began to plead for their children to stay with them. The sorcerer raised a hand and for the first time in their lives the kinds flinched in fear, for they were brave men but the magician was fearsome to behold. 'YOU ask ME for time? You who cost me precious hours now ask for time? You who send young men to kill and die on my southern border, in my front yard, DARE to ask for mercy? Where was your mercy for those women you left widowed and those children you left orphaned?'
"The kings trembled and knew that they could not deny his truth. They feared anew when the sorcerer broke into a merry grin. 'Well. Let it not be said I don't give second chances.' He raised a hand and waved an enchanted jewel over the heads of state.
'As the king and land are one, so shall king and country exist east of sun and west of moon. Only when the worlds are joined will the sands part and the desert bloom, and your kingdoms return to the world. A queen shall seek your doom and a queen shall save you and deliver you back into the world, in the time of the chosen king. Until then, begone from my land.'
"And so the sorcerer waved his hand and what he had prophecied came to pass. The lands of Rebia and Rus disappeared from this earth." He dropped his hands which he had been gesturing with to add emphasis to parts of the story. The spell of the story dissipated and he spoke more normally.
"One day, both kings disappeared from their beds and found themselves in the lair of a powerful sorcerer. His voice thundered as he said, 'You, O foolish kings, disturb my peace. I have given you time to resolve the matter but I see that you are both petty, feeble minded curs. Before the reign of such buffoons as yourselves, there was peace. There will be again.'
"Both kings moved to protest but they found themselves as soundless and motionless as marble statues. The sorcerer continued. 'My lands lie between yours and your quarrel now affects me, and thus will I solve it.'
"He turned onto them a terrible countenance made bestial by a rictus of a smile. 'You, my fine Caliph, have a daughter. She is, and will remain, your only child. You will give her to this, your erstwhile rival. He will treat her as his own, for so she shall become.' And the Caliph trembled, for he loved his daughter and feared for her safety. 'And you, little Czar... Your fine, healthy son will remain so, in the care of the Caliph. Just as you will care for the Jewel of Rebia, so shall your counterpart care for the Pride of Rus.'
"The frantic kings found they could once again move and began to plead for their children to stay with them. The sorcerer raised a hand and for the first time in their lives the kinds flinched in fear, for they were brave men but the magician was fearsome to behold. 'YOU ask ME for time? You who cost me precious hours now ask for time? You who send young men to kill and die on my southern border, in my front yard, DARE to ask for mercy? Where was your mercy for those women you left widowed and those children you left orphaned?'
"The kings trembled and knew that they could not deny his truth. They feared anew when the sorcerer broke into a merry grin. 'Well. Let it not be said I don't give second chances.' He raised a hand and waved an enchanted jewel over the heads of state.
'As the king and land are one, so shall king and country exist east of sun and west of moon. Only when the worlds are joined will the sands part and the desert bloom, and your kingdoms return to the world. A queen shall seek your doom and a queen shall save you and deliver you back into the world, in the time of the chosen king. Until then, begone from my land.'
"And so the sorcerer waved his hand and what he had prophecied came to pass. The lands of Rebia and Rus disappeared from this earth." He dropped his hands which he had been gesturing with to add emphasis to parts of the story. The spell of the story dissipated and he spoke more normally.
