The Ring
"True Love follows this ring wherever it goes, my son. I had it with your father. I've had it as your mother. Now you will have it. Take it. Take it and I'll know, even if I never see you again, I'll know you'll find love. I'll know you'll be happy." Ruth just failed to mention exactly how the ring achieved this.
Completely Reworked
My apologies to those who have already read chapters 1 and 2 before. I reworked Chapter 1 on 10 Nov 2013. The reworking of Chapter 2 on 11 Nov 2013 wasn't quite as extensive, but it has been extended. Please go back and reread Chapter 1 just to be sure. It was extended from 930 to 2332 words, and you don't want to miss anything (at least I hope you don't)
Disclaimers
Once Upon a Time belongs to Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz, ABC, Disney, and possibly others, but not me
Everland, Seaborn, and Seaside were the names of kingdoms used in Once Upon a Time and Again by KayleeThePete
Phrygia is the kingdom ruled by the King Midas in Greek legends
The petitions heard whilst holding court are from The Sims Medieval pc game
Chapter 2
David returned to the castle to find that his little adventure with Snow had taken longer than his bride-to-be deemed appropriate. King Midas had returned to Phrygia to calm his overwrought daughter, and King George had left with a company of his men to hunt down his wayward son. Bertram, King George's Majordomo, immediately accosted him.
"Your Highness, there is a large crowd of people in the throne room waiting for the King to hold court, but with him out searching for you, many have already been waiting for hours, and if you don't go in there right now and calm them down, they are quite ready to bring out the torches and pitchforks."
"Always a pleasure, Bertram." David brushed past the man as he changed direction from chamber to throne room. His assessment of the crowd, however, differed from Bertram's, as he was expecting. Bertram had a tendency towards over exaggeration. The only difference David could see between the crowd today and the usual crowd just before King George entered at the arranged time, was the proportion of those seated to those standing. There was still a queue that ran out the door. David sighed. At least this way, whilst he did his duty to his brethren, the people of Seaborn, he would be far too busy to give Abigail, King Midas, King George or Snow White a thought, he surmised.
«Thanks for the tip, Charming.»
David nearly jumped out of his skin. «Gah! Give a guy a heart attack. Where are you? I thought you'd left?» He started scanning the crowd.
Laughter that could only belong to Snow rang through his head. «Sorry, I didn't actually think that would reach you. And I haven't come back. I just passed the border into Phrygia.»
«Oh.» Disappointment welled inside him. He sighed. «So, what tip were you talking about?»
«Thanks to you, I've learnt my lesson not to just look out for Regina's men, but the traps they make.» Her voice was teasing but also pointed.
«Glad I could help.» He made his voice as flippant as possible, and he swore he could feel her poke her tongue out in response. «You might want to keep an eye out for King George and his men as well.»
«Don't you mean King Midas? I'm in Phrygia. King George can't touch me here.» Her tone suddenly turned serious. «There's no reason for him to want to chuck a Regina and break territorial boundaries, is there?»
«Not that I'm aware of. I just know he's out there looking for me.»
«Why? What did you do?»
«He probably thinks that chasing a thief to get that ring back was a waste of time better spent getting better acquainted with King Midas' daughter.» Snow and Charming grimaced in unison at the thought. «So now I get the honour of holding court in his stead.»
«Have fun with that.»
«What's that supposed to mean?»
«I take it you've never held court before in your life.»
«Oh, and I suppose you have?»
«Of course I have! Father was grooming me for succession before Regina had him killed.»
«Alone?»
«Not at first, of course. But the last few years, whenever he was away, or not in the right frame of mind, he would let me take over.»
«And your step-mother didn't object?»
Snow snorted. «Regina was always too busy doing other things to care about serving the people.»
«What could be so important that she couldn't take a little time each day to listen to her people?»
«Regina doesn't care about anyone's happiness but her own. And considering what she's doing now, I'd hazard a guess that magic lessons were involved.»
By that point, David had finished his trek to the throne, and was immediately confronted by the first petitioner.
"Your Highness, I dug up this lockbox of gold on my farm. The Sherriff demands I give it to the kingdom. Must I? My farm is failing and I could use this money to plant more crops!"
«Right. Time to put my mind to the needs of Seaborn. Wish me luck.»
«Good luck!»
"Your kingdom thanks you." Bertram appeared out of nowhere. "How big is this lockbox?"
"Bertram!" David shot a glare at the pitiful excuse of a majordomo. No wonder Seaborn had gone bankrupt. He turned back to the man was who now opening his satchel in a very disheartened manner. David placed a hand on the man's shoulder, making the man pause in his actions. "What is your name, good sir?"
"Eustace, Your Highness."
"Eustace, the gold is yours."
"Your Highness, your father…"
"Is not here. And if he dislikes my decisions, he can take it up with me later."
"On your own head be it." Bertram stalked away, to David's amusement.
"That farm belongs to you. That means the soil, and anything found in it, is yours." David gave Eustace an affirmative pat on the back. "Use the gold for your farm."
Eustace's knees buckled, and he swept David a deep bow. "Thank you, Your Highness! Come harvest time, I shall bring the castle a bushel of my finest crop."
"I shall look forward to seeing you then." David smiled as he watched the man walk away with a spring in his step that he certainly couldn't have had when he first came in. In doing so, he realised that he would have to talk to each and every person in the sea ahead of him. Slightly daunted at the task, he sat down.
"Your Highness, your advisers are predicting a sharp rise in the desire for goat's milk. Might now be a prudent time to increase the Goat Tax?"
David glared in the direction of King George's advisers, from which direction he had heard Bertram's distinctive voice. "Read my lips… I will not take advantage of the people's need for basic staples. The current tax is sufficient."
"Of course, Your Highness. I will not milk the issue."
David rolled his eyes at the man's brand of humour. No doubt, he would accost King George upon his return and get his raise in taxes then. He turned to the next petitioner, who looked vaguely familiar. "And how may I help you, …?"
"Janice, Your Highness. I have little money and no possessions save this lute." She held out a crudely made instrument that had certainly seen better days. "I live only on donations from kind villagers and from performing for the local children. But now I must produce 3 Gold or I'll lose my home!"
David realised then that he had once been one of the local children who had left his mother to her own devices at the market and listened all enthralled to her enchanting compositions until it was time to leave. "Well, I certainly cannot allow one of Seaborn's favourite performers to become a homeless beggar. Mervyn!"
"Yes, Your Highness?"
"Retrieve 3 Gold from the royal vaults."
"At once, Your Highness."
"I… I am overcome by your generosity, Your Majesty. I shall write a ballad in your honour and perform it for all who will hear!"
"You shall address him by his proper title of 'Your Highness'." David snapped his head towards Bertram, who had once again insinuated himself into their midst. "Only the King is worthy of 'Majesty'."
Janice shrank in on herself, and began to joggle her lute as she shuffled her feet. "My apologies, I didn't mean…"
David held up a hand to forestall her. "It is perfectly all right. No harm done." He met her gaze until her lute and feet stilled, and her shoulders straightened a little.
"Thank you, Your Highness."
David gave her a reassuring smile and a nod, before moving on.
An excitable looking man rushed forward. "I wish to erect a statue of Your Majesty in the outer village; one worthy of your visage! It will remind those villagers who's the King, you know? I merely ask to have the cost of materials covered." He was bouncing on his toes in his eagerness.
Bertram threw up his hands in exasperation. "He is not the King! This is Prince James!"
David ignored Bertram, too busy staring in amazement at the other man's audacity to pay him much thought. "I would rather be remembered by my deeds. There are better uses for the kingdom's resources than feckless expressions of vanity."
The man stopped bouncing immediately and adopted a stroppy look. "Fine, then I shall just return to my other hobby of sculpting vulgar shrubbery." He stalked away before David could even think to raise an objection.
He wearily turned to Bertram. "Is it lunchtime, yet?"
"I shall see to it, Your Highness."
The room was cleared for luncheon, during which David enjoyed a nice repose. After lunch, however, he found that the break had given the villagers ample time to gossip about Prince James' suddenly generous change of heart, and the line of petitioners had swelled rapidly.
It was a long afternoon.
"I want to start a candy shop in the outer village. Would you be willing to lend 5 Gold? I believe it will bring much needed happiness to the kingdom!"
"I want my son to be a Cartwright as our family has been for generations, but he wants to join the theatre and travel the world. I don't know what to do."
"I request permission to run special… experiments in my cellar. I will need funds for blades and harnesses, and I need soundproofing of the walls. Strong enough to muffle, say, loud screaming."
"I would like to have a yoe from the royal flock. All my ewes died. May I please have one?"
"Hi, Your Highness. I'm, um, a little low on coin this week and I need to buy some groceries. Can I borrow 20 Silver?"
"My neighbour's pig broke into my yard and ate my cabbages! It's a cabbage disaster. I demand recompense for the two cabbages I lost. Recompense!"
"I need guidance. A neighbour always leaves out food and attracts stray dogs. They're mean! They taunt our chickens and eat our shoes! What should we do?"
"I'm ruined! A freak frost suddenly descended on my farm and destroyed all of my tomatoes! Why does this keep happening to me?"
"My neighbour has trimmed his shrubs into rude and vulgar shapes. I seek permission to burn them to the ground with fire."
"My father will not allow me to marry, but I am in love and wish to marry my sweetheart. May I have permission by royal decree?"
David couldn't help grinning at that. "Love conquers all! But is it your choice of bride or your age that he is opposed to?"
The boy, for he could hardly be thought a man, scowled. "I'm not a child."
"Then he objects to your girl? Who is she?"
"Her name is Neema and there's nothing wrong with her!"
David merely raised his eyebrows in amusement at the hot reply.
"He says we're too young."
"Then you have nothing to worry about. You'll grow out of it. You can take the time to grow a proper nest egg for when the time comes. Perhaps that very act will prove your maturity to your father."
The boy grinned. "That's brilliant. I'm gonna be the maturest person in Seaborn." With that, he grabbed the hand of a girl who had been standing nearby, whom David belatedly realised must be Neema, and the two of them ran from the castle chuckling and giggling all the way.
It was at that point of the proceedings David realised that King George and his men were yet to return to the castle and the sun was already sinking behind the trees. He spotted Bertram still with the small knot of advisers nearby. "Bertram!"
"Dinner, Your Highness?" Bertram signalled for the room to be cleared as he spoke.
David's stomach rumbled in approval at the suggestion. "Yes, but before you go, has anyone told my father of my return?"
Bertram stared at him for a moment in embarrassed silence. "I shall send a message at once, Your Highness."