The Kingdom of Wordland (Chapter Three)

The Big Move...

Although there had been some dark days for the Wordlanders, a renewed hope came in the form of a message from one of the great prophets of the west. He sent a message to the King that the best was yet to come. He said that all of the great things that the King had done would soon be rewarded and all of their troubles would be over. So as to encourage the people, the King published this message over and over for his loyal subjects to hear. Each time they heard the message they would rejoice because the great prophet from the west had given them hope.

During this time in Wordland, the King appointed his son, Prince Devoid, to the position of Vice King. He would now be in a place to help his father. He was to oversee all of the management of the finances and the royal staff. Although Prince Devoid had no experience and had never proven himself in this position, the King assured the people that it would help to move Wordland to a higher plane. They were soon told that all of the taxes and tariffs that had been paid were being used efficiently because Prince Devoid was such a wise manager. The royal family surely seemed to be blessed during those days in Wordland. They were now able to live in some of the finest palaces in the known land.

Wordland had seen so much growth in the past years that the land that they were dwelling in began to feel too small and worn. The King met with the people and showed them a vision of a land which he had seen that would be a good place to grow. He told them that it was now time to launch out and possess that new land. He asked the people to bring in all of their gold and silver so that they could acquire this land, and build a new royal castle. All of the people were excited and began to bring in gold by the carts full. Prince Devoid was making sure that all of the gold and silver was being well protected.

After several years of hard work, it was time to make the big move to the new Kingdom. With great fanfare, that historic day came. How proud it made them to have come from such humble beginnings and to now be in such a grand place! It seemed that the castle had become so important that the King began to neglect the people that had helped him to build it. Now that Prince Devoid was overseeing all of the daily operations of the Kingdom, the King could now travel even more that he did before.

The new place appeared to be the finest yet, but something was missing. Where was the unity that they once had? Where was the hope that the people once had? Where had all of the resources gone to help the needy people? The people found themselves doing more and more to please their King, but their efforts seemed without purpose.

The King became gloomy because the people did not seem to be paying him the homage that they once had. The ones close to the King decided that they would throw several banquets and feasts in the King’s honor. They were sure that this would help bring joy back to the King and to all the people of Wordland. The great banquet would come at the end of the year and it would be the grandest that anyone had ever seen. This event would feature the King and all of his accomplishments, and it would have to be the most lavish that there had ever been. They wanted to invite other kings from all around the land to this feast. The question was, how would they pay for such an affair? They decided to levy a tax on the people, and only those who were willing to pay this tax would be allowed to attend the feast. They also said that all who attended would be required to wear the finest apparel.

When the people learned of this tax, they were outraged, but were afraid to tell the King. It was a very high tax, and the people would have to pay it during a time when there were other tariffs due. Many discussed their misgivings among themselves, and word of this got back to the King.

To Be Continued…

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