God Save the King

Synopsis:  The tale of a young man who is very inept at ruling the monarchy of the Kingdom of Sylvana.  He's a bit of a late bloomer and quite a bit of a bumbler.  He's lovable but an oaf.  At first Leonidas is inept, but thanks to training from an alchemist named Darius, he learns he has remarkable talent, especially in the art of theatre.  Leonidas Garland becomes the first King to become a thespian, and producer.   His wife, Renata, is the art director of his well-received and popular comedies.  

Chapter 1--Seeking the Help of Darius the Alchemist 

            For years, it seemed that King Preston Garland and his beloved wife, Myrtle, had been desiring a son and despite all of their best efforts, nothing had worked.  They had seen all the specialists they could and both of them had begun to lose hope until their jester, Festus, suggested that they see Darius the Alchemist.  Darius was a mage of great power and had lived more years than all of them combined.  Strangely enough the ravages of age had left him untouched and he had defeated death more often than he could count.   Preston knew he could count on the wisdom of his fool, for he was learned and wise and went to see if Darius really was everything Festus had claimed. 

            The Kingdom of Sylvana was vast, rolling and verdant.  It had all the accoutrements of modern living and no plague to be found.  Peasantry and royalty lived side by side and there wasn't any caste system.  People could read, write and create and many things were powered by steam, solar, or the incredible power of the mystic rune stones, which were indigenous in the mines of Aldan.   It was a fanciful kingdom speckled with magical beings such as sprites, faeries, genies, gnomes, trolls, orcs, elves and the like but Darius the Wise was the last of his kind.  He had been the youngest in his clan to be born with the gift of magic and the ability to use herbs and diagnose those who were ill with various malaise.   Never had a mage been contacted for the issue of fertility, but Darius was renowned for his uncanny miraculous power.   Darius didn't speak of it much, since typically he was booked with appointments from around the Kingdom.   He never charged anything but his patrons paid him more than enough money to live out the rest of his life comfortably. 

            Preston had taken his token dragon, Hydron, to the quaint forest village of Stote.   It was a long flight but by dragon, it would take no time at all to request the mage's help.  

            Darius, oddly enough, had been expecting the King to arrive with his queen riding alongside him. 

            'I have just exactly what you need.  It's a potion that has worked wonders with others that have your particular ailment.  Just drink that, go about your kingly duties and wait.', Darius stated, with a massive, pearly smile.  He looked so youthful the mage could've passed easily for a teenager in a punk rock band.     

            'Is there anything I can do to repay you ?', Preston prompted, curiously.   Darius shook his head and chortled.  

            'Of course not, but if need be, your child may need my guidance.  Here's my card.  I've enchanted it to be sent back to me in case of emergencies.  I call it an m-vite, or magic invite.', Darius grinned.   Preston, overcome with emotion, embraced the mage and lifted him off the ground in gratitude.  

            'Thank you, thank you, thank you !', Preston said before leaving the mage's immaculate earthen home.   The two said their farewells and bade each other farewell before Preston mounted Hydron.   He couldn't wait to go home, have a dinner with Myrtle and celebrate with the potion Darius had made for them. 

Chapter 2--Joviality Ensues to a Point

            Myrtle became pregnant easily and quickly and her delivery had been a rather uncomplicated one with little pain.   Leonidas was loved instantly but once he could walk, he seemed to be quite a klutz.   No matter what he did, he was always a child and tended to be a bit of a bumbler.   Leo tended to be more interested in frivolity and palling around with his friends from other kingdoms but he could do no wrong in the eyes of his parents.   

            As Leo grew older, Preston and Myrtle reminded him the duties and regulations that were required of him and his station.   Leonidas hung his head and shook it left to right.  Since going to the academy and finding his true passion in theatre, it is all he wanted to do.  He had even met a fellow thespian named Renata who had inspired him to begin training in earnest in the art of coordination through fencing, tightrope walking and a gauntlet she had devised in the form of a rather unrelenting obstacle course.   If Leo was going to be taken seriously, he would have to prove himself.  

            Leo loved Renata but secretly felt that the gauntlet she had created specially to discipline his gangly, awkward body and mold him into an even more efficient thespian.  

            'You're going to be King someday.   I realize it isn't something you want to ponder about but it's not optional.', Renata said, sweetly, cupping her hands over Leo's.   Leo couldn't help but still be smitten by her, even though he hadn't had the fortitude to kiss her, yet.  

            Leo sighed and patted Renata’s hand affectionately.  

            'It is my sacred duty.   Thing is, I don't really know how to run a whole country, but my other regal friends do.   Problem with that is their creeds and tenants don't really mesh with Slyvana's.   Why do things have to be difficult ?', Leo lamented.   He really wanted there to be a way to both act and rule, but nothing like that had ever been attempted in Sylvana's history.   Then, Renata had a brilliant plan.  Enlist the assistance of Darius.   The kingdom was in the red currently and who better to balance the royal budget than one who knew what it meant to live frugally ? 

Chapter 3--Financial Crisis Averted

            Leo had recalled the enchanted card that Darius the Mage had left for his dad and asked if he could use it. 

            'The Kingdom is in shambles and I don't know a thing about budgeting.  He could also suggest more ways for us to reach out and help the poor.   Also, Renata said that our new thespian school could help those who are aspiring to become playwrights and actors.   I have been writing plays on the side when I'm not thinking about Slyvana.', Leo confided in his parents.   Myrtle always knew there was a bit of the flair for the dramatic in her son and thought that Renata’s plan for an acting school in the Kingdom was perfect.   Some of the funding could go to build a proper academy, especially for that and other arts.   Other pursuits had already been supported by the Kingdom and were flourishing but artists, sadly, were starving and Leo intended to change all that.   

            Leo read the instructions on the card and in a flash of smoke, sparkles and an indigo plume of lavender scented essence, Darius appeared. 

            'I knew you'd summon me sooner or later.  So, what's the dealio ?', Darius questioned, raking back his curly black hair that had been mussed up due to the temporal transportation the bewitched card allowed.  

            'Here's my ish, Darry.   We have problems in our budget, and not only that but I really really want to start an academy for thespians like myself.  I want to hold a gala in honor of building it, you know, like a fundraiser.', Leo said.    Even though Leo had begun as somewhat of a moron, he had grown wiser and more pragmatic over the years.   Renata, indeed, had helped bring out the best in his character.  Love gave him the wings to fly to unhindered heights and Darius couldn't wait to see what Leo had cooked up in his spare time when he hadn't been literally under the gauntlet, conditioning himself to become the champion of Sylvana.  

            'You have most of this figured out, Leo.  Bravo, kid !   As for me, I can tell you where to allocate your interests.   Just set this fund here, and this here.   Your fundraiser is an electrifying plan.   Not only that but everyone in the Kingdom will have a chance to reunite.  It'll be a grand way to have a forum between everyone.  Think of it as a think tank of all backgrounds.', Darius said, patting the young future king on the back.    Before he could leave, Darius had one more request. 

            'I know I have most of my life together, but I really need to know how I can overcome my anxiousness when it comes to Ren.   Ah, but I do indeed love her and I want to show her how much I care.  I don't want to come across as clingy, desperate or needy.', Leo began.    Darius had courted one woman in his life, Yfelda.   Yfelda lived until she was 200 but died due to natural causes.   Yfelda was the only woman he ever adored, but he had learned quite a bit about romance, friendship, compassion, mutual affection, and of course, conversation thanks to having her in his life.   

            'C'mere, Leo.  Let me set you down and learn you a few things.', Darius said, patting the side of a rather comfortable couch in the Prince's room.   He taught the future King all he had to know about how to woo Renata properly and getting the final boost of resolve he had been searching for to express himself to her.   All he had to do now was tell her in person. 

            'You might be a little apprehensive at first, Leo, but trust me, if that lass feels as strongly for you as I predict she does, you'll have no trouble charming her.   Just be yourself !', Darius said before departing.   He wondered if this was the last he would ever see of the Mage, but like with his father before him, he left him another e-vite just in case of emergencies.   The wise Mage embraced his friend and patted him on the back.   Even though he couldn't fully predict the future, he intuited that Leo was just the king that Sylvana needed in these rough and tumble times.  

Chapter 4--Building From the Ground Up

            With the assistance of Renata, Leo had been able to make his dream a reality for himself, Renata as his go-to stage director and producer, and for all others in Sylvana who hadn't had a voice in the area of the fine art of the stage. 

            While Leo had begun fabricating the stage, he even instated an academy for aspiring thespians to come and try for his latest play, ‘Sylvana Glorious’.   He and Renata began courting in the course of time and before they knew it they had gotten married.   Their theatre was up and running and ‘Slyvana Glorious’ with up and coming actors and actresses had stepped up on stage for their first performance.  

            ‘Leo, I’m freaking out.  I know I’m in the starring role and I have my lines as well as everyone else’s memorized.  What if I choke though ?’, the main actor, Allman, said, tentatively.  

            ‘Hey, you won’t.  You know I believe in you.  You and Belinda are going to slay them tonight, as well as the entire cast and crew.  All of you will do exceptionally.  I believe in you.’, he said, exhorting and motivating the whole lot of them before they went out to a packed, full arena of excited, eager and curious theatre goers.  

            The play did splendidly well, even better than Leo and Renata expected.  With the money they had earned they could keep the kingdom up and running and begin funding new projects to continue improving it.   They could also fund their upcoming wedding with the moneys they had collected from an incredibly successful first run.   The play itself would have many more star-studded nights and led to a whirlwind of fame for the king to be. 

Chapter 5—Coronation and Marriage

            Leo was soon crowned as the reigning king of Sylvana and his parents could not have been more proud of his integrity, initiative and persistence.   He had been indefatigable in instituting new facilities for all sorts of disciplines.   He had given the credit to Renata, his wife-to-be, because he knew that had it not been for her influence and encouragement, none of what had come to be would ever have happened.  

            The coronation had been extremely jovial but the wedding had been even more ebullient.   It was brought forth with pomp and circumstance but it was not limited to only the royals attending.  Darius had been invited to both the coronation and the wedding and to be honest, he was tickled at all the extra notoriety he had received from both events.  As usual, the mage was extremely humble.   Leo’s father, Preston was practically bounding with pride but kept a level head.   His mother, ever the social butterfly, was bawling joyful tears over the perfect bride he had chosen.   Renata was not only industrious, but she was innovative and ambitious.  She wasn’t afraid about challenging herself or others, especially when she could intuit people’s truest talent and best assets.  

            Darius couldn’t help but display a glimmer of glee at the fact his lessons in courtship had lead Leonidas to this critical point.   It was a game changer and one Leo knew would improve everything Sylvana was to become.   From the altar, he winked at the sage and gave him an immense thumbs up.    As for Preston, he couldn’t imagine seeing his son so adult, so mature, so much more a man than a mouse than he had been.  He had taken initiative and shown backbone and conviction.   He was, in fact, a true king.   Regardless, Preston knew that his son had it in him the whole time.  All he needed was a gentle nudge to coax the greatness to the surface. 

            Renata was in the most glamorous white dress, trimmed with lace and diamonds.  It must have cost a fortune to fabricate, but she seemed even more angelic than ever, if that was possible.   Leo was dressed in regal attire, seeming ever more the proper ruler.  He had grown a beard, which suited him.   The purple cowl accentuated his lavender eyes, which looked unflinchingly at his bewitching bride.  The padre blessed them, had them recite their vows, and the two kissed, sealing their covenant together as a newlywed couple.  

Epilogue

            The wedding had been an immensely jubilant occasion, everyone from all walks of life celebrated and there was more than enough food to go around.   As soon as the honeymoon in the neighboring land of Jovanni had ended, Leo and Renata had gone right to business.   Certainly they were pragmatic and tactful when it came to keeping everything organized and balanced but they still had a sense of capriciousness at the right time when applicable.          

            Before the king and queen knew it, they were blessed with two twins of their own.  Neither one of them were aware what sort of commitment it would take to raise their fraternal twins, Fiona and Damien.   Both of them were different as night and day, but they complimented each other tremendously.   They were a handful and sparkling with energy but mom and dad adored them and gave them the moon and stars (within reason).   One day, they too would rule the kingdom and adjoining lands but for the moment, they were fawned over by their grandparents and even Darius became a favorite godparent, giving the entire family advice when they sought it.   They needed the mage less and less now, finding out matters on their own accord.   Darius felt a twinge of sadness but it was tempered with joy.  His prediction about Leonidas had been correct all along.   It had all come to pass and the kingdom would face many pleasant and jovial days to come.   Presently, though, all was terrific and nothing could rankle the royal family’s sunny disposition.  Trials would come and go but their perseverance, love, determination would always carry them through obstacles, no matter how challenging.  

The End