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Stolen Gems
3 years ago
(This is a separate storyline than Webber finds a frog/ Journeying to town. Will probably all loop together at sone point. But these are all drafts for now : )
The king was furious. One by one, his gems had been stolen without his notice. What could have done such a thing? Immediately the king began an investigation, pressing every guard for information. Each guard proved to be loyal and true. Not a single once gave any indication of being a traitor.
Where were the gems then? The king paced back and forth. Enraged by the loss of his gems, he no longer focused on what the kingdom needed. The people began to suffer without a dedicated ruler. Trade became sparse, and the lack of leadership caused factions to rise up. While they were able to get by with what they had, they wanted their ruler. They wanted a leader. Crowds stood outside the castle begging the king to come out and forget about the gems. Guards chased off crowds, furiously explaining gems were the wealth of the kingdom. Without gems no other kingdoms would respect their power.
After weeks of increasingly intense protests, finally the king emerged from his fortress.
Word had gotten around that the king was not fairing well, but still, the people were unprepared for what they saw. The king overridden with greed and anguish, hardly looked like himself at all. No longer was he proud and stoic. All that remained was the shadow of a man that had once been great. As he walked towards the crowds with a troubled look, people stepped back in disbelief. Was that really their king? How could a man have changed so fast?
A long silence fell, before finally the king spoke up. "I know many of you have worried these past few weeks... It is true. The gems have been taken." The crowd shuffled in discomfort. Many of the faction leaders began discussing corses of action amongst their closest allies. The whispers were interrupted by the king's voice, now more confidently suggesting a reward for any who could find and retrieve them.
Immediately the groups turned to themselves again. Many came to the conclusion a neighboring kingdom had sent spies. A few suggested the gems were somewhere in the town.
Without another word, the king turned and the giant castle doors shut behind him. Dozens of peasants began shoving one another and scrambling to search for the gems. Perhaps this was their ticket out of a life of poverty. The guards tried to maintain some level of order, but it was in vain. Even the most noble knights and priestesses of the town felt the intensity and competitive need to search for the gems.
Stands were thrown apart, sacred fountains were violated, croplands were torn up.
After a few days of relentless searching, finally, a young fisherman had enough. He and a few of his closest faction members began spreading rumors the gems had been spotted outside of town. Their original plan was to buy time to create fake gems, but that did not pan out. More rumors from other factions began circulating. People became very selfish and distrusting of one another. Food became increasingly sparse. The kingdom was in a rapid decline.
At the gate, a messenger sent word the kingdoms long time ally neighboring kingdom would be coming to do trade. Instead of the usual warm welcome, the message was taken with great suspicion. After several weeks of searching to no avail of the gems, many speculated it was this neighboring kingdom that had stolen from the king. The trade proposition was brought to the king's attention. Initially he took great offense at the thought of it.
"Why... It is an insult! First they steal from us.... Then they want to trade us out own money back!" The king grumbled. As greedy and distracted as the king was, he was still clever.
"Wait," He said polishing his crown, "Let's accept it after all. Surely I will recognize if they truly to trade me my own gems back! Ha, then they will be aught red handed, and we will make them pay!
The guards spread word of the plan to the villagers. With this glimmer of hope, the kingdom was able to somewhat band together. After officially accepting the trade request, the king emerged from his castle once more to rally his people.
"We will keep up our appearances and set a trap for our so called allies. Clean the streets and prepare yourselves! They arrive in 3 days." Relieved by seeing their king once more with some dignity, the people worked to clean up the streets. Unfortunately, many of the damage done to the crops was irreparable. As hard as the townspeople tried, they could not get the kingdom back to its former state. On the surface, it seemed polished, but upon closer inspection it was easy to see how hastily cracks had been repaired, boards had been nailed, and tarps had been stitched. Surely the neighboring kingdoms would look down upon this lack of appearance.
The time came for the trade to begin. The neighboring kingdom sent a handful of their highest ranking officers, and their queen. The town guards escorted them to the king's castle.
With a concerned look on her face, the queen asked what had happened to the town. The king hid a smirk 'as if they don't know...' He thought to himself. 'They have stolen our gems and insulted the pain it has caused.
"Bad Bad weather..." The king lied. The guards nodded in agreement. There was an awkward pause.
"Please," The queen said gently, " I can tell your people are suffering, "Let us help." This was almost to much for the king to bear. He held his temper in as his guards watched nervously.
"No," The king replied "We are here to trade... are we not? So then Show me the gems you offer."
The Queen's officers watched protectively. Something felt off. The queen hesitated and looked around the throne room.
"The truth is," she began carefully, " I have no gems to offer.
The king was stunned in silence.
"But," he began, "It is no secret you have the wealthiest kingdom of all. You always have! Where have your gems gone?" Finally he had broken his stoic demeanor. He now openly searched for the truth, although still with a bit of distrust.
"Well," The Queen began, "The truth is, our gems went missing weeks ago. Right around the time you stopped contacting us. I had figured since you were our closest ally perhaps you could help us in search of them, or maybe if your heart could find it, lend us a few of your gems. " The queen spoke with sincerity in her voice. It was strong yet soft. The king's brow furrowed.
The queen continued. "I also came to put rumors to rest." The king shifted uncomfortably, as the queen spoke, " please do not take any offense to this, but a few of my townsfolk accused your kingdom of stealing our treasures." The king froze. He seemed to be fighting his own emotions. The queen continued, "Once again, I know that you would never do something of that sort, but you know truth has always been my policy. I just wanted you to know... "
Finally, the king spoke. He saw his sad face reflected in the queen's crown, "Where have your gems gone then?"
"There has been talk," The queen said, "...talk of a dragon."
....
" No," The king replied seriously, "There are no dragons here. We would have seen it coming. We would have heard it." Guards shuffled in the background. The king flinched a bit. Leaning in, he whispered. "How has your kingdom been fairing with such a threat as this?" The queen smelled wonderfully. Like lilies and a fresh breath of air. Guilt sank into the king's heart. How could he have accused her?
"Well, admittedly, it has been quite difficult." Her long hair flowed slightly as she spoke. "I immediately informed my people. I told them as soon as I had learned what had happened. Of course initially there was panic, but I implored my people to trust in once another and ban together. I worked tirelessly out in the fields and markets with them to help where I could. Our trade was shut down almost entirely, but we were able to feed everyone. I did not tell them about the dragon actually, they told me."
The king, ashamed of how he had acted, looked to the floor. Why hadn't he been able to stay calm and help his people?
"Well, do you believe them?" The king looked up half in disgust. "About the dragon? It just seems like such an easy way out. Blaming things on dragons that don't exist...."
At this the queen became visibly shaken. "Did you not hear a word I said? My kingdom is built upon trust. Of course I trust my people." The guards seemed displeased.
"Alright alright." The king said waving his hands. "Mind telling me who told you of this dragon?"
"An older couple...."
"A very credible source." The king remarked.
" I am starting to rethink this arrangement." The queen huffed.
"You were the once that asked for help!"
"Clearly you need some too! Your kingdom is in shambles."
The guards and officers glanced at each other uneasily.
Suddenly, The queen had a look of understanding....
She stared at the king and spoke softly yet sharply.
"....You don't have any gems either....."
The king looked puzzled. Was there any use lying at this point? it seemed like this lady could see through everything.
He glanced towards his guards remorsefully. They nodded.
"No." the king sighed. "I don't have any gems."
....
Thanks for reading :)
This is a draft idea I had of a book/short story potentially staring Webber as the dragon. I am not sure yet where this is going to go, but it was fun to write.
-Webber
The king was furious. One by one, his gems had been stolen without his notice. What could have done such a thing? Immediately the king began an investigation, pressing every guard for information. Each guard proved to be loyal and true. Not a single once gave any indication of being a traitor.
Where were the gems then? The king paced back and forth. Enraged by the loss of his gems, he no longer focused on what the kingdom needed. The people began to suffer without a dedicated ruler. Trade became sparse, and the lack of leadership caused factions to rise up. While they were able to get by with what they had, they wanted their ruler. They wanted a leader. Crowds stood outside the castle begging the king to come out and forget about the gems. Guards chased off crowds, furiously explaining gems were the wealth of the kingdom. Without gems no other kingdoms would respect their power.
After weeks of increasingly intense protests, finally the king emerged from his fortress.
Word had gotten around that the king was not fairing well, but still, the people were unprepared for what they saw. The king overridden with greed and anguish, hardly looked like himself at all. No longer was he proud and stoic. All that remained was the shadow of a man that had once been great. As he walked towards the crowds with a troubled look, people stepped back in disbelief. Was that really their king? How could a man have changed so fast?
A long silence fell, before finally the king spoke up. "I know many of you have worried these past few weeks... It is true. The gems have been taken." The crowd shuffled in discomfort. Many of the faction leaders began discussing corses of action amongst their closest allies. The whispers were interrupted by the king's voice, now more confidently suggesting a reward for any who could find and retrieve them.
Immediately the groups turned to themselves again. Many came to the conclusion a neighboring kingdom had sent spies. A few suggested the gems were somewhere in the town.
Without another word, the king turned and the giant castle doors shut behind him. Dozens of peasants began shoving one another and scrambling to search for the gems. Perhaps this was their ticket out of a life of poverty. The guards tried to maintain some level of order, but it was in vain. Even the most noble knights and priestesses of the town felt the intensity and competitive need to search for the gems.
Stands were thrown apart, sacred fountains were violated, croplands were torn up.
After a few days of relentless searching, finally, a young fisherman had enough. He and a few of his closest faction members began spreading rumors the gems had been spotted outside of town. Their original plan was to buy time to create fake gems, but that did not pan out. More rumors from other factions began circulating. People became very selfish and distrusting of one another. Food became increasingly sparse. The kingdom was in a rapid decline.
At the gate, a messenger sent word the kingdoms long time ally neighboring kingdom would be coming to do trade. Instead of the usual warm welcome, the message was taken with great suspicion. After several weeks of searching to no avail of the gems, many speculated it was this neighboring kingdom that had stolen from the king. The trade proposition was brought to the king's attention. Initially he took great offense at the thought of it.
"Why... It is an insult! First they steal from us.... Then they want to trade us out own money back!" The king grumbled. As greedy and distracted as the king was, he was still clever.
"Wait," He said polishing his crown, "Let's accept it after all. Surely I will recognize if they truly to trade me my own gems back! Ha, then they will be aught red handed, and we will make them pay!
The guards spread word of the plan to the villagers. With this glimmer of hope, the kingdom was able to somewhat band together. After officially accepting the trade request, the king emerged from his castle once more to rally his people.
"We will keep up our appearances and set a trap for our so called allies. Clean the streets and prepare yourselves! They arrive in 3 days." Relieved by seeing their king once more with some dignity, the people worked to clean up the streets. Unfortunately, many of the damage done to the crops was irreparable. As hard as the townspeople tried, they could not get the kingdom back to its former state. On the surface, it seemed polished, but upon closer inspection it was easy to see how hastily cracks had been repaired, boards had been nailed, and tarps had been stitched. Surely the neighboring kingdoms would look down upon this lack of appearance.
The time came for the trade to begin. The neighboring kingdom sent a handful of their highest ranking officers, and their queen. The town guards escorted them to the king's castle.
With a concerned look on her face, the queen asked what had happened to the town. The king hid a smirk 'as if they don't know...' He thought to himself. 'They have stolen our gems and insulted the pain it has caused.
"Bad Bad weather..." The king lied. The guards nodded in agreement. There was an awkward pause.
"Please," The queen said gently, " I can tell your people are suffering, "Let us help." This was almost to much for the king to bear. He held his temper in as his guards watched nervously.
"No," The king replied "We are here to trade... are we not? So then Show me the gems you offer."
The Queen's officers watched protectively. Something felt off. The queen hesitated and looked around the throne room.
"The truth is," she began carefully, " I have no gems to offer.
The king was stunned in silence.
"But," he began, "It is no secret you have the wealthiest kingdom of all. You always have! Where have your gems gone?" Finally he had broken his stoic demeanor. He now openly searched for the truth, although still with a bit of distrust.
"Well," The Queen began, "The truth is, our gems went missing weeks ago. Right around the time you stopped contacting us. I had figured since you were our closest ally perhaps you could help us in search of them, or maybe if your heart could find it, lend us a few of your gems. " The queen spoke with sincerity in her voice. It was strong yet soft. The king's brow furrowed.
The queen continued. "I also came to put rumors to rest." The king shifted uncomfortably, as the queen spoke, " please do not take any offense to this, but a few of my townsfolk accused your kingdom of stealing our treasures." The king froze. He seemed to be fighting his own emotions. The queen continued, "Once again, I know that you would never do something of that sort, but you know truth has always been my policy. I just wanted you to know... "
Finally, the king spoke. He saw his sad face reflected in the queen's crown, "Where have your gems gone then?"
"There has been talk," The queen said, "...talk of a dragon."
....
" No," The king replied seriously, "There are no dragons here. We would have seen it coming. We would have heard it." Guards shuffled in the background. The king flinched a bit. Leaning in, he whispered. "How has your kingdom been fairing with such a threat as this?" The queen smelled wonderfully. Like lilies and a fresh breath of air. Guilt sank into the king's heart. How could he have accused her?
"Well, admittedly, it has been quite difficult." Her long hair flowed slightly as she spoke. "I immediately informed my people. I told them as soon as I had learned what had happened. Of course initially there was panic, but I implored my people to trust in once another and ban together. I worked tirelessly out in the fields and markets with them to help where I could. Our trade was shut down almost entirely, but we were able to feed everyone. I did not tell them about the dragon actually, they told me."
The king, ashamed of how he had acted, looked to the floor. Why hadn't he been able to stay calm and help his people?
"Well, do you believe them?" The king looked up half in disgust. "About the dragon? It just seems like such an easy way out. Blaming things on dragons that don't exist...."
At this the queen became visibly shaken. "Did you not hear a word I said? My kingdom is built upon trust. Of course I trust my people." The guards seemed displeased.
"Alright alright." The king said waving his hands. "Mind telling me who told you of this dragon?"
"An older couple...."
"A very credible source." The king remarked.
" I am starting to rethink this arrangement." The queen huffed.
"You were the once that asked for help!"
"Clearly you need some too! Your kingdom is in shambles."
The guards and officers glanced at each other uneasily.
Suddenly, The queen had a look of understanding....
She stared at the king and spoke softly yet sharply.
"....You don't have any gems either....."
The king looked puzzled. Was there any use lying at this point? it seemed like this lady could see through everything.
He glanced towards his guards remorsefully. They nodded.
"No." the king sighed. "I don't have any gems."
....
Thanks for reading :)
This is a draft idea I had of a book/short story potentially staring Webber as the dragon. I am not sure yet where this is going to go, but it was fun to write.
-Webber
