Volume 7 Chapter 2-3 (1/2)
An update, featuring one of my favorite stories in the series Enjoy
Chapter 2: Love in a Certain Country
-Stray King-
The country was vast—too large to see the walls on the opposite side from the palace at the center of the land, let alone from one end of the country
Other than the town around the royal palace, and the villages near the east and west gates, the country was composed mostly of farmlands and plains
Several rivers coursed through the land, connected to a large lake in the southeast Bright white clouds drifted slowly across the sky
“He’s not here, either”
“daone?”
Panicked attendants were rushi+ng around the palace, slarabbed awas Terrified, she answered, “His Majesty isa pair of travelers”
“I know that! Where is he? They may have kidnapped His Grace!”
“Of course not,” the maid protested But the attendant was skeptical “It’s within the realm of possibility I don’t trust those travelers—they look like they could kidnap anyone for profit without blinking an eye da too!”
That hen thefrom the other end of the hallway
One was a young htly short but handsome man with blue eyes and blond hair The third person was a woant jacket The latter tere the travelers ere
“What is the ave a deep bow The attendant turned in confusion and bowed as well
The king explained that he had been entertaining his guests over tea in the gardens “These travelers have been tellingstories about the world Was all this commotion necessary?”
“Apologies, Your Grace”
“Our guests will stay awhile before their departure I shall be strolling through the palace, so do not bother searching for me”
“Of course, Your Grace”
The king and the travelers left as the attendant bowed apologetically
A lone car left the palace grounds
It was se of a breakdown
In the driver’s seat was the feer seat next to her
The car rattled and sputtered as it ine o up puffs of black and white smoke
Theabout this broken ? A new pane of glass wouldn’t hurt our wallets that much”
The broken driver’s-side as narrowly hanging on, patched together with tape It rattled loudly in its frame each time the car shook
“Later,” said the woman
The car left the town and h far in the distance
“Are you sure about this, Your Grace?” thein the back seat, having coe
The king gave a laugh “Yes The king has no power in our country, anyway My great-grandfather was the last to truly rule—the people don’t even knohat I look like My disappearance won’t hurt anyone but the minority whose job it is to use the people’s taxthe monarchy”
“I see,” the man said The woman continued to drive in silence
“And that is why I have no regrets about leavingdeclared
“Sheto leave the palace for her,” the man mused with a smile
“Indeed,” said the king, “I treraceful countenance And now I a in ecstasy”
“How did you meet her?”
“There was a festival at the village by the castle,” the king explained “My attendants may not like it, but even I auise of a commoner That hen I met her She was from a farels of love painting the very world again in their colors I still remember that divine moment clearly”
The man whistled, impressed “But couldn’t you summon her to the palace to be your bride, Your Grace?”
“My ignorant, bigoted attendants wouldn’t have it They said I was ivethat there oh theirl from one of their manipulative families”
“I see… You’re a real romantic, Your Grace I approve”
The king sounded downcast “I am truly sorry to involve you like this, Travelers And I arateful It is so kind of you to help me escape the palace, and for no recompense at that”
The wo in silence for some time, finally spoke “Your Grace, your devotionbranded kidnappers is a small price to pay for your happiness”
The et ht people for the job, Your Grace”
“I shall never forget your generosity, friends I swear to you, when my beloved and I have wed and children are born to us, we shall naeny after you”
“It’s an honor, Your Grace I hope you have many beautiful children, and please raise your royal head And I’m very sorry if my etiquette isn’t up to snuff,” said the man
The car finally arrived at the boundary of the country, close enough for the ra but farave directions to the woman
“There it is That house standing alone on the prairie”
“It’s a lovely house,” said the man
The car stopped in front of the little hut The silo in the back made it clear that it was a farmhouse
With thecrawled out of the back seat and yelled at the top of his lungs, “Marie!” He rushed to the building
“So her na
“Who is it?” asked a female voice from behind the house
The king rushed around to the back The travelers followed
Behind the farmhouse was an animal pen and an artificial strearound, and standing next to it was a young woman
“Marie!” the king gasped, arms spread wide in elation
The young wotails, and freckled dotted her youthful but beautiful face She had rolled up her checkered sleeves and atering a sheep out of her hands
“Ohwoman She wiped her hands on her apron “You’re the man I met at the festival”
The king nodded gently “I’, “Ever since that day, I couldn’t stop thinking back to the moment we met I kneas fate So I decided to throay my life in the capital and corow cold So please let me stay here with you Please”
The young woman seemed a little surprised, but she smiled “I understand Then will you live here and help with the work?”
“You havereplied immediately
The young woaze, but asked slowly and resolutely, “And…you’ll be gentle?”
The king looked her in the eye “I swear by the very heavens”
“Then…yes”
Eave a fir sloalked up to her And as the travelers watched, he got down on one knee
“Marie!” he cried, wrapping his ar water out of the pail “Marie! Oh, my dearest Marie!”
The sheep bleated
An indescribable look came over the male traveler’s face
The fe She finally said, “If you’ll excuse us, then”
The sine wheezing The rareer and lower on the horizon, eventually disappearing altogether
The er seat It was a slender ht
But he soon grew bored and holstered the persuader “Master,” he said
“Yes?”
“Was that really right, getting the king to Marie?”