The Lonely King, James Gerard [ebook pc reader .txt] 📗

ship immediately and we will then put the fish to sleep and rescue the Queen and Princess.”

 

“No my Captain, I can do no such thing. But if you bear with me please, they will be delivered to the King very shortly.”

 

“Talon, the Queen and Princess wait for you.”

 

“I will go to them now.”

 

“Who are you talking to?” the Captain commanded.

 

“I am talking to the fish as he is talking to me.”

 

“The fish,” screamed the Captain. “Have you lost your mind lad? First you hear the voice of a siren that is not there then you hear the voice of the great fish. Please lad I beg you, come back aboard and we will make sure to cure your seasickness.”

 

“I cannot my Captain.”

 

“Explain yourself—”

 

Before the Captain could finish his command, the whale propelled itself forward with its huge tail.

 

The big fish followed by submerging into the deep water and swam its way under and past the ship.

 

In no time the whale came close to the island and beached itself on a sandy bar. “I can take you no further Talon; for I cannot go past the bed of coral for fear that it will cut me to pieces.”

 

“I understand my friend. I thank you for the help. Now, please direct me to the location of the Queen and Princess.”

 

“Once you reach the shore you will see a wall of coral. On the other side is a bay with waters so clear that you will be able to see all our friends. Ask them for help and they will take you to them.”

 

“Thank you again my friend. No doubt the King will be so grateful for your help rescuing Queen Caroline and Princess Priscilla.”

 

Talon jumped into the shallow water and raced to the sandy shore and beyond that to the wall of coral.

 

Hopping onto the wall he looked down and there freely floating on the surface of a beautiful bay were many dolphins. The dolphins excitedly went swimming about and jumping out the water at the sight of Talon.

 

Talon smiled and shouted, “I need your help my friends. Please, take me to the Queen and the Princess.”

 

The biggest and strongest of the dolphins came up to him and said, “Just sit on my back and take hold of my fin and you will see them in moments our friend Talon.”

 

Talon did as the dolphin said and the dolphin sped through the clear water of the beautiful bay.

 

In seconds the dolphin took him past the King’s ship anchored safely in the still waters. A few seconds more and the sandy shore came into view and there waiting at the edge of the water was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

 

“Finally, we have been rescued,” the girl cried.

 

Talon hopped off the dolphin and ran to the girl. He gazed into her eyes that were as green as the waters of Bubbly Bay. Her hair was like shiny silk so fine and brown. Her skin was as soft as that of a newborn baby. Instantly Talon fell in love with her.

 

“My…my...my Princess,” stammered Talon, “for the King has—”

 

“Who is addressing the Princess my daughter?” asked the Queen as she strolled up the sandy shore.

 

“My Queen,” answered Talon as he bowed before her, “I am but a simple son of a farmer that answered the call of your husband the King.”

 

“Stand and look at me,” the Queen commanded.

 

“I cannot, for I am not worthy to be in the presence of your kind heart and in the presence of your fair daughter Princess Priscilla, for I am neither handsome nor smart nor brave nor witty nor charming nor caring nor respectful enough.”

 

“As Queen I command you Talon to stand and to look at me.”

 

Talon obeyed and stood. He stared into the eyes that sparkled with such kindness he knew that indeed it was the King’s beloved Queen.

 

“As my loyal subject I hereby command—”

 

The Princess coughed and cleared her throat.

 

“I hereby ask that you take—”

 

“Oh Mother,” begged the Princess. “Please allow me to speak.”

 

“Of course daughter; do speak.”

 

“Talon we have lived separate from one another for so long but now we will be together. You love me and I love you. You will be my husband and I will be your wife as it has been from our very beginning. We have been, are, and will always be destined to live and work and play with each other and with our friends of the sea.”

 

Talon still had trouble understanding.

 

Princess Priscilla seeing the confusion in his beautiful green eyes leaned in and gave him a soft and sweet kiss on the cheek.

 

All of a sudden Talon became light-headed and his heart thumped loud and strong. After a few moments the delirious happiness that overcame his heart settled down. He stared in Princess Priscilla’s eyes of green and said, “Yes Princess, I now understand. You are the love of my life.”

 

“And Talon, you and Princess Priscilla are our friends,” the fish said as he reared his head up and over the wall of coral and let it rest atop the clear water of the beautiful bay. “Talon, your parents were once fishers of the sea but took you away when they realized that your destiny was to be a friend and defender and protector to those of us of the sea.”

 

“As I was,” Princess Priscilla spoke up. “My parents were sailing around the Salty Sea one day when I fell overboard. Not only was I saved by the dolphins all about the ship, I swam with them as well; as you did that same day Talon with me and with our friends of the sea. But like you, they rescued me that day and took me away from you and our friends of the sea.”

 

All of a sudden Talon remembered that day and smiled. He turned to the fish and shouted, “This was all your doing wasn’t it?”

 

The fish answered, “Yes, but I only did so because I have missed you my friend, as I had missed Priscilla. Now we will once again swim and play about the sea as friends.”

 

The fish stopped crying. All of a sudden all the islands as far as the eye could see moved. All at once they could be seen as other big fish; hundreds and hundreds of them. The tears that they had cried into the waters of the Salty Sea were sent spraying up into the air though blowholes.

 

Fresh water rained down throughout all the Salty Sea and the Islands of Sirens and Bubbly Bay and the Kingdom of Sonas and all the kingdoms all about the lands.

 

And another big fish, a beautiful big fish with big brown eyes and a lovely smile swam to the side of the big fish.

 

“Talon and Priscilla,” the big fish said, “surely you remember my wife.”

 

“We do,” Talon and Priscilla answered at the exact same time.

 

“Queen Caroline,” the big fish said, “if you and Priscilla and Talon and the King’s crew board the King’s ship I will set you free from this island’s enclosed bay and set you in the waters of the Salty Sea.”

 

With that said the Queen and Priscilla and Talon and all the men of the King’s crew shouted out in glee and in a large boat returned to the King’s ship.

 

The big fish then opened up his mouth wide and gently scooped up the King’s ship from the waters of the beautiful bay and released it to the waters of the Salty Sea.

 

Upon returning to Bubbly Bay, the King saw his ship followed by the two mighty fish. He came out from his castle and on a strong and speedy stallion went racing to the piers.

 

“My wife Queen Caroline and my daughter Princess Priscilla, you have returned to me,” the King cried while shedding tears of joy.

 

Queen Caroline and Princess Priscilla ran down the gangplank and hugged the King.

 

And in the days to come the water of the land had been replenished, the fish returned to the Salty Sea, and King Kindely and Queen Caroline decided to move from their castle and live among those that made the shore of the Salty Sea their home.

 

And in a matter of days King Kindley and Queen Caroline sent for the parents of their soon to be son-in-law, Talon, and were invited to live with the King and the Queen. And once they came King Kindely and Queen Caroline invited everyone from the Kingdom of Sonas and all the kingdoms of all the lands for a celebration.

 

And in the celebration he called forth his daughter Princess Priscilla and Talon and ministered the marriage vows.

 

Also, the King now understanding why the big fish had taken his wife and daughter, stopped the rains, and hid the fish began to coronate Princess Priscilla and Prince Talon as the King and Queen of the Sea so the big fish and all other friends of the sea would never be alone again.

 

Just as the King was about to do this Talon stepped forward and shouted, “No, my King; for we are just friends of the sea. The big fish and his wife are the true King and Queen of the Sea.”

 

King Kindely, having a very, very kind heart, agreed with Talon and said, “Big fish and the wife of big fish please come forward.”

 

From the depths of Bubbly Bay they came up and floated before the King.

 

“Yes my King,” the big fish responded, and to everyone’s surprise his voice was heard. 

 

“As King of the Kingdom of Sonas I do coronate you and your wife as King and Queen of the Salty Sea, and give you power over all the waters and to all our friends that live and play in the waters.”

 

Everyday Prince Talon and Princess Priscilla as friends of the sea would come visit their parents after playing and swimming with the King and Queen of the Sea and all of their other friends.

 

And King Kindely and Queen Caroline, Prince Talon and Princess Priscilla, Prince Talon’s parents, the King and Queen of the Sea and all of their friends, and all the people in the Kingdom of Sonas and from all the kingdoms in all the lands lived happily ever after.

 

The end.

Imprint

Text: Jame Gerard Burch
Images: jogdraggon@openclipart.com
Editing: James Gerard Burch
Publication Date: 09-25-2015

All Rights Reserved

Dedication:
Dedicated to us who dream of a perfect world.