Written as a birthday present for Khazar-Khum. Double drabble.
March 15, 2005.
March 15, 2005.
Once, he was a man.
Once, he sat in the court of kings, surrounded by the stark glory of first his great-aunt’s court, then the more lavish one of his father. Would you care for a sweetmeat, little prince? the noble ladies would laugh.
Once, he was married to a beautiful woman, who looked on him with such love and devotion that he wanted to protect her forever. I will always love you, she promised, as he took her into his arms.
Once, he sailed to Endórë in a fine vessel. The rude folk on the other shore gaped at him and his crew, overwhelmed by the splendor of far-off Númenórë. He is a god! they cried in rough and unfamiliar tongues.
Once, he met a man in the shadows of the city-on-the-far-shores, who promised him a mystic ring and a wealth of riches. Your sons will be Kings of this land, the man vowed, in a voice the essence of truth.
Once, he was a man. But years of trickery and deceit turned him into less-than-a-man: something small and shriveled and mean. And as he raises his mace against the slender warrior, proclaiming his supremacy and sovereignty…
He falls.
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See footnote #12 at this page for context.