Part 1 - http://www.kingsfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6329
Part 2 - http://www.kingsfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7933
Part 3 - http://www.kingsfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11085
A Cautionary Tale - Part 4
Time has passed in the kingdom.
The competitions with the Tru Warier in the fold came to an end, sooner rather than later. The people of the Kingdom, those known as kingsfans, were optimistic, however.
Good things had come to the kingdom since the arrival of the WARRIOR KING. Sir Gawen proved himself to be truly worthy. And the young page, Kevin, son of Martin, performed admirably and earned the title of Knight of the Realm. Sir Kevin stepped up and thrilled the kingsfans with his leaping and soaring and incredible speed. In fact, in the minds of some of the foes, there had to be TWO Sir Kevins because, they said, one could not move so fast as to appear to be in two places at once.
There were strong knights from the place of Texas. The brave Kings had to meet them early on in the competition to determine who was truly the best in the land. The Kings fought but they simply could not defeat the powerful knights of St. Anthony. So, once again, the kingsfans were disappointed. Their ultimate goal was still out of their reach.
The prime minister of the Kings, known by the odd title of "Coach," was the representative of the great and powerful Maloofs. He, a wise and powerful man, had been charged with the duty of doing whatever it took to bring the prize of O'Brien to the kingdom. He had been successful in getting the knights of the realm to the competition every year, but for some, it wasn't enough.
He, Sir Richard of Adelman, had come under criticism by some in the land for not ever putting the right combination of factors together. It mattered not that he often had to use substitute ingredients or that his orders were not always obeyed.
"He should have been able to work miracles," some said. "He should have found a way to do it. The followers of St. Anthony had done it. The dreaded Lake people had done it.
Finally, the great and powerful Maloofs had had enough. They wanted the prize of O'Brien. They wanted their kingdom to be known throughout the lands as the most powerful kingdom. They wanted the bright and shiny objects that signified such strength to be theirs alone.
So, the Maloofs sent word down through a minion that the services of the dear and cherished Sir Richard would no longer be required. He would have to relinquish his control and allow them to find another. A more defensive "Coach." A "Coach" with exemplary credentials who would undoubtedly be able to lead the knights of the realm onto the field of battle and WIN.
The clarion call went out. The town criers announced the search. No one in the kingdom OR the adjoining lands would be overlooked. This would be a search of incredible proportions.
The people of the kingdom were hopeful. Some were sad to see the old faithful prime minister turned away but most admitted he had done his best. He had set a standard that surely would merit respect. The great and powerful Maloofs would HAVE to search long and hard before finding someone suitable to step in and fill the shoes of Sir Richard.
Names were on everyone's lips. From the evil Sir Larry of Brown to Super Mario to the brother Van Gundy. Names, names and more names were discussed by the people of the land. They argued the merits of each, while secretly hoping the great and powerful Maloofs would find a new "Coach" to lead their knights that would be such a perfect choice, such a beacon of light, that none would be disappointed...
Then, out of nowhere, a rumor began to float among the people. Instead of a battle-tested veteran of their competitions, a minor dignitary was being considered. As the rumors spread, the news became even more troubling. Not only was this person being considered, but he was a long-time favorite of the great and powerful Maloofs. They wanted to reward him for loyalty and would give HIM the leadership of their knights.
His name was not unknown. He had led a different group of warriors into a competition and been successful. But the vast majority of the people were not happy. The competitions were totally different, they said. The type of warrior was different, they said. He was a coach but not a "COACH"... AND the people who loved the other warriors were also distraught because they did not want their warriors to suffer with the loss of the one known as John of Whisenant.
The people rose up and protested. They screamed their objections. They wailed and beat their chests. They tried vainly to find a reason the Maloofs would do such a thing. While the town criers still tried to convince the people the search was still underway, it slowly became apparent that this was most likely a tale being told only for fools.
The only thing the people could do was wait. Wait until the great and powerful Maloofs themselves came down from their glittering, shiny tower in the land of Lost Wages and spoke to the people.
They waited...and waited...and waited...
(to be continued)
Part 2 - http://www.kingsfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7933
Part 3 - http://www.kingsfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11085
A Cautionary Tale - Part 4
Time has passed in the kingdom.
The competitions with the Tru Warier in the fold came to an end, sooner rather than later. The people of the Kingdom, those known as kingsfans, were optimistic, however.
Good things had come to the kingdom since the arrival of the WARRIOR KING. Sir Gawen proved himself to be truly worthy. And the young page, Kevin, son of Martin, performed admirably and earned the title of Knight of the Realm. Sir Kevin stepped up and thrilled the kingsfans with his leaping and soaring and incredible speed. In fact, in the minds of some of the foes, there had to be TWO Sir Kevins because, they said, one could not move so fast as to appear to be in two places at once.
There were strong knights from the place of Texas. The brave Kings had to meet them early on in the competition to determine who was truly the best in the land. The Kings fought but they simply could not defeat the powerful knights of St. Anthony. So, once again, the kingsfans were disappointed. Their ultimate goal was still out of their reach.
The prime minister of the Kings, known by the odd title of "Coach," was the representative of the great and powerful Maloofs. He, a wise and powerful man, had been charged with the duty of doing whatever it took to bring the prize of O'Brien to the kingdom. He had been successful in getting the knights of the realm to the competition every year, but for some, it wasn't enough.
He, Sir Richard of Adelman, had come under criticism by some in the land for not ever putting the right combination of factors together. It mattered not that he often had to use substitute ingredients or that his orders were not always obeyed.
"He should have been able to work miracles," some said. "He should have found a way to do it. The followers of St. Anthony had done it. The dreaded Lake people had done it.
Finally, the great and powerful Maloofs had had enough. They wanted the prize of O'Brien. They wanted their kingdom to be known throughout the lands as the most powerful kingdom. They wanted the bright and shiny objects that signified such strength to be theirs alone.
So, the Maloofs sent word down through a minion that the services of the dear and cherished Sir Richard would no longer be required. He would have to relinquish his control and allow them to find another. A more defensive "Coach." A "Coach" with exemplary credentials who would undoubtedly be able to lead the knights of the realm onto the field of battle and WIN.
The clarion call went out. The town criers announced the search. No one in the kingdom OR the adjoining lands would be overlooked. This would be a search of incredible proportions.
The people of the kingdom were hopeful. Some were sad to see the old faithful prime minister turned away but most admitted he had done his best. He had set a standard that surely would merit respect. The great and powerful Maloofs would HAVE to search long and hard before finding someone suitable to step in and fill the shoes of Sir Richard.
Names were on everyone's lips. From the evil Sir Larry of Brown to Super Mario to the brother Van Gundy. Names, names and more names were discussed by the people of the land. They argued the merits of each, while secretly hoping the great and powerful Maloofs would find a new "Coach" to lead their knights that would be such a perfect choice, such a beacon of light, that none would be disappointed...
Then, out of nowhere, a rumor began to float among the people. Instead of a battle-tested veteran of their competitions, a minor dignitary was being considered. As the rumors spread, the news became even more troubling. Not only was this person being considered, but he was a long-time favorite of the great and powerful Maloofs. They wanted to reward him for loyalty and would give HIM the leadership of their knights.
His name was not unknown. He had led a different group of warriors into a competition and been successful. But the vast majority of the people were not happy. The competitions were totally different, they said. The type of warrior was different, they said. He was a coach but not a "COACH"... AND the people who loved the other warriors were also distraught because they did not want their warriors to suffer with the loss of the one known as John of Whisenant.
The people rose up and protested. They screamed their objections. They wailed and beat their chests. They tried vainly to find a reason the Maloofs would do such a thing. While the town criers still tried to convince the people the search was still underway, it slowly became apparent that this was most likely a tale being told only for fools.
The only thing the people could do was wait. Wait until the great and powerful Maloofs themselves came down from their glittering, shiny tower in the land of Lost Wages and spoke to the people.
They waited...and waited...and waited...
(to be continued)
