the fool of hearts
since my prose is quite popular, ive decided to post some more. this is called the fool of hearts. there is actually 5 parts, but the 5th has nothing to do really with the first 4. please enjoy and yes these are copyrighted so dont try and steal.
twas a long time ago,
in a town far away,
there lived a king in a most beautiful castle.
he was rich and known through out the land.
he had only one son,
the heir to the throne.
the prince was a handsome young man,
who stole all the ladies hearts,
but alas he wasnt interested in any of them.
he was interested in the court jester,
you know, the damn fool.
and the fool was also in love with him.
many days the fool would fill the young lad's head
with wonderous stories of battles and lovely damsels
in distress.
by night they slept together,
making love in the still of the night.
all seem good in the eyes of the fool,
until the prince fell in love with a woman,
of all things!
She was beautiful, no doubt,
and she could give the prince things the fool could
not,
such as heirs to the throne.
the prince fell madly for the woman
and he started to ignore the fool.
the fool tried to win the prince's love, attention and
affection back,
but alas, nothing seemed to work.
one day there came a declaration across the land,
the prince was to marry the woman at once!
parties were thrown in the prince's honor.
the fool sat back, watching in dispair.
nothing could be done for his love of the prince.
on the day of the wedding,
the fool cornered the prince,
telling him he loved him more than that prudish woman
ever could.
but his pleas fell on deaf ears,
and the prince walked away.
the fool knew not of what to do.
as the prince and the woman were saying their vows,
the fool drank a vial of posion at once.
he died a slow painful death in the kitchen,
behind the boxes of food for the feast.
as he lay dying, a cook found him back there and
rushed to the king,
looking for help.
a mob of people ran down to the kitchen,
the king and the prince at the front of the pack.
the prince kneeled at the side of the fool and began
crying.
"i loved you my fair prince, you had my heart, you
still do. dont ever forget the good times we had."
as the last breath of air escaped from his lips,
the prince cried out in sadness and in shame.
he watched his true love die in his arms.
such is love.
the fool should have known,
the prince wasnt faithful,
and that he would eventually fall for a woman
so close, but yet so far,
often we choose what is right in the eyes of the law,
over whats right in the heart,
chose whats in your heart dear reader,
and not what other say.
ok. a second part. lets just say that the prince found
a way to save the court jester so he didnt die but he
did have side effects from the poison. and hes still
entertaining the prince and his new wife. so the story
continues......
The king had grown old and soon passed on,
Leaving the prince and his wife to rule the kingdom.
By this time a few years have passed,
With still no heirs to the throne.
Not that the prince wasnt trying,
But his attempts were almost always rebuffed.
When he did succeede,
Nothing came about.
One day the prince told his wife he was going away to
check on their troops
Who were fighting far east.
He told her he would be gone for a while,
But he would return to her.
Time wore on and a slight year had passed,
Before the prince could return.
Riding as fast as the horse could gallop,
He rode into the castle.
Quickly he dismounted,
And ran to where his wife was sleeping,
Gently he woke her and they embraced.
She put her fingers to her lips and pointed to a
wooden box,
The prince walked over and looked inside.
He couldnt believe his eyes!
Laying there, swaddled in cloth,
Was a handsome baby boy!
He was giddy as could be,
Until he looked closer.
Were his eyes playing a cruel trick?
This couldnt be!
The baby was his, it had to be!
Upon picking up the baby,
He realized that it wasnt his,
For his skin was not that shade,
And neither was his brides.
A wave of anger overcame him,
And he laid the baby back down.
He looked at his wife with tears in his eyes,
She refused to look his way.
"Why would you do such a thing to me?"
He pleaded with her,
But she wouldnt speak.
"Ive tried for years to make an heir with you,
And I go away and you make a child with another man?
Who is it? What is his name?"
She hesitated before telling him.
"The cook." Was all she told him.
"Then he shall hang for this!"
The prince ordered the cook to be hung at dawn,
And he turned to his adultress wife.
He banished her and her bastard child to the country
side,
Forcing her to leave at once.
A few days had passed,
The prince refusing to speak to anyone.
His heart broken,
His trust betrayed,
How could he ever love another again?
Glancing out his window,
He looked down into the garden that surrounded the
castle.
A man leaning on a candy stripped stick,
Was strolling through the rows of flowers,
Singing to himself,
And telling a few jokes to the royal gardeners.
A slow smile crept across the prince's lips,
And he ran down the stairs and out to the garden.
Rounding the east corner of the castle,
The man with the stick looked up from his seat on a
rock,
A slow smile danced across his lips.
"My Lord, is there something you need from me?
Anything you want, I will tell you news from afar,
Maybe a few jokes to ease your troubled mind?
If that is what you so desire."
The prince laughed as he encircled his arms around the
jester,
And planted a small kiss upon his lips.
"I have what I truely wanted all along,
I just didnt have the guts to admit it."
The jester laughed at this,
As he kissed the prince back.
"Anything for you my Lord."
yeah yeah i know. part 3 right? if this didnt come to
me, then shit, i wouldnt write, now would i?
the prince was still very heartbroken over his wife's
betrayal,
he thought he had happiness with her,
but she turned out to be like all the rest,
a lying adultress,
who was only with him for his wealth and looks,
he bent over backwards for her,
anything she wanted she got,
but it all came crashing down,
his happiness stolen in the blink of an eye,
the prince spent a lot of time in his room,
staring out at the kingdom he had to rule alone,
sadness and pain filled him,
leaving him dead and empty inside,
he had no one else to turn to,
no family or friends,
what he needed was a friend to turn to,
but he had shut out all of his advisors,
not wanting to be bothered,
so he could wallow in his pain alone,
suddenly a thought popped into his head,
why not go find the court jester?
he ran down the stairs,
looking in the kitchens, the gardens, and every
hallway,
high and low for the jester,
but he was no where to be found,
while searching for him,
he ran into a royal gardener,
"my lord, is there something you need?" he asked
"yes have you seen the jester?"
"why yes my lord, but he is gravely ill
you can find him in his room
which is down by the dungeon"
"dungeon? why there?" the prince inquired,
"my lord he's lived there for years,
its where all the jesters have lived since this
kingdom began
before your father's father was born."
thanking the gardener,
the prince ran back into the castle,
down the rickety stairs,
to the big heavy door,
that sealed off the prisoners from everyone else,
he felt along the wall for a torch,
and lit it with a match,
walking down the narrow cold corridor,
he passed empty cells,
until he came upon a small door,
heaving it open,
the light from his torch spilled across the room,
bathing it in a soft glow,
tentativly walking in,
he saw a small bed against one wall,
with a lump under a blanket piled in the middle of it,
the prince walked over to the bed and carefully pulled
back the blanket,
looking down he let out a small gasp,
the jester was lying there, stiff as a board,
his skin an ash color,
the vibrant pink cheeks had gone,
leaving the prince to stare at this lifeless body,
suddenly, the jester stirred ,
letting out a rattling cough,
he opened up his eyes,
and gazed up at the prince,
"my lord, do you need a performance?
i realize i havent been up to see you in a few days,
but please understand, its not my fault you see,
i've been very sick,
an offset to the poison i drank a few years ago
please forgive me my lord,
but i will be up to entertain you as soon as i get
better."
"jester, you are too ill to be entertaining
how do you expect to get better laying down here in
this cold cell
you call your home?
i will not stand for this!
you will be moved up into the castle at once!"
the prince, true to his word,
had the jester carried up into the castle,
and into his room,
days went by,
filled with the prince nursing the jester,
but to no avail,
nothing he did made the jester any better,
doctors from all over the kingdom were called,
to save the dying jester,
but no remedy worked,
it was late one night,
the prince was sitting up in bed next to the jester,
his face in his hands,
he was crying softly
as to not wake the jester,
the prince felt a hand touch the small of his back
ever so slightly,
turning around,
he looked the jester in the eyes,
"my lord, these past few months have been the most
wonderful
i could ever ask for.
all i ever wanted all my life was for you to just be
with me,
to be there for me
like ive been there for you,
how nice it was to feel you in bed next to me
to wake up every morning and see you sleeping next to
me
to feel you hold my hand and kissing it
while i slept,
im sure it hasnt been easy for you
you have a kingdom to run
and im a burden to you
im sure you can easily find someone to replace me
go down to the village and find a young man
im sure he can please you like i have all these years
i appreciate everything you have ever done for me
you've made this illness easier to deal with
by being here with me
but you must understand,
i must soon bow out
and leave you to rule the kingdom"
the prince crawled into the jesters arms,
and kissed him on the lips
"i dont want to rule alone
not with a broken heart
you're not a burden to me either
i realize that you are slipping away,
but thats a chance we all must take
the kingdom is running fine without me
i have more important things to take care of
now close your eyes
and get some more rest
everything will get better
please dont leave me
you're not allowed to"
the jester gave a small laugh
and kissed the prince back
"my lord you have no choice when i go
im trying my damndest to keep myself alive
beacause i really want to be here with you
ive never felt this way about anyone before
and i know that you havent either
but i will sleep now
and so should you
and we shall talk more in the morning
good night my prince"
the prince leaned over and kissed the
jester on the forehead and whispered in his ear
"good night the love of my life and best friend"
last installment, i promise
as the days progressed,
the prince watched the jester slowly deteriorate,
his cheeks were sunken in,
his chest rattled every time he breathed,
but the jester always had a twinkle in his eyes,
one morning the jester reached over for the prince,
"my lord, i would love it if i could sit by the window
with you today
do you think that could be arranged?"
"anything for you my love"
the prince picked up the jester and carried him to a
chair by the window,
after placing him in it,
he grabbed one for himself,
plopping down next to the jester,
"my lord, may i ask you a question?"
"yes jester, ask away, i will keep nothing from you
you are my best friend after all"
a small grin flashed across the jester's lips
before he continued,
"my lord a few years ago
you and i were lovers
for quite a while
until that woman came along
if you dont mind me asking
why did you chase after her?"
the prince looked down at his hands,
and let out a deep sigh,
before answering,
"jester i met her many years ago
when i used to go down to the village
and mingle with the people
she was selling baskets she had weaved herself.
i stopped to talk to her one day
inquiring about a basket for you
we got to talking
she told me she was an only child and her parents were
both dead
her mother in child birth and her father a year prior
she was supporting just herself you see
and i guess you could say i took pity on her
so i bought all 20 of her baskets
and brought them back to the castle
but i couldnt get her out of my mind
every day all day,
all i thought about was her,
i kept going down to the village to look for her
and could never find her
i heard from a few townsfolk that she wasnt from
around here
she was from a village called Basco
which is a 4 day horse ride away
so i sent for her.
when she got here
my infatuation with her grew stronger
so i decided that we should marry
besides, my father was getting sicker by the day
and i knew soon i would take over the throne
so as you know we married
and the rest is history i guess
she proved to me what i already knew about women,
she wanted me for my wealth, looks and status,
when i found out she had lain with another man
and produce a child
i was heart broken
i wasnt sure i was going to make it after that
i thank god everyday that you were there,
you never left my side
no matter how hurt or angry i got
you waited patiently for me to come around
and realize that you would always be there for me
no matter what i did
i thank you for that my friend"
the jester turned from the window and looked the
prince in the eyes,
"my lord ever since i set foot in this castle
many many years ago
to apprentice the jester before me
i have been in love with you
i never thought i could get your attention
because i am just a measly jester
my job is to make you laugh
which i feel that i have successfully done
over the years
we've had a lot of great times together
and i've enjoyed every moment with you.
i do not hate you for what happend with that woman
but let it be known that it hurt more than you will
ever understand
everything was great one day
the next my world is turned upside down
and you're getting married to a woman
thats why i decided to end my life
if it wasnt for you i wouldnt be here
and you would be ruling the kingdom alone
if i could and it was legal
i would marry you"
the prince bolted to his feet and began pacing back
and forth,
"why not jester?
why cant we get married?
there is no law against it right?
i mean we both want to be together
until death do us part
we are so compatable its unreal
even if we dont get a lot of time together
its all the time in between that counts right?
what do you say my love?
are you in agreeance with this?"
the jester looked the prince up and down before
speaking slowly,
"my lord i love you with all my heart
you are my best friend
and my one true love
if this is what your heart desires
as well as mine
then i say lets do it!"
the prince made all the arrangements,
and within a weeks time
the prince and the jester were married in the royal
gardens,
a month or two passed after the wedding,
the prince was waking up next to his husband,
staggering over to the window,
he yanked open the curtain,
letting the sun light spill into the room,
walking over to the bed,
he put his hands on the jester's shoulders
"rise and shine my sleeping husband
its a new day for us to be together
breakfast is on its way up
i was thinking you and i could walk through the
gardens today
and have lunch down by the duck pond
what do you say my love?"
a frown crossed the prince's face
for the jester didnt move
no noise
no movement
the prince shook him harder,
but nothing still,
panic rose in the prince's chest,
as he rolled the jester onto his back,
he put an ear to his bare chest,
listening for any sounds,
telling him the jester was alright,
but no noise,
no breathing,
no heart beat,
the jester's skin was cold,
his eyes closed,
he looked at peace,
the prince crawled in bed next to the jester,
tears flowing down his face,
the jester was only 33,
but he looked 73 from the poison,
the prince held onto the jester,
rocking himself back and forth,
begging him to come back,
but he knew in his heart he wasnt going to come back,
the prince reached down to grab the jester's hand
and felt a small piece of paper in his hand,
prying it loose,
the prince read the note
"my lord thank you for always being there for me
i know our time together was unfairly short
but the time we did get together was the best
i could ever ask for.
thank you my love
and dont ever forget me."
the prince folded the paper up
and slipped it down his shirt
and held it to his heart
before laying down next to the jester.
a page found them a few hours later,
both of them having been gone for a while,
the jester from heart failure
the prince from a broken heart
twas a long time ago,
in a town far away,
there lived a king in a most beautiful castle.
he was rich and known through out the land.
he had only one son,
the heir to the throne.
the prince was a handsome young man,
who stole all the ladies hearts,
but alas he wasnt interested in any of them.
he was interested in the court jester,
you know, the damn fool.
and the fool was also in love with him.
many days the fool would fill the young lad's head
with wonderous stories of battles and lovely damsels
in distress.
by night they slept together,
making love in the still of the night.
all seem good in the eyes of the fool,
until the prince fell in love with a woman,
of all things!
She was beautiful, no doubt,
and she could give the prince things the fool could
not,
such as heirs to the throne.
the prince fell madly for the woman
and he started to ignore the fool.
the fool tried to win the prince's love, attention and
affection back,
but alas, nothing seemed to work.
one day there came a declaration across the land,
the prince was to marry the woman at once!
parties were thrown in the prince's honor.
the fool sat back, watching in dispair.
nothing could be done for his love of the prince.
on the day of the wedding,
the fool cornered the prince,
telling him he loved him more than that prudish woman
ever could.
but his pleas fell on deaf ears,
and the prince walked away.
the fool knew not of what to do.
as the prince and the woman were saying their vows,
the fool drank a vial of posion at once.
he died a slow painful death in the kitchen,
behind the boxes of food for the feast.
as he lay dying, a cook found him back there and
rushed to the king,
looking for help.
a mob of people ran down to the kitchen,
the king and the prince at the front of the pack.
the prince kneeled at the side of the fool and began
crying.
"i loved you my fair prince, you had my heart, you
still do. dont ever forget the good times we had."
as the last breath of air escaped from his lips,
the prince cried out in sadness and in shame.
he watched his true love die in his arms.
such is love.
the fool should have known,
the prince wasnt faithful,
and that he would eventually fall for a woman
so close, but yet so far,
often we choose what is right in the eyes of the law,
over whats right in the heart,
chose whats in your heart dear reader,
and not what other say.
ok. a second part. lets just say that the prince found
a way to save the court jester so he didnt die but he
did have side effects from the poison. and hes still
entertaining the prince and his new wife. so the story
continues......
The king had grown old and soon passed on,
Leaving the prince and his wife to rule the kingdom.
By this time a few years have passed,
With still no heirs to the throne.
Not that the prince wasnt trying,
But his attempts were almost always rebuffed.
When he did succeede,
Nothing came about.
One day the prince told his wife he was going away to
check on their troops
Who were fighting far east.
He told her he would be gone for a while,
But he would return to her.
Time wore on and a slight year had passed,
Before the prince could return.
Riding as fast as the horse could gallop,
He rode into the castle.
Quickly he dismounted,
And ran to where his wife was sleeping,
Gently he woke her and they embraced.
She put her fingers to her lips and pointed to a
wooden box,
The prince walked over and looked inside.
He couldnt believe his eyes!
Laying there, swaddled in cloth,
Was a handsome baby boy!
He was giddy as could be,
Until he looked closer.
Were his eyes playing a cruel trick?
This couldnt be!
The baby was his, it had to be!
Upon picking up the baby,
He realized that it wasnt his,
For his skin was not that shade,
And neither was his brides.
A wave of anger overcame him,
And he laid the baby back down.
He looked at his wife with tears in his eyes,
She refused to look his way.
"Why would you do such a thing to me?"
He pleaded with her,
But she wouldnt speak.
"Ive tried for years to make an heir with you,
And I go away and you make a child with another man?
Who is it? What is his name?"
She hesitated before telling him.
"The cook." Was all she told him.
"Then he shall hang for this!"
The prince ordered the cook to be hung at dawn,
And he turned to his adultress wife.
He banished her and her bastard child to the country
side,
Forcing her to leave at once.
A few days had passed,
The prince refusing to speak to anyone.
His heart broken,
His trust betrayed,
How could he ever love another again?
Glancing out his window,
He looked down into the garden that surrounded the
castle.
A man leaning on a candy stripped stick,
Was strolling through the rows of flowers,
Singing to himself,
And telling a few jokes to the royal gardeners.
A slow smile crept across the prince's lips,
And he ran down the stairs and out to the garden.
Rounding the east corner of the castle,
The man with the stick looked up from his seat on a
rock,
A slow smile danced across his lips.
"My Lord, is there something you need from me?
Anything you want, I will tell you news from afar,
Maybe a few jokes to ease your troubled mind?
If that is what you so desire."
The prince laughed as he encircled his arms around the
jester,
And planted a small kiss upon his lips.
"I have what I truely wanted all along,
I just didnt have the guts to admit it."
The jester laughed at this,
As he kissed the prince back.
"Anything for you my Lord."
yeah yeah i know. part 3 right? if this didnt come to
me, then shit, i wouldnt write, now would i?
the prince was still very heartbroken over his wife's
betrayal,
he thought he had happiness with her,
but she turned out to be like all the rest,
a lying adultress,
who was only with him for his wealth and looks,
he bent over backwards for her,
anything she wanted she got,
but it all came crashing down,
his happiness stolen in the blink of an eye,
the prince spent a lot of time in his room,
staring out at the kingdom he had to rule alone,
sadness and pain filled him,
leaving him dead and empty inside,
he had no one else to turn to,
no family or friends,
what he needed was a friend to turn to,
but he had shut out all of his advisors,
not wanting to be bothered,
so he could wallow in his pain alone,
suddenly a thought popped into his head,
why not go find the court jester?
he ran down the stairs,
looking in the kitchens, the gardens, and every
hallway,
high and low for the jester,
but he was no where to be found,
while searching for him,
he ran into a royal gardener,
"my lord, is there something you need?" he asked
"yes have you seen the jester?"
"why yes my lord, but he is gravely ill
you can find him in his room
which is down by the dungeon"
"dungeon? why there?" the prince inquired,
"my lord he's lived there for years,
its where all the jesters have lived since this
kingdom began
before your father's father was born."
thanking the gardener,
the prince ran back into the castle,
down the rickety stairs,
to the big heavy door,
that sealed off the prisoners from everyone else,
he felt along the wall for a torch,
and lit it with a match,
walking down the narrow cold corridor,
he passed empty cells,
until he came upon a small door,
heaving it open,
the light from his torch spilled across the room,
bathing it in a soft glow,
tentativly walking in,
he saw a small bed against one wall,
with a lump under a blanket piled in the middle of it,
the prince walked over to the bed and carefully pulled
back the blanket,
looking down he let out a small gasp,
the jester was lying there, stiff as a board,
his skin an ash color,
the vibrant pink cheeks had gone,
leaving the prince to stare at this lifeless body,
suddenly, the jester stirred ,
letting out a rattling cough,
he opened up his eyes,
and gazed up at the prince,
"my lord, do you need a performance?
i realize i havent been up to see you in a few days,
but please understand, its not my fault you see,
i've been very sick,
an offset to the poison i drank a few years ago
please forgive me my lord,
but i will be up to entertain you as soon as i get
better."
"jester, you are too ill to be entertaining
how do you expect to get better laying down here in
this cold cell
you call your home?
i will not stand for this!
you will be moved up into the castle at once!"
the prince, true to his word,
had the jester carried up into the castle,
and into his room,
days went by,
filled with the prince nursing the jester,
but to no avail,
nothing he did made the jester any better,
doctors from all over the kingdom were called,
to save the dying jester,
but no remedy worked,
it was late one night,
the prince was sitting up in bed next to the jester,
his face in his hands,
he was crying softly
as to not wake the jester,
the prince felt a hand touch the small of his back
ever so slightly,
turning around,
he looked the jester in the eyes,
"my lord, these past few months have been the most
wonderful
i could ever ask for.
all i ever wanted all my life was for you to just be
with me,
to be there for me
like ive been there for you,
how nice it was to feel you in bed next to me
to wake up every morning and see you sleeping next to
me
to feel you hold my hand and kissing it
while i slept,
im sure it hasnt been easy for you
you have a kingdom to run
and im a burden to you
im sure you can easily find someone to replace me
go down to the village and find a young man
im sure he can please you like i have all these years
i appreciate everything you have ever done for me
you've made this illness easier to deal with
by being here with me
but you must understand,
i must soon bow out
and leave you to rule the kingdom"
the prince crawled into the jesters arms,
and kissed him on the lips
"i dont want to rule alone
not with a broken heart
you're not a burden to me either
i realize that you are slipping away,
but thats a chance we all must take
the kingdom is running fine without me
i have more important things to take care of
now close your eyes
and get some more rest
everything will get better
please dont leave me
you're not allowed to"
the jester gave a small laugh
and kissed the prince back
"my lord you have no choice when i go
im trying my damndest to keep myself alive
beacause i really want to be here with you
ive never felt this way about anyone before
and i know that you havent either
but i will sleep now
and so should you
and we shall talk more in the morning
good night my prince"
the prince leaned over and kissed the
jester on the forehead and whispered in his ear
"good night the love of my life and best friend"
last installment, i promise
as the days progressed,
the prince watched the jester slowly deteriorate,
his cheeks were sunken in,
his chest rattled every time he breathed,
but the jester always had a twinkle in his eyes,
one morning the jester reached over for the prince,
"my lord, i would love it if i could sit by the window
with you today
do you think that could be arranged?"
"anything for you my love"
the prince picked up the jester and carried him to a
chair by the window,
after placing him in it,
he grabbed one for himself,
plopping down next to the jester,
"my lord, may i ask you a question?"
"yes jester, ask away, i will keep nothing from you
you are my best friend after all"
a small grin flashed across the jester's lips
before he continued,
"my lord a few years ago
you and i were lovers
for quite a while
until that woman came along
if you dont mind me asking
why did you chase after her?"
the prince looked down at his hands,
and let out a deep sigh,
before answering,
"jester i met her many years ago
when i used to go down to the village
and mingle with the people
she was selling baskets she had weaved herself.
i stopped to talk to her one day
inquiring about a basket for you
we got to talking
she told me she was an only child and her parents were
both dead
her mother in child birth and her father a year prior
she was supporting just herself you see
and i guess you could say i took pity on her
so i bought all 20 of her baskets
and brought them back to the castle
but i couldnt get her out of my mind
every day all day,
all i thought about was her,
i kept going down to the village to look for her
and could never find her
i heard from a few townsfolk that she wasnt from
around here
she was from a village called Basco
which is a 4 day horse ride away
so i sent for her.
when she got here
my infatuation with her grew stronger
so i decided that we should marry
besides, my father was getting sicker by the day
and i knew soon i would take over the throne
so as you know we married
and the rest is history i guess
she proved to me what i already knew about women,
she wanted me for my wealth, looks and status,
when i found out she had lain with another man
and produce a child
i was heart broken
i wasnt sure i was going to make it after that
i thank god everyday that you were there,
you never left my side
no matter how hurt or angry i got
you waited patiently for me to come around
and realize that you would always be there for me
no matter what i did
i thank you for that my friend"
the jester turned from the window and looked the
prince in the eyes,
"my lord ever since i set foot in this castle
many many years ago
to apprentice the jester before me
i have been in love with you
i never thought i could get your attention
because i am just a measly jester
my job is to make you laugh
which i feel that i have successfully done
over the years
we've had a lot of great times together
and i've enjoyed every moment with you.
i do not hate you for what happend with that woman
but let it be known that it hurt more than you will
ever understand
everything was great one day
the next my world is turned upside down
and you're getting married to a woman
thats why i decided to end my life
if it wasnt for you i wouldnt be here
and you would be ruling the kingdom alone
if i could and it was legal
i would marry you"
the prince bolted to his feet and began pacing back
and forth,
"why not jester?
why cant we get married?
there is no law against it right?
i mean we both want to be together
until death do us part
we are so compatable its unreal
even if we dont get a lot of time together
its all the time in between that counts right?
what do you say my love?
are you in agreeance with this?"
the jester looked the prince up and down before
speaking slowly,
"my lord i love you with all my heart
you are my best friend
and my one true love
if this is what your heart desires
as well as mine
then i say lets do it!"
the prince made all the arrangements,
and within a weeks time
the prince and the jester were married in the royal
gardens,
a month or two passed after the wedding,
the prince was waking up next to his husband,
staggering over to the window,
he yanked open the curtain,
letting the sun light spill into the room,
walking over to the bed,
he put his hands on the jester's shoulders
"rise and shine my sleeping husband
its a new day for us to be together
breakfast is on its way up
i was thinking you and i could walk through the
gardens today
and have lunch down by the duck pond
what do you say my love?"
a frown crossed the prince's face
for the jester didnt move
no noise
no movement
the prince shook him harder,
but nothing still,
panic rose in the prince's chest,
as he rolled the jester onto his back,
he put an ear to his bare chest,
listening for any sounds,
telling him the jester was alright,
but no noise,
no breathing,
no heart beat,
the jester's skin was cold,
his eyes closed,
he looked at peace,
the prince crawled in bed next to the jester,
tears flowing down his face,
the jester was only 33,
but he looked 73 from the poison,
the prince held onto the jester,
rocking himself back and forth,
begging him to come back,
but he knew in his heart he wasnt going to come back,
the prince reached down to grab the jester's hand
and felt a small piece of paper in his hand,
prying it loose,
the prince read the note
"my lord thank you for always being there for me
i know our time together was unfairly short
but the time we did get together was the best
i could ever ask for.
thank you my love
and dont ever forget me."
the prince folded the paper up
and slipped it down his shirt
and held it to his heart
before laying down next to the jester.
a page found them a few hours later,
both of them having been gone for a while,
the jester from heart failure
the prince from a broken heart