The King

"It certainly helped me understand what I need to do," said the Queen to her husband.

"Mm?"

"I said, it certainly has helped me understand what it is that I need to do! About the gardens!" she said, a little impatient.

"What's that, love?"

"I've thought about it, ..." He turned her voice into a transparent hum.

The King sat idly on his throne waiting for the subjects to arrive. This was a typical event for the King, waiting for the subjects to arrive with their typical requests - day in, day out. Everyone wants something. Even the servants want something. Never an opportunity to get off his throne to actually meet these people. What would it be like to just be somebody - or nobody? Here he's known and as such people can't seem to see anything than what they expect to see. Everybody knows him as The King. What would it be like to have an opportunity to introduce himself to someone totally new, even just one person? What would that person see? His self-pitying daydreams were interrupted by the page's announcement that his Majesty was ready to receive his subjects.

There. What if today he actually declared that nobody was allowed in? What would people say? What would they do? He could do it. He must! Today he would declare nobody could visit. And then, before anybody knew, he could leave the castle and find a place where nobody knew him. He could introduce himself. Not as a king, but as a shop owner. Or an artist. People would ask questions. Maybe someone would finally ask him to juggle? He could find someone who would honestly complain about the country. Or maybe he could find somebody to disagree, or even argue with him? Is it another daydream? Not this time. "This is no flight of fancy," he thought. "I won't be a prisoner! I'm done waiting! This time, I'll say something. I mean it!"

Trumpets blared. Drums rolled. The doors opened and a fat farmer entered, bowing and muttering. The King granted him permission to speak. The day continued.

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March 17, 1998 by Rob Konigsberg