Mine

Ah.

So you’ve come.

Yes, yes I’ve been expecting you. Are you truly that surprised that I caught your presence? Surely, they told you of my prowess before sending you here?

Don’t tell me you’re one of the fools who thinks that they’re all just bedtime stories for children? You seem much smarter than that.

No response? Well, I expected as much…

Lucky for you, I enjoy speaking. Although it has been quite a while since I last had anyone to speak with.

This place used to be filled with other people. Friends and servants. Family and travelers. There truly was never a dull moment!

Ah, those were the days… Banquets and balls greater than you could ever imagine! Parties filled with laughter from sunset to sunrise. Riches that were shared with everyone!

Of course, it was all a result of my efforts. I may have been a king, and some may call me a tyrant, but I was no fool. I knew what my people needed.

Whenever I looked out this window, I could see the vision. The image of wealth that we saw in the castle being shared around the town.

But I didn’t want to stop there. No, no. How could I be happy with that when I knew there were countless others suffering out there? People living without a king as gracious as myself. People living in conditions so poor that it was inhumane.

How could I turn away from them?

So I traveled the land, yes I did go myself, taking these people under my wing. Spreading our wealth to other regions, and welcoming them into our midst.

I oversaw the construction, I handed out food, and delivered clothing from doorstep to doorstep.

…

Tell me, young one. Is it better to be feared rather than loved, or loved rather than feared?

A wise man once said that the ideal was to be both loved and feared in equal amounts.

Now, I know I said I wasn’t a fool. But sometimes my actions spoke otherwise. After all, only a foolish king would go doorstep to doorstep to take people under his wing. Don’t you think?

Oh dear, I see you’ve found my journals. Let’s see… which page are you reading? If you put it down, I can tell you everything in much more detail!

Eucharis Moon, Day 10

A new village has been welcomed into our kingdom today. The people seemed confused by our sudden arrival. It was quite difficult trying to explain our purpose to them. It seems there are still many languages on this land that I have yet to learn.

Still, they were delighted once they realized that we had brought food and clothing.

They welcomed us into their small homes, insisting on sharing the food with us, even though we were the ones that gifted it to them! Such kind people must be protected. Their happiness when we left was a reminder that I am indeed doing the right thing in uniting this continent. Our kingdom may be small now, but if we are able to care for all our people, it will grow naturally.

Even more so now that the overseas trade agreement has been settled.

The trade agreement… Yes, that was quite the beneficial contract indeed. That country always had a surplus of food. They claimed their lands were blessed by a goddess. I was lucky to find mines filled with precious ore. It was a win-win situation for everyone, if I say so myself.

Campanula Moon, Day 15

The further we go, the more resistant people are to joining my kingdom. I don’t understand. Why are they so resistant? Am I not offering enough? Are they not grateful that a king himself is visiting their lands with offers of prosperity?

It is but a small bump in the road. Soon they will see that our offer is genuine.

They will see that I am the best ruler they could have. That I can give them what they need. What they want. I will show them that I am the only one that can grant their wishes.

Humans are creatures of habit you see. So resistant to change. What made us that way, I wonder?

They were so doubtful, so suspicious. They didn’t seem to believe that I wanted the best for them.

They claimed I would bring nothing but destruction.

Lilium Moon, Day 7

Why won’t they listen to me?

Do they not want the same things as myself?

Do they not want to see the entire land living in prosperity?

Can they not see that I can make that happen?

How dare they mock me? I offered to make them vassals of my kingdom, to appoint them as trusted advisors… And they laughed…

I shall never forget how they scorned me.

Do not be so alarmed by the dark blots there. I was feeling a bit unwell when I wrote that entry. I got a bit of my blood on the paper. Have you ever tried to get blood out of paper? I never did discover the trick for it.

Yes… The other rulers of the continent scorned me. They questioned my integrity and my intentions. They claimed I was nothing but a power hungry tyrant. Yet they were the ones that were sitting on chairs made of gold, eating fruit in a room bursting at the seams with food. Why, they had enough food to feed a whole village, and yet whatever they didn’t eat they just discarded.

To be called a tyrant by such greedy men… Well…

You understand why I had to take action don’t you?

“But was it worth it?”

“I’m sorry?”

“Was it worth it, King Ilared?”

“Surely you do not speak to me, young one.”

“I do.”

“...You can see me? But you haven’t been responding to anything—”

“I was letting you speak, since you seemed so keen on sharing your story. But I’m afraid our time together has come to an end.”

“Meaning?”

“The time for reminiscing is long gone. Your name is no longer in the history books. Your reign is not even a smudge in the expansive story of humanity.”

“You lie.”

“This land is no longer yours.”

“You–! You do not know what you speak of! This land is all mine! And everyone will know of it!”

“It is time for you to move on.”

“You cannot control me.”

“Goodbye, Ilared. May you rest in peace.”

…

…

Silence settled over the abandoned castle, the crumpled structure revealing the shadow of a lone figure standing in the center.

Then, it was all gone, leaving behind nothing but a wisp of fog that vanished with the sunrise.