QUEEN

The King of Tetris had a crazy idea but he wanted to take counsel to see if his plan is not a threat to his kingdom and rule. When his counselors gathered to hear from the King, he explained that what struck his mind. All the beautiful girls of the kingdom would be summoned and be put in the King’s leisure for a week; their names would be put in a ballot from which the King would draw out the lucky lady who’d be crowned Queen. After the King made an end of his speaking, he waited for the counselors to give their ideas on the King’s plan. When no one said anything for two minutes, the King grew restless and was about to leave when an old and wise counselor slowly rose from his seat. The old man stammered as he said,

“Your Majesty, Thy thought is wonderful and thy intention is excellent. Yet thy servant here would like to remind thee that a Queen requires not just beauty but also brains. A queen should be capable to make wise decisions and lead a nation in the absence of a King.”

“What is that thee suggest” asked the King.

“Thy servant counsel that 5 women be selected from the ballot and afterwards be questioned by Your Majesty, The King. Who among the 5 answereth all thy questions shall be crowned Queen.”

“I am indeed pleased with thy counsel and hereby accept it into practice; thou shalt be rewarded with 1000 gold coins.”

The wise man smiled in gratitude and left. The King issued the Royal Decree to make arrangements for the most beautiful women of his kingdom to be summoned into his chambers where they’d be taken care for a week until their test. The soldiers travelled far and wide, when the day the doors of the chambers were closed, a total count of 127 women were inside the King’s chambers having the best time of their life.

***********************************************************************************

Sarah and Ibrahim were refugees who had taken refuge in the kingdom of Tetris after running for a day from their kingdom, Wahhabi, which was invaded and taken over by the Greeks. Sarah was the most beautiful woman Ibrahim had ever seen, he had wanted to marry her for a long time but he couldn’t make the approach as she was the daughter of a nobleman and if he was to ask her hand in marriage, he understood that he needed to be also rich and be of equal nobility. He toiled for 10 years to finally be a rich trader with a brick house and a camel. As he prepared to meet Sarah’s father after the Ramadan, he made arrangements for a celebration not foreseeing the invasion by the Greeks. Sarah was in the market buying some jewels when the Greeks marched into the city, burning and breaking down, killing anyone who came their way. Ibrahim quickly ran to Sarah, caught her by the hand and ran out of the market square and further out of the city through a secret passageway. They didn’t stop at the next town as they feared they’d be endangered in that kingdom also, so therefore, Ibrahim pledged all his jewels and got a camel that would take them through the deserts, a new change of clothing and a little food to satisfy their hunger. Ibrahim chose to walk beside the camel while Sarah rode the camel. He hesitated to sit with her on top of the camel thinking she wouldn’t like it; he turned down her offer twice as he regarded her, his Queen, and so treated her with the best of everything. When they finally arrived in the kingdom of Tetris, they decided to settle down in there for a while. It was on the second day after their arrival that the King’s guards asked her to accompany her to the palace to contest to be the Queen. He almost cried when he heard it but he thought it would be good as she would have the best treatment for some days until the King chose his Queen. When she left with his consent, he prayed that she shouldn’t be the most beautiful woman in the town. He watched the palace from afar off; he prayed that he get his Queen. He knew that she didn’t know he loved her and so if she’s chosen as the Queen, she’d still be happy and he was heart-broken at the thought of it every time. On the big day, the people of the nation gathered together in the palace courts to see who’d be chosen as the Queen; Ibrahim was among the crowds watching as everything happened. The King dew out 5 names that were loudly proclaimed by a soldier; not surprisingly luck favored Sarah and so she was chosen as one among the 5 women. Ibrahim saw that she was excited and happy at being chosen. He couldn’t bear it but he told himself to hope as there was yet a test and even if she wins the test, she would be still getting the best. He prayed that she fail in the test so that he can win his Queen. He was drenched in his prayers that he didn’t hear while the other women were questioned and were rejected. As Sarah walked up to the standing, there was only one woman after her. The minutes passed, sweat slid down Ibrahim’s face, he could also feel his head heat and could sense the rise of a headache. When she was done answering the questions, he could feel his heart racing faster, he assumed he was losing in little time. The next woman too finished now and the King commanded that the crown be put on a golden platter before the King and all his subjects. Ibrahim waited to hear who the Queen would be just like the others, he expected the name to be declared but instead the King asked for the relatives of the 5 women to present themselves before the King; Ibrahim found himself making his way through the crowd like few others. When everything was quiet again, the King spoke, with a little smile spread across his face,

“I, the King of the Great Tetris hereby declare the Queen; but before I do so, I would not like to withhold the reason the relatives are summoned. The chosen Queen’s relative art to give to the King a price as none among the 5 are princesses of other kingdoms. The price is to weigh as much as the Queen. The Queen chosen shall not be changed by any means and therefore it is the responsibility of the relative to give unto the King what is required without failure. This is the Royal counsel and I, the King, find it very pleasing indeed!”

There was a moment of silence, before the King continued speaking, “I, the mighty and victorious King of Tetris, hereby choose Sarah as the Queen of the kingdom of Tetris and hereby crown her Queen.”

Sarah’s eyes nearly shot out of the sockets, and Ibrahim’s heart almost stopped beating. They look at each other not able to believe what had just come to pass, Ibrahim continue to stare as a dumbfounded Sarah makes her way to the Queen’s throne. As applauses roared across the place, the King placed the crown on the now Queen accompanied by the loud sound of the trumpets that almost pierced the ear buds.

As the whole palace made arrangements to celebrate the wedding of the new royal couple, Ibrahim presented himself before the King to address his issue,

“Long live the King; Your Highness, I was a rich trader in another town. When my kingdom was attacked and plundered by our enemy kingdom, I did flee from my nation leaving behind everything accompanied by the Queen. I have sold all that I had carried with me to survive and with much chagrin I say I have nothing to offer as a price except for myself as thy humble slave.”

The King sat in silence for some time after which he finally spoke, “It’s an abash for the King, Queen and the kingdom to take thee as a price. I therefore shall give thee as much money and riches as thy want and thou shalt work to repay me double of what I give thee.”

Ibrahim readily agreed on the condition that the Queen never learns of this by any means and that Ibrahim be changed completely beyond recognition, and the King agreed to that without any further demands. On the destined day, Ibrahim took bid a final farewell to Sarah and left. Sarah presumed he had left for a better city where he would continue to be a trader and so she didn’t know, all those times she thought of him, that he was in the very same kingdom working hard to withstand her throne. Amongst all his tough times, he held on for her; however he wished to visit her after he was freed but long before he could be freed, fate treaded upon him and he died. Years later, when the Queen died, she was buried in the very same piece of land his body had decayed years ago.

Grandmother dozed off as she finished her story but Ruth wide awake made a wish she would realize who her ‘Ibrahim’ was and would marry him and not the King!