Short Story
The gaudy baroque was the palace . This gothic architecture of 1, 500.000 square - foot grandeur contained 10,000 rooms. It sat with a bombastic aura on a 40 - acre piece of land acquired after the conquest, two centuries ago. The king was only 15 and had just ascended to the throne after the death of his parents, within a span of three months. He was unprepared but accepted the role thrusted upon him by his family.
His boyish looks did not disguise his attempt to appear authoritative. Dread took residence on his inside at his coronation. The mace which dwarfed him even fell on two occasions. The incumbent prayed for the obligatory six stages of installment to be completed. But he had to endure what his predecessors, who were much older than he, accepted.
This royal family existed for over 400 years and had previously resided in the neighboring territory but moved to their new domain that had more natural resources. In their minds, this move would reduce the need for them to explore more overseas countries to shore up their economy and their grand style of living.
The subjects had grown accustomed to the royal family over the years. They knew no other form of government. There were pockets of resistance by some, even a few from the lineage of the monarchy. Periodically, there would be outbursts from resistant groups in the press and other media outlets about the presence of the crown. These quickly faded, and most went about living their habituated lives.
Ironically, there was little grumble about the installment of the new young king. He was strikingly handsome. His smiles seemed to illuminate many subjects. And it also appeared to obliterate any ghosts that haunted the people of this land. The media houses had unprecedented readership and viewership. Everyone seemed to have forgotten their dissents and acquiesced to the new king. Women of all ages with their daughters, granddaughters, a few sons and grandsons in tow waved enthusiastically as the pageantry of carriages, horseback riders, motorcades, guards and musicians thronged through the designated routes. No one remembered their troubles. Most focused on the appearance of the young king. Maybe they'll remember tomorrow, just maybe. © Wallace Paul. March 2024.
The gaudy baroque was the palace . This gothic architecture of 1, 500.000 square - foot grandeur contained 10,000 rooms. It sat with a bombastic aura on a 40 - acre piece of land acquired after the conquest, two centuries ago. The king was only 15 and had just ascended to the throne after the death of his parents, within a span of three months. He was unprepared but accepted the role thrusted upon him by his family.
His boyish looks did not disguise his attempt to appear authoritative. Dread took residence on his inside at his coronation. The mace which dwarfed him even fell on two occasions. The incumbent prayed for the obligatory six stages of installment to be completed. But he had to endure what his predecessors, who were much older than he, accepted.
This royal family existed for over 400 years and had previously resided in the neighboring territory but moved to their new domain that had more natural resources. In their minds, this move would reduce the need for them to explore more overseas countries to shore up their economy and their grand style of living.
The subjects had grown accustomed to the royal family over the years. They knew no other form of government. There were pockets of resistance by some, even a few from the lineage of the monarchy. Periodically, there would be outbursts from resistant groups in the press and other media outlets about the presence of the crown. These quickly faded, and most went about living their habituated lives.
Ironically, there was little grumble about the installment of the new young king. He was strikingly handsome. His smiles seemed to illuminate many subjects. And it also appeared to obliterate any ghosts that haunted the people of this land. The media houses had unprecedented readership and viewership. Everyone seemed to have forgotten their dissents and acquiesced to the new king. Women of all ages with their daughters, granddaughters, a few sons and grandsons in tow waved enthusiastically as the pageantry of carriages, horseback riders, motorcades, guards and musicians thronged through the designated routes. No one remembered their troubles. Most focused on the appearance of the young king. Maybe they'll remember tomorrow, just maybe. © Wallace Paul. March 2024.