KING LOCKEDHEART

Once upon a time,in a land long forgotten now There lived a king,feared by all and loved by none.
His name was King Lockedheart.
Now,King Lockedheart was a very proud man. For though he had being born to a small and insignificant kingdom,he had,through courage,guile and daring,defeated the surrounding larger countries until he controlled a vast and powerful kingdom.
To the north were mountains rich in minerals and sparkling gems. To the east,fields of golden grains and fat cattle. To the south lay tall hardwood forests. And to the west was an ocean overflowing with silver fish.
A man could start from the capital city and walk a month in any direction and not leave the lands belonging to King Lockedheart.
King Lockedheart lived in a magnificent castle that sat on the top of a hill. In his castle,there lived hundreds of guards,a swarm of courtiers and a multitude of servants and courtesans.
The king was surrounded day and night,and yet none were close to his heart. In fact,the only living thing that was close to the king was a small blue bird. The bird lived in a jeweled golden cage and sometimes it would sing or chirp. In the evening,King Lockedheart fed the bird nuts through the bars of its cage.
Once a year,it was King Lockedheart’s custom to give a speech to his people. But because he was a man more used to wielding a sword than a pen,the king made a habit of practicing his speech.
Thus one morning,King Lockedheart paced the balcony of his magnificent palace,declaiming his speech to the open air and the caged blue bird.
“My people,” the king declared, “I am proud to be your ruler and I know that you are proud to live under my rule. Indeed,I know that I am beloved of you,my people.”
But sadly,here King Lockedheart was interrupted – by a giggle!