‘God bless your heart, my princess.’

1.3

King Talantus was old warrior and had simple habits. He never permitted to his servant to make his modest face to blush. He served himself in all his needs. He loved to go hunting alone, to make light lunch from his game. He woke up always early, kept especially long morning prayers for about an hour and then usually went to the library where he was reading books about ancient kings and their kingdoms, about flood that effaced life on the Earth, about brave and honest man who saved human race from perdition in those terrible days, also he especially loved books about travels in distant lands he never saw, about food, animals and languages of those lands. He had tender heart and quick imagination and that opened to him the unseen and the mysterious.

He was clever ruler of his lands. People were not overtaxed, they had regular feasts, and education even among poorest wasn’t rare thing. The first care of king Talantus was weaker ones. He watched that the orphans, the aged, the ailing, and the poor had enough from his treasury. And in the midday he himself was visiting gates of his castle to give alms to beggars, and he knew almost all of them by the name.

When Delio the chief priest of his kingdom and Ririo the clown entered into his chamber that morning, king was still praying on his knees. When he heard them coming he asked them.

‘Pray with me, my friends, and would be Savior will show to-day his mercy to us.’

‘We willingly do what you wish. But what to pray about?’ Delio said.

‘I feel I have to die and very soon. But I want to see my only child happy.’

‘Then you should not indulge her, Your Majesty.’ Ririo chuckled.

‘No time for laughter, brothers. I am old. And I know that in very short time Lavinia will became the orphan. What I can do to protect her.’

‘Only way, I think, is to marry her off and do it quick.’

‘Oh, Delio. You see me through. But marry off to whom.’

Delio raised his hands.

‘Good heavens. You’re asking me to whom. The kings or heirs can only be contenders for her hand. Daughter of great king must became wife of great king, too.’

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