Day 580: 5 Minute Freewrite: Thursday - Prompt: emperor

If you want to see the previous adventures of Queen-Steward Justiss of Unbeton, enjoy this freewrite -- and for today, see, @wonderwop, what all your temptation has just caused?

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The challenge with being ruler of Unbeton was that you just couldn't be a king or a queen and served and worshiped by your subjects. Oh no. You had to have "steward" attached to your title. You had to be reminded that you too were merely a servant of the nation, and the people, temporarily responsible for the state of the nation during your lifespan, but that you were not a god or goddess and that you would DIE, and therefore have to give up the temporary power you have.

On the flip side, accepting that reality gave you a view of the world that made you valuable in the service of all those around you, even if they only saw the value in hindsight...

Thus, this is how it was that old Queen-Steward Justiss and her successor, Prince-Steward-to-Be Troothe, went to go see her friend Emperor Bombast of Happless while he was in the imperial hospital that evening, just as she had visited him in the morning to warn him...

"But Bombast, I really don't think you should appear at the Great Parade on June 1 like that."

"Why not? I will be dressed by the greatest tailors of the realm!"

"Those shysters?"

"Just because you can't appreciate their work does not mean that other's won't, Justiss!"

"What work? How much did you pay them to do nothing?"

"Oh, then you are not as smart as you think you are -- about time that came to light!"

"Bombast --."

"They said only the most wise and intelligent people could even see their work, and they were right!"

"Bombast, you're naked!"

"That's only because you can't see!"

"Oh, I wish I couldn't!"

"My greatness is about to be fully revealed to the eyes of the world!"

"The fact that you are as old as I am and haven't worked out for years is about to be revealed to the world! Beside that, do you realize that according to the almanac --?"

"SILENCE!" thundered Emperor Bombast. "You're just a queen -- I will NOT be dissuaded by a mere queen on my day of triumph!"

And so Queen-Steward Justiss was silent, and remained silent that evening when she went to visit her friend the emperor in the hospital, her friend now just one itching mass of bumps and misery. Prince-Steward-to-Be Troothe followed his grandmother's lead, and said nothing after he and his royal grandmother left the imperial hospital.

"I will never, ever fuss about having to read the almanacs again," he said. "I do apologize, Grandmother."

"Now you see for yourself, grandson and steward-to-be, why you can despise no form of knowledge of the earth will you will rule," Queen-Steward Justiss said gravely. "Creation has its own rules to which we must be subject, no matter how powerful we become as mere mortals."

"I see, Grandmother. I guess we will never be able to un-see all of that."

Queen-Steward Justiss shook her head.

"Even with all my attending to learning, senility is creeping on and you must soon take my place, Troothe. But you see what old age will do to you if you don't learn now? More study at your age would have kept His Imperial Highness from appearing naked on the very day the almanac predicted the biggest mosquito emergence in this area in a century..."

Photo Credit: Daan Stevens on Unsplash