In The East. Maria Pia Oelker

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СКАЧАТЬ to understand the real reason why you and she cannot leave the castle without my consent, but I swear to you on my honor as king that you are not prisoners. It is not the same thing as my imprisonment here. You have to believe me.”

      "Yes, father. How could I doubt your words? I know a king never tells lies.”

      The king felt something twisting wildly inside his chest, like a snake squashed by his boots.

      " And then " the child continued " my mother always taught me that you are good and fair and that I should not take too much notice if you sometimes get angry, because you immediately forget ...”

      " Ah! Is that what she says? I'll have to scold her then, when we get back because she should teach you to fear me and respect me.”

      " Please, father "the scared child tried to remedy the situation " I did not explain myself well. She always tells me that I must be obedient and not discuss your orders, nor those of the councilors and the teacher; but also that I must love you, because you are a good king and a good father ... oh, I don't know how to say, but here ... you must not reproach her.”

      " No, you're right, I'd be unfair if I did.”

      " And then my mother is really good and kind, you know, and if you were mean to her, I would defend her even at the cost of offending you.”

      " My child, you have guts! “ the king teased, but with affection. "In short, would you even feel like challenging me to a duel and risk being locked up in this lonely tower?”

      " Yes.”

      "Wouldn't you be afraid, little paladin?"

      " Maybe. And were you afraid when you were imprisoned in here?”

      The king stopped smiling but did not want to elude his question.

      " A little, but I wasn't alone and that helped me a lot. Had I been alone, maybe I would have gone mad with anger and hatred. I would have tried to run away, and the guards would have killed me because they were ordered to shoot me if I even attempted to stick out too much from the window. Or I would have slammed my head against the wall to smash it in the days when I was overcome by the darkest sadness and loneliness. It is terrible to be locked in here and feel life passing by without you being able to grasp it. You can't run and ride in the woods and go hunting or attend court parties, you can no longer see the sea and dive into its cold waters or meet friends when and how you want ... And then you think nobody remembers you anymore, because now you are no longer the powerful prince sought and loved by all, but a dirty and hungry prisoner, in complete disgrace. Sometimes I hated everyone, while at time I just hated myself and my inability to even try something crazy to stop that useless rat life. But there was my friend with me, and everything was more bearable with him at my side ...”

      " I understand. I, too, sometimes want to escape from the gate and go behind the wagons that pass on the road and maybe go as far as the sea and see if its color is really blue as the master says, or if it is colored like the sky at sunset. Then I think I'd also like to follow the deer when they come back to the woods after eating my hay in the morning and never come back.”

      " Why do not you do that? asked his father, still feeling that snakelike twist in his chest.

      " I can't leave my mother alone. What would she do? And maybe you would send the guards to find me and, later, you would have me whipped.”

      " That's for sure.”

      " You see? My mother would die of pain and I would have no peace for eternity.”

      " Seriously?”

      " Antonia says that if we are responsible for someone's death, hell is waiting for us and then our souls will wander forever like ghosts doomed to never rest.""

      " Yes, I understand. Better to resign then.”

      "In fact," the prince nodded seriously." I merely look through the bars of the gate and dream, or I climb to the top of the towers and try to see the sea above. I thought I saw it once, but the master believes I have too much imagination.”

      " And your mother?”

      " I cannot tell you.”

      " Why not?”

      " I don't want her running the risk of being scolded by you.”

      " I swear I won't.”

      " Very well, then: she thinks the master is like a nocturnal bird who knows nothing about real life, the sun, and colors; he believes that there is no light stronger than that of the moon because he has never seen the sunshine. Once he suggested me not to pay attention to him and to do my own thing, listening to my dreams.”

      " I thought so. Trying to make you rebel! " the king exclaimed in a fake threatening tone.

      "Father, you swore," the prince reminded him anxiously.

      "…. And a king keeps his word, right?”

      The prince nodded energetically.

      "I'll take you to see the sea one of these days," the king promised unexpectedly.

      The child jumped happily around his neck and his father held him against him for a while to feel that little heart beating against his and letting himself be pervaded, infected perhaps by that naive faith and that immeasurable love that lived in the child permanently and, certainly, happily.

      No one, he told himself, could feel less than blessed to live with him.

      The planned journey to the sea did not take place, in fact, until many months later because the day after the sovereign left for the city, called urgently by his advisers.

      When the king left the castle, the sun had just risen, and the prince was just waking up in the big bed that he had shared with his father that night. They had been awake for a long time talking again about the stars that could be seen from the windows of the royal chambers and playing chess; the king had not even once mentioned the fact that the next day he would leave him alone for who knows how long because delicate and important business required his personal presence in the city. Once, even just a few weeks prior, he would have felt only a slight annoyance in having to abandon his favorite residence and resting in the countryside earlier than expected. Now he felt an acute annoyance, much like the pain of an emotionally important loss. He did not know what to say to the prince and continued to postpone the explanation minute by minute, until his son fell asleep, very tired, reclining his head on his shoulder and it was then no longer possible for the king to offer any explanation.

      In the morning he quickly wrote a note for the child, leaving it in full view on the long chest at the foot of the bed, and got out before he woke up and asked him where he was going at that early morning hour. He was afraid he would start crying and above all he feared he would no longer be able to leave him. He would have dragged him along with him, perhaps by force, if he didn’t have to keep his word to the queen.

      The prince woke up and instinctively looked for his father as he usually did since he had let him into his rooms and had made him lie down next to him, not to miss even a minute of his company.

      He saw the empty bed and stood up abruptly: something told him that this was not normal. He rushed to the window and saw his father approaching the carriage that would take him back to the city.

      " СКАЧАТЬ