Tales of Enchantment

The Boy Pretending to Be King

 Once upon a time, there was a kingdom that had a wise and just ruler, but our story is not about the king. Our story takes place in the streets of the kingdom where children are playing a noble game.

"Bring me my soup, chef," Joseph, a very puny boy, wrapped in a red scarf and paper hat too big for his head, called out, sitting on a barrel, when he made into his throne.

"Coming up, my king," his friend, Marceline, a rosy-cheeked maiden with straw hair, giggled and played. She had a bow in which she poured pretend-spices in and gave it to the pretend-king.

"Thank you, my good man," Joseph claimed in a heavy voice. "I mean woman or lady?" he said in his normal squeaky voice.

"I prefer man," Marceline laughed and watched Joseph drink the pretend-soup.

"Good, very good indeed," he declared. "Now where is my knight?"

"Fighting the crusade!" Angel shouted, drawing a wooden sword and swinging it at Marceline's dolls.

"Very, very good," Joseph said. "Angel shall win us the war, and the kingdom will be at peace," he proclaimed, acting as if he was a wise and just king.

Marceline picked at her bowl of pretend soup or rather empty bowl of pretend soup. "Wouldn't it be great if we could play in a real castle and make real soup and fight real crusades?"

"I'd love to be a knight," Angel said, looking at their rather dull wooden sword.

"And I'd love to cook a real meal," Marceline sighed.

Joseph stood on his throne and thought. He thought, and he pondered, and he had a wonderful idea. "Follow me!" he declared and ran out of the alleyway, up the street. Marceline and Angel were right behind him.

"Where are we going?" Marceline would ask.

"You'll see," Joseph teased and made his way closer to the castle walls. Soon they were at the back gates of the tall stone fence.

"No, no," Marceline gasped. "You can't possibly think we'd follow you in there." She and Angel folded their hands in protest.

"You wanted to play in a real castle," Joseph said.

"Do you know what our parents would say if we snuck in there?" Marceline asked.

"Or what the king will do if he sees us?" Angel added.

"Live a little," Joseph whispered enchantedly. "This is what I do. I take care of my friends." The looks on his friends' faces didn't agree though. "It's perfectly safe. We'll find an empty room in the cellar. We'll play for an hour. And then we're out before dinnertime."

Marceline and Angel exchanged looks. "You promise this is safe?" Marceline demanded to know.

"Positively," Joseph called out in his kingly voice.

Marceline looked to Angel to see if they agreed. When they shrugged with a halfhearted smile, she knew they were in. "Okay," she sighed.

Joseph grinned triumphantly and hid beside the gate as merchants and servants came by in their wagons. While they were rolling by, the children snuck past into the castle. The servants' entrance was full of bustling workers, carrying baskets and crates of fresh food.

"Ooo," Marceline thought as she caught the smell of bread and berries through the halls.

"Come on," Joseph pulled her attention back to their game. They passed the servants' entrance and made it to a hallway of doors. Joseph picked one at random and hurried his friends inside.