The Knight & His King

The Story

There was once a young knight who lived in a small kingdom ruled by a wise and powerful King. This knight didn't desire anything more than to serve his Majesty, and the King was very pleased with him.

The name of this faithful knight was Elixur.

He had no family and lived under the protection of the kind King. Since then, he grew up and dwelled around the King's domain—the palace, the village, the people, and every foot of anyplace he came to know very well.

The King received him when he was only a small boy—hungry, cold, and unwanted. He had been sleeping, stealing, and living in the streets doing all he could to survive.

Elixur knew it was wrong to steal. Food he took, blankets he had snatched, and everything else he tried to resist, he had taken away. His guilt grew day by day alas that was the only way he knew to keep him from starving.

The villagers and everyone else knew him, his bad deeds, and his condition. But none of them cared. 

One day the King for an unknown reason, came walking down His village. He had been passing the market place when the small boy had caught His eyes. At that moment, Elixur had been stealing some bread from the food stalls. He hadn’t noticed the King watching him and hurriedly ran away. The King followed him and when Elixur finally saw him he was filled with despair.

But not as he had expected, the King comforted him. He held him, patted his head, and even sat with him at his sleeping corner. Elixur was stunned. The kind mysterious man asked him questions about his life and Elixur tearfully told him all about his shame and guilt.

Elixur didn’t know at the time that the man was the actually the king for He wasn’t wearing his luxurious clothes or expensive rings on his fingers.

They have then talked for hours and Elixur poured out all his misery to the King. Without fear he exclaimed to Him how terrible his life was and how miserable he felt whenever he stole because he was so hungry. Through his sobbing he confessed on how dirty and evil he felt and how no one would ever forgive him for all the wrong he had done.

Filled with compassion and love, the merciful King accepted him into his own house.

Elixur—thin, dirty, and confused, was dressed, fed, and treated like one of the King's own sons. All he could do was blink, trying hard to understand why the King him self would care enough for him when no body else did.

Elixur grew up happily in the palace, now dressed in the clean robes, taken cared by the servants, educated, and even ate at the King's own table. All the while he didn't understand the King's grace and had had a strong tugging in his heart to do anything to please Him. 

And so Elixur devoted himself to serve the King as his servant but the King refused and made him a page instead. After some years he was promoted to become a squire and after many more years the King's own knight. The King with pride had knighted Elixur himself and since then he had been serving the King around the palace, outside the castle, but never away from the country for Elixur wanted to always be where his King was.

Elixur had once before served his Master by simple house work and chores, but now he had the honors of fighting battles for Him. Through the years he had been working hard for the King thus, satisfying his desire to please his Master. 

Everyone in the palace and streets then knew of Elixur's change—both in deeds and in heart.

He had never gotten any pride when living with the King and eating His food. Elixur never thought him self higher than any of the servants or even any of the commoners he had once stolen from even though he was treated like a prince. He treated all of them kindly and everyone was pleased with him.