Wart Ch.3
Chapter 3
Princess Heda had healed and saved Wart's life and invited him to her father's kingdom for drink and merriment. So off they went, the princess flitting along and Wart swimming like a chunk of lard bobbling through the water (but he was getting the hang of it).
Now that she was over her shyness, the princess rattled on about all the wonders of her home, how powerful King Hudo was among the fishes and how her brothers played pranks on her but felt bad later and bought her seaweed cream, how her favorite palace guard, Mr. Fillet, watched her grow up when her dad was busy ruling the kingdom, and how the snails always delayed morning traffic but were so nice about it that everyone forgave them and of course, she talked about Zedu, her boyfriend. Well, sort of boyfriend. No one knew because Zedu was born as a servant and it was forbidden for royalty to date a servant.
Still, the princess loved him and as she swam alongside Wart, she smiled as she thought of him and imagined his open arms as he embraced her and all the fun times they would have together.
Wart was mostly quiet the whole time, listening to her chatter and imagining the world of wonder that Princess Heda was laying before his fins. He had never seen it, but already he planned to live there for the rest of his piggy days.
After a few hours, they came upon a high iron gate as far and deep as the eye could see.
Princess Hedu raced excitedly to the gate and started shouting names. Nothing but the echo of her voice answered her. Again she called, but again there was nothing.
"What is wrong, princess?" asked Wart.
The princess did not answer, but with a cold grimace, slowly pushed upon the gate and swam through. Wart timidly followed behind her, and as he passed through the gate, the coldness of the water seeped into his bones. He was so busy trying to keep himself warm that he did not notice that the Princess had stopped, and thus bumped straight into her. He was about to apologize, but then noticed the expression on her face. It had gone blank, as if life itself had left her as quickly as it had been given to her.
He looked ahead.
There were no sparkles or bubbles. No shine or shimmy. There was nothing but fear and death.
Windows and doors of every store and house had been smashed in. Walls were splashed with blood. And everywhere a loving member of the kingdom lay motionless. Without a sound, the Princess rushed into the palace where her family lived. At the front door, she found Mr. Fillet on the floor, his fin grasped to his bloody chest, fighting for his life.
"Oh Mr. Fillet!" she cried, cupping his face in her fins. "What happened?!"
"The sharks!" he gasped. "The sharks! We had no warning. Your family...oh princess, your family..."
She heard a gurgling sound and he was dead.
Fighting to keep her sanity, she struggled on into the lobby area and past all the bedrooms, calling each of her siblings’ names. All her cries went unanswered.
Finally, her eyes rested on the throne. There her father lay - King Hudo the magnificent,
King Hudo the magnanimous - now humbled and broken on his throne.
The princess threw herself over her father's shattered body.
"Oh father!" she sobbed. "Forgive me. Forgive me!"
"My darling Heda," he whispered, "You are our now our only hope.”
"What must I do?" she replied, leaning carefully across him.
"Take the chain off my neck. You must avenge the blood of your family, the blood of our kingdom."
She did as she was told. Around his neck lay a thin gold chain, laced with pieces of fine silver. The chain carried a little skeleton key no bigger than a scale.
"I don't understand..." But King Hudo was no more.
Out of her little chest escaped a moan like nothing the kingdom had ever heard. It is said that if you swim over what was once King Hudo's Kingdom, you can still hear her wail.
Wart found her crouched over the king's lifeless body. With what grace a warthog could muster, he gently cradled her in his arms and carried her out of the palace.
"Zedu..." she whispered..."Zedu..." But the arms that carried her were Wart's.
Wart caught her last words before exhaustion overwhelmed her.
"Vengeance. Sharks. Vengeance..."
The end.
Princess Heda had healed and saved Wart's life and invited him to her father's kingdom for drink and merriment. So off they went, the princess flitting along and Wart swimming like a chunk of lard bobbling through the water (but he was getting the hang of it).
Now that she was over her shyness, the princess rattled on about all the wonders of her home, how powerful King Hudo was among the fishes and how her brothers played pranks on her but felt bad later and bought her seaweed cream, how her favorite palace guard, Mr. Fillet, watched her grow up when her dad was busy ruling the kingdom, and how the snails always delayed morning traffic but were so nice about it that everyone forgave them and of course, she talked about Zedu, her boyfriend. Well, sort of boyfriend. No one knew because Zedu was born as a servant and it was forbidden for royalty to date a servant.
Still, the princess loved him and as she swam alongside Wart, she smiled as she thought of him and imagined his open arms as he embraced her and all the fun times they would have together.
Wart was mostly quiet the whole time, listening to her chatter and imagining the world of wonder that Princess Heda was laying before his fins. He had never seen it, but already he planned to live there for the rest of his piggy days.
After a few hours, they came upon a high iron gate as far and deep as the eye could see.
Princess Hedu raced excitedly to the gate and started shouting names. Nothing but the echo of her voice answered her. Again she called, but again there was nothing.
"What is wrong, princess?" asked Wart.
The princess did not answer, but with a cold grimace, slowly pushed upon the gate and swam through. Wart timidly followed behind her, and as he passed through the gate, the coldness of the water seeped into his bones. He was so busy trying to keep himself warm that he did not notice that the Princess had stopped, and thus bumped straight into her. He was about to apologize, but then noticed the expression on her face. It had gone blank, as if life itself had left her as quickly as it had been given to her.
He looked ahead.
There were no sparkles or bubbles. No shine or shimmy. There was nothing but fear and death.
Windows and doors of every store and house had been smashed in. Walls were splashed with blood. And everywhere a loving member of the kingdom lay motionless. Without a sound, the Princess rushed into the palace where her family lived. At the front door, she found Mr. Fillet on the floor, his fin grasped to his bloody chest, fighting for his life.
"Oh Mr. Fillet!" she cried, cupping his face in her fins. "What happened?!"
"The sharks!" he gasped. "The sharks! We had no warning. Your family...oh princess, your family..."
She heard a gurgling sound and he was dead.
Fighting to keep her sanity, she struggled on into the lobby area and past all the bedrooms, calling each of her siblings’ names. All her cries went unanswered.
Finally, her eyes rested on the throne. There her father lay - King Hudo the magnificent,
King Hudo the magnanimous - now humbled and broken on his throne.
The princess threw herself over her father's shattered body.
"Oh father!" she sobbed. "Forgive me. Forgive me!"
"My darling Heda," he whispered, "You are our now our only hope.”
"What must I do?" she replied, leaning carefully across him.
"Take the chain off my neck. You must avenge the blood of your family, the blood of our kingdom."
She did as she was told. Around his neck lay a thin gold chain, laced with pieces of fine silver. The chain carried a little skeleton key no bigger than a scale.
"I don't understand..." But King Hudo was no more.
Out of her little chest escaped a moan like nothing the kingdom had ever heard. It is said that if you swim over what was once King Hudo's Kingdom, you can still hear her wail.
Wart found her crouched over the king's lifeless body. With what grace a warthog could muster, he gently cradled her in his arms and carried her out of the palace.
"Zedu..." she whispered..."Zedu..." But the arms that carried her were Wart's.
Wart caught her last words before exhaustion overwhelmed her.
"Vengeance. Sharks. Vengeance..."
The end.
