The King's Ordeal

Once upon a time, there lived a king who went by the title, ‘King of Kings’. This title was given to him by his subjects, upon their subjugation. Having taken over the kingdom from his father, he was exemplary of the flow of power through both his veins and that of the kingdom.

Despite being the ‘King of Kings’, he faced a grave problem. He had no heir to his throne. The ten years of his marriage life bore no fruit. It had no meaning to him.

Seeking advice, he turned to his ‘trustworthy’ Council of Ministers, for they had previously offered solutions to his serious problems of boredom and apathy towards life. A meeting took place and an elaborate discussion on astrology and religion took place. Finally, the queen’s potential to bear a child came into question. And the answer they came up with was to have the king married again.

The king wasn’t very happy about having another woman digging into his ears, but he agreed. In the coming month, he tied the knot to a princess from a neighboring kingdom. After three years, he still had no child.

He again turned towards the council. They had another big discussion on astrology and religion. This time, they came to the conclusion that the king gets married again and again until he was able to get an heir. Though not thrilled, he had faith in his council. After all, they were the ones to initiate his title of ‘King of Kings’.

Six more wives later, the king was still heirless. His health had deteriorated with each inclusion, and his council had difficulty finding the right queen. According to them, none of his wives were sacred enough to bear the child of ‘His Majesty’.

But over the marriages, the king received a new title. ‘King of Kingdumbs’. He had united eight smaller neighboring nations with each ceremony. The council sang praises of his unprecedented wit that made the kingdom expand without war.

Though the king was happy over his title, his worries of leaving the kingdom heirless, grew profoundly. Around the same time, a world renowned doctor came to visit the kingdom. It was said that he could cure any illness or disease that otherwise would have resulted in mortality.

The king decided to call for his services despite the council objecting to it. They were very annoyed by the king’s sudden volition.

The doctor was welcomed ceremoniously by the king himself. Though the council did not like the doctor, they sat down for lunch with him and the king. During a grand meal of over a hundred dishes, the king let out his worries to the doctor. The doctor listened carefully, to the names of each dish before trying them. Meanwhile, the council was happy that they decided to attend the meal.

At the end of the meal, the doctor once again listened to the king’s troubles. He thought for a second and said that he needed to conduct an examination on the king. The king was blank. Suddenly, one of the ministers stood up in anger and shouted out how he could doubt the king. The council, one by one, stood up and started abusing the doctor for doubting the king’s manhood.

The king realized what the doctor’s statement meant, only then. But he was desperate and was even thinking of an examination. But he knew he couldn’t let go of his pride, which would mean abandoning his title.  

The council called for the doctor’s execution for having disrespected him, thereby disrespecting the kingdom. The doctor tried convincing the king that the examination might help him get an heir. At the same time, the council firmly pledged that they would pour their heart and soul into making the king, a proud father.

The king had to choose his council over the doctor. And the doctor was executed. A month later, a ninth marriage was planned.               

This time, the bride was a sixteen year old girl practicing to become a priestess. According to the council, the girl, who was brought up in the holy ways of the temple, was surely the queen who could bear the king’s child. But they totally neglected the fact that a priestess was to remain a virgin and breaking the code would mean angering the Gods.

The marriage took place in grandeur and was presided over by the kingdom’s head priest. The head priest though approved of the marriage, warned the king of God’s wrath.

The king was unable to embrace his new wife. The words of the doctor and the priest rung in his head like hammer striking iron. His fear of again failing to have a child haunted him. He lost his sleep.

The king called for the head priest and explained to him of his never-ending predicament. The priest knew that he would be executed if he faulted the king. So, he decided to talk to his eight wives over the problem. After long sessions with each queen, the priest returned exhausted.

 He told the king that he had sinned, having treated his wives badly. They all seemed to open out their suppressed hearts, which cried out for company. The priest told the king that he had to treat his women with care and respect from then on and he had to ensure that the ninth wife followed the ways of the priestess until she was eighteen. If he did so, there would surely be a miracle.

The king, swallowed his pride, and did as the priest said. The queens were suspicious of him but were finally enjoying themselves. Only the ninth wife grew fond of him but he seemed to keep her at a distance.

Three months later, the whole kingdom was shook up. The eight wives were declared pregnant around the same time. A miracle had truly happened. The king was so happy and grateful that he organized a grand ceremony to thank the priest for his service, while the humble priest credited the miracle to God.

Over the next few months, the king’s health improved and he treated his wives better and better. He developed respect and love for women, and their standing in the kingdom rose. The ninth wife tried to close the gap between them, but the king was firm to hold the distance. She craved his touch.

Finally, the auspicious time arrived and baby after baby was born. But to the king’s disbelief, every child was a girl. The council knew this would cause great confusion, because they themselves were confused. They needed to sort this thing out.

But to their surprise, the king organized a public gathering and proclaimed that the kingdom would be first of its kind and will be ruled by the queens and not the king.

The people were shocked but they had no problem with it. They anyway wanted a change. The council wanted to disagree with him, but they had no solution to offer and they themselves were tired of the issue. Rather, they heaped praise on the king for his broad-mindedness and his respect for women. He was awarded a new title, ’King of Queens’, unanimously accepted by all.

As the months passed, the king grew weaker and eventually was bedridden. Even though he had made his declaration, he still had regrets and a longing for a prince. He had always wanted a king to rule over his kingdom. The wives no longer cared for him and spent all their time with their children. The ninth wife alone tried to comfort him, but no one was available to comfort her. She had to spend time with herself.

Just days past her eighteenth birthday, the king passed away. The funeral was presided over by the head priest. To his surprise, only the ninth wife cried, while the other wives were consoling their wailing children. The priest had to support her in this time of difficulty and approached her. He tried to comfort her but she was not just crying in depression, but in frustration as well. The king had left her all alone and if he had felt her warmth, maybe she too could have become a mother.     

The priest called her alone after the funeral proceedings. He told her that the ‘King of Queens’ was still alive and could bless her with a child. The queen was shocked and elated at the same moment, resulting in confusion. The priest comprehended this and told her that he will show her the secret and lead her back to the palace. The next morning he had to leave early to the temple.

Nine months later, the ninth queen was blessed with a prince.  At the naming ceremony, again presided over by the priest, the king’s praises were sung. It was a misfortune that he couldn’t be there to name his child. So the priest stepped forward, announced that he would name him in place of his father. The priest named the prince ‘dratsaB’. The king could finally rest in peace. The kingdom got a prince.