Tess Nguyen

Once Upon a Kingdom.

A long time ago, in a far away land, there lived a great King named Rehtaf. He was very old, too old for anyone to actually remember his age, but he was the oldest and wisest of all the kings who had ever lived. Regardless of his age, King Rehtaf was always a man who lived his life with zeal and youthful vitality. The King dwelled in a most magnificent palace which he named Nevaeh. From this palace, King Rehtaf ruled the land with his only Son, Prince Susej and their most trusted, top Advisor, Sir Yloh Tirips. These three had great respect and admiration for each other. They were always in unison of heart and mind, and the bond they shared were unbreakable. Tradition has it that it was the great bond between the King, his Son and Sir Yloh Tirips that had mysteriously transformed Nevaeh Palace into the most beautiful and enchanted place on earth. This palace had a special kind of charm and wondrous beauty that would captivate the heart of anyone who enters it. It was the ultimate dream of every men, women and child to gaze upon its beauty and live there forever.

King Rehtaf’s kingdom was so vast that it extended to the far ends of the earth. The King ruled his land with great wisdom and love; he had compassion for all living creatures. He provided for all the needs of his people. The land was fertile and filled with milk and honey. Everyone was living their life in peace and harmony. The King saw that all was good, until .

King Rehtaf had many loyal men serving under his command. Among some of the King’s top generals, there was a brave and fearless warrior named Reficul. Reficul had a glorious future ahead of him. He was bright and very experienced in strategic warfare. He had carried out many successful missions in the past. The King bestowed dozens of medals of honor upon him and gave him powers to govern many parts of the land. However, the more recognition he received, the more prideful he became. Reficul was convinced that his abilities and greatness surpass all men. The more power he gained, the more power - hungry he became. Gradually, his priority shifted. Power and glory became the thriving force behind everything he did. He no longer saw purpose in serving his King and his country. One day, Reficul thought the unthinkable. He decided that he would conquer the land from King Rehtaf and make himself king. He thought that as a king, he would possess all knowledge, power, and glory. And so, Reficul began his secret plot to overthrow King Rehtaf. With his cunning wit and charm, he successfully recruited an army and convinced them that they no longer need to live under King Rehtaf’s dominion. He persuaded them to break away from the King so they themselves could be their own ruler and gain much more power. Fortunately, King Rehtaf soon discovered Reficul’s plan of treason and put an end to it. But from the mercy of his heart, the King decided not to execute Reficul and his followers. Instead, he ordered them to be banished into the dark, barren Valley of Nis, far away from the kingdom. Nis Valley is a place where no mortals would care to live in, the land was rough and the weather was very hot all the time. As time went by, Reficul’s heart grew more bitter and hateful toward the King. Compelled by hatred and vengeance, Reficul vowed to destroy King Rehtaf’s kingdom and all of its inhabitants. And so began the era of Reficul, the Dark Lord of Nis Valley.

Opportunity came for Reficul when he heard the news that King Rehtaf was going away on a long journey to visit a neighboring kingdom. Right away, the Dark Lord sent his men to infiltrate the land where the people lived. Like a thief in the night, they attacked villages and towns with their mighty swords and spears. They struck the people with deadly blows. As swiftly as flashes of lightning, Reficul attacked his prey. With extreme precision, he made sure no one escape to inform the King about his invasion. Darkness engulf the land. The people were caught off guard and totally unprepared. Many were killed, some were wounded and the few who survived the attacks were held captives and became slaves. These poor simple villagers were no match for this cunning and ruthless warrior. Not only were the people forced to serve their only master, Reficul, but they were also brainwashed into believing that the King didn’t care for them, that there were no sense in being loyal to the King. Soon enough, Reficul extended his claws of death to other towns, one after another. He not only destroyed the people’s lands, he also trampled their dignity. He and his men applied all kinds of psychological warfare on the citizens and turned the people against each other. Not too long, Reficul succeeded in causing turmoil and division among the people. People became greedy and selfish in order to survive under Reficul’s reign of terror. People stopped trusting each other, they no longer believed in their King. Each person lived for himself. His soldiers ravaged the human spirit and destroyed whatever kindness that remained in people’s hearts. Love and trust was replaced with greed and despair.

By the time King Rehtaf returned and found out about the Dark Lord’s invasion, half of the land had been invaded already. Stricken with anger and grief for his people, the King summoned 7 of his best generals to lead 7 troops of soldier to reclaim the land. By now, Reficul’ s army had already grew much in strength and number. As the days went by, the King began to receive words from the battlefield that his generals, one by one, were either defeated or slain in battle. King Rehtaf was very distraught. He knew that his people are suffering terribly and something must be done fast; he was determined put an end to the people’s misery. After many sleepless nights, the King came up with a plan to defeat the Dark Lord of Nis Valley.

The next morning, King Rehtaf called a royal meeting with his Son, Prince Susej and his trusted Counselor, Sir Yloh Tirips. With determination and full of authority, he spoke:

- "My people are like sheep without a shepherd. They have lost their ways and are suffering under the Dark Lord’s power. I have a plan to save them from damnation. They must be taught that the only way to be free from their bondage is to join their King in the fight against Reficul."

King Rehtaf paused briefly then continued:

- "We must restore the people’s faith in their King and make them understand that the King truly cares for them. We must help them rediscover their dignity, their value and true worth. They must know that they were not created to be slave, nor enchained in bondage. They have every right to inherit all the richness of this land."

Sir Yloh Tirips eargerly asked:

- "My Lord, what you said make great sense, but how do you propose we do this? The people are so lost and distraught. There are no unity among them. I fear that the task of restoring their faith will be tremendously difficult and dangerous. Whoever takes on this responsibility should be most trustworthy and he must embrace your vision very close to his heart. Furthermore, he must commit to carry out your will until the end. Even then, this person could still be rejected by the people and might loose his life. Who could take on such great task? Who will you send my Lord?" "

Before the King could even answer, Prince Susej, cast the most tender gaze toward his father and said:

- "Here I am father, I’ve come to do your will, please send me. I shall build up an army from our people, and lead them in battle to expel the Dark Lord from our land."

Sir Tirips interrupted the Prince right away: "Dear Prince, how do you plan to build up this army by the people?"

- "I will go to the people and dwell among them. I’ll become one with our people so I can share in their pain and suffering. I want to listen to them and comfort them in their sorrow. I will earn their trust. I will tell them about my Father’s plan to save them and about how much the King loves them. I will convince them that if they want to break free from bondage, they must join me in the fight against the Dark Lord."

Looking straight into his son’s eyes, with tears welling up, King Rehtaf said:

- "My son, my beloved Son ."

Before the King could finished his sentence, prince Susej knelt down in front of him and said:

- "Father, my Lord and King, all my life, you’ve taught me that to be a true leader I must be willing to serve our people, even if it means to lay down my life for them. I will ask each person to join me and together, we shall battle the Dark Lord and break free from his grip. I shall lead my people to victory and glorify you, my King. Our people will live in peace again."

King Rehtaf lovingly looked deep into his Son’s eyes. Through Susej’s eyes, he saw the perfect reflection of his own soul, one so passionate in his belief. Could this be the last time he would beheld the loving face of his Son? The King felt as though a sharp a lance had just pierced through his heart, yet he knew full well that this was the only way to restore the people’s faith in their King. Through the Son, the world will finally know how much the Father loved them.

When the time came for Prince Susej to bid farewell to his beloved Father and dearest friend, Yloh Tirips, the prince set aside his crown and royal robe. He put on for himself a commoner’s outfit and began his journey on a bright, starlit night. On that blessed night, the Son of the almighty King gave up his throne to come and dwell among his people. On that fateful night, the plan of salvation began to unfold. Nevaeh was no longer a dream beyond reach, but a definite possibility for all the people because of the Son’s selfless love for the world.

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Author’s note: If the Son of the almighty King came and ask you to join him in the battle against the Dark Lord, what would you do? What would you say to Him? Would you follow Him?