Part 2:
The king's plan, spoken plain, was to go find his heir,
I unfurled then my tongue, as this felt unfair,
‘To steal offspring from her, for a child of your own?
Why he's hardly a lad, I'm sure now he’s full grown!’
‘Yes, he’s full grown, and think all that I’ve missed!
That’s why I’ll employ a new egg for assist,
When young, he showed interest in magical creatures,
With unicorns scarce, dragons have the best features.’
The truth now full out, our distress had congealed,
While his daughter looked shocked at the thoughts he’d revealed,
‘Father, no,’ spoke the girl, ‘How could you think smart,
Of taking her child to relieve your own heart.’
‘What care I for dragons? Now again I assert,
These lands are all mine – hills, grass, rocks and dirt,
Everything therein is mine without question,
And those eggs,’ he did laugh, ‘shan’t find an exemption.’
The dragon’s body, at that, went thoroughly tense,
Her posture as rigid as posts on a fence,
Sarabella flinched back, drawing closer to me,
As Joacquil raised up her long neck threateningly.
‘I’ve been humble,’ she growled, ‘and I’ve held still my tongue,
As you try to take ownership now of my young,
From what I’ve just heard, you lost sway with your wife?
Your ineptness shan’t trespass on my gentle life!’
And just to make sure that her words carried weight,
The dragon decided to show off her hate,
Forgoing all pretense of pleasant demeanor,
And flashing such face as I'd yet to have seen her.
I unfurled then my tongue, as this felt unfair,
‘To steal offspring from her, for a child of your own?
Why he's hardly a lad, I'm sure now he’s full grown!’
‘Yes, he’s full grown, and think all that I’ve missed!
That’s why I’ll employ a new egg for assist,
When young, he showed interest in magical creatures,
With unicorns scarce, dragons have the best features.’
The truth now full out, our distress had congealed,
While his daughter looked shocked at the thoughts he’d revealed,
‘Father, no,’ spoke the girl, ‘How could you think smart,
Of taking her child to relieve your own heart.’
‘What care I for dragons? Now again I assert,
These lands are all mine – hills, grass, rocks and dirt,
Everything therein is mine without question,
And those eggs,’ he did laugh, ‘shan’t find an exemption.’
The dragon’s body, at that, went thoroughly tense,
Her posture as rigid as posts on a fence,
Sarabella flinched back, drawing closer to me,
As Joacquil raised up her long neck threateningly.
‘I’ve been humble,’ she growled, ‘and I’ve held still my tongue,
As you try to take ownership now of my young,
From what I’ve just heard, you lost sway with your wife?
Your ineptness shan’t trespass on my gentle life!’
And just to make sure that her words carried weight,
The dragon decided to show off her hate,
Forgoing all pretense of pleasant demeanor,
And flashing such face as I'd yet to have seen her.
She dares taunt him so? Hot snakes and gyrations!
Did none have the knowledge to soothe situations?
‘Forgive her, oh sire, she’s under duress,
She meant you no insult, please take no offense.’
‘Care I what she says? I give it no call,
And I’ve had quite enough of this mad folderol,
When word reaches Gregor I’ve egg to examine,
He’ll ride glad in return, or so I imagine.
Thus I give the command: All troops now unfurl,
Go follow your captains, kill all but the girl!’
‘Wait a moment,’ I called, ‘a last word I beseech,
Please hear mine request before swords do us reach.’
He called out ‘Troops halt!’ with his face seeming curious,
What words did I have? Truth told that was dubious,
I’d nothing to add, no special oration,
Forestalling our slaughter mine sole motivation.
The king’s scrutiny watched us, as did other eyes,
I gulped and glanced up, searching high in the skies,
Making peace seemed absurd, neither side would dare budge,
And a prompt compromise I was somehow to judge.
As a soldier, at ready, was how I’d been trained,
But it seemed that a battle I must now disdain,
The king flashed impatience, and with time fading fast,
I relinquished mine sword; it clunked hard in the grass.
Did none have the knowledge to soothe situations?
‘Forgive her, oh sire, she’s under duress,
She meant you no insult, please take no offense.’
‘Care I what she says? I give it no call,
And I’ve had quite enough of this mad folderol,
When word reaches Gregor I’ve egg to examine,
He’ll ride glad in return, or so I imagine.
Thus I give the command: All troops now unfurl,
Go follow your captains, kill all but the girl!’
‘Wait a moment,’ I called, ‘a last word I beseech,
Please hear mine request before swords do us reach.’
He called out ‘Troops halt!’ with his face seeming curious,
What words did I have? Truth told that was dubious,
I’d nothing to add, no special oration,
Forestalling our slaughter mine sole motivation.
The king’s scrutiny watched us, as did other eyes,
I gulped and glanced up, searching high in the skies,
Making peace seemed absurd, neither side would dare budge,
And a prompt compromise I was somehow to judge.
As a soldier, at ready, was how I’d been trained,
But it seemed that a battle I must now disdain,
The king flashed impatience, and with time fading fast,
I relinquished mine sword; it clunked hard in the grass.
‘You wish a homecoming, she wants her eggs safe,
Say a method was found so no eggs must you take?
While her offspring might help, still all could go nervous,
But just think of a dragon to act in your service!
When your son gets due word that you have such a friend,
His return is assured, to your side he’ll attend,
But wait, strike that – no word need quite reach him,
We shall ride there ourselves and let his gaze teach him!
An acquaintance thus made, we’ll extend him the offer,
Come back to the castle, return to your father,
And study the dragon he now rightly employs,
As both father and son reunite and rejoice.’
The king’s interest stood clear, he could not help but show it,
I quickly stopped speaking, best now not to blow it,
‘You spin a good fable, but how could I trust?
What guarantee exists, so binding her thus?’
Joacquil turned toward me, her stance more relaxed,
She nodded and signaled our treaty’s climax,
I said, ‘Our new promise may seem quite abrupt,
But in all of this time, has mine word ever jumped?’
He nodded, ‘That’s true, your word’s never lost me,
I’ll consent to your plan, and have faith you’ll not cross me,
Tell me here what you need, we must start right away,
This mission does please me, let us not delay.’
‘Well first you shall swear that the eggs find no malice,
And Joacquil? You must grant her citizen status,
What else do we need? Theses words shall not skip,
I wish to now have an ambassadorship.
In this role I will serve, retiring my sword,
Ambassador to dragons, if you’ll so afford,
Plus a parcel of land, with me as sole owner,
For mine second career as a vegetable grower.’
Say a method was found so no eggs must you take?
While her offspring might help, still all could go nervous,
But just think of a dragon to act in your service!
When your son gets due word that you have such a friend,
His return is assured, to your side he’ll attend,
But wait, strike that – no word need quite reach him,
We shall ride there ourselves and let his gaze teach him!
An acquaintance thus made, we’ll extend him the offer,
Come back to the castle, return to your father,
And study the dragon he now rightly employs,
As both father and son reunite and rejoice.’
The king’s interest stood clear, he could not help but show it,
I quickly stopped speaking, best now not to blow it,
‘You spin a good fable, but how could I trust?
What guarantee exists, so binding her thus?’
Joacquil turned toward me, her stance more relaxed,
She nodded and signaled our treaty’s climax,
I said, ‘Our new promise may seem quite abrupt,
But in all of this time, has mine word ever jumped?’
He nodded, ‘That’s true, your word’s never lost me,
I’ll consent to your plan, and have faith you’ll not cross me,
Tell me here what you need, we must start right away,
This mission does please me, let us not delay.’
‘Well first you shall swear that the eggs find no malice,
And Joacquil? You must grant her citizen status,
What else do we need? Theses words shall not skip,
I wish to now have an ambassadorship.
In this role I will serve, retiring my sword,
Ambassador to dragons, if you’ll so afford,
Plus a parcel of land, with me as sole owner,
For mine second career as a vegetable grower.’
‘Is that all?’ the king squinted, looking none-too-well pleased,
‘No diamonds and rubies, nor other such fees?
Yet I see that it's worth it, if Gregor relents,
So I’ll meet your conditions from this moment hence.’
‘That being the case, I have but one last,
I will need an assistant to aid in this task,
He shall be on full salary, and work with me smartly,
I request as mine second the brave man named Hardy.’
The king acquiesced, with but one caveat,
‘I’ve an aide for your team, so mine interests be watched,
She is young for the role, but passion trumps knowledge,
So I choose Sarabella to join this assemblage.’
The girl looked quite shocked at this newest promotion,
‘Thank you, good father, I’ll serve with devotion,’
Then all was quite settled, the troops did stand down,
And peacefully strange was our armistice sound.
As this ballad ends here, new thoughts I am facing,
Unimagined pursuits that now fate has me tracing,
I shall work for the king and retire mine armor,
And assume the new role of a gentleman farmer.
But first comes a quest, and a trip far from home,
A chance to tour lands surely ripe with unknown,
On our search to find Gregor, our pledge to the throne,
Our duty to now bring the prodigal home.
Best of all are these friends, not one lacks in will,
Hardy, the Princess and of course Joacquil,
A finer array I could not beg or borrow,
And ready we’ll stand, what next comes the ’morrow."
‘No diamonds and rubies, nor other such fees?
Yet I see that it's worth it, if Gregor relents,
So I’ll meet your conditions from this moment hence.’
‘That being the case, I have but one last,
I will need an assistant to aid in this task,
He shall be on full salary, and work with me smartly,
I request as mine second the brave man named Hardy.’
The king acquiesced, with but one caveat,
‘I’ve an aide for your team, so mine interests be watched,
She is young for the role, but passion trumps knowledge,
So I choose Sarabella to join this assemblage.’
The girl looked quite shocked at this newest promotion,
‘Thank you, good father, I’ll serve with devotion,’
Then all was quite settled, the troops did stand down,
And peacefully strange was our armistice sound.
As this ballad ends here, new thoughts I am facing,
Unimagined pursuits that now fate has me tracing,
I shall work for the king and retire mine armor,
And assume the new role of a gentleman farmer.
But first comes a quest, and a trip far from home,
A chance to tour lands surely ripe with unknown,
On our search to find Gregor, our pledge to the throne,
Our duty to now bring the prodigal home.
Best of all are these friends, not one lacks in will,
Hardy, the Princess and of course Joacquil,
A finer array I could not beg or borrow,
And ready we’ll stand, what next comes the ’morrow."