After a day's travel Prince Seren met another Prince about to embark on his journey in search of his fame and fortune. Prince De'Luude was clever, strong, brave and quick. He had justly won every contest of skill and wits held within the 3 nearby kingdoms. He was rightly proud of his strong arm, leg, heart and mind. What the prince was not was fair. The one unfortunate gift of fate visited on this fortunate royal son was a visage that bore a strong resemblance to a toad. Ever since infancy his parents the King and Queen had spared no expense or effort to keep their only son from having his growing confidence and mastery undercut by learning the truth of his appearance. He had grown up hearing from everyone in the Kingdom how handsome he was, and doubted it not.
Prince Seren learned of this after signing on to be Prince De'Luud's scribe as they headed out of the village below his castle onto their quest. Listening to the minstrels singing their odes to Prince De'Luud's graces he was shocked to hear as many to his fair good looks as to his strength of arm. Observing the good prince's comfortable acceptance of these peons he came to understand the blindness of his new employer to his appearance and to wonder what it bode.
Soon they came to a fork in the road from which they could see two castles in the distance. Asking a farmer in an adjoining field of the nature of the two castles, they were told that each ruled over a rich kingdom, that each held great fortune, that each held a beautiful princess being held by a fierce dragon that could only be defeated by great strength of arm, stoutness of heart and fleetness of foot, and that each had been promised by their King to the rescuer of the princess. Finally the farmer said that the road to each castle was guarded along its way by an evil troll living under the bridge spanning the river that traversed both kingdoms. The troll under one bridge was a female who only let those of uncommomly handsome visage pass, eating all others in one dainty bite, while the troll under the other bridge was the brother of the female and only allowed pass those who could solve his devilish riddles, grinding the bones of all others to make his bread.
Prince Seren, reflecting on the fact that it had not taken long to bode what it was going to bode, listened without surprise to Prince De'Luud stating that they would proceed anon to the female Troll where they would most easily pass. Receiving only scorn and abuse for his attempts to dissuade Prince De'Luud from his planned course by offering a clearer picture of his appearance, Prince Seren sadly retraced his steps while Prince De'Luud confidently went forward to meet his dainty fate.
Path -- A feasible path from where you are to where you want to go
Traveling back along his path Prince Seren met Prince Humperdink. Prince Humperdink was strong, fleet and handsome, although somewhat slow in thought. He was also pure of heart and clear of mind. He held no allusions about himself and had a well-considered plan to gain his fortune. "Scribe." said he, "I am not a brilliant man. Nor am I knowledgeable, but methinks that there are fortunes to be won where speed of foot, strength of arm and a pleasant visage can win the day. Let us go boldly where noblemen have gone before."
Prince Seren was greatly optimistic embarking on this new quest. Here was a prince with a worthy vision and the skills to realize it. Further he had the insight to recognize his weaknesses as well as his strengths. Surely, now Prince Seren would see first hand how to create one's own good fortune.
Unfortunately, the farmer who knew which road was guarded by which troll was nowhere to be found and Prince Humperdink's spyglass was not strong enough to distinguish the difference between male and female trolls at that distance. Undeterred, Prince Humperdink chose a road and boldly went forth. Unfortunately, his winning smile and twinkling eyes had no effect. He stumbled on the third and final riddle, "What's your favorite color?", and ended up as a loaf of sourdough.
Impetus -- a driving force to traverse the path in its entirety
With a deep sigh and a melancholy demeanor, Prince Seren turned his steps homeward sadly contemplating whether it was time to accept the job offer, made by his uncle the king of an adjoining kingdom, in his royal counting house practicing arbitrage in the florin, guilder and drachma markets. As he slowly retraced his steps, his mind likewise retraced his recent adventures and focused inwardly on all he had learned, wholly oblivious to his surroundings.
In this dazed state, he was just about to be run over by an ox cart carrying pig offal when a strong hand plucked him back from his doom and lifted him on to the back of a magnificent war horse. Finding himself perched on the largest horse in armor he had ever seen and sitting behind a huge knight in full armor, he sat speechless until a deep voice asked, "So, young squire, what deep thoughts so distract you from your peril?" Prince Seren explained that his quest to find the keys to creating one's own good fortune had failed and he was returning in failure to his home kingdom.
His savior, Prince Almast, listened attentively and kindly suggested that Prince Seren accompany him on his journey for a time, correctly pointing out that there was no pressing urgency associated with a plan to dejectedly return to one's home in failure.
Prince Seren agreed to so accompany his new acquaintance and inquired as to their destination and intent. Prince Almast explained that he was traveling to a nearby kingdom in order to defeat two trolls, rescue two princesses, return them to their respective kingdoms, collect the treasures offered by their respective families, use the treasures to raise an army, purchase trebuchets and sapping gear, return to his family castle, storm it, free his betrothed from his evil twin, Prince Skippy, regain the family kingdom and live happily ever after.
Marveling upon what a small, flat world on which they lived, Prince Seren rode along behind Prince Almast preparing himself to be disappointed once again. To his growing astonishment he observed as his new friend charmed the female troll, saved princess number one, outwitted the male troll, freed princess number two, repatriated each to their respective kingdoms, collected fortunes from each and set off for Everything Trebuchet to outfit his campaign to recapture his Kingdom.
Prince Almast explained that the remainder of their quest was as good as accomplished already being that his brother Prince Skippy was in fact a terrible coward and would certainly run away at the first sight of Prince Almast at the gates of the castle with engines of siege in place. As they made their way toward the neighboring kingdom where lay the closest Everything Trebuchet, Prince Almast stopped more and more often at alehouses, where repast and ale increasingly became repast, ale, gaming at dice, debauchery, sleep and more of the same. After a fortnight at the last village's alehouse, Prince Almast purchased a local manor house, took the alehouseman's daughter as a mistress and declared his intention to raise barley. Nothing Prince Seren said could re-ignite Prince Almast's lost desire to complete his original plan.
When Prince Almast could likewise not persuade Prince Seren to stay and settle nearby, he gave Prince Seren his armor and warhorse and wished him godspeed in his quest for self-created good fortune.
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