Seeing Clear

In that moment, the wind spoke and all three, the Prince, the Prime Minister, and the young steward stopped to listen to the song until it finished.

“Did you hear that?” The Prince asked.

“Only the birds on the wind, Sire” the Prime Minister said. He snapped his fingers in front of the steward’s face. “Wake up, lad! The Prince asked you a question!”

“I…It was beautiful,” the lad stuttered.

“What? Were you day-dreaming again!” The Prime Minister grabbed the handkerchief from the boy and flicked it at him. “You are with the Prince, lad! Be attentive!”

“I’m sorry, Sire,” the lad shook his head. “I saw an amazingly beautiful blue ocean with a strip of sandy white beach.”

“A beach!” The Prince exclaimed. “I have hundreds of miles of beaches and I don’t dream about any of them.”

“It could be that you have too many beaches, Sire.”

“Too many?” The Prince scoffed. “How can anyone have too much?”

“Excuse me, Sire, but it’s like your eyes. Six eyes are two pair too many.” 

The steward dared a glance at the Prince, but the black eyes intercepted him. As he drew back in horror, a song, as clear as a bell, filled the air.

Turn your face, turn your face
Turn, return to me
Sweet love, you’ll always be – 
Turn your face, turn your face
Turn, and fear will cease
You’ll start to be at Peace
Turn your face, turn your face
Come, return to me

“Did you hear that?” The Prince asked again.

Too afraid to speak of the captive princess, the Prime Minister ducked his head. “Surely, your black eyes know all, your Grace.”

“It is the Princess Everly,” The Prince said. “Bring her to me.”

While the Prime Minister called for the Princess Everly, the Prince smoothed down the hair at the back of his head and closed the black eyes forever.

Power, gossip and vanity he would leave for others. He wanted to be surrounded by good people, people who loved him, people who were kind.

“Sire,” the steward gasped. “Your black eyes are gone!”

The Prince looked at the lad and smiled. “No, I still have them, but I choose not to use them. After all, I am not a monster.”