Our prince had a funny name; one that gained him notoriety, and in some instances caused him great anguish and ridicule. Price Heinz Für Bubble was born to King Für Bubble , and a peasant, simple woman after a secret love affair his father had during his legendary conquests in the Southlands. At first, the King tried to keep the Prince a secret and hide him away from public. No one knew of the Prince’s existence, and he never bonded with his mother or his father. Unfortunately, that also meant that he had no friends, and as he grew older, he found that he was unable to interact with the people around him. In fact, the young monarch preferred long strolls by himself in the woods, and being surrounded by nature.
As he grew older in years, King Für Bubble was anxious for a son to take on his name and his kingdom. All his wives had failed to bear him any children. It became apparent to the King that he must acknowledge his son, and only heir, Prince Heinz Für Bubble. In one fell swoop, Prince Heinz was plucked from obscurity, taken away from his isolation in the country, and brought to the King’s court, as his only son and future King. In an elaborate ceremony, Prince Heinz was paraded down the streets, dressed in the finest silks, and surrounded by servants and guards. He was escorted to the palace, where he walked to his father’s throne, kissed his father’s ring, and kneeled in front of him. King Für Bubble looked at his son whom he had not seen since he was an infant, and felt nothing. Unfortunately, he did not have a choice, and time was not on his side. He was stuck with Prince Heinz, the heir to his throne and the keeper of his legacy. King Für Bubble stood up, and announced to his court, “I present to you, my heir, your future King, Heinz Für Bubble”.
Now, being an outsider, and not fully of royal blood, Prince Heinz did not have an easy transition into royal life. Despite being the heir to the throne, Prince Heinz was teased, and constantly reminded of his peasant mother. He was called names, and was constantly referred to as Prince Hiney, a cross between Heinz, and Highness. It was bad enough having a name like Für Bubble, but now he was Prince Hiney Für Bubble.
Of course this was a magical, and quite unusual kingdom. There were people, but also magical creatures, and they all lived side by side in relative harmony. It was not unusual for humans and magic-folk to marry and live together. Since this was obviously an inclusive society, gay and straight people and magic-folk were also welcomed and accepted. In general this inclusivity allowed everyone to live in harmony with one another. This also meant that as ruler, King Für Bubble had to include magic folk in his court. The easiest and most traditional way to do this was to marry a magic creature from the kingdom. This was very unfortunate news for Prince Hiney and his future as King. One of the first things his father insisted on was that his son choose a mate.
In the first few weeks in the palace, it became apparent to everyone that Prince Hiney Für Bubble was gay. This was not an issue for most people, but it brought King Für Bubble great sorrow, and caused him distress. The worst part of it all was that the gay magic creature population was not that large. So, Prince Hiney’s choices were quite limited. Worst still was that his father took it upon himself to choose Prince Hiney’s mate. It was a purely political decision, and designed to keep the peace in the kingdom, and the magic folk happy. After some consideration, King Für Bubble decided that his son would marry the King’s long trusted advisor and confidant, a satyr named Agamemnon.
The courtship between Prince Hiney Für Bubble and Agamemnon was unusual. As Prince Hiney grew up without a father figure, it was easy for Agamemnon to take on that role, as well as the role of his future husband. Agamemnon was the father, advisor, and controller of decisions. The wedding was lavish, elaborate, and celebrated for days by people, satyrs and other magic folks all over the kingdom. It was a fairytale wedding fit for a fairytale kingdom.
Throughout it all Prince Hiney Für Bubble was happy, but also melancholy. He always felt like an outsider, and he longed to walk back in the forest, barefoot and free. He missed the sound of birds singing, the gentle breeze on his cheeks, and the rustling of the leaves in the woods. Following the wedding, he took the opportunity that Agamemnon was away with King Für Bubble and went back to his old home, a cottage on the edge of the forest.
At sunrise, Prince Hiney Für Bubble left the cottage, and entered the forest to enjoy a long walk. He walked a few feet, closed his eyes, felt the breeze brush against his body and took a long, and deep breath. Intoxicated from the refreshing country air, Prince Hiney staggered, and started to fall back. He was overwhelmed and started to cry. Grasping for something to brace his fall, Prince Hiney reached behind him, and yanked at the first object his hands reached. He heard a loud growl, and he immediately jumped with fear and alarm.
Prince Hiney looked around with alarm at the source of the growl. His eyes immediately fell on a creature that can only be described as a serpent. He had a long curved neck, a thick body, and skin that was smooth, golden, and glistening in the early morning light. The serpent, despite his intimidating size, had a kind face. He was not growling anymore, but was staring intently at Prince Für Bubble with kind, piercing eyes.
The connection between them was instant and undeniable. Prince Für Bubble was drawn to the serpent, walked up to him, and caressed his neck. He looked him in the eye, and asked his name. The serpent said he did not have one, and told Prince Für Bubble that he is welcome to choose one for him. After thinking long and hard about a name, and since the serpent reminded the prince of the magical and illusive Loch Ness Monster, he decided to call the serpent Nessy.
Prince Für Bubble and Nessy walked in the forest and talked for hours. The prince recounted his story to Nessy, and his burden as future king. Nessy listened and comforted the prince, and empathized with his plight. Prince Für Bubble also confided in Nessy about his feelings about Agamemnon. While he respected him, he really did not love him, and did not want to be married to him. He felt trapped and did not know what he can do. Nessy listened intently, and reminded Prince Für Bubble that he is the future king, and the master of his own destiny. As a ruler, he is responsible for his people and for their wellbeing. But, how can he rule his people if he cannot control his own destiny.
Nessy was a wise and magical creature. He had traveled from a far away land where people did not take kindly to magical creatures and his kin were slaughtered. He had escaped with the help of kind and loving people in Prince Für Bubble’s kingdom and lived a reclusive life in the forest. He knew firsthand what it feels like to not have control of one’s life, and the sacrifices that one must make in order to move a few steps closer to happiness. As a magical creature he had the ability to share part of himself with others. Nessy took Prince Für Bubble’s hands, and placed them on his body. With all his might, Nessy transferred part of his will, strength, and his spirit to Prince Für Bubble. It was all Nessy could do help the prince in his quest to find happiness.
It was dark when they finally stopped talking. They were both tired, but they did not want to leave each other’s side. Prince Für Bubble climbed on top of Nessy and he rode him all night long until they reached the cottage, just as the sun was rising. It was the dawn of a new day, and Prince Für Bubble knew that he must return to the palace and face Agamemnon. He must take control and take his place as future king and ruler of his Kingdom. He was going to take Nessy back with him. They were forever connected, and their bonds would never be broken. Their future was strong, and bright, and they were going to rule it together.
This is the epic tale of a prince and his loving relationship with a mysterious and magical creature. It is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are all imaginary, and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
