C.A.R.P.S.

28
Largest of the lands, yet never quite large enough,
One seeks northern wastes, placing the discovered son at risk.
One seeks southern prairies, home to dangers and savages.
Yet a King's heart hangs heavy from Battle, tired and worn,
Rebuilding slow, for a castle without wife or child is not a home.
From north, from south, from east, not west they sail,
On white ships, maidens fair, to seek his care,
One choice right, the others wrong, all lands hold breath.

Please discuss below.

Sounds here like King Silverthorn's a hot property. That and he needs a matchmaker, 'coz the wrong choice could be deadly to us all.

*turns to Twilight*

Think I could pick a lady of quality out of a boat for the King? It's a one in three shot! Great odds in any bar, even better odds here! Once I find who the candidates are, of course...

*pause*

Think I could maybe be a dark horse candidate? Prophets don't know everything!

Why does this stanza mention only three boats? Doesn't the prophecy have four boats in a different stanza? Or maybe there are four boats, but they will only come from three directions...

Either that or this a completely different set of boats.

No, I don't think it is a different set of boats. The other stanza, the one with the Princess of the Mages refers to the boats of maidens, and so does this one. How many eligible bachlor kings are there now-a-days, anyway?

True enough.

What is in the west? You know that would have a maiden to court King Silverthorne.

She could arrive via teleport, across the land on an animal, things like that.

You could either have one not coming in on a boat, or two sharing one boat--like sisters, say. Got me work cut out for me, eh?

And none of them *have* to come from the west--what if the west is all dwarves or somesuch?

<mutters under her breath> I swear I'm going to get me a map big enough to paper the entire loo with...

Well Jenna, how about we put you on a donkadillo and send you off to Silverthorn!! We are indeed west, and a donkadillo is definately NOT a boat!

I am thinking that the maiden from the west will cross from the Sea of Dust. Perhaps on a different kind of ship, one that sails the plains, rather than the waters. What do we know of the people on that side of the world?


(Damn...maybe I should ride to Silverthorn on a Donkadillo!!!)


--Maria--

Bah, wishful thinking on my part...If I were to court a king, I'd have to wear a dress or gown or what have ye, learn to curtsy, learn to make small talk, and honestly life's too short for all that mess. Me top half would be sagging to my knees before I could get all that down. Though if my research tells me that any of you ladies that *can* do that are the right choice, I'll be the first one to saddle up the donkadillo for ye.

If donkadillos wear saddles.
And if you can get to the king via donkadillo.
And if you can ride one in a dress.
A donkadillo, not a saddle.

So, ummm...how old is our King now anyways? He a looker? And young enough to well, *you* know..."make good on the prophecy"?

At least from the portraits I have seen he is handsome, but considering artists get paid to make people look good... *shrugs* as for making good on the prophecy, I happen to know two spells that make that more than probable and I'm sure alchemists can do the same, in fact, word on the grapevine is a Gnome named Pfizer may have already come up with something.

**laughs quietly at the banter between Mary and Jenna, then quickly blushes and buries herself in the papers before her at Dietrichs input**

Well if Fate keeps on blushing someone might mistake her for a fire elf... assuming that fire elves are red, considering they live in the desert I'd expect a healthy tan myself...