The sea was very calm.
The elderly woman named Sarah began telling the story of The King Lycaon.
"King Lycaon was the mighty and extremely wise ruler of a country called Faidoria.
He had hundreds of thousands of servants who would obey his every command.
His palace was adorned with gems and gold.
But there was one thing the king lacked
There was no one around who could correct him, love him, or even calm him down.
And because of that, the king was deeply sorrowful."
"For this very reason, King Lycaon had visited many kingdoms.
All the lands surrounding Faidoria shared only peace and friendship with one another.
Because of that, the king hadn't witnessed a war in many years."
"But there was one thing King Lycaon loved more than anything else hunting.
No matter how busy he was, he would go into the forest every single day to hunt.
That was the only source of joy in his life."
And so it was on one such day…
The natural world was calm, just like always.
'Alrik… I'm heading out,'
King Lycaon told his minister before mounting his horse and riding into the forest.
He never brought anyone along.
He preferred to hunt alone."
"After some time spent hunting, the king caught a deer.
He would usually take whatever he hunted back to the palace to cook and eat it himself.
Today was supposed to be no different."
"But just as he was about to return to the palace,
he suddenly heard a humming sound coming from some distance away."
"Curious to know what the sound was, the king strained his ears.
It wasn't just any noise
Someone was singing."
"Focusing on the voice, the king spurred his horse forward.
And because he was on horseback, it didn't take long for him to reach the source of the voice."
The voice belonged to a girl.
She was sitting near a stream, singing softly.
She didn't even notice the king approaching
He, meanwhile, was utterly absorbed in her voice.
And it wasn't just the king who had come to listen.
Several animals had gathered around her, sitting in calm stillness.
Even nature itself seemed to have blended into her melody.
That's how enchanting her voice was.
Suddenly, the king's horse gave a short whinny.
Startled by the sound, the girl turned around.
Only then did the king see her face.
The beauty wasn't only in her voice
It was in her features as well.
Eyes that could captivate anyone.
Her hair was a soft brown.
She wore a simple frock. Nothing fancy.
"I have visited many kingdoms…
I have seen countless women
Draped in fine fabrics and adorned with gold.
And yet… this girl, wearing nothing but a plain frock…
She seemed more beautiful than any of them."
"You sing beautifully. What is your name, lovely one?"
the king asked the girl.
"My name is Fortuna,"
she replied in a soft voice.
"My name is King Lycaon.
I am the ruler of the kingdom of Faidoria.
Fortuna… I've traveled across many lands,
but I've never seen a girl as beautiful as you.
Will you marry me?"
"That is my wish too
To marry the most handsome king,"
Fortuna said to him.
"Then let me marry you,"
the king said eagerly.
"I don't think that will be possible, my lord…
My father would never allow it,"
Fortuna replied with a note of sadness.
"If you marry me, you'll receive the greatest gift in this world
A life where you'll be honored as a queen forever.
Can your father really reject such an offer from a king?"
It was true.
Fortuna had already heard of King Lycaon.
He was indeed a great ruler.
People of his kingdom held him in the highest regard.
Because of this, it didn't take her long to respond.
Still, she said one thing to the king:
"If such a marriage is to happen,
it must be with my father's permission."
"Alright then, tell me who your father is.
I'll go speak to him myself,"
the king said to Fortuna.
"My father's name is Jupiter.
He is the King of the Gods.
You cannot simply meet him that easily.
You must spend an entire day thinking of him,
praying to him with your whole heart.
Only then will my father appear before you."
Hearing this, King Lycaon was stunned.
After a few moments of silence, he replied to Fortuna
"Then… I shall begin that effort tomorrow itself.
I won't rest until I see your father face to face."
"Then may you begin, my king.
It's time for me to return now."
With that, the two of them bid farewell and parted ways.
When the king returned to his palace,
he saw his minister standing outside
waiting for the king's arrival.
"What took you so long to return, Your Majesty?"
asked Alrick, the king's minister.
The king explained everything that had happened.
"You understand what I've said, right?
Tomorrow, I need the entire day to myself.
No one is to disturb me for any reason."
The king never skipped his daily hunts into the forest,
no matter how busy he was.
So, if he was now willing to set even that aside for something,
Alrick realized just how important this must be.
That night, the king had his dinner and went to bed.
Even in his sleep, his mind was filled with thoughts of Fortuna.
The next morning, the king began following Fortuna's instructions.
For the entire day, he focused his thoughts on Jupiter,
praying to him with unwavering concentration.
And to King Lycaon's great fortune,
the very next day, Jupiter appeared before him.
The king immediately bowed before the god.
Then, he voiced his desire directly to Jupiter.
"First, do something to please me…
Then I will consider your request,"
Jupiter replied, and vanished once again.
The following morning,
King Lycaon ordered his royal servants to begin preparations
for a grand feast.
A royal celebration that would last for seven full days.
The king decided that through this lavish feast,
he would try to soften Jupiter's heart.
To make it the most extraordinary banquet,
he summoned the most renowned chefs from various kingdoms.
He offered them generous gifts and treasures in return for their service.
At last, the day arrived.
From the clouds, holding his blazing scepter,
Jupiter descended once again to see the king.
King Lycaon humbly invited him into the royal palace.
To be continued...
Next chapter release 15/7/25