Journey of the Silver Seal
Once upon a time, in the beautiful city of Verroia, stood the grand castle of King Alaric. Verroia was known for its prosperity, peace, and the silver seal – a sacred symbol of authority graced only to the ruling king. The silver seal was known for its magical powers; it could enforce the truth from all who stood before it. The seal had been passed down from generation to generation until it landed in the hands of King Alaric.
King Alaric was wise and respectable but had no heirs. With no child of his own, he worried who he would pass the silver seal to. On his sixtieth birthday, the elders of the city proposed a solution. A contest was announced. Whoever solved the riddle of the hanging gardens would be the chosen one. Young and old, men and women, peasants and landlords, everyone in Verroia was eager to participate.
Among them was a young lad named Elio, an orphan who worked as a stable boy. Though he lived in adversity, he had an insatiable curiosity and a love for riddles. When Elio heard about the contest, he decided to participate, guided by his guardian and friend, an old wise woman, Maelis.
On the day of the contest, the riddle was announced- 'I can be cracked, made, told, and played. What am I?' Many tried and many failed. From the break of dawn to the fall of the twilight, not one came close to the solution. Our young hero, Elio, still had not made his attempt.
Underneath the moonlight, Elio sat with Maelis. They brooded over the riddle together. Suddenly, Elio, in his innocent imagination, exclaimed, 'A joke. It must be a joke!' The next day, Elio, with his humble presence, stood in front of a grand court. The audience murmured, contemplating the odds. As Elio provided his answer, a silence fell upon the court. King Alaric, intrigued, asked Elio to explain his answer. He reasoned, 'A joke can be cracked up, made up, told to someone, and certainly can be played on someone.' His answer lit up King Alaric’s face. With a loud, 'Correct!,' echoes of applause resonated from the walls of the grand court.
Elio, the humble stable boy, was chosen as the successor to King Alaric. The kingdom rejoiced at finding their future king, but none more than Elio himself. As he received the silver seal, he prayed to use its powers only for the good of his people, making Verroia more prosperous and maintaining the inherited peace. King Alaric, contented with his choice, peacefully passed away, leaving the city in the hands of a wise young king.
Years rolled by, Elio ruled Verroia with wisdom and courage. The silver seal did enforce the truth, but Elio’s inherent honesty spread a greater truth – the truth of kindness and equality. With time, Elio proved he didn't need a magical relic to enforce the truth. He had already won the trust and loyalty of his subjects with his sincerity and love.
In the end, Elio, not by his royal blood but by his nobility, managed to elevate Verroia's name from 'the city of Silver Seal' to 'the city of Golden Hearts.' Thus, the tale of the humble stable boy who became a beloved king will be told in the corridors of Verroia for generations to come.