The Enlightening Journey of An Exiled Prince
Once upon a time, in the heart of a prosperous kingdom named Ehlna, lived a wise, valorous king, Kaius the Bold, and his son, Prince Darius. However, being smitten by greed and power, Darius became a terror within the kingdom. Unable to bear his son's actions, Kaius banished Darius from Ehlna with an hope to teach him humility and empathy.
Darius' exile journey began. He harbored grudges initially, but the harsh realities of the world started showing him a different reality. He had no royal privileges. He suffered hunger, cold, and labour; he was ridiculed and dismissed. The prince who had everything at his disposal was now scavenging for food. This was the first ray of humbleness that penetrated his life.
One day, Darius found a village dwelling at the brink of a famine. Seeing their pitiful state, he felt an inexplicable agony in his chest, something he never felt before. He decided to put his princely skills to use; he taught them to build better irrigation wells, better transport systems, and shared with them his knowledge of harvest sciences. As the village revived, Darius experienced satisfaction, an emotion that was foreign to him. He learned his second lesson: Empathy.
Weeks rolled into months, and Darius travelled from one village to another, helping wherever he could, learning lessons that his royal life never offered him. A change too profound to ignore took place within him, as he started to live for others' welfare. During his journey, he met a remarkable woman named Ava, whose spirit was as humble as he had now become. They fell in love and together continued their journey, touching more lives.
News of a commonly dressed man and woman doing commendable work reached Ehlna. Amazed by their deeds, King Kaius invited them to the palace, unbeknownst to him that the man was his banished son. When the moment of revelation came, Kaius couldn't believe the transformation his son had undergone. Relieved, he welcomed Darius back, who was no longer the prince who left, but a humble leader ready to serve his kingdom.
Announcing his decision to pass his crown, Kaius addressed his people, 'Sometimes, in seeking to teach our children, we do not realise that they end up teaching us life's greatest lessons instead'. Darius was crowned the king with Ava by his side, with the love and respect of the people of Ehlna. King Darius ruled with a humble heart, a warm smile, and the welfare of his people above all else.
In the end, Darius' punishing journey turned out to be an enlightening one; a journey from power and greed to humility and empathy. His story reverberates in the annals of Ehlna, offering a poignant lesson to all: More than crowns and thrones, humility and empathy are the true determiners of a great leader. The once exiled prince was now revered as Prince Darius the Humble, the greatest King Ehlna had ever seen.