Brigid Faye, Reader

Once upon a time, there was a king who had more riches than could be counted. He had more cars than he could drive. He had more ships than he could sail. He had more companies than he could run. He had more people doting on him than he could remember their names. But still, he was unhappy. But still, he wanted more.

There was something inside of him, some black hole. It ate away at his spirit, and never could he be whole. Life was a game, and he was the winner, because he was successful. He had more than his servants could dream of having, but he was unhappy. He was mean. He didn’t think anything was wrong with him, and if sometimes he did wonder, he had no idea what it might be. 

One day while out sailing, for that is what rich people do, he saw something which he could not explain. It was a woman of sorts, on an outcrop of rock, she was combing her hair, and sang the sweetest music. Something about her filled him, and he knew right away that this woman would save him. He turned the rudder and made way for the rock. She saw him coming, and away she fled. She jumped into the sea, and as she leapt into the air, she became a fish in front of the king’s eyes. 

Now transformations like these are impossible, that the king knew. He called on a search party, for the woman was true. She had to be. The search party came up short. The woman was not found. The king could not get everything that he wanted, and that was the lesson he needed to learn.