Free Mantle: The Return of the Sha by Gary Bregar Page B

head lowered. “I have never witnessed such a thing of beauty as a young girl who can think of others so completely and openly above even herself.”
    “How else could I possibly think of others?” Lizabet asked. “Isn’t it obvious that the happiness of others is what will make me happy as well?”
    She sounds like my father , he thought.
    “But you are thinking of the happiness of a chicken!” Zander said, as he choked back more tears.
    “But Carlotta is my friend before she is a chicken, Majesty. She does not judge me on my abilities…or lack of them. She is my constant companion no matter what, and I hers.”
    “But how can you be happy with so few friends?”
    “Majesty, you are a king with many friends, and yet you appear unhappy. Why should I not be happy with only two? It seems clear to me that the number of my friends does not determine whether or not I should be content.”
    King Zander felt something strange at that moment, something he had never felt before. He let go of his struggle to release his curse. He gave up on his determination to remove his bitter appearance. He realized, in Lizabet’s words, that he was no better or worse of a man than any other in Forris, and that he too could be content knowing that he was no more perfect or nobler than any other.
    He surrendered himself.
    As the king began to lift his head, he found himself looking straight at the smile of Lizabet Abbot, standing in front of him with her blue eyes and curled blond hair, holding Carlotta. Her eyes became as large as saucers as the king’s face appeared, and Zander had no idea why a gasp could be heard over the crowd.
    “You see, Majesty…you can smile too .”
    Could it be true? The king wasn’t sure; he only had the reaction of the spectators to tell him that something had happened. Even when he was unable to reflect his happiness, he always felt as though he was smiling, although to others he was not.
    A woman from the crowd knelt down by Zander and placed a mirror in his trembling hand. Slowly, he raised it to see his perfect smile. It was beautiful to him, and as he saw it, he smiled even wider. He had found it! He had found the thing that could make him smile again.
    But it wasn’t a thing, it was a child—a young girl who seemed out of place in the crowd. He rose from his feet, wiping the tears that were still rolling from his face, and when he regained his composure, he looked down at Lizabet and said, “How can I possibly thank you, my dear Lizabet Abbot? You have saved my life and I am forever in your debt.”
    “It is nice to see you so happy, Majesty. You looked so grumpy when you arrived,” she answered.
    Lizabet had been told of the king’s affliction, but this was the first time she had ever seen him, so she didn’t fully comprehend the magnitude of what had just happened.
    Zander looked at the others who surrounded them, and turned to the man and woman standing next to Lizabet. “Is this your daughter who has saved my life and our kingdom?”
    Lizabet spoke up quickly, “Sir, these are not my parents, for we are orphaned.”
    “Lizabet!” Bella snapped, “Do not say such a thing!”
    “But it’s true, Bella—we are orphaned. We have no parents, so how can I be wrong to say such a thing?”
    Bella turned to the king and said, “Majesty, it is true that our parents are no longer with us, but my brother Jonattan and I are quite capable of tending to our sister. She has not a want in the world and the term orphan, while accurate, is misleading of our situation.”
    The king hadn’t noticed Bella during the encounter with Lizabet, and he was now struck by her beauty as he had never been before by any woman in the kingdom. Her long gold hair flowing down her back with just a hint of curl, and her bright blue eyes, told him that she was indeed the sister of Lizabet. The resemblance was striking. The brother, Jonattan, didn’t have the light hair of his sisters, but the blue eyes were even more