+={((Distant Kingdoms))}=+

    Once upon a time there was a lonely king. A king born with the power to take the color or pattern away from anything, turning it to a grey or monochrome tone. When he got a kingdom of his own, he took the color out of everything, even the people, astounded with his own magical gift. When everything was grey and bland, people ceased to visit this king. Everything in his kingdom had been permanently turned to grey. Only shades of gray, black and white everywhere. The only color left in the entire kingdom was his deep brown eyes.

                Suddenly one of his guards appeared at his door.

                "Yes?" Said the king, his face in a grimace.

                "I beg your pardon of the intrusion your highness—but there is a knight in one of our villages asking about you… He seems kind and of good intentions, from what I hear from the locals…" Said the guard.

                "Well than send him here. Keep a watchful eye on him though, in case he tries something sneaky…" Stated the king.

                The next day the king was in his study when the same guard warned him of his soon arrival.

                He walked over to his window as he heard the pounding of hooves. The knight came in on a white and purple patterned horse. His armor was covered in so many magnificent colors, some the king could not even name. The king was amazed. He had never in his life seen such color.

                The knight eventually arrived at his door. "HELLO!!! I am sir Pigment! I have been sent here by none other than The Queen of Color herself! I have come to ask a favor of you and your kingdom… We are in desperate need of 7,000 gold coins."

                "7,000 COINS?!!  Are you out of your mind?!"

                "Please, your highness let me explain… we have had a long tiresome season of drought in the Kingdom of Color… three years ago our crops with which we sold on the market ceased from growing… Without crops we can trade nothing to other villages and kingdoms, without trade we cannot tax, without tax, our kingdom will or has rather—fallen into disrepair… So we are desperate for money… We thought the drought would subside… but we were so wrong…The Queen s willing to negotiate we can give you whatever you want—horses, w—"

                "If your kingdom is so poor how are your garbs so magnificent?" Asked the king unconvinced.

                "The Queen makes it one of her top priorities. She feels even when we are we shall not look desperate in front of other kingdoms as not to sway them to attack us because they think we are weak…" Said the knight glumly.

                I will not negotiate 'til I meet this queen of yours." Said the king sternly.

                "Uh—well I wouldn't—"

                "SURELY IF SHE IS SO DESSPERATE, I want her to prove it by coming here herself!! My decision is final. Have her arrive tomorrow at noon."

                "Yes Sir." Said Sir Pigment as he left sheepishly.

                A smile on his face, the king got ready for the next day… Feeling something he and his kingdom had lacked for years… Happiness.

     He awoke to the familiar pounding of hooves. He got on his best robe and walked over to his window. There he saw three beautifully patterned horses. Two knights were at the sides, and in the middle was what the king assumed to be the queen on a horse that was white with the entire rainbow of colors patterning it. As they arrived at the gate, the king watched her take off her helmet and place a delicate crown upon her brow. She was beautiful… Her skin was a light peach, she had rosy cheeks, hair that draped her shoulders like a brown waterfall and side bangs as red as a rose. He smiled as he heard her approach his study.

                "Hello, Queen of Color! Welcome to my humble abode…"Said the king smiling and bowing.

                "Hmm, yes…  Sir Pigment is my best knight and negotiator… I take it things did not go well?"

                "No, I understood the terms and agreements…" Said the king.

                "Well than, why is it you need me?"

                The king was taken aback by her forwardness. "Well—I-- you see—"  He stood there in silence for a moment, thinking on what to say as to not offend her. He then suddenly noticed she had the same brown eyes he did. Finally he gained his composure." I saw your knights beautiful garbs and I thought—surely this is not the cloths of a poor kingdom…"

                "Are you calling Sir Pigment a liar?" Asked the queen, her stern look still unmoving.

                "NO!! no! Its just—after I saw the cloths on your knight—and when he called you the Queen of Color—I knew I had to see you with my own eyes…" Said the king blushing.

                The Queen raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Are you butterin' me up for something King of Monochrome?"

                "No, it's true!" Said the king.

                "Well back to my proposition…  7,000 gold coins in exchange for something else of your choice…" Said the queen.

                "Things have changed."

                "What do you mean?" Asked the  queen of Color, a worried look on her face.

                "I have a proposition for you. I want you as my exchange."

                "What?..." Said the Queen backing up a little.

                "I want you! We could combine our kingdoms together, that way we could share all the wealth I already have, and you can restore your kingdom whatever way you like!"

                "I—I don't understand… What's in it for you?"Said the queen confused.

    " Happiness. That's what's in it for me. I've been lonely, sad, and depressed for quite some time… but your knight—"

    "Sir Pigment?"

    "Yes… He gave me back that happiness when I saw the colors on his garbs! So when I heard about you—I knew I at least had to ask…"Said the king smiling again.

    "Do you know why they call me the Queen of Color?"Stated the queen smiling back.

    "I assumed it was because the garbs and maybe the horses! He spoke chuckling.

    "Ha ha, no… That's not it…  Actually, it's this…" She grabbed his tie and pulled him close, then gave him a kiss.

    The king then looked down to see his tie had turned a bright shade of red, his skin a light peach color.

    "HAHA! That is a wonderful trick!! How did you do it?!" Exclaimed the king delighted.

    "Well… That's the reason why I am not married. Kings of other kingdoms call it witchcraft… But it's not I swear!! I was born with it. Anything I touch either gains color grows more vibrant or gains a pattern."

    Completely awestruck with her power he was speechless. "There is absolutely no reason why I could even  dream of calling that wonderful gift of yours witchcraft… but does that mean—you accept my proposition?..."

    "Yes." Was all she replied as she smiled at him.

    With that, the two kingdoms united, the King of Monochrome and the Queen of Color got married and they lived happily ever after…

    The End