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The renovations took months and brought no sign of the old Returning weeks later, the landlord fully expected to either find
woman’s return. Working nearly day and night, the landlord had the mysterious man dead or absent altogether with his house still
effectively wrung himself dry. However, standing in the foyer in rotting shambles. But he did not.
surveying his reclaimed home, he marveled over his own work.
What had once been the squalid hostage of an old hag now What he did find, he had not anticipated. A large peculiar
gleamed with order and care. He pulled the front door shut and structure stood where his grand house had once been. With half-
locked it with satisfaction, knowing that everything inside was in built spires and bare-wood frames jutting off the sides, the
its proper place. Bringing his stiff collar closely to his throat, he structure was obviously still a work in progress, but very
left to tend to his other properties. beautiful. The landlord was sincerely perplexed. Could this be his
house? After careful observation, a sort of cold panic began to
Within a few months, the landlord returned to his grand house rise up in him and take hold as he realized it most certainly was.
for a routine maintenance visit. He expected a considerable He rushed the front steps once more to find the mysterious man
amount of dusting, perhaps some light yard work, but he very in what had been the main room, wiping his coarse hands on a
much looked forward to taking in the glory of his hard work once small scrap of rough fabric. His body showed obvious marks of
again. However, much to his dismay, upon returning to his sweat and hard work, while maintaining a dignity that almost had
achievement, he found it far worse than before. A fury boiled in a physical weight to it. Anticipating the protest from the landlord,
his veins as he stormed the house, ran up the decaying stairway the tenant spoke first.
and burst through the front door. There sat the old woman
surrounded by a nest of putrid blankets and other unmentionable “My good man, you promised me rights to do as I wished to your
items, cooking something over a sickly flame built right in the grand house,” the man said with a warm chuckle. “I supposed
middle of the main room. He growled her name and began his you expected I would be fixing it to a decent little home, but I am
speech as before, but this time she made no attempt to run. Her doing something quite different.” It was then that the landlord
lack of fear began to weigh on him. He was cut off by a set of detected something on the man’s hand that he had not noticed
heavy thuds advancing steadily from behind. Before he could before. The golden sparkle of a signet ring glittered on his work-
turn, a massive hand slammed down onto one of his shoulders. worn finger. Raising his own limp finger to point at the man’s
The rotting-flesh smell of ring, the landlord tried to form words, but found it
the creature’s breath on “My good man, you promised me altogether impossible. He knew the answer to his
his neck was enough to question before he could utter a sound.
prevent the landlord from rights to do as I wished to your
making any kind of eye grand house,” the man said with a The tenant held out his regal hand for further
contact as another figure inspection, fully comprehending the discovery
slipped into the room warm chuckle. “I supposed you processing through the landlord’s mind. Stumbling
from behind the woman. expected I would be fixing it to a a step forward, the landlord grasped at the hand
He was tall, thin, and as his eyes saw what he had suspected: the crest
menacing, with scars decent little home, but I am doing of the kingdom’s royal family. There, on his
disfiguring his face and something quite different.” property in his house, sweating and filthy like a
lips. The satisfied smile of common man, was the landlord’s very own King.
the old woman was
hideous as she reveled in the safety of her two protectors. The landlord immediately released the King’s hand and dropped
Dipping underneath the large man’s thick arm and darting from to his knees, filled with a mix of wonder and terror. He had never
the house, a sizable knot began to churn in the landlord’s been in the company of a royal before! However, he was very
stomach. Then, the anxious flurry of thoughts was interrupted by aware of his irreverent display of disrespectful questioning. A
a low, calm voice. Lifting his eyes, he saw a man walking towards severe punishment was inevitable. Beads of sweat gathered on
him from among the trees. He looked ordinary enough, nothing his forehead as he tried to find the words for an apology.
on his person telling of any wealth or position, but his speech was
saturated with an unmistakable royal dignity. The man greeted However, before a word could be spoken in the landlord’s
the landlord and offered to take up residence in the house. The defense, he felt a great hand settle on his shoulder. He held his
landlord scoffed. This man obviously had no idea what he was breath and awaited his doom.
asking. But the landlord was desperate.
“You may raise your eyes, dear landlord,” said the mighty voice
Without explaining the situation in great detail, he burrowed into warmly, much to the landlord’s surprise. He hesitantly lifted his
his pockets and held out the key. The mysterious man met him face, and to his astonishment, found the King smiling at him.
with a condition.
“I am creating a palace, and I intend to come live in it myself.
“You must agree to give me full rights to do whatever I wish to Would you like to help me?”
this house,” said the man. The landlord met his stare with a sharp
pang of resistance. He was attached to the grand old house, even The King offered him a hammer and a small sack of carpenter’s
in its current state. The thought of allowing another full rights to nails. Sputtering through his utter disbelief, the landlord reached
the entire property brought on a wave of anxiety. However, he out, grasped the King’s gifts, and rose valiantly to serve his
was desperate. He pressed the key into the mysterious man’s great King.
large hand and brushed passed him into the night.