On his quest to find the man, the prince had travelled far

　　though his first impression of the hero was bizarre

　　still he knew the kingdom needed warriors for knights

　　so he`d have to settle for a loyal dog that bites

　　Once the dust had settled on his meeting at the guild

　　and the prince was calmer, having almost just been killed

　　everybody gathered in the square to celebrate

　　the hero quickly packed his things and hurried to his fate

　　The hero and his wife were given horses of their own

　　and started on their way to meet the king upon his throne

　　the anxious prince hardly guess at how he might behave

　　for weeks he bored the hero with the lectures that he gave

　　"Soon you`ll see a castle for the first time in your life

　　please enjoy it quietly and act more like your wife

　　for a man like you it might seem too good to be true

　　it`s a rare experience for such a brute as you

　　When you meet the king there`s certain rules for how to act

　　though you may be new to this, please try and show some tact

　　the first time that you meet a king, you may be shy or scared

　　the king is quite intimidating, so please be prepared"

　　The hero smiled and nodded though is face was hard as stone

　　"yes, it`s true, I`ve never seen a castle, king, or throne"

　　the journey through the kingdom to the capital was long

　　but the prince`s lectures left no time to sing a song

　　Once or twice the party was accosted on the road

　　the hero quickly acted though, and they were never slowed

　　bandits who attacked them were all wiped out in a flash

　　and if they tried to take the elf, they turned to piles of ash

　　The prince`s guards were terrified of how the hero fought

　　with his magic he could slaughter foes with just a thought

　　the prince was just as scared but knew his duty to the land

　　and knew they must rely on him to gain the upper hand

　　The prince`s half a dozen guards, the hero and his bride

　　continued on their journey through the kingdom`s countryside

　　fall was setting in as their adventure neared its end

　　the hero caught a glimpse of all the people he`d defend

　　Often when they passed a group of farmers they would stop

　　the humble subjects loved to share a sample of their crop

　　harvest time was festive in the kingdom every year

　　and rumours quickly spread about the hero who`d appear

　　The prince was weak to invitations, weaker still to ale

　　whatever he was offered he would drink it without fail

　　the farmers` parties made the hero restless and annoyed

　　the company of farmers wasn`t something he enjoyedThis tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

　　The fourth time they were stopped to join a festival to drink

　　the prince`s antics brought the hero`s patience to the brink

　　the hero picked the prince up and then put him on a horse

　　and told his guards to try and keep the drunken fool on course

　　At a quicker pace, the castle soon came into view

　　the prince made sure the hero knew exactly what to do

　　the hero`s wife was brought to a relaxing local inn

　　for soon the hero`s meeting with the sovereign would begin

　　He walked into the royal hall and just as he was shown

　　the hero knelt before the king relaxing on his throne

　　"I see my son has taught you the decorum of the court

　　you seem quite well mannered for a mercenary sort"

　　"Let me now assure you, I`m no simple sword fire hire

　　no one in this land can match my swordsmanship or fire"

　　the king and all the nobles were surprised by what they heard

　　the prince however, knew the hero meant his every word

　　"Well then, bring our finest knight to test this cocky boy

　　give them both a sword, and let them fight as they enjoy"

　　a noble knight in armour thusly came as he was called

　　the brash young man received a sword with which he was enthralled

　　He waved the sword around and felt it`s weight within his hand

　　he`d grown used to blades of flames, but he could understand

　　there was something satisfying in the cold, hard steel

　　as the knight attacked, he loved the way it made him feel

　　Without his magic he was strong, but so too was the knight

　　sparks and chunks of metal flew intensely through the fight

　　no one in the hall could look away, though some grew faint

　　they fought each other desperately while showing no restraint

　　At last the hero`s stamina proved greater than his foe`s

　　who dropped his sword and bowed to bring the battle to a close

　　the hero looked around with pride but something wasn`t right

　　the nobles and the knights all looked upon the man with fright

　　"He fights just like a pirate, but he`s stronger than our best"

　　"perhaps our knight is sick, or tired, perhaps he needs some rest"

　　"how did such a coward with no honour earn such fame"

　　"the prince himself invited him, we cannot hide our shame"

　　The hero`s demonstration was impressive but surreal

　　the way he swung his sword had caused a terrible ordeal

　　"even for a mercenary, there is no mistake

　　who can tell how many lives that pirate`s sword could take"

　　The prince had only seen his magic on the journey there

　　but with a sword he fought less like a swordsman than a bear

　　every time he cut or stabbed it wreaked of piracy

　　with tricks and feints his every move was crude and cowardly

　　The prince was sure his father wouldn`t even hesitate

　　in the kingdom, death could be a pirates only fate

　　as the hero started to grow wary of them all

　　everyone was silenced by the king who stood up tall

　　"Do you plan to serve my kingdom with the skill you`ve shown"

　　the king had no expression but his voice was harsh in tone

　　"yes, your highness, this is but a fraction of my skill

　　with my magic, there`s no man or dragon I can`t kill"

　　The king then grinned as if he`d found the cure for all that ails

　　"all that`s left then is to hammer out the fine details

　　find this man a suitable instructor in the sword

　　he passed the test, so education shall be his reward"

　　The prince was shocked at what his father ordered them to do

　　"are you sure you want a pirate serving under you"

　　it was clear the nobles all agreed, but not the king

　　"shut your mouth boy, you don`t understand a single thing"

　　With the king`s decree the situation was resolved

　　the royal stance was very clear to everyone involved

　　"maybe he`s a little rough around the edges, sure

　　but let it be well known that this young fighter`s heart is pure"

　　The king was resolute and no one there could dare protest

　　and so the hero, called a pirate, was an honoured guest

　　that very night a banquet was arranged to celebrate

　　the kingdom`s newest hero had an image to create

　　He went along with all the talk with nobles and their knights

　　before the food was served he was in everybody`s sights

　　other candidates were there as summoned by the king

　　but next to such a spectacle, they didn`t mean a thing

　　The hero`s partner wore a hood to hide her pointed ears

　　elves had grown uncommon in the kingdom through the years

　　quietly she joined him in the banquet hall to dine

　　and couldn`t help but notice, all her husband had was wine

　　Rumours of the hero didn`t slow throughout the night

　　the hero simply smiled and drank until the morning light

　　he laughed at every joke he heard, and smiled with every toast

　　taking every chance he could to tell his tales and boast

　　Suspicious glares began to ease but still the rumours flew

　　it didn`t matter to the king though, whether they were true

　　the pirate and the girl with golden eyes were known to all

　　it wasn`t til the morning when they left the banquet hall

　　"The nobles in this kingdom sure do like to drink and talk"

　　the hero mentioned to his wife as they began to walk

　　she gently smiled and shook her head then held the hero`s hand

　　"a hero`s heart is something they could never understand"