A merchant came to find the mercenary right away

　　"come with me now, hurry, I`ll explain along the way"

　　near the inn where they had stayed for several quiet nights

　　the hero saw just up the road an army full of knights

　　All in shining armour, like the mighty steeds they rode

　　guarding one grand royal carriage there upon the road

　　"listen son, the news about your strength has reached the queen

　　better you cooperate, if you know what I mean"

　　The merchant`s face was pale and he was visibly upset

　　up til then he`d never seen the crafty merchant sweat

　　the hero was escorted by a scary looking knight

　　and led into a building where a mage provided light

　　They sat him in a chair between two knights with long swords drawn

　　ready to attack if they had cause to act upon

　　they told him not to speak unless her highness granted leave

　　and if he disobeyed he would be killed without reprieve

　　The hero kept his wits about him, following their lead

　　as he read the air the hero nodded and agreed

　　then the knights announced the honoured entrance of their queen

　　and though he was prepared, it was an overwhelming scene

　　The queen was not a dainty figure, nor was she unkempt

　　her aura was a warriors` her face full of contempt

　　she wore a suit of armour full of gems and made of gold

　　radiating magic that was awesome to behold

　　The knights were clearly weakened by the power of the queen

　　but this was not the greatest power he had ever seen

　　the hero smiled and looked at her with unaffected eyes

　　wondering if she were just a soldier in disguise

　　"I can see that everything they say of you is true

　　as your queen I`ve had a royal charge prepared for you

　　you shall be a knight of mine until the day you dieThe tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

　　we shall bleed our enemies until their blood runs dry"

　　Her vivid speech continued and he listened with intent

　　trying to discern exactly what her words had meant

　　she wasn`t like the kindly king, who once had spared his life

　　her husband died in battle, but he left a tyrant wife

　　The queen explained that now her kingdom found itself at war

　　though they had a fearsome army, they had need of more

　　recently an ancient empire somewhere farther north

　　invaded with disasters which their mages could call forth

　　Then she took a box from one knight standing at her side

　　and carefully removed the item neatly kept inside

　　"this will make you even stronger than your wildest dreams

　　put it on your neck and let your power reach extremes"

　　The hero just assumed that it was jewelry with a charm

　　and didn`t think the queen would try to do him any harm

　　he put it on and right away he knew that he was wrong

　　it bent his mind to serve her, and its magic was too strong

　　He felt betrayed at first but then he started feeling good

　　thinking that he`d like to serve her any way he could

　　he bowed to her in gratitude for giving him his quest

　　asking that she quickly put his powers to the test

　　"We must now unite our enemies beneath my rule

　　and build a worthy army where you`ll be the crowning jewel"

　　suddenly she gestured to a knight from where she sat

　　"let me introduce you to my charming, useless brat"

　　Another figure then appeared swiftly at the door

　　a handsome man in fine attire which only princes wore

　　"hello brave young knight, I am a general by trade

　　let me just congratulate you on the choice you`ve made"

　　The prince was far from strong but he was flawless in his speech

　　the hero understood how far such fancy words could reach

　　the prince explained the nature of the armies that he led

　　then humbly bowed and left the room when all was clearly said

　　The queen arose and nodded at the hero sitting still

　　who`d finally responded to her domineering will

　　"tomorrow we depart, so pack your things without delay

　　we`ve already bought you from those merchants anyway"

　　The queen had judged his powers to be worthy of regard

　　so he became a member of the queen`s own royal guard

　　she told him to prepare for when her knights would come to call

　　moving his intentions like a child could move a doll

　　As the queen was leaving he then followed close behind

　　longing for to serve her with his body, soul, and mind

　　the queen then joined her son upon the carriage right outside

　　and when the carriage doors were opened, he could see inside

　　There beside the prince he saw a girl with emerald eyes

　　suddenly he felt his stomach filled with butterflies

　　a guard beside him noticed what he happened to have seen

　　"that`s the eldest princess, heir to our exalted queen"

　　Only for a moment did he catch her eyes and then

　　the carriage door was closed and it was on its way again

　　the hero stood a moment with an awkward looking grin

　　but soon a knight escorted him back to the local inn

　　Presumably to keep him from escaping in the night

　　the whole block was engulfed in some old mage`s magic light

　　looking from the window of the inn down to the street

　　all he saw were royal knights he thought he`d like to meet

　　He packed his things and went to bed then closed his eyes to sleep

　　for when the morning came he had a schedule to keep

　　he fell asleep content that he`d achieved his dreams and more

　　wondering what he`d even need to dream of anymore