Fellowship & Fairydust

“Well, you are right, the laws of the King specifically say you can only have one wife. You should mention the agreement you made with Rachel’s father seven years ago and hold him to it. To make it a little easier, do you know of any man who is looking for a wife and might like Leah?” inquired Dominic.

“Well, now that you mention it, maybe my own brother might, but we haven’t been in contact for quite some time due to a disagreement we had several years ago. I don’t know if he’s still angry with me or how he would receive me,” replied Jacob.

“Then you should postpone the wedding, reconcile with your brother, and present him to Leah and her father as a possible match for her. If it’s been more than seven years, then your brother might be willing to listen to you. The two of you can forgive each other and can become neighbors, if possible,” smiled Dominic.

“You know, I should give it a try; this could work out for all of us. Thanks pal!” Jacob slapped him on the back and darted out of the room.

“Alright, you’re the last one. What’s your tale?” Dominic said to the final man at the table.

“I’m David, and my situation is very different from those you’ve just heard. Have you heard of Saul, the governor the King chose for Jaruli?” asked the man.

“Yes, I have,” replied Dominic.

“The King wants me to replace him, but, well, he’s not taking to the news very kindly. He’s tried to take my life a couple of times. If it weren’t for his own son, my best friend, Jonathan, I would have been dead by now. Here’s my problem: how can I take what the King has given me if Saul refuses to give it to me, and do it without causing too much bloodshed?” asked David.

“Have you not informed the King of this?” inquired Dominic.

“I have, but he wants me to figure this out without his help. I actually just came from seeing him and he told me to ask one of you for aid. I’m glad I decided to come to this table first, otherwise I would have been turned down by some of the other men here,” David replied, indicating all the men sitting by themselves.

“I am too; this is really important and must be resolved right away. I do have an idea. I suggest letting Saul be the governor for a few more years, and if he still refuses at the end of those years, then you shall have to have the King remove him by force. Not only is he making himself out to be a bad example for the people, but he is also bringing about a rift in this country. We can’t have the country split in two or more factions, especially because of our enemies. They would take that opportunity to strike,” said Dominic.

“They would, indeed. But how many years should I let Saul continue on as governor of Jaruli?” asked David.

“How many times has he tried to kill you?” asked Dominic.

“Five, why?”

“Let that be the number of years he has left to be governor,” came Dominic’s reply.

“That sounds fair. But if he tries to kill me again?”

Dominic laughed. “Then for every time he tries to kill you after this, a year gets taken off of his term.”

David smiled. “That’s a good idea. Thank you. May I ask for your name? We gave you ours, but we were so worried about each of our own problems that none of us actually asked you for yours. That was rather rude of us.”

“I didn’t think it was rude, I actually prefer being anonymous. But since you asked so kindly, I’ll tell you. I’m Dominic Savio,” replied Dominic.

“Are you the eldest son of Charles Savio, the blacksmith of Murindo?” asked David.

“I am. So, you’ve heard of my father.”

“Not only that, I’ve heard of you, as well. Father John Bosco sings your praises whenever he gets the chance; you are one of his best students.”

Dominic blushed. “Oh, I wouldn’t say that I’m one of his best students. I have to work hard to keep up with the other boys. I don’t want to fall behind, but I’m not on the same level as many of them. I think I should talk to him about stopping that; I really don’t like it.”

David laughed. “Well, according to him, you definitely are one of the top seven students in his class, hard worker or not. And I’m sure Princess Philomena wouldn’t mind a good word or two about you reaching her father’s ears,” winked David. Dominic’s face got even redder. “My apologies, my friend. You have helped me solve a problem, and here I am teasing you about your romance with the princess. I am truly sorry about embarrassing you, but Father Bosco’s opinion of you would in fact help you rather than hinder you. Now I shall leave you to eat the rest of your breakfast in peace.” David bowed, then moved closer to Dominic’s ear and whispered, “And the best of luck with winning the King’s approval to marry the princess. Though, from what I’ve heard and seen, you have no competition.” David stood back up and winked before leaving the dining room.

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