Lion II merchant from Castile
Meanwhile, in a small town in Castile, an 11-year-old boy, with short brown hair and honey-colored eyes until pale for a commoner, called Lion. He was the son of a poor merchant, he lived on the border between poverty and the middle class. His father had practically no land or money.
He was known as a fair and honest salesman, but that was not exactly good for his business. Because of the low profit gain.
Of poor origin, his father started to distribute and exchange food among the nearby villages. All out of pure goodness, since he had inherited 4 carts and 6 horses.
The people around him liked his services, he was treated like a man who was trusted more to transport valuable goods than a real servant.
The nobles in the neighborhood liked his fair prices and lack of greed, and so they started to finance him, a few months later he was the most renowned trader in that region.
Lion was 12 years old when the story reached the king's ears. Shortly thereafter, he decided to appoint Lion's father a royal merchant and invited him to live in the capital.
The job of running a trade agency alone for 5 years was already weighing on her bones and the idea of getting a safe haven in addition to recognition, collaborators, and an almost endless sponsorship was like a dream coming true.
The old man accepted immediately and within a week all his things were already in carriages going to the capital.
When they arrived Lion was still in shock at the sudden events, but his mind returned to the present as he contemplated his future home, the royal castle.
The castle was designed as a war fortress, a shelter and a giant maze. There were legends that mythical creatures lived in the forests that surrounded the castle, and for a commoner child like Lion this was the same as an impossible dream and synonymous with adventure.
Lion already imagined the entire royal entourage and the nobles lined up at the castle door clapping their hands for his and his father's conquests, to be receded by the King and his heir personally, to receive a tour of the noble's fortress and much more luxury than him never lived.
As in any child's dream, things did not happen that way.
The castle doors silently opened and let the carriage pass and within them he could see only a few nobles who had affairs with his father and took him away as soon as he got out of the carriage.
Lion stayed there in an unknown place without knowing what to do.
As soon as he got out of the carriage, maids dressed in the colors of the yellow and orange flag began to carry their luggage into the castle, he followed them into a small room, not unlike that of a servant. Speaking of servants, when he was ready to go out and explore his new home (trying to ignore the pain of seeing his dreams shattered before his eyes), a servant handed him a list of tasks that would occupy him all day. It was at that moment that Lion realized that not everything about royalty was a fairy tale.
He needed to study 5 hours a day and train his body for 2 hours a day, review requests from the people and village leaders, help his father complete and analyze documents, among many other tasks.
He told himself that he would never get used to this routine, besides, what was the meaning of youth for the nobles? - Reflected Lion to himself.
But he didn't complain anymore, as he knew the occasion was unique and full of opportunities. With that thought in mind, he tried to keep his composure in the days ahead and stop complaining.
Fortunately he didn't need it, since there was no time to breathe, let alone complain, and unfortunately, as much as he labeled the idea insane, on the ninth day, the routine seemed natural, he had become as insane as the other noble young people.
Before he could confirm his hypothesis, he found himself being dragged from room to room, signing and listening to testimonials and stamping demands as if it were a habit to soon find himself in his bed, excited by the prospect of what he would do the next day .
In the second week after a lot of work, his teacher gave him two days off as a reward for the effort.
Lion was finally exploring the castle! He flew from stone corridor to wooden corridor mentally mapping everything.
He must have been near the third bedroom when he spotted a laughing blond boy of about 5 years old, dressed only with his pants running towards him.
The boy did not seem to have noticed Lion, as he had continued to run in the same direction as he laughed and looked casually back.
As expected, Lion was unable to swerve in time and was eventually knocked over by the boy.
The two fell to the stone floor with Lion cushioning the boy's fall and before Lion had any reaction the little boy jumped up and quickly ran and laughed again. appearing from your view.
Lion was still trying to get up when he had to roll to the side to dodge three maids who were running and holding the hem of their dresses.
- Please! My prince! If you don't wear your shirt, we will be punished! Don't you want to see Mrs. Moly sulky again? Do you want to have to apologize all afternoon again? The maid shouted ahead to the half naked boy.
- He's very fast, isn't he? As if he's always on fire, don't you think? - Completed a maid who had stopped to take a breath while she was running again.
The servants were desperately trying to reach the boy, but unfortunately, as mentioned earlier, he was extremely fast.
This was the first meeting that Lion had as heir to the throne.
After the sudden interruption Lion returned to reality and continued to explore the Castle, trying to enjoy every second of his free days.
Lion saw the little prince again the next day, he was sitting in one of the highest corners of a watchtower.
The view from there was great, but he was crying.
Lion approached tried to speak to him, but the prince did not answer him, he only shrank more while hiding his tears.
He took out of his pocket a candy he had gotten from one of the maids and offers it to the little prince.
The extremely fast boy picked up the candy and stopped crying, too busy eating the treat.
- Are you just a little prince or not? Lion asked the little one.
He didn't answer, more busy with the candy than Lion.
Encouraged by the prince's quiet appearance, he began to tell him everything he had done that day. The boy listened attentively to each word while he still tasted the candy.
Out of sheer excitement Lion began to tell his favorite fairy tales and when he found himself, it was time for curfew. He said goodbye to his new friend and went to sleep, with the realization that he had made good use of his free days.
From that day on, Lion spent all his free time with the little prince, Prince showed him emergency exits, shelters for all categories of accidents and even handed him a copy of the castle plan he had stolen from the royal quarters.
Prince only seemed to be alone, he didn't speak much, but he heard stories very well, especially when it came to hydras, pegasi, dryads and centaurs who lived in the forest of the castle. Lion managed to convince Prince to wear T-shirts, and the prince convinced him to play with him every afternoon.
Lion discovered that 2 days before his first meeting with the little boy, he had done something that apparently was common, or from the point of view of the prince "caused an accident".
A punishment for the prince's antics would finally be applied, and, on the other hand, that afternoon he fled the castle and was found only at night, unconscious and poisoned.
Due to panic and fright, the servants had forgotten to punish him, but the next day they insisted that he apologize to all the servants involved in the dread he had caused and the mischief.
When Lion arrived at the castle it was not until the cold reception, he should have been introduced to the little prince, but this was postponed due to the new task that Prince had been given.
So, every day in the afternoon when the little one was free, he ran to find the only person who did not see him as a prince, but as a friend to talk and play with, his adventure companion, Lion.
At sunset the two sat on the highest wall to watch the day turn to night, while they had long conversations that lasted until bedtime.
Lion, who came from outside the walls, had endless stories to tell, and Prince, who spent days locked inside the castle, could spend days and weeks just listening to them.
At least until that day arrived ...