The Stone of Kings

Posted by Kendall Boyd

9 January 2001

Periodically members of the alt.books.deryni newsgroup are challenged to produce a set of stories to either a theme, or a concept.   There are also some stories that require an answer..... 

The Challenge: 

Here's something just to whet your appetite. Can anyone tell me who this is and what they are talking about? Just having a little fun.

"What is that thing?" the young man asked as his companion unfolded his fingers to reveal a dark red object in his hand.

"That, my dear friend, is a most valuable ruby. Something this world has never seen!" he exclaimed excitedly. He brought his hand upward so that both could get a good look at the stone. It was about the size of a man's little fingertip.

"That is a ruby? I have never seen one so large!"

"Tis true. Not only is it a large ruby, it is a magical ruby."

Both men were held spellbound by the stone. The one holding the precious stone closed his eyes, centered his being about the stone, and hummed an ancient song of magic. Slowly, the ruby lifted off the palm of his hand, inching its way up until it was nearly the width of his hand above his palm. With a gentle nudge, the man felt the properties of the stone, and then rotated the stone with his mind.

"Ach, you are just doing that!"

"Aye, I am." Laughing at his friend's naiveté, he let the spell trickle from his mind. However, the ruby did not drop into his hand. Instead it stayed afloat as he removed his hand from underneath it. Not only did it remain floating in the air, it continued to spin.

"You are not doing that, are you, my friend?" the man's eyes widened at the sight of the ruby floating in mid-air.

"No!" was the excited whisper.

The ruby slowly rotated around from left to right holding the men astounded. The candlelight glistened off the cabochon ruby with each rotation with a sparkle of dark red keeping them fascinated at the sight. After a few moments of turning, it finally sank slowly down where the man's hand had once been. If the practitioner had not put his hand underneath the rotating stone, it might have fallen to the floor.

"Where did you get this stone?" his friend asked.

"Let's say I got it from a friend," he answered secretly.

"Can you tell me anything about it?"

"Legends say it that it fell from heaven the night of our Savior's birth and the Magi brought it to the Child as a gift knowing the stone was a stone of kings."

Both men were silent at the description. "You are making that up!" after another moment of silence.

"As my word as a prince, I tell you, I am not lying!"

"Just because you are the first Sovereign Prince of Kheldour does not make you a king, Cunard."

"But some day this will be the stone of kings."

Again both men looked into the stone as though they were looking into the future. The candlelight glanced off the stone at just that moment making the stone appear as if it glowed.

"That was from the candlelight, right my prince?" the friend asked.

"Shall we find out?" Cunard glanced knowingly to his friend then to the candle.

"Yes!" he exclaimed, and then with a puff of air blew the flame out.

Both men's eyes went to the stone. Again they were amazed at the sight of the stone in the palm of the prince's hand. It glowed a steady, deep red light. It had satisfied their curiosity and whetted it at the same time.

"Maybe you are right, maybe kings will wear this one day."

~ The Responses ~                               ~ The Answer ~

~ Ancient Era Index ~

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