《Story of a Small Kingdom》


 Chapter 1 (out of 42)

    Nearly three leagues from the heart of the kingdom with its city, lies a very large orchard at the crossroads of ten other principalities. This land, planted with fruit trees and native plants, belongs to no one at all. Residing here is something of a privilege, although very few citizens choose to live here, which is a little too secluded from all the services a city has to offer.


    Among the few who have made the very personal choice to live in the orchard is Anakin, who works in supplies for His Majesty Scotty''s little kingdom. With very quick steps, he takes two hours to reach the city, although three hours is usually required as the transport of goods slows him down.


    Today, Anakin isn''t working. Off for the day, he''s sitting on a tree trunk that''s washed up on the ground, watching the sunset. Anakin is not contemplative by nature. However, a very subtle sensation of happiness runs through the peripheral zone of his coccys, or rather the whole area below his navel, where his posterior is at the very least. Anakin knows how to recognize this little moment of happiness. It''s a pleasant sensation that seizes him from time to time, and every time that little vibration occurs around his perineum, Anakin feels he knows who he is. Yes, he has the feeling that he''s part of a whole, and that this vegetable garden is part of him. Suddenly, he feels an urgent need to defecate. Every time, the same thing happens. Anakin has to find a little natural spot to relieve himself. This is always the best moment.


    Having completed his little need with flying colors, Anakin returns to sit on the same trunk. He doesn''t particularly like sunsets, but this evening is different. The whole sky is red. Anakin is suddenly gripped by another vibration, that of being in action. He feels the will to make an effort and use his body. He looks around and sees the tiny house he loves more than anything else in the world. He recalls an impromptu visit by His Excellency d''Alba through the orchard, who caught sight of his home. "You must have been touched by the grace of a blessed man to live in such a charming thatched cottage," said His Grandissime. "I envy you." Anakin recognizes the condescension of the better-off. Those who claim that the stripped life of the little people or the forced simplicity of resources could only bring more freedom. Anakin doesn''t believe it. Nevertheless, looking at his house, he knows that all his actions have meaning. He himself has built not only his little estate, but also his life in this orchard. All that surrounds it is a home. As he takes the time to contemplate this fiery sky, something he does all too rarely, he still feels that strange sensation of happiness that at first came from his perineum and gradually rises to his chest and spreads to every limb of his body. It''s like a slight chill running down his back.


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    Anakin stops looking at the sky and fixes his gaze on the tree in front of him. This mighty tree brings back memories. He grew up in the city, and his parents took him to this orchard when he was just 8 years old the first time. He remembers the tree in front of him. This orchard is gigantic, spanning many seigneuries and principalities; this small piece of land was chosen for this single tree. From the age of 25, Anakin took up residence here with the approval of the kingdom''s administration now belonging to His Majesty Scotty. The tree is splendid. Its roots run deep because no wind has ever been able to dislodge it. It''s as if the tree is also aware of who it is and why it''s here in this very spot.


    Anakin knows he''s making it up. But now there''s this little wind rising. He feels this breath that is part of him and part of nature. He takes a deep breath through his nose; he knows it gives him a great source of comfort every time; he feels nourished by everything around him; that he feeds on the same elements as the tree; that the energy of the sun and the feel of the ground project both him and the tree towards a common sense of their existence.


    But Anakin thought he was exaggerating a little and that his thoughts were going too far. Hadn''t he just felt the need to be in action, to do something with his body? He gets up and decides to repair his cabin. Tomorrow is another day, and he makes a point of not thinking about it.

 Chapter 2 (out of 42)

    ¡°Your Excellency d''Alba, you must at all costs crack down.¡± The Kinglet''s loyal servant was on fire, urging the latter to order everyone in the orchard to leave. Yet, sitting quietly in his study, gazing at the dawn, His Grandissime did not expect to hear the louboutin heels of the fat cow trumpeting down the spiral of his turret so soon. His inner circle was warned, however, that crossing the limits of this intimacy was tantamount to undermining his authority. His loyal servant not only has a broad back, but so does everything else, and climbing all those steps is a real challenge. That''s the extent of her motivation. Out of breath, the fat cow becomes more insistent: ¡°As you know, living in this orchard is a form of provocation. None of your subjects should deign to live in the city. To settle in these remote lands is an insult to Your Grandissime, even arrogance towards your subjects who have the decency to live in your principality. This orchard is at the crossroads of several of your cousins and even adversaries. The relative neutrality of these great expanses of green does not allow stubborn servants like you-know-who to avail themselves of this right.¡±


    This exasperates the kinglet, who can hear nothing of this perpetual debate between himself and his fat cow. He himself isn''t sure what the source of the false dispute is, since no lawsuit could be brought against the orchard''s residents. What''s more, no formal complaint has yet been lodged. For the time being, His Excellency d''Alba has other fish to fry.


    The kinglet feels exhausted and, above all, alone. A slight tightness in his chest reminds him that he wasn''t the first choice to rule the little kingdom. Several contenders were far superior to him, and it was a combination of circumstances that allowed him to rise to the top. It''s a long story, and one he''d be well advised to bury.


    Now that he holds supreme authority, His Grandissime must work to build up his credibility with his inner circle, of course, but above all with his ministers and counterparts in neighboring principalities. The kinglet takes the measure of this anguish in his chest and knows what it''s all about: he devalues himself for no good reason. At that precise moment, everything inside him transforms; the knot he felt is released to let a gentle sensation of calm flow to the bottom of his belly. The moment feels divine, and his sexual appetite returns. It''s in this state of grace that he looks forward to meeting Her Noble Prefect in the corridors of his castle, who has been appointed by the people to represent the little kingdom, in charge of its interests, administrative control and respect for its laws. Interestingly, Her Noble Prefect does not interfere in any way with the authority of His Excellency d''Alba, who would happily stroll the corridors in the hope of meeting her.


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    Unfortunately, without warning, a ball forms inside him and rises to create another knot in his chest. Her Noble Prefect will have to wait. This perpetual struggle puts a strain on his ability to carry out his duties. And the fat cow still standing beside him isn''t making life easy. ¡°Your role is benevolence¡±, his heart had already whispered to him. Her loyal servant has finally turned tail and the kinglet can hear the louboutin heels echoing in the distance. It''s a good thing she''s leaving his study. Otherwise, the kinglet still doubts his feelings. Many emotions collide and it becomes difficult to sort them all out. Last night, his fairy godmother visited him in his dreams and the secret was revealed: ¡°Scotty, you have to trust yourself. The only way to do that is to let go of the pain you''ve suffered. I know Anakin is troubling your mind, but he means you no harm. Don''t feel inferior to Anakin just because he has developed skills in many areas that are foreign to you. If you didn''t have Anakin''s perseverance to pursue your studies, it''s because your paths were different. Take the elements of your life with greater awareness and stop resisting. Your life belongs to you, and that''s all that should matter to you.¡±


    Reinvigorated by this reminiscence, the kinglet sees things more clearly and picture his life in a brighter light. He has big plans for his little kingdom, and wants to implement changes that won''t make everyone happy, but which will be necessary if he is to fully reign over his subjects. A breath of hope and confidence rushes down like a new breath to the bottom of his belly. The image of Her Noble Prefect suddenly triggers an arousal in him. Nevertheless, he wipes this libidinous image from his mind, and regains control of his work.


    ¡°But what does benevolence mean?¡± No answer to this question was forthcoming from her fairy godmother.

 Chapter 3 (out of 42)

    In charge of His Majesty Scotty''s treasury, Kiki is shocked by what she has just heard. Her colleague, Chiko, has just rebuked her in front of everyone: ¡°Come and see me when you have a little free time,¡± she tells her. ¡°I have a few words to say to you¡±. Kiki doesn''t take kindly to being spoken to in this tone; she won''t accept any remedial measures imposed on her. Chiko has not changed her mind and adds: ¡°We know you''re resistant to the new way of running the kingdom. You''ll have to get used to it sooner or later¡±.


    Unable to calm down, Kiki had to leave work suddenly. It took her a good hour''s walk to get to her home on the edge of the large orchard. The sun was at its zenith and not a cloud in sight. The walk had the effect of clearing her mind and releasing the bitterness that grips her throat every time she dwells on the baseless accusations that have been levelled at her for some time.


    Kiki would love to change jobs. If there''s one change she can''t bring herself to make, it''s devoting all her time to her music. The new imperatives of the little kingdom don''t intimidate her; she''s always open to new ideas. Anakin and several colleagues could testify on her behalf. All Kiki needs is a little time and support to adjust to the changes the kinglet wants to implement.


    Even though she''s getting older, Kiki doesn''t despair. For her, age shouldn''t matter when it comes to a new profession. For her, life has the same weight, whatever your age. She even dares to be unrealistic on the subject. ¡°An old man has as much future ahead of him as a young child,¡± she likes to repeat. Without fully believing it, she nevertheless sees in it a subtle form of truth that she herself struggles to understand. She has faith; that''s what counts.


    The sun''s rays beat down on her skull. She feels haloed by thousands of tiny golden particles. Her hair is burning up. Kiki loves sunbathing. ¡°No, it''s never too late,¡± she says to herself. She becomes aware of this argument with Chiko and sees in it a kind of absurdity. Why does she, Kiki, let herself get emotionally carried away by a situation from which she can free herself overnight? She has no need in her life for Hir Grandissime''s inner circle, nor for the council of ministers and shallow relationships with the principalities neighboring the little kingdom. Kiki, in a sense, is free and she knows it. She alone belongs to herself and no one else. Chiko must not, in any way, have a hold on Kiki''s existence.


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    Suddenly, something inside her opens; like a celestial portal that gives her access to a higher state of consciousness. Kiki is wary of this uplifting sensation, which seems to propel her towards a kind of enlightenment. She doesn''t see herself as a prophet, let alone a messiah. Nevertheless, the feeling is real; it never lasts very long, this feeling of being the repository of great knowledge, so Kiki takes advantage of it to take a deep breath of fresh air while closing her eyes. She allows herself this little moment of glory. She continues to absorb all the light that dazzles her closed eyelids. She feels connected with all the elements of nature: her feet on the ground, the wind blowing on her forearms and the small stream she hears flowing beside her. It''s a real victory over her kingdom persecutors to be so in tune with herself. For a moment, Kiki accepts the life she has lived, with its joys and disappointments. This temporary glory even culminates in her detachment from all the material expectations she has nurtured all her life, which limit her actions towards the person she truly wishes to become.


    Finally, Kiki is aware that she''s having a little moment of madness and that this sudden rise in consciousness won''t make her levitate just yet. This Chiko, after all, is a real pest polluting her life and she wants to get rid of her at all costs. She blinks and sees someone heading in her direction. Isn''t it a sign of destiny to see Anakin? A golden opportunity to do battle with that minx Chiko and enjoy Anakin''s attentive and benevolent ears.

 Chapter 4 (out of 42)

    ¡°She won''t be coming in to work today, unfortunately.¡± His Majesty Scotty announces his disappointment to his fat cow about Chiko. ¡°What''s the matter with her?,¡± inquires the loyal servant. His Grandissime doesn''t want to tread on this slippery slope by providing information that could either be misinterpreted by himself, or by anyone in his inner circle. He''s well aware of the tensions between Chiko and Kiki, but he can''t pretend that this is the cause. He himself doesn''t know what to make of the situation, except that he has nothing to reproach himself for. At the same time, he feels responsible for the conflict. Chiko is close to him, since she swears by the city and is constantly by his side, while it''s just the opposite for Kiki. Kiki doesn''t live directly in the orchard, but it''s just the same. On the other hand, Chiko spends too much time in the kinglet''s study; she shouldn''t be so involved in the upper echelons of governance; her status doesn''t allow her to be. What''s more, Chiko meddles too much in sections of matters that are not her responsibility; not to the point of being reprimanded for meddling, though. And therein lies the rub. A gray area that sows discomfort in His Excellency d''Alba''s body: a sharp tension that he feels all along his spine and that makes him arch his torso unnecessarily to bring his posture back to an angle that satisfies him.


    The loyal servant doesn''t give up; she wants to know all the ins and outs of such a situation. One of the little kingdom''s servants is already on sick leave. Telma, the commissioner for diplomatic affairs with the ten neighboring principalities, broke her leg two weeks ago; the slightest movement causes her excruciating pain, justifying her absence. Telma is understandable, but Chiko is another story altogether. The fat cow insists: ¡°Not feeling well! What does that mean?¡±


    The kinglet''s silence baffles the loyal servant, who decides, on balance, to stop finding out more and leave. His Grandissime must now confront Kiki and tell her about Chiko, without revealing any more than he did with his fat cow. Present at the castle that day, he finds her in a resplendent state that has the effect of disconcerting him. A ray of sunlight penetrates the room from a dormer window, creating a kind of halo of light around Kiki''s hair, conferring a sort of virtue. ¡°Would Kiki already know about the whole affair and be happy about it?,¡± wonders the wren. But he''s got it all wrong. Kiki knew nothing about it; in fact, she was stunned to hear the news. Lately, His Grandissime no longer knows how to juggle his intuitions; nevertheless, he believes that his treasurer is not bluffing. She''s completely honest in her ignorance and swooning. The kinglet feels it''s imperative to strengthen his complicity with Kiki and build a relationship of trust. If only she were more present at the castle, everything would be easier for both him and her.


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    This thoughtful reproach of Kiki''s is stirring up trouble in the Kinglet''s conscience. These negative vibrations have been becoming increasingly frequent for some time now. Yesterday, he believed himself to be in full confidence; today, a kind of apathy has overtaken him: he feels insensitive to the little things in life that once gave him pleasure. For example, Her Noble Prefect occupies less and less space in his mind; even masturbating, which he indulges in daily, is of no interest to him. All these details of his intimacy are disrupted by a growing fear that gnaws at him day by day. He can barely stand still for more than 5 minutes, and has to stretch his legs all the time, making his attention worsen. He is no longer present. His memory often fails him.


    From a very early age, His Majesty Scotty has known deep down that he is a repository of great talent. This confidence in his divine potential is intrinsic to him; it''s second nature for him to have this unshakeable faith in his destiny. If he is king today, it''s because he is the chosen one. He proudly wears around his neck a white medallion marked with two crossed purple tetrahedrons; this Star of David guides him ever further towards light and fulfillment. His maternal grandmother gave it to him as a gift when he reached the age of reason. Now he feels this essence of love when he thinks of his grandmother; he knows he''ll never be alone.

 Chapter 5 (out of 42)

    ¡°We''re all going to be subjected to the same demand to leave the orchard,¡± Kiki asserted as soon as she lets Anakin into her workspace. Like a sharp blow somewhere between his pelvis and his throat, Anakin couldn''t pinpoint the exact location of his physical pain. He knew deep down that permission to occupy the neutral lands of the orchard was only an implicit agreement. But hadn''t he been taught that traditions are stronger than words on paper?


    Kiki takes the time to make him aware that what she''s saying is, for the moment, nothing but rumors and unspoken words. But where does all this gossip about the subjects who have deliberately chosen to live in the orchard of His Majesty Scotty''s little kingdom come from, and more importantly, who utters it? As Anakin pondered this fundamental question, he felt a kind of vertigo; far from fainting, his soul nonetheless seems to detach itself from his person. A localized squeeze, as if between his two lungs, causes him to lose his mind, and Anakin sees himself projected out of his person, feeling as if he is now detached from himself. He doesn''t lose his footing; his body remains in control of a substance that seems unknown to him; yes, his body is still in place and doesn''t move, standing firm, but Anakin no longer inhabits this body. It could just as easily collapse, this body, while Anakin no longer feels he has any control over it. Kiki no longer speaks. She looks at Anakin without showing any concern. Clearly, she is unaware of the changes taking place in this body, now dispossessed of her friend.


    As if by magic, Anakin comes to his senses and regains his body. At last, he can feel his feet firmly planted on the ground. It must be said that he had lost his footing, carried away as he was by the validation of what he had been sensing for some time. Kiki has a point; he''s been feeling the backbiting himself. He''s tested the waters several times, gathering snippets of information from His Grandissime''s inner circle and his council of ministers; he also rubs shoulders with the orchard''s ten neighboring principalities. His intuition is strong. He tries to ignore this premonition because it hurts too much. His home, in this orchard, in his orchard; to take it away from him: the cruelest thing imaginable. If the intuitions are powerful, the quest for truth is total. Anakin has to go back to the source of these rumors and find the person responsible for any discontent.


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    The one who works in supplies for His Majesty Scotty''s little kingdom isn''t going to give up just yet. Anakin has just walked three hours to meet Kiki, and doesn''t intend to linger in the area any longer; he''d be stirring up dust that should be left to settle. On his way back, a germ of hope dawned on him as a rainbow appeared in front of him. His mind was still so confused that he hadn''t even felt the drizzle of rain before he perceived the glare of a clear sky. This surge of hope grew within him at the very moment when a pure light dazzled him. Surely the effect of rays on an overflow of droplets within so much surrounding greenery.


    Thinking about Kiki''s revelation, Anakin realizes that his emotion was virulent; he forgives himself for taking it so emotionally. Someone is attacking what he holds most dear in the world. He wants to let go because he knows he has nothing to fear. He feels this almost celestial truth deep inside, like an essence of himself that reveals that everything in life works out for the best. More than ever, Anakin wants to rid himself of his false beliefs. Too often, he has seen himself as illegitimate in front of his orchard, with its modest house. Yet, as he traces his ancestry, he realizes that his lineage has always inhabited the small kingdom now occupied by His Excellency d''Alba and his new inner circle; this journey back into ancient memories makes him realize that he has a full reason for being in both the city and the orchard; the two are complementary to him, and no feelings of guilt need inhabit him; he feels only love in the face of so much beauty all around him. Anakin sees more clearly now. A deep understanding of who he is and what he''s worth has infused him with a particle of happiness, like that cherished light breath that settles somewhere between his heart and throat. He breathes much better, and it seems to him that his soul has never been so anchored to his body. He''s confident he''ll be able to maintain his presence in the orchard.