Faithful John

Many moons ago, there lived an aged king who was unwell and contemplated to himself, "I am resting on what must be my deathbed." He then instructed, "Summon Faithful John." Faithful John was the king's most beloved attendant, earning the moniker "Faithful" due to his lifelong devotion. When Faithful John approached the bedside, the king confided in him, "My dearest and most faithful John, I sense that my life is drawing to a close, and I am concerned only for the welfare of my son." "My son is still in the early stages of his life and may not always know how to figure things out solo," the king continued. "If you cannot promise me that you will teach him all that he needs to know and serve as his guardian and mentor, I cannot rest in peace." Faithful John replied with conviction, "I will never abandon him and will assist him with loyalty and devotion, even if it means sacrificing my life." Upon hearing this, the aged king said, "Now I can leave this world in comfort and peace." He then went on to say, "After my passing, you shall give my son a tour of the entire castle - all the rooms, halls, and treasure rooms and show him all the treasures that lie within. However, you must not show him the last room in the long gallery, in which is the portrait of the Princess of the Golden Dwelling. If he catches a glimpse of that image, he will be passionately enamoured with her and may even faint or risk peril for her sake. It's imperative that you shield him from it." After receiving Faithful John's assurance one more time, the aged king didn't say anything more. He laid his head on his pillow and passed away.

Once the old king had been buried, Faithful John revealed to the new king all of the promises he had made to his father before his passing. He reassured the young king that he would remain loyal to him just as he had been loyal to his father, even if it meant putting his own life on the line. Once the mourning period had ended, Faithful John told the new king that it was time for him to see his rightful inheritance. He took the young king on a tour of his father's palace, showing him all the lavish rooms and treasures within, except for one room that contained the perilous painting. Despite their thorough exploration of the palace, Faithful John didn't open that particular room. The painting in question was positioned in such a way that it was the first thing you saw upon opening the door. It was a remarkable work of art, so exquisitely crafted that it appeared to be alive and breathing. There was truly nothing else in the world that could match its charm and beauty. The young king couldn't help but notice that Faithful John always avoided opening the door to that particular room. He questioned him about it, asking why he never opened it. Faithful John tried to dissuade him, explaining that there was something inside that would frighten him. But the king was insistent, declaring that he had seen every other part of the palace and was curious to see what was inside that room. He even attempted to force the door open. Faithful John firmly held the young king back and reminded him of the promise he made to his father before he died. He explained that opening that door could potentially bring great misfortune upon both of them. However, the young king was determined to see what was inside the room. He believed that not knowing would lead to his certain destruction, and he refused to leave until the door was unlocked.

Faithful John realized that there was no persuading the young king, so with a heavy heart and many sighs, he retrieved the key from the large ring of keys. As he opened the door, he went in first, hoping to shield the portrait from the king's view. However, the king stood on his tiptoes and managed to catch a glimpse of the portrait over Faithful John's shoulder. Upon seeing the breathtakingly beautiful maiden depicted in the portrait, adorned with gold and precious stones, the young king fainted and fell to the ground. Faithful John lifted the young king and carried him to his bed, saddened by the turn of events. He prayed to God, wondering what the outcome of this would be. To reinforce the king, he gave him some wine to help him regain his senses. The first thing the king mentioned upon waking was the beautiful portrait, asking who it was. Faithful John replied that it was the princess of the golden dwelling. The king declared that his love for her was so great that the leaves on all the trees combined could not express it. He was willing to sacrifice his life to win her over and implored Faithful John to help him achieve his goal, recognizing him as his most loyal confidant.