In-Universe Tale 1 – Novel World Building

The following tale is a bit of world-building for the novel I am currently working on. If you are interested, a description of which can be found on my Instagram page. When I am further along, an updated description of the novel will also be posted here, on the main page of my website.

In the novel, the kingdom is divided into two groups with distinct cultures thanks to a massive dividing river separating the east from the west. And with this tale and various others like it, I was hoping to further develop each people group. This particular tale comes from the western group, who call themselves Fulgent.

There is no guarantee these tales will make it into the final manuscript. And, if they do, they may take on different forms in the final product. But for now, these are the first peaks into my current novel with the working title, Long Live the Kings.

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Fuglent Tale of Farvald, Seer of Truth:

SJ Shoemaker
Word Count: 2,211
12/17/2022

Long ago, before the word was written, when history was remembered by storytellers. Before even the great dividing river was formed and Rheicona was a single nation, there came a man from the far west. Many have said he came from Langsel. Others say this was a mistranslation, that he traveled from far beyond the border of Rheicona. And when the people questioned him from where he came, he answered in his foreign tongue that he was from too far away to describe and Langsel most closely resembled this response. Others still claim the town was not named until after his death, and any claims to his origins were invented long after the fact. But wherever this westerner originated, Farvald became known far and wide.

He was a simple man, ordinary in every way but one: he was gifted with an attunement to the world. Or cursed with it, so he would say. Neither deceit nor disguise could hope to fool him. Magical illusions, because magic was common in those days, could not trick his eyes. He saw only reality in its full unruly glory.

Farvald spent his days traveling the countryside. But wherever he went, he was welcomed with open arms. For men are never short of disputes. The people would seek him out and pay him with housing, food, clothing, or any other goods he may have wanted. In return, he would tell them the truth.

“Here are new boots,” they would say, “is the child mine?”

“Please accept this roast lamb,” one would offer. “What happened to my sister after she went missing?”

“Do you have need of a place to sleep?” another would ask. “I will lend you my guestroom. Just tell me if my husband on the frontline still lives.”

And when he had slept sufficiently, eaten his fill, and dressed in all the latest fashion, he would have nothing more to want for. But the people would still have need of him. So he would slink away into the wilderness again rather than deny a grieving widow to her face.

It was a lonely life. Having all secrets laid out before you with nothing more than a glance. Even the kindliest of people had dark corners of their life they wished to remain private. And even those with the best of intentions would eventually come before him and beg to borrow his powers.

One day, while he camped in the most uninhabitable of woods, a patrol of soldiers stumbled upon him. They were elated, called him by name, and explained they had been searching for him for over a week. The King had been combing the lands and had urgent need for his help. There was an ongoing disagreement among the physicians and magicians of the King’s court. (I remind you, this happened long ago. Before our histories were written in books. Back then it was not uncommon for a king to call upon true magicians capable of real magic.) Some believed her to be the daughter of the King, just as she said. But others believed her to be a creature of great magical powers who had shapeshifted to take the form of his daughter. The King would offer Farvald anything his heart desires without exception or restriction were he to come to the palace and set straight the web of deceit that he found himself trapped within.

This intrigued Farvald. Anything? Without restriction? That is something he would put to the test. Farvald accepted the King’s offer and marched with the soldiers back to the palace.

When he entered, he saw the King and his daughter as well as 6 magicians and 6 physicians. The physicians swore to the King that they had tested the girl in every way they could imagine. She was the same child that he had raised since birth. The magicians swore equally fervently that she was not human. That she was cloaked in a magical spell of transformation that only made her appear to be his daughter.

Farvald cared little for their argument and set forth examining the child with a skeptical eye. He circled her four times, inspecting her from all sides. And when he was finished circling, he sniffed at her.

When the King saw Farvald and his strange behavior, he calmed the argument and put a question to him. “What do you see, Farvald?” the King asked.

“An enigma,” Farvald answered. “For the first time, I am unable to see the truth without asking a question of my own. Your physicians and magicians both speak honestly and truthfully and yet, how can that be? I would like to speak to your daughter, my King. Pose to her a single question to clear up this mystery.”

The King agreed. “Whatever gets to the bottom of this,” he said.

“Young lady,” he began. “I am Farvald, a man cursed with seeing only the truth of things.”

“I know who you are,” the daughter responded.

“Ah, then you are aware that you cannot tell me a lie or else I will know.”

The daughter nodded, “I am.”

“Then look to the King,” he said, “and answer me truly. How many men surround your father?”

There was a pause. And then, “There are 6 men surrounding my father,” was how she answered.

The men equaling twice her answer looked around in confusion. The 6 physicians, 6 magicians, and King too all believed her to be lying. Or perhaps she misheard the question, but Farvald promised neither to be the case. He thanked the girl and approached the King.

“There is a strong magic surrounding her,” he said. “Her true self has been hidden from even me. I have never seen anything like it. But her answer has given me mine. Which I will give to you, sir King. But I insist on my reward before I answer.”

“Never,” the King said. “I will not pay you for a service you may provide.”

“And I will not provide you a service for a payment you cannot provide,” Farvald answered. “You said whatever I wish, without exception. Did you mean that?”

“Yes, of course,” the King said.

“And if I wished to be King?”

The King became cross. His eyebrows lowered and became one. But he answered in the affirmative. “If that is your wish.”

“And if I wished to fly?”

“I cannot grant that, obviously,” the King replied.

“So there are indeed exceptions,” Farvald said.

“Some wishes cannot be granted.”

“Then you have nothing to offer in return for my help.”

“Let me be the judge of that,” the King said. “If it is possible to grant, I will grant it.”

“And if it is not, you will have my answer freely. Because once the truth is known, there is no way to unlearn it.”

The King pondered this carefully for a long time. Then he called forth his 6 physicians and 6 magicians. And together they whispered about what might be done, but no answer which they found seemed satisfactory.

Finally, Farvald grew bored of waiting and offered his own solution. “Let us do this,” he said. “I will tell you half of the truth now. And only upon completing my wish will I tell you the half which remains. If you are truly a man of your word, you will not act on this half knowledge as that would be taking without payment and you, King, would be known as a liar and a thief until the end of your days.”

And the King agreed to the terms Farvald had set forth, saying, “I see no way harm may come from this arrangement.” But the King did not see as Farvald did. That this was anything but true.

“This child,” Farvald pointed to the young girl. “Is not from your loins, nor is she the child whom your wife bore. And for this half of the truth, I request my curse be lifted. I wish to no longer see the truth as plainly as you see color.”

“If it is possible, Farvald, it will be as you ask.”

And the King meant his words honestly. For the next several months, Farvald was a guest at the palace, wanting for nothing day to day. During that time, every physician and magician in the land gathered together to seek out an end to Farvald’s curse. And though they tried valiantly, nothing gave Farvald the relief he sought.

While this was going on, the King grew resentful of the imposter posing as his daughter. And, try as he might, he could not stop himself from acting on the knowledge he now held. She was left alone in her room in the far tower, and rarely if ever called upon or invited to public events. He would even correct anyone who called her his daughter, for she was not.

As the months passed, he received pressure from those unaware of any change that his daughter was coming of age and must be married off. But how could he hoist his problem upon another? How could he hope to strengthen key relationships by promising a princess and then turning around and giving them an imposter? But neither could he deny them. It would look equally as problematic were he to spur those closest to him who would seek a strengthened relationship through marriage. And any decision had to be additionally scrutinized for how Farvald may receive it. The King was a man of his word. His reputation was everything. He could not be known as a liar and thief. It would be so much easier if this imposter were suddenly ripped from his life.

And with that thought, a new plan began to hatch in his mind. One he set forth in implementing with all due haste. A trip was planned to the nearby Kingdom. For the sake of appearances, his entire royal family was to be involved, his precious daughter included. Then as the trip was about to be underway, he would be called upon, an urgent matter with the highest of secrecy. That way he would not need explain details to even his closest allies. So he would stay behind and sort the matter while his daughter was sent on ahead. And tragedy would, unfortunately, strike the caravan. They would be set upon by bandits who will murder everyone, his daughter included, and take anything of value. It would be most tragic; he would bemoan his cruel fate, if only he had been there to defend her. He would mourn for a suitable time. And then, when his time of acting was complete, he will be rid of the whole problem once and for all.

So he set out with his plan.

Each step went exactly according to plan. And no one questioned the King’s word. He was, after all, known for his honesty. Then, when his mourning period was up, he rid himself of Farvald also. Since there was no more truth to be had, there was no need to continue with their futile attempts to break Farvald’s curse.

Farvald, upon hearing this news, did not object. He simply bowed and gave the King thanks for his hospitality. But before he took his leave, as he was kissing the hand of the King one final time, he offered the King freely, three additional truths.

The first, the magicians he employed were trolls in disguise. Everyone knows how great troll magic was. That is why these magicians were so effective at their work. He had hoped that their added skill with the mystic arts would rid him of his curse, but even they could not end his suffering.

The second, apart from Farvald and his eyes that could see naught but truth, only other trolls could see through the shape-shifting disguises of other trolls. And while the princess could see them plainly, they could not see hers.

And third and finally, if a child were to die shortly after birth, it was not uncommon for a troll to replace the human corpse with a child or their own, wearing a permanent spell of shape-changing that not even another troll could see through.

It was a good thing, therefore, that the King stuck to his word and did not act harshly against the child for the disguise not even she understood. Because while she was not from his loins, she was the child he raised from birth as his own. As much his daughter as anyone could ask. Both the magicians and the physicians spoke truthfully. In fact, there was no lie to be found at all within the halls of the King when he first arrived. Just a misunderstanding of the facts. But in recent days the palace air seemed to be, strangely enough, brimming with lies.

Farvald asked of the King why that might be.

And the honest King shook his head.

“See to it that no one asks after the truth of your daughter, sir King,” answer Farvald. “For I provide no answer of truth without first receiving a question… and payment.”

Then Farvald wandered once more into the woods, and the King spent the rest of his days truly mourning his loss.