It was the weekend of the Dragon King's birthday. Well really it was the weekend before and this was the start to his week of birthday festivities for all the kingdom was required to celebrate their king's birth in some way. The Queen of Night had prepared a giant cookie shaped cake for everyone to enjoy on the first day of the festivities. As part of this celebration, a peace treaty was formed. The Dragon King and the High Prince reached an agreement that there would be multiple days of meals not prepared by the Queen of Night, but during this party, the High Prince would not ask her to cook for him either.
"Son, the Queen has been very busy preparing for this day's celebration for the past week. She is tired and wishes to join in the celebration instead of this constant war we have. Let us both not ask her to prepare anything extravagant this day so that she may relax," said the Dragon King.
"I agree, father. Nothing that she isn't used to preparing on a daily basis. Nothing that will take more of her time away from enjoying the guests we shall see. What if I eat something that one of your guests brings tonight instead of having her cook at all?" the High Prince asked.
The Dragon King thought about this. "This is something you've never done before. Don't get my hopes up with your 'what ifs' if you don't really mean it."
The High Prince, with a gleam in his eyes, said, "If I find something that I am willing to try, I will try it, but only if you give me the box you have hidden from your trip our neighboring kingdom this past week."
Not knowing that this was part of the Dragon King's evil scheme, the Dragon King pretended to consider this request, for the box contained rare and valuable pieces to one of the High Prince's favorite games which the Dragon King had planned to use to bribe the High Prince after his birthday week. "Very well my son. If you find something you are interested in trying, you must eat an entire plate of that item to get what is in the box, tonight. If the Queen of Night says you have ate enough to satisfy her after this night, you may have it in the morning."
"Deal." The High Prince felt he had won a major victory in getting something he thought was meant to be a birthday present for himself in the near future earlier than planned. Both looked at each other feeling they had won and peace would be had in the land this day.
As the day wore on, the Queen of Night was not asked to prepare anything difficult. The High Prince's favorite meal could be made in her sleep. As it grew nearer to bedtime, the High Prince had found nothing to his liking as far as the Dragon King was concerned. "The hour draws near my son." The High Prince knew that this meant he had to decide on something or go to bed, but the box was begging him to be opened. "I will eat The Bloodied Duke's delicacy," he said as if he had made the decision hours ago. "So be it," said the Dragon King.
The Queen of Night left the party to prepare the High Prince's meal and to watch his careful tasting of the Bloodied Duke's dish. It was spaghetti with tomato sauce and some chunks of tomatoes. There wasn't much in terms of spices. The Queen of Night thought there was cheese of some sort. These were the things she told the High Prince as he carefully considered his first bite. Without the Princess of Dragons or the "Spare" Prince there to see him attempt to eat with his usual dissent, he tasted it...and it was good. He liked it. Every bite he took was slow and questioning whether he should continue or not, but the Queen of Night did not prod or beg. She sat in the chair watching without much of anything to say wishing that the meal could be finished quicker. Forty minutes past the High Prince's bedtime, the Queen declared that he had fifteen minutes to finish or go to bed.
Daring to eat as much as he could in a single bite, the High Prince ate almost all that remained. After the allotted time had passed, three bites remained. "Can't I open the box now?" the High Prince dared to ask. "No. You should have finished the bowl before I said you had to be finished. The King declared that you had to eat all of it as part of the treaty. I have remained with you this entire time instead of joining in the celebration and you still have not finished. You have ate enough to get the box tomorrow."
The High Prince accepted his victory, wished the kingdom a wonderful night and went off to bed thinking he had won the day. But who really won would you say? Was it the High Prince who ate enough food to get the box he so desired or the Dragon King who purchased the box with the intent of getting the High Prince to eat a meal before he could open it?
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