Once upon a time, long before your great grandfather's grandfather was even born there was a hopeful serf named John. He was madly in love with the king's daughter Ann and she too was madly in love with him. They lived in a dark time, a time when all hope was gone. After the fall of the Roman Empire the greatest empire the world had ever seen, Western Europe was in a state of despair. Then, a shooting star shot across a very dark sky and feudalism was born. Feudalism was a way of life, a social pyramid. Ann and her father were at the top of the pyramid as monarchs and John was at the bottom as a serf. Their love was strictly forbidden. He was merely her servant. But they didn't care. Every night she escaped from her prison, the castle when her father was asleep. It's binding walls were the only thing she knew until she met John. Back in those days people rarely traveled, it was too dangerous. Ann and John met in a little garden right outside of John's little house on Ann's father's manor. The garden was beautiful, the flowers captivated them. It was their garden, the one place they didn't have to hide.

"I escaped just in time, he almost woke up!" Ann said referring to her father.

"Yea, everything wouldn't be as complicated if your father wasn't king. Sometimes I wish he would abdicate his throne." John complained.

"Ugh, I know, the accommodations at the castle are horrible everything is so cold and the windows are merely slits in the wall so I can't look out and see the beautiful land my father owns."

"I wouldn't know I've never been to the castle. Or any castle for that matter."

"Let's stop complaining and celebrate."

"Celebrate what?" John asked

"It's been officially a year since we met!" Ann exclaimed bursting with excitement.

"Oh my gosh it's been that long? I feel like everything has been accelerated!"

"I know!"

"So, how do you want to celebrate?" John asked.

"I don't know what do you want to do?"

"Hold on," John said as he sprang up from where he was sitting. He walked over to the edge of the garden. After examining each of the flowers carefully he picked up the prettiest one of the bunch and walked back over to Ann.

"It's beautiful!" Ann exclaimed.

"Just like you."


The next day Ann brought John to a dubbing ceremony. The castle was decorated and it was beautiful. This was where John and Ann planed to announce their relationship after a year of silence.

"Calvin is being dubbed today. He's so excited, he's been a squire for a very long time, he had to go through extensive training." Ann whispered in John's ear.

"I have something to ask you after this is over." John whispered back.

"Okay, but if you want to say anything to the group have Lord Simon say it for you." Ann said gesturing toward a rich man sitting near them.

"But why, I can communicate with people for myself. I'm not a mute!" John said in an angry whisper.

"I know but they probably won't listen to you because they think that you aren't as good as them because you are only a servant."

John very boldly stood on his chair and screamed with all his might to the whole room. "You know what, I'm sick and tired of your friends and family debilitating me, you don't have to delegate someone to speak for me!"

"Oh my gosh what nerve! He comes as a guest to the castle and ruins my ceremony, he has no right! Take him to jail this instant!" The king shouted in a furious tone, clearly showing dislike for John. In merely seconds two fairly big guys appeared out of now where to drag John to jail. He fought with all his might and the two men finally gave up. Everyone in the room made a big circle around John giving him a wide berth just in case his next outburst was more violent. He walked over to Ann who was on the inner most parts of the circle. He took her hand and pulled her close as everyone stared in shock.

"Sir, I love your daughter very much, more than anything else in the world. I may be a fool but I am a fool in love. I want to make her my wife I will do whatever it takes. I will become a page, then a squire and one day you will be at my dubbing ceremony. I will follow the code of chivalry the whole thing all I want is permission to marry you daughter." John said turning to face the king.

"Alright, I will let you marry my daughter, but you will have to start on the road to become a knight like you said. But if you make one wrong move I will dedicate a jail cell just for you and you will go away forever. Do you understand?"

"Yes!" John said triumphantly

As soon as those words were spoken John pulled Ann into a tight hug. Ever since that day John, Ann, and the king lived happily ever after.