Capes

King Ricardo squinted angrily through the long, golden telescope that was pointed out the window of his private chambers, toward the neighbouring kingdom of Gertal; homed in specifically on his rival's castle's balcony window.

There, standing leisurely with his foot resting upon a footstool, puffing a bejewelled pipe, King Hildegar looked out over his kingdom, trying to make it seem like he was not aware Ricardo was watching.

The stupid fop had done it again! Ricardo thought angrily to himself as he caught sight of Hildegar's fur-lined, crushed purple velvet cape draped perfectly upon his frail shoulders.

Every time he thought he had gone out and hired the best tailors of the land to create the most luxurious and elegant cloak out of the most decadent fabrics to rest upon his sturdy shoulders, that pretentious cad, Hildegar would one up him with his own ostentatious creation!

Well not for long! He steamed and swung round to storm over to his chamber doors, knocking the telescope spinning wildly as he did.

"Capers!" he bellowed as he opened the big, oaken doors wide.

Before he was more than a few steps down the winding staircase leading to the lower floors that housed his army of personal tailors and seamstresses, the head garment master was bounding up to meet him, several apprentices scurrying up after him.

"Yes, my liege?" the garment master bowed deeply as they met the King standing over them a few steps above.

Ricardo roiled and yelled about how his current cape was an embarrassment and how could they let his lordly frame to be sullied with such a tattered and peasant-like garment, which he whipped from around his shoulders and hurled furiously to the ground.

"What did your highness have in mind?" the garment master ventured timidly. "You only have to ask and we will do our utmost to please your every royal whim." He bowed low again, his assistants mirroring his placating stance.

Oh, he had something in mind, Ricardo mused to himself, and it will show that pissant Hildegar once and for all which King wears capes around here.

Dictating his plans, Ricardo watched as their faces went from attentive listening, to intrigued scepticism, then finally, bemused horror as they heard his completed orders.

When he was finished, he made sure they understood, and told them to begin right away for he wanted the task completed for sunrise the next day.

As they began to scuttle off, he bade them to have the hideous cloak he had discarded burnt in the kitchen fires, then turned to storm back up to his chambers to shut himself away for the rest of the day to sulk.

The new day's sun rose in the east as King Hildegar opened the doors leading to his balcony and stepped out in the fresh morning air; the lavish purple cape flowing behind him as he swept out on to the stone carved balcony.

He breathed deep the brisk spring air and surveyed all that lay below his tall reaching tower, content with the world, and his beautiful cape.

A shadow fluttered across the sun and darkened the light upon his balcony, sending a chill over his skin so that he pulled the cape's furry edges closer around to keep him warm.

Looking up at what had caused the shadow, Hildegar gasped and swore aloud. Quickly, he ran to his own golden telescope to get a closer look at what he saw.

Through the looking glass's magnifying lens, King Hildegar could make out the figure of his rival Ricardo standing atop the highest turret tower of his shabby castle, as a great, long blue velvet cape draped itself over the parapet walls.

The cloak was massive, so much so that it was literally blocking out the rising sun's rays from making way to Hildegar's own castle.

He fumed with annoyance, picking up the handcrafted ottoman he loved to rest his foot upon while lording over Ricardo, and chucked it over the balcony's stone-carved railing.

Once again looking through the telescope, Hildegar could see Ricardo standing, smiling smugly with the ridiculously long, flowing cape, perfectly rippling in the morning breeze as he tried to make it seem like he was not aware Hildegar was watching.

Hildegar scream out with jealous rage.

It was a magnificent cape.

Turning with a snarl to dash open the chamber doors, he shouted, "Capers!!"