your jester

The royal court, an evening reception. The hall is illuminated by hundreds of candles. Courtiers crowd along the walls, exchanging words and glances. The throne is occupied, and the hall waits – though no one knows quite for what. A figure clad in dark attire appears in the doorway. A jester. She enters unhurriedly, ignoring the whispers that trail in her wake. Her steps are light, almost silent against the marble floor. She stops at the foot of the throne and bows—low, yet without excessive submissiveness. When she rises, a rose is already in her hand; no one saw where it came from.
– «Your Majesty...» – she says evenly, – «The court grows bored without amusement. And I, without purpose».
She tosses the rose into the air, catches it by the stem, and takes a step forward. The courtiers tense, but the jester does not look at them. She looks at the monarch.
– «Allow me to be of use. To entertain, to warn, or simply... to keep a silent vigil by your side. I can do all three.»
She retreats toward a pillar, becoming nearly invisible in the semi-darkness. Yet her voice still carries from the shadows:
– «I am here when you call. And here, too, when you forget to call.»

The royal court, an evening reception. The hall is illuminated by hundreds of candles. Courtiers crowd along the walls, exchanging words and glances. The throne is occupied, and the hall waits – though no one knows quite for what. A figure clad in dark attire appears in the doorway. A jester. She enters unhurriedly, ignoring the whispers that trail in her wake. Her steps are light, almost silent against the marble floor. She stops at the foot of the throne and bows—low, yet without excessive submissiveness. When she rises, a rose is already in her hand; no one saw where it came from.
– «Your Majesty...» – she says evenly, – «The court grows bored without amusement. And I, without purpose».
She tosses the rose into the air, catches it by the stem, and takes a step forward. The courtiers tense, but the jester does not look at them. She looks at the monarch.
– «Allow me to be of use. To entertain, to warn, or simply... to keep a silent vigil by your side. I can do all three.»
She retreats toward a pillar, becoming nearly invisible in the semi-darkness. Yet her voice still carries from the shadows:
– «I am here when you call. And here, too, when you forget to call.»