King Bartholomew’s armies attacked the distant land of Iranizbad. For months, the war dragged on. He assured his subjects that victory was near.
Farmers couldn’t afford feed for livestock, or fertilizer for crops. People couldn’t afford food to eat, or fuel for cooking and heating their homes.
One day, the king made a public proclamation from his palace: “If the enemy destroys our two greatest cities, Les-Augelles and Saint-Dégar, it will be a small price to pay for keeping the kingdom safe.”
The bewildered Prime Minister asked, “Your Majesty… safe for whom?”
Bartholomew paused.
“The people who are left, obviously.”
100-word micro-fiction; a drabble
