What if.... the question for all storytellers...

[capri0mni]

Once upon a time, far, far away, there lived a king who ruled over a prosperous kingdom. This king had a magic ring that gave him strength, and assured victory in every battle he fought. But one day, the ring was lost,* and the king grew old and weak, sinking into a state that was niether life nor death.

And so it was decreed: that whoever should find this ring, and return it to the king, would be betrothed to the king's young daughter,⁺ and they would be wed when she turned twenty-one.

For seventeen years, the bravest and strongest and wisest young men of the kingdom rode off, in search of the ring, in hopes of marrying the princess. and winning the favor of the noble king. ... Not one returned home, and no one knew what had become of them...

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*ahem. In other words: stolen.
⁺ She gave token consent to the idea, but she was only four, at the time, and had no real concept of this thing called "marriage."

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[Poll #1002766]

Comments

[drox.livejournal.com]

The old patriarchs would stay behind, the young and the creative would leap at the chance of adventure, followed by the greedy and ambitious men.

Since the prize offered by the king is marriage to his daughter, wouldn't the above apply only to the single young and creative (or greedy and ambitious) men?

Oh, and with the men gone, the birthrate plummets -- think Shakers, after a while.

What about the men of the kingdom who were already happily married? Is it assumed that they're all going to take on the challenge as well? Even though the prize is something they probably neither want nor need (nor are allowed, if monogamy is the rule)? If the married folk of the kingdom ignore the challenge, the birth rate would not begin to drop for rather a long time.

I suspect the old patriarchs AND the ordinary married men would stay behind, while the adventurous and the greedy would go forth on their quest. That still leaves a lot of the established order intact (maybe even more so without the young men to challenge them) so the society -- like the old king himself -- would stagnate.

At least for a while. As their children grow up, it'd probably become a bit more like option one, with the daughters taking over traditional male roles (as there are few or no young men around). Which would surely have the aging Established Order (what remains of it) grumbling about "what is this world coming to?!?!" etc.

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

If the married folk of the kingdom ignore the challenge, the birth rate would not begin to drop for rather a long time.

Hm. Good point.

As their children grow up, it'd probably become a bit more like option one, with the daughters taking over traditional male roles.

Well, add into the mix the fact that the man who stole the ring (and tried, unsuccessfully, to destroy it) did so with the purpose of usurping the throne. He'd have a vested interest (and the power) to suppress any emerging new order in the kingdom. The population could decrease at a rate faster than attrition of the single men, if the "Regent" established martial law in the early years...

Hm... things to think about for the second draft.

[uncacreamy.livejournal.com]

Option 3.. a woman returns with the ring....

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

heheh... Yeah... That'd be interesting. And a good story. But if I did that, than I'd have to write a completely different movie.

Maybe I'll write that one next.

Or you could. ;-)