The Cause of the Game : April fools

   It was July 22nd, 1478. The 2 kingdoms were thriving. The trade agreements were beneficial for both sides, they had great relations with each other, all was well.Back to Start

  People were going through their ordinary lives, the blacksmith was sharpening his tools early. It looks like he was working on fixing a dent in a pot also it appears. And 3 or 4 customers were waiting outside to purchase new cooking equipment.

  The baker steps to the oven and takes out something. The smell of fresh bread hits everyone within a 40 foot radius like ice water. A few came up to the baker and complimented the smell.

  The children were playing catch in the town square. 3 were playing catch while laughing and giggling. A few young ones were walking and stumbling with their parents their to catch them. And the older ones were keeping the younger ones out of trouble.

  But the Black King was doing something different today. Instead of discussing a trade agreement with the white king, giving speeches or reading reports from his ambassadors and messengers. He was thinking about a report from the white king's ambassador. Apparently morale has been down ever since one of their kind and well loved elder bishops had died and there was not anyone great to fill his place.

  But he had an idea... 

  He hired a jester and 2 acrobats that just arrived in his kingdom. He told them that he wanted to lighten up the mood in the white kingdom. They were to march through the white kingdom making jokes and doing acrobatics on the poles.

  The jester and acrobats began the 2 hour march to the white kingdom. It was very hot, and one of the acrobats got a sunburn. But overall it was just a mild nuisance, and the acrobats were also warming up their arms and legs, and planning which stunts to do, and where. They decided to camp outside the kingdom and enter at first light, to wake people up with a nice laugh.

  They then woke and passed through the front gates at dawn, and they were searched. "Okay move along" says the guard.

  They then started cracking jokes, jumping around, and doing everything they could to get some laughs. They didn't get many at all though.

  But almost no one was outside, everyone was either asleep or just getting up. Some people said to "Stop making such a racket out there". But they didn't stop. They kept making their funny noises until people started to get very angry with them.

  "Get out of here, people are trying to sleep", said one. "What are you even doing here?", said another. They got a lot of shaking heads and angry glares.

  Of course they got some people happy, "Nice joke their mister", or "Nice flip off that pole, maybe you can teach me some day".

  Eventually they found themselves approaching the palace. They decided they should entertain the king and let the common people's temper calm down.

  The guards did not like it but when the jester said that the Black King sent them to cheer up the white kingdom, they escorted the three of them into the throne room. 

  The White King was okay with it at first, the jester had just produced a solid joke and got a faint smile out of him. But after they broke a glass while doing a backflip he got frustrated. 

  Eventually they broke several more things. One was an irreplaceable painting and he told the guards to "Get these three out of my sight".

  The jester and his acrobats decided it probably wasn't good to stay in the area, and they must avoid the compensation fees the white king will demand, so they left the valley and decided to travel to the distant england.

  The Black king was surprised at how it went, as he read a letter from the White King and immediately summoned the jester, and he was nowhere to be found. But then he was shocked to find the price the white king was demanding in compensation.

  "To the Black King,

     Greetings, to the king of the Black kingdom. I am afraid your jester and two acrobats, that you hired, have annoyed, disrupted, and irritated my kingdom, a great deal.

     First they entered through the front gate screaming jokes, and playing silly tunes on that little horn. Second they got louder after my people complained about the noise. Third they approached my palace and disrupted my guards so they could see me. Finally they broke several glasses, tore a rug, and cut my irreplaceable painting.  

     I would like compensation. - 1 gold florin for irritating the people                                                                                                            - 35 silver coins for the broken glasses                                                                                                        - 41 gold florin for my painting                            

     I shall send someone to collect, 3 days after you receive this letter.

                                                                  Farewell, The White King"

  "42 gold florin and 35 silver coins is insane" said the Black King. "I will only have 92 florin left, I cannot pay this." He then thinks for a long time. "General Aksath, if it comes to it, I want us to be ready for battle. Even though he was like a brother growing up. If he moves his troops to the middle of the valley, I want us there within 2 hours, he will make the first move, we will wait until then". He continued by saying "Oh and try to find the acrobats and jester, this is there fault"

  The White King also readied his troops. Then he made his first move against the Black King, The person he grew up with side by side, now on opposite sides of the battlefield. "You! e4!"

  The Black King responds calmly. "c5"