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Cedric looked at his beautiful wife. She was cradling her little baby girl in her arms while her little toddler sat politely beside her. The child was smiling at the crowd around her, unsure of why they were being looked at, but loving the attention of it all. Cedric stood up, walking over to the throne, in front of his father.
“My son,” said the king, “do you wish to take on the title of Publisher, along with the responsibility that accompanies it?”
“I do, Father,” Cedric said, bowing his head ever so slightly.
“With this title comes a long life, longer than that of some of the ones you love and hold dearly. Do you wish to take on this burden, my son?” The king had no emotion on his face. It was as if her were reading from a script.
Cedric looked back to his wife and daughters. He would no doubt outlive his beautiful wife. There was no way to be sure his daughters would survive past him without a title of their own. “I do, Father,” he said, finally.
“Then stand, my son. Look out at the people who will love, adore, and respect you for many years to come. Look to your kingdom. Give them guidance.” The king stood up and placed a hand on his son’s shoulder. “I present to you, your new king. I present to you, the Publisher!”
~
Many years did pass. The Publisher aged slowly, while his daughters grew up in front of him. His oldest daughter was soon to be ten. She was ready to begin training to take on a title of her own, if she wished.
“Father?” Rebecca said as she walked into the large throne room. “I… I do want a title… But…”
“But what, my dear Becca? Any title you wish, I’ll give to you in a heartbeat.” He walked over to his daughter and kneeled down to her height.
“No, Father. The title I want… I want to be the Editor,” Rebecca said, so quietly he almost didn’t hear her.
“The Editor?” he asked. “Well… You’d have to go and study with him, of course.”
Rebecca visibly shivered. She had always been afraid of the Editor. He was a very mysterious man. He seemed to be perpetually in his late twenties. He was a very intimidating person.
“No… I… Can I train with the previous Editor?” Rebecca asked.
“Well… I don’t believe there is a former Editor alive, my dear.” the Publisher tapped his chin.
“What about a reporter?” Rebecca asked. “I could train in that town… what’s it called? The one where all the authors live?”
“My dear, you’d still have to live with the Editor, most likely. He is a close friend.” the Publisher stood and walked back to his throne. “I suppose you could stay with an author… Or the Illustrator.”
“The Illustrator?” Rebecca followed her father. “I’ve never heard of him.”
“Yes, we weren’t close, really. He was my adopted brother. He was much younger than me. Found his title at the age of seventeen. I hear he’s married now. I could always send you there.”
“Oh yes! That would be nice. Thank you, father. I could learn to be a reporter there,” Rebecca cheered. Her blonde curls bounced as she cheered.
~
“Absolutely not, Ced!” Elizabeth threw her arms in the air. “My daughter cannot go off alone to that city!”
“My love, she won’t be alone for long. Besides, I can’t accompany her. I have too much on my plate. The Editor has been hard at work,” said the Publisher.
“I will accompany her, then. I’ll take Briana, as well,” Elizabeth suggested.
“To lose all three of you for that long, my love…”
“Briana and I will be back in a week tops. You know this, dear. I could never stay away from you for that long.”
The Publisher smiled at his wife. “A week?”
She laid a light kiss on his cheek. “A week, Cedric.”
The Publisher let out a small sigh. “I’ll miss you so.”
“And I you, my love. We’ll take our leave in the morning.” Elizabeth turned and left the large throne room.
~
The next morning, Elizabeth woke up her six and nine year old daughters and prepared to leave. She walked to the Publisher’s study and found him asleep, still sitting at his desk. She smiled and kissed his head lightly. “Goodbye, my love,” she whispered, hoping not to wake him.
She took her daughters by the hand and helped them into the carriage.
“Mommy,” the six year old with short dark hair said, rubbing her very tired eyes. “Where is Daddy?”
“Daddy is working, dear. We’ll be back soon.” Elizabeth smiled at her young daughter.
“Come on, Briana! I’m going to learn to be a reporter!” Rebecca cheered.
The journey was fairly easy. It was three days to the small city and Briana seemed to sleep most of the time she was in the carriage, while Rebecca spoke the whole way of what she would do as a reporter.
“And maybe one day- One day I’m going to be the Editor!”
Elizabeth gasped and turned her glance from the window to Rebecca. “Rebecca do not speak of that man,” she snapped.
Rebecca looked apologetic. “Mother, I only meant that I wanted to have his title.”
“It doesn’t matter. He’ll never die. He’ll never give up his position. He’s an evil, cruel man and he will never change.” Elizabeth turned back to the window, and Rebecca could tell that she should not speak of the Editor any longer, nor would she ask why he upset her mother so.

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Cedric looked at his beautiful wife. She was cradling her little baby girl in her arms while her little toddler sat politely beside her. The child was smiling at the crowd around her, unsure of why they were being looked at, but loving the attention of it all. Cedric stood up, walking over to the throne, in front of his father.
“My son,” said the king, “do you wish to take on the title of Publisher, along with the responsibility that accompanies it?”
“I do, Father,” Cedric said, bowing his head ever so slightly.
“With this title comes a long life, longer than that of some of the ones you love and hold dearly. Do you wish to take on this burden, my son?” The king had no emotion on his face. It was as if her were reading from a script.
Cedric looked back to his wife and daughters. He would no doubt outlive his beautiful wife. There was no way to be sure his daughters would survive past him without a title of their own. “I do, Father,” he said, finally.
“Then stand, my son. Look out at the people who will love, adore, and respect you for many years to come. Look to your kingdom. Give them guidance.” The king stood up and placed a hand on his son’s shoulder. “I present to you, your new king. I present to you, the Publisher!”
~
Many years did pass. The Publisher aged slowly, while his daughters grew up in front of him. His oldest daughter was soon to be ten. She was ready to begin training to take on a title of her own, if she wished.
“Father?” Rebecca said as she walked into the large throne room. “I… I do want a title… But…”
“But what, my dear Becca? Any title you wish, I’ll give to you in a heartbeat.” He walked over to his daughter and kneeled down to her height.
“No, Father. The title I want… I want to be the Editor,” Rebecca said, so quietly he almost didn’t hear her.
“The Editor?” he asked. “Well… You’d have to go and study with him, of course.”
Rebecca visibly shivered. She had always been afraid of the Editor. He was a very mysterious man. He seemed to be perpetually in his late twenties. He was a very intimidating person.
“No… I… Can I train with the previous Editor?” Rebecca asked.
“Well… I don’t believe there is a former Editor alive, my dear.” the Publisher tapped his chin.
“What about a reporter?” Rebecca asked. “I could train in that town… what’s it called? The one where all the authors live?”
“My dear, you’d still have to live with the Editor, most likely. He is a close friend.” the Publisher stood and walked back to his throne. “I suppose you could stay with an author… Or the Illustrator.”
“The Illustrator?” Rebecca followed her father. “I’ve never heard of him.”
“Yes, we weren’t close, really. He was my adopted brother. He was much younger than me. Found his title at the age of seventeen. I hear he’s married now. I could always send you there.”
“Oh yes! That would be nice. Thank you, father. I could learn to be a reporter there,” Rebecca cheered. Her blonde curls bounced as she cheered.
~
“Absolutely not, Ced!” Elizabeth threw her arms in the air. “My daughter cannot go off alone to that city!”
“My love, she won’t be alone for long. Besides, I can’t accompany her. I have too much on my plate. The Editor has been hard at work,” said the Publisher.
“I will accompany her, then. I’ll take Briana, as well,” Elizabeth suggested.
“To lose all three of you for that long, my love…”
“Briana and I will be back in a week tops. You know this, dear. I could never stay away from you for that long.”
The Publisher smiled at his wife. “A week?”
She laid a light kiss on his cheek. “A week, Cedric.”
The Publisher let out a small sigh. “I’ll miss you so.”
“And I you, my love. We’ll take our leave in the morning.” Elizabeth turned and left the large throne room.
~
The next morning, Elizabeth woke up her six and nine year old daughters and prepared to leave. She walked to the Publisher’s study and found him asleep, still sitting at his desk. She smiled and kissed his head lightly. “Goodbye, my love,” she whispered, hoping not to wake him.
She took her daughters by the hand and helped them into the carriage.
“Mommy,” the six year old with short dark hair said, rubbing her very tired eyes. “Where is Daddy?”
“Daddy is working, dear. We’ll be back soon.” Elizabeth smiled at her young daughter.
“Come on, Briana! I’m going to learn to be a reporter!” Rebecca cheered.
The journey was fairly easy. It was three days to the small city and Briana seemed to sleep most of the time she was in the carriage, while Rebecca spoke the whole way of what she would do as a reporter.
“And maybe one day- One day I’m going to be the Editor!”
Elizabeth gasped and turned her glance from the window to Rebecca. “Rebecca do not speak of that man,” she snapped.
Rebecca looked apologetic. “Mother, I only meant that I wanted to have his title.”
“It doesn’t matter. He’ll never die. He’ll never give up his position. He’s an evil, cruel man and he will never change.” Elizabeth turned back to the window, and Rebecca could tell that she should not speak of the Editor any longer, nor would she ask why he upset her mother so.