King Alexander was different from the others. He was a very honest man. However, the generations of kings before him were not. Because of this, people were always tiptoeing around the new king, paranoid to avoid getting scammed. Like every king, Alexander worked with a valuer. The valuer would act as the regulator of money, deciding which items would be worth what sum of money. 

 

King Alexander had high hopes for his valuer. He wanted to break the stereotype and streak of dishonesty brought about from the corrupt leaders before him.

 

There was a major problem though. The valuer the king hired was not an honest man. People would come to the valuer, as people asked to exchange goods for money. 

 

"How much is a loaf of bread?" a villager asked.

 

The valuer said, "Two hundred coins!"

 

The villager would reluctantly hand over his money. At the end of the day, the valuer would then meet with the king.

 

"Here are the two coins I asked for when someone came for bread."

 

The king would smile to himself thinking about how much progress his kingdom was making. He assumed the valuer was giving fair deals to his people. In reality, the valuer pocketed the 198 other coins collected.

 

Every kingdom had a queen to accompany the king, and it came time for King Alexander to start a family. He began his search, but the honest king was not greedy. He didn't want the richest woman. He was looking for someone with a noble heart.

 

When walking the main street of the town Alexander found a beautiful woman named Emily, with dark, curly brown hair and green eyes. She was an artist who made beautiful paintings and murals. The two made eye contact. They had an immediate connection that unfolded while having an intense conversation until the sun set that evening. Alexander came rushing home to tell his valuer, mesmerized by her beauty, grace, and contagious smile. 

 

The valuer showed up to Emily's parents the next morning demanding, "Your daughter has been chosen as a wife for the king. She must obey. You must pay 10,000 coins now or you will go to jail." For any potential suitors of the kings before Alexander, it was a tradition to pay a sum of money in exchange for a new namesake and lifetime of power and wealth. Emily's father did not hesitate and handed over of his money— the last sum of money their family had.

 

The valuer came back to the king saying, "Emily's parents were willing to give you the money for your love. Here are the one hundred coins they gave me."

 

King Alexander exclaimed, "Do you think one can buy love? Do you think one can buy a life of happiness? Emily is priceless, and the love we have will be priceless. You are dismissed." 

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Emily heard this intense conversation and mumbled to herself, "Well, my father could buy our love." King Alexander heard this remark and asked for clarification. Emily then explained how the valuer approached her family for the "routine marriage money."

 

The king connected the dots and realized he was being manipulated the whole time. The valuer ruined his first impression and reputation he wanted to portray to his people. So much for a fresh start...

 

The valuer was exposed to the public and banned from the kingdom. Emily, the patient and fair woman would serve as the first lady and as the valuer. She would need a new reference to measure the worth of items because what her and Alexander had was priceless.