Long ago there was a man named Bulvida. Due to a family curse he couldn’t find it in himself to love any woman. The curse would skip generations and unfortunately he fell prey to it.

This concerned his family as they thought that the curse had been uplifted long ago. The curse turned Bulvida into a cold man. Ejected from the society he became a lonely man and started drowning in a pit of despair.

Until one day he was challenged by the Cupid himself. Given trials to test his worth for a chance of love he took the chance and passed all of them. Pleased the Cupid shot his arrow in the sky and told Bulvida to follow it, he instructed that the arrow would only pierce through the heart of the woman he was destined for thus, breaking the curse.

He promised that the arrow would not hurt her and Bulvida’s fate changed forever. News of these trials reached many’s ears and thus the love trials of Bulvida were born.

**********+++++••••••••+++++++++++••••******

They say a King doesn’t need a Queen but a Kingdom to rule, but behind every successful man is a strong woman behind him.

A’dikis, son of King Ulton and Queen Yvona, heir to the Foyton Throne lived his life with this saying as his daily anthem. He would recite it every time his parents got him a beautiful maiden for him to marry, and this drove his father crazy. Ulton was worried about his son and mostly about his throne. He was getting older and he knew he wouldn’t be fit to rule but his stubborn son made everything hard for him.

“Perhaps the young prince is interested in men and not females.” This certain comment made by one of the maids sparked a rumor around the Kingdom and caused distress to the King and Queen but it did nothing to A’dikis, as his reply to the rumors were “Think whatever you want to think. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and a King doesn’t need a Queen but a Kingdom to rule.”

Sometimes his father would wonder as to what he has done to anger the Heavens to have his son be this way. He loves his son unconditionally but sometimes he felt like he might go haywire if he ever spent more than an hour with him.

Left with no choice Ulton and Yvona arranged A’dikis to marry Reina, daughter of King Helton of their neighboring Kingdom Teria. But due to his son’s eccentric personality Reina did not even last a week and she was already losing hair due to the stress that A’dikis was causing her.

“I respect the throne of Foyton but your highness I cannot marry the prince, he drives me mad! He doesn’t mind spending time with me but whenever we are together he always talks about thinks that do not make sense and I think if I ever hear ‘A King doesn’t need a Queen but a Kingdom to rule’ one last time I will run all the way north, in this scorching heat, bare feet, in the snow.”

Upon hearing Reina’s cry they confirmed that she was indeed mad and they had their son to blame. Although the whole Kingdom was in anguish due to A’dikis. His grandfather watched in amusement. He is the one who taught A’dikis the saying that he is so much obsessed with. But, A’dikis does not know the other part of the saying. “A King doesn’t need a Queen but a Kingdom to rule, but behind successful man there is a strong woman behind him. “

He had to tell A’dikis the second part of the saying before he watches his Kingdom becoming catastrophic although this whole thing of A’dikis is overexaggerated because A’dikis could take the throne and find his Queen later on, but he knew of a way that A’dikis could truly find a woman meant for his destiny and that is for A’dikis to undergo the love trials of Bulvida.

The King and Queen were baffled. The elder’s proposal was something that they have never thought of before.

“I cannot believe that I spent all that time trying to find him a wife while I should have just got him signed up for the Love Trials.”

The King voices out his thoughts as he rubbed his temples. Everyone could see how A’dikis’ situation pulled a toll on the King so this proposal would give the King space and time to enjoy the last days of his reign before his retirement.

The word became final. A’dikis was horrified of the idea of leaving for the Love Trials not that he was afraid of the Trials per say but the thought of finding a soulmate destined for him made him rethink his life choices.

He looked frantically around the ballroom searching for his mother. He knew his father was already enough of him but one thing that he knew was that his mother was still sane so he could at least talk to her and get him out of the Trials.

The ballroom was beautifully decorated awaiting guests for A’dikis’ farewell for the Love Trials. Maids were everywhere and in the middle was his mother tasting different pastries.

“Mother!” He shouts over the swam of people. His mother takes a secret glance at him and starts to blend in with the maids in order to lose him.

“Your highness, you haven’t tasted the blueberry pie. I assure you your tastebuds will go wild.”

“To hell with my tastebuds if A’dikis manages to catch up with me. He will make my mind go wild.”

A’dikis moves swiftly around the crowd but realize that he had lost sight of his mother. He huffs and heads to his grandfather instead.

Sitting in his recliner chair and enjoying the cool breeze, thinking back to the days of his youth. He laughed as he remembered some embarrassing moments and all the moments when he met his wife, Ulton’s mother.

Looking up at the stars he remembered how star gazing was one of her favorite hobbies. They would lay down in the garden, gazing at the stars and she would tell tales of great kings and knights.

Eyes closed he smiled as an image of her laughing merrily flashes his mind.

“Grandfather!”

He jolts up and glares at his grandson for ruining his sacred time. But upon seeing his grandson’s pouty face he instantly melted.

“Hm, A’dikis what seems to be the matter my boy.”

“I think mother is ignoring me, but that’s not why I am here. Please grandfather, please do not let me participate in the Trials.”

“And why is that? Are you afraid of failing the Trails?”

“No I am not I am-“

“It’s okay A’dikis I know you are all talk and no show. I know you have never had a girlfriend before.”

A’dikis’ face turns red as he looks away and cleared his throat.

“I-that’s-well-you-ugh-grandfather that’s not the case here. I am certain that I will pass the Trails with or without knowing the touch of a women. I am just afraid of finding my soulmate.”

“Why?”

“I am going to be King soon, and my enemies will be around the corners waiting for the right moment to bring me down. Meaning my soulmate will be in danger and our children too. I know that soulmates have the most sacred bond ever and if anything happens to the other soulmate the other will be left devastated. I don’t want my soulmate to suffer because of me and I do not want to lose her.”

A'dikis was as innocent as a lamb. Being the only child of the King and Queen he was spoiled alot but he never grew up to be a spoilt brat. He enjoyed music, nature, reading and cooking. He would help the royal chefs cook dinner and he was seen taking notes during those times. The whole Kingdom adored him and if anyone would say that A'dikis did them wrong they would be mad.

True, he had never had a girlfriend and at the age of twenty-one he still told his grandfather how he doesn't need a girlfriend and that he would be fine all by himself.

This saddened his grandfather despite A'dikis being as sweet as he is. People tend to be impatient with him due to his habit of learning things that people do not even think about and questioning them about it. For example he once scared the General away just by asking him about space, asteroids and other galaxies.

If only A'dikis was not born of the throne he would have done great things. But as a King one can only do much. Despite this though his grandfather felt that A'dikis would grow to make a great King and change the course of history.

"A'dikis, do you know how i met your grandmother?"

He nods.

"Well there are certain parts of the story that i personally left out. You see I did meet your grandmother after i accidentally fell on top of her laundry basket and got her clothes all muddy. But it wasn't because i was running after my horse. It was because i was running to make my way to the sign up of the Love Trials as they were very close to closing."

"What? You wanted to participate in the Love Trials? "

"Yes, i loved the whole idea of having a soulmate. So i was so desperate to go but my father told me that royals does not participate in such trivial matters and that if i wanted a wife i wouldn't have to suffer and just hand pick a wife myself. That is what i didn't want. So i ran from the castle and that's how I met your grandmother, my soulmate."

"Wow."

"Yes, wow indeed."

"But, if you were so desperate to find a soulmate why did you tell me that A King doesnt need a Queen but a Kingdom to rule."

A very hearty laughter rumbed from his grandfather's chest.

"It's because you were to impatient to let me finish that you ran off and started chanting the saying like a mantra. A King doesnt need a Queen but a Kingdom to rule, but what you missed is that, behind every successful man there is a strong woman behind him. And that woman was your grandmother, that woman is your mother and that woman is your soulmate."