"Or maybe he died on the executioner's block, but in the city of his youth, gazing once more upon his queen —

"Or maybe he died on the executioner's block, but in the city of his youth, gazing once more upon his queen — older now, but as beautiful as ever. Or maybe the city had changed beyond recognition, and his queen had died years ago, and he realized too late that his true home was a village built in the swamps. Or maybe the king saw that the pious old man standing before him shared nothing in common with the bold young upstart that had impinged his honor so long before, and thus pardoned him."