"A gift for the most faithful," the Voivode declared. But as the gates of the palace closed, Jovan saw the faint, cruel smile on the ruler's face.
He could not sell it, for to sell a gift from the Voivode was treason. He could not give it away, for who would take a burden that would bankrupt them?. The Empty Treasury "A gift for the most faithful," the Voivode declared
The horse required the finest oats imported from the coast and a stable lined with silk. Jovan had to hire three grooms just to keep its coat from staining in the mountain mud. He could not give it away, for who
One winter, to "honor" Jovan’s loyalty, the Voivode gifted him a magnificent white horse—so pure it was called the . It was a creature of mythic beauty, with a coat like polished marble and eyes that seemed to hold the cold wisdom of the peaks. One winter, to "honor" Jovan’s loyalty, the Voivode
During a particularly brutal blizzard, Jovan sat in his freezing home. Through the window, he watched the horse standing in its heated stable. He realized that the Voivode hadn't given him a gift; he had given him a . The "White Elephant" was a mirror—it showed Jovan that his vanity was the very thing that had ruined him.
He became a prisoner of his own prestige. He was "The Lord of the White Elephant," but he was starving.