David & The Broken Prince

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Previously on The Chosen People. 00:00:02 Speaker 2: I love you more than a brother, giant slayer. Thanks for having my back. 00:00:07 Speaker 3: At your service, my prince. 00:00:10 Speaker 1: Jonathan sat across from him, silent, thoughtful. Jonathan, the son of a king, the prince of Israel, was born to lead men. Yet, Jonathan knew that the Lord's hand was resting not on him, but on the young shepherd boy who now stirred the coals in front of him. 00:00:33 Speaker 2: These are yours now. My royal armor and robe. 00:00:36 Speaker 1: Take care of them as you would your flock. 00:00:38 Speaker 4: Why are you giving me these? 00:00:40 Speaker 2: Are you leaving? Not because I must. Because I love you as my own soul. 00:00:45 Speaker 4: Let there be a covenant between us. Under the eyes of God, we swear loyalty to one another. Our bond will be stronger than ambition, jealousy, marriage. 00:00:59 Speaker 2: The covenant of brotherhood. May God grant us favor. 00:01:02 Speaker 1: The fire crackled softly between them as the night stretched on. They spoke of many things. Of Israel's future. 00:01:11 Speaker 4: Of war and peace. 00:01:13 Speaker 1: Of God's power and grace. David's heart, long scarred by rejection and loneliness, began to heal. In Jonathan, God had given him not only a friend, but a brother. 00:01:36 Speaker 4: Wake, my prince, wake! 00:01:38 Speaker 1: The woman's hands trembled as she shook the boy, her voice sharp and terrified. Mephibosheth opened his eyes. His nursemaid tore the furs from his bed and thrust his tunic over his small arms with frantic fingers. 00:01:55 Speaker 3: We must go! 00:01:56 Speaker 4: There is no time, sweet boy, no time at all! 00:01:58 Speaker 5: Come now, up! 00:02:00 Speaker 1: The halls were choked with smoke. Shouts echoed beyond the door. The boy stumbled as she pulled him along, bare feet slapping against the cold flagstone. 00:02:11 Speaker 4: The Philistines! They've come! The borders are broken! Your father! Your grandfather! 00:02:17 Speaker 2: They've fallen! 00:02:18 Speaker 4: We must flee, my prince! You are all that remains! 00:02:22 Speaker 1: The child pulled at her hand, small and desperate. They burst onto a balcony overlooking the upper tiers of Gibeah. The city was bleeding fire. 00:02:33 Speaker 6: Your father! 00:02:33 Speaker 4: He's gone, sweet child! This isn't the time for tears. 00:02:39 Speaker 2: Now we run. 00:02:41 Speaker 4: We run for our lives. 00:02:44 Speaker 1: The nursemaid scooped Mephibosheth up in her arms. The boy writhed and kicked, blinded by tears and terror. In his flailing, he slipped from her arms. His body tumbled through the air and struck the stairwell hard, bones crunching like snapped branches. The nursemaid screamed. She leaped after him, cradling him in her arms where he lay on the stone steps. His legs twisted beneath him at angles no child's limbs should bend. The world around them burned. The banners of Saul no longer flew above the citadel. Screams echoed from the lower city and ash began to fall like snow. Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan, was scooped up and taken to safety, and no one came back for him. His birthright was taken, his legs shattered, and his name lost to history. From the rooftop of his palace, David watched the evening fall like a velvet curtain. Below him, the streets murmured with the slow life of twilight, Merchants closing stalls, children shouting their last games before being called in. The scent of bread and burning oil wafting up to the heights. The City of David, they called it now. A monument to his triumphs, carved in cedar and stone. David tilted his head to the sky, where the sun kissed the horizon with a bleeding orange. He breathed deep, and the air filled his lungs with the scent of lavender and dust. Yet it was not peace that filled him, only longing. His thoughts, as they often did, wandered back to Jonathan. David remembered his voice, steady, noble, unwavering. 00:04:53 Speaker 4: He remembered the. 00:04:54 Speaker 1: Clasp of his hand, the strength in his arms when they embraced. He remembered a brother not by blood, but by oath. And he remembered the promise. That night in the wilderness, when the world had turned against them and Saul's madness hunted them both, Jonathan had spoken with the clarity of a prophet. 00:05:18 Speaker 2: Do you remember what I told you the night I gave you my armor? 00:05:24 Speaker 4: You said I would be king. I still believe it. 00:05:27 Speaker 2: And I'm certain my father believes it too. That's why he aids you. 00:05:31 Speaker 3: When that day comes when my father is dust and you sit on the throne, I ask only this. 00:05:37 Speaker 4: Show mercy to my house. 00:05:40 Speaker 2: Protect my wife, my children. 00:05:42 Speaker 4: I swear it. By the Lord's name, I will show your house kindness. 00:05:47 Speaker 1: David pressed his lips together and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. The house of Saul had crumbled. burned by war, shattered by its own pride. Yet, if any thread remained from Jonathan's line, David would find it. He would keep his word. He had failed friends before. He would not fail this one. 00:06:13 Speaker 4: I will keep my promise. You're gone, Jonathan, but I will not break my covenant with you. 00:06:25 Speaker 1: The morning was quiet. save for the faint scratching of quill upon parchment. David sat beneath a latticed window, the warm light of the sun falling upon scrolls, maps and trade contracts. His crown lay unworn upon the table. A knock broke the silence. One of his guards opened the chamber door and an old man shuffled in. He was grey-bearded and stoop-shouldered, dressed in the humble linens of a house servant, but he carried himself with the careful grace of someone once accustomed to courtly halls. His name was Zeba, once chief steward to the house of Saul, once servant to a dead king, now displaced and forgotten, like so many relics of the old order. 00:07:21 Speaker 2: You summoned me, my lord. 00:07:23 Speaker 1: David rose, motioned the man forward, and gestured to the seat across from him. His voice was gentle, but there was a tension in his shoulders. 00:07:34 Speaker 2: Yes, Zebra. 00:07:37 Speaker 4: I need your memory. You were a steward in the House of Saul, yes? 00:07:42 Speaker 2: Yes, my king. I served Saul of blessed memory and his children. 00:07:48 Speaker 4: Tell me, does any soul yet live from the House of Saul? Any child? Any heir? 00:07:56 Speaker 1: Ziba turned flush at that question. His fingers twitched nervously and his eyes darted to the left. David could sense his nervousness. 00:08:08 Speaker 7: I don't seek enemies, but kin. For the sake of Jonathan, I would show kindness. My lord, it is not often that new kings seek to Bless the blood of those who once sat the throne. More often they cleanse it. 00:08:31 Speaker 3: I am not so. And Jonathan was no rival. He was my brother in all but blood. If there's anyone left of his house, I must know. 00:08:43 Speaker 2: The Philistines were ruthless when they marched on Gebea. Merciless, like animals. I barely escaped with my life. And.... 00:08:58 Speaker 1: Ziba trailed off, weighing the cost of the information he held. Then he looked at David. There was an earnestness in his eyes. 00:09:09 Speaker 2: Ziba, I loved. 00:09:11 Speaker 4: Jonathan more than anyone else in this world. Please, please, tell me what you know. 00:09:20 Speaker 2: There is a son... Jonathan's youngest. He lives? He does, though he is broken, my lord, crippled in both feet since childhood. The nursemaid fled with him the day your enemies took Saul and Jonathan. In her haste, the boy fell down the stairwell. He has never walked correctly since. 00:09:50 Speaker 1: The king's breath caught in his chest. 00:09:53 Speaker 4: All these years, all this time, I had no idea. Where is he now? 00:10:00 Speaker 2: He lives in Lodabar, in the house of Makir, son of Amiel. A quiet place, forgotten by most. The boy is no prince there. He tends animals, sleeps among the straw. A servant, not a sovereign, I assure you, my king. He is no threat. 00:10:22 Speaker 4: I didn't ask you out of jealousy, Ziba. Please, believe me, I asked out of love. 00:10:29 Speaker 1: Ziba bowed once more. 00:10:31 Speaker 3: Bring him to me. I must look upon him with my own eyes. I must do what I swore to do so many, so many, so many winters ago. 00:10:42 Speaker 1: As the steward departed, David walked to the window. The sun had climbed higher now. warming the stone beneath his feet, but the king felt cold. He placed a hand over his heart and whispered. 00:10:58 Speaker 4: Forgive me, Jonathan. I'm late, but I have not forgotten. 00:11:07 Speaker 1: Mephibosheth crawled from barn to well and back again, dragging behind him a small wooden cart bearing two sloshing pails of water. His arms, wiry and bruised, bore the burden with dogged resolve. He had grown strong in his own way, not the strength of swords or spears, but the quiet, stubborn strength of one who refuses pity. His legs, twisted and useless since the fall, ached with every motion. His palms were thick with calluses. But Mephibosheth offered no complaint. He was like his father in that way, stubbornly optimistic against the tragedies of life that wouldn't relent. Since the war, he had lived here in the shadows of another man's fields. Maekia of Gilead had taken him in and clothed him, given him food, shelter, and quiet. But charity has its limits, even when kindly given. He was tolerated, not quite family. pitied, not quite loved. Mephibosheth did not begrudge it. That was the way of the world. Kingdoms fall, and with them, princes crawl. He was halfway through his eighth journey from the well when the door to the house creaked open. Mechia's voice echoed across the yard. 00:12:41 Speaker 2: Mephibosheth, come in, my boy. 00:12:44 Speaker 4: There's someone here who claims to know you. 00:12:47 Speaker 1: Mephibosheth froze. His hands slipped a little on the edge of the cart. No one came to see him. No one even knew he was alive. He wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand and crawled slowly to the house. There, standing amidst the clay jars and linen, was a man he had not seen since childhood. 00:13:13 Speaker 2: Zeba. 00:13:14 Speaker 1: The old steward turned and smiled, his eyes crinkling with fondness and regret. 00:13:22 Speaker 2: It is I, my prince. You've grown. 00:13:27 Speaker 1: Mephibosheth embraced him. There was an exchange of laughter, followed by the low tone of Ziba. 00:13:36 Speaker 2: I have come to take you to Jerusalem. The king has summoned you. He wishes to speak with you. 00:13:45 Speaker 5: He knows I'm alive? 00:13:48 Speaker 1: Ziba nodded. Mephibosheth turned to Maekia, his eyes searching. 00:13:54 Speaker 5: Is it to kill me? Has the new king found the last scrap of Sol's house and come to sweep it away? 00:14:01 Speaker 1: Ziba shifted uneasily, and Maekia crossed his arms. 00:14:06 Speaker 2: He says his intentions are good, but who can know for sure? Sol, your grandfather... dedicated the last years of his life trying to kill. The king called him serpent, traitor, usurper. 00:14:26 Speaker 1: Mephibosheth looked down at his withered legs. He was no threat. He had no sword, no armies, no claim. Only his name. 00:14:38 Speaker 4: There is no more hiding. 00:14:42 Speaker 1: No. 00:14:43 Speaker 2: No. There is not. Whatever King David intends for you, it's inevitable. 00:14:52 Speaker 1: Mephibosheth winced and tightened his fists. He had to be brave, brave like his father. 00:15:00 Speaker 5: Then take me to him. 00:15:06 Speaker 1: The wheels of the carriage creaked as it climbed the hill toward the heart of Jerusalem. Ziba sat still, the reins loose in his hands, his eyes fixed forward. Mephibosheth said nothing. He sat hunched, his twisted legs folded awkwardly beneath him, the heat of the morning sun pressing down through the open slats of the carriage canopy. As the city walls rose into view, Mephibosheth's breath caught in his throat. Towers crowned the skyline and banners of deep red and gold fluttered in the breeze. The city of David. He felt small. The carriage halted before the gates of the palace. Great oaken doors stood open. Benaiah was there to welcome them. 00:15:58 Speaker 4: Zeba, thank you for bringing Mephibosheth to us. 00:16:01 Speaker 2: I will escort him from here. 00:16:03 Speaker 1: Zeba knelt to Mephibosheth and gave him a hug. 00:16:08 Speaker 2: Be brave, my prince. 00:16:11 Speaker 1: Mephibosheth nodded and followed Benaiah through the palace doors. There was no fanfare, no trumpets. He followed behind Benaiah, dragging his frame on hands and knees. The hallway before the throne room stretched long and golden, lit by torches flickering against tall, polished walls. Once in the halls, Benaiah left. The doors echoed as they shut. Mephibosheth was alone, waiting, vulnerable. His eyes were drawn upward to the colors woven into the tapestries. They lined the stone walls like ancient memories stitched in cloth, heroes and horrors both. One caught his eye, a boy with a sling and a giant with a spear. Another showed the king, bloodied and roaring, a mirrored circle of Philistines. But it was the final tapestry that stopped him cold. There were two men, standing back to back in the thick of battle. One held a sword, the other a spear. Amalekites surged around them like a tide. 00:17:24 Speaker 2: One was David. 00:17:26 Speaker 1: Mephibosheth recognized him from the stories. The other wore armor etched with the sigil of the House of Saw. His hair curled like Mephibosheth's. His stance was familiar. 00:17:39 Speaker 2: His face. Father. 00:17:42 Speaker 1: Mephibosheth reached out, his hand trembling, fingers brushing the cloth. His father stood frozen in the weave of war, forever fighting, forever young. Pain welled up inside him. 00:17:58 Speaker 2: He wept, quietly. 00:18:01 Speaker 1: A tear rolled down one cheek, carving a path through the grime of travel. As Mephibosheth stared at the tapestry, a voice called from the shadows, low but warm. 00:18:16 Speaker 2: Mephibosheth? 00:18:18 Speaker 1: He turned. There, a few paces away, stood the King of Israel. The boy dropped his gaze and fell prostrate to the floor. His voice trembled. 00:18:32 Speaker 5: Please, my lord, I am your servant. I am no threat to your kingdom, please. I beg you, do not kill me. 00:18:40 Speaker 4: Kill you? No, my son. Do not be afraid. 00:18:46 Speaker 1: David approached and the boy flinched. David paused. then did something no king in the known world would ever do. He knelt down to his level, where they could speak eye to eye. 00:19:01 Speaker 4: Had I known you were alive, I would have sent for you long ago. I'm so sorry. 00:19:09 Speaker 2: Please, forgive me. 00:19:12 Speaker 5: Why would I need to forgive you? 00:19:15 Speaker 3: Because your father was my brother. He was the finest man I've ever known. And I swore to him, by the God we both served, that I would look after his house as if it were my own. 00:19:28 Speaker 5: You loved my father, didn't you? 00:19:32 Speaker 2: I remember so little of him. 00:19:35 Speaker 4: I loved him more than I can say. He was brave, but not brash. He was righteous, but not self-righteous. And he saw something in me that nobody else but the Lord saw. 00:19:48 Speaker 1: David? saw the longing in Mephibosheth's eyes. David may have lost a friend and brother, but he had lost a father. David smiled and gestured to the hall. 00:20:03 Speaker 4: Come, walk with me. 00:20:06 Speaker 1: David slowed his pace to match the crawl of Jonathan's son. They crossed the great hall, and servants pulled wide the iron-banded doors to reveal a long table set with meats, bread, honey, and fruit. No royal feast had ever been laid for one such as Mephibosheth, but David bade him sit, and for a long time they dined and talked as family. David spoke of the battles he and Jonathan had fought, of late nights whispering under the stars, of blood shed and oaths sworn. 00:20:46 Speaker 3: I vowed I would care for you. Today, I make good on that vow. You shall eat at my table like my own son. You shall be one of us. 00:20:57 Speaker 1: Mephibosheth trembled, his calloused hands curled tightly. He bowed his head and tried to speak, but words choked in his throat. At last, with shame and tears, he found his voice. 00:21:14 Speaker 2: No, I'm not worthy. 00:21:16 Speaker 4: Who am I that a king would be mindful of me? 00:21:20 Speaker 2: I'm broken, a dead dog, nothing more. 00:21:24 Speaker 5: I'm not my father. 00:21:26 Speaker 4: He was a prince and a warrior and I'm... I'm no one. 00:21:31 Speaker 1: David stood. walked around the table and knelt again at the boy's side. 00:21:38 Speaker 4: Come with me. 00:21:40 Speaker 1: They ascended to the rooftop where the wind blew clean and the stars spilled like fire over the sky. It was just David and Mephibosheth, the king and the broken prince. David pointed up to the heavens. 00:21:58 Speaker 2: Look out, my son. What do you see? 00:22:04 Speaker 1: Mephibosheth was used to looking up, but not like this. He lifted his eyes. For the first time in years, he truly looked, not just with his eyes, but with his soul. The heavens danced with light, and it seemed as if the whole world had been cast in silver. David raised his head and began to recite a psalm of his heart. His voice was a hush upon the breeze. 00:22:36 Speaker 3: O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth. 00:22:43 Speaker 4: Above the heavens you've set your glory. Out of the mouth of babes you've drawn strength. When I consider the moon and stars, the. 00:22:55 Speaker 6: Work What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? And you have crowned him with glory and honor. 00:23:08 Speaker 1: He fell silent. Mephibosheth could not speak. David looked at him earnestly. You ask the question of why you're worthy of. 00:23:19 Speaker 4: Such honor, Mephibosheth. I ask the same question. Who am I that the Lord will be mindful of me? Who am I that he would consider me at all? 00:23:31 Speaker 1: David knelt again to the boy, tears on the creases of his eyes glistening in the starlight. 00:23:39 Speaker 4: You are not a dead dog. You are the. 00:23:43 Speaker 3: Son of Jonathan and a child of God. 00:23:47 Speaker 4: He has not forgotten you, and neither will I. 00:23:50 Speaker 1: He called for Ziba, who appeared like a ghost in the torchlight. 00:23:56 Speaker 3: Ziba, I restored to Mephibosheth all the lands of his grandfather Saul. You and your sons shall tend them, and the prince shall eat at my table all the days of his life. 00:24:08 Speaker 1: And Mephibosheth, the forgotten son, crawled to David and threw his arms around him, and David held him. like a father holds a wounded child. For the first time in his life, Mephibosheth felt awe. Steve Gatina, Max Bard, Zach Schellewager, and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of The Chosen People, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwald, Sylvia Zaradoc, Thomas Copeland Jr., Rosanna Pilcher, and Mitch Lashinsky. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith. Written by Aaron Salvato, Brie Rosely, and Chris Baig. You can hear more Prey.com productions on the Prey.com app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed The Chosen People, please rate and leave a review.