At this point the promise was just a shadow. David no longer lived at the palace nor ate at the king’s table. He inhabited damp caves and ate the scraps of wilderness beasts. He no longer rode at the king’s side but was hunted by the men who once fought by his side. There was no warm bed or servants to attend him, no compliments in the royal court. His bride was given to another. He knew the loneliness of a man without a country.
