A Poetic Fantasy.
Fated Mates – A Princess and her Warrior-King
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, lived a
beautiful princess. Her name was Joselyne (affectionately
called Jossy by her friends and admirers).
The girl was wise beyond her years, independent, and smart, and her
tender-hearted nature was no secret amongst
her father’s subjects.
Jossy was also known to seek solitude.
To empty her mind and think about the need
of her people.
Her father, King Leonhardt, was very proud of his
daughter’s independence and intellect. But he was also aware that
she needed to be wed to a man, who could take the reign over his
kingdom. Old age
was creeping up on King Leonhardt. Joselyne had been a late blessing
to him and his beloved wife, who died in childbirth. To her father’s
big dismay, Joselyne – so far – had failed to accept any of the
numerous eligible
noblemen her
father had lined up for her to choose from over the years. So many
did she reject that the neighboring kingdoms ran out of eligible
princes, and her father had to seek new blood from farther and
farther away.
While King Leonhardt was busy finding a husband
for his daughter and an heir to his throne, princess
Jossy did what princess Jossy did best: She
tended to the many problems of her father’s subjects, giving
equal attention to the
small and the big ones alike,
And once in a while, when the wanderlust struck
her, as it was in Jossy’s nature, she would walk the verdant hills
and the dark woods that stretched outside the walls of her father’s
castle. She would put on leather trousers, sturdy walking boots, and wrap her woolen throw around her slender frame, and set off for the forest, where she would
spend a day (sometimes
two or even three)
in the tranquility of the wilds. In the peace of nature and the
quiet of her own mind, she pondered the particularly tricky cases and
the more difficult decision she had to make.
Jossy was never afraid of the wild animals. The
princess and the wildlife had a
mutual agreement of peace and truce: to
respect each other's boundaries, and not to
venture into each other’s territory. Not to upset the delicate
balance of Nature, and not to wreak havoc with her inhabitants.
The woods had always
been benign to princess Joselyne, and she walked freely and
unhindered amongst its vast expanse, through the dense trees and the
rolling foothills. She climbed the steep cliffs of to the high
mountains that stood guard over
her father’s kingdom, and she swam in the many ponds and rivers
that sneaked through the green expanse.
It was the end of September, and the cold Winds
from the West started to blow early, heralding the proximity of
Winter. Jossy knew it was only a matter of time before Winter would
conquer the land again and blanket everything in silent white. Jossy
moaned the end of Summer – because it meant she couldn’t venture
as long and as far as she liked to. It also meant shorter days and
longer nights, which she would spend in her bed chamber longing for
her true love. The
one her father – despite his best efforts
– seemed unable to procure. Deep inside her heart, Jossy knew: Her
true love was never to be found in a regal castle, on a golden
throne, eating fancy foods and sipping fine wines. Her true love was
tethered to the woods. A kind-hearted soul dedicated to preserving
the beauty and serenity of the natural world. Content with a warm
shelter, enough food to not go hungry, and a perpetually open mind to
discover the awe-inspiring grandeur of Nature. Tender, loving, warm –
that was the man of Jossy’s dreams. Oh!
And he was handsome. Not that looks mattered, but it was
Jossy’s fantasy to run – so her prince
might as well be handsome!
Stubbornly she wrapped her woolen throw tighter
around her shoulders and hunched against the cold. “Damnation!”
She muttered against the howling wind. Then louder: “Damnation!
DAMNATION! DAMNATION!!” The shouting freed her soul, and Jossy
laughed, screaming profanities into the West Wind as she trudged up
the steep, forested hill that led to the top of the mighty cliff,
from where she would be able to see Infinity Creek far below, running
through its narrow and windy bed, occasionally widening to form
rock-pools and little ponds along its path. Her eyes would follow its
course to where it vanished into the dense woods at the eastern end
of the valley. She took a deep breath and sighed. Ah!
What she would give to see
what lay beyond those trees! How she wished to know where Infinity
Creek ended! Never had she ventured that far – always mindful of
her duties to her father and his subjects. But on that fateful
day, the West Wind infused her with
recklessness!
She knew of the steep, treacherous path that led
from the top of the cliff all the way down to its bottom. Erasmus,
her childhood-chaperon, had shown her. Well – in all truth: He had
warned her to
never venture along this path because it was dangerous and would end
in heartache and pain. And because Jossy was an obedient girl (most
of the time anyway),
she never considered questioning Erasmus’s interdict. Turns out,
grown-up princess Joselyne was less obedient and far more inclined to
trespass boundaries. And Erasmus was nowhere near to watch over her
like a mother hen for that matter…
Decision made, Joselyne walked, determined to
climb down the cliff. At first, the path wasn’t too
daunting, but as she progressed, the
situation changed. With the howling wind a steady opponent, she could
hardly keep her eyes open enough to see the path in front of her. It
took her much longer than anticipated to progress along the steep,
narrow strip of rock, and so it happened
that gloaming caught her halfway down.
Jossy – exhausted, cold, hungry, and very, very
angry with herself – felt her way along
the sheer wall. Step by step, never daring
to lose contact with the jagged rock at her back, never able to
shuffle her feet more than a few inches at a
time. At this rate, she would be up here all night!
But Jossy had an iron will and a lion’s heart. She would make it! She would make it down into the valley, and then she would follow the river and find her way back to her father’s castle. Chin up! She made it, barely! Exhausted to within an inch of her life, frozen to the bone, and hungry like a wolf, she staggered to the bank of the river, where she fell to her knees and drank her fill of the clean, fresh water. Unable to move any further, she curled up into a ball and fell asleep.
⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜
L么ghan cursed the winds!
They blew their
bone-charring, icy breath across
his weary existence. Another long, lonely, cold winter lay ahead of
him. With nothing to keep him warm or his mind occupied, other than
the knowledge that very soon Lyl Shadowspawn, the evil witch, would
claim him. Skin
and bones! Grab him and drag him into her realm, a
place tainted with evil magic and
so barren and devoid of any stimuli
that merely contemplating it made L么ghan shiver with dread. Eternal
evil, eternal pain, eternal darkness of the soul – that was his
future if…
He didn’t dare to think about the IF, because
there was no hope in hell his IF could ever happen. Not ever – and
certainly not now.With only three full moons left to break the
spell, L么ghan was rapidly running out of time. “Might as well
enjoy the bloody wind while I still can,” he mumbled in
frustration. He listlessly trudged
to where his trusted friend Lucifer was nibbling on the still lush
autumn grass.
“Let’s go and spend the day in the glen,”
L么ghan whispered into the horse’s ear, and the
mighty, white stallion whinnied agreeably.
L么ghan was once a
warrior-king of noble descent, heir to a throne, which ceased to
exist after he had been cursed and banned to live a life in the
Darkwoods, where
the witches and fairies ruled, and humans seldom ventured. And if
they ventured, they got lost and died –
never to be seen again. Aeons ago,
L么ghan would have laughed at such legends, but now he knew better.
He was one of the cursed souls, trapped inside the Darkwoods, unable
to shake off the evil spell that was cast upon him a hundred years
ago. Hundred years of solitude, hundred years of longing, hundred
years of desperation, of trying to break free… perpetually failing.
L么ghan was tired, and part of him welcomed the change ahead –
even if it was a fate worse than death: an eternity in the
Wastelands. He had no hope in hell to get away and lead a normal
life!
They were just around
the corner from the Enchanted Glen, when Lucifer lifted his head and
snorted, his warm breath forming clouds of mist in the cold air. It
was only then that L么ghan noticed that the winds had stopped
blowing. An eerie
calm lay over the land. Lucifer pranced and threw his head nervously
from side to side.
“Shhhh… what is it, boy?” L么ghan tried to
soothe the agitated stallion. But Lucifer was not responding
to L么ghan’s attempts to calm him down.
Right! L么ghan dismounted and beckoned the upset horse to stay and
wait for him. The warrior silently unsheathed his trusted sword,
gripped his hardwood staff, and carefully advanced toward the sharp
turn on the path ahead. Some creature might have been lurking just around the bend, waiting to ambush whatever crossed its
path. Not with me! L么ghan gripped his sword harder and prepared
himself to defend against an attack. Nothing could have prepared him
for what literally lay around the corner!
“Heavens and All Saints,” he muttered. Not
that he was a religious man by any stretch of the imagination, but
his mother had brought him up well, and cursing in the presence of a
lady – even an unconscious one – was not appropriate. He slowly
tucked his sword into its scabbard and carefully placed his staff on
the ground next to the motionless figure of the most beautiful woman
he had ever seen. Not that he had seen many over the past century.
Still – this one was exquisite! MINE!
The single word roared through his mind, took over his senses, and
wiped out any rational thought. He acted on pure need and instinct
when he fell to his knees next to the helpless woman. He made sure
she was still breathing, had no apparent wounds, or broken bones
before he picked her up and carried her to where Lucifer stood rooted
to the ground – calmer now and ready to take both their weights.
L么ghan settled the unconscious woman in front of him and urged the
stallion back to his modest cottage in the only clearing in the
cursed Darkwoods.
He carefully settled her onto his bed, stoked the
fire, and then went to task to undress her. He had to! She was
sodden, and her skin was ice-cold. He needed to warm her up! L么ghan
wrapped her in blankets and his own down comforter. He only hesitated
briefly, before he undressed and snuck under the mound of coverings
to wrap his warm body around her frozen one. Close! So close… He
could hardly breathe because every time he inhaled, the scent of a
wildflower meadow in full bloom hit him like an iron fist in the
stomach. He groaned. He hadn't
smelled a summer
meadow in a hundred years! Ah!
How he would have loved to… And now he lay next to his beautiful,
beautiful summer meadow in full bloom, warm and soft, inviting him to
run his fingers over the lush vegetation, immerse himself into the
sensations, inhale the sweet, sweet scent of summer. He squeezed the
girl hard and pulled her closer. “Please don’t leave me,” he
pleaded half-crazed before he finally closed his eyes and fell
asleep.
A piercing scream jolted L么ghan awake! He blindly
groped for his sword, or his staff or anything really to mute the
banshee that'd invaded his cottage.
But of course, banshees didn’t exist – not in the Darkwoods
anyway!
He jumped out of bed, the covers falling off his
naked body. The screaming intensified by a tenfold. What the…?
L么ghan was still half asleep and disorientated accordingly. The fire
in the hearth had died down to glowing embers, barely illuminating
his bedchamber. A soft glow reflected off the strange
woman’s creamy skin. The banshee! No!
He shook his head to align his muddled thoughts. She clutched a light
woollen throw against her body, trying desperately to cover her
nudity.
L么ghan felt the irrational urge to rip it away
and revel in the glory of her body. He shook his head again – more
forcefully now. The girl was mortally afraid! And who could blame
her? Yeah – I mean, come on, who wouldn’t be terrified waking up
naked in a stranger’s bed?
L么ghan went motionless. Then, he
slowly put his sword down and held his hands up in a gesture of
benevolence, hoping he could communicate his good intentions to the
terrified girl, who wouldn’t stop screaming.
⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜
Jossy’s eyes darted from left to right, seeking
for a weapon she could use to defend herself against the stranger,
who stood dark and naked on the opposite side of the bed. Naked! Dear
Heavens! She licked her lips. He frantically wrapped his shirt around
his waist – and it didn’t do much to conceal his… Jossy
swallowed. She squeezed her eyes shut but the image of her captor –
the heated feel of him wrapped around her naked body, skin to skin,
the delicious sensation of him pressing hard against her derri猫re –
kept resurfacing. Jossy blushed violently. She never thought she
could actually want a man like she wanted this stranger.
“Who… who are you?” she finally managed to
whisper through parched lips.
The man
extended his hand – the one that didn't clutch his shirt tightly to
his waist – and spoke. Ah!
His voice was something entirely otherworldly. Deep, rich, thick and
cool as cream poured over fresh strawberries. Jossy licked her lips
again.
“L么ghan. My name is L么ghan,” he said in his
delicious voice, and Jossy felt the urge to lick his throat, his
stubbly jaw, and then take the words from his sensual lips; drink
them in and soothe the burning desire deep inside her. She had the
feeling it would take more than a kiss to curb said desire – a
whole lot more.
“Joselyne,” she replied. “Jossy to my
friends,” she added hastily, not knowing why she would reveal her
nickname to this man, who played havoc with her senses.
“Jossy,” he murmured. “Welcome
to my humble cottage. I found you last night at
the bottom of the cliff.”
She pointed to his bed, her eyebrows drawn
accusingly as she took in first her and then his state of undress.
“Body heat,” he explained. “You were almost
frozen to death.
It was the only way to warm you up. You nearly gave me frostbite.”
He chuckled. Jossy blushed some more.
“How are you?” he asked, sincere concern
lacing his delicious voice.
Never stop talking to me!
The thought hit Jossy with a brutal vengeance that made her sway.
“Oh, Heavens! You must be hungry. And thirsty.
Forgive me! I am asking dumb questions when you should be resting,
eating, and drinking.” L么ghan flipped the duvet back and invited
Joselyne to climb back into bed. “Turn around,” he commanded with
a voice that was much hoarser than before. Jossy obeyed, and when she
was allowed to look at him again, he stood in his leather trousers
but still bare-chested. Jossy admired his lean, muscled body, the
faint dusting of dark hair covering his chest and abdomen. She
watched him walk to the hearth, stoking the fire, and preparing a
concoction of herbs steeped in hot water and a generous slice of
bread, warmed and crisped up over the open fire, then smothered in
lashings of what looked like freshly churned butter and topped with a
dollop of a thick, red jam.
He brought her breakfast over to the bed. He
carefully sat down on the edge and offered her the mug and the plate.
Jossy took a sip of the hot brew and closed her eyes appreciatively.
“This is good."
He smiled,
pleased with her appreciation.
Then she bit into the bread, and it tasted like a
slice of heaven. “Mhhhmm...” she moaned as she chewed and
swallowed. When she opened her eyes again, she looked straight into
L么ghan’s dark, blazing eyes. Jossy froze. Time stood still. He
lifted his right hand and gently picked a breadcrumb from the corner
of her mouth. Then he raised it to his mouth. His tongue darted out
and licked the breadcrumb off his finger. Jossy almost swooned. This
was all so wrong! But then… Why
did it feel so right?
⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜
L么ghan didn’t think for a second about the
curse when he nursed Jossy back to strength. It had been five days
before the full moon when he found her in the woods. Now, with the
full moon only days away, L么ghan remembered. Sadness
– so profound it crushed his heart – fell over him.
“Why are you sad, dear L么ghan?” Jossy asked
from underneath the mound of blankets and duvets. He insisted on her
staying in bed and “getting well”.
“I have never been better,” she grumbled
repeatedly. She was itching to get up and
explore L么ghan’s cottage and the surrounding woods.
“Nothing,” he replied with an abyssal sight
that made her heart twist with pain for his sorrow. In a spur of
compassion, Jossy reached out to touch L么ghan’s hand, and without
much thinking, he took it. Calm contentedness settled over him, and
he never wanted to let go of her hand. If only…
He froze. What if… she was his IF… the one to
break the spell? He didn’t dare think about it; because he should
do the right thing and take her back to the edge of the Darkwoods
from where she would be able to find her way home. He should do the
noble thing and not drag her into his botched-up life. Not sully her
with his filthy past. There was no future for him – other than the
Wastelands. He hung his head in defeat.
“Tell me,” Jossy’s voice rang sweet in his
ears, touched his heart, made him bleed with want and need. The Fates
had been dealing him a cruel hand!
“Let me show you
something,” he said so low she could hardly hear. “A place,” he
added. “A place that means a lot to me.” Then he called for
Lucifer, wrapped Jossy into her heavy woollen coat, and carried her
to his horse. They rode in silence – away from L么ghan’s cottage,
following Infinity Creek, all the way to the end of the valley.
There, L么ghan turned Lucifer onto path, which Joselyne hadn’t
noticed. The narrow path
was covered in fallen leaves, and the horse’s hooves hardly made a
noise on the soft ground. Trees and ferns encroached on the trail,
which itself seemed well-utilized.
Jossy longed to see L么ghan’s face, but she sat in front of him,
and all she could concentrate on was his proximity. Strong
arms banding her waist. Muscled
thighs framing her own legs. His
hard chest against her back. Warm, steady
breath tickled her neck, and his pelvis rocked into her with the
rhythm of Lucifer’s movements. Jossy felt the overpowering urge to
lean back and sink into his body.
She didn’t know about the curse. She didn’t
know she held the
key to L么ghan’s future – all she knew was that her life would
never be the same.
“Close your eyes,” he whispered into her ear,
and she complied.
He stopped Lucifer a short while later. “You can
open them now,” he said, his voice laced with anxious anticipation.
The first thing she noticed was the warming rays
of sunshine on
her face. She squinted and saw the most beautiful, serene, and
enticing place she’d ever been to.
“The Enchanted Glen,” he murmured.
A shiver ran down her spine. The glen lay at the
bottom of a natural ravine. At the far end, a waterfall filled a rock
pool with water so clear and blue it might as well have been a slice
of heaven. The river meandered through the glen and disappeared into
the surrounding forest. Green, green grass covered the meadow around
the pool and the banks of the river. Tall oak trees provided shade
but allowed enough sunlight in to render the micro-climate of the
glen warm and pleasing – just like a perfect summer’s day. Jossy
fell under its spell, and she never wanted
to leave this place again!
“This is magical...” Jossy almost forgot to
breathe. The sound of L么ghan’s chuckle rolled through her body
like a heatwave, and the movement of his chest caressed her back,
setting her skin on fire. She started to tremble.
He quickly dismounted, wrapped his hands around
her waist, and lifted her off Lucifer (who
was already grazing contently on the lush grass).
Joselyne stood on shaky legs, her hands gripping
L么ghan’s biceps, digging her fingers into his hard muscles.
“Sorry,” she whispered and loosened her grip.
Her face flushed with embarrassment, and her wayward imagination did
nothing to help her dispel it. It would be so easy to just sink into
his arms, against his body, lift her head, open her lips for him to
explore her mouth, and…
She broke away from him, and his features
displayed an array of emotions reaching from confusion to stark
disappointment. And
something Jossy didn’t dare to put words to. Something so carnal
and base, just the thought alone made her go weak and helpless. What
did she have to set against this man’s spell? How could she ever
deny him? She didn’t know, but she knew that here –
in the Enchanted Glen, they could be whatever they wanted. They’d
reached a crossroads, and there was no turning around.
Very slowly, very deliberately, Jossy stepped into
L么ghan’s arms. She took his face into her hands. Sought
his eyes. Turquoise lakes met midnight sky. And then their souls
collided. Her knees buckled – he steadied her. L么ghan sank to his
knees and took her with him. They breathed hard. L么ghan could see
Jossy’s heart hammering
under the delicate skin of her neck. He noticed that his haert was
galloping hard as well. He lowered his forehead to Jossy’s. She
reciprocated by leaning into him. He gently rubbed his nose
against hers. She exhaled, and her lips parted – an invitation for
him to place his lips on hers and explore the warm depth of her
mouth. L么ghan shook. He hadn't kissed a woman in a hundred years. It
seemed cruel that now – with just a few moons to go before he would
vanish from the face of the earth – he should find a woman he cared
for. Somebody, he could imagine a future with. He produced a harsh
laugh.
Joselyne flinched. L么ghan resented her wanton
nature. Of course! She should have known better! How could he respect
a woman who offered herself in such a shameless manner! Her cheeks
blazed with flaming red. She lowered her gaze and averted her face.
“What is it, Princess?”
L么ghan asked with an equal measure of concern and tenderness in his
voice. “Am I pushing things too fast?” He cupped her chin and
lifted her face. When their eyes met, he was lost. And so was she.
The very forces of Nature drew their lips together. Their
tongues entwined, danced, tasted, stroked. He moaned and pulled her
closer into him, gently lowering her to the soft grass without
breaking their kiss. Nothing could break their kiss! Nothing could
stop them.
Joselyne became dimly aware of their surroundings:
the warming rays of a summer sun, a gentle breeze – just enough to
prevent them from overheating, the soft murmur of the river, the
sound of the falling water, the scent of summer, the warm grass
against her back – his hard body against her soft curves. She
wanted to stay like this forever and ever.
⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜
Quercia, the wood nymph, elbowed Alba, the white
witch, and giggled.
“See! I told you we would find somebody to break
the spell.”
Alba waggled her head. “I don’t know, dear
Quercia. First, they must fall in love and then – then she needs to
remember. Remember all of him. His
name, the way he feels, their love… everything...” The white
witch threw her arms up in despair and heaved a deep sigh. “I am
not sure this will happen with only three moons remaining before Lyl
can claim L么ghan’s soul.”
Quercia hung her head, but not for long! The
indomitable optimism of a wood nymph wouldn’t allow for defeat. “We
shall give them both a helping hand,” Quercia said. “Lyl
Shadowspawn might make the rules within the Darkwoods, but her
influence does not extend beyond its borders.”
“What are you saying?” Alba raised her purple
eyebrows
questioningly.
“I say, I can make sure that our princess meets
our warrior-king each time the moon waxes... give her a chance to
remember.” Quercia
had a devious smile on her face. Wood nymphs liked to meddle – play
match-maker and muse and angle. And Quercia, in particular, would do
anything to throw spanners in the works of Lyl Shadowspawn.
(Unfinished business, you see…).
Then they both backed away from the glen, where
things got more heated by the minute, careful not to make their
presence known.
Jossy became dimly aware that she needed to gather
her faculties! But why? Why could she not just give in to her
feelings? Surely here – in the cocoon of the Enchanted Glen – she
could do whatever she liked without consequences in the real world.
Surely…
“Jossy...” L么ghan’s voice… husky and
breathless.
“It is all right,” she answered equally out of
breath.
And he believed her. Because it was all he had to
cling on to.
For three days and two nights they lived as lovers
in the Enchanted Glen; exploring, loving, getting to know each other.
At the end of the third day – the first day of the waning moon –
L么ghan lifted Jossy onto Lucifer’s back, and they left the glen
behind.
“Why do we have to leave?” Jossy was
heartbroken.
“The Enchanted Glen vanishes at the end of the
first day of the waning moon,” he explained. “But it will
reappear on midnight of the day before the full moon. Then we can
meet again, my princess.” L么ghan pressed a tender kiss to Jossy’s
temple. “For now, I will take you to my cottage, and tomorrow
morning I will take you back to your father’s castle.
They spent the night in L么ghan’s cottage
– as friends, as lovers – laughing and
loving. And every laugh, each kiss, held the promise for their
relationship to be so much more. If only Joselyne would remember him!
L么ghan couldn’t bear the thought of Jossy forgetting all that had
been between them; wake up in a stranger’s bed again and be scared
to death. L么ghan kissed his lover good-night and held her tight
against his chest. If he didn’t fall asleep… perhaps – just
perhaps he could will her to remember.
⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜
Her piercing scream brutally catapulted him from
an erotic dream straight into reality. Gray daylight filtered through
the windows, and from where he lay bleary-eyed it was evident that
his beloved didn’t remember the first thing about him. His heart
plummeted like a rock to the bottom of a still pond – fast and
straight.
L么ghan rattled down his spiel about how he found
her wet and cold and how he needed to keep her warm. Then he fed her
again, careful not to reveal anything of what had happened between
them. Then he sat her on Lucifer’s back and took her to the edge of
the forest from where they could see her father’s castle. When they
stood at the edge of the forest with its dark, tall fir trees behind
them and only an autumn meadow separating them from her father’s
castle, Jossy slid off Lucifer’s back. She profusely thanked L么ghan
and turned her back on him to leave him behind and never see him
again. The witch’s spell worked in a way that once she lost sight
of him, Jossy would forget all about him. Lyl Shadowspawn never took
any risks!
“Not so hasty, Princess,”
Quercia chuckled and waved her delicate fingers towards Jossy and
L么ghan. The fine mist of an ethereal substance settled over the pair
and formed a bonding bubble around them. “This should be enough to
jog your memory the next time we reach the full moon,” Quercia
murmured. Bonded by the wood nymph’s magic, Joselyne and L么ghan
would feel compelled to seek the edge of the forest at the right
time. Joselyne would follow the warrior-king without hesitation
because her heart would remember him. This wasn’t exactly meddling
with the spell itself – it wouldn’t make Jossy remember her lover
when she next woke up in his cottage after spending
the days and nights around the full moon within the Enchanted Glen.
But at least it would give her a fighting chance to do so and break
the spell! At least they would be together! Everything else was in
the hands of the Fates...
Quercia sighed and spoke a wee wood nymph’s
spell for good luck and love and a happy future. She’d always been
a sucker for happy endings.
⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜
When the time of the full moon approached next,
Jossy felt restless and ready to walk the woods again. She wrapped up
in her sturdy hiking garb and made her way to the edge of the forest.
L么ghan, equally compelled to capture a glance of the woman he craved
but was sure could never again, stood
at the edge of said forest, looking longingly towards the castle in
the distance. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for, or why. It
was clear to him that Jossy had forgotten all about him. The best
thing he could hope for was that she remembered him in her dreams. In
that state of sweet delusion, where the brain takes over and mashes
reality with hopes and longing. He prayed, she would see his face in
her dreams, feel his arms around her, his kisses on her lips. Feel
his eyes burn her soul and mark her forever his. But those were
foolish notions, of course. Juvenile dreams, born of a delusional
mind – a mind refusing to think about a tomorrow not too far in the
future, when an evil witch would possess his soul forever.
“If I could just see her one more time...” And
as he spoke the words out loud, he heard the rustling noise dried
autumn-leaves make when a person walks on them. He spun around and
saw HER stepping out of the forest behind him. L么ghan’s heart
swelled and threatened to burst there and then.
“Hello, stranger. Who are you, and what brings
you here?” Jossy’s sweet, sweet voice set the air to vibrate and
transformed the chilly autumn winds into a balmy breeze. He savoured
her voice, drank in her beauty, and offered her his heart on a
platter. 'I
am yours,’ he thought. ‘Now
and forever!’ He sighed. If she could
only remember him!
“I live in the woods,” he jerked his head in
the general direction of where his cottage lay hidden behind the
magic spell, Lyl had put around the place.
Jossy eyes him curiously. “I wonder why I never
came across your place before,” she mused.
“I’ve only just moved in.” L么ghan hated to
lie to Jossy but telling her the truth was out of the question. He
extended his hand in an inviting gesture. “Come with me?” he
asked, and he was acutely aware of the suspense his voice carried.
Jossy hesitated only briefly before she threw all
caution in the wind and took L么ghan’s hand. He swiftly lifted her
onto his stallion and led the animal away from the forest’s edge
and into the deep, dark woods, towards where their Enchanted Glen was
due to appear before nightfall.
Three days and two nights of magical love later,
it was time to leave the glen and make their way to L么ghan’s
cottage. Their bond had solidified, their love was stronger now than
it had been the last time, and L么ghan was hopeful, that – came
dawn – Jossy would remember him. That she would wake up in his arms
and remember his kisses, the way she invited him into her body and
soul, the feeling of him inside her… Close – so close.
He woke heartbroken as her scream violently ripped
away the gossamer sheet of hope he had dared to gather around
himself.
Again – he took her home. He carefully sat her
down at the edge of the forest, vowing he would be waiting for her on
the rising tide of the next full moon. His final chance to Make. Her.
Remember.
Time passed painfully slow.
L么ghan wracked his brain, trying to come up with
a solution: to make Jossy remember without interfering with the rules
of magic. But how? He went around in circles.
There was no solution! No happily ever after! No hope… There would
be nothing left but memories of her and him. Eternal longing for what
could have been. L么ghan swallowed the lump in his throat and gritted
his teeth. He wouldn’t give Lyl Shadowspawn the satisfaction of
seeing him crumble. He would hold on to his memories, lock them away
inside his inner treasure-chest, and if the going got tough (which he
knew it was going to!), he would open the secret chest in his mind,
which held all his precious memories.
One. More. Time! It would have to last him for
eternity…
On the day before the full moon, L么ghan stood at
the edge of the forest – eagerly awaiting and filled with dread at
the same time. He could never tell her, that it would be their last
time. How could you tell your lover? Ever!
‘She won’t remember that you were lovers,’
he lashed himself, and the cruel leather tongue fashioned from his
darkest thoughts bit into his skin. Soaked
in acid, it burned
his flesh and dissolved
it all the way to the bone.
‘She will not suffer from losing you,’
those words drifted like a soothing balm over his open wounds. He
hung his head in acceptance of the inevitable.
“Hello.”
Ah, her voice!
Music to his ears. He lifted his head and smiled despite the pain
torturing his
soul.
⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜
Jossy happily climbed onto Lucifer and allowed
L么ghan to spirit her away to their Enchanted Glen. As soon as they
immersed themselves into their sanctuary, Jossy seemed to remember
everything that happened before. Or at least her body did because
truth be said: she was acting on instinct alone; like she was under a
spell – unable to rescind the forces that drew her and L么ghan
together. She never wanted to anyway! There was no way she would deny
herself or her lover the pleasure of their joining. Two hearts, two
souls, two bodies – moving in perfect harmony, becoming one.
Inseparable!
And yet – on the first day of the waning moon,
when they had to leave their glen – things had to come to an end.
They rode home in silence. Lucifer – walking at
a snail’s pace – seemed to sense the impending cataclysm.
‘I can’t let her go!’ – ‘But you have
to!’ L么ghan’s inner demons and
angels fought an age-old epic battle.
But – of course – he couldn’t keep her at
his cottage. Lyl Shadowspawn would come and take him. And then what?
There was no way of telling what would become of Jossy, should she
still be in the Darkwoods. She might never be able to find her way
home without him. So, no! Keeping Jossy was not an option. One more
night was all they had
left.
L么ghan drew the evening out far into the night.
Delayed the inevitable, until his lover was too tired to keep her
eyes open. He picked her up and took her to bed, wrapped her into his
embrace, and kissed her good-night. Only once Jossy’s breathing was
deep and even and her closed eyelids fluttered watching the images of
her dreams, would he allow himself to moan his impending loss and cry
for the future he could never have.
Jossy woke with a start! It was pitch dark.
Disorientated and
frightened, it took her a few seconds to
get her bearings. L么ghan’s cottage! L么ghan’s bed… she was
cradled in his arms. Her lover stirred – restless in his sleep. He
moaned and when she turned in his arms to face him, take his face
into her hands to soothe him, she could feel hot tears running down
his cheek.
“L么ghan, my love… what is it?” she
whispered and kissed them away. She snuggled up to her lover’s warm
body, and her eyes closed. Half-asleep, fragments of the previous
days and nights in the Enchanted Glen drifted through her mind like
gossamer tendrils of a dream long gone. In her sleep-hazed state, she
realised, that – come dawn – she would have forgotten all about
the man and their love for each other.
When Jossy woke, she screamed!
L么ghan wanted to die! And that was precisely what
was going to happen, once Lyl Shadowspawn made it out of her witch’s
lair to get him.
The witch was in no haste – L么ghan had nowhere
to hide, and the spell had not been broken. Plenty of time to get the
king! Let him savour his beloved’s company for a bit longer! It
would only add to his heartbreak and make Lyl’s victory that much
sweeter.
⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜
L么ghan lifted Jossy slowly onto his horse before
he mounted Lucifer to sit behind her.
“Hang on, Princess,” he said and banded his
arm around Jossy’s waist. The sound of her sucking in the crisp
morning air was music to his ears! She felt it too! After all – she
felt it! Sure, she didn’t remember, but she would meet him in her
dreams. Slowly – committing every second of their last ride to
memory – L么ghan steered Lucifer toward the edge of the forest,
from where he would watch Jossy disappeared from sight and out of his
life. Never from his heart, though! Never from his heart… The
oppressive clouds of a heartbreaking and foreboding farewell hung low
over his head.
When they reached the hill overlooking her
village, Jossy prepared to slide off his horse.
“Look! What is this?” She pointed out the
pitch-black wall of a thunderstorm in the distance. Ice-coloured
lightning flashed inside the fast-approaching front. L么ghan knew! It
was the witch, riding in on a storm, coming to enslave him forever.
Bottomless sadness overcame L么ghan. He embraced
his princess, who still sat in front of him, one last time and
whispered into her ear, “I will never forget you.”
His words sliced through Jossy like a dagger made
of fire and ice.
As she slid off the horse, she noticed a knot in
the hem of her chemise, and she immediately knew it was meant to
remind her of something important. But
what? Curious, she opened the knot and
saw the warrior-king’s name written on the fabric of her chemise.
She blinked. Once, twice. She couldn’t make sense of why she would
have L么ghan’s name written down like a precious poem, on
the hem of her chemise. She lifted her head, eyes wide and met his
gaze. There was something she needed to remember… In her
sleep-infused state, she must have written his name down with a piece
of coal and then protected it inside a knot she made into the hem of
her chemise… to remember something precious – something worth
remembering...
Magic! Beauty! Love!
Lyl Shadowspawn stood triumphantly like a
gladiator on a chariot, rolling in on the thunderous wall of clouds,
which blotted out the sun and sent an icy wind as their herald. The
bastion of
impending doom stopped in front of the couple. Evil tendrils of
black, acrid-smelling vapours undulated toward them, getting ready to
grab the warrior-king.
Quercia, the wood nymph and Alba, the white witch
hunkered low behind a bush, which got battered by the furious winds
and kept their fists stuffed into their mouths to keep them from
making any noise.
“STOP!” Joselyne’s voice rang loud and
clear.
The evil witch was so perplexed that she did just
that.
“I remember everything! I remember every single
kiss, each night we spent in the Enchanted Glen. I even remember
waking up not remembering...” Jossy
looked at her king from wide, fearful eyes. “I love you,” she
said. “And you love me...”
“I do.” He nodded, unable to say any more
because his throat constricted with emotions he had no words for.
The mountains
of thunderclouds expanded and inflated like a hot-air balloon on
Tournament Day. And like a hot-air balloon, Lyl Shadowspawn took off,
and her disappearance left behind a bright, sunny winter’s day.
Quercia clapped her hands enthusiastically. She
was just seconds away from sticking two fingers into her mouth to
release a sharp whistle when Alba closed her hand over the
wood nymph's mouth.
“Are you mad? What if they hear us?”
“Who cares?” Quercia jumped up and down with
joy and pointed excitedly in the direction of Jossy and L么ghan. They
were kissing. And by the looks of it, there was more to come.
“So much passion...” Quercia sighed, and her
eyes moistened.
Alba grabbed Quercia’s sleeve and dragged the
diminutive wood nymph into the forest.
The evil witch – if not dead – was at least
defeated.
The princess got her warrior-king in the end.
Old King Leonhardt approved of his son-in-law and
heir to his throne.
And of course, Jossy and L么ghan lived happily
ever after.
...and just imagine the many beautiful babies they
made, and how much fun they had with their creations ;-)