Home
It was the only place we could ever be alone together.
An ancient sanctuary that cast long shadows & stood proud like an impenetrable fortress.
A place where the rest of the world could not enter & where the veil between worlds no longer existed.
A place where only the indifferent eyes of the forest animals and the Guardian Fay could see us.
His family could never accept the truth.
Mine would never accept him.
Yet, ever since that fateful day, when I was alone with my somber thoughts in my secret place and he found me, our hearts have been irreversibly intertwined.
His blue-green eyes danced with my own golden brown. In that instant, somewhere deep inside, we both felt it - an inexplicable sigh of relief. As if though our souls had been holding their breaths until that very moment and they suddenly remembered how to breathe again.
Even the green wood around us seemed to awaken from its’ silent reverie - a gentle breeze rustling the leaves of the trees and letting sunbeams shine through the canopy of branches to alight on us. Birdsong emanated from somewhere nearby - their voices, unknowingly to us at the time, anouncing the work of destiny.
His gaze was piercing - like an arrow to my heart.
My eyes both moved and transfixed him - like an icy fire in his veins.
I had never seen someone so handsome before.
Even in his dishevelled state, he stood tall and strong.
His chestnut hair fell just above his long lashes, which, along with strong cheekbones and a rosy flush, framed his beautiful eyes.
His lips, full and enticingly pink, slowly turned upwards into a soft smile.
His dress, though strange in fashion, was woven of the finest fabrics - alluding to his station in the world.
When he spoke - it was the deep, undulating, and rich tones of a baritone cello.
I felt myself smiling back warmly at him - and our fates were sealed.
We spoke that day of everything and nothing all at once, as if we’d known each other for lifetimes rather the few moments the Sun declared. Before we could notice, the hours flew by, and the Moon began to dance her way into the sky.
Niether of us wanted to part ways, but propreity forced us to.
With a promise to meet again on the morrow, we bade each other goodnight and left - feeling lighter and fuller than either of us had ever felt before.
And so our chance meeting turned into days, weeks, and months of us meeting in our private safe haven - Each moment together becoming more and more intimate than the last.
Some days we played and laughed like children.
Others, we comforted each other from the pain and stress the outside world inflicted on us - the weight of our stations and lineages burdening us.
Then it happened.
One day, as we played on the overgrown ruins of an ancient Fay temple, he caught hold of me, pressed me close to his firm body and did not let go.
I laughed jovially until I caught myself trapped gazing at the warm and tender look in his eyes. They were like the sea amid a raging storm - countless thoughts and emotions swimming through them. His soft expression held me & then, as if in a trance, he pressed his lips to mine.
My soul soared within me & without thought my hand flew up to caress his cheek as the kiss deepened.
He pulled away to catch his breath for a second before his placing another soft kiss to my forehead.
“I love you...” he whispered.
His grip on me tightened, as if afraid I would vanish in that instant.
“I want to be like this, with you, forever...”
Tears, unbidden, sprung from my eyes. Joy and sorrow raging within me.
I held his face in my hands, his beard stubble scratching warmly against my palms, and kissed him once more - savouring the taste and the feel of him.
“I love you, my heart is yours - always....”
He wiped my tears with his thumb...understanding passing through him as I spoke the next words.
“But they will never let us be... This is forbiden and they will stop at nothing to keep us apart.”
We held each other as my words sunk in. His nose buried itself into my hair and breathed in deeply.
″ I don’t care...”
He stepped away from me for a moment, only to kneel on the grass beneath us and pull me down with him. He held both my hands firmly clasped in his own, as if in prayer.
His eyes became serious and, in the distance, I could feel the presence of the Fay Guardians observing us with interest, their power forcing even the lost spirits of the woods and the fauna to turn to us.
My heart beat wildly within as he spoke, each word radiating such power that I could feel its vibration flow through me, through the air around us, and the earth beneath us.
“This is a vow that cannot be broken.
My fate, my heart, and my soul unto you, and only you, do I bind.
No matter the consequence, no matter the cost, no matter the time,
to you, my true love, all of myself I bind.
Niether the Earth, the Seas, nor the Heavens shall keep me
Nor shall the beasts nor Man best me.
I will always find my way back to you, I will always keep my love and my promise to you true.
All my labours and trials will be for you, because all of me I bind, from now until the end of time, to you.”
He reached for the signet ring that sat on his left hand, a proud symbol of his birthright and status. In a swift motion, he stamped it into the Earth before pulling it off his finger and slipping it onto mine.
The gilded piece felt ablaze as it carressed my skin and settled swiftly into its place - as if it were mine all along.
My soul stirred within me, and without a second thought I let it take hold.
I reached around my collar and unclasped the necklace that hung there - a heavy weight that marked both my ancient lineage and me as the "infante" of my people.
The trees around us groaned and swayed as a strong gust of wind swept through them. On its breath was the scent of rain.
“I accept this vow that has been spoken,
and, in turn, offer this - a sacred token.
My heart, my soul, my fate I bind to you
Because I know your love to be true.
Your heart and mine will forever beat as one.
These vows shall be protected by The Divine, The Moon & The Sun.”
I wrapped the silver chain around his neck, his pulse beating fiercly against my wrist as I latched the clasp into place.
My hand followed the chain down to the glimmering pendant and held it for a moment before he reached up to feel it too. The metal, shaped like a crescent moon eclipsing a sun, caught the light and glowed for a moment.
He looked at me, eyes intense, before kissing me firmly once more.
There was a clap of thunder & in an instant the sky let loose a great shower of cool rain.
We laughed and began to run for cover.
Our hands never once letting go of the other.
We were happy, living out this secret love affair, for a time.
The faint glow of a lantern or the resplendent shine of the full Moon guided us through the labrynth of trees on the nights we couldn't bare to be away from each other.
We became careless.
One Moonless night, while our hearts beat in intimate embrace, we were caught.
A bitterly jealous maiden followed him that night to see what secret he held, to find the reason why he would not take her hand or reciprocate her affection.
She made no noise - simply observed with vengeful eyes and then left to indicte us to our families.
Her tale poisoned their hearts against us.
His family was ruthless.
He was beaten and lashed soundly with iron tipped whips before they sent him far away - heavily guarded by mercenaries at all times.
He tried many times to escape.
His body bore the marks of every punishment he recieved for his disobedience. He did not care.
His eyes and ears searched for any news of my fate. Even when the beating began to become more violent and his body lay broken for extended lengths of time.
The poison which so enraged my family drove the Patriarch to extreme fury. It was inconcievable that one of his own and of high rank would engage in such heresy. I was imprisoned for a brief moment while he gave into dark impulses and began to 'cleanse' his court by first murdering his wife, and then his servants. In his madness, and as I fled to the forest after escaping my prison, he rode his mount furiously. With the eyes of a hawk he set his target upon me and let loose an arrow.
My death was almost instant - the arrowhead sticking out from within my chest assured that. I couldn't scream, I could barely lift my arms to touch the fatal wound. I looked ahead to the eyes of the Fay just beyond the trees.
My body fell lifeless at the foot of the forest at the same moment my spirit walked out of it and stepped past the first trees in the wood.
The patriarch approached the cadaver - contempt and malice on his proud face, blind to the spirit that stood before or the Fay observing. He held no remorse for murdering his family or his youngest son before him now.
He unsaddled from the horse and withdrew a great broadsword - Intent on removing my head and using it as a prop to instill a reign of fear within our people.
He lifted his sword, and, in what can only be called divine retribution, was struck not once, but thrice by thunderous bolts of lightening. He screamed in agonizing pain as his flesh burned - the jeweled and metal adornements he wore glowed red and crackled as they broiled him alive.
From within the woods, The Fay watched, apathetic to his wails.
Even as his charred and smoking corpse fell to the ground, they stood still as statues.
They waited for another.
For the first time, I could see them clearly.
Tall, exquisite, and radiant beings.
Their eyes befell me and I felt their voices echo in my mind
“Come....Come to us, child.
Our Forest Prince has arrived at last!”
I cast one last sorrowful glance at my lifeless body and the tall towers of my ex home in the distance before turning and walking forward into the embrace of my new forest folk.
Their ancient tongue became as mine, their vast knowledge was my own, and the trees and wind that blew around us now beckond to my every call. This new family held me close to their hearts and nurtured my liberated spirit.
Yet, Despite their warmth and tenderness. They could not protect me from the deep sorrow and longing that invaded my being each night as I awaited my lost love. This new life, though warm and welcoming, kept me bound to the Forest.
They knew of this and let me be, gaurding the woods all around me as I held a signet ring close to my heart.
Their vision into the future, though sometimes shared, was one thing they kept to themselves and was still far beyond my understanding. They were Gaurdians of far more than just the trees.
The passage of time can be as cruel to spirits as it is to mortals, so I learned.
I sat and kept vigil in our secret place - waiting for the day he would come.
Each day and night felt longer and lonelier than the last...
One day, years after my own death and rebirth, as I held his ring close to my heart, I was overcome by unimaginable pain.
My entire being felt as if it had been set ablaze and I felt almost human again as an unholy scream ripped through me. I grasped onto the crumbling wall of the ruin I stood in and gasped for breath - quivering as the sensation passed.
Elsewhere, on the edge of the Forest, The Fay stood watch...awaiting once again.
Their ears deaf to the screams they heard in front and behind them.
The pain subsided completely and I could feel myself shudder - a breeze tickling my ethereal form.
I wandered over to where I could sit and held my hand to my chest, eyes glistening with invisible tears. Something had happened to him...I just knew it. The pain that had overcome me had happened to him.
Above, the canopy of trees swayed, Midday Sun poured into the green ruins and warmed my aether skin.
I sat still and listened to the words of the gales above...
....dead....
....poison....
...Fay...
...Aether...
No.....NO!
It couldn't be true! He couldn't have died!
I buried my face into my hands, glittering stardust falling from eyes instead of the tears my human body had once shed. I couldn't leave the forest. I couldn't go see him or save him.
I felt myself about to begin sobbing when I felt it...
A strong ghostly hand alighted gently on my arm.
The touch almost too delicate - as if someone was handling fine glass.
I turned and found myself caught in the same beautiful oceanic gaze that I had bound myself to long ago.
″ I made a vow that could not be broken,
to always come back to you, to keep my promise of love true ”
My aether heart pulsed strongly and I felt myself filled with joy.
He lifted me into his arms and spun me around as we laughed like children once more. The ring on my finger sparkled, the pendant on his neck glowed, and when we kissed the forest around us shone radiantly bright - an explosion of light and life pervading through the thick trunks of all the trees and embedding itself into the soil and every fern.
We peppered each other with kisses and his warm embrace was so perfect.
He held me to his chest firmly, strong arms refusing to ever let me go again.
"I'm home..." he murmured softly into nape of my neck as he breathed me in.
"No... WE'RE home.." I smiled and snuggled into him more.
The Fay gathered around us and smiled warmly.
It was the only place we could ever be together.
An ancient sanctuary that cast long shadows & stood proud like an impenetrable fortress.
A place where the rest of the world could not enter & where the veil between worlds no longer existed.
A place where only the indifferent eyes of the forest animals and the Guardian Fay could see us.
It was our Enchanted Forest
It was our home....