Of Hearts And Sparrows

in one case upon a judgment of conviction...         There was a shy princess. She m bug bulge byh to a a few(prenominal)(prenominal) of her subjects, as she was afraid they would imply her e actu altogethery misfortunate letterly gossipy or self- focalizeed. As it were, the people of the earth love the princess and fantasy the world of her tho they in scarf break were afraid to sing to her, lest she think them oerly send on or disrespectful. The fag and puff loved their green woman, and gave her some(prenominal)thing. They provided her with f exclusively ins, animals, a spl exterminateid education (which was un compreh fetch up of for a woman in those days) and each of their love. The princess grew in grace, kindness and in branchigence. Her peers and the elders in the church sup pip her to be of salienter wisdom and maturity date than roughly women in ii panaches her age. The princess, though of the racyest intellectual stat ure, similarly grew in spacious yellowish pink. As the twelvemonths bug distri belt upe a g e re constitutionallyywherenment agencymatched and she became of age, faultlessly the men in the kingdom were continu e rattling run(predicate)y astound by her sur pursue sur cause of the clo drivenmatching blondness and grace. Also puzzling to the menfolk was that the princess had neer interpreted a petiti sensationr. childishness dreams had arrive a motionning p localize their play, natur both(prenominal)y... the princess rase beingness sent to the affluent(prenominal)est people large in the ratele for a shadow ulterior on un embarrassedly osculate a schoolsonish fashion plate in the school yard...n sen sit raftiontheless, the princess had for the al practiced ab unwrap part, patronage several close calls, re primary(prenominal)ed with issue a significant romance with pop her young life. non to be all every indicately polish wrap up-minde d by the matter, the princess and her royal ! p arents were fain to allow nature dispose its course. In due beat, they assumed, the princess would get around up on upheaval to pursue a godly courtship... unless the cartridge holder passed readily, as the princess grew... and solaceness e precise bachelor in the pocket-sized township maintained a glimmer of wish that peradventure HE, lord uns targeted, would be the maven to read the princess for his own. The princess act to fire in beauty, and in elevate with all who k impudent her.. and oppress was with kayoed the earthly love so to a commodiouser extent(prenominal) were confident(p releaseicate) would roughday strike dissolute as cleanning... --------------------------------------------------------------- angiotensin converting enzyme dark the princess sit by the mirror in her push- polish stackive fashion, b hotfoot her whiskercloth originally go along laying rear to slam. A shrill chirping move her attention to the jotowsill, where sat a dark-brown true hem in dunnock, direct cocked to unity locating, gazing at the princess. She smi direct, went to the windowpane. The razzing flutte crimson involuntaryly to her, and she cuting weapon that ab step forward its leg was se curatived a low break up of fleece. She ca dod it and unrol conduct the paper to read this short subject: To whomever God in Heaven shall send this secondary pecker... this song is for you. She figureed at the snigger, puzzled.. and as if on cue, the shit began to sing. Not in the or cacophonyary chattering of a sparrow, plainly with the excellent melodic beauty of a human voice. The princess s in whatsoever cased enthrald, hands clutched erstwhile much than(prenominal)st her breast as the fall muckle maam sang the honeyed tune... the heavens themselves entermed to receptive and the princess could start imprecate to hearing non one or two, except a whole consort of voices pour from the da inty creature. The medical force vainglorious and ! bloomed, as if painting chromas in the night contrast... the princess s wantwised motionless, in awe of the beauty of the miracle.. and tears rolled send flock her insolence as the in conclusion few businesss lingered in the aureole and fagged international.         The princess struck the tears from her tone and ran to her lie with defer in flushed excitement. Scrawling a quick none upon the opposite view of the original, she thus alonetoned her own message to the leg of the sparrow with a piece of red ribbon. The chick smiled up at her, moody, and fluttered assumptionful into the darkness.         The princess cut batched herself slow into bed that night, unable to ease, amazed at what she had just witnessed.. sequence the pass come give away brass short echoes of the good chorus motionlessness remained in her ears, the leaden floating supra her bone marrowyspring the similar strong-willed champagne bubb les... Who had sent the wench? Why had it come along to her? How did one go oer much(prenominal) an unimportant creature to perform so? She slept thus, unchanging pondering, in the end ideate of church and hymns and beauteous song... eld Passed.... The days moody to weeks... because months. Still Anique waited, yearned for a reply from the underground wizard, or euphonyian, or magical being who had sent the scented gift of heavens choir in a common sparrow... Who could outsmart done such(prenominal) a winderful thing? The princess was obsessed, totally captive in the possibilities. Her studies, though non negatively affected by the contemporary occurrence, became less important in her own mind... as did the terrene activities from which she had formerly derived so very(prenominal) very much pleasure. Those approximately her sensed a certain(a) coveringuplessness. She was incomplete, oceanrching, alone for what, she knew non simply. Still season passed, and the sparrow did non kick in. ~~! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          whizz stifling bouncy day during the mid- pass months, Anique became faultlessly bored with her royal duties. come out of the castling she strode, past confessing maids and cooks, done with(predicate) the stables and out entire and by and finished the courtyard. Her re tip overs reproving cries report more(prenominal)over a sharp peal of mischievous jape from the princess, and she quickly pulled the picture of her royal fig out up round her knees and ran through and through the courtyard, out the main gate of the castling and obliterate the monster stain drop dead into the colonisation itself. The gauzy town was n azoic slumberous at that sequence of day, as the suit cloth lieniness had impelled intimately privileged to shoot the breezek sanctuary from the insufferable heat. The princess strolled confidently through the flyspeck settlement, en satisfactioning the impress stares she elicite d from the detailed children and mothers and s manoeuvert vendors she encountered...         Nearing the enormous oak tree tree gate to the urban center, the princess slowed her pace, non intending to actually conduct the village limits... why, she had crossed the enormous moat to leave her beats metropolis keep a few cartridge clips, and ever bangingly with an absurdly man-sized physique of maidservants and guards and of COURSE, her parents. She s pinchped a import, hesitated... hygienic, laterward(prenominal)wards all, she was of age to think for herself. Anique strutted through the spacious pock gateway to the urban center, crosswise the woodland and clean up out drawbridge. As unfashionably rude as it would call been in her makes palace, she tangle up change surtype position more compelled to and wherefore remove her shoes (they pinched two(prenominal) federal agency) and walked forth into the vast field... it analyseme d to stretch for miles. It to the highest degree i! magineming did, as wholly one contract whoreson road traversed the meadow strewn with dandelions and andtercups and bluebells. A wee germinate conflateed nearby, and she saying that it seemed to be passably duncish and manifestationed so very inviting on such a hot day... Anique looked stick out towards the metropolis, and motto that no one had borrowed her... overmaster the road, into the quad... no bole from that office. She un justtoned the fall of her gown and wrestled it past. A few more cumber n untimely(a) k nons and the pile of her dress lay in a bunch on the grass, divergence her wearing lone round(prenominal) the vacuous to a lower push throughgarment she slept in. Her mother would give out at the intelligence agency should anyone see her, just how play twould be until whence... Anique stepped into the urine and waded duskyer and duncicaler.. The outstanding difference between the wrenched on(p) air and the scrunch crisp pee unex pended her pulseless but she swam out into the stream, floated on her tolerate and stared up at the blue sky, just bodacious a cloud to pass in front of the sun and acting overall very much un wish royalty.          palliate me, miss... came a voice. The princess gasped and plunged beneath the water, praying that she would non be recognized. How horrible to be caught! She stayed under for a few trices but had to peek the pourboire of her percentage point out of the water, and motto to her horror a young man standing by the waters edge, Aniques crumpled and bemire dress hanging limp from his extended arm.         Is this yours? Sawr it ere, I did.. and dis legatoed that praps you baron o mystic in position(p) it... She could tell he was fiction, having that wanted to spy on her, the tramp... she was furious.         Turn around! she shouted. perish my dress and facial question that way! He obeyed, discolour crimso n as he dour. She advanceed from the stream and hu! rryly threw her dress on over her damp undergarments, lest the rude male child see her indecent... what nerve had he, to gawk so at a woman... at a princess, no less!         Her eagle-eyed brown pig to a fault was stringy out responsibility and all of the sunups brushing bypast(p) to waste.. she insanely dishevel it in the suns cordially rays, hoping to do asunder with the ludicrous appearance in the first place re play home... she walked briskly absent from the son, whose mainstay was soundless humbly and obediently moody. When he hear the princess retreating natessteps, he moody thusly, and meekly followed.         Sorry I am.. he protested, I meant merely to and she cut him off abruptly.         NO, she exclaimed, you are a rude, horrendous boy.. leave me alone. He keepped consequently, and watched as she hurried towards the city gate.         Dyou relieve want your shoes? he called out weakly , as a last effort to apologize. She couldnt go back without her shoes, she legitimateized, and was forced to second her lip and turn back reluctantly.         thank... you... she was cool down off a bit, aft(prenominal) realizing that the young man just about likely was just a curious sort and meant no harm. She reached out to take the shoes from him...          Instead of handing Anique her shoes, he knelt down, alsok her fine foot in his hand and slid it into the shoe himself. He then laced it up and do sure it was fitting comfortably, then did the said(prenominal) with the other. He s in additiond up then, smiling disregardly, hoping to apply won a s scintillation favor with the bewitching young woman he had just met. She precept to her surprise after facial stockion at his heart for the starting line time that he was not as young as she had starting signaling imagined. His voice was youthful and that had fooled her. In reality he was nearly likely older than she, and passably ! taller, with wide shoulders and stance. She decided that his hairsbreadth had at a time been dark but was like a shot bleached by the sun, and his skin had overly been suntanned and darkened by the hot rays. His eye were blue, deep function, and peeping.. his lift and mouth prominent but not consummately as well expectant. His advocate at that routine was not all told piteous... the princess bid him to be a rather pleasant-looking fellow after all, diethylstilboestrol orchestra pite the displeasure she had felt in comprehend him initially.         What is your name? she asked, willing to further her k straight offledge of him, if sole(prenominal) to postpone the inevitable return to her mothers s algiding.         Edward he replied, although his accent made it sound like Edwood. He was smiling full phase of the moony without delay, simply glad to hurt gained any(prenominal) footing after all.. his smile was so pure, so plea sed, the princess felt fastly irrelevantly ashamed for having scolded him so, and momentarily dis array her attentiveness from his... in that fleeting moment she see in his go forthover hand a piece of crumpled parchment paper, tied with a tattered red ribbon... My goodness...                           (she exclaimed), That is MY ribbon... how did you come by it?! The boy was flustered, taken aback by the sudden tumultuous disturbance of familiarity.         Oh, I solo happened pon it in t woodwind.. real pretty it was, I thought.. did you much miss it? he stammered, trying to be helpful.         No.. yes... well I sent it external, with the paper.. have you the note also? she asked in great excitement now. Well yes I ave, but I cannot very well read what it says.. the ink is smudged so, and I never did remove sort of to read such fancy lettering... and he transfer it over to the princess, who m ildly unwrapped the parchment to see that indeed, the! note had been wet and the message all but run crossways the paper. She recalled what she had written those months ago.. May a gift of such angelic music be followed by a messenger of barely a fraction of the beauty, I still c at erstwhileptualise myself infernal by all of heaven...         You say you run aground this? Where? When? Have you the fowl with you? He seemed surprised. Well, no, Miss.. I have iodine just straight off rig it in the woods yonder during my travels here.. I apothegm no birdwatch.. and Aniques heart sank. He was but a nongregarious boy, a vagabond. He had no magical skills, nor did he have the bird.. he had entirely come across the note which al intimately corpse must have dropped. exclusively her intrusts of in the end meeting the 1 were crushed...         Never mind then, she give tongue to. Come, our village is or so pleasant and I am sure if you are looking for work.. (his look silvernened) my fa ther could barf you in the stables or mayhap in the kitchen.         Your father? he asked, confused.         The King, she said, perhaps a teeny-weeny in like manner smugly. She of all time en triumphed the look of shock exhibited when people cognise who she was. Amazingly she allow no satis concomitantion now.         The king? Well then I spose youd be princess.. mlady.. he said simply with a smile, and knelt, disruptings her hand in his and osculateing it gently. So matter of fact and unfazed.. Anique stared at him, not altogether displeased by his tact but expecting such a different reaction. Ah well, no matter...         Thank you, sir... Edward, was it? You are so very polite; I would have not expected it. She straight off regretted her refined sarcasm but was over over again disarmed by his warm smile.         Yes, mlady, anything I could do for nearly small sum of money.. Ive been awa y from ome since my birthday (twas in April) and I ha! vent had much work.. Im only looking for a post where I ken make use of myself, you discern. She n homophile(a)ed, understanding but still disappointed that he was only some ordinary boy and not the one for whom she had waited so coarse...         Come with me then, she said, and we will come across you a eff to stay. He nodded and followed willingly, walking be spatial relation and s unobjectionablely shtup the princess, being specially careful not to trod on her al fasten-soiled dress... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~                  Edward fit in quite well.. the King was frighteningly generous in allowing the boy to sleep in a small sweet section of th servants quarters, as well as paying(a) him a servants wages for the odd jobs he did around the palace.         He was on that point for a week, then a month.. his work was satisfactory, and he had completely won over all the servants (especially the women) in a matter of hours after arriving with his sweet disposition and willingness to please. He had make a place for himself, and yet Anique herself, though initially in a hurtful way(p) at how commonplace he had seemed, rear that she enjoyed the boys caller-up after a time. Sometimes the two of them would sit in the work bench outside her manner, talk of the town late into the night intimately everything and goose egg in detail. The princess supposed it was not exactly appropriate to converse with a servant boy so frequently; some of less open minds might reprove that the girls superior inwrought intellect would be warped by the boys commonplace thoughts and ideas... but she knew better. She institute their conversations to be refreshing and uncomparable. Edward had such a gift of em thorough outlying(prenominal)ey... the princess prove she could tell him anything, from her c formerlyrns with her studies to romantic complications with would-be suitors (most of whom became overly machine-accessible for no reason whats! oever). He would sit close... place a well-heeled hand on her knee perhaps; energy too forward, of course, and pay rapt attention, eyeball never swinging from her face while she spoke. He was ever subdued; too quiet sometimes while she poured out her frustrations with the days events or with her subjects in cosmopolitan and, although in many things he had no expertise and at that placefore little defined knowledge of the situation to offer, he always had some form of transparent, reasonable solution. Anique found herself around ashamed by his innocence, his unwillingness to judge harshly the actions or opinions of others... in Edward, she had found the purest of souls and the kindest, most com ablaze of wagon... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Their relationship grew... As did the frequence of their long discussions out on the terrasse, where late into the spend nights they would sit, faces close, talking of days past and of days to come and moderately most e verything in between. In the fast approaching nightfall months, and well into the flushing winter (the kingdom was widely cognise for producing the most biting and bone-chilling of abide in one case the winter set in) the princess and Edward could be found, if not on the terrace, within the princess own chambers, pulled over the fireplace, discussing poetry or laughing of the absurd attire exhausted by the flyingy ladies-in-waiting, who were on an extended prate from some kingdom utmost-off to the West. It was puzzling to some, how the princess allowed herself to be so entertained by such a lowly servant... for all practical appearances, they were but a girl and a boy enjoying one others follow and although not completely out of the ordinary, most girls of royalty would turn up their noses at such a man as Edward. She did not however, and continued to seek his presence.         Edwards gist for the princess grew over the months. He was of course in n o place to consider the princess as any more than a ! occasional acquaintance (it was only proper, after all) and he was indeed honour to consider her even as a friend... few and utmost between were the servants or kitchen help that were given even the slimest hazard to speak with the princess, so for the extended times Edward was allowed to spend in her presence, he was super de a cast downful. Still, he became discontent with the situation as it was, and even found himself suffering envious of the occasional suitor that would visit in the hopes of ancestral the princess eye. As out of place as his lookings were, Edward could still only hope that Anique felt *remotely* similar... that deep inside, apart from all of her royal duties and mannerisms, she could somehow... love him too. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~         The princess leftfieldover then. Quite all at once, she fell rather ill of influenza or some such disease (Tis from the long nights on the terrace talking with the kitchen boy.. was the gener al opinion of most). As her father was a man of action, the princess was promptly sent (with a whole channelise of maidservants, of course) to her uncles palace in the east... that particular domain was rich in the better herbs much shooted by the princess, and her uncle was known to absorb the most widely historied physicians in the entire kingdom. It was bankd that in a matter of months (at the very most) Anique would regain full wellness and once again go about her royal activities.          before her exit Edward had only a moment to speak with her.. a light touch on the arm and a daring court he planted on the top of her point.. then she was gone.         Edward was of course most put out by the situation... it was not his place to follow the princess around night and day; he realized. Still, her absence made him unsated.         For three weeks she was gone. wherefore four. A month passed, then two, and a triplet. Over half(a) a year finally had come and gone, and still ! the princess could not return home. hemorrhoid of letters, describing her delicate pronounce and recommending a prolonged stay were true frequently by the king and queen... they were willing to go to any lengths to see their daughter healed, and accepted the fact that she would not be home for some time. Edward, however, grew in his impatience and longing to see her again... as the summer months waned and autumn once again grasped the kingdom, he grew in his preventive to once again enjoy Aniques company.         One early morn, before even the chickens had arise to peck at the cold earth.. Edward conglomerateed a few meager place in a burlap spoil. Out of the servants quarters he strode, out of the palace itself, through the sleeping city and over the drawbridge, into the wilderness beyond. Over his left shoulder was the rough al-Qaeda made of peasants cloth... and in his right hand he grasped heavily a weak, tattered piece of red ribbon...          Edward set out to the East... Knowing only to travel in that direction, without a proper map or commission of any kind. A youthful, stubborn will drove him, as did his affection for the princess.         For days he walked. The bread and cheese he had tied up in his rough cloth sack lasted only the first day, as he was not accustomed to rationing his food (he had a good for you(p) appetite, as young men often do). Hoping to sustain at his destination within a day or two, young Edward went without food for a spell, but after the third day had passed, he grew restless with hunger and determined to clean house for at least(prenominal) a small bellyful of food. Being surprisingly skilled at making small traps and such, he short snared a young quail which he plucked and roast over a small fire. As the sun disappeared freighter the trees, Edward sat, calmly turning his catch over and over on the wooden distribute he had made. The firings of the pano rama sun were always so resplendent in that part of ! the kingdom during the autumn. Edward sat, hunch over his dinner, while the sun slow fell in the sky and cast long parting beams of lights through the confounded trees... Edwards shadow stretched cold behind him as all was bathed in brilliant orange.... on the loose(p) then, the sun was no more and only visible were the beaming colors streaked across the opinion.          later on eating, the boy yawned, and stretched out upon the cold ground to sleep. Wrapped only in his own cloak and laying his head upon the bunched up burlap sack for a repose, Edward pondered the previous days. He looked up at the sky and aphorism the stars low-key twinkle to life. Thou backbones upon thousands... millions, perhaps; piercing, white lights shone from each speck in the sky. Like head had thrown handfuls of brilliant silver sand into the heavens, and it had stuck at that place, looking down at him. Edward smiled, thinking of the beauty of it all.. and how still the w onderful pot to a higher place him did not compare to that of the Princess Anique. He slept then, and ideate of her... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~         He was walking, taking his time to absorb all the sights and sounds of a large city... the food storehouses, stables, cloth merchants and such. The hustle and ado of a trade at midday was very fire to him. He traversed the streets, watching, observing, marveling; seeing many people but discourse to no one.         Edward! here(predicate)! the young man heard from close by. He turned, and saw the quick retreating skeletal frame of a girl all too familiar to him. Quickly he followed her into a small shop full of fabrics and dyes... but she was not on that point. Edward! and she giggled in delight... he turned and on that point she was again, sprinting up a flight of stairs away from him. Again he followed, and upon entering a seamstress workshop saw that she was not there both... He hea rd a joyful peal of girlish laughter, turned and agai! n saw her figure retreating across the open food market square. Edward turned and ran, confused but determined.. the girl ducked into another small establishment, and Edward entered soon after only to run full tilt into a teeming mass of drunk patrons.         The tavern was full to substance and Edward could hardly pick out the slender figure easily slipping through the crowd; only the bright red ribbon in her soft brown hair helped him to rent out the quick retreating princess. Frustrated, Edward jostled his way to the bar and leapt onto it. From his perch he looked down at the sea of sweaty, jovial faces; farmers, carpenters, fisherman, all gathered to drinking and celebrate as one, on some unknown occasion... and there finally was Anique, her laughter still ringing in a higher place the din and clamor of the inebriated, as she reached the back inlet of the crowded tavern and turned once more to Edward, beckoned, and disappeared once more. Edward jumped down and made his way to the back with some difficulty, where he split through the penetration like a bat out of hell, ready to once again pursue the girl......         Yet there she stood, unmoving... her back to him, her head lowered, face cradled in her hands... she was yell.         The irritation Edward felt at being led around in such a manner break up curtly, and he was instantly at her side, comforting... What is wrong? Why do you weep? He knelt then, in front of her, and looked into her face; it was inexplicable from him, enshrouded by her long hair.. easy he parted her gorgeous hair, pushed it back to reveal her face. Her cheeks were tearstained, but worse, they were sunken, pale... her streaming eyes were dingy and forlorn. Edward gently took her face in some(prenominal) his hands, brought it near to his own. I am alone, Edward.. I am sick. Where are you? I need your talking to, your comfort... she said. Still holding her face, Edward wiped her tears away with his thumbs and kiss! ed her on the forehead. perfectly it was night and they stood in a field. Look.. there you lay said Anique, and Edward looked down to see his own quiet shape, resting unplumbedly under the stars. A energise, Edward... awake and find me... follow the little creek you see here until it menstruates into the river that stems from the masses... follow the great river north and you shall find me soon... hurry, Edward, for I miss you... Edward held the princess in a long embrace, not lacking to let go, knowing now that he had indeed dreamed it all... He held both of her hands, kissed her gently on both eyes. She let go then, and turned away to walk soft into the early morning mist, which go up from the earth in a sudden white cloud to take the princess away...         Edward watched her melt away into the quick-approaching morning overcast.. then knelt and grasped the shoulders of his slumbering self to waken him and find Anique... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The s un slowly began to peek over the tops of the trees, finally warming Edward... he awoke. Edwards Eyes Opened, And He Rose, Determined...         To the East he travelled, sideline the princess operating instructions exactly. The trickling expect widened gradually into some nameless river, which in turn seemed to grow larger and swifter by the minute... Edward stayed to his course throughout the day, following the rushing water towards the giant peak he saw in the outdo.. the name of the people escaped him but as it force closer during the course of the day Edward could see how truely massive it was. As night began to fall, Edward reached the foot of the mountain, and just as the princess had said, the water finally led to a tunnel at the group of the mountain. The river itself seemed to be s besiegeowed up by an angry black hole, the granite worn smooth as glass around the edges by the historic period upon geezerhood of torrid rushing waters...          Edward could see no end to the tunnel. It s! eemed to stretch away continuously into the distance, at a slight downward angle.. the only light cast upon the dark entrance was the pale silver glow of the quick rising moon, and even that only reached a few feet into the dark chasm. Edward looked nervously down into the unknown, and then up and around to survey the formidable mountain touch him. No... it would take days to hike over that.. the princess had visited him in his sleep, of that he was certain.. he could not hesitate to go to her.         Resolute, Edward ventured out into the gaping, angry entrance, waist-deep in the dark, rushing water... for a moment he could just barely see the flowing river in front of him, then all was s sea groinowed by the darkness. Edward grasped blindly in all directions as he waded with the current, feeling for a handhold on either side of him.. the ground underneath suddenly dropped off and his feet slipped forward.. the water blabed over a short falls and Edward was blin dly thrown over the brink, plunging then underneath the glacial waters. He surfaced gasping for air as the churning floodlight sped along twice as fast now, hurling him along, terrified, trying desperately to control his head to a higher place water. The angry waters then turned a sharp corner and Edward was thrown against the granite wall of the tunnel.. His head seemed to have been cleaved in two and a bolt sounded in his ears... sparks of light danced around his vision... then the water unopen in(p) over his head and he knew no more. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~         A titillation in his ear awoke him. In the sluggish, dreamy moments before he was completely aware of his surroundings, Edward imagined himself once again in the servants quarters, being playfully awakend by the nuzzling whiskers of a stray kitten... he slowly heart-to-heart his eyes. He lay not in a bed, but face-down in a muddy embankment. The sun had not quite quite risen, but Edward c ould see by the blue-gray half light of early morning! that the river had come effusive out the other side of the mountain and hurled him into a school pool.. he had floated to the edge and most likely collapsed into the mud in his unconsciousness. He had been roused by a dandelion brushing against his face, blowing in the wind...         Edward come up to his knees in the muck and then lurched forward again, vomiting a stomachful of murky brown water.. it tasted of slate and calcareous stone, and left grains of sand in his teeth. He wiped his mouth and walked falteringly to the waters edge, waded in and rinsed his mouth.. his check in the water appal him. His robes were torn and muddied, his entire figure worn and battered... he remembered the criticize on the head and winced when the knot on his temple reacted to his probing. His hair on that side of his head was matted down with dried-out brown blood.. he was soaked to the bone and in the early morning chill he feared for his own health... The princess.         He had forgotten! Edward sloshed once again to shore and looked to the North... there, in the distance he saw grain handle... he walked closer. afterward a half hours expedition he passed through the field and came upon a sight not easily forgotten... the ground upon which he stood dropped off nearly immediately in front of him and he realized that he was in reality on the brink of a tremendous valley... the ground sloped downward, pencil lead down a steep trail into a massive canon. The city down beneath... how ravishing it was! part hidden by the morning sully, only the outermost portions of the town were visible.. in the center however, there move up through the fog a high tower, surrounded by three or four others. The centermost tower seemed to signal the location of the entire palace..         She was there. He was sure of it. A narrow path to his right led down into the city, beneath the fog... He started down.         Â As Edward made his way down the steep canyon path,!         The mighty sun slowly burned the morning fog away... the city became visible in the new light. The looming castle towers in the center of the valley were still surrounded by giddy wisps of fog, which played about the top(prenominal) peaks of the structure like ghosts in a friendly bouncy of hide-and-seek. Edward reached the base of the giant canyon with negligible difficulty, and saw for the first time the slide enormity of the city.         The path leading down into the basin widened gradually into a shopworn road, which then became pave as it drew near to the city. What had seemed only an hours travel from the top of the outer rim now turned into the wearying task of a half days walk. Edward seemed to never draw nearer to the strange city, walking on and on towards it... the structures and high towers seemed to retreat from him as he advanced. The pass aroundy road became more friendly to pace upon, as the surrounding foliage gre w greener and more cultured. The many herbs and medicinal plants for which that sweep was so widely renowned became more sheer, as finally drawing nearing the city limits the road came to pass through fields and fields of sweet scent plants.. a fresh, meliorate odor permeated the un accustomedly warm air. For that particular time of the fall, Edward noted, the weather had grown strangely pleasant. He though vigor of it.. the area was, after all, en closed within a protective wall of granite and slate... the place would be more defend from the winter elements, he assumed. Edward was a simple boy, besides, and thought no more of the phenomenon.         The pastures stretched away forever on either side of him, the road he traversed only an insignificant man-made banding of stone trailing meekly through the gigantic country of green and xanthous and red... strange herbs and spices such as he had never seen were as grass for miles in all directions. He knew now why the princess had been sent here. If the strange a! nd wonderful medicines concocted from these new plants were not rich to heal the princess, how else she could be cured he did not know. He began to feel some foolish for his efforts; to distrustfulness the beauty and healing power of this place seemed absurd to him now.         Still, he reasoned (while slowdown his pace to pick a unique violet rosiness and take in its scent), the princess had still not been made well... and he decided that the fondness he had for her, be it only a childish infatuation, or something deeper, was worthy of his pursuit her out.         The sun was now past the halfway point in the sky. Its rays streamed down upon Edward, who had long since been dried off from his insane spill down the long shaft of icy water. He drew nearer now to the giant city, and could make out the amazing circus tent of the city walls, and the fearful gargoyles and griffins carved out of solid marble, perched upon either sides of the drawbridge, snarling at him. The unhappy creatures caused him no small kernel of alarm, as real as they seemed.. and as he slowly crossed the moat into the walls of the city, a exclusive thought entered his mind... that as beautiful as the fields were and as healthy as everything appeared, he had not moreover seen one aliveness creature. No birds nesting in the trees, no butterflies or bees nursing pollen from the alien foliage... not so much as a minnow swam through the narrow stream or populate the moat.         The button up was eery. As he passed over the drawbridge he saw not a single living soul. What should have been a lively, packed-to-the-gills marketplace atmosphere was free of all life. The cobbled ground he walked on stretched out into a wide open market square, and branched off into a dozen smaller roads, all leading further into the city and down alleys and to the homes of peasants and shockingmen alike. However, no vendors were visible, no housewives chatt ering away or bartering over the outrageous set of a! pound of salmon, no young children playing with the dogs or dogs chasing stray cats...         Nothing. Edward stood alone; a solitary figure, he ran both hands through his tousled brown hair and gazed in puzzlement across the inane marketplace stand. He looked up at the windows lining the street, out of which some diligent woman could always be seen throwing her squalid dishwater. The windows were all closed; not boarded leave off, but closed.. Edward slowly paced down the long main street, looking up at the immortal row of silent windows and at the verges closed to the world..         It was as if the place was deserted. But a town of probablely thousands of people? It was unthinkable. As beautiful and comfortable as it had appeared from the outside, the city was as venomous silent and eerie as a tomb from within.         Edward was mutable by the seeming desertion of the place... if no one inhabited the city, then where was the princess. any gone.. or dead, he feared.. he would not allow himself to believe such a thing. Newly determined, Edward looked up to locate the position of the central tower.. there it loomed, more baleful now than it had seemed when he had seen it from afar. The trails of mist still hung about its furthest peak; should not the sun have melted them away by this time of day? Edward knew not whether they were from the sheer height of the scaffold, or from another unknown force...         He shivered. As he quickly found his way through the dead city and approached the front gate of the palace, Edward felt an irrepressible chill... a cold fist gripped his heart as he walked through the vulnerable front gate and all the blood drained from his face as he climbed the front steps and drew nearer to the giant oak door that was the entrance to the considerable palace.         An branding iron lions head to a higher place the door stared down at him, in seeming disapproval. Edward reached out tentatively ! to knock on the door... It swung open of its own accord.         Edward Stared fearfully Into the Yawning Hallway Before Him...          temperateness spilled across the limen and crept timidly into the vastness. Edward stepped into the way of life and looked all around at the hollow detonator. It loomed high above him, a stained-glass dome, so rich in color the light streaming though it became one immense rainbow, bathing the cold walls and floor in a prismatic radiance. The room was like an enormous ballroom, orbitual and paved with a diverseness of gray stone and marble. The floor was smooth as glass, mo pink wine in patches by the gentle rays of brilliant color. As clouds part obscured the sun and go away again, the light shining through the domed ceiling flickered and danced. steep pillars of granite surrounded the entire room like sentinels, looming over everything and judge of the beautiful array of iridescent hues filling the chamber.         Edward stood in the center of the magnificent hall, feeling at the moment rather small and unimportant. Surely this exquisite place was inhabited... the absence of any townspeople had caused him no small amount of confusion but he was positive that the royal palace itself could not be reverse as well. The Kings brother would not abandon his own castle, would he?         Edward withdrew his eyes from the marvelous ceiling and focused his attention on the shadows at the end of the room. He had not seen it before... but there appeared to be a door (a rather subtle appendage to the otherwise awe-inspiring, cathedral atmosphere) in the far corner of the room. Edward approached it, breakage the soft beams of violet and deep blue and gold that bathed the floor.         The door was simple, light wood. It was not locked, and opened with a slight choke up on the iron handle. Edward peered into the dim light within and when his eyes adjusted he saw steps... a stairway leading up.! He looked back, and once again marveled at the heavenly give away of light on the ballroom floor.. resolute, then, he stepped through the door and began to climb the stairs. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~         Just inside the door there were two blowlampes, one on either side, leaning out from the wall like two weary night watchmen. They were a flak, surprisingly, and Edward took one from its crook in the wall. Its light was but a patch of yellow, mould little more than a small halo upon the steps instantly in front. The staircase was steep... Edward found himself weary after only a few minutes advance. The stairs corkscrewed, winding into a tight spiral, going up and up and up. The air became quilted with sprinkle and Edward began to breathing space heavily. He rigid his hand on the curving wall, which was funnily constructed; it was built with small stones and rock, cobbled like the streets in the market. Just out of reach, patches of silky cobwebs litt ered the wall above his head, white and shimmering in the torchlight.         The stairs were now laden with the dust accumulated by a long vacancy... not a soul had tread here in years, Edward thought. As he climbed the stone steps, he left footprints a fingers breadth thicken in the chalky human bodyup. It was as if a faint powdering of light brown snow had fallen and remained, unmelted and dispassionate.

        It seemed evident that all had abandoned this place... the market, the palace, the entire city. Edward continued upward, dreading that the princess might also be gone. H ow would he find her? If the entire village was gone,! and her with it, they might never meet again...         Edward had been counting the stairs as he walked. The staircase circled upwardly, and he counted to one hundred, and two hundred, and gradually he lost count... and still there was no end to the knotty climb. eternally he walked, and forever he was sure it would take to reach the top... he remembered the view from the canyon brink, and how only one tower had surfaced above the fog. each others had been partially hidden and he was sure now that he was within the centermost tower, the tallest structure in the castle.         A sudden ray of light broke through the sombreness as he came around the corner. There above him was a window, a small square cut out of the stone wall. Edward reached it and peered out through the opening. The sun had or so set, and the horizon was knap and purple and a dark red. It was beautiful, especially from this height... he looked down. consequently the ground seem ed to drop away and the fields were but petite green patches far below; the surrounding towers were hidden by wisps of an evening fog and they were so far away, so far beneath him...         Instantly nauseous, he turned quickly and shut his eyes. He had never liked being very high up and a sick feeling settled into the pit of his stomach. His vision swam for a moment when he shut his eyes and then he was fine.. He looked once more, apprehensively at the rapidly setting sun and moved on.         A moment later, something caught his eye.. there were a few split footprints in the inhuman steps above him! Someone had been there, only recently. The footprints were small... his heart quickened at the possibility. It could be her; as strange as all the other occurrences of the past three days had been, he still hoped stormily that the princess, his Anique could be here...         The steps led upwards in a continuing spiral, then stopped. A door, partially open, stood guard at the top of the s! taircase.. Edward reached out to push it slowly open, hoping, praying, knowing what he would find inside...         There she lay.                   A glorious Canopy buttocks         Filled half of the small room. At the corners stood four oak beams, ornately carved with intricate designs and subtle to a sluggish shine. A gracefully sloping canopy of red velvet trimmed with white lace hung overhead, cernuous like the troubling mossy curtain of a cernuous willow. The bedclothes were satin, the purest white, and were undisturbed except for the slender figure lying peacefully in the center.         Edward approached the bed, in hushed awe of the beauty of the picture before him. The princess was draped in the silken sheets, the contours of her slight shape outlined by the creamy white cloth. The sheets cover most of her body, leaving only her bosom and face in clear view. The top of her cotton nigh tgown was a soft pink, gathered loosely and revealing the white skin at the hollow of her throat, which rose and fell ever so slightly with each breath. Aniques head lay cushioned on a wide pillow, her light brown hair encircling her face in a gently tousled frame. Her eyes were closed in peaceful sleep, her lips parted as if to allow a gentle kiss..         Aniques face was turned slightly towards the door, her peaceful countenance welcoming Edwards entrance.. she lay with her left arm at her side, and her right hand thrown casually up nigh to her face, a restless gesture in an otherwise still and still portrait.         She was an angel. Her beauty surpassed all things under heaven and above, Edward thought... In the stillness, the last brilliant rays of the setting sun shone through a window at the far end of the room, casting long shadows across the floor and catching the air aflame. The princess was bathed in a deep glow, and she looked indeed to be a celestial creature.         The! sun disappeared then, and the light dimmed, and the room became colder... as Edward approached the princess, he could see how pale she was. Her eyes were encircled by dark rings, her cheeks sunken and bloodless. Her lips had almost no tint of red at all. Her face was pallid, devoid of its usual rosy tinge. Edward at once felt a chill.. perhaps her sleep was deeper than he imagined.         He reached out and gingerly took her fiddling hand in his own.. Oh, how cold it was! His mouth turned dry out and the panic began to build in his heart as he looked for a way to tell that the girl was indeed still living.. He snatched a small mirror from the table by the bed and held it across her mouth. And he waited; only a few seconds, likely, but it seemed to pass as years... then Oh Joy! A faint breath from her mouth, and the glass was cloudy for just a moment.         The princess still lived.. but she was so sick, that much Edward could tell. He had no know ledge of curing, or of medicines. What was he to do? Edward sat by her side, clutching her cold treat in between his two hands. The remnants of the suns light were swallowed by the vast horizon and the air became chilled..         All was still. The wind ceased to whistle around the high tower, and a remainderly silence surround the room. Edward kneeled by the bed, holding Aniques hand, intertwining her fingers with his own.. she was too dear to him now, he thought.. All this way he had come, and she was here alone, with no one else by her side, no one to comfort her or heal her..         In the stillness.. in the black, cold silence of the small tower room, Edward prayed. kneeling by her side, he buried his face in the screening by her side, and wept. For an hour he stayed there, grasping her hand in his, crying out in fear and anguish and loneliness.. all of the monstrous emotions deep inside him, those he had ignored in the months without her; t hose he had felt in the days of his journey, wanting ! nobody more than to see her again... all of these feelings rushed from him now, in a torrent of grief and misery, his sobs muffled by the satin sheets.         A faint chirping shock him. He looked up, first at the princess.. she lay there still, deep in a disturbed rest. Then Edward looked to the window sill, and against the frosty night air, the precise shape of a brown sparrow sat perched in the window, ruffling its feathers.         Edward gasped, leapt to his feet, and rushed to the window.         Hello, little friend.. he said, form his hands on the window sill for the detailed creature to willingly hop into, Thought Id lost you, I did... The bird cheeped happily, grateful to have been brought in from the cold.         How did you come to me.. Why, I left mhouse and family..and I thought youd gone.. I never thought tsee you again, no, never! And he put his face near to the sparrow, and nuzzled it with his nose.. the bird in turn bristled its feathers and fluttered briskly as if to shake water from its tiny wings, chirping all the while with an exuberance uncharacteristic of such a minute creature.         Come now.. she needs you, I know she does. She loved it when you came before. Please, I know it would help.. and Edward carried the bird over to the bedside table. The night was completely dark now.. the sun was gone and the moon had not heretofore graced the night sky. The only light in the small room now came from the weak, yellow flame of the torch Edward had left in a niche in the wall just inside the door. eventide the pale, sickly light from that flame looked as if it were also dying, and Edward feared that as the light diminished, so did the life of the princess Anique.         The small bird perched on the table by the bed, less blithe now... it regarded Anique solemnly, with its tiny head craning from side to side. Edward knelt once again by the bed, looking mournfully at the beautiful girl! whom he loved.. she was finally so near to him, after so long... yet, so very far away.         The bird began to sing...in high, shrill notes at first. Then a fuller, deeper, more human quality came over the nisus.. and the notes danced, bloomed in the night air as the small creature joyfully uttered forth the music. A choir of angels seemed to descend on the room, as the music of a thousand voices cascaded from the little bird, and still the line continued.         As the music swelled and blossomed, the light of the torch by the staircase suddenly leapt out into the room.. the flame was deeper, richer than before, intent brighter and more fierce than seemed possible.. the small mirror on the bedside table caught a glimmer of the light and reflected it upon another mirror on the wall, which in turn spilled the light into the shopping center of the room.. the bed was now pure(a) with golden light, and the small bird itself glowed from some unear thly radiance. peek shone around it as a torch, but there was no flame on the sparrow, and yet the creature was illuminated.. Edwards hands clutched those of the princess, and he again buried his face into the blanket to stem the flow of tears welling up within him.. he could not stop weeping from the beauty of the miracle. Still the nervous strain grew, and the birds thousands of voices were as an entire army, together as one, praising the kingdom of heaven..         The light in the room became almost unbearable, as the music itself seemed to burst into flame like delicious fumes of melody and burn the air to a pure, brilliant white; and radiant hues and wisps of intense color in the light swirled and danced to no particular rhythm, but the Song WAS rhythm.. a singular perfection, a true expression of joy felt only to those who know what pure happiness is.. and the music grew stronger still, and the Song more powerful, as if to overcome all close and evil in th e world, as it had overcome the darkness of that plac! e.         The bird fluttered from the small table to rest on the pillow by Aniques face, and the white light followed the tiny figure, and still a countless congregation of a million angelic voices poured from the tiny sparrow. The princess murmured in her sleep, as if in response to the choir of heaven in the shape of one small bird...         And the Song gradually quieted, and the bird ceased to radiate.. the voices grew fewer and the light faded, as the miracle slowly ended.. and Edward still feared to look upon the room, as he knew the shepherds on the hilltop must have felt at Gabriels arrival.. and then the room was quiet again. The visible light of the music faded, but the torch still burned, and the illumination fill up the room as it had not before.         The sparrow, satisfied, nestled down into the pillow by the princess head. Edward looked up and saw that all was again quiet.. he wondered of the tears still streaming down his face were from a dream..         And then he saw that the frail hand in his, the white palm and fingers of Anique, were beckoning feebly to him. Startled, he looked at her and saw that her eyes were open.. the color was returning to her cheeks, as she seemed to slowly heyday at having been discovered asleep.         Edward... was all she managed to say at first, softly, almost unintelligible, then I knew you would be here.. and he nodded vehemently, at a loss for words. She smiled, and whispered again, The bird.. I knew he was yours.. from the very beginning, I was sure of it.         No, he said, the bird is not mine...he goes where he pleases. But he is not a simple bird, I think.. and as he said this, the tiny creature rose suddenly from the pillow in a flurry of tiny feathers and flew towards the window. The princess brocaded a feeble hand in protest but the bird did not stop.. and as the brown sparrow flew out of the open window, Edward and the princess both saw th! e wings buy in into a glorious white canopy and the tiny body grow larger and more human.. and then the Being was gone, in a sudden flash of white light.         ...What.... well..  is all Edward could mobilize at the moment. He looked at the princess, and she at him, eyes sparkling, and they both knew what had taken place.. and had they studied the night skies, they would have seen a single bright star twinkle to life once again in the apex of the heavens.         They sat together then, enjoying one anothers company once more.. the princess was capable of saying very little, but could express so much with her eyes alone. Edward sat with her for hours that night, perched on the side of the ornate bed, holding her hand and telling of the amazing journey he had undertaken just to find her. His dream fascinated her, and the paper of the ugly bruise on his temple drew a horrified gasp from the princess ( in which Edward felt a certain wrong satisfact ion) and a tender kiss on his forehead.         After a time, they both slept.. he across her feet to keep her warm. finished the rest of the night, and all through the next day they both slept, she because of her quickly declining illness, and he from absolute exhaustion. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~         When he awoke late in the afternoon, the princess was gone. He was surprised at how speedily she had recouped, but then again, her providential cure knew no physical limits. Edward got up from the bed and looked out of the window... far below (he still was nervous at the sheer height of the tower) he could just barely make out the minuscule figure of a girl in the garden. He fairly flew down the winding staircase, kicking up soar clouds of dust as he ran.. he burst through the door at the bottom of the staircase, sprinted across the ballroom floor, and out of the giant oak doors at the front of the palace. The palace gardens were still in full bloom at this time of year, oddly enough, and there! , pacing through rows and rows of perfectly sculpted shrubs and rose bushes, was Anique. look weary from a long sickness, and dressed only in her pink nightgown, and a little disheveled at having risen not too long before, she was still the most dyspnoeal woman in all the world, Edward thought. The lovely statues and noble sculptures placed here and there and everywhere throughout the garden were nothing in comparison to her perfect beauty...         Why did you not wake me? Edward asked, feigning irritation.         I thought you would need more sleep... you looked fairly awful last night, was her smug reply, to which Edward gasped in treat horror and rushed forward to pick her up and onager her over his shoulder, much to her giggling protest.         After a time, the childish sarcasm ceased and they sat quietly by a marble spurt in the courtyard, admiring the flowerbeds and acting very civilized. An hour later found them ato p a low hill in the middle of the apple orchard, watching the liquid orange sun slip by lower and lower in the sky, giving way to the most beautiful sunset in recent memory..         She sat next to him, both of them leaning against the apple tree.. their arms encircling eachother, her head resting softly on his shoulder. As they spoke quietly of the last days events and of things to come, she felt a familiar attraction to his kind words that had been absent from her life for the better part of a year...         Once again they found themselves in a familiar pose, face to face, talking earnestly of everything and nothing in particular. In their soulful conversations, they found a deeper, stronger love for eachother than ever before; more than any other storybook romance, theirs was built on something else...         The sun dropped below the horizon and he looked down at her, lost in her dark eyes, pushed her hair back from her face; An ique looked up at him, searching his eyes, and she sm! iled. He brushed her cheek gently with the tips of his fingers..she blushed lightly, and closed her eyes, as did he, and softly their lips touched... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~                  Indescribable through human terms, their simple, passionate kiss lasted beyond the realm of mere time... Their love would last, splinterproof and unblemished. Through all trials and hardships, Edward and his love Anique would remain as if forever locked in that one embrace. Together, they found all things to be possible, and over the years their love grew only stronger, and it knew no bounds. Neither distance nor bilk could separate them for long, and their love was unfailing. By seeking the will of God, they had found the most perfect love; that which is unfailing, unselfish, and altogether beautiful. And thus ends our story.                                             The pole                                                                        Epilogue         Anique later spoke of the mysteries surrounding her illness. Her mourning had at first been of a physical nature, that much was true... but after her uncle and all of his physicians and the miles and miles of medicinal herbs at hand were light to hire about a cure, the sickness went deeper. She had been lonely. It was as simple as that, she said. Without Edwards company and soothing words, she had given up hope.         Her uncle had gone then, taking the wisest doctors with him on a quest to find a cure for his niece. They had been gone only a few days when some careless farm hands had allowed some kine to err off. The beasts had died somewhere in the hills, and their decomposing carcasses poisoned the river flowing into the city.         W ith nothing to drink, the entire village had left in ! search of suitable water. Even the nurses and maids who were go to to the princess, although reluctant to leave her, finally moved on with their families. The princess, too sick and feeble to be moved, was left behind. The hope had been that she would recover on her own and be able to live off of the food and water stored in the palace kitchen, as there was enough to sustain one person for months at a time.         Indeed, the princess had managed to make her way to the kitchen, even in her bleached state, and gather up some food and water. The food did not last very long, however, and the water she took into the small tower room had run out a full week before Edward found her.         Without nourishment, the princess had drifted into a deep sleep... her heart slowed, and her blood cooled; It was as if she were dead. For almost a fortnight she slumbered, on the brink of end yet kept alive by a swart force, some higher love than she had ever known.. . and in the end, the tiny messenger from heaven had brought her out of the grasp of death when the time was right.          no(prenominal) could explain exactly how the princess had lived for so long without nourishment of any kind, but she knew, and Edward knew, in their black Maria. A love, a passion stronger than either of them could ever describe, had gripped her and preserved her life for some higher purpose.         They were both eternally thankful for the gift she had received. They held it dearly, and treasured it in their hearts forever. Never did they take it for granted or forget that which had been bestowed upon them: a second chance to live, and love... If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website: OrderCustomPaper.com

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