Prince Elderaine and His Roses

Once upon a time long passed, there was a beautiful kingdom known as Laide. And in that particular little country, there lived twin princes; sons of the much loved King Harold.

The twins were born of different natures; one who was kind, pensive, yet entitled, the other being arrogant, rash, and headstrong. Their names were Andrew (the latter) and Elderaine (the former). The two boys were blessed with handsome features and able minds, and while Andrew was a master of fencing and combat, Elderaine never failed trumping him at interpreting letters and song - and no one could play the violin best as he could.

Now, in this kingdom, it was tradition for the king's children to marry before their twenty-first birthday. And well, that number was creeping up on them like the dawn of a long dreaded morning for the two boys. And so, four months prior to the young son's birthdays, they set out on their mission.

And I suppose this sounds like the kind of fairy tale in which the handsome prince rescues a helpless beauty from a hopeless and terrifying situation, who falls helplessly and hopelessly into his arms to live happily ever after.

Well, that was his brother's story.

This is Elderaine's story.

Elderaine cared deeply of appearances and what others thought of him. He was rarely himself, even in private. The prince often strived to be the better of his sibling, above all. And as fate would have it he would have a great many of beautiful suitors.

However, none seemed to fit his standards. And with is twenty-first approaching, he growing increasingly anxious.

His brother Andrew, however, was already engaged to the fair maiden Estella. Andrew liked to gloat to his brother about his success, which made Elderaine all the more restless.

His vanity took hold and each day he grew more desperate, despite his misfortune being entirely self-insisted.

on one particularly nerve racking day, our story begins.

The young prince Elderaine knew that while he would still maintain his status, if he did not marry soon he would loose the respect of all who knew him.

And so.

Our prince decided the logical thing to do was visit Old Woman Eden, who lived among a once gold and silver garden that expanded over horizons and was the envy of all who laid eyes upon it. There were legends of its luscious fruit and the sylphs and other sorts of creatures that played among them, but the garden had fallen into despair.

One who entered would step upon ash and soot, among trees like old bones and creatures of the night lurking among the heaps of decay from long ago.

The idea of this ghost garden always seemed to frighten young Elderaine, even into adulthood. No one could ever guess why exactly Old Eden stayed there as long as she did, but it was rumored that this woman had hidden knowledge of black magic and had even met fate and shook her hand.

Most of these rumors were due to her reclusive and aloof nature, and while society is often wrong about the their peculiar individuals, this time they were quite right.

And so, steeling his nerves and pulling on his heavy boots and crown adorning his head, our prince set off to meet the witch.

The garden was a long way away and the tired prince thought in vain about the horse that had been offered to him before his departure. But Elderaine took heed of the villager's warnings, and their words echoed fresh in his mind.

"The Old Woman of all things life brought to death, the enchantress of darkness and fate. Be safe and wise on your journey; bring with you six stones, round and shining like the moon. Keep silent, young master, until she bids you worthy of speech. You might think that crown of yours will bid you well, my lord, but in her house in her garden you are nothing more than an insignificant leaf caught in an indifferent wind."

His legs sore, the prince felt the river stones clacking together in his pocket, how the little things seemed to grow heavier with each indolent step.

During his journey, he came across a patch of glowing roses, each glittering like flakes of ruby, their stems and leaves like liquid light. The sight of these flowers dazzled the prince, and he bent to pick one, only to draw back his hand in pain for a thorn had caught on his finger, which was bloody and red.

"Damn," He muttered beneath the cold, and exclaimed to no one in particular, "If only you could strip these flowers of their thorns. Then they would truly be perfect."

With that Elderaine continued his journey, his breath crystallizing before him, despite that it had been quite warm only hours before.

Finally, our prince met a fog so thick and puzzling that he was not sure he would be able to find his way.

What perplexed him the most, though, was that the fog was not fog at all; it wan't a billowing white cloud, but something smokey and ashen and dark and forlorn. It crept into the prince's lungs and threatened to choke him.

But then, as quickly as it had arrived, the strange smoke had thinned, revealing a dark shape in its wake. Elderaine blinked through his burning eyes and saw what he had been searching for. Old Woman Eden's cabin.

It must have been built from the surrounding trees, for the frame of the house was dark and skeletal, and seemed to carry the very essence of death in its presence. The building gave a silent air of fear and foreboding.

The young prince shivered. It was not due to the cold.

He crept up onto the porch, which creaked and left silky bits of ash floating into the air, though the prince didn't see any signs of burning.

There was no question, and even Elderaine himself could not deny the accusation as he touched the rusted door knob to make entry.

The prince was afraid.

And he only became more so when a voice, old as oak and grating like rusted steel called out, "You may enter, your majesty."

The woman was a living corpse.

She was ancient, and haggard, and severe-looking, with a long, brittle bush of faded white hair that hung out of her ragged black hood and what little skin that showed was so dry and pasty it looked as though she was carved out of primeval stone. Her stature alone made the prince question if she was alive or merely a sort of evil statue.

Elderaine wasn't sure why he felt so nervous - or was it intimidated?

He had superiority - son of the most powerful man of all the country- didn't he?

He pulled the cold stones, like solid raindrops from his pocket and held them out to the woman, whose eyes glittered like black stars in their reflection. She stared at him for a long time, and the prince realized that long ago, she must have been quite beautiful, and had once bestowed kindness for there was a look upon her hardened face that left a trace of something gentle.

Old Eden reached out for the stones with long, bony fingers, which brushed the palm of the young prince's soft hand. Although repulsed -for her hand felt like crumbling, filthy chalk - the prince kept his nerve.

The prince regretted this, for the witch woman, with surprising delicacy, held both hands in hers and stared into his face.

"What is it you wish to gain from an old crone like me?" Her voice was quiet yet powerful.

The boy hesitated and stuttered. " I wish to find a bride." He told her, and couldn't think of much else to say.

The woman allowed herself a chuckle.

Still gripping his hands, she questioned, "And what is the nature of your...bride?"

"The most beautiful in all the world - kind and fair."

But the woman threw her hands up in the air - releasing the prince's - in a flurry of distress and anger. "Do you want beauty or kindness? " She shrieked, much to Elderaine's bemusement.

"Can't I have both?"

"Child, you are young and cannot know much. I will give you this piece of advice for free; The most powerful beauty and the most admirable kindness are as similar as water and fire. A rose is not without her thorns. And a daisy her ill petals. In nature, the living jewels are the most poisonous in all the world. Now, my prince, what will it be?"

The prince, confused by all this, answered with beauty.

The witch then gave a knowing smile and told him to travel to a village on the other side of the kingdom, in which golden birds sang on each resident's door. She told young Elderaine to begin his travels in three days time, with his only black horse to guide him.

There would he find his future bride.

***

Three days having passed, Elderaine mounted his black stallion - whom he trusted the most - and rode out with blind faith in his horse and the old woman whose eyes were once kind.

The day was long and brisk and despite the prince's heavy cloak a chill blanketed him. That day he only ate small morsels of fine smooth cheese and warm bread, for his excitement and apprehension filled him.

But finally, as the golden sun had begun to set, our prince saw little wooden houses, all warm and pleasant, and as the sun dipped low little golden hummingbirds darted about the residents doors, gleaming with brilliance in the sun's radiant glow.

Elderaine smiled brightly for joy, and a beautiful buzzing hummingbird caught his attention by his right ear.

But in that moment's distraction his stallion gave an abrupt halt and nickered loudly, drawing his attention to two young women who looked quite frightened.

Bursting with excitement he immediately dismounted his horse.

The two ladies were a stark contrast from one another. One was elegantly gilded in gold and crimson and the prince was taken aback by her radiance. She simply glowed like white gold, as though she were dipped in glass. Her hair hung like curls of freshly spun caramel and her eyes glittered like green lakes. She was the pure embodiment of perfection and the prince was ensnared in her enchantment.

He was quite certain that she was the one the witch had promised.

The other - who must have been her servant - was plain-looking and, standing alone, she may have been quite pretty, though in comparison to the former the prince thought nothing too much of her. He did, however, notice the clear, gentle eyes under her conservative uniform, which was of pale white and blue cloth.

"I am very sorry, did my horse frighten you?" He asked kindly, offering his hand to the gilded.

"Young sir, I have seen a horse before." She said with great impudence, and to his surprise, she drew herself back further, repulsed as though he had offered slugs. The prince did not allow himself to be discouraged by this, and instead turned to the threadbare maiden.

"Your stallion came out of nowhere." She smiled. "He is a beautiful one, no?"

The prince agreed, but was distracted by the gilded's hostile glare. "Please, what is your name?"

"Mirage, what's it to you?" She sneered, but the young prince could only comprehend the music in her voice, her swan-like pose and gentle face and floral features.

"I am Prince Elderaine." Said he, grasping for approval.

Mirage, however, gave a low, mocking curtsy "Goodness me; I didn't know we had a royal in our presence!" She cried, somehow belittling him further. "Go home, my lord, as you can see you are clearly not wanted."

The prince felt self-conscious for once in his life; he was small, and hot. If Elderaine were to have looked in the mirror, a very pink face would have peered back at him.

Contented sounds of nickering tore through the silence, and, turning, he saw the maiden feeding his horse the strawberries she was carrying. As the stallion ate happily, she spoke to it in a gentle and quiet voice.

As if feeling his perplexed stare, she turned and said softly, "My name is Auriel. Your horse seemed hungry, I hope you don't mind."

Elderaine assured her he didn't, and looked about him. The sky was a dusky purple now, pinpricks of starlight poking through.

The threesome sat and talked for hours, for although it was getting late, Elderaine and Auriel preferred the night air and glittering royal blue sky over any cabin the village had to offer. which left Mirage in discontented silence, now and then insulting her company and complaining about the fireflies buzzing in her ear.

She is welcome to leave then. The prince found himself thinking.

But for a moment, in the darkness, Mirage was forgotten by the prince, who stayed up for hours with Auriel, and they talked of his horse, of the violin, of novels the two had read and the ones they have yet to. Amazed, the prince found Auriel's words so sweet and true with meaning and how her mind did flourish like beautiful yellow roses.

And through the night he only wished to know more, and more still.

And as Mirage lay asleep in the darkness, the prince thought, she was nothing more than nature's poison. He realized that he did not want Mirage beside him - even if she would accept him. And the more and more he thought and the more and more he talked with Auriel it became quite clear to him, in his heart, soul, and his mind.

"I just love how fireflies glow, don't you, Elderaine? How they shine like little stars of the earth, so gentle, and unaware of their simple yet miraculous magic?" She said sleepily, mostly to herself.

But Elderaine took a deep, shaking breath and whispered, "My twenty-first birthday is in three weeks, and it is Laide tradition that the king's son must marry before then..."

The maiden sat herself up against the oak tree. "Well, who do you wish to marry? I'm sure she is quite beautiful." She whispered back.

The prince didn't understand why she didn't mention Mirage.

But did she ever mention her?

"She is, Auriel. She is wonderful and smart and beautiful and kind." He smiled in the blue darkness.

"I'd like to meet her," The princes laughed, beaming madly. "When you ask her to become your bride I do hope she says yes."

"I hope so too, but that depends on one thing."

"And that is?"

"Will you do me the honor of marrying me?"

Silence.

The darkness seemed to become heavier as Auriel drew away from him, and the prince had started to feel a sensation unfamiliar to him.

His heart was thumping and tightening in his chest, his throat, his head.

There was nothing on Earth he wanted more.

"I've...only just met you, young sir. We hardly know each other - "

"Then let me know you," The prince said, flushed with hands that were shaking, finding her's in the darkness. "You are all I want in this world."

In the scarce light he saw her eyes, and something within them that matched his own. He no longer thought of Mirage or anyone for in comparison to Auriel they were nothing, just faces, just paintings on a wall. What Elderaine saw in her, she reciprocated it entirely, and her fear was lost with the night wind.

Glancing upwards, the prince noticed strange mounds in the branches of the oak tree. "What are those?" he whispered.

"I believe it's mistletoe. See the flowers that fell?" And she showed the prince the little silky white circles (Blue in the light).

"It must be near Christmas, I'd be - " but before he could finish his sentence, Auriel was pressing her lips against his, and they stayed like that for a long time.

When they finally pulled back, she whispered "I do." and settled in beside him, and fell asleep.

***

Suddenly bright flashes of gold and red blinded the young prince's eyes like a burst of fire, where the surly Mirage had been lying moments before.

Elderaine gasped and tried to move but he found himself rooted to the earth, as if in a dream. In place of the girl, when the fire subsided, a figure emerged, whom Elderaine recognized immediately.

"Old Eden?" an astonished prince exclaimed.

The elder smiled down at him. "You have a good heart, boy. I gave you a choice, a test for your heart. You are good and not blinded by the pure chance of outer beauty, which, to an extent, means you are not blinded by the fated chance of being born into monarchy. You will make a fine king one day. Auriel was the one you were always meant to find. I just helped you find her sooner." Her voice was warm and the prince thanked her many times before she faded into the darkness once again, and many years later he still wasn't sure if it was a dream.

***

the morning in which the prince woke he thought he was with a different person. Beside him was certainly Auriel, but adorned in silky blues and glittering greens, her hair spilling about her in gentle waves.

Confused by all this, he gently nudged her awake. She grinned and said what he was thinking.

"You must be wondering why I was dressed like a servant and underneath I look like a princess," She laughed. "Well, that's because I am. My country fell into ruins because of my aunt's unjust rule. I was smuggled out of the kingdom a year ago, and I hear it has become sovereignty."

Hardly believing her words, they rode the black stallion home -Auriel in front- the next time they kissed being on their wedding day.

~ The end ~