Amorette's Lost Heart

Amorette’s Lost Heart

A Fairytale

A long time ago, in a land no one knew existed, a child was born in a castle. At the same moment, a child was born to the bravest knight in the land. In each case, their mother surrendered her life so that the child entering the world could live. The King's daughter would be royalty, named Amorette. The son of the knight would not be royalty; Jerod would become a squire.

Not long after their births, the hearts of both children faltered. In his concern for the brave knight's son, King Alaric moved the knight's son into the nursery with his daughter. The knight, Zane, served the King, and his King saw that Zane's son was provided the best care with the King's daughter.

The children grew up side by side until they each recovered. Amorette, the King's daughter, was raised to be the queen. The son of the knight, Jarod, was raised to be noble, pure, brave, and honest, to lay his life down for his country. The King's daughter was a princess, and the knight's son was a squire.

As the King sent out his bravest knight, Zane, the princess and the squire waved as the knight departed. At these times, Jarod would reside in the castle under the king's order. Jarod's and Amorette's affection grew. As time passed, Amorette and Jarod considered each other confidants and counselors. It was a blessing that this could be so.

Jarod trained to be the knight he would become. Through physical demands, academics, and virtue, he learned the lessons he needed.

Amorette, constantly watched, was taught to be the queen. Her life consisted of obeying her father and those who did his bidding, obeying his rules. Amorette felt her life was never her own. She had no freedom to choose.

As the two children grew, their care for one another increased. Amorette confided in Jarod that she did not want to live the life her father was demanding of her. Amorette wanted another life, to live far from the palace and far from the King's crown. Amorette started to rebel against her father. "He may be my king and father, but he will not rule my life!"

Rebelling against the King was treason. The squire told his friend that doing so would result in the loss of all her freedom and status as princess and then queen.

Jarod knew Amorette would one day be queen. "But you will be the queen! You will rule over all lives!" Amorette retorted, "How can I rule when I have no life!"

The squire was sad for his friend. He looked forward to all that lay ahead, knowing what the two had experienced set the stage for what was yet to be.

Soon afterward, the princess escaped the castle walls, running to a far-off land, not knowing what lay ahead. When her disappearance became known, the king called his army, navy, and knights. "What good are you to king and country if you cannot provide safety for one child?" the King roared. It is your duty, honor, and privilege! You should have been more vigilant!"

Jarod knew the Amorette best but never imagined she would act on her words. As her friend and confidant, he was the one who had failed her. No army, navy, or knight could have stopped her. He could have. He had failed in his first duty to the next queen, being her friend.

King Alaric dispatched every able person to look for his daughter. Where, where? Jarod thought. He tried to recall all the places the two had discussed. Amorette spoke of not wanting to be controlled—she wanted to be free, and she did not want to be her father's daughter any longer.

Only one place came to mind, "The Badlands."

It was a place for the naïve where nothing was controlled. There were no rules, and for many, this meant freedom. It was a place for defiance and where rebellions hatched. It was a lawless land.

It was easy to get lost, losing everything a person held sacred. In her innocence, the princess did not know that it was a place where weak people were abused and the strong took from them what they wanted. No one would care who her father was. Once inside "The Badlands," very few survived.

As all of the kingdom searched, the squire headed to where he knew the princess would be. Jarod regretted all he had not done. He should have been a better friend. He should have listened to Amorette's dire warnings. He should have… He should have… He should have... Now, only sorrow was in Jarod's heart for what he had not done.

After days of searching, the squire saw the princess from a distance. She sat motionless in shame. The dress she wore the night she fled was white with delicate lace reserved for royalty. Now, the dress was torn and stained, the lace ripped away, and blood showed where her heart should be.

When Jarod approached, Amorette would not speak to him as her shame was too great. She wept as he placed his cloak around her. He wept as well for the pain his friend must have suffered. Had he known, had he been there… Jarod's grief for Amorette was almost as great as her own. The squire placed the princess in the saddle of his steed and walked ahead with the reins in his hand.

Upon the princess's return, the whole kingdom rejoiced. King Alaric was glad to have his daughter home, but greatly disappointed. He reviled Amorette greatly for her actions. The King's words caused greater pain than she had experienced. He could not take his words back. The King's rage scared the princess. King Alaric called in his bravest knight, Zane, the squire's father.

King Alaric began, "Zane, tell me what I should do. In my rage, I fear I have killed the love my daughter had for me. She is all I have in this world. Without her, I have no joy in life. My kingdom is of no value compared to hers."

The King continued, "Our children were born on the same day, raised side by side. In their minds, they share the same heart. Jarod knows my daughter, as no one else knows her. Amorette will not speak to me. I. Beg. You. Have Jarod talk with my daughter. Have him placed before her chamber door. He will be the only person allowed in or out. He is my only hope and prayer."

Jarod knocked on the door each day. Amorette would accept food, but nothing else. Days came and went.

One evening, a knock came from inside the room. "Jarod? Are you still here for me?" the voice requested of the squire.

The squire answered, "Yes, Amorette, always."

As the two friends sat in the dim light of the evening, Amorette began to tell Jarod, her confessor and confidant, all that had taken place. What she went to find, she had lost. Jarod shed tears for all Amorette told him. His thoughts went to his part in all that had happened. Jarod would have given his heart so Amorette would not lose hers.

Amorette stopped Jarod and assured him there was no fault on his part. He was not responsible for her actions. She had made her decision, and it was for her to accept. Grief filled both of their hearts for the loss and pain of one another.

The couple made a pact for the pain they shared and the bond of love they knew in one another.

In the room's firelight, Amorette stood and removed a knife from Jarod's sheath. The princess turned toward the squire.

"Kneel," she said.

Jarod, the squire, did as Amorette, his princess, directed. She raised her hand and repeated as she touched each shoulder and his head.

"I proclaim thee, 'The Knight of My Heart."

As she ended this act, she turned toward the fireplace, placing the lower end of the blade into the flame. When it glowed, Amorette placed the blade on her chest, pressing her flesh with it near her heart. She returned the knife to the flame and then made the same mark in the same place on Jarod, her first and closest friend.

"We share this mark for life. It is for us to see that our hearts are for one another. What we have can never be taken away." She bade him to rise. They shared an embrace, and Amorette gave Jarod one last instruction.

King Alaric ordered an audience with the squire when he heard his daughter had allowed the squire into her chamber. The squire told the King that his daughter and he held each other in high esteem, and he would not reveal their conversation. Their pact held more power than the King possessed. The squire told the King that reconciling with his daughter would take time; the King's scar on his daughter remained.

As bad as her experience in the Badlands had been, her memory of his words would last much longer.

"And what of you?" The King asked the squire.

"She asked me never to return to her." King Alaric and the squire, Jarod, lowered their heads due to pain, sorrow, and rejection of the princess.

For his heroic acts, the King knighted the squire. The newly knighted squire would be second only to his father while the King occupied the throne. The King and his daughter reconciled. She married a man of her father's favor. Some years later, the queen's husband lost in a duel over money, but she felt little loss.

During her reign, as Amorette sat on the throne, her hand was always on the spot of the mark near her heart. Several years into her reign, an army approached to invade from the Badlands. Amorette's heart panicked as she knew Jarod would lead the charge to defend the kingdom.

As the first day of battle ended, word came to the queen by courier. The invading army had been defeated, and the queen's best and oldest friend, Jarod, had been slain in battle. He had saved her again. Jarod had given his life so she would not have to give hers.

Those who battled with Jarod that day tell the tale of what may or may not have occurred in a place no one knows existed. As his father before him, the brave knight Jarod led the charge. Jarod used every lesson he had learned that day. Every ounce of virtue was exhausted. His oldest friend, Amorette, his queen, would remain safe in her castle. Jarod's heart did not falter, and he gladly gave his life for her.

Amorette visited the knight's home to bestow her gratitude to his widow, Paris, for a shared lifetime of friendship and the life he gave to protect her throne. As the widow of the knight listened to her queen, Paris asked,

"Tell me the story of your life with him. He never did."

Amorette stopped, dismissed everyone in the house, thought, and began again.

Amorette told Paris about the life she led with Jarod in their childhood, the reason they were raised side by side, and the time they spent together. She confided to the widow that no woman in her kingdom had a truer or more sacred friend. The queen told of his fidelity and virtue, which the two held dear. Amorette shared the story of her rescue by Jarod.

"He gave back to me all I had lost. I dubbed him 'Knight of My Heart.' To him, I am eternally grateful."

The queen paused and sighed. "Jarod was the soldier every nation hopes for."

Amorette said, "I could see his devotion to me would be fatal to his purpose in life. If I had asked him to stay with me, he would have never been the soldier we needed to defend us from all the iniquity far beyond our walls."

Amorette paused. She looked into the eyes of the widow.

"My lady, tell me of your life with him."

Paris did not know where to begin.

Finally, she uttered these words, "I was. His. Queen." She continued, "He was kind, gentle, loving, virtuous, and gave his love and his best to me each day. The virtuous boy grew into ten times the virtue of all other men. Had you kept him by your side, no one would ever have challenged you. You would have your love without losing the knight of your heart. You are such a fool.

Anytime he and I embrace, the angels and saints envy what God has given us. While he no longer embraces me at night, our love will persist until we behold each other again.

My queen, your bad fortune gave me a king's ransom beyond compare. The love you denied filled my life. What you know of him is only what you think you know.

On the night of our marriage, we lit a fire for warmth. As the fire raged, Jarod placed the point of his sword into the flame until it became branding iron hot. On top of some old battle scar, he put an X across his heart.

Jarod said, "We share this mark for life. It is for us to see that our hearts are for one another. What we have can never be taken away." Paris told Amorette, "The first scar placed on my knight no longer mattered.

Afterward, we put the same mark across my heart, making the same vow."

Shortly afterward, the queen left the widow's house and returned to the castle. She sat for days on her throne, her hand on her heart, and her mind on what she had lost and what she had sent away.

No one knows if this story ever took place. It is, after all, a fairy tale. While far-off lands and love exist, how often do we question each one?

One thing is certain: In an obscure corner of an ancient graveyard, there is a unique mausoleum. The lone mausoleum stands three stories high. On the face of the building, standing on the top row, a knight with his sword drawn stands next to his wife, guarding those below him. Both display an X over their hearts.

Below the knight and his wife, a king stands next to his wife, who died in childbirth. On the bottom row stands the Princess Queen with her hand near the scar on her heart. No one stands beside her.

Through layers of stain, a banner across the entrance proclaims, "The Forgotten Kingdom."

Fairytales are for those who are not sure. Legends are for those who believe. Love is for those who know what the heart can do.