A Love as Pure as Gold

“So, what’s the catch?”

“That is for you to determine, young king. Though you must swear to accept any and all consequences.”

The young king stared at the shining goddess. In his mind, deep within, he knew this had to be too good to be true. Though he couldn’t possibly imagine any consequences with such a gift. So, he turned those doubts away. For what evil could come from a golden touch? Besides, his kingdom was too close to financial ruin. It was up to him, and him alone, to fix it. 

“Do you accept my offer?” The goddess asked. 

The young king smiled. “I do.”

The goddess nodded and reached for his hands. He hesitated, looking around his empty chamber. Was he mad? Last he heard, goddesses didn’t visit poor kings. His eyes fell on a portrait of him and his queen on their wedding day. His beautiful wife stood smiling in the portrait, her face framed by dark waves of hair. And without a second thought, he let the goddess take his hands. His hands, smooth and covered in jewels, began to glow so bright the king had to look away. When he opened them again, the goddess was gone and his hands sparkled in a golden dust. 

The king looked nervously around his chambers and wondered for a moment if he truly had hallucinated the whole encounter. Not even I am that imaginative, the king decided and walked towards his balcony. Along the edge were large roses, painted in every color nature found fitting. The king carefully picked the largest rose and in a breath it turned to solid gold. He stood dumbfounded and immediately reached for another blossom. And another. Until he had an entire bouquet of golden roses. 

“The goddess has blessed this kingdom! I must find the queen!”

The king ran from his chambers, unaware of the objects he touched. He clutched the golden roses in his hand, heart elated. This solved everything! The kingdom would prosper and he would finally be able to adorn his queen in gifts she had always deserved. 

He shoved through a set of oak doors, suddenly watching as it turned to gold. 

Anything you touch will turn to solid gold. 

I must be careful, the king thought, slowing his pace. As wonderful as the palace would be covered in gold, he felt he should take his time redecorating. He slowed his pace, rearranging the roses into a perfect bouquet. 

His queen deserved the world. She had been the one to save him so many years ago, and now was his chance to repay her in ways he could have never afforded. Since their marriage years ago, the kingdom was nearly bankrupt and he could not afford to give her the proper life of a queen. He had always felt guilty. Though she had told him many times that she hadn’t cared about the gold or jewels, he felt she deserved more. And he knew her well enough to see the comparison in her eyes when in the company of other royals. 

The king pushed through the final set of doors into the glass-domed sunroom. The queen sat on one of the plush cushions in rolls of red satin, a book open on her lap. The sun hit her dark hair, making it shine and he felt his heart soar. 

“My love! I have done it!”

The queen looked up, a curious look on her face. “Done what?”

“Saved the kingdom. My love, I have a way to save the kingdom.”

He pulled the bouquet from behind his back, smiling at the shock on his queen’s face. She looked between the blossoms and her husband’s overly excited face. 

“With roses?”

He passed one of the buds towards her and she gingerly took it. Her eyes widened as she studied the flower. 

“This isn’t real gold, is it?”

“It is! Watch.”

The king walked forward and picked a lily from one of the pots. The moment his finger brushed the stem, it turned into solid gold.

“Anything I touch will turn into pure gold. My love, this will save the kingdom!”

The look of shock turned into a beaming smile. Oh, how he loved her smile. 

“My dearest, this is wonderful!”

The king bent down on knee, holding out the rest of the bouquet. She smiled and took it, resting it on the cushion next to her. The king’s heart was filled. The goddess had heard his cries and provided. The king bent down, gently cupping his face in his hands. And immediately he realized something was wrong. 

His body froze in terror as he saw what he had done. The room swam before him, and the king fell to the ground. His body felt cold as he stared down at the golden floor and then towards the golden statue that was his queen.

He had been careless. 

You must swear to accept any and all consequences.

He had been too proud, too bold, to think about any catches that could come from the blessing. It was true he was a man who never cared to think too deeply into something, no matter how good or bad it seemed. But now that carelessness had cost him. 

Tears fell down the king’s face as he reached up with shaking hands. His queen sat proudly, and though she was now only a statue, she still looked at him with love. A love he no longer deserved. 

The king knelt down on one knee by the golden figure of his queen. His love. His life. 

“Forgive me, my love.”

The king kissed the queen’s golden hand before clasping his own around her hand, letting his finger’s overlap. The kingdom would find another way to survive. The queen was the only one his heart beat for, and without her, he was nothing. He was already dead. 

He stared at his lovely wife as the curse overtook him. It was the only fate he knew he deserved. 

—

An hour later when neither the king or queen showed up for the royal banquet, a search was sent through the palace. Every servant, butler, maid, and steward was sent to look for the lost king and queen as their royal guests continued to dine, uncomfortably aware of their hosts’ disappearance. 

In a quiet hall, a young maid stumbled upon a door of gold. It was curious, she couldn’t recall if the door had been gold to begin with. 

Her hand shook slightly as she pushed through the door and into the sunroom. Above her, staring down through the glass dome, were hundreds of stars and a perfect full moon. The moon cast a sliver of silver down onto two golden statues. 

The maid stared at the statues. The lady, beautiful and smiling, sat looking down at a sorrowful man. The young woman walked closer, suddenly recognizing the figures as her king and queen. 

Panicked, the maid ran from the room, calling for the others. They all gathered quickly, staring silently upon the couple before leaving them and passing on the news of the king and queen’s fate. 

The sunroom was later locked and guarded to keep thieves from stealing the royal figures. And for many years after, they stayed the same; the queen on her cushioned seat with her king forever kneeling in front of his queen.