The Golden Princess and the Dark Knight
"After all, all chunks of coals are diamonds in the rough"- Metha Metharom
Underneath the earth, lay two stones, one golden as the sun, the other as black as darkness.
Whether it be day or night, they would not know for they were mere rocks and rocks do not think. However, like all things that exist a long time, they became sentient and thought of things that they never might.
In the darkness of the ground they know nothing but only of each other and they would chat all day and all night for they are stones and did not need to sleep like people might.
One day the ground decided to move and did not stop until the sky had shown through and this is important because this is where our story truly starts for the lovelock stones.
As soon as the world opens for the two stones, it defines their destiny, though they were once intertwined; now they will split. For the gold was truly beautiful and the coal ever so dark that no one would pay any heart.
The gold laying there was such a treasure that many come from far and wide to touch it, hold it and love it. At first the gold was enthusiastic but when it became just an adornment seen only for its external beauty it loses heart.
The coal on the other hand was nothing but fuel for fire so was eventually gone but in its heart it wishes for nothing but to be with the stone he sat next to since time first started.
Though the gold eventually moved from that land, and the coal that was missing became nothing but dust wished only to see his long life mate. This was the first split in their destinies
Because the gold was loved such it wishes not to be something of adornment again in its next life. Unfortunately for her she retains much of her beauty and once again reincarnates as a beautiful golden haired Princess but with one let down and that let down was a cold heart.
The Princess was fair and admired by all around. Suitors would come from far and wide and ask for her hand. Though this pleases her ego she would shun them all for it did not please her soul.
For in her heart, she wishes not to be admired for her beauty but for her heart.
One day a Knight came from a far off land, he was dark of skin and rugged of face. He came to see an example of this beautiful golden Princess he has heard of in his own land.
He went to see her like all other suitors would, in that golden palace to set upon the pleasure of her face. But when he saw her, all he could see was emptiness in the soul. She looked at him as if he was dirt, or even like a piece of coal.
As he was introduced he said to her, "The beauty that other see, I see not there, for I rather would think much more beauty in a piece of coal than that fair face and golden hair.
Shocked and angered by this the King ordered him out the palace, but the Princess’ reply shocked the King more than it did the Knight. "You are the first, who says honestly, I do understand, for a coal’s usefulness does indeed outlast the glittery of my hair and beauty of my face."
This was the first time that the Knight realized he was in love with the fair Princess not out of beauty but out of intellect and wisdom.
This too was the same feeling from the Princess, but neither knew of the other’s thought so they kept the feelings at bay.
The Princess fell for the Knight but she kept far from him for she feared he hated her for her beauty so she kept a space.
The Knight too kept away indeed because of her beauty but not because of hate but rather of fear because of what he had said. But he promised himself that he would keep her safe from any dangerous fate.
In time a suitable match for the Princess did come along in the form of another man, at least in the King’s eye, so on his order she was sent on a route to her final fate, as a wife and Queen of that other land.
The Princess’ heart breaks more than it should for she would not be able to spend any more time with her Dark Knight.
The Knight too locked his heart away, in its cell, throwing away the key. But he had a promise to keep so he will see to her keep.
In the morning, as she was on her way, she was surprised to see the Knight's face, in her entourage of guards, though this was not his land, he is there at her coach’s rear.
He did not speak to her or seek her out but kept a steady pace, and an un-weeping face.
All of a sudden they were attacked, this was planned a long time ago, because of her beauty; slave drivers wanted her face to sell as goods for gold that they can gain.
The Knight did his best to protect her but as he made his way through the blades and arrows she was snatched away
Many of her entourage lay dead upon the ground and the Knight, though heavily wounded, went back to report to the King.
As the King heard the news he grew faint but kept strong in the face of his colleagues, he pleaded for help from the groom's side but, though willing, they were simply too far away. The other suitors too were the same; all feared for their lives and did not wish to lend a hand.
Disappointed by all of this the King collapsed by his grief. The Knight, though still heavily injured, went to him and said "Though she is not mine by right, I will bring her home, for I made a promise to protect her life at the cost of my own. I will see to her safety because the wish is in my heart, and she will be here by the morning, this promise to you I will make."
Riding on a new horse, he went on his way, his expertise in tracking finally found her trace. Under the cover of darkness, his skin hid him well, and because of this he made his way in.
On the outside edge of the camp, one by one he dispatched them all but she is held in the central tent where many are still blissfully drinking unaware.
The Knight has no choice but only to move forward, his presence alerts them to stand up tall. Completely outnumbered but not giving up, he gritted his teeth and fought with the strength of ten.
One by one they lay at his feet but one by one his wounds would grow, but he would not fall for the Princess he would give his all.
Finally, all lay dying and dead at his feet, and he went into the tent to retrieve the Princess from her fate. The Princess was joyful but as soon as she saw him, but cries as he collapsed to his knees.
"I am sorry Princess that I come so late," said the Knight grinning broadly but his face far more pale than that of the moon. The Princess grabs hold of him and asks, "No, Dark Knight, please do not die, for it is you in this heart of mine that you have always lie."
The Knight perked up a bit but says seriously, "Take my horse Princess, and go your way my fate is done, but yours still lay, but perhaps if you truly wish it I will wait for you at your fate's end." With that his last breath came, his eyes glazed over and his face rolled to one side, never again to smile to her with his dark smile.
The Princess still crying did as she was bid. She rode home on the Dark Knight's horse to her father's land taking with her the Knight's words.
As she got home, her father came to see her and held her in his arms but was surprised to see her weep openly with her tears. She explained to him of the Knight’s sacrifice. But to her surprise and anger the King replied, "Do not pay such attention to such things my dear child, for you are like the gold that glitters forever and he the coal that has been burned away by the fire."
In her reproach, which stills her father, she says, "Yes you are right father, he is the coal and I am the gold, but it is the gold that creates so much greed and the coal, which got burnt by the fire, it is the coal that saved this Princess and not the greed driven suitors that you selected."
The King suddenly realizes his wrong but it was too late to recall the words, she left him there standing at the throne, unable to say anymore than he already said.
Though that was their only fight, it will last but because of this the King became better and stopped insisting on choosing new suitors.
When the King finally died, she succeeded his throne, and became a Queen but she had cut off her hair so she no longer shone as she did before. The Knight's sacrifice had given her heart warmth and she became known no longer as the golden Princess but the Golden Queen. Not because of her hair, for she is shaved bald, but because of her heart and honesty that beats any gold.
Finally she was at her fate's end and a large funeral was laid. But to everyone's surprise they could see a brief but fading image in the sky of a beautiful golden haired smiling woman in an embrace with a darkly handsome rugged man.
True to his words the Knight was there waiting for her at her fate's end. The Knight that was coal and the Princess that was gold, both stones in the beginning, one that glitters and shines while the other always overlooked but of more use than any other rocks could.
So ends the story of the Golden Princess and the Dark Knight.