Genesis
Life shined bright to the poor couple when Bertha, his wife bore a boy, who, the farmer believed, would help him in the palace while the boy stayed there…learning and serving; continuing a practice of seven generations. The little boy’s was named James, having been born on the day James Christ got redeemed.
A year later, Mary was born to the Highnesses inside the palace.
James virtually grew up in the palace and knew Mary closely. Mary was a girl with that brilliant smile and spark in her eyes, that promised to stay till her existence giving others hope and love, which she probably did. But soon she had to go to a convent for her education. She was five when she left and returned after her eighteenth birthday.
James had also grown up to a young man with powerful shoulders while his parents turned frail.
The parchment of her arrival had come and James was excited about seeing his long, lost friend; after all he had last seen her when she was five! Finally, Mary came after a week. Her graceful presence came and he felt as though flowers would blossom on her trodden steps. The powerful attractive man stayed startled to see her; amazed to recollect the thought if this was the very girl with whom he once played! And yes, he knew, it was her, for she still owned that smile and sparkling eyes!
“My princess” exclaimed her father as he hugged and kissed her forehead.
“I have always longed to see you, my little darling.’ “That’s why I sent Father Nathan to get you off the convent. And, what have we here? You grown thinner little girl! Don’t they feed you? Those convents don’t do no good.” The Highness made a statement.
“Papa” she said, sobbing. This was the first time she spoke and her sweet voice echoed in James ears as he didn’t hear when she called him until she shook him off.
“James, you grown handsome, I must confess” said Mary teasingly.
“Thank you, your heiress, and you are beautiful still and own those eyes that I adore.” Mary did not say anything, but replied with a tempting blush.
II
A journey of two souls into one had begun for the spring had just come to welcome the two. Both spent hours looking at the vast empire that the Highness had amassed…roaming here and there…
Often, James would stare at Mary when she talked while the Sun shined bright upon her face, and when it hid into the clouds to welcome the moon, and Mary would do the same time and again. Each silently admired the stare of the other, but both pretended as if neither noticed.
“Spring has begun, my heiress. And the flowers look more beautiful with your presence” said James.
“Don’t call me heiress, James. I’m Mary, and stop flattering me.” And with those words a cadence of silence filled the air, each speaking with their eyes while their lips whispered “I love you” concealing their words deep within for no one heard the other’s voice which they longed.
III
Spring had changed into summer. They had been spending long time together and knew each other closely. The summer had come with its scorching heat and sweat. Both Mary and James had kept a distance after their rumors of togetherness spread in the palace. How do signs work together to show ways, no one knows, but they do know that it would work out.
“‘James, I guess you’re in love with someone, and I don’t know who, but I will soon find it out.” Mary made a repeated remark that later became a quarrel. For the first time James was startled, but then he longed to kiss her lips and say that it’s you.
“I love you” James said in rage finally getting irritated. Mary had least expected it when they were quarrelling and it brought the coldness into an abrupt end with a look of astonishment on Mary’s face.
“I love you, Mary” repeated James this time with tenderness. Deep inside, he feared this treachery to the Highness for, he was the seventh generation serving the palace… and Mary was an heiress!
Her eyes stared deep into the horizon when she spoke, and the depth of those eyes, James couldn’t fathom. “I love you, too” replied Mary. “And I don’t know since when…probably the moment we had departed twelve years ago. I thought of you at nights and days wishing to get back home to talk to you” she said getting lost in her own world where she saw just James and herself.
A silence had slowly crept its shadow between them when Mary broke out with a sublime smile, “Maybe the spring really has begun, James. It really has.”
And for the first time, a sweet shadow at the edges of his consciousness longed to reach her for her presence in the dark nights while they shared their first kiss in hustle fearing guards. Silence had yet again crumbled expect their eyes that talked of their helplessness because Mary didn’t let go of the thought of him being poor; although she least bothered it. But the thought of her father and his laws of status-quo mattered and she knew he would never accept, and that too with a servant?
Soon her eyes stretched to the horizon when she whispered in a low voice, “Papa…” Mary wept unable to speak further and James had only just touched her lips when a sentry saw.
IV
Night had come and with no alternative, both headed back to the palace while Mary promised the guard a bag of gold if he kept the secret.
“Papa, I want to go horse riding” said Mary the next morning.
“Why little girl! Sure enough. I’ll call James” and Mary stayed content with a smirk on her face which the Highness failed to notice upon the child’s brilliant smile and eyes that danced in joy.
The pretence of horse riding only was a means to run away from the palace and the cityscape. Dawn had turned into dusk and the details of both Mary and James went unknown. They were reaching far from the city and then the guard spoke.
V
“They have gone your, Highness. Gone. Your daughter betrayed you, and ran away with the servant she loved.” In a flash, a pool of blood filled the room, the guard was beheaded by the enraged Highness.
“Go and look for the two” roared the Highness to his men who immediately set on their horses and went for a search.
VI
The couple had been steadily going talking of their life together and sweet words of love when they were called by the guards, with whom James fought vigorously without success. Both were taken back to the palace; Mary unharmed, James wounded.
VII
“Villain!” screamed the Highness to James. “How dare you eye your heiress? You are a servant and she your master.”
“Papa, I love him and he isn’t my servant. He may be yours, but not mine.” Mary retorted and kept quite after a slap from her father while James screamed in agony at the pain from the soldiers’ lashes. Then the guards held her tight as she tried to get away from them.
“I hereby declare a decree: James shall be convicted and hanged for state treachery” Said the Highness.
And then his parents were brought in chains.
“Let them free. Let go of them. I’m the guilty. Not they.” James roared in tears and they were taken to confinement.
James sighed with relief but it had suddenly changed into an anger of deep hatred for he heard his parents voice…or rather a scream for the last time.
VIII
James was still being lashed as he continued to say “I love you to Mary” who did the same trying in frail hope to get off the guards arms that held her strong.
“I love you, James.”
“How long could love last in this earth?” asked James to the weeping Mary.
Exit
“Up above I promise
Oh! Beloved,
That we shall live,
And so will our love.
Thus we depart,
From earthly lands,
To join the heaven,
Where angels on their wings,
Welcome us…embracing you…
Embracing me…”
And, then his eyes stared blank into the horizon while spears and arrows pierced his chest with blood dripping off his body.
“James” cried a helpless Mary, getting herself free from the guards grip. She rushed to her love, kissed his lips, closed his eyes, sobbed a good-bye to the Highness and embraced those arrows and spears with a smile and her last words one would hear,
“…To join the heaven
Where angels on their wings
Welcome us…embracing you…
Embracing me…”
Life shined bright to the poor couple when Bertha, his wife bore a boy, who, the farmer believed, would help him in the palace while the boy stayed there…learning and serving; continuing a practice of seven generations. The little boy’s was named James, having been born on the day James Christ got redeemed.
A year later, Mary was born to the Highnesses inside the palace.
James virtually grew up in the palace and knew Mary closely. Mary was a girl with that brilliant smile and spark in her eyes, that promised to stay till her existence giving others hope and love, which she probably did. But soon she had to go to a convent for her education. She was five when she left and returned after her eighteenth birthday.
James had also grown up to a young man with powerful shoulders while his parents turned frail.
The parchment of her arrival had come and James was excited about seeing his long, lost friend; after all he had last seen her when she was five! Finally, Mary came after a week. Her graceful presence came and he felt as though flowers would blossom on her trodden steps. The powerful attractive man stayed startled to see her; amazed to recollect the thought if this was the very girl with whom he once played! And yes, he knew, it was her, for she still owned that smile and sparkling eyes!
“My princess” exclaimed her father as he hugged and kissed her forehead.
“I have always longed to see you, my little darling.’ “That’s why I sent Father Nathan to get you off the convent. And, what have we here? You grown thinner little girl! Don’t they feed you? Those convents don’t do no good.” The Highness made a statement.
“Papa” she said, sobbing. This was the first time she spoke and her sweet voice echoed in James ears as he didn’t hear when she called him until she shook him off.
“James, you grown handsome, I must confess” said Mary teasingly.
“Thank you, your heiress, and you are beautiful still and own those eyes that I adore.” Mary did not say anything, but replied with a tempting blush.
II
A journey of two souls into one had begun for the spring had just come to welcome the two. Both spent hours looking at the vast empire that the Highness had amassed…roaming here and there…
Often, James would stare at Mary when she talked while the Sun shined bright upon her face, and when it hid into the clouds to welcome the moon, and Mary would do the same time and again. Each silently admired the stare of the other, but both pretended as if neither noticed.
“Spring has begun, my heiress. And the flowers look more beautiful with your presence” said James.
“Don’t call me heiress, James. I’m Mary, and stop flattering me.” And with those words a cadence of silence filled the air, each speaking with their eyes while their lips whispered “I love you” concealing their words deep within for no one heard the other’s voice which they longed.
III
Spring had changed into summer. They had been spending long time together and knew each other closely. The summer had come with its scorching heat and sweat. Both Mary and James had kept a distance after their rumors of togetherness spread in the palace. How do signs work together to show ways, no one knows, but they do know that it would work out.
“‘James, I guess you’re in love with someone, and I don’t know who, but I will soon find it out.” Mary made a repeated remark that later became a quarrel. For the first time James was startled, but then he longed to kiss her lips and say that it’s you.
“I love you” James said in rage finally getting irritated. Mary had least expected it when they were quarrelling and it brought the coldness into an abrupt end with a look of astonishment on Mary’s face.
“I love you, Mary” repeated James this time with tenderness. Deep inside, he feared this treachery to the Highness for, he was the seventh generation serving the palace… and Mary was an heiress!
Her eyes stared deep into the horizon when she spoke, and the depth of those eyes, James couldn’t fathom. “I love you, too” replied Mary. “And I don’t know since when…probably the moment we had departed twelve years ago. I thought of you at nights and days wishing to get back home to talk to you” she said getting lost in her own world where she saw just James and herself.
A silence had slowly crept its shadow between them when Mary broke out with a sublime smile, “Maybe the spring really has begun, James. It really has.”
And for the first time, a sweet shadow at the edges of his consciousness longed to reach her for her presence in the dark nights while they shared their first kiss in hustle fearing guards. Silence had yet again crumbled expect their eyes that talked of their helplessness because Mary didn’t let go of the thought of him being poor; although she least bothered it. But the thought of her father and his laws of status-quo mattered and she knew he would never accept, and that too with a servant?
Soon her eyes stretched to the horizon when she whispered in a low voice, “Papa…” Mary wept unable to speak further and James had only just touched her lips when a sentry saw.
IV
Night had come and with no alternative, both headed back to the palace while Mary promised the guard a bag of gold if he kept the secret.
“Papa, I want to go horse riding” said Mary the next morning.
“Why little girl! Sure enough. I’ll call James” and Mary stayed content with a smirk on her face which the Highness failed to notice upon the child’s brilliant smile and eyes that danced in joy.
The pretence of horse riding only was a means to run away from the palace and the cityscape. Dawn had turned into dusk and the details of both Mary and James went unknown. They were reaching far from the city and then the guard spoke.
V
“They have gone your, Highness. Gone. Your daughter betrayed you, and ran away with the servant she loved.” In a flash, a pool of blood filled the room, the guard was beheaded by the enraged Highness.
“Go and look for the two” roared the Highness to his men who immediately set on their horses and went for a search.
VI
The couple had been steadily going talking of their life together and sweet words of love when they were called by the guards, with whom James fought vigorously without success. Both were taken back to the palace; Mary unharmed, James wounded.
VII
“Villain!” screamed the Highness to James. “How dare you eye your heiress? You are a servant and she your master.”
“Papa, I love him and he isn’t my servant. He may be yours, but not mine.” Mary retorted and kept quite after a slap from her father while James screamed in agony at the pain from the soldiers’ lashes. Then the guards held her tight as she tried to get away from them.
“I hereby declare a decree: James shall be convicted and hanged for state treachery” Said the Highness.
And then his parents were brought in chains.
“Let them free. Let go of them. I’m the guilty. Not they.” James roared in tears and they were taken to confinement.
James sighed with relief but it had suddenly changed into an anger of deep hatred for he heard his parents voice…or rather a scream for the last time.
VIII
James was still being lashed as he continued to say “I love you to Mary” who did the same trying in frail hope to get off the guards arms that held her strong.
“I love you, James.”
“How long could love last in this earth?” asked James to the weeping Mary.
Exit
“Up above I promise
Oh! Beloved,
That we shall live,
And so will our love.
Thus we depart,
From earthly lands,
To join the heaven,
Where angels on their wings,
Welcome us…embracing you…
Embracing me…”
And, then his eyes stared blank into the horizon while spears and arrows pierced his chest with blood dripping off his body.
“James” cried a helpless Mary, getting herself free from the guards grip. She rushed to her love, kissed his lips, closed his eyes, sobbed a good-bye to the Highness and embraced those arrows and spears with a smile and her last words one would hear,
“…To join the heaven
Where angels on their wings
Welcome us…embracing you…
Embracing me…”
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