Woman Cast In Amber
Hugh Riva, king of Rivand, sat in the
bed, his aging body propped by a mass of pillows, aware of nothing but the
amber globe he held in his hands. He
neither felt the caress of the spring breeze nor smelled the sweet scent of
flowers. He didn’t see the moonlight
forming pools of light and shadow on the floor of his bedchamber. The liquid rasp of his breathing contended with
the chirp of crickets and the songs of the night wrens.
Death held a vigil in the dark places of the
room. Hugh was ready for the final
sleep. His life had been long, and,
while not filled with great joy, had been one of quiet contentment. If he didn’t count one of his nightly
dreams. He had a large family,
four sons and three daughters who had given him seventeen grandchildren, the
oldest of an age to have children of their own.
He stroked the cool surface of the
gem and felt the amber warm. When he
held the globe so the moonlight illuminated the depths, the woman embedded in
the core wore the smile he’d never forgotten.
“Ah, Emme, would that you could see
what your act of love has wrought.”
Though he felt guilt for her imprisonment in the globe, the guilt was
mixed with thankfulness.
The door of the bedchamber
creaked. Hugh stiffened. How had an intruder slipped past the hall
guards? “Who’s there?”
A small figure moved into the moonlight. “Grandfather, it’s me.”
“Kriston Riva, how did you escape
your nurse?”
The five-year-old’s merry laughter
invited his grandfather to smile. “Nurse
was snoring ever so loud. I wanted to
see you, so I came.”
The boy was the youngest of the
grandchildren, and the one Hugh loved with a fierceness he took care not to
show the others. He patted the bed
beside him. “Since you’re here, you
might as well stay a bit. Is something
bothering you?”
The child climbed the steps and
settled beside Hugh. “I was afraid I
wouldn’t see you tomorrow. Not so we
could talk.”
Hugh’s heart fluttered in his
chest. How had the child known what Hugh
had hidden from his family and servants? The physician had been ordered not to
reveal how little time remained in Hugh’s life.
Tonight, he had dismissed everyone who might want to keep a bedside
vigil. He pressed the amber globe
against his chest. He had wanted to
spend his last night with the haunter of his dreams. “I wish I could say you were wrong.”
Kriston patted his grandfather’s
hand. “Do you hurt?”
“Not a bit. I’m just tired.”
Kriston peered at the amber
globe. “Grandfather, how did the lady
get in there?”
Hugh stared at his grandson. Until now, no one had ever seen Emme. “For love.”
A love he’d never suspected until she’d made her choice to take his
place.
“She’s so little.”
Hugh nodded. “But her heart was big.”
Kriston frowned. “Did you see it?”
“Not in the way you think. She cared more for me than she did for
herself.”
The child ran a cautious finger over the
amber. “Is she alive?”
“I don’t know.”
Before Hugh could stop him, Kriston
took the globe and held it so the light of the moon glinted on the
surface. “Why is she in there?”
“For love of me.” Hugh felt a stabbing sensation in his
chest. Not now. Not while Kriston is with me. He closed his eyes and waited for the pain to
pass.
Kriston moved closer. “I don’t understand why she has to be in
there. Can you tell me why?”
“The tale is long. Fortunately, you’re not the one who has to
hear the entire story. The call won’t
come for you, or even your older brothers and cousins.”
“Why?”
“Patience. Listen to the story.”
“I like stories. I’ll listen.”
Hugh slipped his arm around his
grandson’s shoulder. He would tell the
boy the tale his nurse had told him before Emme had come to live at the palace.
Was the story true? He had no way to learn but speaking of those days suited
his mood.
“Some four hundred years ago, long
before you or I were born, a witch claimed part of the Rivand forest as her
own. The place is now called the Witch’s
Wood. Our ancestor, King Riva, wanted no
witch living in his land.”
“Was she a bad witch?”
“I don’t know, but the king grew
angry because she was there.”
“What did she do to make him mad?”
“The tales said in a single day, she
built a stone cottage and created an ever-blooming garden with sweet scented
flowers, shrubs and trees. Small forest
creatures found refuge there. Birds,
butterflies and all manner of insects brought songs and color to the garden.”
“That sounds wonderful,” Kriston said.
Hugh shrugged. “Maybe yes and maybe no. The king feared the witch would enchant
anyone entering the garden and keep them imprisoned behind the fence.”
“Oh.”
“Let me tell you what happened
next.” Hugh drew a deep breath.
“The king made plans to rid his land
of the witch. His oldest son, the crown
prince, heard about the witch and how his father wanted her gone. The prince was brave and bold, yes, and ever
curious. On an impulse, he left the
palace and rode to the forest. When he found
the witch’s garden, he dismounted. The
gate opened at a touch. He stepped
inside. The sights, sounds, even the
aromas delighted him. Yet, deep inside,
he remembered his father’s fears and knew the place couldn’t remain.”
“Why not?”
“Because the garden was enchanted,
and he was falling under the spell.”
Kriston leaned against his
grandfather. “Then what happened?”
“He turned to open the gate and
leave, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t escape. Anger bubbled inside him. ‘Witch, show yourself,’ he shouted.
“When she stepped from the cottage,
he saw her beauty and found himself tempted.
Except he was promised to another. The wedding day had been set. The witch walked toward him, smiling.
“‘Welcome to my garden. You are my heart’s delight. Come smell the flowers, listen to the bird
song, and taste the honey of my bees.’
“He shook his head. ‘I can’t stay. I am my father’s heir.’ Though her beauty outshone every woman in the
kingdom, he would keep his promise to the woman he planned to wed.”
“Was she prettier than my mother?”
the boy asked.
“I ... Well, perhaps. They say her hair was as yellow as the
morning sun, and her eyes as blue as the cloudless sky in summer.”
Kriston stared into the amber
ball. “Was she prettier than this lady?”
“Emme was lovely, so very beautiful,
but, alas, she was a slave.”
“Did the prince escape?”
Hugh shook his head. “I’m afraid not.” He brushed his hand over his face. “The witch held out her hand. ‘Stay with me.’
“The prince kept his hand on the gate. ‘I won’t.
There’s nothing here for me.’
“‘There is my love, young prince.’
“He laughed. ‘I have no need for love. Love makes a person miserable. A life of contentment is my wish. I’m to wed a young woman of noble birth. There is no place for you in this
kingdom. You must depart at once.’
“Her blue eyes filled with
tears. ‘Let me stay. This is a fair land and you may change your
mind about love.’
“‘Never.’ Once again, he sought to open the gate but it
held fast. He demanded, ‘Open this gate
so I can leave.’”
“She was bad,” Kriston said.
“Why didn’t she let him go?”
“She wanted someone to adore her,” Hugh said, fingering the amber gem. “Let me finish the story.”
“The prince was angry. ‘Free me.’
“‘Give me your love.’
“Other voices rose and startled the
prince. He turned and saw his father,
his brother and a troop of men.
“‘Release my son.’
“‘Free my brother.’
“‘I can’t,’ the witch said. ‘He must love me. He will remain with me or
die.’
“The king threw a flaming brand into
the garden. A flight of fire-arrows rose
from the bows of the soldiers. The
bushes burst into flame. ‘Leave my
land,’ the king insisted.
“The witch embraced the crown
prince. ‘Foolish man. You have refused to give me your heart.’ She lifted her gaze to the king. ‘And you,
King Riva, have blighted beauty. Though I could call a plague to blight your
land, I won’t. Your land will not
prosper, yet your people will not starve.
Every hundred years, I will call the heir to this place and offer him
this choice. Love me and prosper, or
spend your life and that of your family in an unending limbo of never knowing
true happiness.’
“Thunder rumbled. Lightning flashed. The witch vanished. A globe of amber rolled through the open
gate. The king picked up the gem. In the depths, he saw a figure.”
“Grandfather, who was it? The lady?”
“Not the first time. The first time was the crown prince and, each
time she called an heir to that place, those who failed to return the witch’s
love became entrapped in the amber.”
Kriston’s eyes widened. “You won? You beat the witch?”
Hugh shook his head. “I would have lost, but, for love, Emme took
my place.”
“Can love bring your Emme back?”
Hugh took a moment to answer. “I
don’t know.”
Kriston hugged the globe against his
chest. “When I grow big, I mean to try.”
“Why, Kriston?”
“Because she looks nice and pretty
and so sad.”
Hugh sighed. “She was only a slave who loved me too much.”
For a time, Hugh and his grandson
shared silence. The child’s light snores
told Hugh he slept. As the amber globe
rolled from Kriston’s hands, Hugh caught it.
He kissed his grandson’s forehead and rang the handbell for his valet.
Donner bustled into the room. He rubbed sleep from his eyes. “Are you all right, Sire?”
“I’m fine. Carry young Kriston to his room before his
nurse wakes and sets the palace in an uproar.”
Hugh waited until the door closed
behind the pair. He cradled the gem in
his hands, holding it against his heart.
“Ah, Emme, did you know what you were doing when you took my place?”
Her soft voice sounded in his
thoughts. “For a love I’ll never know,
and one you’ll never give.”
He drifted into memories of the past
and his first meeting with Emme.
What a great story. I want to know more.
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