I worked as a teacher's aide in an internship program in college. I helped one of the local middle schools near my college with whatever they needed, grading papers, proctoring exams, and taking attendance. It was two of the most memorable years of my life, mentoring children.
My favorite memory is when we took the class to the city museum. There was an exhibit from the kingdom of Rosion, a kingdom that once ruled the ancient world for over 1500 years. Oh you should have seen the children's faces when they saw it. It was spectacular. There was artwork that withstood the march of time, vases and jugs with ornate designs, weapons and armors that was used to dominate the battlefield and many more pieces.
But the thing that caught my eye was a mirror. I know it's weird. Me, a guy, being interested in a mirror. But the mirror is actually pretty beautiful. It was very well designed considering the method used to make it. It stands about 12 feet tall. The outside trim was made of gold with the emblem of the Rosion Kingdom on top and the crest of the ruling family, the Heartfilia, on the bottom. The inner edges of the trim was cast-silver with various inscriptions in it denoting ancient spells to ward away demons and such that people believed worked in ancient times. The mirror itself was free of smudges, cracks and blemishes which was impressive considering that it is over a thousand years old. On the mirror pane, there was an etching of intertwined roses which I thought was a very nice touch. Whoever made this mirror, I thought, was very skilled at what he did.
I asked one of the tour guides about the mirror. He said that this mirror had a particular legend surrounding it. I gathered the kids and he told the story.
You see, during the time the mirror was commissioned, the Heartfilia family were the current ruling family of the Rosion Kingdom. King Jude and Queen Layla ruled over the land with a just hand. The Heartfilia were passionate about art and commissioned many of the pieces that were in the museum today. It's because of the Heartfilia that we know so much about art and history of the Rosion Kingdom.
Now legend goes that they had a daughter named Lucy whose beauty was well known throughout the kingdom. She was the apple of her parents' eyes. It is said that people from other countries traveled from far and wide just to catch a glimpse of her.
Princess Lucy, like her parents before her, loved art. She personally forged friendships with many of the artisans in the kingdom. One such friendship would define her life forever. It was with a local glassmith named Natsu Dragneel.
Natsu Dragneel (many Rosion historians debate on whether or not an actual Natsu existed or if he was just the archetypal name attributed to glass artisans whose names have been lost to history) forged many beautiful glassworks, some of which can still be seen today in the major museums. He started in his father's, Igneel, trade and, at age 13, became famous for his sculptures. One of his most famous works is a glass dragon that can be seen in the Rosion palace, guarding the gateway of the kingdom. To think that something so fragile has endured for hundreds of years. It's amazing.
Princess Lucy encouraged and cultivated his talents. The legend goes that the more time the princess spent with the glassmith, the deeper their feelings got until one day, they fell in love with each other.
Of course, their love could never be. She was a princess arranged to be married to a prince from another kingdom. He was a but a lowly commoner who only produced artwork for the Heartfilias.
Many writers have penned stories on the love between the artist Natsu and the princess Lucy. One of the most famous of these works was written by the author Lucinox. His play, Separated by Glass, chronicles their romance.
"My dear Natsu." Lucy says in the play. "Oh how I curse my fate. Oh how I wish that I was not a princess. I wish I was but a common woman. Then we could be together. Or, if the three sisters who weave fate deem my station to be that of a noble, I wish that we would elope. We could run away together, to a far off land where no one knows that I am a princess. We could live a quiet life as husband and wife. I would bear your child and we would be happy."
