A Dance For Ribbons

The Poet

Dranzel left the castle less than half an hour after their agreement to the game, claiming to have some business to attend to with Master Illinium concerning the script, so Asteros had packed his clothes in a leather sack and handed them to him. "See you soon, friend." Asteros had said.

But in truth, Dranzel was in deep need of fresh air, else he would have started suffocating in the castle.

So it was that he found himself walking in the markets outside the castle grounds and in the villages. He saw no one he knew, nor did he try to. Mostly, when Dranzel met people that knew him, they would always speak of his father, and how great of a man and a poet he was. Dranzel would then always smile and thank them for their kind words.

One of us will die, Dranzel kept thinking. They were all young and with a good life ahead of them.

What madness was this, for this demon or man to appear and play a torturous game with them?

Was it a game? Was this man, sir Samael Refiluc, was he actually serious or, as Aelix had believed at first, a conjurer of cruel jests?

Dranzel believed, however, that Samael was not toying around. He was indeed serious, and this game, this sick cruel monstrous ordeal, it was as real as the fear in his heart.

Dranzel closed his eyes and thought.

They said they would all try their best, and so he must give it his all, despite the outcome.

Dranzel looked around and saw this young lady walking by a stand that sold fruits. Apples, pears, oranges, grapes, the stand had them all.

Dranzel felt in his pocket to see how much coin he had with him.

He was carrying fourteen Kins, Lorenek's currency, which was enough for an expensive dinner for two.

He sighed and walked up to the lady.

"Pardon, milady," He began, and gained some courage when he saw she had a ribbon around her slender neck. The ribbon was purple and had two white horizontal lines on it. "I couldn't help but be inspired by your radiance. So much, even, that some madness overcame me, making me grow the thought of possibly being able to persuade you into taking a stroll around the market with me. Yet, now that I stand here, I feel obliged, and almost commanded by fate'sgrasp, to make an attempt anyway at said thought. Would you then agree into having a stroll with me and gracing me with your company?"

The lady stared at him, her face showing signs of disbelief at first, and later of affection.

She put her face close to his ear and whispered: "You see those men?" She then proceeded to point out three men in different locations of the market, "Those are guards of mine. My father makes them walk around and keep an eye on me, for safety's sake. I will accompany you, but rest assure that if you try one of your tricks you will die before you even blinked."

Now Dranzel was the one staring in disbelief. Then he nodded. "May I know your name?"

" Elea." She said. "And you, sir?"

"Dranzel," He said, took her hand, and laid a soft kiss on it. "Dranzel of Mionera."

They walked past huts and stands and stores and talked some.

Elea was left-handed, studied in foreign languages and knew how to ride horses better than most knights, or at least so she claimed.

Dranzel told her of his childhood, of his adventures while studying, and of his goals.

Elea was a good listener, and paid attention to every detail.

She had a pretty smile and auburn eyes that turned almost red in the sunlight. Her hair was light brown and curly and long, and it smelled of lavender.

Fortunately, Elea had never heard of either Danto or Dranzel of Mionera before, so he didn't have to worry about that. They went into this store and bought cakes and milk and more pastries, and then they walked to the edge of the forest to have a picnic there.

As they sat down, Elea looked at Dranzel.

"I need to tell you something." Elea said. "Those men I pointed out to you, they aren't guards of mine. In fact, I don't know them at all. I'm just afraid of people at the moment."

"Why at this precise moment, exactly?" Dranzel asked, curious.

"My father died just a week past, as did my brother Sameos. They died in battle, and I have had no reason to be happy ever since." She smiled, and Dranzel's heart skipped a beat. "But you, you listen, and you cheer me up. I don't know why, but I feel like I can trust you." And she leaned in close to him.

And in those seconds where her face neared his, Dranzel was thrown into a fit of deep and quick thoughts.

Could it possibly be this quickly that I could earn a girl's love? He thought. Is this all there is to it?

She kissed him, a sweet kiss that was just right, and yet Dranzel felt ever so bad.

When she stopped kissing him, she smiled at him. "Your lips are sweeter than honeyed milk, sir."

He laughed. "Yours are as soft as silk, as delicious as Mary Wine."

They laughed, and began eating from the pastries.

She fed him, and he fed her, and in between they kissed and kissed.

It began gerting dark when she first slid her tongue into his mouth.

Her tongue was sweeter still than her lips, and she laughed as he slid his into her mouth.

After a while they stopped, and she looked into his mismatched eyes. "You are beautiful." She said to him.

"As are you, love."

"Where have you been hiding? Your words, your touches, your eyes. They all speak of kindness and warmth. Who are you?"

"I am Dranzel, the poet."

"A poet?" He smiled, "No wonder my heart beat so fast when we met and now."

Dranzel smiled. "We should get going."

She nodded. They stood up, picked up their things, and made way to the market, where there was to be a campfire dance celebration and Elea would find her mother and sister and they would say farewell.

Dranzel looked at her and wondered what it was that made him love her already. But of course he already knew the answer. It was all her, her and her perfection.

They walked, and for a moment Elea held Dranzel's hand.

As they reached the market, Elea pulled Dranzel into a dark alley and pushed him against a wall.

She pressed her lips to his roughly and held him tightly.

When she finally let go of him, she sighed.

"Look," She began, "I have trusting issues, but I really trust you now. I know it's been one day only, but I think this one day means more to me than my lifetime without you. So, despite that..." She reached for her neck and untied her ribbon. "Here." And she tied it around his wrist.

He looked at it. "Elea... I... I love you."

She smiled, tears in her eyes. "I love you too, my lovely poet."

They kissed once more, then he took her to her family.

He then left, promising to look for her on the morrow.

And in his heart, eventhough he had already one ribbon on the first day, he felt death inviting him.

For only death was what he deserved at that point, for his sin of loving her so cruelly.