Marion didn't stay out all night. (part 2)
Slight, unpleasant smile appeared on her angelic face. Her father wanted her to marry some frightened boy who could tell how much is two times two, but he didn't say she can't marry the idea of beauty...
But she blushed as her eyes met the eyes of a fair boy standing few steps away. He tried not to look at the beautiful lady, but his heart fluttered, even though he knew he couldn't accompany her even as the lowest out of all troubadoures.
-- Would it be you came for the rhyming contest? -- she asked, taking few steps in his direction.
-- Yes, milady...
-- The hell with milady! Call me Marion. My father locked me in this horrible castle for my wild behavior at some tave... ehm... nevermind.
-- The castle is not that terrible. It does have some plush pillows and silken curtains.
Marion squinted her eyes and asked:
-- Would you like to stay here? So compose the best ballad tonight and I will grant you that wish.
This was what Spark wanted, but not how he wanted. He never composed any poem, not even a four verses one. When the steps of beautiful Marion faded away, he realised this was his chance to show to all those bastards of troubadoures what a gem they left behind.-- I will have the last laugh! -- he chuckled to himself and frowned, cause the walls of the castles mocked him. Looked like they had the last laugh. Well, no biggie. Just compose a great ballad... Hmm... a great ballad equals not bad ballad, so he should just compose any ballad, because he couldn't compose bad ballads either.
His heart suddenly felt light again, and humming some tune softly, he went straight into the hall.
Marion waited for her father before his room. When he finally got out ready for the ball, she smiled and took his arm.
-- Papa, grant me one wish today.
-- What wish, my good child?
-- I will tell it after the ballad contest, it's nothing big, and I promise, I will stay in the castle and will not venture into the city anymore!
Man pondered over her words, seeing clearly it was a scheming, but as long as she was inside the castle, everything was just fine.
-- I will grant you that one wish, but you have to promise me you will not stay out all night not today, not in the future.
-- I promise, papa!
The Great Hall was really big, adorned with tapestries and filled with chattering people, waiting for the Master of the castle. When he appeared with his daughter, everyone bowed their hands and clapped their heads... no, wait... bowed their haeds and clapped their hands when the rhyming contest was announced. This way a Festive Week commenced. The musicians played a lively tune and the group of dancers performed the first dance. After Marion looked bored enough, her father announced the beginning of the ballad contest. Everyone who wanted, could take a part in it, but most of the present troubadoures were just too overblinded with the beauty of Marion.
First bard was from the town Behimot behind the high mountains called The High Mountains. The origin of the name of this town went into the oblivion, but the neighbors joked that it was an acronym from Behind High Mountains Town, and denoted the rednecks. Anyway, he was the first.
Those who walk under the cold and twinkling stars
Pledge their love on those diamonds on sky,
Not knowing that love sworn on Jupiter or Mars
Will be lost when planets and stars are going to die...
Marion was bored, just waved her hand and he finished.
After him another poet came.
Don't tell me what love was in times long gone.
Don't tell me what love be in times without us.
Just tell me what we have mistakenly done
And I will tell you our suffering will pass...
Marion waved her hand and another poet went away into the shadows.
Finally her fair boy went forward, all his trembling disappeared when he looked into this beautiful face of hers.
Roses are spiky and violets are blue
Children love ponies and I love you.
Marion didn't even bothered to listen to the words, carried away with the boy's velvety voice. And when it came to give the wreath of flowers and a golden pendant, she pointed her small finger to Spark's direction. Guests murmured with bewilderment, but nothing could be done. Spark was given the award. She took him under the shoulder and walked to her father.
-- Papa, I wanna marry this one!
Man thought the whole world crumbled around him and he went deaf.
-- You have a betrothed already, my dear, stupid child.
-- This is my wish.
Man grunted something and as more and more people went silent hearing the demand of the girl, he had no chance to escape the situation, and after some time of collecting his thoughts, he came up with one fine solution.
-- My daughter wants to marry a commoner, my dear friends. And I will allow her to marry whomever she wants under one condition. In 100 days time, her fiance has to prove his value to this country. The one who achieves that, will take my daughter as his spouse.
Spark thought that he would prefer a bag of jewels and gold, but well, living in a luxurious castle wasn't that bad idea. He started to think it's an extremely bad idea when he saw the said betrothed of his beloved Marion. Beside him a tall, handsome man appeared. This will be a hard competition.
And so the bizarre 100 days started. They held many different competitions, many tears had to soak into Marion sleeves, both hers and Spark's. Whenever they had to ride a horse, Spark ended up screaming like a girl, and in the end of the day, every horse, seeing him started to scream as well. But in a horse language it sounded like mocking, and maybe even it was like this. Clouded in mystery those days are now, and manuscripts are hard to decipher.
-- It's shiny! -- shouted Spark with joy seeing a short sword and grabbed it but dropped half a second later and squealed: -- It's sharp!
Marion was blinded by love, she seemed not to see the perfectly graceful figure of Idéalach when he danced, bending like a young tree with wind. She couldn't see his beautiful handwriting and illuminations he made for one romance. She didn't quite understand what he meant when they held a philosophy meeting with the wisest people in her country.
He had one lacking point. He could not tell if her dress she was wearing one day was better or worse than the dress she had worn the day before. He found all of them quite beautiful with the intricate paterns of embroidery, but could not say much more. Spark was much more experienced in that matter.
And when it seemed that the next day will be their final day of 100 day betrothal period, a terryfying sound tore the night air. Before the city walls an army stood.
The very next morning an attack was unleashed and city soldiers defended it with many sacrifices. Idéalach fought with all his might, taking countless enemies down. A week has passed and nothing changed. Every night the enemy tried to conquer and plunder the city, and each day a group of brave knights fought with waning energy.
One day, when sun was setting, Spark made an appearance on the ramparts, so not to be accused of cowardice, and the myriads of tents far away and moving soldiers scared the chainse out of him!
Suddenly one of the soldiers approached and said:
-- You better hide, the pendants are well visible in the twilight hours for them.
Spark snarled and was about to come off, when an emissary came to the gates, and seeing sparkling person, took it for the king's emissary.
-- Hear ye! We have a treaty to offer!
-- We are not puppies to be offered a treats! -- Spark said and in the same time he added: -- But we can make a dancing and singing competition, with treats for everyone if you want.
He didn't just talk. He put his words into motion by starting to dance. Emissary wasn't quite sure what was that. The men right behind him observed this with growing awe. White, silver embroidered robe of a boy flowed ghostlike, his moves were unearthly as well.
-- Is everyone like you? I want to speak...
-- I am the soul-a of this town-a! I'm gonna sing-a about the moon-a and the wolf ring-a! -- chanted Spark, causing confusion to all the soldiers on both sides of the high walls.
-- I think we chose the wrong town to conquer...
-- They're bewitched! -- shouted one of the emissary's companions.
-- They're mad! -- added another.
-- They're possessed!
-- They're crazy!
Spark danced on the wide ramparts till midnight, waving his arms and wriggling his ass along the city walls, and no one, even Marion could take him down.
Dawn came up with clean fields outside the walls. The army retreated.
For his unimaginable victory, Spark was awarded with Marion's hand. The writer has to just add, that their love was forged in difficult times and had to withstand all the obstacles (mainly Spark's mental handicap).
In few year times a legend was created. Legend that passed to our times under the title of Two Princesses.
But we can't just give an ear to those false accusations and people's bias.
Idéalach, on the side note, drank by the accident formaldehyde and under the name of gwoemul he appeared in one Korean movie under the same title.
The End
