Categories > Original > Fantasy > Moonfire
Chapter One
3 reviewsThe moonfire gem gives the wearer great power and a long life, of eternal slumber.
0Unrated
“When can we meet again?” Bronwen of Lardos asked her love, the strong and brave Sir Arthur of Pendgrass.
“As soon as I can get away from my betrothed.” He promised, holding her hands and kissing them.
She blinked back tears, “it’s so unfair that your parents betrothed you to that witch Druscilla.” She wailed, “they know we love each other, why did they promise you to her?”
“Because the king is in her mother’s debt, and after Druscilla saw me win that tournament, she decided she must have me.”
Bronwen clung to Arthur desperately, not wanting to let him go.
He kissed her gently, “never fear my love, I’ll find a way to break the betrothal and be with you.”
With those words, he left the secret hiding place, followed by Bronwen. Neither saw Druscilla standing in the shadow of a statue, her eye’s glittering with silent rage.
Arthur was walking through the marketplace when a booth run by a withered old woman caught his eye.
“Hello my knight,” the old woman cackled, “do you see anything of your liking?”
Arthur looked at the necklaces that were displayed on a withered piece of velvet. Suddenly a beautiful necklace of gold with a huge stone in the middle, caught his eye.
“This one,” he told the old lady.
She smiled in delight, “that is a moonfire gem, it holds great power and whoever wears it lives a long life.”
“How much for it?” Arthur asked.
“Just fifty dinaries,” the woman said, and Arthur bought the necklace. He walked away imaging the look on Bronwen’s face when she saw the necklace.
The old woman, stepped into the tent and transformed into Euphemia, Druscilla’s mother. She waved a hand, causing the tent and everything in it to disappear. She walked quickly back to the cottage and stepped inside.
Druscilla was waiting for her impatiently, “did he buy it?” She asked and her mother smiled wickedly.
“The boy practically drooled when he saw the moonfire necklace,” she said, then broke into gleeful laughter with Druscilla.
Arthur quickly ran up to the hiding place where he knew Bronwen was waiting for him. She hugged him tightly when she saw him.
“I have something for you my love,” he said and held out the necklace, causing her to gasp with delight.
“Oh Arthur, it’s beautiful,” she breathed, touching the moonfire gem lightly.
“Not as beautiful as you,” he said, “it’s a moonfire gem and whoever wears it, lives a long life.”
He gently turned her around and moved her long red hair out of the way, kissing the nape of her neck before fastening the necklace so it lay between her breasts.
She smiled at him, then suddenly gasped. “What’s happening,” she cried, then crumpled.
Arthur caught her before she hit the ground and realize she was in a deep sleep. “Bronwen,” he cried in desperation, “my love please wake up.”
Suddenly he heard wicked laughter and looked up to see Druscilla standing there in front of him. “The necklace was cursed by my mother,” she said. “The little bitch will stay asleep until someone is able to take the necklace off her.”
“I will take it off her now,” Arthur said fiercely and tried to unclasp the necklace. He cried out in pain as it zapped him with magic.
“Oh no, my knight,” Druscilla cooed. “That is part of the curse, you can never take that necklace off her. That is your punishment to see your beloved in an enchanted sleep for the rest of your life.” She laughed wickedly again, then disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Arthur gently picked Bronwen up and carried her to the castle where he explained what had happened to the king.
The king of course was enraged, “find the witch and her daughter.” He ordered his knights, “I will make them take this curse off the lady Bronwen myself.”
But Euphemia and Druscilla had disappeared, never to be seen or heard from again.
All the magic bearing people in the kingdom were summoned to break the curse, but none succeeded and Bronwen slept on.
Bronwen was laid in the high east tower, and years passed. Soon everyone who knew she was there died and Bronwen was forgotten. Left in the tower for a hundred years, trapped in her eternal sleep, waiting to be found by the one who could break the curse.
“As soon as I can get away from my betrothed.” He promised, holding her hands and kissing them.
She blinked back tears, “it’s so unfair that your parents betrothed you to that witch Druscilla.” She wailed, “they know we love each other, why did they promise you to her?”
“Because the king is in her mother’s debt, and after Druscilla saw me win that tournament, she decided she must have me.”
Bronwen clung to Arthur desperately, not wanting to let him go.
He kissed her gently, “never fear my love, I’ll find a way to break the betrothal and be with you.”
With those words, he left the secret hiding place, followed by Bronwen. Neither saw Druscilla standing in the shadow of a statue, her eye’s glittering with silent rage.
Arthur was walking through the marketplace when a booth run by a withered old woman caught his eye.
“Hello my knight,” the old woman cackled, “do you see anything of your liking?”
Arthur looked at the necklaces that were displayed on a withered piece of velvet. Suddenly a beautiful necklace of gold with a huge stone in the middle, caught his eye.
“This one,” he told the old lady.
She smiled in delight, “that is a moonfire gem, it holds great power and whoever wears it lives a long life.”
“How much for it?” Arthur asked.
“Just fifty dinaries,” the woman said, and Arthur bought the necklace. He walked away imaging the look on Bronwen’s face when she saw the necklace.
The old woman, stepped into the tent and transformed into Euphemia, Druscilla’s mother. She waved a hand, causing the tent and everything in it to disappear. She walked quickly back to the cottage and stepped inside.
Druscilla was waiting for her impatiently, “did he buy it?” She asked and her mother smiled wickedly.
“The boy practically drooled when he saw the moonfire necklace,” she said, then broke into gleeful laughter with Druscilla.
Arthur quickly ran up to the hiding place where he knew Bronwen was waiting for him. She hugged him tightly when she saw him.
“I have something for you my love,” he said and held out the necklace, causing her to gasp with delight.
“Oh Arthur, it’s beautiful,” she breathed, touching the moonfire gem lightly.
“Not as beautiful as you,” he said, “it’s a moonfire gem and whoever wears it, lives a long life.”
He gently turned her around and moved her long red hair out of the way, kissing the nape of her neck before fastening the necklace so it lay between her breasts.
She smiled at him, then suddenly gasped. “What’s happening,” she cried, then crumpled.
Arthur caught her before she hit the ground and realize she was in a deep sleep. “Bronwen,” he cried in desperation, “my love please wake up.”
Suddenly he heard wicked laughter and looked up to see Druscilla standing there in front of him. “The necklace was cursed by my mother,” she said. “The little bitch will stay asleep until someone is able to take the necklace off her.”
“I will take it off her now,” Arthur said fiercely and tried to unclasp the necklace. He cried out in pain as it zapped him with magic.
“Oh no, my knight,” Druscilla cooed. “That is part of the curse, you can never take that necklace off her. That is your punishment to see your beloved in an enchanted sleep for the rest of your life.” She laughed wickedly again, then disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Arthur gently picked Bronwen up and carried her to the castle where he explained what had happened to the king.
The king of course was enraged, “find the witch and her daughter.” He ordered his knights, “I will make them take this curse off the lady Bronwen myself.”
But Euphemia and Druscilla had disappeared, never to be seen or heard from again.
All the magic bearing people in the kingdom were summoned to break the curse, but none succeeded and Bronwen slept on.
Bronwen was laid in the high east tower, and years passed. Soon everyone who knew she was there died and Bronwen was forgotten. Left in the tower for a hundred years, trapped in her eternal sleep, waiting to be found by the one who could break the curse.
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