The knight's sister had an emerald. It was breathtaking to see, expertly cut so you could see clear through. It cast a verdant glow on the entire room when the light hit it. "And to think," she said, "I had no idea how valuable it was before." "You could never put a price on it." He replied. "Even so, one day you may find a man who is worthy, and you will want to give it to him. If anyone offers to buy it, you know he's unworthy. But and if a man of this kingdom offers to trade, and his stone is as precious as this one, you'll be glad to give it away. Until then," The knight smiled slightly, "You keep it safe from varlets!" "I know, I know. You told me many times." She said, as they both sat admiring the beautiful jewel.
"I just don't know if I'll ever find a worthy man!" She cried one dark night, as they sat together close to the fire, listening to the wind outside howling in protest because it couldn't get into the chalet. The knight turned toward his little sister. "I wish I could promise you will, but I can't say. Only the King knows for certain, and His records are sealed." She smiled impishly through her tears. "Couldn't you enter His quarters on some pretense, and sneak a peek?" The knight laughed. The thought of the King of all the land being fooled by such a trick warmed them.
All at once, the lass produced the emerald, and the whole room seemed a little more special. "I have been thinking," she started, "until that man comes along, if he does, I want to keep this safe from those varlets you keep telling me about." "Yes," the knight said slowly, "But I trust you to keep it secure." Suddenly she cried, "there is one I trust even more than myself!" I'll give it to him, to keep and protect. I know he'll do it." The knight was surprised. "Are you sure your step-dad wants to?" He asked, unsure of what she meant. "No, silly," she beamed at her brother, and for an instant her green eyes surpassed the radiance of the emerald in her hand. "I want you to keep it, and safeguard it, and only give it to me if you are convinced I have found a worthy one."
The knight could no longer see the jewel, or his sister. The fire was just a bright blur as tears filled his eyes. "Would you believe the draft is defective, and smoke fills my eyes?" He asked through his tears. "No," she said simply, "It's okay, your tears confirm that I made the right choice."
She carefully wrapped the gem in a clean cloth, and handed it to her brother. She watched him put it in one of his safes, and lock the door. "I promise I won't give it back to you unless he's worthy, and I further promise that if he is, I will give up this priceless jewel. I won't complain that I no longer have control of it. But you must know," he went on, "your fingers are sensitive, and your hearing is superb. I know you could crack this safe if you put a mind to it. I can't forbid it, because there is nothing in there that isn't yours. But we must trust each other." They returned to their chairs, and sat watching the dying embers of the fire long into the night.
CHAPTER 2.
Much later, on a midsummer evening, they were once again at the chalet where they met. "This wagon repairer sounds interesting..." the knight began, "I don't know though." His sister frowned. "You don't approve? Why not?" The night thought a minute. "It's not that I don't approve, I just don't know. I want to be sure." "While I grow into an old maid." His sister returned. The knight sighed. "Wait a minute now, there was that other young man that I said no about, and you thanked me heartily afterward. He hunted game in the highlands, right?" "Yes," she said, "he was a highland hunter. But he was a varlet. Are you saying this wagon repairer is a varlet?" "No!" He hastily replied, "I'm sure he's not a varlet..." "So you're not saying no? Good enough." She bounced over to the safe on her light footsteps. The knight turned in his chair. "You can't give it to him, you know?" "I know," she said breezily, "I'm just going to show it to him, no harm in that. I know he's not a thief, and his home is secure."
They went on talking, talking into the night as usual. The knight let a careless word slip from his tongue, and almost before he knew it the little discordant spark had turned into a raging fire. They were both angry, something that almost never happened at the chalet. It was still before midnight, they often conversed into the small hours of the morning.
"I guess we'll leave it at that, then." She said, opening the door, "I bid you goodnight." The door shut with a bang. "That went well," muttered the knight to himself, "I guess she's going to see her wagon repairer now." The knight paled. "And she has her precious emerald."
He couldn't sleep. Scenarios played out in his mind, some laughably implausible. At sunrise, he ran to the King's quarters, and told Him everything. "I was stupid to bring up something like that," he went on, "And now I've ruined everything." The King spoke steadily. "If this ruins everything, it was bound to happen anyway. Neither of you are perfect. If perfection was the glue holding the twain of you together, you wouldn't have lasted one day in the chalet. And she is ultimately responsible for what she does of her own volition. I am not going to tell you what will happen, just make sure you are totally honest with her the next time she comes to see you. You know what you need to tell her."
TO BE CONTINUED...
"I just don't know if I'll ever find a worthy man!" She cried one dark night, as they sat together close to the fire, listening to the wind outside howling in protest because it couldn't get into the chalet. The knight turned toward his little sister. "I wish I could promise you will, but I can't say. Only the King knows for certain, and His records are sealed." She smiled impishly through her tears. "Couldn't you enter His quarters on some pretense, and sneak a peek?" The knight laughed. The thought of the King of all the land being fooled by such a trick warmed them.
All at once, the lass produced the emerald, and the whole room seemed a little more special. "I have been thinking," she started, "until that man comes along, if he does, I want to keep this safe from those varlets you keep telling me about." "Yes," the knight said slowly, "But I trust you to keep it secure." Suddenly she cried, "there is one I trust even more than myself!" I'll give it to him, to keep and protect. I know he'll do it." The knight was surprised. "Are you sure your step-dad wants to?" He asked, unsure of what she meant. "No, silly," she beamed at her brother, and for an instant her green eyes surpassed the radiance of the emerald in her hand. "I want you to keep it, and safeguard it, and only give it to me if you are convinced I have found a worthy one."
The knight could no longer see the jewel, or his sister. The fire was just a bright blur as tears filled his eyes. "Would you believe the draft is defective, and smoke fills my eyes?" He asked through his tears. "No," she said simply, "It's okay, your tears confirm that I made the right choice."
She carefully wrapped the gem in a clean cloth, and handed it to her brother. She watched him put it in one of his safes, and lock the door. "I promise I won't give it back to you unless he's worthy, and I further promise that if he is, I will give up this priceless jewel. I won't complain that I no longer have control of it. But you must know," he went on, "your fingers are sensitive, and your hearing is superb. I know you could crack this safe if you put a mind to it. I can't forbid it, because there is nothing in there that isn't yours. But we must trust each other." They returned to their chairs, and sat watching the dying embers of the fire long into the night.
CHAPTER 2.
Much later, on a midsummer evening, they were once again at the chalet where they met. "This wagon repairer sounds interesting..." the knight began, "I don't know though." His sister frowned. "You don't approve? Why not?" The night thought a minute. "It's not that I don't approve, I just don't know. I want to be sure." "While I grow into an old maid." His sister returned. The knight sighed. "Wait a minute now, there was that other young man that I said no about, and you thanked me heartily afterward. He hunted game in the highlands, right?" "Yes," she said, "he was a highland hunter. But he was a varlet. Are you saying this wagon repairer is a varlet?" "No!" He hastily replied, "I'm sure he's not a varlet..." "So you're not saying no? Good enough." She bounced over to the safe on her light footsteps. The knight turned in his chair. "You can't give it to him, you know?" "I know," she said breezily, "I'm just going to show it to him, no harm in that. I know he's not a thief, and his home is secure."
They went on talking, talking into the night as usual. The knight let a careless word slip from his tongue, and almost before he knew it the little discordant spark had turned into a raging fire. They were both angry, something that almost never happened at the chalet. It was still before midnight, they often conversed into the small hours of the morning.
"I guess we'll leave it at that, then." She said, opening the door, "I bid you goodnight." The door shut with a bang. "That went well," muttered the knight to himself, "I guess she's going to see her wagon repairer now." The knight paled. "And she has her precious emerald."
He couldn't sleep. Scenarios played out in his mind, some laughably implausible. At sunrise, he ran to the King's quarters, and told Him everything. "I was stupid to bring up something like that," he went on, "And now I've ruined everything." The King spoke steadily. "If this ruins everything, it was bound to happen anyway. Neither of you are perfect. If perfection was the glue holding the twain of you together, you wouldn't have lasted one day in the chalet. And she is ultimately responsible for what she does of her own volition. I am not going to tell you what will happen, just make sure you are totally honest with her the next time she comes to see you. You know what you need to tell her."
TO BE CONTINUED...