The Prince's eye could not be torn
from The Woman held captive.
This Woman he once mourned
now seen to have lived.
No other man would decide
This Woman's fate.
Only the man before her eyes
held power so great.
A tough decision came about,
A King's army they'd have to break through.
The Prince let The Woman out.
With a whisper: "
Thank you"
Part 1
"
Who is That Woman?"
a young boy asked his father.
"
You're not supposed to be here!" The man barked
"
Go no farther!"
He stopped in his tracks.
Armed men hurried to escort the boy away
hiding her with their backs.
"
What is-" the boy tried to say
That's when he saw The Woman through the crack.
She poked her head out from the crowd
looking for the source of that tiny sound.
Now her features were in full view.
Though his lips could part
not a word would pass.
A vice clenched his heart.
And only a second had passed.
This Woman, who appeared to be twice the boy's age
stole his heart with a mere glance.
As the sight of her perfection began to fade
he took it all in while he had the chance.
She was the most of everything in this world
leagues beyond the common girls.
Every other color blue was a lie
save the bluest blue that was her eyes.
They were not bright, but dark.
Never dull.
A live wire. A spark.
A window into her soul.
The Woman's hair, he shortly observed
was as black as the edge of everything.
He did not take note of the styling
for he dared not stray from his universe.
All of this from a faint glance.
Yet he would never forget.
Utterly Entranced.
And that was the end of it.
The boy was escorted out.
His mouth finally able to make sound.
All he could do was shout
and stamp his feet on the ground.
The King lowered his head
knowing precisely what occurred.
His son was now affected
by That Woman's curse.
All of the men at The King's side
wore cloth on their eyes.
All except him.
As he was meant to be the only victim.
• • •
It was time yet again
to witness Paradise.
Her cage kept out all men
but could not stop a particular pair of eyes.
Days after the first encounter
The Young Prince grew desperate.
As life without his Love
brought the boy torment.
Her underground room
was made nearly impregnable.
Never let outside
for all men were susceptible.
The only key
was held by The King.
Though he visited her rarely.
Why waste such a thing?
The boy couldn't help but think.
If I were the one
to hold such a power
I would abandon the sun
to be with That Woman at every hour
I could hold his title
Why wait until he passes?
She sits idle
While nothing but time passes.
Thoughts of his father faded
as The Young Prince neared a secret door.
This one was unguarded
as few knew what it was for.
A full grown man could not fit
through such a small opening
The boy opened it
reaching inside for one of the strings.
It was a small lift
leading to The Woman's quarters.
Now inside the shaft
he lowered himself closer and closer.
Careful not to make a sound
his feet finally touched the iron ground
It was the top of the elevator box.
Fortunately, he remembered his socks.
And what was the reason
for The Young Prince's endeavor?
His father might see it as treason
but the boy didn't care whatsoever.
In all the darkness of that shaft
A beam of light stabbed through.
In the mortar the boy had crafted
a small hole into her room.
For years The Young Price would sneak away
to steal a glace at The Woman.
His studies and health suffered
as he led himself astray.
Until one dreadful day
where his actions were revealed.
The King was furious
and the hole was sealed.
Part 2
Life went on for The Prince.
His studies were on the rise.
Before he knew it
It had been years
since last he saw her eyes.
The Young Prince was no longer a boy.
Now set with an intelligent countenance.
Eventually he found joy
somewhere in his adolescence.
Gone but not forgotten
those nights alone, together in the darkness.
Where he had fallen to sin
staring with unhealthy excess.
Now his gaze turned to contempt
towards his own father
and the key around his neck.
His royal life fell short
to the privileges of The King.
Even with all of his riches
The Prince cared for only one thing.
Time was the greatest enemy.
The one he could not cut down.
For what would be left of The Woman's beauty
when it was his turn for The Crown?
A method to cope with the time passing away,
The Prince trained in survival and swordplay.
His father was curious
The son was furious
biding his time for the perfect day.
Whether it would be dealt
with by stealth or blade
was a lingering decision
yet to be made.
• • •
Together, Alone.
Her skin was pale
shining like polished stone.
Yet he held her as if frail.
She appeared to condone
his actions without speaking a word.
Both parties prepared for whatever they may incur.
The Prince's eyes shot open
as he reached his arm into the air.
He clenched his fingers around nothing
hoping to grasp a lock of her hair.
Lying alone and cold in his own bed
The Prince wished for nightmares instead.
This was the first dream of The Woman
ever to grace his mind.
The Prince could not help but lament
for fear his new-found desires could not be confined.
"
Father!" he yelled
leaping to his feet.
Tears welled.
So began his deceit.
When The Prince reached his father's room
a guard stepped in his path.
"
Please move
I need to see my dad!"
"Do you know the time?
His Majesty is asleep.
And why are you crying?"
"
That business is mine.
Your punishment will be steep
if you insist on prying."
"I am sorry but I cannot give you permission
until you explain."
"
I just had a horrible vision
wherein my father was slain!"
With a crook of his neck
the guard looked quite perplexed.
"I suppose we must check,
but you too must be checked."
Annoyed, The Prince submitted
moving aside his cloth.
He appeared to be outfitted
for nothing more than a wash.
"
Thinking I would harm my father...
What gives you the right!?"
"Sir
You know there are certain protocols for the night."
Ending their quarrel
the pair rushed inside.
They could immediately tell
The King was perfectly fine.
They could tell
because he quickly arose,
furrowed his brow
and crinkled his nose.
"
What do you idiots think you are doing
bursting into my room at this hour?"
The King was fuming
and the guard cowered.
"
Father, are you harmed?"
The Prince rushed to The King's side.
"Unless either of you are armed
I think I'm quite alright."
The Prince explained his reasoning
for bothering The King so late at night.
Surprisingly, the old man began smiling.
His son's worry brought delight.
The King insisted the guard leave them be
in order to console his son in privacy.
The two men hardly spoke
drifting apart over the years.
It was worth being awaken
to see his son's caring tears.
The moment started to subside
and The Prince took his leave.
Not a single suspicion would rise
in The King, now fast asleep.
The Prince checked his back
making sure he was not followed.
If he were indeed being tracked
he feared the gallows.
Arriving at his destination
he knew not whether to knock.
With much hesitation
he inserted the key into the lock.
The Prince entered the portal
as if walking into his own fantasy.
He was a mere mortal
coming to see a deity.
Much to his surprise
The Woman stood in the doorway
The Prince surmised
she somehow knew he was on his way.
The Prince then realized
The Woman seemed
to have not aged a day.
All of these years
and she still appears
to be
just entering adulthood.
Only a few years
older than me.
They stood there for some time
The Prince, of course, stunned by beauty
"
Do you know who I am?"
He managed.
"
Do you know about me?"
She nodded and took a step closer.
The Prince looked to the floor
fearing more exposure
would burst his core.
"
Tell me your name"
Still afraid to make eye contact
Staring at her feet.
Was she speaking?
He couldn't be sure
over the sound of his own heartbeat.
The Woman stepped closer once more.
The bottom of her nightgown danced
around her knees.
"
Do you know what I came here for?"
What are chances
she feels the same for me?
She stopped and gestured towards the wall,
To an out-of-place patch.
"
So you know it all?"
She nodded yes.
"
You're not normal are you?
Not human, I mean."
She smiled
closing the space between
the two.
He managed to meet her eyes again
even gaining the courage to look away
at everything else.
It was then
he lost the ability to say
anything else.
Nothing was as wonderfully blue
But everything was perfect still.
"
Do you..."
The Prince tried to say until
The Woman reached into the air
weaving her hand into
The Prince's hair.
It seemed his dilemma
had ended with this.
He no longer searched for words
as her lips locked with his.
Part 3