Re: Merlin & Lissa Dragomir
"I find you very intriguing, milady." His smile was wide, and dancing eyes shared warmth.
"Romance, eh? I know a few stories of that. I remember a day, long ago, when a young man did seek to impress his friends, and did go, now, into the very halls of the Faerie Queen, Mabd, She who ruled Winter, the most beautiful, and dreadful, of all of her kin.
He slipped every trap, every hunter, and soon the whole realm was after him, but none could find him, for his magics were beyond even them. To steal a trinket, he did go, but on seeing her, he found he could not take another step. He revealed himself to her, and told her all, unveiling himself and submitting himself to her, and to her judgment. he could do no else, for the young man was in love, you see, and she... she drew him like no other woman ever had."
Merlin's voice took on timbre and depth and between them, on the table, mists swirled and the story unfurled in images, of a young man joshing with his mates, then journeying into the depths of Fey, and of his sighting the woman, and losing his heart.
"He expected death, for such an action was tantamount to suicide, or so it was told by all who talked of the Winter Queen. But the truth was that no one, not of Fey or Mankind, had ever dared to love her, and feeling and seeing this man's willingness to lose all, risk all, to simply tell her how he felt, she found herself touched as well. A growing warmth filled her, and the kingdom of Winter was rocked, for it was the depth of wintertime on Earth, and if the Winter Queen was not cold, then the world and time itself would be overturned. And so the counselors came to her, and told her, no, she could not have this man, no, she could not love him. And seeing her kingdom, and knowing her duty, she turned from the young man. And she cast him out, a single act of mercy in the heart of Winter. "
The man stumbled out of the mists in the snows and fell in them crying at the sky in sorrow, until a small wisp came to him and spoke.
"Seeing one of her defenders so hurt, Gaea, the earth mother, acted, sending a messenger to speak with her own voice. She spoke a plan, and at hearing it, the young man rose, and with her aid, plotted."
The man's joy was obvious and he ans the wisp vanished into the snowy mists.
"Now, come Summertime, when the Summer queen reigned, Mabd was miserable, and did, in the heart of her winter tower, where she stayed alone when Summer was high, cry. But came a knock to the door, and a voice, and she heard it and wondered. She opened the door and beheld the young man, with winter roses in hand, kneeling to greet her. 'We cannot have Winter, milady, but Summertime is ours to do with as we please.' And she embraced him, and took him in, and so they spent that Summer, and many others after, finding love in many ways."
His tale ended, the images vanished and Merlin smiled.