PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

The Veil of Time

On the cusp of dawn, in that moment right before the day rouses and yet still clings stubbornly to night, just as crystal dew awakes laying claim to new life, and all things in creation take breath. There inside twilight, hidden in the fading darkness, slightly beyond the meadow of time, a silhouette barely seen in the shadows stood silent. Watching intently as the cascading veil of yesterday faded away giving birth to today. Lord Arden, who now was just a shell of the man he used to be, stood proud peering on through the veil, gasping as he saw clear a view of today and beyond, glimpsing tomorrow’s wake, played out softly under dawn. He peered into the days yet to come with hope in his heart. But his hope quickly fell to the wayside when he saw his Lady Demmia was no where to be held in his future. Tears streamed softly upon the blooming jasmine growing at his feet and this giant of a man, this strong warrior, this beacon of light in the heart of his Kingsmen stood trembling with fear. All he ever dreamed of was lost by the whim of destiny and he now knew there was nothing he could ever do about it.

Lord Arden came here every morn before dawn hoping just one time when the veil lifted turning night into day he could recapture moments long since gone, right a wrong of yesterday. But no matter how hard he tried his sight only took him forward to an empty future, and he refused to believe that this was his path. He peered on through the dark lonely days and a chill wrapped around his soul, fore no where in the waking moments of tomorrow did he see his beloved Lady Demmia. He fell to his knees, his chest convulsing in pain as he cried in earnest for his lost love. His heart weighed heavy on his conscious, he would never be able to forgive himself. The memory of that day flooded his mind constantly. “Why, Why” he cried into the breaking day. He himself could not understand what he had done or why. Why did he linger so, waste so much time. Oh things could have been different if he had just asked for her hand, they wouldn’t have been on the river that day, they would have been in there own home, safe from jealousy and hatred. “Why....WHY”

Beyond the meadow of time, just behind yesterday sat Lady Demmia. Just as beautiful as she was on that day so long ago. Time preserved the Lady in wait and she wondered why. She watched as Lord Arden come day after day, she tried desperately to reach through the veil and touch his sweet brow if only to reassure him of things he yet did not know. But time was stubborn and wouldn’t bend for the Lady. So she sat breathless watching her strong Knight whimper and cry like a child and it broke her heart. She twisted her long raven hair around her fingers nervously, trying to escape the pain. But his pain was her pain, in time past and present they would forever be entwined. There was no escape for either of them, only a placid future full of loneliness if she did not figure out how to break through the veil and tell him she understood, she knew why….and that she loved him too.

The fates looked on through time, knowing the outcome as always, but this time it saddened them. They so badly for the first time ever wanted to interfere, wanted to help these mortals escape their impending future. But as fates well knew they could not interfere with mortal life or the threads of time. So they watched from afar and shook their heads in disbelief at the way of things. But there were more observers than just the fates, the Gods peered down, and the Angels loomed near, and all around them both, hidden by magic were fairies and nymphs and many other enchanted creatures…it seemed all of creation mortal and magical wanted to help this pair of doomed lovers. Destiny was the first to make a move, summoning fourth all immortal leaders. And In the meadow of time hidden under the veil of beginning and end, Unseen forces worked together for the first time since creation, one goal, one purpose, to finally right a wrong made by all.

Father time spoke first “Let’s begin here”, pulling from his pocket a tiny rainbow crystal, tossing it into the air, the day from so long ago unfolded, relived right before there eyes. They all watched the vivid scene play out, nervous twitches and lowered gazes consumed the guilt laden crowd. Everyone knew that these two were soulmates, that their destiny was etched in the brightest stars by ethereal hands and yet because of arrogance Lady Demmia’s life had ended prematurely.

A warm summer breeze blew Lady Demmia’s hair carelessly about. She closed her eyes and tossed her head back letting the sun rays warm her tender skin. She breathed in the day, it was perfect. She waited on the river’s edge for Lord Arden; they had been meeting privately here for some time. She loved him pure, but had not yet the courage to tell him. So she just came here everyday at the same time she knew he would be here. Lord Arden came here to catch a breath from his day, fuel his stomach with food, and quite honestly he hadn’t missed a day coming since the first day he saw Lady Demmia basking in the sun on the shores. A picture that will live in his heart for eternity. He had loved her for eight long years. She lived within his thoughts night and day, filling his dreams sweet. He planned certain to make her his bride. The only uncertainty he felt was doubt in her love for him. Sometimes he thought for sure he felt it and other times he just didn’t know. He didn’t want to ruin anything by pushing her or asking for her hand before she was ready, so he just came here day after day and spent time gazing in her eyes, listening as she recited poetry, and telling her tales of battle, the tame ones.

Before arriving on this day he had decided he would confess his love on the shores of the river, before the sunset, he was not going to let another day pass away without telling her his heart true. He stood above the Lady looking down upon her closed eyes, her sweet smile…..and his love for her surfaced with a vengeance…..He fell to his knees startling her, giggling she opened her eyes and gazed into his big brown eyes and there she saw his love, raw….and it made her gasp. Trembling he took her soft hand in his; he held it to his chest, looked into her soul and begin to recite the words he had memorized. “Milady, you are my”….and The Lady crumpled to the ground, stunned at first Lord Arden just stared, then he heard heavy footsteps cracking branches in a hasty getaway. He gathered up his Lady, but it was already too late, the arrow pierced her heart straight through, her breath already had stopped, her life was gone, he held her in his arms, rocking her like a child, in a state of shock he stayed there till dawn…

The day dissipated into the threads of time, as Father Time looked out across the leaders of all things and shook his head in disgust. “Now why don’t you all tell me why this happened, Where were all of you that were suppose to be watching the Lady Demmia keeping her from harm?” Rising first was Destiny, her head lowered so low her firered lochs swept the ground. She spoke softly “I admit I wasn’t there, I became bored with watching them, and maybe even a little jealous. Moment after long moment I have to bring soulmates together ensuring their perfect futures filled with love while I linger in the shadows dreaming of my own. On that day I just couldn’t take watching them any longer, It seemed all was going just as it should be, I never thought anything like this could happen, I know I deserve to be punished…I Know I do” and she slumped back down against the tree of life. Next up were the fates, all talking in one voice begging for forgiveness for cutting her thread of life without really paying attention if they were suppose to or not, which they were not. Ultimately they knew that their neglect had caused the worst damage, how could they change that? Next to step up was Artemis, Goddess of the hunt “ I also accept my role in all of this, I should have not been hunting so close to the river’s edge with mortals afoot, I was arrogant in my abilities, I thought I could never miss, and when the arrow went astray, I couldn’t stop it. I had lost control for the first time in my three thousand years roaming the forests. When my own arrow pierced the heart of Lady Demmia, I didn’t know what to do, so I fled”. “Enough” Bellowed Father Time, “I don’t want to hear any more excuses, what I want to hear is how this is going to be set right?” Looks shot from one to another in question of what to do. When all hope seemed lost as to a solution a mere sprite stepped up and begin to tell a tale of how to right this wrong, whispered planning lasted for three long days as the Sprites concept finally was accepted by the council. So many rules had to broken, lines had to be crossed to change and rearrange the past to save the future, but in the end they all decided it had to be done. So with hope in their hearts the council parted ways each with a task to make the plan come to life and save that day from so long ago.

Father Time stood before the Gods and pleaded his case, “I just want to bend time this once, you all know what has happened. How can we ever forgive ourselves if we don’t set this right?” Whispers and nods of understanding echoed from the Gods as they instantly approved Father Time’s request. But then the Gods as well had been watching this story unfold and knew in their hearts it was an injustice of the worst kind. Next Destiny had to undo all things she had done since that day, which was hard because it had been a long time since she had taken her job seriously, paid attention to what she was doing…so she had to play detective back tracking her steps erasing all things as she went. Artemis’s job was the easiest; she simply had to hunt somewhere else when the day came. And the Fates well they simply would not cut Lady Demmia's strand of life. One last meeting of the immortal leaders to announce it was time. This time they would take no chances, they would have all the magical woodland creatures circle the pair cloaking them safe.

Silently they all watched as the day unfolded anew and when Lord Arden began “Milady, you are my everything, I have lingered much too long in telling you so. You hold my heart and you share my soul, I am you and you are me, I want to spend forever in your loving grace, I ask you Milady on this day for your hand?” All that watched did so with held breath, praying that this day would unfold as it should. Lady Demmia couldn’t believe her ears, it was the words she had always dreamed of, spoken from the man who long had held her heart, and yet she hesitated in answer. Lord Arden looked at her nervously, biting his lip wanting to retract his words and yet not. He wanted her to know but why did she have that look on her face, did she not feel what he felt? Did she not love him. What had he done? Her pause was long and almost unbearable, before she finally answered in a soft quivering voice. “I hold you in my heart Milord, and I know what I feel for you is real, but……I have an unsettling feeling about this, like if I said yes it would cause us both nothing but pain”. A tear rolled down Lord Arden’s cheek as he looked deep into her eyes, questioning her words. It didn’t make sense to him, what could possibly cause them pain, and just then the Lady crumpled to the ground, an arrow pierced through her heart. He gathered her into his arms and in a state of shock stayed that way till dawn.

“How could have this happened yet again?” Bellowed Father Time before the council of Gods. And the answer he received chilled him to the bone. “We only let you manipulate time because we had to show you, it doesn’t matter how hard you try to change things done, you can’t. and just because something is written by destiny and etched in the stars doesn’t make it so, our world is not completely in our control, mortals have free will and things will be written and rewritten by their actions and reactions. The death of Lady Demmia had naught to do with the neglect of destiny and the fates, or the arrow of Artemis, but the path she had chosen. All mortals control much more of their own destiny than they realize. One thing did change however, Lord Arden did tell the Lady how he felt, so he will no longer live in a world of pain and regret, and the Lady she won’t be stuck beyond the meadow of time afraid to leave him in his pain, she can now move on to her next incarnation, and live again. One last thing, soulmates are many for all, so don’t grieve for the pair, they both will find happiness when they choose it to be their destiny” Bewildered and speechless Father Time left the Hall of Gods to relay his information to the rest of the immortal leaders, and actually he thought as he was leaving, this is a good thing, so much responsibility and guilt had lived in the hearts of the immortal for far to long…now they can just monitor these mortals and leave their forever’s up to them…..

The End

© LadyRaine