A Short Story: True Love Never Dies

(A sequel to The Princess of Hearts.)

The stars twinkled above me on that warm June night. I sat outside gazing up into the dark sky. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my back. “David,” I whispered.

David sat down. “Are we still on for tomorrow? Meet me at the stables bright and early.”

I smiled. “Ok.”

David got onto his horse and rode away into the night.

Morning broke, dark and rainy. “Oh well!” I thought sadly, looking out my peasant home window into the rain. Knowing David, we would go anyway. I pulled on my boots and my heavy cloak and climbed down from my loft into the warm kitchen where our house keeper, Betsy, was making breakfast. “Good morning, Cordelia,” she said.

“Where is father?” I asked.

“Oh, out bringing food from our field to the castle. A guest has come to stay with King James, Queen Annalise, and Prince David,” Betsy said as she poured me a cup of water and set it down in front of me with a slice of bread.

“Thank you, but I told David I would meet him at the stable this morning,” I said.

“Fine, but going out into the cold and rain without any breakfast…” her voice trailed off. Betsy had acted like my mother ever since my mother had died. I kissed her on the cheek, thanked her, and rushed out the door.

I ran like the wind to the stable where David stood arms opened wide. I ran into them, and he gently kissed my lips as he smoothed back my wet hair from my face.

“So, tell me where we are going today?” I asked as I looked into his eyes. They had a twinkle in them.

“It’s a surprise,” he said as he jumped onto a horse. He reached down his hand, I grabbed it, and he pulled me up.

We rode into the thick forest right behind the tall wall of the castle. I looked up into the sky. It had finally stopped raining, but it looked like the sky was going to let down another torrent of rain any minute. As we rode farther into the forest, it became darker and colder. I clasped David’s waist tighter. “Please tell me where we are going!!” I yelled over the thunder.

He looked back at me and smiled.

“Just a few more minutes then we will be there,” David yelled back. Sure enough, the forest opened into a small clearing. The sun had come out but, strangely, only in the clearing. David rode up to it and jumped down off the horse. I followed him.

“Why is this spot so sunny and beautiful and…” my voice trailed off. David reached down. He held my hand. He put his finger to his lips.

“Let me tell you. My father asked my mother to marry him here in this same spot,” he said, and his bright blue eyes looked down into my eyes. “The fairies put an enchantment on it to make it the most beautiful spot in the world where true love happens. So, I would like to do it here, right now.” David bent down onto one knee and pulled a small diamond ring out of his cloak. “Will you marry me?”

I stood there, speechless, with tears running down my face. “Yes!” I cried.

He rose to his feet and kissed my lips. I kissed him back.

David whispered, “May the love between us always be strong, true, and eternal.”

We rode home in the rain, but it was not nearly as bad as before on the ride there. We were going to be together forever. We rode back up to the stable. Betsy’s breakfast sounded so good just then. David led the horse into a stable. I jumped down and stood there waiting for David to come out of the stable. I wrapped my hands around my arms.

“Burr,” I thought.

David came out and wrapped his cloak around me. Suddenly I heard the voice of a woman behind me. David and I turned around to see a young girl with dark brown hair. Her perfect curls fell just below her shoulders. It didn’t even look like a speck of rain had touched them, while my overgrown curls were nearly sopping wet, flying in every direction.

“Yes?” asked David.

“Your father, I meant to say King James, told me you would be here,” said the young girl. “Sorry, I am Princess Bella. I am visiting your castle. My father has many hopes that you will marry me.”

David stood there in shock. “I am sorry. I forgot to introduce my fiancé, Cordelia,” David said.

Bella just stood there. Anger entered her eyes. She ran for the nearest horse, slipped her hood over her face, and rode away.

“Come on. We need to get to the castle before she does,” David said with a quiver in his voice.

We rode through the gate of the castle. I had been in the castle many times with David, but never for this reason. We both jumped off and ran up the large stone marble steps. “We have to beat Bella there,” I thought.

David swung the door open, and I ran in behind him. We walked into his bed chambers.

“We can’t go see Queen Annalise and King James like this,” I said.

David nodded. He walked over to his closet and pulled out a beautiful light purple and cream dress. The sleeves opened up at the end. Leaving them long and flowing. I smiled. He left the room to get some clean clothes for himself. I slipped off my wet, muddy boots and dress and put on the silk dress. I combed my fingers through my hair. I put on a smile. Just then, a small knock sounded at the door.

“Come in!” I said.

“Don’t you look lovely?” David said as he peeked in.

I blushed. “Thank you!”

“Are you ready to go see my parents?” asked David.

I sighed and tried to smile. David’s parents had met me before but only saw me as David’s friend.

“Will I ever be ready?” I joked. He took my hand and led me down a long hallway hung with tapestry and fine artwork. David knocked softly at his mother and father’s door.

Queen Annalise answered. “David, come in. And Cordelia, you too.” Queen Annalise had a voice as sweet as her heart.

“Mother and Father, I have asked Cordelia to marry me,” David said taking my hand as we stood.

“I am so proud of you my son!” Annalise and James said together.

 “But there is a problem. Bella wishes to marry you, David,” said James with sorrow in his eyes.

“Well, we can tell Bella’s father that you have found a different girl and that Bella is not who you want,” said Annalise. “Tonight at the banquet – you will tell him then.”

Later, I sat at the long banquet table and sipped my drink, trying to ignore the rude looks that Bella, who was sitting across the table, was giving me. Her eyes became more jealous every time I looked at her. Finally, I saw Bella get up from the table and move to a corner, where she began to talk to an elderly man, who must have been her father. I only heard bits and pieces, but I know she was talking to her father about me. I saw him look over at me with the coldest eyes I had ever seen. My head began to spin. “Time to go,” I thought.

“David, I am going to the balcony in your room to get some fresh air,” I said to David as I rushed out of the dining hall. He nodded and looked over in the direction of Bella and her father, king of some far off land. I ran to David’s room and opened the door to the balcony. Fresh air swept over me. I stared out over the woods, beyond to the deep ocean. “What a day,” I thought as I walked over to David’s bed and shut my eyes. “I’ll just rest for a minute,” I thought.

I was awakened by the noise of a woman giggling and a man flirting. I strained my eyes to see David and Bella kissing on the balcony. Horror entered my whole body. With tears running down my face, I slid my engagement ring off and threw it to the floor. With that, I fled from the room.

I ran down the same steps I had come up earlier that day, when I had thought that David was my true love. Now, my heart broken, I ran from the castle to my horse and rode into the forest.

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At the sound of Cordelia’s ring against the floor, David broke loose and closed his eyes, retracing everything that want had just happened. After Cordelia had left the dining hall, Bella had come over from talking with her father and switched David’s wine glass with a different one. Unaware of the switch, David had emptied the glass, thinking it was the best wine her had ever tasted. Then sly Bella had pulled the prince into his room and, stared a conversation. Then she had kissed him, and David had kissed her back.

“You’re not Cordelia!” he yelled at Bella, opening his eyes. He turned away.

“I just kissed Bella!” he said to himself. Still recovering from the shock, he rubbed his face with his hands.

“Bella what did you do to me?” He asked, confused.

“I, um, I poisoned your wine glass with a poison that would make you forget everything, because I was jealous,” said Bella hoping that, if she told the truth, he would spare her from the worst.

“Well it looks like Cordelia, my fiancé, saw us,” David said with a low growl in his voice. With that he picked up the ring and ran from the room. He rode into the forest after Cordelia.

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I rode to the spot where just earlier that day, David had told me that our love would be true and eternal. But now, my thoughts wandered. I fell off the horse and looked up into the sky where the sun was beginning to set.

“I guess that this place isn’t enchanted. But please, fairies, if you’re there, take my life,” I whispered. With that, I looked up into the stars and breathed my last breath.

David was too late. He fell onto his knees, put his face into his hands, and cried. Finally, he reached down and kissed my lips. A ray of sunlight up, and I gasped for air.

“David! You found me.”

“I will always find you!” said David as I looked up into his blue eyes.

“Look, Bella poisoned me to tune me out, and she pulled me into my room. I didn’t know what I was doing. I am so sorry!” said David as he slid the ring back on my finger.

“So, you really love me?” I asked as the breathing became easier and the life spread throughout my body. Tears of happiness were spilling from my eyes.

“I could never love anyone else, Cordelia. I am so sorry for causing you to doubt my love!” he cried.

“It’s not your fault!” I said, wiping the tears off his cheeks.

“We will be happy forever!” David wove his fingers through my hair as he kissed me.

– By Jennifer Fuhrman