Chapter 1: A Right Bastard Of A Tale
The Red Rooster Pub
The Village Of Garrán úll
Tailte An Earraigh
(The Spring Lands)
Year 531; The Reign Of Fionn mac Cumhaill
At first Aiden worried she was going to stand him up. It was what he had expected, if he was honest with himself. He smiled when he saw Mandolin skipping up the path. He thought of Taran Green-Leaf, and although he'd always been jealous of Taran, he had never held any feelings of ill-will towards him. Mostly, Aidan just wanted Mandolin to like him. Now it seemed that she did, and he didn't quite know what to do about it. A walk in a woods seemed innocent enough. Maybe if he didn't make the feats of strength as impressive as he could, she wouldn't be as impressed, and it wouldn't cause any problems. Still, she was so beautiful, and this was the most attention any woman (other than his mum) had shown him. He would have to be a fool to pass this up. Whatever this was.
Aiden extended his elbow for Mandolin to take. This was a quick walk in the woods, and what could be wrong with that. He was practically oozing charm now. "M'lady, you look enchanting as ever. Shall we?"
Mandolin took Aiden's arm, and they started their walk in the woods. As they did, Aiden realized, he had absolutely nothing to talk about. He couldn't think of a single thing to say to the woman he had idolized for most of his young life. Soon he would be going off with some noble knight, to learn Courtly Manners, and how to do Knightly things. Finally he would learn to hit something with a stick.
A thought occurred to him; this was his one final chance to tell Mandolin how he felt about her, and he was COMPLETELY BLOWING IT!!
"Mandolin. I have always loved you from afar. I know you are betrothed to Taran, and I don't want to...., but you're so beautiful." He looked into her eyes, and she into his. Aiden quickly found himself lost in the azure sea of those dazzling orbs. His heart soared and he found himself lost in the moment. Their faces practically touched as they drew in close, each not knowing what the other felt, but both hoping for the chance of bliss. Their lips met, and song birds began to sing in the trees above, streams of sunlight washed over them through the canopy, and a gentle breeze blew from the South. Inside Aiden, an orchestra played the most delightful music. He felt the rising of the Conductor's wand. The music swelled as their kiss was prolonged, until it rose to an earth shaking crescendo. He thought his heart might explode.
As their lips parted, Mandolin smiled at him. This was the happiest Aiden Applegrove had ever been in his entire life. He felt something soft and firm in his hand. He opened his eyes, and saw Mandolin, her flaxen hair, shimmering in the dappled sunlight. Her peachy skin glowing and radiant. He looked down and found her breast cupped in his full right hand.
That's when the reality of the situation hit him like a tree branch over the head. The Orchestra hit a sour note, as the conductor suffered a fatal heart attack, dropping his wand into the Orchestra Pit, and the music died. The wind blew no longer, and Aiden felt so incredibly awkward that he didn't know what to do with himself.
Aiden thought back to the story of his mother. Wooed by a powerful Fae Noble (his father), then abandoned to a life of poverty, and public shame. He could not do that to his fair Mandolin. He could not ruin her chance at a life with Taran Green-Leaf, were that her heart's desire (which he now doubted very much).
Gently, he released her bosom and flashed the previously winning smile, hoping to hide the reddening of his cheeks. He had never kissed a girl before. Never touched one of their glorious womanly appendages. And now that all of his dreams of love with Mandolin were coming true, he couldn't mess it up with selfish fleshly desires, he wasn't half sure how to pull off anyway.
In a breathy stuttering voice, Aiden poured his heart out to the woman he loved. "Mandolin, I am not worthy of you. But I will be one day. I know our love is forbidden by law of courtship, as you are betrothed to another. I do not wish to damage that, nor your reputation. So we must quit our affair. I am to be gone in two day's time. I will squire with a noble Knight, and when I return I will be a fully trained, full fledged;.. er ya know, a real Knight! Armour and everything!" A flock of birds, previously singing love songs, and now deeply disturbed by the shouting took wing.
Aidan picked up a tree branch from the ground near by, and held it in his hand like it were a sword, to illustrate the point. Mandolin took a step back, slightly worried that Aiden had lost his mind. "I will slay evil monsters in your name. I will save villages and damsels in distress, from unspeakable evil and think only of your favor; for you will be my strength! I implore you my love! Do NOT marry until I return and can prove myself worthy of your hand! Only then, can we resume what will be a love that poets will write, um, their poet-y words about! It will be the stuff of legends!"
He waved the branch around, punctuating his point. He was getting into the swing of this speech now, and it felt good to get his feelings out in the open. They buried their feelings too much in this backwater village. That was all about to change. So was his destiny!
"For to you my love, I make this solemn vow. Wait for me, and when I am worthy I shall return, having proven myself. And if your heart can not stand the pain of my absence, and you are tempted to marry another, do not! Never dare, to let him know of the burning deep in your heart, and loins for the epic love that could have been. Though I will keep myself for you, I can not ask you to do the same for me." <DarkGreen>It was true, of the pair of them, she'd had historically better luck with love.
"And if your love should grace the heart of another; when I return to you, if you were unable to wait; I will know that our love, though epic, was not allowed by the Gods! AND I WILL CURSE THEM FOREVER MORE! And we will pine for one another in the clandestine, and secret places of our tender hearts, that no other shall ever know! A tragedy, known to none, but we two; star-crossed lovers."
Aiden hung his head in sorrow. His speech had made him sad. But then he remembered the rest. He looked up and saw Mandolin staring at him, and looking confused. This time her mouth was open (just a little). Aiden held the branch above his head, like he was Arthur himself, holding aloft Excalibur for the first time. "If you do wait my love. I vow to return to you in ten years time from this moment, to this sacred and glorious place, and I will ask you to BE MY BRIDE, and we will usher in a dynasty as Oberon and his Lady Wife, BRINGING IN A NEW ERA OF EQUALITY AND RESPECT FOR ALL FAE!!!!"