The daughter of the good King John

The daughter of the good King John

photo via google

O that mournful sky is so gray and the clouds are heavy upon

the nameless river which is gray in color and it roars, it roars

in that forgotten land which looks so gray and it cries, it cries

“There she lies!’ There she lies! The daughter of the good King John!”

 

O hear the most tragic tale, which I now tell you

Of the Old Days, far away from here

Under the blossoming apple trees

there was a lady, dancing happily

with her dark hair flowing, long and free.

 

She was loved by her father, the good King John and his Queen

living in all majesty, surrounded only by her maidens,

therefore she had not seen a living man indeed!

 

But one day came a wandering knight,

with his loyal gray horse,

and his armor were shining bright.

He was guided before the King

and with bowing deeply he spoke freely;

“God bless King John! Long live the King!

During my long journeys, I’ve heard about your kingdom’s hospitality

and the beauty that lives here. I see that it’s all true.

I’ve come to you asking for a place to stay”.

 

The King became fond of this young man

who talked so fair and asked to know his name.

“My King, my name is Eriol but what

will be to my last name, I do not spoke it here

because it is cursed, and I would like to request

permission to remain anonymous so far”.

 

This made the King sad but he granted

all what he asked for to this fair looking knight

and soon there was held in the castle largest

celebration of what had been seen!

 

In the midst of all the splendor there sat beside of the King

and his Queen, their beloved daughter, wearing a blue dress

which was decorated with diamonds and pearls,

her dark hair had been brought up as a crown on her head.

 

And of all the jewels that the fair knight saw in that room,

the most beautiful to him was this lady who was called

Ariendel, the King’s daughter.

 

For a long time the knight looked at her,

praising the beauty of her silently in his mind,

and the pain that settled into his heart

at that very moment,

never left him.

 

 

 

Often he saw her, and she talked to him

and the King saw that his company delighted

Ariendel, and the King just wanted to see her daughter smiling.

But Eriol could not hide his feelings from her, and soon

he decided to go, because of his love that had grown

as the seed of an apple tree grow;

her gaze,  as the fresh rain that falls on the ground

her smile, as the light of the Sun that warms

and her laughter, as the happily sound of the raindrops.

 

“Why thou must go?” She then asked, almost in tears.

Eriol smiled to her, and took her slender, white hand

into his hand, and pressed gently a kiss on her hand.

Then talking quietly, his lips still on her skin;

smelling the sweet scent of the late summer flowers,

he spoke to her;

 

‘O whether a man to blame for what his heart yearns

when he sees the bloom of youth and sweet flowers of summertime!

Because I cannot pick the flower without that it eventually dies.

Therefore I must leave, my lady.’

 

Again he kissed her hand and for a moment he looked into her eyes

and saw in the depths of blueness a glimpse of love.

 

“Farewell, my princess and remember me.

If you ever need me, send word and I come to you!”

 

Ariendel spoke;

“Forgive me Eriol, forgive me if I’ve caused you sorrow!

Because my heart is just as confused as yours!”

But Eriol went with heavy heart, and after that

the fair knight found no more joy and

he fell into gloom.

 

Soon after that Ariendel sank into silence

and the King and Queen were worried.

Finally the King announced that he

would reward anyone who could find

the fair knight Eriol and bring him back

and get her daughter smile again.

 

In the meanwhile Ariendel

spoke in the night of darkness

lonely and desperate words,

again and again;

 

“O thou sweetest of all dreams;

wrap me in your embrace and

let me sink into a merciful darkness!”

 

So she cut her hair and dressed

in men’s clothes and took

the horse that was not her own

because the horse had injured

her feet earlier and all this

was fatal thing because

no one could recognize her

as a princess she truly was.

 

So she left and all wondered

who this knight was.

 

All this time Eriol had wandered

far away to the borders of the Kingdom

of the Good King John

and he was not afraid of danger nor death.

 

And Eriol heard that unscrupulous bandits

were moving in that region, burning everything,

robbing and killing, and he decided to

meet them and bring them to justice.

 

No hope of surrendering but they attacked him,

ten men against one, they did not grant him a fair play!

 

So Eriol spoke with clear and high voice;

“Come forward thou all who do not value life!

Come forward and fight!

Come forward thou all whom death follows as a shadow!

Come forward and fight!”

And he fought, fell and rose,

again and again, and feel not pain

nor fear of death but suddenly

there were two men against ten men!

 

Ariendel knew the secret alone;

one of her maidens knew the fighting techniques

from her own brothers who had taught her

when she was much younger.

And during those long winter nights she had

told all she knew to her Lady

because Ariendel had a curious mind.

 

And behold! She used the sword skillfully

but the blood stained her clothes

and Eriol did not notice at any stage that

there was one more person among them,

anger and sorrow had blurred his eyes

and his sword hand were heavy and his mind weary.

 

Ariendel tried to spoke but the blow to her chest

took a voice from her lips when the last of them

fell dead on her and she struck her head on the stone.

 

Eriol lifted his hand to the last stroke but then

Ariendel spoke the very last time and this time

her voice was clear as the water;

“Thou said once that thou would come to me

Whenever I needed thou, O beloved Eriol,

but Ariendel has come to you and saved you!

And eventually there comes the time

when the flowers have to die away!”

 

So died the princess of the Good King John

and for a long, long time Eriol stood there

beside her broken body weeping the tears

which later became a river, and the story tells;

 

O that mournful sky is so gray and the clouds are heavy upon

the nameless river which is gray in color and it roars, it roars

in that forgotten land which looks so gray and it cries, it cries

‘There she lies!’ There she lies! The daughter of the good King John!’

 

And Eriol cursed his wretched fate, and became a ghost of regret.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author's Note

Photos were via google. Credits to its owners.

The names of this story has no connection with the real people of historian.