The Young Bride

Showing the boundaries of love, nature, and fantasy

The Young Bride    Copyright c Justin Alcala 2010
      A long time ago, so long that long was short, there lived a young virgin in a quaint cottage within the woods. She lived in this cottage alone, her father lost in war while she was still just a little girl and her mother from plague soon after. Though the villagers viewed her upbringing as a tragic one, raising herself on her own, she never seemed to quite mind, as she always had the forest. It fed her when she was hungry, bathed her when she was dirty, and hummed her to sleep when she was tired. How she adored her woods, and it adored her back.

     Soon though, the young maiden discovered that though her forest was dear to her, it could not always provide everything she needed. When in need of pleasantries, tools, and medicines, the girl would find her way to the city and trade with bounties her home provided. Fresh fruits, nuts, and kindle were hauled to the hectic town markets, where she traded with merchants and store owners. And though her fair skin and wheat like hair awed young city boys, she would always refuse their invites and return to her beloved home. Pleased upon her return, the forest would welcome her back with the chimes of crickets and singing of wolves.

     Years would go by and the young girl’s fair skin became fairer and her wheat like hair grew more engaging. Soon men began to visit her cottage bearing fine gifts of jewelry, perfumes, and gold, in hopes that she would love them the same way she did her forest. But the young maiden was not fickle, and refused their fancy gifts and fruitful promises. She loved only her forest and nothing more.  However, the will of men is strong, and the desire for passion even stronger. And so they returned with much finer gifts. Offers of fertile lands, exotic pets, and beautiful towers were presented to the young lady in hopes of courtship. Still the young woman refused, growing impatient with her visitors who disrupted her peace and quiet within the wilds. She hid in the breast of her woods, taking refuge and avoiding men until spring became summer, and summer fall.

    Then one crisp autumn night, a knocking came at the fair maiden’s front entrance. Awaken by the rapping; she opened the door in ill temper. Standing before her stood a striking young man, adorned in tanned leathers and a cloak all the colors of the fall harvest. “Good eve my lady,” he greeted in his gentle voice.

    “It certainly was until your untimely visit,” she protested.  “By whose advice did you take to disturb me at such an hour?”

   “But of my own,” he humbly replied. “I have been watching you for sometime, and have finally come to ask for your hand in marriage.”

  Both frightened and affronted by his domineering words, the maiden let out a shriek like bellow. “I am tired of you men and your offers. I need no jewelry, perfumes and gold. Nor will any land, exotic pets, or beautiful homes ever tempt me. I have everything I need here in the forest. It gives me wood to burn for fire, animals for company, and fresh dew for drink. My forest feeds me when I’m hungry, bathes me when I’m dirty, and hums me to sleep when I’m tired. So tell me young bachelor, what could you possibly offer me!?”

    No sooner then her rant breathed its last breath and her hair settled back into her face did the suitor reply, “I will offer you more wood to burn your fire, more animals for your company, and more dew for you to drink.”

     Piqued, the young beauty belted, “No supply you have can ever fuel all my fires, no animals you keep could ever be enough company, and all the dew you can summon will never quench my thirst.”

     Lamenting, the young man grimaced while looking down to his feet with his wide chestnut eyes. Then in a moment of clarity, he spoke once more. “Then I will feed you when you are hungry, bathe you when you are dirty, and hum you to sleep when you tire. I adore you and wish for you to do so back.”

     Uncertain of her persistent suitor’s intent, the young lady with skin so fare, decided it would be in her best intentions to change her tactics, politely attempting to chase her visitor away instead. “Though your words are sweet like plums and promising like the morning sunrise, I’m afraid I can nay give you my heart young bachelor. For my love is dedicated only to the branches of the trees and the birds in their nests. For the flowers in their beds and very grass I walk on. I love only that for the rest of my life.”

     Pleased with her answer, the young visitor bowed and began to walk into the tree line. Abashed, the young lady watched as he shuffled through the brush, smiling with his mirthful smirk. Turning to face her once more, the bachelor’s boots began to root into the soils while his tanned leathers and cloak all the colors of the fall harvest amended into leaves. And as the winds took him up and the earth brought him down, with a soft voice and silly smile the suitor bid her farewell. “And I will always love you.”

So forever it went, her and her love together. When she was hungry, her love fed her. When dirty, her love bathed her, and when she grew tired, her love hummed her to sleep.  She adored her forest, and her forest adored her…for the rest of her days.

Reviews

[mmzx]

'Uncertain of her persistent suitor’s intent, the young lady with skin so fare,'
the last word should be 'fair' right?
haha.
anyway, i like it very very very much.
different from all the other stories i read.
(:

[Katie de Lavani]

An amazing tale with a sweet start and rewarding finish.