By Ariella McManus
It was the kind of day that cause poets to weep tears of joy and artists to break out in songs of sheer happiness. The sun shone with buttery softness, the emerald grasses of the meadow where we strolled fluttered gently in response to the kisses thrown to them by cool breezes, wild flowers in hues of every color dotted the landscape like jewels flung from the crown of the princess I felt myself to be, and I swear to you, even the birds joined in the celebration with a melody so sweet that it would melt a heart of hardest stone. It was sheer perfection, and I felt like the luckiest girl in the whole world.
I chattered amiably with my handsome companion, the brave and stalwart Sir Jaimie Felmore, a knight of great renown and heroic deeds heralded by bards in at least a dozen provinces, perhaps more. Already his legend was growing to one of epic proportions, and it was no wonder. Tall and brave, slayer of dragons and all-things-vile-and-evil, Sir Jaimie was as fair of face as he was stalwart of heart--and he was betrothed to me. I was hardly a princess, but I suppose that an Earl's daughter was nothing to sneeze at, even a lesser Earl. Oh surely, Sir Jaimie could have done far better, but I was not about to argue the point.
I was one of the fortunate ones; I was being allowed to marry for love. Many of the girls I had grown up with had not fared so well, and I had watched them bartered and sold to the highest bidder for land grants and titles, matches for political gains to men old enough to be their grandfathers. Cruel men, hard men, with harder hands and no regard for young girls with tender hearts and dreams of love. I was spared such a fate by my father, who some would say doted on me far too much. I loved him more than life itself, and for all of that, I loved Jaimie even more.
He drew me downward onto the grass and we began to speak as lovers do, sharing a forbidden embrace away from the eyes of the ever-present septon, but nature soon provided us with a chaperone of her own. A cardinal bird, in all of its scarlet finery landed between us, spreading its wings on Jaimie's chest and shrieking out a warning. It was amusing and we both thought it a merry jest until a sharp beak began to peck, drawing out a crimson drop of blood. The beat of the wings grew more frantic, and the blood begin to spread....
"JIMMY, NO!!!!!"
I chattered amiably with my handsome companion, the brave and stalwart Sir Jaimie Felmore, a knight of great renown and heroic deeds heralded by bards in at least a dozen provinces, perhaps more. Already his legend was growing to one of epic proportions, and it was no wonder. Tall and brave, slayer of dragons and all-things-vile-and-evil, Sir Jaimie was as fair of face as he was stalwart of heart--and he was betrothed to me. I was hardly a princess, but I suppose that an Earl's daughter was nothing to sneeze at, even a lesser Earl. Oh surely, Sir Jaimie could have done far better, but I was not about to argue the point.
I was one of the fortunate ones; I was being allowed to marry for love. Many of the girls I had grown up with had not fared so well, and I had watched them bartered and sold to the highest bidder for land grants and titles, matches for political gains to men old enough to be their grandfathers. Cruel men, hard men, with harder hands and no regard for young girls with tender hearts and dreams of love. I was spared such a fate by my father, who some would say doted on me far too much. I loved him more than life itself, and for all of that, I loved Jaimie even more.
He drew me downward onto the grass and we began to speak as lovers do, sharing a forbidden embrace away from the eyes of the ever-present septon, but nature soon provided us with a chaperone of her own. A cardinal bird, in all of its scarlet finery landed between us, spreading its wings on Jaimie's chest and shrieking out a warning. It was amusing and we both thought it a merry jest until a sharp beak began to peck, drawing out a crimson drop of blood. The beat of the wings grew more frantic, and the blood begin to spread....
"JIMMY, NO!!!!!"
My handsome knight lay on the cold, hard pavement, the dark pool underneath his uniform spreading at alarming speed. The policeman's shield pinned to his chest had done its job, deflecting the bullet enough to prevent it from killing him instantly, but that was very little comfort right now. The sounds of the city blared around us as I knelt beside him, alternately sending prayers to heaven for his recovery and curses to the netherworld for those responsible. Cold fingers of hatred clutched at my heart as their faces swam before me. If he died, so help me, my brothers would pay with their own lives. I, too, was the child of Don Carlo Pizani, and one was not raised as the child of the Mafia boss of Manhattan without picking up a few skills here and there.
Officer James "Jimmy" Felmore and I were a most unlikely couple. He was a modern day 'knight in blue' and I was the daughter of 'Mafia royalty'. No need to bore you with the sappy details. We met at a convention, of all places, we bonded over our love of cannoli and expresso, and it went from there. Both avid "Throners', we spent countless hours debating the merits of Lannister versus Baratheon and Camelot versus King's Landing. We both loved Guild Wars, Harry Potter, and all-things-fantasy. A match made in Geek heaven. Save for the fact that his family was on one side of the law and mine on the other. Oh yes, and my brothers wanted him dead--let us not forget that.
After what seemed like an eternity, the ambulance that I had called from my cell finally arrived. Seeing Jimmy in uniform and me covered in his blood, naturally, they had questions, but were gracious enough to give me the courtesy of answering them en route to the hospital. I did not, of course, share my suspicions with them; I had no real proof save for my own gut feelings, and well, some things are best taken care of without outside interference. My father liked Jimmy, oddly enough, and approved of the match. Justice 'would' be served.
It has been nearly two weeks since that fateful day in the park and Jimmy pulled through, somehow. We plan on being married as soon as he is released, a nice quiet affair with just a few close friends and those family members who don't want to see either of us dead. Hey, it may not be Camelot, and I may not be a lady-in-waiting, but Jimmy (or Sir Jaimie as I like to daydream) will always be my hero, my knight, my slayer-of-dragons-and-all-things-evil. And if that isn't a tale worthy of a bard (or at the very least a screen play), then I don't know what is!
Officer James "Jimmy" Felmore and I were a most unlikely couple. He was a modern day 'knight in blue' and I was the daughter of 'Mafia royalty'. No need to bore you with the sappy details. We met at a convention, of all places, we bonded over our love of cannoli and expresso, and it went from there. Both avid "Throners', we spent countless hours debating the merits of Lannister versus Baratheon and Camelot versus King's Landing. We both loved Guild Wars, Harry Potter, and all-things-fantasy. A match made in Geek heaven. Save for the fact that his family was on one side of the law and mine on the other. Oh yes, and my brothers wanted him dead--let us not forget that.
After what seemed like an eternity, the ambulance that I had called from my cell finally arrived. Seeing Jimmy in uniform and me covered in his blood, naturally, they had questions, but were gracious enough to give me the courtesy of answering them en route to the hospital. I did not, of course, share my suspicions with them; I had no real proof save for my own gut feelings, and well, some things are best taken care of without outside interference. My father liked Jimmy, oddly enough, and approved of the match. Justice 'would' be served.
It has been nearly two weeks since that fateful day in the park and Jimmy pulled through, somehow. We plan on being married as soon as he is released, a nice quiet affair with just a few close friends and those family members who don't want to see either of us dead. Hey, it may not be Camelot, and I may not be a lady-in-waiting, but Jimmy (or Sir Jaimie as I like to daydream) will always be my hero, my knight, my slayer-of-dragons-and-all-things-evil. And if that isn't a tale worthy of a bard (or at the very least a screen play), then I don't know what is!