Ardent Author's Writing Challenge Entry #1
Hey guys! I have a bit of an extra post today, which I hope you'll excuse. I'm going to be a part of the Ardent Author's Writing Challenge, on Team Summer!
I joined kind of last minute because there was an accidental open spot on the team, but I hope I can help Team Summer claim victory! 😉 Here are my teammates:
Let's do this!!
Prompts: 2
Total Points: 6
Mistletoe
"I can't hide this anymore," Jack sighed. "The king is getting suspicious, and you know the consequences. Please go, forget me, move on with your life!" His blue eyes sparkled in the twilight as he stroked the princess' cheek. She shook her head.
"I can't do that to you, love," Rohese said, with a tear falling down her cheek. "We can make it, we'll find a way!" But Jack merely smiled. With an awkward chuckle, he pointed to the mistletoe over their heads. They looked for a moment into each other's eyes, and then they kissed; for the moment, all was right in the world. They could make it work. For a moment, all was a blissful dream, one that seemed to last forever; for a moment, life was at it's peak, but it was too good to be true, too good to last. Their dream was shattered with harsh words and anger, and they were broken apart by five words: "Get away from my daughter!"
~
"Well, this is a nice change of scenery," Jack grumbled, looking up at the cold stones of the ceiling above. The criminal on the bench next to him looked at him incredulously.
"It's a prison cell." Jack looked at the man wearily.
"I was being sarcastic." he got up and started to pace the uneven floor. He kicked pebbles into the dark corners of the cell and pondered his situation. He and Rohese had been meeting secretly since the summer, and things had never exactly been in his favor. But now? There wasn't even much of a chance that he would survive.
"Do you mind?" came a deep voice from yet another criminal scratching a stone on the floor. Jack must have been mumbling. He sat back down on the bench. "What are you here for? You don't look like much of a criminal."
"I'm not. I was put in here because the princess and I are in love, so the king despises me for that. And now I must die for true love." Jack looked up again so he wouldn't cry; he needed to be strong for Rohese - who knew what punishments she was having to endure.
"What a romantic thing, to die for love." Jack gave a start and looked around for the source of the voice. He squinted into the corner and was shocked to see a woman there; she was so filthy and ragged that it was impossible to tell her age, but in her bony arms she clasped a large book, and around her neck hung a necklace with a small cross attached to it. "Come here, I want to show you something."
"Don't listen to Agathe," said one of the criminals. "She's straight up mad, with her Jesus and all that." But Jack crossed the cell and she handed her book to him. It was worn and ragged, just like her, but he could read the cover. He had heard of this book before - The Bible. He opened it curiously and read the first line: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
"May I read this?" He inquired of Agathe. She smiled and nodded, and he had the queer feeling that she had read the book through more than once. Jack sat down and started reading. The book intrigued him so much that he didn't put it down for food or drink or even sleep until he finished it the next day.
"You read quickly," noted Agathe between bites of stale bread. "My first time it took me a month."
"This - this Jesus - he let himself die! How could they kill him? He did nothing!"
"He loved his people so much that he died for them. Does that sound familiar at all?" Jack looked up from the pages he couldn't stop rereading. He mumbled something inaudible and turned back to the verse: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Now he understood. Now he was in God's hands.
~
"You were found on the 20th day of December kissing my ward, Rohese. Do you deny it?" The voice of the formidable king rang out through his great hall.
"I can not."
"How long have you been secretly meeting with my daughter?"
"Since August last."
"And you were fully aware that this connection was, from the first, never allowed and never to be tolerated/"
"I was, sire."
"In most circumstances your penalty would be death. However, I was swayed against this action by my daughter. You will, instead, receive 50 lashes. My daughter will also receive this punishment for her misconduct in entering this relationship. Take them to the prison and whip them," he added to his guard.
~
Jack regained his conscience in another dark prison cell. His back throbbed, but he was still alive. He grimaced as he raised his head to look around. He heard ragged breathing coming from another corner and squinted into the darkness. His heart leapt.
"Rohese, Rohese! Are you okay?" Her bright blue eyes opened slowly as he crawled across the floor.
"Wha - where am I?" she tried to sit up but screamed in pain and fell back down to the cold stone. "It's okay, I'm okay," she added when she saw her pain echoed on Jack's face. Jack smiled in spite of the darkness, in spite of the pain.
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." Rohese looked confused. So he told her the story, from the beginning, of God's love.
~
(I drew a little cluster of mistletoe!!💕)
Jack brought his ax down hard on another log. His back still hurt, a month later, but he ignored it; he was supposed to forget that, forget Rohese, forget his love, and forget his pain. The wood split apart easily and he threw the pieces on the growing pile of split logs. He chopped, and chopped, and chopped, not noticing the sunlight growing dim and the sweat dripping from his brow. He was lost in his mind, lost, that is, until he met someone at the door of the barn. A slight figure in a hooded cloak stood there, and he stared incredulously at a pair of bright blue eyes shining out of the darkness underneath the hood. A tear rolled down her cheek. "I was banished from the castle," she whispered. They looked up, noticing the mistletoe hanging from the doorway. Rohese smiled. "Merry Christmas, Jack."
~
That's my story! Did y'all like it? Are there too many story breaks? I like it but it does sound a bit fragment-ish. Are you participating in Zielle's AAWC? I had a ton of fun writing it and I can't wait until the next round! (If you guys can't already tell I'm kind of a romantic writer XD)
