literature

Aurora's Rose

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Literature Text

The night is not just watched by stars alone,
but also others, vast, unseen, unknown...


The tumult of the ocean’s great advance,
its vanguard pushing on, its subtle dance
first falling back, then rushing up once more,
a charge in vain, attempts to drown the shore –
could not drown out the calls of one returned,
from trial and terror, glory truly earned.
A hero, greeted by one set apart;
for him, the rightful owner of his heart.

“I’ve come, I’m here, I’ve brought the gift you want!
The jewel of Dawn, the flower from the font
of great Aurora, goddess of the sky;
a gift of marriage, joining you and I.
Across the sea, to furthest East I went;
a mound of gold, a lake of tears I spent
to find the gates of Dawn, and venture in
past phoenixes and lions, my own sin
embodied in a hall of shining glass;
all trials none are ever meant to pass.
To reach her garden, seat of holy power,
where in the centre grows her fiery flower -
and here it is, the flower of the flame.
I give it you, and so your hand I claim
as you had promised me, so long before,
if I’d bring Dawn’s great blossom to your shore.”

He falters, for she hasn’t said a word,
nor moved toward him. For, although she heard
his claim full well above the crash of waves,
her hardened heart a different master craves.

“Why should I ever answer to your call?
It is the bloom I want, not you at all.
I do not love you, fool. My hand was claimed
by one whose majesty is greatly famed –
a prince, who has forsaken all for me,
and brought my family out of poverty
to demonstrate his deep and true esteem.
His value you could never even dream!
And he has promised me an equal share -
for that I give him love beyond compare.
How could I not? When all is done for me,
to spurn him would be base hypocrisy.
I never swore that I would marry you,
and anything I said was plain untrue.
I did not wish to see you so misled,
but your delusion - you, such stubborn head! -
has given hope where no hope should be found,
and drove my sympathy into the ground.
You became a tool for me to use
since in your ardour you could not refuse
one single small request, not one at all.
Eyes open, fool! I blame you for your fall.
I needed you to bring Aurora's rose
as dowry for my lord - the prize he chose
to represent my love and loyalty;
exchanged for all his gifts, one thing from me.”

A distant clatter sounds along the shore,
of hooves and wheels – a chariot-and-four.
Her face begins to shine with hope and pride;
his face, unwatched, betrays the pain inside.

“Aha! My lord has come. I called him here
when first I saw your vessel drawing near.
Now quickly, please, just give the rose to me –“
She sees his face, and breaks reluctantly
“– I’m sorry, but I truly need the bloom.
It’s all that keeps my family from doom,
for he has said that only this will prove
my love. If not, his gifts he will remove.
I have lived a poor, a hungry life,
I must escape it- I must be his wife!
There is no other way. So please, again,
I ask you for the rose.”

                                        “You have it, then.”
He offers her a bag, his voice held low.
“If you so need it. But, I’ll have you know,
if you had told the truth I’d still have tried
to help you, even though you weren’t my bride.”

A flush of shame erupts within her chest;
but still she takes the rose. “It’s for the best-”

Then no more words could pass between the pair.
The grind of stones and iron splits the air,
and with a clang of chains and axle bolts
the chariot approaches, slows, and halts.
The driver, tall and thin, in robes of black;
one hand entwined in reins and holding back
a quartet of enormous, heaving boars,
the studded leather threaded through their jaws;
the other reaching out and beckoning-

“You have it, don’t you? There, you have the thing?
You cannot know what joy I feel, to see
it here upon this shore, in front of me!
The rose, which signifies your oath upheld
-and means our wedding chain my smiths may weld.
My lady, would you pass me up the bag?
Then join me by my side. We need not lag
now that you prove your love beyond a doubt.
My castle shall resound within, without!
And you, my man, you played no minor part
in bringing me the object of my heart?”

- The black glove fastens tight around the rose
- his fingers seem to tremble as they close –

“Then you must be rewarded. Gratitude
is most divine; to lack it would be rude,
and I have been well schooled in gallantry.
So here, then – have this parting gift from me.”

As quick as thought, a flashing silver blade
has left his hand; the man tries to evade
but moves too slow; a thud, a crunching sound
of steel and bone; a body on the ground.

A gasp escapes her throat – “What cause was there?
Why would... he helped... you think I would not care
to see you act this shamefully? Oh, no!
How could you strike so unforeseen a blow?
What does this violence mean? Was there some deed
committed by him that provoked the need?
Oh tell me he was wicked, criminal –
he acted in some way abominable.
Oh, tell me that the knife upholds the law,
and that this deed was caused by his own flaw,
for if his punishment was aught but fair
it weakens my regard beyond repair.
So tell me, please! What crime did he commit
to bring about your blade? My pain, remit!”

Unbidden tears appear within her eyes.
His face she studies fearfully. He sighs,
and with a gentle touch he leans in close.
“He served his purpose. Be not so morose.
Why should you care? You had just cast him down–
I merely saw the thing complete. Why frown?
You disappoint me with your attitude.
Such unrefined behaviour – oh, so crude!”

“So this, then, is the lord I chose to wed?”

“Does nothing penetrate that  little head?
One part revealed as false – that of the lord
who acts in kindness – then, one sees the fraud
continue unabatedly. You see,
you never had a chance of wedding me.
I asked of you this rose in hope you might
discover one to bring it back to night.
For night I am! No foolish earthly prince,
but Noctus, God of Night! And ever since
Aurora made her dawn I sought her death.
I sought to cause her final, gasping breath
and now I shall! Her light prevented me,
though I attempted it relentlessly,
from reaching her unscathed for untold years.
But now, because of mortal greed, her fears
Are coming true! Because, although she tried
to keep her nature secret, I espied
the truth at last. Aurora IS the rose!
And that is why she hid away, and chose
to build her garden home in furthest east.

But now! My nightghasts, come! Arise, and feast!
No longer need you fear the burning sun!
For thanks to this young girl, Aurora’s done!”

A chattering fills the sky, the beat of wings
imparts a dreaded fear, of unknown things
that slink below the mountains, in the gloom,
and drag unwary victims to their doom.

“You think you’ve won – but I will stop you yet!”
She clutches at him, strengthened by regret
for all her follies, borne upon the rage
of being made a fool. But from their cage
beneath the dark horizon swarm his drones,
with hoof-beats, wing-beats,  gasps and shrieks and moans,
the beasts surround them, whirling round their lord.
A blindly yelping demon leaves the horde
and plunges through the pair – she falls away,
but stands triumphant in her disarray.
The bag is in her hand. She has the rose.
And through a broken seam,  there brightly shows
a beam of purest gold, a blazing torch.
And looking to his robes, she sees it scorch
the blackness, burning it to dust and ash.
Her inspiration flares, and in a flash
she tears the bag to pieces, wields the bloom
aloft. It bursts alight! Her hand begins to fume
but she cares not for pain. She leaps, and lands
beside him – quick as thought, she  binds her hands
Around his form, the blossom tightly pressed
Against his heart, and held there by her breast.
“Look here! Upon this foolish, mortal face!
And know that you are slain by my embrace!”
An incandescent heat consumes them both,
as fiery as the dawn – its unchecked growth
Erupting to the blackly velvet sky.
With charring flesh, the nightghasts start to die,
while all around the darkness falls away.
The pyre on the shore has brought the day.
No longer can the two within be seen –
instead, a single pillar burns serene,
a song of freedom singing in its light,
of air and sun, of phoenixes in flight.

The flame begins to dim, and from the core
there steps a lady, where none was before.
She ventures to the man, and stooping low
she plucks the dagger out, the wound aglow.
“The flame of mortal love, it burns so bright...
it broke through my defences, conquered light.
You’ve shown that even gods have much to learn.
Come dwell with me, and teach the Dawn to burn.”
Comments26
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i-sit-in-silence's avatar
i thought I'd just read a few lines to get a feel of it and got sucked right in to the end. excellent amazing work. I also think it should have been first place!